“I’m getting old.”
“I can’t do the things I used to.”
“I’m over the hill.”
“I can’t train heavy anymore.”
“I can’t keep up with the twenty somethings anymore.”
“I’m starting to feel my age.”
“I’m too old for that.”
If you’re under the age of 40 and have been heard saying things like that you should be ashamed and embarrassed.
Ray Lewis just finished another season as one of the absolute best defensive players in the NFL and doesn’t seem to have lost a step. He’s 36.
So is Donald Driver who is still an outstanding wide receiver and training as hard as he ever has.
While Brett Favre fell apart this year he was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league during the 2009 season at 40 years old.
Warren Moon was a Pro Bowl quarterback at 41.
As impressive as what Donald Driver is doing (playing a speed position in the NFL at a high level at 36 years old) Jerry Rice has one up on him. The greatest wide receiver of all time played until he was 44 years old and had 1200 yards the year he turned 40.
Still think you’re too old?
Speaking of speed, Darrel Green, one of the fastest players in the NFL during his 19 seasons, played cornerback until he was 42.
The great quarterback, George Blanda played until he was 48 years old.
Yet you’re too old to go out and have a catch?
In baseball, Derek Jeter is still amongst the best players in the league and he’ll be 37 in June.
Nolan Ryan pitched four seasons after turning 40, during which time he struck out over 1400 batters and threw two no-hitters.
And in arguably the greatest moment in baseball history, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s all time home run record at 40 years old.
Dara Torres competed in the 2008 summer Olympics at 40 years old. As did 19 other Americans.
In tennis Martina Navratilova won the grand slam a month before turning 50.
Karl Malone was still playing at a high level when he retired from professional basketball at 41, while Kareem Abdul Jabbar won an NBA title at 40.
On November 5th, 1994 at 45 years old, George Foreman knocked out 26 year old Michael Moorer to become heavyweight champion of the world.
Herschel Walker won his first professional MMA fight last year at 48 years old. Randy Couture is right around the same age and still competing. Just a few short years ago he was world champion.
Gordie Howe played professional hockey until he was 51!
Two Sunday’s ago, on pay per view, Jerry “The King” Lawler competed in a main event for the WWE Heavyweight Championship… at 61!
And the list goes on and on.
Get Inspired!
I don’t know about you, but just reading that list is inspiring. I’m ready to go out and train harder than ever right now. It makes me think about how I really need to step my game up and can never slack off for even a moment.
Do you think Derek Jeter is preparing for this season by taking it easy because he’s “too old to train that hard anymore?”
Do you think Randy Couture wouldn’t jump in the cage with a 25 year old world champion at the first shot he go? And do you think he would use age as an excuse when training for it?
Do you honestly think that Ray Lewis or Herschel Walker have ever thought they were “too old” to do something? Ray said on ESPN earlier this year that he’ll be able to play as long as he wants to based on his nutrition alone.
And those two things right there are what make all the difference in the world… attitude and lifestyle.
First of all, you have to get over that age excuse bullshit.
I’ll be 37 this year and I feel absolutely no different than I did at 22. In fact, because of my diet, training and lifestyle changes that I’ve made over the last decade I actually feel significantly better.
Three good friends and clients of mine, Ralph DeVito, Mark Crook and Paul Miller are all strong and jacked and could dominate guys half their age. They really don’t even let the age issue cross their mind.
My friend David Larkan is in his 50’s and still plays professional softball and semi pro FOOTBALL.
Erase the Age Excuse Forever
If you’re 35 and feel 60 that’s very likely due to the fact that you lived like Keith Richards for a few too many years. You have GOT to take care of yourself. Staying up all night jerking around on FaceBook or going out boozing and eating late night fried food isn’t gonna help you feel any younger.
Eating sugar and processed foods isn’t helping either.
One thing that people fail to consider is the cumulative effect of 40 years worth of unhealthy living.
Is it really the fact that you just turned 42 years old that’s holding you back from your training goals, or is it the 42 years of shitty eating that have finally caught up with you?
Who do you think is going to have higher testosterone at 42 years old; the guy who’s been eating fast food five times a week, drinking another three and surviving on six hours of sleep for his whole life or the guy who’s been eating nothing but healthy, organic meats and produce while minimizing alcohol consumption and getting to sleep by 11pm every night?
Remember what Ray Lewis said- based on his nutrition alone, he’ll play as long as he wants. If you want to feel and perform your best at any age you had damn sure be paying as much attention to your own nutrition and taking it that seriously.
Invest in what you put in your body and start spending the extra dough for organic food, grass fed beef, wild caught fish and high quality protein powders.
Shitty food makes you look and feel like shit. There’s no two ways about it.
Cut out sugar, conventional dairy, wheat, soy, corn and processed foods of any kind.
Get off the booze or at least limit it.
Drink tons of pure water.
Get 20 minutes of sunlight daily… but don’t cook yourself like George Hamilton. That’s never a good look.
Get 8-9 hours of sleep per day and a nap in the afternoon if possible.
Stretch and do mobility work every day. No wonder your hamstrings are tight and your lower back hurts. You haven’t stretched since 8th grade gym class and have been sitting in a chair hunched over a computer for the last 19 years straight. Get up and get loose once in a while.
What about the 42 year old guy who loves what he does for a living and is happy every day versus the 42 year old guy who hates his job and his life? Who’s gonna have higher testosterone? Who’s gonna look, feel and perform a whole lot better?
Reduce stress in your life.
Do what you love.
Find a hobby.
Stop working so much. By cutting down the amount of hours you work but focusing on getting more done during that time by giving yourself deadlines you will be far more productive.
Smile.
Laugh.
Live how you want to live where you want to live.
Have fun.
And train hard.
There’s no law telling you that you have to cut your volume and frequency down to two 15 minute workouts per week the day after you turn 35.
If you really wanted to and made the necessary nutritional and lifestyle changes, there’s no reason you couldn’t train on the same schedule as Randy Couture or Ray Lewis. There’s no one stopping you from getting 7-14 hours of physical activity a week.
If you live clean and train smart anything’s possible.
Whatever you do, just don’t use age as an excuse.
