I have said this before. In my humble opinion, strength training is the foundation of health. There are many types of strength, including the ability to lift something heavy once and the ability to lift something light many times. In this case, I am using the term in a general sense. I am talking about the ability to move your body easily and anything that may be in your immediate environment. To me, the ability to move is one of the most fundamental things concerning quality of life. Second only to breathing. Being strong and moving well is the catalyst for sleeping better, working your cardio-respiratory system, and even eating well. In all my experience, I rarely see someone change their diet and eat great right off the bat. Usually, they begin their lifestyle change with short walks and a few crunches, and then things pick up from there.

Also, when I write these articles, I typically discuss things in the most basic of terms. Today, however, I would like to go into more detail for someone that is sincerely interested in going beyond the bare minimum. I will give you the same advice I give my clients, and we will discuss ideas for maximizing your progress and living life to the fullest. Since most of my clients are over 50, this article will be about some basic rules that I have come up with over the years to get the most out of your workouts and avoid injury.

Warmup Properly: The bottom line is that once you’re past a certain age warming up is probably more important than the workout itself. A warmup should begin with something that is light and rhythmical, like walking, biking, or a light workout with a heavy bag. You should then take a few minutes to stretch dynamically. Again, this is some light, general movement like arm swings, leg swings, etc. Maybe if you are so inclined, as I am, try some foam rolling or other form of myofascial release at this point. Then, and only then, begin a challenging strength training session. Gone are the days of jumping right into a workout or calling a few half-hearted toe-touches a warmup. I have found that on the days I don’t warm up properly, I get injured — every time. So, if you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to work out. Also, save the static stretching for the end of the workout. Static stretches are less effective and possibly dangerous when done while the muscles are cold.

Train Frequently: Rather than save up your motivation for a great two-hour workout every once in a while, which will likely never happen, try instead to work out just a little on most days. I have found with my clients, as well as myself, that action leads to motivation. Begin by warming up, then working out for a few minutes but do this most days. It can be different things. Bench pressing one day, squatting the next, etc. Over the next few weeks, you will likely develop the motivation to tackle more complex workouts such as split routines such as upper body on Monday and Thursday and lower body on Tuesday and Friday.

Build a Foundation: Start slow. It doesn’t matter that you could bench press a truck when you were 20. You’re not 20 anymore, and that’s OK. Start where you are right now at your current fitness level. Build on it. Gradually add a rep here and a few pounds there. Over time you’ll be back in shape. Don’t rush the process. Also, begin with the basics. This means multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows. Small, single-joint moments such as triceps kickbacks or concentration curls can wait, as they have less of an overall impact on the body.

Live to Train Another Day: This is a saying I came up with later in my career and that I learned the hard way. It means if something hurts or doesn’t feel quite right, stop what you are doing. Getting that one last rep won’t matter if you are out of the gym with an injury for two months. Maybe you were distracted or having a bad day, or you moved up in weight too quickly. Don’t worry about it. Stop what you are doing for now and cut back on the weight. You can give the exercise another try the next time you work out. A step forward, however slowly achieved, is far better than a step backward.

Get Professional Advice: Smart people get expert advice on the things in which they are not formally trained. A fitness pro will help you decide what exercises are right for you and where to begin. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I wanted to write about ideal strength training programs, not the bare minimum. So, if you stumbled over parts of this article, you would most likely benefit from getting expert advice. There is absolutely no shame in getting help. In fact, it’s a pretty wise and mature thing to do. It will be money well spent, will likely speed up your progress, and will probably prevent an injury or two.