John's Strongest Years Aren't Behind Him

Here's something I love seeing at Excite.

Someone who's been training consistently for years, yet is still getting stronger.

That's exactly what's happening with John.

John is in his early 50s. He joined Excite in January 2021 and has now started his 22nd 10 Week F.I.R.E. training block.

And here's the really interesting part. In his most recent block, he recorded more than seven personal bests.

Think about that for a moment. After almost six years of strength training, John is still getting stronger.

It started with wanting something more than running

John joined Excite in January 2021, following the COVID lockdowns of 2020.

He'd actually managed to get himself pretty fit and healthy during that period, largely through running, but he wanted something to help him maintain that fitness and develop his strength.

As John explains:

"I wanted to do something more than running to work on strength."

He hadn't lifted weights for many years and admits he was a little apprehensive about getting started.

And that's something I hear from plenty of people.

They know strength training would probably be good for them, but they're not quite sure where to begin.

The exercises might be unfamiliar. The weights can seem intimidating. And perhaps they wonder whether they're too old to start.

John gave it a go and he hasn't looked back.

Twenty-two blocks — and still getting stronger!

Over the years, John's strength has improved significantly.

He's recorded plenty of personal bests along the way.

And importantly, those improvements haven't stopped.

In John's words:

"Significant improvement in general strength — many PBs hit/beaten over this period and still improving today."

That's what I find particularly encouraging.

John isn't experiencing those early improvements you often see when someone first starts strength training.

He's been doing this for years. And he's still finding ways to improve.

It's not just about lifting weights

Of course, being stronger in the gym is great but I always want to know how that strength translates into everyday life.

For John, it's the little things. Opening jars. Lifting boxes. Working in the garden.

And one of my favourites from his answers:

Being able to work in the garden without waking up sore the next day.

Now that might not sound particularly exciting compared with setting a new lifting PB but I'd argue it's every bit as important.

Because that's what we want strength training to do - help us keep doing the things we enjoy, without our bodies unnecessarily limiting us.

Why John does both F.I.R.E. and I.C.E.

John also attends I.C.E. a couple of times a week. He enjoys the fitness side of the program and feels it helps his core strength.

For him, the combination works.

F.I.R.E. provides the structured strength training.

I.C.E. helps maintain his cardiovascular fitness and general conditioning.

And as we discussed in last week's newsletter, being fit and being strong are two different things.

Ideally, we want both.

So what keeps him coming back?

Now into his 22nd F.I.R.E. block, you might wonder what motivates John to keep going.

His answer was pretty simple.

He enjoys challenging himself to keep hitting or beating his personal bests.

There's no complicated secret.

He enjoys seeing what he's capable of.

And he's still discovering that he can do more.

For the record, his favourite exercises are shoulders.

His least favourite? Split squats! Noted John....I suspect a few of our F.I.R.E. crew will agree with him on that one.

John's advice

I asked John what he'd say to someone in their 40s, 50s or 60s who's active but isn't doing structured strength training.

His response:

"Great way to help feel good and improve general strength. Provides a balance to just fitness based exercises."

And I think that sums it up beautifully.

John started because he wanted to add strength to the fitness he'd already developed.

Almost six years later, he's stronger, still improving, and enjoying the benefits in everyday life.

Your strongest years don't necessarily have to be behind you.

Well done, John. It's been great watching your progress, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you achieve in this block.

Yours in health and fitness,

Chris

P.S. If John's story has you thinking about your own strength training, our F.I.R.E. program provides structured resistance training, coaching and progressive programming.

You can train with us at Excite or follow the program online through the Excite App.

Just REPLY to this EMAIL with FIRE if you'd like to know more.