I’ve mentioned the friend I began training with back when we were 14 and continued through high school. Bill was thinner than I was, so he eventually figured out that bodybuilding wasn’t for him. instead, he transitioned to mountain biking and rock climbing…
But he resistance trains consistently, and we discuss it often. While I’m still trying to build muscle and stay healthy at 62, he is more about sustaining his athletic abilities as well as staying mobile and healthy.
Our training ideas often intersect, and we both give a big thumbs-up to Doug Bringnole’s book, The Physics of Resistance Exercise. That led us to this recent discussion that you may find interesting…
Bill: I’ve been doing semi-stiff-legged deadlifts for a while now, and they’ve really helped my posterior chain. Doug Brignole says they’re not that great. Are you still doing those?
Me: You don’t get a full range of motion for either the quads or glutes on the semi-stiff-legged deadlifts, but I still think it’s worthwhile. Yes, I still do them.
Bill: So do you do it for functional strength because you’re getting older?
Me: I hate the term “functional exercise,” but I guess that’s what these types of movements are. I do it more for hamstring stretch, but I find it does help me in a “functional” capacity outside the gym. The dumbbell squat I do after my ideal quad exercise falls into that category. There’s an energy cost, but I do only one set. It’s worth it for me.
Bill: It seems like the crux of something actually being a “functional exercise” is, “Do you need or want that function?” That seems to correlate with what Doug said about proprioception in that It needs to be goal specific. If it’s a matter of doing a compound move just to get “strong” or more muscular, the answer is probably no. But if you would benefit from that movement pattern in an athletic activity or just in daily life, then it may be an exercise to consider.
Me: I can see that. From an athletic standpoint—and old-folks’ mobility perspective—I think there’s some benefit to getting coordinated effort from multiple muscles. I think some of those muscle-synergy exercises translate well to daily activities.
Bill: That’s what I meant by goal specific. How often do you really need to push something heavy off your chest or throw a heavy object overhead? Not very often in my experience, unless you’re an NFL lineman or circus strongman. On the other hand, it seems like lifting something off the ground using the safest possible form or squatting down and back up is much more relevant to many athletic activities or everyday life.
Me: I agree. Old guys like us need to stay strong in the specific movements we do outside the gym. Performing a safe set or two in order to build some strength and coordination in those moves seems to help. With good form and appropriate weight, of course—no joint-busting poundages.
Bill: It could even be argued that “function” is actually a perfect lens through which to evaluate all exercises. What is your objective? If it’s to build a particular muscle group, then I think Doug is the guru with his ideal exercises. But I don’t think you can discount that gaining some strength in a particular movement pattern, or even building endurance or burning calories might need to be considered if that enhances your goal.
Me: You and I are good examples. Your athletic goals are different from my muscle-building endeavors. That makes the ideal exercises somewhat more important for my objectives, but you need them too. And I think we both benefit from safely performing a few specific compound, or multi-joint exercises, especially since we’re old.
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Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
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Plus, it can help bodybuilders get freaky ripped faster than ever (see the pic of the 69-year-old who is shredded at the link below).
Remember, when you’re leaner, you look bigger than ever… And best of all, your body can MAKE this fat-blasting enzyme by eating these specific foods… and they taste GREAT.
Our colleague, the man who owned the gym that Lou Ferrigno trained at in “Pumping Iron,” turned us onto this. He’s using it himself to shed fat faster than ever, and he’s in his 50s. Get the details and see his photo HERE.