lower body training

  • Hello, I am a 54 year old male who will be starting the BFL program.However due to physical difficulties I won't be able to perform the lower body exercises.Could I double up on the upper body or the cardio?............Thanks

  • I wouldn't recommend that.  If you do too much cardio, you'll start losing muscle.  The upper body workouts are quite intense (they take me a full hour... don't know how anyone can do an UBWO in 46 minutes).  On the weeks that you are supposed to be doing 2 lower body workouts and 1 upper body, I think it would be fine to add another upper body to that week (so you would be doing upper body twice a week, every week).  

    Are you healing from an injury or do you have a long-term debilitating condition that will keep you from doing lower body?  What are you doing for cardio?

    Laurie, 2010 Body-for-Life Champion 46+

    Never underestimate your power to change.

  • Thanks for replying, I think I will add an additional upper body work out and maybe throw in a cardio once in a while to mix it up.My condition will improve after knee replacements but even then I don't want to take any chances of damaging them so I'll stick with the meal plan,cardio and upperbody exercises.My son is a certified trainer so he can help me out with some different exercises as well.I do think that diet is 75% of the results.Thanks for replying Lady Georgia.......are you working out?

  • You are so right that the diet is the most important part of this.  

    Yes.... I still workout regularly.  I did two challenges back-to-back to get to my goal weight.  Last summer I did a third challenge for maintenance.  I started running after C3.  I continued with the BFL nutrition principles for the most part.  Though I maintained my weight during the holidays, I had gotten a little lax with my workouts and proper BFL nutrition.  My bodyfat had gone up a little bit so I did a fourth challenge (which I just finished about 9 days ago).

    Though I strongly believe in the structure of the BFL workouts, after 4 challenges, I need a little more variety.  I continue to run for my cardio (anyone in a challenge still needs to do HIIT though).  As for strength training, I do some P90X, Taebo, etc.  I workout in my basement.  I belong to a gym, but other than a few spin classes during C4, I rarely go.  I lift heavier and push myself harder in the privacy of my own home.

    Laurie, 2010 Body-for-Life Champion 46+

    Never underestimate your power to change.