Strong enough for the boat, but never for the gym
Strong enough for the boat, but never for the gym
Jason is 65 years old and came in with a straightforward goal: be stronger and healthier for fishing season. His baseline was generally good. Nothing was in pain, no past injuries, no part of his body feeling too weak. He rode his road bike in the summer and years of tuna fishing had given him a kind of functional, earned strength. But he had never touched heavy weights and had never done flexibility training.
He did not mind new exercises and enjoyed giving his trainer a hard time about the unconventional movements she prescribed. He would try his best, ask if it looked right, and when he felt the target muscle working he could really make it fire. But if he did not feel anything at all, he tended to rush through and get less benefit. He was also very specific about one thing: he did not want to gain size. Fitting into his suits mattered to him.
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Fitter than he has ever been at any age
After two and a half years of training two to three times per week, the numbers tell the story. His bench press started at 95 pounds for 5 reps and now he can move 135. That original 5 rep max at 95 has become a set of 15 without stopping. His squat started at 95 pounds for 10 difficult reps with poor positioning and now he uses that weight as a warmup with no trouble at all. He can squat well over 135 for 5 reps. His deadlift went from a shaky 115 pound max to pulling 200 off the ground with no concern and limited soreness. And he still fits in the same suits.
But the flexibility gains are where things get remarkable. His most impressive feat is the Jefferson Curl: bending over with 75 pounds and curling his body up and down, hands dropping below his toes. He went from being unable to sit comfortably in the bottom of a squat to doing it with ease. His butterfly position went from knees high in the air to nearly touching the ground. He can do a reverse burpee, something most people in their 30s could not dream of attempting.
Guys on the fishing boat now guess he is in his 50s when he is outperforming them pulling in bigger catches. He wins playful fitness games against family members at outdoor gatherings. Jason is proof that the body does not have an expiration date on capability. It just needs the right kind of ask.