The Core

Craig, here's a nutty fitness challenge for you: Ultra Trail Cape Town.

Not as long or famous as Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB, the most famous trail race in the world), but it might have some of the hardest terrain of any race that is supposedly a running race.

https://semi-rad.com/2023/12/race-report-ultra-trail-cape-town-100k/

If you don't know Semi Rad or his book Chart Imitates Life, this race report will give you a good feel. Full disclosure: I read 10% of the words at most. I mostly just read pictures ;-)

Buckworks, congratulations on the achievement!  I did keto for years and it worked well for me, but it did cause some hormonal issues which have been outlined here over the years.  In short it: there is an inverse relationship with SHBG and insulin production in the liver.  My insulin was so low for so many years that my SHBG was pushed out of range and my testosterone was being gobbled up at higher numbers than it should have been.  Fast forward, I am injecting myself twice a week for the rest of my life.  I find the benefits very much worth it though.  There are reasons why I think this is less of a concern for women than for men, so I don't think you need to be very concern about a rise in SHBG messing with your hormonal balance.

I really encourage you to do resistance training when on Keto, preserving muscle mass is very important and also very advantageous to losing fat on the diet.   You don't need a gym, you could get tremendous benefit from just some simple equipment and working out at home.  I don't know your exact age, but I think  you are probably somewhere in your early 60s?  When dieting on the plus side of 50 we need to really think about sarcopenia.  Avoiding it has shown to extend life and extent the quality of life.

Here is what I advise for gear:
dumbbell set (I don't know how strong you are, but you may want to start as light as 2.5lbs or 1kilo)
a stable four leg chair height stool
a floor mat big enough to lie down on and with  cushioned enough to be comfortable to do floor work on
a step, as in stairs or the kind they sell for workouts

That's enough equipment to work your entire body.

I don't know if you have any nagging issues with rand of motion or curtain types of movements but I am going to outline some basics that when done together will work your entire body.  You don't have to do this in any particular order but I usually start with the larger movements first.

Pushups (shoulders, tricep, chest, core) 
If you are strong enough do regular push-up.  If those are too hard do bent knee push-ups (what they use to call girl push-ups when I was a child).  If those are too hard go to a wall and do a push-up against that.  A lot of people make a mistake when it comes to push-ups and have their elbows out too far, they should be close to your body,  It is harder that way, but better for your shoulder joints.  Your hands should be slightly turned outward too so that your thumbs are up.

Goblet squats or Lunges (quads, gluts, some core, balance and overall body strength)
Goblet squats are easier than lunges.  Hold a dumbbell at your chest and squat down.   If that is too hard you can do goblet squats on and off a stool, You can also do it with no weight at all and use a stool with no weights  too.

Lunges are great, you can do them with a dumbbell in each hand or without any weight at all.  If you don't know how to do them
  properly here is a video of the basic movement

Cave raises
If you have stairs with a sturdy railing use that for support.  If you don't have stairs get your step and put it next to a wall and use that for support.  Step on the step and stretch your calves then lift up on the balls of your feet, and repeat.  As you get stronger you can do this with weight in one hand and/or do one leg at a time. 

Straight leg dead lifts (hamstrings, spinal erectors, lower back)
Hold the dumbbells in each hand and bend down at the waist while keeping your legs straight.  You want to go easy on this at first.  You can do it with no weight for this movement too.  Always do this movement slow and controlled.

Dumbbell shoulder press (Shoulder muscles, triceps, trapezius)
While standing have the weights in your hands at about your shoulder level, slowly raise them above your head and bring them back down.

Floor Ab work (core)
You could do planks, crunches or leg lifts.  Crunches are probably the easiest to start with.  Do them nice and controlled.  Make sure to have that mat underneath you.

One arm Bent over row (Upper back)
You will have to be bent over with one arm on that secure stool (you could use a chair too) and have one arm at your side hanging down.  You want to keep that elbow close to your body.  Bring the weight up to where your ribs are and then back down.  Concentrate on where your elbow is moving not on where the weight is.  Try to not round your back but keep it straight and parallel to the floor.  A lot of peolpe tend to do this one wrong and use their biceps to curl the weight up in the movement.  Your bicep should not be engaged at all and should be relaxed.  Obviously do a set on both sides.

Dumbbell curls (bicep, wrist strength, grip)
Move slowly, don't swing your arms around so that your elbows are moving,  They should stay at your side.  Bring the weight up it is approaching your shoulder and then bring it down.  You could alternate between the arms or do both arms at the same time.

Bent over side laterals (back of the shoulder mostly)
I am throwing this in there because people tend to get imbalanced in their shoulder development and that could lead to injuries or joint problems.  It is a simple movement.  You cold do it bent over with both arms at the same time, but I don't recommend that at first.  Use the stool instead and do each side separately.  The support of the stool will  help with form and keep you level.  You don't want your back twisting when you do this exercise.  Your back should be flat like when doing the bent over row.  In this movement you are pulling the weight outwards away from your body so that it aligns with your shoulder.  Your elbow should have a very sight bend in it the entire time.  Here is an example of someone doing it standing.

I don't think you need to do any tricep specific exercises because they are being worked in the shoulder press and the push-ups.  You can add them though if you want to.   

If you do all this you basically are working your entire body.  There are many exerciser you could swap in or out to target muscles in different ways.  Everything I outlined though are relatively easy on joints and can be done for years without issues if you are sensible about your movements and the weights you use.

I recommend doing just one set of each exercise per workout and do the workout at least three times a week.  You could get the whole thing done in about 30 minutes.  I know this is long, but you wanted advice and I seem to have a lot to say on the topic.  If anything is confusing, please ask questions.

>viola

Wow, do you have any recordings available?

>That will give me some focus!

I feel like I left a bunch of stuff out.  One thing though is that eventually, not the first few workout but say after a couple of weeks at it, each set should be stopped at or withing a couple of reps of failure.  Higher reps are fine, you could go up to 30 if you want, but if you feel like you could do a movement for a long time then it is probably time to increase your weight. 

I might post more for you if something comes to mind.

>Betty's Bay,

You made me look it up, looks stunning.

@littleman

I have acquired some small dumbbells and used your suggestions above to create a more concise list I can follow easily.

We've had a death in the family so my days have been too disrupted to get started yet. My last uncle died just a few ays after his 102nd birthday.

Next week, I promise!

Sorry, my "computers off" time came before I realized that I never did say what, if not pullups, will you do with the pullup bar.

Ideally, put it in a place you pass frequently and a few times a day at a height that you can reach with your feet still on the floor.

Here's a quick mobility test: interlace your fingers with your index fingers pointing out (i.e. not interlaced). Now point as straight up as you can. Do your arms comfortably go back to your ears without having to arch your back? If no, start with Level 1. If yes, start with Level 2.

Level 1. This should be very gentle, more like a gentle stretch and not an intense one. Grab the bar and flex your knees until you feel a light stretch. Hold for at least 45 seconds (typically with stretches you'll feel a release around 40 seconds). Do this is often as you can. A couple times a day if possible.

Level 2. You have the mobility for a straight-arm hang, so now just bend your legs more and more. Put enough weight on your hands that in 30s to 60s it's starting to burn or your grip is weakening. Just keep adding weight.

Why?

1. Lots of people lose mobility in their arms and that limits their ability to do things like put their own bag in the overhead bins on an aircraft or reach something off a high shelf.

2. Grip strength is handy as you get unstable as you age. Being able to have a firm grip on a stair railing might extend your independence by many years.

I am sorry for your loss, but congratulate you on the potential genetic lottery.  102 for a man is really outstanding!


> 1. Get started
> 2. Don't get hurt
> 3. Keep going

Absolutely!

>Well, I officially did my first workout using Littleman's suggestions.

That's great!!!