Below is a brief portion of an upcoming documentary entitled the History of MMA.  This clip highlights Fred Ettish and his unique experiences as a mixed martial artist.  The documentary was created by filmmaker Bobby Razak.  I’m privileged to have been briefly involved in one of Razak’s previous videos and he always does a great job.

Within the clip below, you’ll learn of the struggles that Ettish endured as a fighter and more importantly how he refused to succumb to his critics.  He recently returned to the cage at age 53 to earn a victory and balance his record at 1-1.

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Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Below is a video that has quickly been making its way around the web (for good reason).  Within the clip, you will see a 60 year old man who has performed bodyweight exercise for longer than many have been alive.  This individual offers yet another example of the potential of a simple, yet consistent exercise plan.  Showing up and putting in the work is often more important than anything else.  In time, you tend to figure out what you prefer and what works best for you.

This man doesn’t waste his time arguing over periodization models and ideal rep schemes.  He gets up, puts in his work, and gets on with his day.  And while some may criticize his approach, you’ll be hard pressed to find others his age who can keep up with him.  Many half his age couldn’t even hang with him on the bars.

For more age-related exercise displays, be sure to visit the link below.  Be prepared to drop any excuse that you may have used before.

http://rosstraining.com/blog/category/the-blog/age-related/

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Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it. – Alan Perlis

Betty Lou Sweeney recently broke a Guinness World Record after holding the abdominal plank for 36 minutes and 58 seconds (related story). Her achievement is obviously incredible, but even more so when you consider her age and previous lifestyle.  This 71 year old woman is lucky to be alive.  Just two years ago, she was severely overweight and almost died of a kidney infection.

Fortunately, Betty refused to give up.  Instead, she took control of her life.  She realized that it is never too late to change.  She’s now lost over 100 pounds and has earned a spot in the record books.

The video below tells her story.  It also documents her initial attempt at breaking the record.  She failed at first but came back stronger to officially break the record in September 2011.

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Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. – Henry Ford

It has been over a year since I mentioned Jack Denness and his quest to finish a 12th Badwater Ultramarathon.  Entering the event, Jack already held the record as the oldest person to ever complete the race.  He previously set the record at age 70. Last year, he set out to break his own record by finishing the race at age 75.  The three videos below document his struggles to finish the race.

Watching a 75 year old man finish a 135 mile course in temperatures over 120 °F is truly incredible.  It is even more incredible considering that Jack didn’t begin running until he quit smoking at age 45.  All of his recent accomplishments came in the second half of his life after abusing his body for many years.  He completely changed his life and has earned over £100,000 for charity.

Hats off to Jack for the inspiration.

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People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to. – George Allen

At age 75, Walter Perfahl can perform feats that few at any age will ever replicate. He can be seen below demonstrating some of his moves for a group of onlookers in Germany.

At first glance, you may assume that Walter is a former gymnast or circus performer, but neither is true. He’s actually a former miner. He’s always been physically active however and regularly preaches the importance of fitness while performing his informal shows.

A brief article about Walter can be found at the link below. It is written in German but can be converted through the Google Translator.

Walter Perfahl

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We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. – George Bernard Shaw

Tom Hafey is a former Australian rules football player and coach.  He was born on August 5th, 1931.  He’ll turn 80 years old in a few weeks.  Fortunately, age hasn’t slowed Tommy down.  He’s still going strong, training harder than most men in their 20′s.

He’s even fooled many to believe that he’s younger than he is.  Tommy recently was cast in a Jeep commercial as a 70 year old man.  He had no problem playing the role of a man 10 years his junior.

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As for his secret to success, you’ll be amazed at the simplistic nature of his regimen.  His daily approach is outlined in the article below (well worth a read):

Unretired football legend Tom Hafey at 80

Hafey wakes up early each morning to run, swim, and then work through calisthenics such as pushups and sit-ups.  He performs the workout as soon as he awakes.  He then returns home to enjoy a nice breakfast.

As quoted within the article above:

After an hour of brutal exercise he treats himself to oatmeal, fruit and a cup of tea. But no biscuits or cakes. He gave them up 37 years ago, to give his daughters an example of will power.

Meanwhile, while Tom Hafey is out training each morning, there are folks online who would say he’s doing everything wrong. Isn’t it counterproductive to exercise before eating breakfast?  Won’t repeated use of the same exercises lead to overtraining?  Aren’t sit-ups dangerous?  Blah, blah, blah…

As has been said before, almost anything works if you are consistent and diligent.  Tom Hafey is in tremendous physical condition for his age, and always has been.  He does not follow a fancy routine.  He thrives on the basics and continues to push himself.  This approach has worked for him throughout his life. Tommy was always known as a hard worker on and off the field.  He was described as someone who made the most out of limited natural ability.

In his words,

If it is to be, it is up to me.

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For more info about Tommy and his way of life, take a look at the interview below:

Below is a brief video that I recently posted to Facebook.  Within the clip, you will see a man performing chin-ups on his 73rd birthday.

Clearly, his display is impressive particularly when considering that he was born in 1938.  This man can perform more chin-ups than most healthy males born in the last 30 years.

So what is his secret?  He must follow a highly touted routine, right?  I wonder what form of periodization he is using.  Perhaps he receives daily training updates to his inbox that allow him to display such strength?  It’s got to be something, right?   Maybe a new supplement?  What could it be?

Unfortunately, those looking for an overnight secret are not going to find one.  The secret to this man’s ability aren’t found in a book and can’t be purchased in bulk from the supplement store.  This elderly man’s ability is the result of hard work and consistency over many years.

In a previous Youtube video, he mentioned that began performing pull-ups at age 40.  When he started, he would do pull-ups every day.  He’d always try to perform one more than he did the day before.  He didn’t have any fancy rep schemes or periodized programs to follow.   What he did have however was the determination and perseverance to keep showing up day after day.

Showing up and legitimately pushing yourself regularly are two of the best ways to produce results in the gym.  You don’t need a fancy plan.  And no, I’m not knocking the potential value of a well thought routine.  My point is that while some people obsess over program creation, others just wake up and train.  What they do may not always be right, but their repeated effort makes up for it, often allowing them to surpass those who possess more book knowledge on the subject.

There is no denying that most men cannot perform a fraction of the chin-ups that this man performs.  Many half his age who are physically active and so-called experts in training cannot even perform as many chin-ups as him.   Who knows what they will be doing in their 70′s.

So what’s the lesson to be learned?

Keep it simple.  You don’t need to know everything.  Keep showing up and keep pushing yourself.  In time, you’ll see what works and what doesn’t.  You’ll learn more by doing than you will with anything else.

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If you want to learn to swim jump into the water. On dry land no frame of mind is ever going to help you. – Bruce Lee

Below is a video of a 70 year old grandfather showing off his skills on a pull-up bar in the Ukraine.  Clearly, age isn’t the crutch that many make it out to be.

Use it or lose it…

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Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. – Mark Twain

Below is a video of 71 year old John Maulkin performing 15 standing rollouts with an abdominal wheel.

Standing rollouts are a challenging movement that elude many exercise enthusiasts.  It is rare that one can perform multiple reps from the standing position without training specifically for the exercise.   Although clearly an example of a strength based core movement, this exercise also requires strength endurance based on the time required to perform multiple repetitions. In the video above, John takes almost two minutes to perform 15 reps.  Maintaining the required tension for this amount of time requires a mix of core strength and endurance.

Fifteen reps is impressive for anyone, but at age 71 it becomes even more inspiring.  It isn’t every day that you find a 71 year old man capable of such a feat.  Hats off to John and thanks for inspiring many who are likely half your age.

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For those interested in progressing from a kneeling to standing rollout, take a look at the link below for one useful option:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vfTLXQUZeI

Paul Drinan is a 68 year-old grandfather whose name was recently added to the Guinness Book of World Records.  He set a new record by holding the abdominal plank position for 33 minutes and 40 seconds.  A brief summary of the event can be seen through the video below.

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I enjoy this story for several reasons.  First, it is undeniably impressive to see a 68 year-old man in such tremendous condition.  In addition to his recent plank record, he’s also performed 101 consecutive pushups and 29 pull-ups (both records at his local gym).

His 33+ minute plank is perhaps most impressive though, as he just began preparing for the challenge earlier this year.  After witnessing a younger instructor hold the plank for 12 minutes, Paul thought he could do better.  He began practicing the exercise as a result. His practice obviously paid off as he not only set the gym record but also a world record.

There are athletes half Paul’s age who would struggle to hold the plank for a fraction of the time. I’ve seen competitive athletes crumble under the plank after a few minutes.  Many could likely do better than they initially realize however.  Unfortunately, people often fall far short of their potential.

Such limitations are often the result of expectations.  Google the plank and you’ll find several sites suggesting that you work up to a minute or two  Paul Drinan never started with such low expectations.  He saw someone hold the exercise for 12 minutes and believed he could do better. He didn’t begin with someone else telling him what he should strive to achieve.

There is plenty to learn from his record breaking performance.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you sleep in the plank.  Personally, I find the exercise incredibly boring when held for longer durations.  I prefer working with more difficult exercises.  I don’t begin by imposing limitations on myself however.  I’d rather be stubborn like Paul, and assume that I can do better than what I’ve see done by others.

Paul is obviously in excellent physical condition, but he also possesses unusual mental toughness.  When the mind refuses to quit, the body tends to come along for the ride.  Just because something becomes difficult does not mean it is time to sit down and rush to the water fountain.

Gradually pushing yourself a bit further is the best way to separate yourself from the majority.

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“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas A. Edison