I am 47 years old. I have had the pleasure of coming to know other fine folks my age and older at the gym over the last few years. Like me, these folks are trying their hardest to get into better physical shape. Within this group specifically, I have noticed a really interesting phenomenon.
A funny thing happens when you apply physical training principles reserved mostly for elite athletes of a much younger age, to folks our age. You would think that most of us would resist such a seemingly crazy notion. Quite the contrary, I see folks our age seize the opportunity.
I have personally seen many people; middle aged like me, or years older who tenaciously embrace the training means and methods of elite athletes.
I have seen them change physically before my very eyes. Months quickly pass and as they do bellies disappear, shoulders grow, and arms and legs become defined with new muscle. Body fat disappears quickly as shapely muscle becomes apparent and burns it off continually.
Training progressions aren’t approached tepidly, rather they are attacked. A solid low-bar back squat progresses to running with the prowler, with a few plates, than a stack. Basic bench pressing advances to pressing off pins with supra-maximal weights and heavy chains. Plyometrics, body weight exercises with added weight and chains, isometrics, they tackle them all as their strength and physical prowess improves.
A confident clap of the hands fills the air with chalk dust just before they set yet another new 1RM record. This is complete with involuntary, guttural expression signifying extreme effort and the loud clanging of a heavy weight into the rack that confirms a new level of physical strength and speed has just been attained.
Real results fuel more intense workouts, exercises and more advanced progressions.
These things in-turn create even better, never-imagined results. Youthful or even higher levels of physical performance are back – with a fury! People my age and older just need the opportunity. We just need to be given the chance.
This revelation of intestinal fortitude always seems more evident with folks my age or older than with younger people. Maybe it’s the desperation caused by passing years that causes us to ferociously fight back. These folks tend to train like fighters preparing for a championship bout.
They were never lazy or less functional due to creeping years alone. Rather, their true physical ability was hidden, left unused. Generally, in the fitness industry many folks our age are left in “physical fitness limbo” just because of our age.
It pleases me to no end to see my age group and older people free to truly express themselves to the limits of their physical abilities and beyond.
Many folks our age are sent out to the “fitness pasture” by most of the fitness industry. Much of this patronizing treatment is for insurance and liability reasons. That may be optimal for most big gym chains, but it most certainly isn’t optimal for us. At our strength gym this is never allowed to happen.
Herding folks into low impact aerobics classes and slow, controlled movements in the comfortable gym machines cannot and will not happen. Our programs involve squats, dead-lifts, bench pressing, Olympic lifts and all of their variations, speeds and applications.
Advanced progressions are all there for the taking. There should never be any limits, regardless of age or gender. At our gym, there never will be.
My Pal Greg
A friend of mine, Greg Carver is an accomplished trainer and gym owner. His quote the other day on Twitter speaks volumes: