Performance Sports Therapy

Simple

Run easy for a little bit

Run hard for a big bit

Run really hard for a teeny bit

Done

So much nicer when the sun is up.

Still a grim start after lifting yesterday but always feels great by the finish.

Fasted training sucks...

Or so I discovered.

Running first thing in morning is great. You get things done before they can get de-railed later in the day

You get to feel smug because you're finished before everyone else is out of their scratcher.

But...

With no fuel onboard I've found things tend to hit the crapper during the run and I feel s**t for the rest of the day.

Started taking a carb mix with me and lo and behold I didn't feel like I'd been rolled up and put away wet for the rest of the day

Not any old minging either but the Goldilocks zone of minging.

Not so hard I felt I was gonna die...

Not so fast I couldn't keep going...

Just hard enough I could've suffered for an hour...but that would've been daddy bear level minging.

Made tolerable by the 4/4 beat of the Sound of Young America.

When is a kilometre not a kilometre?

When you stop for a p**s and pause your watch only to forget to start it for the next K.

Old age sucks the boabie

Think you're too old, that you're past it?

Think again

1sec off my 4 year old PB.

And without tracing specifically for a 2k row time trial.

Don't believe them when they say you've got one foot in the grave.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light because there's plenty of life in the old dog yet.

Stopping your rehab when the pain has gone is like using the tiny spare wheel in most cars...
Imagine you get a puncture on holiday, that tiny wheel will get you to a garage.
Problem is, you can’t go over 50 mph. And no way can you rely on that tiny spare wheel for the rest of your holiday.
But take your rehab to the point where you’re lifting heavy, hopping, jumping, etc…
Well, that’s like a Formula One team replacing all your wheels with new 5 spoke alloys….. fitted with Michelin tyres.

It goes without saying that you need some serious driving skills to contemplate getting in a formula one car.

Something that even those who consider themselves "good drivers" would agree with.

Yet after training for a few months, many seem to think they're beyond sticking to the basics.

But if you can't squat double your bodyweight, bench 1.5X BW, or deadlift 2.5X BW (or similar standards) then you're a long way from needing anything but the basics.

And there's no need to get lost in the weeds of periodisation, Westside style programmes, whether you should do low reps or high reps.

Pick exercises you enjoy.

Use a variety of rep ranges over time.

Add weight to the bar when you hit your targets.

Rinse and repeat.

The world of marginal gains is so appealing but until you're at Formula One level it's best to remember there's a hint in the name...

MARGINAL gains.

And there's a lot to be said for sticking to a simple programme that delivers MASSIVE gainz.

Stop getting bogged down in the details.

The programme that'll bring you the best results is one you can stick to.

Focus on what you can do consistently and build from there.

There's no point in trying to fit in 6 sessions a week if you can only truly commit to 3.

It's true, you can do both.

Not only that you can do both reasonably well.

A couple of weeks ago I deadlifted 180x8 then tidied up, stuck my trainers on and ran 5k in 23:13.

Not earth shattering efforts but solid work and a good example of what is possible.

So don't fall for the idea that cardio will kill your gains or lifting will make you slow.

Sometimes you have to wait for the good things to happen.

Anyone who thinks you're past it because you're in your 40s or 50s can go and do one.

Want some proof that you aren't?

The Gym Jones standard for a set of 4x 30:30 on the concept 2 rower is to hit 150m or above on each rep...

And that's for guys in their 20s or 30s.

Well 3 sets at ~ 154m per rep suggests you're not past it if you don't want to be.

And if you don't want to then DM me to find out how I can help you.

Forget massage guns, infrared saunas, or “recovery” workouts there are only 3 things that REALLY matter when it comes to recovering from your training.

The big dog is sleep.

If you’ve got poor habits around getting to bed, aren’t sleeping enough, etc., you’ll have a hard time getting through the day...never mind recovering from your training.

Next up is food.

You’ve got to eat enough and you’ve got to eat well.

Food isn’t just about fueling your workouts…

It fuels your recovery too.

And finally…

Don’t train like a clown.

If you smash yourself every session then all you’re doing is digging a very deep hole for yourself.

A solid 7/10 or 8/10 is fine.

And if these are genuine 7’s or 8’s you’ll have done plenty of good quality work.

Forget your massage guns, your floatation tanks, or whatever elixir is being punted on Facebook…you simply can’t beat sleep.

And, ideally you should be getting a solid 8 hours sleep every night… but we all know that 8 hours every night isn’t going to happen.

More important is to get a solid structure in place that gives you a good chance of getting 6-8 hours every night.

Because a recent study highlighted that…

“there’s a 51% increase risk of injury for those endurance athletes sleeping less than 7 hours per night for the previous two weeks”

Which is massive.

But the really interesting thing is the delay between the sleep disruption and sustaining an injury.

It’s around the 2 week mark “post-event”.

It’s when you’re feeling ok again and things have returned to normal that the danger lies.

It’s so tempting to get back at it all guns blazing to make up for lost time but that would be the worst thing you could do.

Instead, rather than hitting full send once things get back to normal actually allow a bit of time to ease back into normal training.

Give yourself permission to take a couple of weeks to build back into your normal routine.

The reward will be significantly less chance of missing even more training time in the following weeks

Strength training for older guys is a pretty simple affair.

Go to the gym 2-3 times a week.

Pick a handful of exercises that hit your whole body.

Use weights that allow you to sets of anywhere from 6-20 reps.

Repeat until it feels easier.

Add weight.

Simples.

There's ABSOLUTELY no need for any complicated routines or periodisations.

You've got plenty going on and a full body/upper body/full body gives you plenty to do.

And allows you to do other activities outside the gym.

I mean they aren't the worst things you can do.

But why treat the abdominals any differently than any other area of the body?

So, if you want to get bigger, stronger abs you need to add weight.

And that means sidebends, sit-ups, etc.

All done with added weight and I'm not talking about 10kg dumbbells.

Full-body routines are the secret sauce of success for guys in their 40s and 50s.

Certainly, if you want to fit in your conditioning work as well...and you are doing conditioning sessions aren't you?

Plus there's the fact that you have a family life...

Might play sport...

And a job that can be demanding on your time.

Full-body routines mean that it doesn't matter if a session gets missed...you've got another coming up in a couple of days.

They also steer you towards the lower end of your recoverable volume.

So don't go disrespecting full-body routines just because they're so familiar.

The grass isn't greener on the other side.

You can't go wrong getting strong but...

Your life is built on the foundations of a healthy cardiovascular system.

Your CV system helps you deal more effectively with stress...

Helps you recover faster between sessions...

And improves the quality of your sleep.

Plus if you want to do anything lasting longer than 60 seconds without feeling like you're gonna die, well, it's kinda essential.

You don't need fancy diets.

Or have to avoid certain foods.

Just take a leaf from our closest cousins.

Sometimes you need to do less.

Go on, you know you want to ;-)

But yeah, it might not be the best idea in terms of your job prospects but…it might make your back pain feel a bit better.

It may surprise you to know that job satisfaction and stress, play a bigger role in how that old injury feel than you might think.

You’re on the clock as soon as you hit the gym floor…

So why are you wasting 20 minutes warming up?

Do you really need a bunch of corrective exercises and mobility work?

Or perhaps you simply need 5 minutes to l**e your joints and spend the remaining 15 on doing a few more sets of whatever you suck at?

My warm-up for a session earlier in the week that began with deadlifts

3 rounds of
Goblet cossack squat 5 reps per side
Press ups 10
Tall Kneeling med ball slam 10

Which, funnily enough, takes about 5 minutes.

Then deadlift warm ups of 5,3,1, work set of 7.

Stop farting about jumping onto boxes...

You're old enough to know better.

If you really want to work on being "athletic"...

To get that spring back in your step...

And add an element of explosive work to your programme then add some leaps, bounds and hops before you lift.

And no, you don't need to hit 2X bodyweight squat or any other strength benchmark.

Start easy and SLOWLY work up from there.

In your 40's and 50's there's no need to get all fancy pants with your programme.

Simply rinse and repeat good old double progression.

Your life will have enough ups and downs to create variation and give you rest days you weren't expecting.

Sticking with a weight or an interval session until you own it goes a long, long way.

The biggest mistake I see guys in their 40s and 50s make with their cardio is...

Going way too HARD.

HIIT sessions may get loads of like on the 'gram...

They might leave you feeling "worked"...

And they will get you breathing like a freight train but...

If you really want to improve your aerobic fitness, and this should be a priority, you need to be able to go for longer than 20 minutes NOT 2 minutes.

Don't make life difficult for yourself.

Stop thinking every meal must be broccoli and rice...

Or that "single ingredient" foods are the only things you can eat...

Or that if you happen to munch on a biscuit you're a failure.

The goal is to score a solid B+ across the week and allow yourself a bit of wiggle room.

Why are you constantly sore and your general performance tanking?

Is it because you didn’t spend enough time on your foam roller?

Perhaps skipped your 6am ice bath?

Maybe you’ve let your meditation slip?

Or is it that you’re training like a Joker?

Constantly overdoing the intensity or volume of your training and programme hopping like the easter bunny.

It’s ok to go off programme from time to time. And there’s nothing wrong in changing your exercises on a regular basis but don’t over do it.

Drop the frequency of the changes in your exercises so you get a chance to adapt and not be constantly sore.

Recognise that if you went for an impromptu AMRAP then you might need to dial back the next session.

Getting on top of your recovery isn’t rocket science just a little bit of common sense.

The uninjured injured.

You can still train and play but you don’t feel like you used to.

But the years haven’t been kind and accumulated niggles are having an impact.

Movement is a bit restricted.

Nothing seems to flow the way it used to.

You're a testament to the fact you can keep on trucking even when not fully operational but...

It's like driving a Ferrari with the handbrake on and you're not going to get the best out of yourself

You need to address the issues that are holding you back.

It might be that you went back to running as soon as the pain had gone after you sprained your ankle...

Or that you never addressed the hip problem that was the reason for your back pain...

Or you might need to stop treating your body like you're a 20 year old.

But whatever the problem is deal with it and you'll get a chance to see the real you.

Are you training hard enough?

Are you really pushing things in the gym?

Unlike like with their cardio most guys in their 40s and 50s aren't pushing anywhere near hard enough.

Where you want to go easy with your cardio you want to go hard with your lifting.

Seriously, Huberman and his Phd can go and do one.

Sit and stare at the sun first thing in the morning?

Clearly, he doesn't know it's dark in the UK until most of us are on the way to work for 3/4 of the year. And the rest of the time it's p**sing down.

And as for delaying your first cup of coffee for as long as possible?

Aye, right that's happening.

But in all seriousness, it is worth getting outside as much as possible. Even if that's a short walk at lunchtime and adding a bit of a walk to your commute, it's no bad idea.

And the coffee?

Well that's a non-negotiable for me. A coffee and a bit of a read, before everyone else gets up, is my morning routine.

But as with the sunshine, there is value in making changes. Like limiting your intake and not drinking any coffee in the afternoon.

Though Huberman can still do one.