1. Protein intake - ideal bodywt x 0.7 2. Correct form (not too heavy) for mind/muscle connection 3. Rest and recovery 4. Intensity - get out of your comfort zone Stay strong everybody!💪
Dude.. it's part training and part genetics. I played most major sports competitively and after years of wear and tear on my joints, I have multiple herniated or bulging cervical and lumbar discs at 55. I never had any major Injuries until 46 when I tore my ACL and meniscus. It's been downhill since. I have to lay off the heavy weights and do more reps with lighter weights. A couple of hours of basketball or tennis means lower back pain for the next few days. I'm like a Japanese car.. the engine lasts forever, but everything else is falling apart.. 😮
@@thailam8621Japanese cars don’t fell apart though .. Add 10-15g collagen daily(helps bones and cartilage and organ linings) PLUS 3-4g Sulfur (it helps joints) AND 10g creatine .. you’ll thank yourself later ….
I lowered my weights and focused on proper form all the way through. Working to failure. Also protein intake is now on point. I'm getting jacked now. People are noticing. I'm healthier and stronger than ever. Still have about 8 kgs left to lose but I'm happy with progress.
Hi. I'm 73 and back in the gym but must admit I'm struggling but found your video and it's inspired me to keep going. Brilliant video and hi from Plymouth Devon in good ole England 😊
@charleswind734 no it isn't, in that case I'd be eating like 70gs of protein per day, which is kot nearly enough. Aim for .8 - 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. So for me that's around 170gms per day
Thank you very much for your advice . 63 year old geek from the UK here who has always been very fit via running & cycling but I have never used weights. I am just starting now , never too late . keep well folks.
I’ve been doing your program now for over 4 years, my results have been great ! This video was excellent but the best advice you ever gave me about intensity was “if the veins on your neck don’t look like they are going to burst out, you’re not doing it right ! “
I’m 66, still working out full steam, adding reps or plates. Never understood this idea that we should regress to waving with plastic coloured sausages in a swimming pool as we get older.
The pool noodle workout is for people that never took care of themselves their entire life and then at the end start realizing that need to do something and all they can do is the wet noodle pool yoga.
Right. So many sites for working out over 60 recommend sitting in a chair and standing up, doing body weight leg lifts, and yes, pool noodles. I’m old, not feeble.
No kidding. I see these "wave your arms and stand up from your chair videos" for seniors and have to laugh. At 59 I am one of the strongest guys in the gym and I have no plans to slow down. Strength = longevity. All research points to that.
I’ve been working out since HS with a 4 year layoff due to surgery. Now I’m almost 50 and still loving hitting the gym everyday. I saw a 75 year old deadlifting 500 lbs, gives us hope men it’s never over!!! Kick ass everyone 💪🏻
I never heard this man use profanity (many YT creators do). Thanks for keeping it civil and non-offensive with intelligent dialogue and great content you can use.
Actually, his info is a bit stale. “Mind muscle connection” turns out to be less valuable than you think. The only study that seemed to support mind-muscle was using biceps where the reason the “just move the weight” folks did worse was because in bicep curls they ended up cheating with their shoulders and hips, so the biceps did not grow as much. But other than that, the studies show that internal cues (like “squeeze the chest”) are not effective on the later reps, which are the ones that matter.
@@joebartles3986wait a minute, are u telling me I’ve just been taking advise from a proven liar about WMD, 1 minute of my life I’m never getting back.
The eccentric part is so huge. I implemented slow eccentric movement on all my reps with huge results. The pump is so much better and I really feel the burn. Couple that with reps to failure and it's a game changer. The results are nice. I started growing once again.
From what you wrote it seems that I am doing something similar and you seem to be happy with your results. Thank you for your post, it’s telling me that I seem to be on the correct path.
I came here expecting to disagree with you, but for the most part you’re spot on. Lack of intensity plagues most older lifters for fear of getting hurt. We need to stop exercising and start training, that’s the mindset.
Real info from a real guy: me. Plateau? Need to change it up? Try targeting your Central Nervous System. Assuming you eat right and sleep, etc., one of the best ways to build your CNS is intensity. To increase intensity, try using the same weight, same reps but slow down each rep (make sure you are using a weight you can control). Slow going up, squeeze, slow going down. Huge difference for me! (time under tension). Another biggie for me: when I was younger I used to do drop sets to failure. I now start lighter and go up: i.e. curls for example (but you can do this on everything): I start at 10 x 160lbs, which even that feels a little difficult because I'm not completely loose (despite being halfway through my workout). Strange thing is, second set I use 170lbs, and even though I am going slower, it feels lighter because I loosened up on set 1. Set 3 I use 190 lbs, and while this feels heavy, my joints feel smooth and ready for it - they feel amazing actually; and I feel really strong even though this set is really heavy (for me, anyway). After I bang that last one of that last set that is the killer, going slow up, squeeze at top, going down slow, I DO NOT GET UP. I wait and take 10 deep breathes, and voilà I can do 2 more. Then again: I don't get up. I take 5 or 6 deep breathes and: boom one more. Repeat as needed/wanted/possible. On the VERY LAST REP, the one that a gun to your head wouldn't even help, bring it up, good squeeze at the top, but on the eccentric stop about 10 times and TRY TO REVERSE THE MOTION, even if i's just a little. You should feel like your biceps (or whatever muscles you are working) are BURNING with fire by now. I'll stop and hold it on the eccentric several times as well, once about a third of the way down, once about half way down, and once with the muscle almost completely elongated. That last one, the muscle will actually fail, and I can move on. You know you got it right if your arms are complete spaghetti. I do not have a million hours, I need to use my time efficiently, so I also super set push/pull every opportunity, provided that the counter-motion machine/bench/free weight is available. No breaks - lots of heavy breathing/sweating. This builds up your CNS. No breaks. No phones, no wasting time. Intention/intensity. On the pec-deck this is never a problem as I can alternate reverse and forwards with no break in-between, again last set being heaviest and not getting up but breathing to get three more, two more, holding, one more, holding and reversing, then utter failure. This is great for my CNS, my recovery and after years of doing this for so long on so many exercises even most young people can't even come close to keeping up with me. The CNS is VITAL in exercise, especially lifting, and why someone can be incredibly strong and make a jacked person appear weak. Oh - one more thing - THIS IS HUGE: I tune out the garbage being played over the speakers and spend any rest time between exercises, or sets where I need to catch my breath, in prayer and worship and thanking God that He is at work in me and through me. I will lift my hands to heaven if I need a minute to catch my breath and praise God. As I breathe I think about RUACH; I am breathing the breath passed down from God through Adam in an unbroken chain of life. I will focus, I will meditate. CNS. I will openly worship: I need to be focused and more concerned with Him and the task at hand than worrying about what anyone around me may or may not think. So think away unknown person! (As if anyone cares lol - I am not the center of attention I might imagine myself to be - ego fell out of my back pocket again!). I will lift my hands and I will bless Him and remind Him: "Blessed art Thou oh Lord our God; King of the Universe, who COMMANDS us to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS!" Because we are commanded to be strong and courageous, the power to do so is found in the command itself. I need to put my ego in my back pocket: if you can't CONTROL the weight; the weight is controlling you. If I care what people around me think more than my goal I will use weight that is too heavy and be one of those foolish people; swinging weights they cannot control, an injury waiting to happen (which is like 95% of the people at the gym). If I'm jerking it, I'm a jerk, and it's an injury waiting to happen or a tendon/ligament waiting to snap. This does nothing for time under tension, tearing down muscle microfibers or my CNS. Funny thing is, even though I do things others might find strange, people, many of them younger, will ask me questions about how I do such and such, or target such and such, which is wonderful because it opens a door to relationships and the Good News as I inform them how they were designed in such a way, and they might need to change form or technique or approach, etc. I tell them how we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and stewards, and responsible. So we often put garbage in our bodies but we would never put garbage in our gas tanks. Some of them I even get to lay hands and pray on. It's all about the gains so we compete against ourselves purposefully and remember that we are blood bought. If Jesus lent you His car knowing full well you are going to put miles on it, how would you treat it and hand it back to Him? I would certainly do the maintenance and vacuum it out and wax it. How much more so His Temple - you? And you would try and instruct others how to maintain theirs as well if asked I would hope.
ALL Great tips...I am 65 now been working out since early 1970s...I can't stress enough to always be aware of over training..many decades of training has given me the ability to get incredible mind muscle connections and totally distroy my muscle fibers in a very short time...but my body only repairs approx 1/2 as well as it did in my prime...I still struggle with finding the perfect training for optimal results at my age...for me training is easy,not over training is my weakness.
Yes, at 59 I know this as well. My body takes longer to repair itself. Therefore I do not do the same/similar exercise more than once per week in order to give those muscles enough time to rebuild themselves. If a muscle is still sore, give it more time or you can easily injure it. But when I train it, I go heavy and all out and until failure. I warm up with light weights first, then go heavier and heavier until max weight and then decrease the weights for a couple of more sets. I also do some cardio and stretching before I start with weights which is very important. I also wear a sweater when lifting heavy, at least initially, which keeps my muscles warm and less prone to injury.
I work each set until there isn't anything left in the tank. Then, from experience, time my heart rate and temperature recovery for my next set. Also, at 74, it's important to do several progressive warm up sets before I get to my 3 to 4 working sets. Thanks for sharing !
I watch a lot of videos when I have downtime. There’s a LOT of BS out there But everything you said is absolute science. Thanks for a good video that will help.
I believe in the Mike Mentzer. High intensity workout sounds similar to what you were doing. I agree.workout with high intensity is the key to building muscle I am 65 and following that guideline has help me put on muscle
Great video, Mark. I just turned 70, didn’t start lifting until 2 years ago. Every one of your points is spot on. For me, recovery is the challenge. My 8 hours of sleep usually is more like 6 on account of waking. The other 3 points are great, form and mind/muscle especially… thank you! (Is that a C6 behind you at 5:00? Looks good!)
I think this is GREAT advice all around. I'd say these principles are important for every age group that's training naturally. Only humble suggestion I'd make in the recovery department beyond sleep is training frequency. The muscle repairs, and then grows in those days between workouts. If you're hitting the intensity levels, and you've triggered the growth response....trust the process. Don't interrupt that growth with more training, you will slow your progress. That period of time differs for most people, but err on the side of an extra day of rest than a day short of recovery. It would be the very rare person indeed that could hit a muscle group hard more than twice a week. For me, being totally natural, 72 hours is the absolute minimum even if I'm not sore, and often 96 hours, because soreness (lack of) is not the only indicator of recovery. Continuing to increase in strength each workout is a great indicator that your frequency is on target.
Consistency is key…. I have to admit I don’t get proper rest. I definitely don’t get the protein I should be getting. Everything this man is saying is right on point and if I follow it to the to you, I would be jacked. But my lifts are still pretty good and I’m pretty strong for 58. And when people ask me how I lift what I lift at 58…. I told them because I lifted at 18 I lifted at 28. I lifted at 38. I may have skipped 48 but I’m lifting again at 58. Somebody else here said the notion of slowing down as we age is not something we must accept … other than recovery from injury, which unfortunately is different than our age… We keep doing what we do do and of course, the better we do it the better the results will be… Everybody here inspires me and I hope I inspire others … wishing all us over the hill gang to keep killing it and stay strong
Thx. Sound advice. Especially the protein intake👍 Any cardio or HIIT advice for those of us who need to shed the last of those love handles??? I’ve made great progress in reducing my mid section with steady say cardio in my target heart rate but the last bit just won’t go. Help? And thx for keeping it real for us older dudes👍
Loved this video. It gave me a good refresher as to what I need to do daily. It's easy to fall into a routine and get complaisant, then get bored with the work out. Thanks for your great input.
Good tips, thank you. I’m 62 and my workout routine is 1 set of up to 10 reps (or failure) at maximum weight. 1 set of reps until failure at 80% max weight. 1 set until failure at 50% max and then 1 set to failure at 25%. I give myself 4 days rest between workouts and this seems to be producing results however; I know I can improve on this. The tip on focusing on the muscle function during a rep is something I’m going to add to my sets.
Some great tips. Personally though I don't care how much muscles I have or how big I look. I focus on increasing my strength and I am quite strong as a 59 year old even though I don't look that big. In fact, not many guys in the gym I go to can match my strength in most exercises; like training with 105 lb dumbbells (10 reps) for incline bench for instance. Strength = longevity. All research points to that. Being able to lift such heavy weights in my exercise routines and seeing how I get stronger is a great motivator for me.
Thank you for this fantastic tips. It's all well known to me, but you said it in such easy to understand way, like a caring father would say it to his son. I highly appreciate it!
Excellent tips and great job communicating it … just signed up on your channel…but curious about how many other “experts “ keep on saying that after 50 you really need more protein, I am talking about 2 grams of protein per pound.
I must say you are in fantastic shape for any age as I'm in your age bracket I tried to work out 5 days a week with rest in between I'm now in the best shape of my life then even my twenties I'm definitely stronger
I'm 67 and working out. I have found that some exercises (such as upright rows and laterals) I use cables because I can't cheat, I can slightly very the angles each time, and boy, do I ever feel it the following days.
At 54 I have been lifting light consistently for over a year. Would like to be a little more jacked, but not sure it is worth an injury at this point in my life. I have been running since 1988, thanks to the Army and will never give that up.
I use the "gun to my head" image to crank out that last rep. Personally, I do go to failure on the last rep of the last set. When I can manage to squeeze out that last rep "with a gun to my head," I'll do that again one more week to "make it real" and then add intensity (another rep or two per set) to fail again on the last rep again.
Growing muscles takes 3 steps: 1 proper training 2. Proper nutrition 3. Proper rest and recovery. That's it. Oh yeah. NEVER EVER separate these 3👍 For those using PEDS, they can skip the 3rd step because PEDS aid greatly on recovery.
My profile image is from when I was 53. I'm 59 now, and I'm still lifting hard. One thing that helps me is to focus on a circulation exercise regiment, where every set (especially the warm up set) goes to extreme failure, over 20 reps. Sometimes I will have to go to fifty reps to go to failure.
Protein is critical for improving as we get older our appetite can decline so protein supplements are essential, I've found that my appetite has gone down at sixty in fact by my fifties, eating a Mediterranean diet i found vablit of calories or energy was coming from olive oil, I've supplements now with creatine and protein and I've actually put muscle on more so than when i was in my thirties! Over all this video is very good advice 👍🎯👏👏👏
I was especting the worst with a title so random...a recipe for disaster...on the contrary I was suprised by the amount of good common sense in that video! tks!
Great advice, and I'm glad to say I already do all of these things so thanks for reinforcing that for me. Can I ask about the car in the background? It looks like a corvette, but not 100% sure.
@LiveAnabolic great tips. 👍 one thing I've always heard people mention is progressive overload (by increasing the weight you lift incrementally every so often). While I agree with increasing intensity so that you don't get your muscles used to a load, nobody can keep getting stronger at any given movement throughout their lifetime in a gym. It's just not possible. Infact, after 50 , certain lifts will get weaker and one will also face much longer recovery times and injuries if they keep trying to push more weight. I believe in increasing intensity by concentrating on slow controlled movements by dropping the weight as you mentioned as one of your tips.
One point in the intensity part that I use but you didn't mention so maybe it's not an intensity thing, but tempo?? I really like to move super slow to make it easier to minimize momentum and feel how well I'm controlling the movement at all stages through the stretch and contraction.
Once again, thank you. The issue I’m having with the protein is that when I have my 30-40 grams of protein with my first meal, I’m so satiated that it’s hard to eat more. So I’m really relying on protein shakes, 3 a day plus the meat,eggs, etc.
I go with 1 gram per pound of protein to cover all bases. Trust me, you'll know if you're getting enough. If you don't know, someone will tell you. Kind of hard to miss. On the plus side, your gut health will improve drastically. It won't seem like it with all the gastric distress at first, but it really will. I'm 40, but train as though i were 50. I want to be an animal and do 50 sets of everything, but less is more as we get older. More muscle gain with fewer sets. The reason for this is in the recovery process.
I've been doing most of this, except it is the FIRST time I've heard .7 g x IDEAL body weight, and i have watched hours and hours of videos. This is a lot of traffic advice! I am 68 and spend 2 hours + in the gym 5 days a week.
What most of us fails to do is to adapt your training for our life. One cant always just increase weight, reps, sets or intensity. Of course, for improvement you need some kind of progression, given that your basics are right. If you should add 2.5 lbs next session but you did not sleep well, failed to reach your macros, struggled with the flew, just forget it. Remember, to maintain it is enough to train at 60 % of your former effort. So do not be afraid to cut back, and just survive until you are ready for a better effort.
After some 40+ years of training experience I'll add some more tips: At 59 my body takes longer to repair itself. Therefore I do not do the same/similar exercise more than once per week in order to give those muscles enough time to rebuild themselves. If a muscle is still sore, give it more time or you can easily injure it. But when I train it, I go heavy and all out and until failure. I warm up with light weights first, then go heavier and heavier until max weight and then decrease the weights for a couple of more sets. I also do some cardio and stretching before I start with weights which is very important. I also wear a sweater when lifting heavy, at least initially, which keeps my muscles warm and less prone to injury. Also, stay away from bar bells for upper body exercises especially as you get older. The reason for this is that you put your joints and tendons in an unnatural position while putting a lot of strain on them. I learned this the hard way with joint and tendon pains for many months. Stick to dumbbells and and cables which are far better and gives you much better workout engaging more muscles for a longer range of motion.
This is really great advice to gain muscle. But for older guys, a frequent problem is connective tissue (tendon) injury. Tendons naturally weaken as we get older just like muscle if they are not trained. If you follow this video, your muscles will get stronger, but that increases the chance of hurting a tendon if you increase your weight and intensity without strengthening your tendons. This is easily addressed by incorporating tendon training into your lifting routine (for example, incorporate a few sets of 30 second isometric (static holds) into your workout to increase tendon thickness, and perform a few sets with very explosive reps on the concentric part of the rep to build tendon elasticity. You can train like a 20 year old without hurting your tendons, if you’ve made an effort to develop tendons that are like a 20 year olds. It’s not hard to do, but almost always overlooked.
Incorporate some calisthenics into your routine, it worked wonders for my tendons and connective tissue. Using a collagen supplement can be beneficial.
I'm 200lb, I eat 1.4g protien per lb. 90g of that is turkey, the other is vegan protien shakes, eggs. I have stage 5 CKD, apparently. My eGFR is 56-60, but my Cystiain C says I'm OK, normal range. I have a moderate amount of muscle mass. My sets, reps go like. Week 1: 4x 12-15 reps, to failure add weight each set. Week 2. 4 x 10-12, add weight each set. Week 3 4x 8-10, and week 4, 4 x 5-8. Adding weight each set is good, by week 4, you can really feel it.
European Journal of Applied Physiology study: eccentric exercises using less weight and less repetitions - group that performed the eccentric-only exercises achieved strength gains that equaled the other groups despite performing half the amount of repetitions, while the muscles grew more in thickness than the other groups.
Yes. It is safe for kidneys. If you already have kidney issues, you might want to talk to a doctor, though. The research I have found is mostly on protein that is obtained through regular diet vs. supplementation. If you eat lots of meat, for example, it isn't just the protein that might affect you. Good luck.
So, I’m trying to lose about 15 lbs or fat -but- also get jacked. Can I do both at same time in a “body recomposition” approach -or- will eating a protein surplus not allow me to lose the fat around the middle? Currently doing OMAD to lose the fat and it’s working slowly but also lifting and seeing more definition but not a lot of muscle growth.
Lower your weight when lifting and focus more on reps. Balance your diet, but increase your protein intake and add a shake. Do supersets at least twice a week, just pick a couple of muscle groups. Because we are experienced, we slow our reps down and concentrate on form. Take our vitamins, go walking or rucking, and reward yourself at times. Feel and pay attention to your body; that goes a long way. Also, enjoy what you do for yourself. If you don't make adjustments...
Mind and body for us it is called the proprioceptive sense. Instinctively we know where our body parts are. Our fingers can touch without looking all of our body parts. So when you say lift your elbows in that direction to target our lats for example. Without correct form we fail the exercise.
1. Protein intake - ideal bodywt x 0.7
2. Correct form (not too heavy) for mind/muscle connection
3. Rest and recovery
4. Intensity - get out of your comfort zone
Stay strong everybody!💪
You forgot steroids dude
Dude.. it's part training and part genetics. I played most major sports competitively and after years of wear and tear on my joints, I have multiple herniated or bulging cervical and lumbar discs at 55. I never had any major Injuries until 46 when I tore my ACL and meniscus. It's been downhill since. I have to lay off the heavy weights and do more reps with lighter weights. A couple of hours of basketball or tennis means lower back pain for the next few days. I'm like a Japanese car.. the engine lasts forever, but everything else is falling apart.. 😮
@@thailam8621Japanese cars don’t fell apart though .. Add 10-15g collagen daily(helps bones and cartilage and organ linings) PLUS 3-4g Sulfur (it helps joints) AND 10g creatine .. you’ll thank yourself later ….
@@hankgoldenshaftdon’t need them
WWW www no
I lowered my weights and focused on proper form all the way through.
Working to failure.
Also protein intake is now on point.
I'm getting jacked now. People are noticing.
I'm healthier and stronger than ever.
Still have about 8 kgs left to lose but I'm happy with progress.
Hi. I'm 73 and back in the gym but must admit I'm struggling but found your video and it's inspired me to keep going. Brilliant video and hi from Plymouth Devon in good ole England 😊
George Bush is jacked
The amount of protein is .75 per kg not lbs of body weight
@@charleswind734Ummm… WRONG! It is per pound. Recommendations per kg are around 1.2-1.7 grams per kg.
Sorry about here in America we don't use commie measurements 😀 @charleswind734
@charleswind734 no it isn't, in that case I'd be eating like 70gs of protein per day, which is kot nearly enough. Aim for .8 - 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. So for me that's around 170gms per day
@@charleswind734false.
Thank you very much for your advice . 63 year old geek from the UK here who has always been very fit via running & cycling but I have never used weights. I am just starting now , never too late . keep well folks.
UK is a great country. You got this
I started pushing weights 5 years ago, I’m now 63, I record each workout and sometimes repeat them annually and am still making progress.💪🇬🇧
I’ve been doing your program now for over 4 years, my results have been great ! This video was excellent but the best advice you ever gave me about intensity was “if the veins on your neck don’t look like they are going to burst out, you’re not doing it right ! “
lol... thanks Peter
As someone almost 50, I really appreciate seeing content that considers different fitness levels and ages.
Muscle monsters is the place to go.
I’m 66, still working out full steam, adding reps or plates. Never understood this idea that we should regress to waving with plastic coloured sausages in a swimming pool as we get older.
Agtee
The pool noodle workout is for people that never took care of themselves their entire life and then at the end start realizing that need to do something and all they can do is the wet noodle pool yoga.
Right. So many sites for working out over 60 recommend sitting in a chair and standing up, doing body weight leg lifts, and yes, pool noodles.
I’m old, not feeble.
No kidding. I see these "wave your arms and stand up from your chair videos" for seniors and have to laugh. At 59 I am one of the strongest guys in the gym and I have no plans to slow down. Strength = longevity. All research points to that.
I’ve been working out since HS with a 4 year layoff due to surgery. Now I’m almost 50 and still loving hitting the gym everyday. I saw a 75 year old deadlifting 500 lbs, gives us hope men it’s never over!!! Kick ass everyone 💪🏻
I never heard this man use profanity (many YT creators do). Thanks for keeping it civil and non-offensive with intelligent dialogue and great content you can use.
That’s cause he is a former president
Actually, his info is a bit stale. “Mind muscle connection” turns out to be less valuable than you think. The only study that seemed to support mind-muscle was using biceps where the reason the “just move the weight” folks did worse was because in bicep curls they ended up cheating with their shoulders and hips, so the biceps did not grow as much. But other than that, the studies show that internal cues (like “squeeze the chest”) are not effective on the later reps, which are the ones that matter.
Really? Profanity offends you? You might want to get that checked out.
@@joebartles3986 It's not just me!
@@joebartles3986wait a minute, are u telling me I’ve just been taking advise from a proven liar about WMD, 1 minute of my life I’m never getting back.
The eccentric part is so huge. I implemented slow eccentric movement on all my reps with huge results. The pump is so much better and I really feel the burn. Couple that with reps to failure and it's a game changer. The results are nice. I started growing once again.
From what you wrote it seems that I am doing something similar and you seem to be happy with your results. Thank you for your post, it’s telling me that I seem to be on the correct path.
@@Urbanspaceman61 Very nice!
This video is refreshing. No tricks, no gimmicks, he's not trying to sell anything, just good advice and straight to the point. Thank you very much.
I came here expecting to disagree with you, but for the most part you’re spot on. Lack of intensity plagues most older lifters for fear of getting hurt. We need to stop exercising and start training, that’s the mindset.
To the point and explained clearly. I love this coach!
Real info from a real guy: me. Plateau? Need to change it up? Try targeting your Central Nervous System. Assuming you eat right and sleep, etc., one of the best ways to build your CNS is intensity. To increase intensity, try using the same weight, same reps but slow down each rep (make sure you are using a weight you can control). Slow going up, squeeze, slow going down. Huge difference for me! (time under tension). Another biggie for me: when I was younger I used to do drop sets to failure. I now start lighter and go up: i.e. curls for example (but you can do this on everything): I start at 10 x 160lbs, which even that feels a little difficult because I'm not completely loose (despite being halfway through my workout). Strange thing is, second set I use 170lbs, and even though I am going slower, it feels lighter because I loosened up on set 1. Set 3 I use 190 lbs, and while this feels heavy, my joints feel smooth and ready for it - they feel amazing actually; and I feel really strong even though this set is really heavy (for me, anyway). After I bang that last one of that last set that is the killer, going slow up, squeeze at top, going down slow, I DO NOT GET UP. I wait and take 10 deep breathes, and voilà I can do 2 more. Then again: I don't get up. I take 5 or 6 deep breathes and: boom one more. Repeat as needed/wanted/possible. On the VERY LAST REP, the one that a gun to your head wouldn't even help, bring it up, good squeeze at the top, but on the eccentric stop about 10 times and TRY TO REVERSE THE MOTION, even if i's just a little. You should feel like your biceps (or whatever muscles you are working) are BURNING with fire by now. I'll stop and hold it on the eccentric several times as well, once about a third of the way down, once about half way down, and once with the muscle almost completely elongated. That last one, the muscle will actually fail, and I can move on. You know you got it right if your arms are complete spaghetti. I do not have a million hours, I need to use my time efficiently, so I also super set push/pull every opportunity, provided that the counter-motion machine/bench/free weight is available. No breaks - lots of heavy breathing/sweating. This builds up your CNS. No breaks. No phones, no wasting time. Intention/intensity. On the pec-deck this is never a problem as I can alternate reverse and forwards with no break in-between, again last set being heaviest and not getting up but breathing to get three more, two more, holding, one more, holding and reversing, then utter failure. This is great for my CNS, my recovery and after years of doing this for so long on so many exercises even most young people can't even come close to keeping up with me. The CNS is VITAL in exercise, especially lifting, and why someone can be incredibly strong and make a jacked person appear weak. Oh - one more thing - THIS IS HUGE: I tune out the garbage being played over the speakers and spend any rest time between exercises, or sets where I need to catch my breath, in prayer and worship and thanking God that He is at work in me and through me. I will lift my hands to heaven if I need a minute to catch my breath and praise God. As I breathe I think about RUACH; I am breathing the breath passed down from God through Adam in an unbroken chain of life. I will focus, I will meditate. CNS. I will openly worship: I need to be focused and more concerned with Him and the task at hand than worrying about what anyone around me may or may not think. So think away unknown person! (As if anyone cares lol - I am not the center of attention I might imagine myself to be - ego fell out of my back pocket again!). I will lift my hands and I will bless Him and remind Him: "Blessed art Thou oh Lord our God; King of the Universe, who COMMANDS us to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS!" Because we are commanded to be strong and courageous, the power to do so is found in the command itself. I need to put my ego in my back pocket: if you can't CONTROL the weight; the weight is controlling you. If I care what people around me think more than my goal I will use weight that is too heavy and be one of those foolish people; swinging weights they cannot control, an injury waiting to happen (which is like 95% of the people at the gym). If I'm jerking it, I'm a jerk, and it's an injury waiting to happen or a tendon/ligament waiting to snap. This does nothing for time under tension, tearing down muscle microfibers or my CNS. Funny thing is, even though I do things others might find strange, people, many of them younger, will ask me questions about how I do such and such, or target such and such, which is wonderful because it opens a door to relationships and the Good News as I inform them how they were designed in such a way, and they might need to change form or technique or approach, etc. I tell them how we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and stewards, and responsible. So we often put garbage in our bodies but we would never put garbage in our gas tanks. Some of them I even get to lay hands and pray on. It's all about the gains so we compete against ourselves purposefully and remember that we are blood bought. If Jesus lent you His car knowing full well you are going to put miles on it, how would you treat it and hand it back to Him? I would certainly do the maintenance and vacuum it out and wax it. How much more so His Temple - you? And you would try and instruct others how to maintain theirs as well if asked I would hope.
I like this. Was already doing this instinctively, but the nutrition part I learned something. New sub.
ALL Great tips...I am 65 now been working out since early 1970s...I can't stress enough to always be aware of over training..many decades of training has given me the ability to get incredible mind muscle connections and totally distroy my muscle fibers in a very short time...but my body only repairs approx 1/2 as well as it did in my prime...I still struggle with finding the perfect training for optimal results at my age...for me training is easy,not over training is my weakness.
Yes, at 59 I know this as well. My body takes longer to repair itself. Therefore I do not do the same/similar exercise more than once per week in order to give those muscles enough time to rebuild themselves. If a muscle is still sore, give it more time or you can easily injure it. But when I train it, I go heavy and all out and until failure. I warm up with light weights first, then go heavier and heavier until max weight and then decrease the weights for a couple of more sets. I also do some cardio and stretching before I start with weights which is very important. I also wear a sweater when lifting heavy, at least initially, which keeps my muscles warm and less prone to injury.
Great tips. So many benefits, with no negative side effects. Staying motivated is key!
10/10 . Always consistently excellent videos and advice.
I work each set until there isn't anything left in the tank. Then, from experience, time my heart rate and temperature recovery for my next set.
Also, at 74, it's important to do several progressive warm up sets before I get to my 3 to 4 working sets.
Thanks for sharing !
Finally, a real and sensible advice for middle aged peeps. Thanks Bro🙏🏼🙏🏼
I watch a lot of videos when I have downtime. There’s a LOT of BS out there But everything you said is absolute science. Thanks for a good video that will help.
Thank you for the advice Mr. President👍
Underrated comment😅😅😅
Fantastic. These are universal hypertrophy truths.
I’d only add in that maybe cycle the intensity techniques to avoid injuries.
I believe in the Mike Mentzer. High intensity workout sounds similar to what you were doing. I agree.workout with high intensity is the key to building muscle I am 65 and following that guideline has help me put on muscle
Thanks for the great advice. You look absolutely awesome. Great job.
Great video, Mark. I just turned 70, didn’t start lifting until 2 years ago. Every one of your points is spot on. For me, recovery is the challenge. My 8 hours of sleep usually is more like 6 on account of waking. The other 3 points are great, form and mind/muscle especially… thank you! (Is that a C6 behind you at 5:00? Looks good!)
I think this is GREAT advice all around. I'd say these principles are important for every age group that's training naturally. Only humble suggestion I'd make in the recovery department beyond sleep is training frequency. The muscle repairs, and then grows in those days between workouts. If you're hitting the intensity levels, and you've triggered the growth response....trust the process. Don't interrupt that growth with more training, you will slow your progress. That period of time differs for most people, but err on the side of an extra day of rest than a day short of recovery. It would be the very rare person indeed that could hit a muscle group hard more than twice a week. For me, being totally natural, 72 hours is the absolute minimum even if I'm not sore, and often 96 hours, because soreness (lack of) is not the only indicator of recovery. Continuing to increase in strength each workout is a great indicator that your frequency is on target.
Exactly right. Frank Zane has personally told me he likes "heavy negatives."
Explained brilliantly!😁
Consistency is key…. I have to admit I don’t get proper rest. I definitely don’t get the protein I should be getting. Everything this man is saying is right on point and if I follow it to the to you, I would be jacked. But my lifts are still pretty good and I’m pretty strong for 58. And when people ask me how I lift what I lift at 58…. I told them because I lifted at 18 I lifted at 28. I lifted at 38. I may have skipped 48 but I’m lifting again at 58.
Somebody else here said the notion of slowing down as we age is not something we must accept … other than recovery from injury, which unfortunately is different than our age… We keep doing what we do do and of course, the better we do it the better the results will be…
Everybody here inspires me and I hope I inspire others … wishing all us over the hill gang to keep killing it and stay strong
Thx. Sound advice. Especially the protein intake👍
Any cardio or HIIT advice for those of us who need to shed the last of those love handles??? I’ve made great progress in reducing my mid section with steady say cardio in my target heart rate but the last bit just won’t go. Help? And thx for keeping it real for us older dudes👍
intermittent fasting might work
Loved this video. It gave me a good refresher as to what I need to do daily. It's easy to fall into a routine and get complaisant, then get bored with the work out. Thanks for your great input.
Good tips, thank you. I’m 62 and my workout routine is 1 set of up to 10 reps (or failure) at maximum weight. 1 set of reps until failure at 80% max weight. 1 set until failure at 50% max and then 1 set to failure at 25%. I give myself 4 days rest between workouts and this seems to be producing results however; I know I can improve on this. The tip on focusing on the muscle function during a rep is something I’m going to add to my sets.
I like these ‘little chat’ video’s. It makes you take stock and reassess your daily workout routine.👍🏻
There’s no doubt that you’re in incredible shape for your age. It’s inspirational
TRT?
What do you mean "for his age"? That's a backhanded compliment. He's in great shape regardless of age.
Guys giving good advice whilst having a physical appearance better than the majority of 20 year olds globally.
and that’s exactly why i’ll listen to him vs a 20 something punk
Will be 54 soon and first hit the gym in 1988 and daily by 1990 and loved this reminder. Thank you =)
what a brilliant example of what a Man should be, outstanding
Excellent video. Thank you so much. Really appreciate that
Some great tips. Personally though I don't care how much muscles I have or how big I look. I focus on increasing my strength and I am quite strong as a 59 year old even though I don't look that big. In fact, not many guys in the gym I go to can match my strength in most exercises; like training with 105 lb dumbbells (10 reps) for incline bench for instance. Strength = longevity. All research points to that. Being able to lift such heavy weights in my exercise routines and seeing how I get stronger is a great motivator for me.
Thank you for this fantastic tips. It's all well known to me, but you said it in such easy to understand way, like a caring father would say it to his son. I highly appreciate it!
Thank you. Perfectly explained and I have learnt a lot!
This video has all i takes and presented in a very good way … excellent!
Excellent tips and great job communicating it … just signed up on your channel…but curious about how many other “experts “ keep on saying that after 50 you really need more protein, I am talking about 2 grams of protein per pound.
I must say you are in fantastic shape for any age as I'm in your age bracket I tried to work out 5 days a week with rest in between I'm now in the best shape of my life then even my twenties I'm definitely stronger
What he said is so right about mind-muscle connection!!!
I'm 67 and working out. I have found that some exercises (such as upright rows and laterals) I use cables because I can't cheat, I can slightly very the angles each time, and boy, do I ever feel it the following days.
48 hour break and more protein is the key. I recently realized i was going at it too much. Wasn't allowing enough muscle recovery
excellent and suttle tips sir. Thanks very much
At 54 I have been lifting light consistently for over a year. Would like to be a little more jacked, but not sure it is worth an injury at this point in my life. I have been running since 1988, thanks to the Army and will never give that up.
I use the "gun to my head" image to crank out that last rep. Personally, I do go to failure on the last rep of the last set. When I can manage to squeeze out that last rep "with a gun to my head," I'll do that again one more week to "make it real" and then add intensity (another rep or two per set) to fail again on the last rep again.
Just don’t pull the trigger. 😂
Growing muscles takes 3 steps:
1 proper training
2. Proper nutrition
3. Proper rest and recovery.
That's it. Oh yeah. NEVER EVER separate these 3👍
For those using PEDS, they can skip the 3rd step because PEDS aid greatly on recovery.
My profile image is from when I was 53. I'm 59 now, and I'm still lifting hard.
One thing that helps me is to focus on a circulation exercise regiment, where every set (especially the warm up set) goes to extreme failure, over 20 reps. Sometimes I will have to go to fifty reps to go to failure.
Re protein intake: older people need / have to take 1gr+ per Lb
G W. Good job!
The most important rule is knowing your body to prevent injuries.
Protein is critical for improving as we get older our appetite can decline so protein supplements are essential, I've found that my appetite has gone down at sixty in fact by my fifties, eating a Mediterranean diet i found vablit of calories or energy was coming from olive oil, I've supplements now with creatine and protein and I've actually put muscle on more so than when i was in my thirties! Over all this video is very good advice 👍🎯👏👏👏
Thanks for these videos!!
Thanks! Very clear, concise communication. 71 years old. Had to get apersonal trainer to really pusjh muyself
Well said, young man
I was especting the worst with a title so random...a recipe for disaster...on the contrary I was suprised by the amount of good common sense in that video! tks!
Great advice, and I'm glad to say I already do all of these things so thanks for reinforcing that for me. Can I ask about the car in the background? It looks like a corvette, but not 100% sure.
Coach Mark did a day in my life video a couple weeks ago, and he worked on the car and talked about it. Check it out!
@LiveAnabolic great tips. 👍 one thing I've always heard people mention is progressive overload (by increasing the weight you lift incrementally every so often). While I agree with increasing intensity so that you don't get your muscles used to a load, nobody can keep getting stronger at any given movement throughout their lifetime in a gym. It's just not possible. Infact, after 50 , certain lifts will get weaker and one will also face much longer recovery times and injuries if they keep trying to push more weight. I believe in increasing intensity by concentrating on slow controlled movements by dropping the weight as you mentioned as one of your tips.
I enjoyed watching this video and learning
Never give up ,keep pushing ,go the extra mile.Thank me at the finish line🥇
60 years old, and I always get asked about my intensity, my supersets, my work rate, I love it..
One point in the intensity part that I use but you didn't mention so maybe it's not an intensity thing, but tempo?? I really like to move super slow to make it easier to minimize momentum and feel how well I'm controlling the movement at all stages through the stretch and contraction.
Once again, thank you. The issue I’m having with the protein is that when I have my 30-40 grams of protein with my first meal, I’m so satiated that it’s hard to eat more. So I’m really relying on protein shakes, 3 a day plus the meat,eggs, etc.
I go with 1 gram per pound of protein to cover all bases. Trust me, you'll know if you're getting enough. If you don't know, someone will tell you. Kind of hard to miss. On the plus side, your gut health will improve drastically. It won't seem like it with all the gastric distress at first, but it really will. I'm 40, but train as though i were 50. I want to be an animal and do 50 sets of everything, but less is more as we get older. More muscle gain with fewer sets. The reason for this is in the recovery process.
I've been doing most of this, except it is the FIRST time I've heard .7 g x IDEAL body weight, and i have watched hours and hours of videos. This is a lot of traffic advice! I am 68 and spend 2 hours + in the gym 5 days a week.
I'm only getting 4-6 hours of sleep throughout the day..this is my only problem.. I'm 50..my muscles aren't growing as much as I want them to
What most of us fails to do is to adapt your training for our life. One cant always just increase weight, reps, sets or intensity. Of course, for improvement you need some kind of progression, given that your basics are right. If you should add 2.5 lbs next session but you did not sleep well, failed to reach your macros, struggled with the flew, just forget it. Remember, to maintain it is enough to train at 60 % of your former effort. So do not be afraid to cut back, and just survive until you are ready for a better effort.
Best workout channel. Thanks.
After some 40+ years of training experience I'll add some more tips: At 59 my body takes longer to repair itself. Therefore I do not do the same/similar exercise more than once per week in order to give those muscles enough time to rebuild themselves. If a muscle is still sore, give it more time or you can easily injure it. But when I train it, I go heavy and all out and until failure. I warm up with light weights first, then go heavier and heavier until max weight and then decrease the weights for a couple of more sets. I also do some cardio and stretching before I start with weights which is very important. I also wear a sweater when lifting heavy, at least initially, which keeps my muscles warm and less prone to injury. Also, stay away from bar bells for upper body exercises especially as you get older. The reason for this is that you put your joints and tendons in an unnatural position while putting a lot of strain on them. I learned this the hard way with joint and tendon pains for many months. Stick to dumbbells and and cables which are far better and gives you much better workout engaging more muscles for a longer range of motion.
Can you use resistance bands in place of cable work?
@@JoseGonzalez-gg6rs Sure
Is that a early c3? Love those.
I have read us older guys really need to get 1 gram per ideal body weight.
Outstanding presentation.
This is really great advice to gain muscle. But for older guys, a frequent problem is connective tissue (tendon) injury. Tendons naturally weaken as we get older just like muscle if they are not trained. If you follow this video, your muscles will get stronger, but that increases the chance of hurting a tendon if you increase your weight and intensity without strengthening your tendons. This is easily addressed by incorporating tendon training into your lifting routine (for example, incorporate a few sets of 30 second isometric (static holds) into your workout to increase tendon thickness, and perform a few sets with very explosive reps on the concentric part of the rep to build tendon elasticity. You can train like a 20 year old without hurting your tendons, if you’ve made an effort to develop tendons that are like a 20 year olds. It’s not hard to do, but almost always overlooked.
Incorporate some calisthenics into your routine, it worked wonders for my tendons and connective tissue. Using a collagen supplement can be beneficial.
One word. Gymnastics rings.
@@grantbradley5084 that’s two words
68 year old from Australia. Tricep and chest workout, takes me 6 to 7 days to recover, twice as long than any other body part.
HMB will help your recovery
Thank you sir!!
Should I be pushing each set to failure? I do 3 or 4 sets on exercise but only push to failure on last set.
I'm 200lb, I eat 1.4g protien per lb. 90g of that is turkey, the other is vegan protien shakes, eggs. I have stage 5 CKD, apparently. My eGFR is 56-60, but my Cystiain C says I'm OK, normal range. I have a moderate amount of muscle mass.
My sets, reps go like. Week 1: 4x 12-15 reps, to failure add weight each set. Week 2. 4 x 10-12, add weight each set. Week 3 4x 8-10, and week 4, 4 x 5-8. Adding weight each set is good, by week 4, you can really feel it.
Your opinion on intensity techniques like drop sets or rest pause sets? Tnx
DAMN GEORGE..YA QUIT PAINTING AND STARTED LIFTING 😂
European Journal of Applied Physiology study: eccentric exercises using less weight and less repetitions - group that performed the eccentric-only exercises achieved strength gains that equaled the other groups despite performing half the amount of repetitions, while the muscles grew more in thickness than the other groups.
Master of Tren!!!
Excellent!
Tell us about the Corvette in the background
Sir, you think Whey protein powder is safe for kidney?
I am in late 50 want to take Whey but hesitate
Yes. It is safe for kidneys. If you already have kidney issues, you might want to talk to a doctor, though. The research I have found is mostly on protein that is obtained through regular diet vs. supplementation. If you eat lots of meat, for example, it isn't just the protein that might affect you. Good luck.
"Hi guys, I'm George W. Bush"
Dear Mark McIlyar, are you a natural muscle builder or do you use muscle enlarging agents such as testosterone or other anabolics?
Guess…😂
@@jft8994 OK............. thanks😊
@@jft8994 u fuckin morons always just use that dumbass emoji to mock now, rather than use it when something is actually funny
You know he’s using something besides food and a hard workout
Probably TRT
So, I’m trying to lose about 15 lbs or fat -but- also get jacked. Can I do both at same time in a “body recomposition” approach -or- will eating a protein surplus not allow me to lose the fat around the middle? Currently doing OMAD to lose the fat and it’s working slowly but also lifting and seeing more definition but not a lot of muscle growth.
Thanks Mark...
Lower your weight when lifting and focus more on reps. Balance your diet, but increase your protein intake and add a shake. Do supersets at least twice a week, just pick a couple of muscle groups. Because we are experienced, we slow our reps down and concentrate on form. Take our vitamins, go walking or rucking, and reward yourself at times. Feel and pay attention to your body; that goes a long way. Also, enjoy what you do for yourself. If you don't make adjustments...
Outstanding!
Each set to almost failure?
Mind and body for us it is called the proprioceptive sense. Instinctively we know where our body parts are. Our fingers can touch without looking all of our body parts. So when you say lift your elbows in that direction to target our lats for example. Without correct form we fail the exercise.
That’s not what the mind muscle connection is.
Great advice
This is a great video. He tells you everything you need to know about to get muscle to grow as an older guy. No excuses now 😊