You’ve been a fixture on the strongman scene for nearly 20 years, but your strength journey didn’t start there. What was your first experience with lifting? I started training weights in 1993 while working for Carnival Cruise Lines as a bartender. I lifted in a makeshift gym: a storage room at the front of …
Q: What can I keep doing while I’m recovering from knee surgery? There’s an interesting aspect of human behavior called “the missing tile syndrome.” Basically, when a ceiling tile is missing, we don’t notice the hundreds of intact tiles. Instead, our eye immediately zeros in on that single missing tile. Put another way, we’re …
Q: Deadlifts feel risky. What can I do instead? I’m open about the fact that I love the barbell deadlift. In my book, there may be no better way to build, and test, strength than that single move. And yet, I’ll be the first to say that no single exercise, including …
I’m a regular lifter who focuses on, well, lifting. But recently I had the urge to lean out. Maybe see an ab or two. Is that silly for someone 40 or beyond? Should I just focus on holding onto what strength and muscle I have? There’s nothing wrong with being lean—or wanting to be …
Q: What’s the best machine move for an older lifter? Like any lifter, I have my favorite pieces of equipment that I find myself returning to over and over. But rather than risk picking a single machine that may or may not be in your gym, I’m going to slightly modify your original question …
Q: What’s the simplest way for an older lifter to improve their nutrition? To be clear, I’m not a Ph.D. nutritionist or a registered dietician. But I am a lifter who knows and listens to a lot of smart nutritional minds and has seen great results come from doing so. So take what I …
Q: Are there any useful or game-changing strength standards for over-40 men and women? This is such a useful question that I’m going to tackle it, although my answer may leave some of my readers dissatisfied. But let’s take a stab at it. My first thought is that we should ask ourselves why we’re …
Q: Are there any muscles or muscle groups that older lifters need to pay extra or special attention to? This is great question, and no, it’s not an easy one to answer. The most accurate and useful answer will vary from individual to individual, depending on their lifestyle and injury history, of course. For example, […]
Q: I’ve noticed that as lifters get older, they often seem to have more trouble with the squat than with the bench or deadlift. Is there a way to keep squatting heavy as I get older, or am I simply asking for problems? I’ve noticed the same thing. I’ve also noticed that as competitive powerlifters […]
Let's take a trip back in time. How far? Back before the gym was cluttered with dudes with camera crews, and stick figure lifters who strain harder for a selfie than they do during a set of squats.Back then, before the … [Read More...]