Peter Paul, one of the Barbarian Brothers who were big in the bodybuilding scene in the 80s, put out a bunch of weird videos awhile back.
He would have been in his early 50s at the time, and nowhere near his peak bodybuilder condition, but I tell you the guy could have passed for 35.
The only downside was that his videos had him rhyming nonsense at strangers in the park or the occasional office.
When I watched those videos, and I would have been in my early 30s at the time, I told myself that’s what I wanted.
Not the part about rhyming nonsense at strangers in the park. I only need 5-6 beers in me before I can make that magic happen.
I mean the part about passing for 35 after turning 50.
Nobody can rule out the gifts of genetics and heritage for grace in age. But it’s well known that lifting can keep you looking and feeling young, as does all the muscle you build by lifting consistently.
Take this example from a research article on the importance of resistance training as a remedy for the ills of age:
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We take the position that future physical activity/exercise guidelines need to make specific reference to resistance exercise and highlight the benefits of higher-intensity aerobic exercise training, alongside advocating older adults perform aerobic-based physical activity and household tasks (e.g., carrying groceries).
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If you wonder where my rules for lifting, sprinting, and walking came from…
It was not from this paper. My ideas came from me, my testing, my clients, and conversations with other intelligent folks over many years.
But I do like it when the labcoats come out publishing journal articles vindicating my dumb redneck approach to living well and flourishing.
Why do I put it that way? What’s this about flourishing?
Life is not living longer for the sake of living a longer life. I don’t care how many years I log in the spreadsheet.
Survival by itself is not a goal of any value to me.
Given the choice between checking out at 65 while in peak mental and physical condition, or living to 100 while bed-ridden and helpless for the last 40 years of my life, I’m picking the first option without blinking an eye.
The value of life is much more than the number of years you endure.
Lifting with the goal of training and growing muscle matters because muscle impacts the health of, basically, every other tissue and organ system in your body.
The labcoats have discovered that muscles are involved in complex webs of chemical signals that communicate with the rest of your body.
Holding more muscle, and importantly, doing resistance training to stimulate your muscles, releases all these signals into your system.
Muscle, it turns out, really does have a positive effect on longevity and vitality. With more muscle you tend to live longer and have a higher quality of life for your troubles.
That’s a pretty good deal in return for a few hours a week in a gym and a decent-to-good diet based around a protein target.
It’s not enough to get your 10,000 steps or go out for a jog or run marathons and say you’re “fit”.
You have to lift to stimulate muscle.
You have to eat protein to support the lifting and the muscle.
And people still fight me on this.
“I don’t want to lift weights.”
“I don’t like lifting weights. It makes me sore.”
“I tried lifting weights and I got too bulky.”
I don’t like having to breathe every few seconds in order to stay alive, but I suck it up and do it anyway because the alternative is much worse.
This culture of convenience is rotting souls left and right. It ain’t about what you like or want or prefer. This isn’t Baskin Robbins with 31 flavors.
The only question is: What price are you willing to pay?
Do you want to do something you don’t enjoy, right now, for a massive future payoff?
Is it better to hit 45 and fall apart because you never took care of yourself, but at least you didn’t do things that made you feel icky?
People are terrible at making present choices about future realities.
But I do have sympathy. The fitness world is its own reality-bubble where the culture and rules aren’t the same as outside.
To an outsider, what goes on in there can look intimidating and totally disconnected from the world they are familiar with.
Y’all need to lift. But it’s on us to build the bridges from the outside to the inside to make that possible. And we aren’t very good at that on the whole.
On that note:
If you’re feeling the aches and pains and low-energy effects of being over 40 and you’d like my personal guidance to steer you to the body you want…
…and you’ve got the genuine desire and intention to change, not just “feeling motivated”…
…I’m opening up a handful of coaching slots for the mid-February intake. If you’re interested, spaces are only available to my email subscribers.
Use this link to join for free:
Matt Perryman