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I’m “Old”, Weak, Tired, and Sick of Getting Injured
Okay, I’m only 55. I’m not that old, chronologically speaking. Physically speaking? Well, that’s an entirely different story…
I went from zero to bike trials at 47, after a couple decades of not being very active. No surprise, but my body hasn’t appreciated that very much. I haven’t kept my muscles strong, so I’m prone to injury. I’ve had several injuries over the past few years that have required months off the bike and lots of physical therapy (PT) to recover. In fact, I’m back in PT now for yet another arm injury (ugh!). So yeah, that is getting old.
Additionally, I’m just plain out of shape. I don’t have endurance, strength, or power. Having better cardiovascular fitness will help with endurance in trials riding. Rebuilding strength and power will help yield better physical performance for basic stability, bigger moves, and protection against injuries. I don’t expect to be competing with Jack Carthy or anything, but having some power for better amplitude would be nice.
I’ve Made Some Discoveries
After doing some research, I have identified three books containing exercise programs to address my physical challenges, targeting improvements to mobility, endurance, strength, and power. I’ve read the first (“Rebound”) and have begun the workout program therein. As of the time of writing this post, I’m still in the process of reading the other two. These three books and their workouts have given me hope that I can at least recover some of what I’ve lost over the years. And possibly, even more if I can stick to it. A short summary of each follows.
Rebound, by Peter Park The author is a trainer who has worked with professional athletes and celebrities. He also owns Platinum Fitness in Summerland, California, and co-authored Foundation Training with Eric Goodman. Rebound provides a 6-month program that starts with exercises to regain mobility, and progresses through a total body strength regimen. Cardiovascular exercise is included as well. The book includes tips on nutrition, an explanation with photos for every exercise, and a workout schedule. The equipment needed to do the workouts is pretty minimal, including dumbbells and kettlebells. At the end of Rebound, Peter Park advises readers to continue with their strength workouts. He references the StrongFirst kettlebell program, which leads directly into how I discovered the next book… Buy Rebound on Amazon (paid link)
Kettlebell Simple & Sinister, by Pavel Tsatsouline The author is also the founder of the StrongFirst strength building program, which uses kettlebells. Through the website (which also sells kettlebells and training programs), I discovered this book, which I immediately purchased. The author asserts that mastering a handful of kettlebell exercises based on the swing and the get-up will provide full-body strength. The book contains explanations and photos explaining the techniques for each exercise, exercise schedules, and more. According to the book, you will only need 2-3 kettlebells; the book and website both explain how to select which weights you should use. It’s also a fun read as the author has a good sense of humor (at least I think he does). I’m still in the process of reading this book. Buy Kettlebell Simple & Sinister on Amazon (paid link)
Jump Attack, by Tim S. Grover The author trains professional athletes – probably most notably, basketball star Michael Jordan. The book provides a 12-week program to improve strength and explosive power. It provides a training schedule as well as explanations of the exercises, with photos. You will need access to some additional equipment beyond what is required for the above two books, including free-weights and plyometric boxes. I discovered this book while searching for plyometric workouts to help build power for bike trials. I’m still reading this book as well. Buy Jump Attack on Amazon (paid link)
There are few primary things I really like about these books:
- In each case, the workouts have been developed by experts who have spent years refining their approaches based on results from working with real people
- A consistent message runs across all three: perfecting your form is the most critical part; just maxing out on weight and reps is counterproductive
- I can do the workouts at home (or in the gym)
- The required investment in equipment is modest compared to a gym membership or personal trainer… and some will last almost forever
The one thing I don’t like is that in some cases, it’s difficult to figure out how to achieve the correct form from a handful of static photos and written explanations. Companion sites with videos would be infinitely more helpful, particularly for Rebound and Jump Attack. StrongFirst does offer video training programs, though those cost extra (though I’m sure it’s probably worth the cost). At the same time, the exercises appear simpler to understand, at least so far (I haven’t tried them yet). Of course hiring a personal trainer would also help resolve this issue. Depending on my experiences and the results I am able to achieve, I might also consider that option in the future.
My Plan To Rebuild: Mobility, Endurance, Strength, and Power!
In order to see improvements, I will need to change my behaviors and habits. There is no way around it. Here is my plan (subject to change):
Phase 1: Build a base
I plan to start with the Rebound program, which will run for about 6 months. This should improve mobility, rejuvenate my cardiovascular endurance, and provide a base level of strength on which to build.
Phase 2: Build and maintain strength and power
The second phase will include two parts that I want to alternate: the Jump Attack 12-week program and the Kettlebell Simple & Sinister program, which can continue forever.
This Will Be A Struggle
While these three programs have rekindled my hope in rebuilding a better me (physically anyway), I realize that I have my work cut out for me as well, with some challenging obstacles and resistance that I must fight to overcome.
First, I hate going to the gym and hate working out. It always feels like a time-suck from whatever else I’d like to be doing and it’s always super boring.
Second, change is hard. It has taken me weeks just to get started. It is going to be difficult to force a change in my routine, carve out time, and commit to a weekly schedule. Honestly, this might be the hardest thing to overcome. It’s just too easy to find an excuse, like “I’m too busy this week”.
Third, all of the books have great info but it’s hard to follow some of the exercises that show just photos as snapshots in time for some of the more complicated exercises. I’ve been looking up some of the exercises on YouTube, and saving ones that look as close as possible to the way they are described in the books. In addition to exercises having variations in general, there are also differences and subtleties that the authors provide to achieve certain results. And of course, some people make videos showing improper form, so you need to weed those out. I might consider providing a link to playlist(s) on YouTube for some of the exercises.
Finally, I have a small house that does not have a lot of room for doing some of these exercises. For example, we have low ceilings (harder to do plyometric jumps, etc.) and no good space to allow for dropping kettlebells (as recommended by Pavel) without breaking stuff, if and when things go sideways.
Are these reasons to weasel out of doing these programs? Nope. But I want to acknowledge that this is not going to be easy, and not just because the workouts take effort.
I’ll Share My Journey With You
As the weeks unfold and I get further through my plan, I expect to publish both blog and vlog posts, discussing things like:
- Periodic updates of my progress and my experience in using the books and doing the workouts
- The workouts and impact it has on my trials riding
- Challenges with doing the workout routines: mental, physical, logistical, etc.
- Aha! moments, insights, and lessons learned
- Product reviews for some of the equipment used in the workouts
- Maybe some extra bonus content as well
Why Am I Sharing All This?
First and foremost, I wanted to share this plan because it got me excited and hopeful that I could “fix” my dilapidated body. I know that by sharing, I can provide information that might help others as well. I can’t be the only one in this situation. Related to the this, I hope that telling my story will provide inspiration.
Sharing ideas with the community also allows me to have conversations with other people who share their experiences – not only with me, but with everyone else as well! In fact, I’ve already received some great feedback in the comments of the YouTube video below.
Lastly, I figured that throwing my plan out into the public will help me to hold myself accountable. After all this hype, I’ll feel like complete loser if I tell the world I’m doing this and then fizzle out.
What’s Your Story?
If you’re having the same types of physical struggles that I am, consider trying Rebound or a similar plan such as Foundation Training.
I’d love to hear from you all. Please share your experiences in the comments here in the blog or in YouTube for the video below. If you’ve tried any of the three plans I’ve discussed above, I’d love to hear your experiences!
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