Hello Again,
I have been doing this for a LONG time now and I am always surprised about how fearful people are of weight training or a simple exercise program. It also never ceases to amaze me how mental this truly is. People work up monsters in their heads about how bad or difficult something is or is going to be…all built up FEAR (you know, false emotions appearing real).
Anyway, an interesting quote to consider: people over estimate what the can do in a year, but under estimate what they can do in a decade. Likewise, consider you or someone you know who thinsg the ycan fix or erase a lifetime of an unhealthy lifestyle in just 30-90 days. While that is enough to get your started that is merely the first step in this lifetime journey. But, back to what I said earlier,dont let that journey seem to daunting. It all begins with one step. And not All will be forward steps there are and will be set backs, what is important is you keep taking steps. Finally, don’t wait for the perfect time to start your journey, there is NO perfect time for anything. If you are waiting until you ‘feel good’ your are fooling yourself! You wont feel good until after you put a little work in…next thing you know you will be looking back at all the little steps you took and see that they actually have added up…Below you will see why it is NEVER to late to take these steps. I have heard every excuse in the book and one of them that pisses me off more than any is, ” I am to old for this,” or ” it just gets harder when your old.” If you ain’t dead, you are still L-I-V-I-N! I will be wiping my own butt in the next 50 years thank you very much. This stuff is never ‘easy.’ If it is then please cancel your membership at Smellbridge and swing by The Lab and we can fix that for you by setting you up on a progressive program that will deliver real world results.
Enjoy this Majuscule!
Weight Training Boosts Satellite Receptor Growth in Older People…and That is Good.
Dr. Donald Suggs Deadlifting 225 for the 10th rep at age 76 and 155lb body weight. Substantially stronger than when he STARTED weight training 3 years ago. He has since squatted and deadlifted 225 for 15 reps, performed 80 pushups, and leg pressed over 600lbs. He did not START there. He built himself up over a 3 year period with progressive resistance training.
Did you know that most people lose about 20 percent of their muscle mass between the ages of 40 and 60. By age 70, more than two-thirds of people cannot lift 10lbs overhead. Loss of muscle with age is a serious health issue that significantly impacts the quality of life. Not only are you more likely to fall or become injured with low muscle mass but research has also shown that having a higher BMI late in life can improve your outcomes when suffering from a chronic disease (BMI is a measure of height and weight that is increased from lean mass weight, which is highly desirable tissue when suffering from chronic disease, not necessarily fat tissue).
Danish scientists reported that loss of satellite cells might account for some of the muscle deterioration that occurs with aging. During hypertrophy (muscle development from weight training), the muscles create satellite cells (muscle cells consisting of just a nucleus). Muscle growth factors can cause the satellite cells to combine with muscle cells that when stressed or damaged during weight training can assist in cell repair and adaptation (yesss, adaptation!: that is why this is hard at FIRST, but you ADAPT if you are NOT a yo-yo exerciser. And why we will never keep your training in the same place or plan forever. If you did that you would never change from what you currently are and are maintaining your current state…you must push it to the next level-ALWAYS, unless you are completely content with what you are).
Satellite cell formation is important because it maintains a balance between the number of nuclei and cell mass. Cell nuclei are the centers for protein synthesis and muscle tissue formation. The Danish study showed that 12 weeks of weight training increased satellite cell formation in older adults. SEE! YOU ARE NEVER TO OLD! YOU CAN ALWAYS ADAPT AND IMPROVE AT ANY AGE!!! That is amazing information!
Dr. Suggs pushups with 25lbs on his back (age 76)
With training and progressive resistance old muscles will respond positively too and can become stronger. Likewise, an individual with no prior weight training could arguably become stronger and more fit than they ever have in their ENTIRE LIVES AT ANY AGE! In fact we have a handful of clients just like that.
Yes it’s true your sex hormones decrease at a relatively younger age, however weight training can actually simulate them to higher levels. And yes, your metabolisim drops every decade, however weight training INCREASES your metabolism (not to mention appropriate diet and cardiovascular exercise = excuses gone). Likewise, if that is your excuse consider this. If your testosterone begins to peak and drop off between ages 25-30 and you live to the average 67.2 years old (current world average) you have over half your life still left to live! So why hang up the hat so soon when research has proven you can do something about it? Or, will you be one of those blaming your age for the fact that EXERCISE IS DIFFICULT?! Remember, its called WORK-out for a reason!
Weight training might be the most important type of exercise for older people because it improves the quality of life, by keeping you strong, functional, mobile, independent, and can even improve your sex hormone levels. I will drink to that!
(Scandanavian Journal of Medicine Science Sports, 17:34-42, 2007)
Dr. Suggs doing bench dips with 90 extra pounds on his lap (age 76)
