Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Yesterday I sent you an email with
a link to a YouTube video showing
Dr. William Bell hitting 7 feet,
two inches in the pole vault.
Now, that may not sound like much --
until you stop and consider that
Dr. Bell is 90 years old.
That 7 feet, two inch pole vault
was an age group world record.
If you missed it, here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX9h5PVNGaY&feature=player_embedded
That got me to think about older
athletes -- and older trainees --
so I thought I'd share ten keys for
lifelong strength and health.
1. Keep training. If you stop, it's
really tough to get back into it --
and you'll find it takes a long time
just to get back to your former strength
levels. It's much better to start and stay
with it.
2. Do what you like best. For me, that's
Olympic weightlifting and Dino style
dumbbell training. For others, it's
powerlifting, strongman training, body-
weight exercises, cables, kettlebells,
muscle control or heavy partials. The
point is, you're old enough to do what
you like to do -- so do it!
3. Dress for success. Keep your muscles
warm when you train. Wear strong, sturdy
footwear. If your knees hurt, use Tommy
Kono knee sleeves to keep them warm.
3A. Tiger Balm can be your best friend.
4. Work around the sore spots. If an
exercise hurts -- and ALL older trainees
have at least one exercise that hurts --
find a substitute.
5. If squats are a problem -- and they
are for many older trainees -- try the
Trap Bar Deadlift. It's one of the GREAT
training tools for anyone, but it's
especially good for older trainees.
5A. I like the Gerard Trap Bar -- the
original Trap Bar designed by engineer
and powerlifter, Al Gerard. You can get
it from John Wood, who also offers some
excellent Trap Bar training guides:
http://www.trapbartraining.com/
http://www.trapbartraining.com/training_guides.html
6. Work on strength, but don't neglect
speed, power, balance, coordination,
timing, flexibility and mobility. You
need it all to age successfully.
7. Watch your weight! Don't let the Lard
Lumps pile up -- and if you have them, get
rid of them NOW! Nothing ages you faster
than the Lard Lumps.
7A. Dr. Bell wouldn't be pole vaulting at
age 90 if he was carrying 50 or 100 pounds
of Weasel Grease.
8. Stay active. The more you move, and the
more often you move, the better. Try to do
something physical every day -- not heavy
training, but something physical, even if
it's just walking the dog or working in
the garden.
9. Forget about what you lifted when you
were younger and focus on what you can
lift NOW -- and then work to increase your
current PR.
10. Use abbreviated workouts and simple
cycling systems as detailed in my book
for older lifters, Gray Hair and Black
Iron. The right kind of training and the
right kind of workout is critical for an
older trainee.
There you have it -- ten training tips
for older Dinos. I hope they help --
and I hope you're going strong at 90
and beyond -- just like Dr. Bell!
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Go here to grab your copy of Gray
Hair and Black Iron -- it's a must read
for older trainees:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. You'll enjoy my DVD, Going Strong
at 54! We filmed it on my birthday, and I
go through my current training in detail --
with two complete workouts. Check it out:
http://brookskubik.com/goingstrong.html
P.S. 3. We're still running the pre-publication
special for my new book, Dinosaur Dumbbell
Training. Go here to reserve your copy:
http://brookskubik.com/dinosaur_dumbbelltraining.html
P.S. 4. My other books and courses are right
here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 5. Thought for the Day: "Getting older is
easy. The hard part is staying young."
-- Brooks Kubik
