My Handout for the Perform Better Workshop in Los Angeles this weekend

It will be my first time giving a workshop dedicated to training the Middle Aged Client. I have discovered that Middle Agers give some insights about training elite athletes that simply opens my eyes. I love working with high school and college kids sure, but they recover so easily and, all too often, we spend so much time in that wonderful free ride of improving every single week and month. That party ends all too soon.

So, the best lessons I have stolen from training the “older client,” including this 55 year old former discus thrower I know, might be the following:

1. “Rest periods” are the best time to do corrective work like mobility and stretching exercises.
2. Thoracic Mobility and Rotary Stability come and go like Utah weather. “Here today, gone tomorrow.” It helps to test both early in a workout and fill in extra work…or ignore it…as you need that day.
3. It’s shocking what Goblet Squats, Farmers Walks and a little groundwork can do for most people.
4. Although diet is not really the focus of workouts, fasting (as Coach Stevo and I have discussed for weeks) is miles easier than dieting for most older clients. For whatever reason, perhaps too much knowledge and conflicting information, an older athlete knows that every single food and beverage is both the answer to all health issues and absolute poison. Fasting seems to lead to better food choices (yes, it is protein, veggies and water) for most people.
5. Quality of movement trumps reps/sets and loads. That is true for everyone but even “more true” for an adult.

I’ll include my small group handout for the event. See you there!

SmallGroup Work LA

  • http://www.facebook.com/dan.martin.3150807 Dan Martin

    Splendid stuff my friend.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/George-Christiansen/589847303 George Christiansen

    Good stuff!
    On #5 I have been thinking lately about the idea of standards for nonathletes and realizing how difficult it is when there is such a variation in the quality of movement. I mean who cares if you can bench 1.5 body weight when you’re bouncing the bar off your chest or how many pullups you can do if you are comparing kipping with fuully controlled no momentum reps.

  • Kyle Schuant

    I really wish you would advertise these further ahead of time for those of us who are distant and would have come… if we’d had notice.

  • Reggie C

    I attended the perform better workshop this weekend and really enjoyed your lecture and workshop. My main focus is training middle age men and women. I’m so glad to hear someone say that form and technique trumps reps and sets. This has been my focus for the last 20 years of training clients. Training an middle age person takes in the full spectrum of training modalities and I am in complete agreement with mastering technique. It was so nice to hear you acknowledge this. In a world where it’s all about extreme hard workouts a fresh voice speaks. Thanks.

    Reggie C

  • http://danjohn.net Dan John

    Thank you, I really appreciate this. Enjoy this blog and site, there is a lot more information than just that short talk and hands on.

  • http://danjohn.net Dan John

    Well, okay, I do what I can…

  • http://danjohn.net Dan John

    I can’t disagree with that, of course. That is when the quality of coaching trumps the quantity, so to speak…

  • http://danjohn.net Dan John

    It’s just part of being me…

Back to top