Hi Mats,
Thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions!
First can you tell us a few words about yourself?
I´m 53 y/o male from Sweden. Have 3 kids (2 moved out), wife and dog. Part owner of a company that distributes software for Restaurants and Hotels.
We have only virtually known ourselves for some time through GymnasticBodies community and you have been one of the examples what a dedicated person can do with his health and fitness level, even when you start at age 49 like you did. How did you find out about gymnastic strength training (GST) and how much time do you spend training per week?
Well after working day and night with my company for about six years I started to get health issues, bad sleep, anxiety etc. I went to the doctor and she had me prioritize my health. She said: think of what the airline staff says during their security routine. “put on your own mask before helping others”. To get out of work at a normal time I started to pick up my son from gymnastics training. They always ended their training with body weight strength exercises. So I got some ideas from there and decided to start training 10 minutes a day BUT every day. I thought if I can take care of my hygiene 10 minutes a day I should be able to take care of my physical health 10 minutes every day. I thought bodyweight training was perfect. No time lost packing a bag, traveling to the gym, finding a place to park etc.
Did you have any previous experience before you started with GST? What was your base fitness level?
My fitness level was alright. I´ve been doing sports my whole life. Mostly snow skiing, waterskiing and skateboard.
You started with GST when you were 49 years old and you are 53 now. What advice can you give to adults over 40 and even 50 years of age who think they are too old to start improving their health and fitness?
I would say that it is never too late. You just have to find (and accept) the level you are at the moment. With Gymnasticbodies Foundations, everyone can start.
Go Easy in the beginning and try to make your training a habit. As I wrote above to treat your physical health like taking care of your hygiene. Put more time on mobility than strength training. If you don’t, sooner or later mobility deficiency will stop you from strength progress.
Patience is the name of the game!
How do you structure your training? Do you have a partner or you train on your own?
The last couple of months I`ve been training 4 times a week. Mon/We/Fri/Sun
Monday is my volume day where I do easier strength exercises but a lot of reps. Wednesday and Friday heavier with fewer reps. Mon/We/Fri/ is where I put in all the exercises where shoulders are involved. Sunday is a lot of core/legs/jog. As Gst is shoulder dominant, I like to have 2 off days I a row for the shoulders. I also try to do lighter mobility on my off days. As I wake up in the morning I try to move my joints very light. Neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, spine, knees ankles.
I have a partner on Wednesday mornings. The other days I train alone.
What advice can you give your peers of taking care of their health apart from their training?
The usual – sleep and eat well. I try to get 8 hours of sleep every night.
Skip carbs for breakfast reduced my body fat. I eat most of my carbs at night as this makes me sleep better. I´m not gluten intolerant, but I try to avoid gluten as it makes my gut-rotten, but that’s just me.
For more inspiration from Mats, you can follow him on Instagram @matstrane
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