I’m often asked how I stay fit. For those of you who know me, posing in a bathing suit is not my idea of fun. Nope. Would not have ever done it if it wasn’t important as a lifestyle model, BUT, I’m thrilled with the results of my weight training over the past year. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had some very real health challenges the past few years and was unable to work out for a long time. I had to heal my body before I could get back to weight training, and I had to come back slowly. Slow and patient are two words rarely used by me. Another lesson learned and maybe another blog one day.
Enter Daryl Maddern of #astutefitness. Daryl is a successful gym owner in Australia with a unique insight into health, fitness and nutrition. He has 18 years of experience as a trainer with a lifelong involvement in exercise and fitness. He competed as an elite powerlifter for 20 years winning several titles and setting national records along the way, and also competed in triathlons for 12 years. I found him online after reading an article authored by him regarding #fitbeyondfifty. He explained how it’s different for those of us over 50 when it comes to weight training, and weight training is my thing. (I could care less about cardio, even though I walk every day, but I cannot live without weight training.) He explained how it takes longer to recover from injuries and this is what I needed to avoid above all else.
I contacted Daryl with my unique health issues and explained that every time I lifted weights, I seemed to overdo it and suffered a setback for a week or more; precisely why his article connected with me. I was frustrated because my biomedical doctor, #drdrobot, had given me the green light to get back to weight training while adamantly instructing me to go slowly and carefully. Slow? How is that even possible?? I needed to get back into shape, and fast! After all, I’m a lifestyle model and with that comes certain expectations.
Daryl assured me he could help, and he has. In a big way. I started weight training slowly using light weights and repetitions and stretching after every workout. My warmup consists of a brisk walk for 20 minutes, and my stretching routine is essential. I would miss the brisk warmup before missing my stretching, but of course I try not to miss either. (I may have to do a blog on stretching that’s how much I’ve learned to appreciate this aspect of exercising and weight training.)
Now #astutefitness and #fitbeyondfifty has an online app that is fabulous (and very reasonably priced)! My workouts with videos are downloaded by Daryl into this app where I can keep track of everything. Timing, repetitions, weight amounts, and ab exercises. Even the stretches with video are included. The videos are crucial when it comes to proper form and preventing injury. There’s a stopwatch and a place for notes. I’ll admit I’m attached to my iPhone and now I always have my workouts with me. No excuses and I like that. Do yourself a favor if you want to be #fit and especially #fitbeyondfifty, check out #astutefitness and Daryl Maddern. Never before have I felt comfortable in a bathing suit never mind being photographed while wearing one, but this time was different. I felt pretty darn good, for my age, and it shows. Don’t you agree?
