I remember back in my late 30s, Jonathan and I were at Mike Neveux’s studio for one of our Iron Man magazine photoshoots…
Heck, we both worked for the magazine, so why not get in shape and have the best photographer in the biz capture our conditions?
During the shoot, I bragged to Mike that we had both finally squatted 500 pounds. Mike turned, looked me straight in the eye and said, “Why?”
“Um, well, um…” I didn’t have an answer. My quads weren’t much, if any, bigger from that feat, and my back went out more frequently after because I’m sure I damaged a vertebrae or two…
My point is, know your “why” if you want to continue training and gaining safely and efficiently into middle age and beyond.
Me? I decided years ago, probably right after I was slapped with that “Why?”, that I want to stay built for life. It’s my reason for working out, along with the health benefits…
I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with trainees who go to the gym to impress friends and others by lifting crazy weights.
The encouragement, slaps on the back, intense pacing and grunting, the clank of hoisting big poundages. And of course the compliments. It’s all part of the fun that is the gym circus—at least when you’re young. I’ve been there; I remember…
So if that describes a lot of your workouts, no judgment. You’re having a blast, feeding your ego, and whooping it up with like-minded people who share your enthusiasm…
If you think about it, though, it’s a bit like going out drinking with your buddies. Sure, it’s a fun release, but if you do it too often throughout your youth and beyond, you could do some irreparable damage to your body and maybe even your life…
So if you’re trying to build the most muscle possible as safely as possible, with the thought of training into your golden years, those ego sessions are not doing you any favors—and you’re certainly not building muscle efficiently…
YouTube and other social media sites are full of videos showing biceps popping during preacher curls, knees blowing out on squats, and bones snapping on leg presses.
That’s not how you build muscle mass—and it’s certainly not going to give your training career longevity into your 50s, 60s, and beyond…
As Mr. Olympia Lee Haney said, “Stimulate, don’t annihilate.” And he still trains hard and looks great in his 60s—no injuries at all…
I’m lucky that I avoided any serious injury or surgeries early on, especially during my powerlifting days in my 20s. I only have minor aches and dinged vertebrae from lifting to impress instead of focusing on safe muscle-building success.
Sure, it was fun—but like I said, I was lucky…
Now at 62, I look back and see lessons I’ve learned as well as lots of stupidity. It was part of my process, but with all we know now—proper biomechanics; the safest, most efficient exercises and how muscles grow—it doesn’t have to be that way anymore…
That is all part of the new discoveries that have evolved my training and gaining even further into the realm of efficient muscle building. My results have been outstanding for an old guy…
I’m over 60 and train only 3 days a week, 35 minutes per workout—in a bare-bones home gym (bench, PowerBlock dumbbells, and a doorway chinning bar—that’s it)…
If you haven’t seen my new page that details my recent muscle-building ah-ha moments, go HERE.
I guarantee that it will help you reload your mass-building mojo with new info to grow—safely and efficiently.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
3 Workouts a Week, 35 Minutes Each for Jacked Mass
The Efficient, Safe Way to Grow—No Matter What Your Age
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