As we age, we begin to naturally lose muscle mass. Our bones become weaker and smaller. And our cardiovascular health slowly deteriorates. Men in their middle age are in a crucial position in their life: they can either continue their life of inactivity and place themselves at risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, back pain, and osteoporosis – or they can do something about it.

Strength training is one of the best ways of strengthening your muscles, reducing body fat, and improving cardiovascular health. Jogging or aerobic exercise can only help you with the prevention of one or two diseases. However, weight training can have a dramatic positive effect across many areas of your physical life.

The Right Fitness Program for your Needs

So what kind of strength training program will help you get the best results and allow you to dramatically turn around your health? Well, there are certain key aspects that you should look for in a strength training program:

• Compound Movements – Compound movements are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. When you activate lots of muscle mass at once, you release human growth hormone and testosterone. Both of these hormones have been linked to increased muscle mass and decrease fat.
• Body Control – Many fitness programs out there focus on how much weight you can lift, or how big your arms look. But the true mark of good health is how well you can control your body. As you age, your joints lose their range of motion and are not even able to support their own bodyweight.
• Cardiovascular Health – You need a program that actually works your heart. Most regular cardio programs don’t really force your heart to work harder. This is why I prefer higher intensity training as opposed to lower intensity training. Sprints and interval training are a great start.

The Benefits of a Combination Bodyweight and Dumbbell Program

I think that the best way to get started on improved health, especially for middle aged men, would be to combine bodyweight and dumbbell exercises. This is because dumbbell movements, as long they are compound exercises, are best for putting on lean muscle mass and strengthening bones.

Bodyweight training is also great for increasing lean muscle mass. However, it’s greatest benefit is body control. Basic bodyweight movements and mobility drills will allow you to move better in daily life and sports. If you’re experiencing knee pain, back pain, or hip pain, then you should try bodyweight training as a way to reduce this pain and increase your range of motion.

Finally, if you construct workouts using bodyweight and dumbbell exercises and perform them in a high intensity manner, then not only will you get a great strength and conditioning benefit, but you’ll also be making your heart and lungs work hard.

That to me, is a form of cardiovascular training.

Developing your Program

The best way to get started on a good combination bodyweight and dumbbell program is make a list of all the bodyweight and dumbbell exercises that you know how to perform, or look like they are easy to learn. You can start off with basicpushups, pullups and squats for your bodyweight exercises.

For dumbbell exercises, you can do overhead press, bent over row, and chest press. You can easily organize these movements into a superset fashion for a great, intense workout. A superset is where you alternate between two exercises with little to no rest in between each exercise.

Or, if you’re looking for a great combination bodyweight and dumbbell program, then you should check out Gladiator Body Workout. Click here for more information.