‘I'm 53-Years-Old With Six-Pack Abs—Here's My Exact Weekly Workout Routine'

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7 days ago

'I'm 53-Years-Old With Six-Pack Abs—Here's My Exact Weekly Workout Routine' originally appeared on Parade.
Walter Gjergja has always been active. As a teen and young adult, he practiced martial arts, competing at an elite level. But in his 30s, he noticed that his performance was stalling, despite a dedicated training schedule.'In your 30s, speed, power and flexibility start declining slightly and then in your 40s, there's a substantial change in metabolism and recovery,' Gjergja says, adding that he experienced these changes first-hand as he moved through his 40s and into his 50s.Gjergja explains that he has seen many people in their 50s de-prioritize fitness, assuming they just can't be as active anymore. He didn't want to do that. But he also knew that he couldn't keep working out the way he used to in his 20s. Here, he shares what his workout routine is now and how he's using AI to help others achieve their health goals.🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊
'I'm 53-Years-Old With a Six-Pack—Here's My Weekly Workout Routine'
Before seeing what Gjergja's workout routine is, it's important to know that just because this routine works for him, it's not for everyone. Gjergja spends 1.5 hours working out every day, which he says is too intense for those who aren't used to being as active. 'Start where you are and work up from there,' he recommends.As mentioned, Gjergja works out an hour and a half every day—that is, unless something organically comes up. 'I don't build days off into my workout schedule because I find that they happen naturally because life happens,' he says. 'Family plans come up, traveling…So I just always have the intention of working out every day and my days off happen as life unfolds.'Gjergja structures his workouts into three sections: cardio, strength training, and mobility and flexibility. They aren't always the same length, but he says he hits every area each day.Related:
Cardio
Typically, Gjergja does 45 minutes of cardio a day. 'Cardio fitness is important for daily activities, like being able to chase your kids or grandkids around,' he says. Often, Gjergja says he'll get his cardio in by going on a 45-minute run.On top of his 45-minute cardio workout, Gjergja shares that he tries to work as much movement into his day as possible, which serves as smaller bursts of cardio. This can look like, for example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking a block away from somewhere he needs to go.Related:
Strength training
Since Gjergja does some form of strength training every single day, he varies how he does it to prevent overworking his muscles. For example, he says that on Mondays, he does pushing exercises, like bench presses, overhead presses and dumbbell lateral raises. The next day, he'll do pulling exercises, like pull-ups, bicep curls and deadlifts. The day after that, he'll focus on core strength. Then, the cycle repeats. 'I push every rep until I'm close to failure on the last rep,' he explains.Related:
Mobility and flexibility
This is the part of fitness that Gjergja says many people neglect, but it's increasingly important with age. 'When we are kids, we have a lot of flexibility. Think about how a baby can put their foot in their mouth. But with age, we become more rigid and stiff. That's why flexibility exercises are so important,' he explains. Related:
How He's Using AI To Help Others Achieve Their Health Goals
As a former athlete, Gjergja knows more than the average person about fitness. He also studied exercise physiology at Stanford University and is a Shaolin Master, trained at a temple in China. With the help of technology developers, he created Zing Coach, an app that uses AI to help people reach their fitness goals.He explains that Zing Coach creates a personalized training program based on the individual's current health, what their goals are and how they prefer to be motivated. (For some people, it's all tough love, but others prefer gentle encouragement.)
One way Gjergja says that people can track their progress is through the app's virtual body composition scan. 'This is more accurate than using a scale because you can be losing fat, but gaining muscle,' he explains.The app can also measure flexibility. 'You put the screen far enough away where it can see your whole body and then move through some guided exercises. From there, it will tell you what you can do to improve flexibility and feel better in your body,' he says.
Nutrition advice is also a cornerstone of the app. Users can take photos of their meals and the app can estimate what the nutrient and calorie content is, then offer recommendations related to their health goals.
'I primarily use Zing to track my workouts and progress,' Gjergja says, explaining how he uses it himself.
His Advice for Getting Fit After 50
If you are 50 or older and want to start being more active but aren't sure how to get started, Gjergja recommends starting small. 'Maybe it's just moving your body for 15 or 20 minutes a day and gradually working up from there,' he says.Instead of focusing on aesthetics, Gjergja says to think about how you want to feel. 'Instead of focusing on wanting six-pack abs, more muscle-toned arms or wanting to weigh less, focus on wanting to feel more energized so you can go hiking with your spouse or play with your kids, for example. Aesthetics and fitness are not the same. If you prioritize feeling more fit, the aesthetics will come anyway,' he explains.
Gjergja also reiterates the importance of moving throughout the day (not just sitting around all day and then heading to the gym for a strenuous workout) and also prioritizing eating nutrient-rich foods.
'A workout at the end of the day doesn't make up for spending the rest of the day sitting,' Gjergja says. One way that he says can help with working more movement into your day is spending 60 seconds every hour doing one type of exercise, such as squats or push-ups. Over the course of the day, these mini workouts add up!
Most importantly, he says to just get started. Start small, but start today. Over time, you may be amazed to see how far you come.
Up Next:'I'm 53-Years-Old With Six-Pack Abs—Here's My Exact Weekly Workout Routine' first appeared on Parade on Jul 26, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.