This week I want to share a great article I recently read in an industry magazine regarding a 91 year old bodybuilder Charles Eugster. That’s right 91 years old and he performed an incredible 57 dips, 61 chin ups, 50 push ups and 48 sit ups, each in less than 45 seconds. These statistics are absolutely extraordinary for anyone, regardless of age, let alone a 91 year old that only took up bodybuilding when he was 85 years old!
Obviously Charles is one of a kind, but this does prove the fact that it’s never too late to get started and the fact that you can improve your strength through resistance training by 200% in untrained persons over the age of 60, qualifies this.
We need to start with general coordination movements whilst focussing on technique and postural awareness and the SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand). This means that if you want more strength and the many benefits that come from strength training including;
- Increased motor unit functioning
- Decrease the likelihood of injury
- Strengthen tendons and ligaments
- Aid in joint nutrition
- Turn your body into a fat building machine
- Improve mood and wellbeing
- Decrease muscle atrophy
then you need to lift a weight thats about 70% of your maximum single lift and if you want endurance then you need to lift more than 12 reps.
For advanced trainers then other variables such as speed, power, time, tempo and rest periods need to be considred (amongst others) but in general terms, a strength program should be slow and controlled through each repetition and the athlete should reach potential. Allow a 60 second rest and repeat. More importantly ensure that you are doing the right exercisers, as some people do not have the musculoskeletal make up to bench press, run, squat etc and doing a standard program found online or in the gym, from the guy your mates with, is very 1980’s, so get the right help and function better.
Stay lean and tight like a tiger!
