Over 40 martial artists / HIIT /Crossfit junkies

DarkDogZA

Just wondering if there are any over 40s still doing martial arts etc? I see so few of around at the moment

How often do you train? 2 HIIT sessions, 1 weights session and 2 martial arts classes a week

What is your recovery strategy? Extra magnesium and vitamin D, dedicated mobility / stretch session and watch the diet a lot more

shodan

I don't train any more, although I still think about karate every day.
Had a 10 year break from karate due to shift work, moving away, starting a family. Tried to go back to it but between my curved spine, 3 herniated discs and not stretching for 10 years, I've lost all my speed and flexibility and the hips are seized. I tried going back to it at all new place, after a couple of months they awarded me my 1st Dan again but had to give it up after a couple of years because of the hips. An hour's karate meant I couldn't walk properly for 2 days.

Do gym now and can manage the weights and skipping HIIT for skipping and running etc.
Can't stop myself from trying to "help" the kids with their karate...

DarkDogZA

Oh man, ouch. I am trying to keep at it for as long as possible, work/family aside.

shodan

Keep at it brother, don't let even one excuse allow you to miss a session. Make it so much easier to excuse out of the next one then the next one etc..

I still miss it so much but not being able to do what I used to is really upsetting!

fragdude

Did kickboxing for 10 years, stopped 3 years ago due to too many other commitments ( work and family ) so gave it up, regretted for ages, but have since found running and.

Stopped when I was 44 and at the time was training 5 nights a week for 1.5 to 2 hours per night , that said my bosses used to frown at the black eyes

reiteration

Hi, I'm 47 and exercise 4 times a week...

typical routine -
monday
1 hours kettlebell class with a mixture of running, kettlebell (upto 24kg now), and body weigh exercises

wednesday
gym (push) - 36kg dumbbell benchpress, cable flyes, cable side raises, rear delt raises, 80 kettlebell presses @ 20kg in 5 minutes (5 each arm then keep swapping arms), various tricep exercises (normally with cables etc), the  finish off with 10x8 proper burpees

thursday
gym (pull) - deadlifts (upto 130kg), rows, pullups / lat pulldowns, 10 x 10 24kg kettlebell swings alternating with 5 cleans per arm, then some bicep work

friday
gym (legs) - 20 bodyweight squats, legpress's, 5x20 lunges with 20kg kettlebell, 10x10 box jumps (on a normal height weight bench), then a bit of cardio - currently skipping 4-500.

shodan

Overachiever...[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

reiteration

ha, I wish..

BigStu1972

I'm 45 and do Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) 4 times a week and when I'm not doing BJJ I'm in the Gym.
Currently my training looks like this

Monday Lunch Gym
Monday evening BJJ 2 hours
Tuesday Lunch BJJ 1 hour
Wednesday Lunch Gym
Thursday Lunch BJJ 1 hour
Friday Lunch BJJ 1 hour.

Every other week I drop a Lunchtime BJJ session and do an extra Gym session.
I have weekends off to recover

I ache a lot, especially as each class ends with around 30 minutes of full on sparring. All I take are protein shakes and Magnesium but eat reasonably healthily.

Before I took up BJJ I did Judo for many years and before that Kung Fu and Karate. I've been doing some form of martial arts for the best part of 36 years.

DarkDogZA

I actually stopped BJJ in my 30s because I found the required training eating into too much of my personal time . If you guys are interested, there are dedicated facebook groups for over 40s BJJ, martial arts and Fitness (3 groups). Some very inspirational stories there