Tara Scott is the epitome of exercise consistency and simplicity. I first learned of Tara after reading about an exercise streak of hers that spanned over two years. At the time, she was around 40 years old and had trained 766 consecutive days. Tara is now 46 years old and has extended that streak to an amazing 2700 days. For those who may not have a calculator handy, that’s over 7 years.

As for her approach to exercise, here is a quote taken from a previous entry:

Some days I go light, others heavy, and then others somewhere in between.

Tara describes her workouts as playouts. She subscribes to the philosophy that fun is fundamental. She enjoys the work so naturally looks forward to using her body each day. She often trains outside mixing calisthenics with tools such as kettlebells, sandbags, sledgehammers, and more. As for the results, you can see a brief sampling below.

First, you’ll see a casual pistol squat walk that she performs with ease.

She’s also clearly well developed throughout the upper body and core as evident below.

So in summary, we have a woman who is 46 years old with the strength, body control, and ability to humble many half her age. And what I enjoy even more than her ability is that her training is clearly rooted in simplicity. She thrives on the basics. She can turn any open space into a fully functional gym. Let’s also reiterate that Tara enjoys what she does. She is the perfect counter to anyone who suggests that workouts must feel miserable to be effective. If Tara felt miserable each day, there is no way she would continue for 2700 consecutive days.

When you enjoy what you do, you’ll be more eager to do it. And for those who still doubt the potential of a simplistic routine, Tara Scott is yet another example that proves otherwise.

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Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals. – Jim Rohn

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I recently shared a story of a 64 year old man who began exercising at age 55.  In case you missed the original entry, I’ll share the video again.

As clearly evident, this great grandfather has changed his entire life. At age 64, his bodyweight exercise ability exceeds most healthy adults half his age.

A few days after posting that story, I was informed of another 64 year old man who began bodybuilding at age 48. The video below tells his story.

Following my recent rant about encouraging others to exercise rather than criticizing what they do, I couldn’t have asked for a better comparison. These two 64 year old men have followed entirely different paths. One thrives primarily on bodyweight exercise. The other follows a more traditional bodybuilding approach. Yet despite following different paths, both men are light years ahead of their peers.

While fitness gurus in today’s era battle it out over who is right and who is wrong, these two elderly men prove that there are many ways to skin a cat. How many of today’s gurus will perform at their level upon reaching 64? My guess is few and far between.

The take home lesson therefore is really quite simple. Almost anything works if the individual is consistent and diligent. There is no single, best course of action that all must follow. It is possible to become stronger and better conditioned with countless approaches. Often times the deciding factor is not the routine that is followed but rather how the individual approaches the routine. How much effort is he willing to give?

I may sound like a broken record, but it is worth repeating. How you do what you do matters more than what you do. Countless real world examples validate this simple, yet often overlooked fact. Don’t get lost in paralysis by analysis. Find something that you enjoy and pursue it with relentless passion. The results will follow.

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All the so-called “secrets of success” will not work unless you do.

Below is an inspiring video of a 64 year old great grandfather who didn’t begin exercising until age 55. He now performs bodyweight feats that many half his age could never dream of doing. To suggest that his quality of life has improved since he began training is perhaps the greatest understatement of all.

What I enjoyed most about his regimen is that he does the majority of it outside on the bars. There is no dependence on state of the art equipment or facilities. He has literally become his own gym. He can train wherever he goes.

Ironically, while this 64 year old outperforms most young men, training gurus around the world continue to complicate physical fitness. Perhaps more people should follow this man’s example as opposed to those whose primary interest isn’t your well being, but rather the size of their wallet.

It is stories of those like this great grandfather that need more attention. If we all encouraged more people to get up and begin moving, many of today’s health related problems would dramatically improve. Physical fitness is not complicated. The most important aspect of getting in shape is to get up and get moving. There is no single best way. Several roads lead to the same destination. Rather than confusing those who wish to begin the journey, let’s instead focus more attention towards getting people to actually begin.

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Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification. – Martin H. Fischer

It has been over three years since I mentioned Fred Peterson on this blog. At the time, I posted a video of him deadlifting over 600 pounds. Amazingly at age 75, he’s still going strong and certainly worthy of another entry. The following video was taken last month. The strength that he displays at 75 is beyond incredible.

Perhaps my favorite video of Fred Peterson comes from 2008 however. In the video below, you will not only see him in action, you’ll hear him share some words of wisdom. He begins speaking at approximately 4:35 within the video.

Fred Peterson has been lifting for over 50 years. He’s also had his share of injuries, but they’ve never held him back. He keeps on grinding.

In his words,

It’s a lot of hard work, and it doesn’t come free.

Such a simple statement is truly invaluable particularly when uttered by a man with his accomplishments. At age 75, Fred Peterson is stronger than vast majority of strength and conditioning professionals today. The difference is that he’s not trying to sell you a short term miracle plan. Instead, he reminds us that the road to the top is a long and challenging journey. It isn’t easy, and that’s exactly why it is so unusual to witness his level of strength.

Unlike many from Fred’s generation, today’s world often seeks shortcuts to challenging obstacles. An impressive work ethic stands out more today than it did many years ago. If everyone worked hard, hard work wouldn’t be mentioned. It would just be part of the daily process.

Unfortunately, hard and consistent work have become a rarity. A week does not pass without someone asking me what is the fastest way to gain strength. These people want shortcuts. They don’t to hear that it is going to take time. They don’t wish to embark on what promises to be a challenging and often painful journey.

They can’t handle the truth. As a result, it is no surprise that so many quick-fix workouts and routines are hyped to the masses. Promises of instant gratification will always be more marketable than the truth. Fortunately, there are still some like Fred Peterson who remind us that the road to the top is an arduous journey, but also one that is truly rewarding.

Real strength requires a significant investment in time. There are no shortcuts. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you wish to develop impressive strength, prepare for a journey that will last a lifetime. It won’t be easy, but there’s no other journey I’d rather take. Like Fred Peterson, I am a lifetime traveler.  I’ll keep grinding until my last day.

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Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.

Following a few recent posts about playground workouts, I’ve had several readers of the site pass along additional videos of impressive bodyweight displays. One of those videos was that of a 53 year old man performing muscle-ups at a park. You can see the video below.

After sharing the clip on Facebook, I received a message from someone who vehemently disputed the man’s age. In his words, there is no way a 53 year old man could perform that type of work. Rather than arguing, I thought it would be better to instead share additional examples of individuals who have stayed young despite what some would consider old age.

The videos below come from previous entries that I’ve made to the site. It took but a few minutes to gather this brief selection. There are many more that I could have shared but the following clips should be enough to remove all doubt.

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60+ Years Old and Still Going Strong

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Standing Rollouts at age 71

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Gymnastics Display at 71 Years Young

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Korean Judo Master – Age 64

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Chin-ups At 84 Years Old

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Another Case For Simplicity

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Burpees at 70+

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As evident above, it is quite possible to perform impressive bodyweight feats at all ages. Hard and consistent work are the only true secrets to strength and fitness. If you work hard and remain consistent, it is only a matter of time before you improve. Fancy programs and equipment are not necessary.

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The idea is to die young as late as possible. – Ashley Montagu