Getting Old vs Aging. One Is a Natural Process…The Other Sucks!
I used to think 40 was old.
I remember the day my mom turned 40.
I thought she was really old and that her youth was gone.
As I write this, I’m now only a few years show of hitting my 40th… and I realize how wrong I was.
Especially now where it’s common to see people thrive well into their 90s.
But I think, nowadays especially, that we have to ask the question…
Even though we’re all getting older… Can we age well?
We can have a great quality of life and not be dependent on things like…
medication & pills
physical aids like canes, wheel chairs or oxygen machines
even other people like nurses or caregivers or our family members
I don’t know about you, but my goal is to be independent well into my old age.
I don’t want to be a burden on anyone.
So I’m doing everything I can NOW to stall and even REVERSE the aging process.
We can’t prevent getting older but there are many things that we can do in our everyday life to delay the aging process.
FACT: After the age of 30, we start to lose muscle at an exponential rate.
The average sedentary adult will lose 3-5% of lean mass per decade after the age of 30.(1)
This process of losing muscle due to aging is called SARCOPENIA.
SARCOPENIA is a condition characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and it is strictly correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life and death.
If you’re already active – which I’m guessing you are if you’re reading this – then you’re on the right track.
But there’s a little more to it…
See, we have two different types of muscle fibers in the body
Slow twitch
Fast twitch
Slow-twitch muscle fibers are fatigue resistant, and focused on sustained, smaller movements and postural control.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers provide bigger and more powerful forces, but for shorter durations and fatigue quickly.
Fast twitch muscle fibers are responsible for activities like…
throwing your kid up in the air and catching them
pushing someone out of the path of a moving car
jumping up to the that helium balloon that’s stuck on the ceiling
getting up off a toilet
doing yard work or house constructions
shoveling snow
We need to train to be STRONG, but (more importantly?), we must train to be POWERFUL.
So even though the mainstream has always said that cardiovascular activities like walking, hiking and cycling are good enough to maintain a good quality of life for an aging population – and they are…
…none of those activities address strength or power which are critical to living an optimal life as we get older.
So in order to both preserve and build fast twitch muscle, we must train in a way that targets the correct energy systems and pathways to elicit a growth response specific to building fast twitch muscle.
Fast Twitch Muscle… The KEY To Staying Young
Full body explosive exercises like the Olympic Lifts, Plyometrics and the Kettlebell Ballistics (swings, snatches, cleans, push presses & jerks) will stimulate your fast twitch fibers.
So yes, you must continue going for walks first thing in the morning on a fasted stomach to enhance your fat loss efforts…
…AND you should continue with the endurance training (cycling clubs, running clubs, obstacle course races, etc) for the fun social aspect…
…BUT remember that as you age, your body will naturally choose to hold onto those slow twitch fibers that you use for those activities.
So, You MUST train for strength and POWER as you get older to hold onto your Fast Twitch Muscle and prevent AGING.
And you have to do it in a manner that is safe, controlled, progressive and isn’t technically demanding…
Olympic Lifts are great, but it takes years – a decade? – for people to master the technique
The Power Lifts – squat, bench & deadlift – are good too, but are really hard on your joints especially when you’re on the other side of 40
Plyometrics are great… if you have resilient knees and hips and your joints can stand the impact of landing.
Listen, if you’re over 35 years old like me… we just can’t train the same way we did when we were 23.
I mean… we can… but I think we’d both like to stay out of the hospital right?
Training to put on POWERFUL muscle WHILE staying lean… and doing it in a safe and effective manner is possible.
You just have to do it differently – take a different approach & mindset – when you’re over 35.
Remember, we’re not 20 anymore.
So Listen…
If having muscle is what keeps you healthy, and being powerful is what keeps you YOUNG…
…but starting Olympic Lifting or PowerLifting or jumping up on a box is not realistic for you…
Well, I’ve got a better way. Call us to learn more about how we can help you get started on your journey 612-656-9306 or schedule a consult.