"Weight Lifting Lessons at 50"

DISCOVER THE weight lifting lessons I learned when I hit the half-century.

Weight Lifting at 50

I turned fifty recently. The big five-oh is one of those scary, landmark birthdays that can transform even the bravest of souls into a gibbering, anxious wreck.

Once I stopped sobbing into my beer, hitting my half-century allowed me to do a few things:

1. I got to indulge my love affair with chocolate cake (always a thoroughly enjoyable experience),
2. I drew up a list of the most important training lessons I have learned since starting weight lifting over three decades ago,
3. Following some serious head-scratching, I managed to narrow down these important weight lifting lessons to just one single lesson that I'm sharing with you today (it wasn't easy).

So what did I come up with?

Well, let's begin by saying what my most important weight lifting lesson isn't:

My most important lesson has nothing to do with any special kind of workout... nor is it some mystical exercise that strips body fat and builds muscle in double-quick time... and it isn't a miracle diet either (no surprises there); the number one lesson I learned is far more middle-of-the-road and mundane than any of that. Are you ready for it?

Hmm... okay, here goes:

Do something often.

What? Is that it?! Yep. I'm afraid so. Doing something often is where the TRUE training magic lies.

Weight Lifting Lessons

You see, if there's some miracle workout or exercise (or diet) out there, then I have never encountered it. For sure, there are exercise routines and funky strategies you can try — and hey, they all work after a fashion for a while — but in the end, none of that matters.

What truly counts is that you do something often.

We touched on this important topic in my Monday newsletter a few weeks ago. Showing up — and doing something often — is what ultimately separates the losers from the winners...

If turning fifty taught me anything, it's this: consistency is king. 

And the thing is, it always has been. Do something often enough, be consistent, and it's amazing how your body — young or old — quickly adapts. 

Only how many people ever tell you that? Not many. And why? Because there is nothing to sell. No-one ever got rich telling folks to simply "show up", even though this act counts for 80% (or more) of your training success.

And now I'm going to sprinkle a little extra ingredient into the secret sauce... Here goes:

Try to do something every day.

It doesn't matter if your routine or workout lasts less than a handful of minutes, what counts here is consistency. Like adding pennies to a jar, those suckers soon add up — your training is really no different.

One compound lift performed daily is a great place to start. Plenty of folks have got big and strong using this kind of training regimen and you can do the same, too. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve if you do something often enough — show up, and success is yours.

Don't believe me?

Longtime celebrity trainer Don Saladino is the go-to guy when Hollywood wants an actor in tiptop shape for the latest blockbuster.

Saladino's philosophy is simple: You can build muscle, lose fat and boost fitness in just minutes by training smart.

Saladino says, "Fitness isn't about working out 60-90 minutes, 6 days a week. This is why people aren't successful. It's about getting in a little bit, even if it's just 5 minutes."

And this 50-year-old gym rat wholeheartedly agrees. Which is why I make showing up and doing something my number one training lesson.