The other day, I was chatting with Jnyx and WB about some of the changes I’ve made to my training as I’ve grown older. Today, I would like to expand on that conversation and provide more detail on what has kept me going strong and injury-free for almost 30-years. I hope this article provides you with some insight, regardless of your age or fitness level.
Growing up, I was very physically active. I played baseball, basketball and soccer in grade school. I rode bikes with my friends, skateboards, and roller skates – you name it. A set of wheels and a ramp, and I was staying out way after the street lights turned on!
My first taste of weight training was in 6th grade. My friend Daniel lived 4 houses down the street from me. He had two older brothers, Paul and Darrell. Paul also drove a badass ’65 Chevelle. They had tons of weights in their garage, we would watch his two brothers workout and we would attempt to use the weights as well, not really knowing what we were doing, but it just felt so damn cool. We were also huge fans of professional wrestling and always in awe of the wrestlers physiques and their strength.
This is how it all started!
I got my first set of weights in 7th grade: an adjustable barbell and two adjustable dumbbells, the plates were concrete with the grey plastic coating. Anybody old enough to remember those? The set also came with a large, instructional workout poster. I pinned that poster to the wall, in between my Hulk Hogan poster and my Motley Crue poster. I was on my way!
My 20’s: Inspired by an eye-opening article in Ironman Magazine, from late ‘89 to early ‘91, I packed on almost 90-lbs. Sure, there was some bodyfat and water weight along with that gain, but still very solid. All I did during that period was work part-time, go to school part-time and workout. Very regimented, no girlfriend, no alcohol and almost no socializing. Taking a day off would actually make me crazy, but I stuck to the program exactly and it worked amazingly well. I was training very intensely and I even entered a few bodybuilding competitions in the early 90’s. My workouts were mainly comprised of a Three Day On / One Day Off split with heavy weight and straight sets of 6-10 reps. I was hitting all bodyparts twice per week. When you’re that young, your body’s recuperative ability is amazing. It was All Gain and No Pain.
My 30’s: My first experience with any pain was at 34 years old. The pain was in the Brachioradialis, which I would attribute to many years of heavy back work. It was a bit frustrating at first, but I was able to figure things out. This was the first time that I began to take an Instinctive Training approach. I started to change my grip positions on certain movements and the pain quickly subsided. For example, on my bent-over rows, I stopped using an overhand grip on the olympic bar and switched to underhand. Even to this day, if I do use an overhand grip for bent-over rows, it’s with the ez-curl bar, to allow for a slightly angled wrist position. I also adjusted my workout routines to a Four Day On / One Day Off. This adjustment provided my body with additional rest and allowed for me to continue training intensely. During this period, I was also training at Milos Sarcev’s Golds Gym in Fullerton, CA. I was exposed to seasoned professionals (a very humbling experience), but with that, my bodybuilding knowledge grew to new heights… I am forever grateful.
My 40’s: Today, at 47, I continue to always listen to my body and adjust my workouts accordingly. My current workout routine is this… Sunday: Legs, Monday: Rest, Tuesday: Chest, Wednesday: Back and Abs, Thursday: Delts, Friday: Biceps/Triceps, Saturday: Rest. I prefer to have a rest day before and after my leg workouts. I also place my back work opposite my leg work to provide additional recuperation time between these large workouts. I still incorporate all the same movements I’ve used over the years, but with additional adjustments along the way. Another example of this would be with dumbbell chest presses. I will Not perform this exercise 2 workouts in a row, as I will feel a little pain in the shoulder joint. Instead, I will switch it up and substitute a plate loaded press or use the Smith Machine. This way, I can still properly stimulate the muscle without the risk of building up extra mileage on the shoulder joint. I also use more super-sets, double-sets, triple-sets and giant-sets with lighter weights in the 8-15 rep range. These techniques have allowed for me to safely and intensely stimulate and maintain my hard-earned muscle, while alleviating stress from the connective tissue. In the last few years, I’ve also incorporated the use of wrist-wraps. These were a game-changer for me in terms of overall support and completely eliminating any residual wrist discomfort following a workout.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting men and women in the gym who were lifetime devotees of the iron. These folks were in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, still looking great, going strong and with a real zest for life. I plan to be one of these folks!
I’m always happy to answer any and all questions. Keep Lifting, Never Stop!!!