Training when you’re 90 years old!

Thanks for all your subscriber questions the other day. I’ll be diving into all these in the coming days and weeks. Today we start with one from George:

“I am considered a senior citizen and I still do a lot of the exercises I used to do when I was young. Have not had any negative effects but have read recent articles about the dangers of lifting heavy weights for people past 60. Also heard a podcast where a guy in his 90’s was still lifting and running or doing other types of cardio conditioning, he said he used to do both on the same day but can no longer do it so he modifies his training to accommodate his abilities but did not say how he does it. Sounds pretty good for a guy in his 90’s. So my question is what approaches should an older person consider after a long history of doing various exercise programs, sports etc.?”

I certainly like to listen to fit people in their 90’s as they’re doing something right! Much better than taking movement advice from someone that shuffles around with a walker.

I’m often criticized for my youth. Just wait ‘til you get older, they say. I am waiting. In the meantime, I like to learn from those that are successfully training well into old age like this guy, whomever he is.

Recovery goes down as you age.

However, as my friend Peter Ragnar, well over 60 and still lifting heavy weights, likes to say, “Time is not toxic.” In other words, it is not the time that is the problem, instead what happens over that time.

Why does recovery go down as you age?

Hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone tend to go down with age. (This is where herbs such as Pine Pollen and Tongkat Ali can be a big help.) 

Your body may lose efficiency in delivering nutrition and cleaning up waste. This might have to do with your blood, your lymph, your digestion, your cells themselves, and much more.

Many different areas could in turn impact recovery negatively.

A lot of older people sleep less which can negatively affect all these areas too.

Again, it’s not simply age. It is what happens over time. This is why a 90 year old that does the right stuff can run circles around many 60 years. Even some 20 year olds!

It depends on the environment, and that includes your internal ecology too.

One of the main factors in your recovery ability is…how much do you do? This takes into consideration intensity, severity, volume and frequency.

Case in point, this 90-year-old man had to do a bit less on a given day.

This is one option. But you can also play around with the other factors mentioned above.

Is there a hard and fast rule about not lifting weights past 60? Hardly. Can it be harmful? Of course. But that is true at any age. You certainly have to take into consideration and wear and tear of your bones, joints, past injuries, etc.

For some people skipping the weights may be best.

For others, continuing to lift will work fine.

And all the while, no matter your age, it is best to do many things that support your recovery.

The Ultimate Recovery Formula shows you how to do just that. While it is centered around an energetic hypnotic track that seems to work surprisingly well, it covers all the basics and other advanced steps that will change how you think about recovery. 

There’re a few other questions along these lines, so more on the topic tomorrow.