The following post is written by guest author and local Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) Jon Jorundson.
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5 Keys To Staying Athletic As You Age
By: Jon Jorundson, CSCS
Let me draw this up for you. It’s 7pm on a Wednesday night, inside the gym of your local community club. You’re coaching your kid’s basketball team practice. Passing down the fundamental lessons of the game that you grew up playing so much of.
Glancing across the court, you catch a glimpse of the scoreboard.. It’s now 7:01, time to fire the kids up! 🔥
And of course... you HAVE to start with the 3-man weave drill, emphasizing passing skills and moving without the ball.
Your intention is to set the tone, and build the habit of intensity right from the start. And you know, that the best coaches lead by example.
But as you cross half court, you feel your knee buckle and you wince in pain knowing you tweaked it again (read; washed up athlete).
You grit your teeth and keep barking instructions as the other volunteer coach takes over and you hobble to the sideline hiding the fact that you can’t even really run anymore without being in pain.
Most importantly you hope your kid didn’t really notice. 😬
See, you’ve always been decently fit. And you know your way around the gym. You are quite literally THE definition of a “Weekend Warrior”
But the last few years... wait, no... the last decade has this “old age” thing really sneaking up on you fast!
And it sucks..
✔️ Your workouts leave your body feeling constantly tight. (translation: I’m old)
✔️Your low back hurts when you stand too long- those Saturday mornings, standing in the Costco lines. 🤦
✔️Your shoulder is a complete disaster especially with pressing anything over 30 lbs (ie. you’re getting weak).
✔️ And dragging your “broken down” body to the gym is more of a chore than it is to shop for groceries in-person these days... (seriously, have you tried online grocery shopping? It’s the best!).
Rather than improving your life, your workouts leave you feeling “old”
Not to mention the boredom of the same old workouts you’ve been doing for the last 10 years.
It’s time to level up your game!
Via Instagram @jonny.j1
And… if your workouts aren’t improving EVERY aspect of your life?
YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!
And... you probably need a rebuild.
I’ve got you covered...
Here are the top 5 keys YOU need to keep feeling young, athletic and motivated again.
1. Develop a Consistent Mobility Routine.
This is without a doubt #1 for a reason.
The biggest reason why most former athletes start to "feel old" is because they can no longer move their body the way they used to.
But, the key here is doing the right mobility work for what your body needs.
Rolling around for 20 minutes on a foam roller and just messing around won't actually improve anything.
You need a focused game-plan when it comes to improving your mobility so that you aren’t always feeling tight, sore and injured.
Via Instagram- @jonny.j1
Do you feel like your hips are always tight?
Access my FREE Hip Mobility Workout----> Here.
2. You’ve Got to Move The Big Rocks Well.
According to The Journal of American Geriatrics Society, “strength training IS the true fountain of youth.”
And, if you want to dip your toe in, you HAVE to get strong- period.
You've got to move the big rocks first, and be able to move them well.
These serve as the foundation for everything else that builds off of it.
Squat variations, hip hinges, horizontal & vertical push-pull stability, and heavy loaded carries.
Getting really good at these lifts, like I mean world-class level will not only make you really strong, but also resilient to injury..
Mastering a loaded hip-hinge movement is the key to bullet-proofing your low back… not endless hamstring stretches.
Don’t believe me?
Just Ask Joe Stockinger, the 90 year old who routinely deadlifts 405 lbs. 😲
You can’t tell me that this guy looks a day over 90.
Check him out -----> HERE.
3. Get Strong & Stable on One Leg
Squats and deadlifts are “The King” of building strength because they are compound exercises that move more than one joint at a time.
They will undoubtedly get you strong, but strength without stability will certainly lead to muscle imbalances, poor movement patterns and eventually those aggravating chronic aches and pains.
Incorporating single leg strength work with exercises like a loaded reverse lunge, will fire up your ability to stabilize while fixing muscle imbalances in your lower body.
4. Train Your Body To Move Freely No Matter Which Way The Play Is Going
If you want to look and feel like an athlete again, you simply must be able to move well.
In all planes of motion.
Most movements we do in day-to-day activities happen forward and back, but we rarely train rotation.
Training your body to move well in all 3 planes of movement, especially rotation will allow you to stay athletic, move freely, and bullet-proof your body against injury.
And If you want to be the guy who’s routinely crushing bombs down the fairway… you gotta be able to rotate well.
5. Maintain Your Ability to Run and Jump
One of the first things that makes you feel "old" is when you lose the ability to run and jump without wrecking your joints.
To do this... you need to train power.
Power is the ability to combine strength and speed so that your body can handle the demands of everyday life without getting hurt.
Explosive plyometric workouts incorporated regularly will be a game- changer for you if you haven’t been doing it.
Box jumps, sprints, broad jumps and medicine ball slams are all examples of exercises that will get you feeling strong, powerful and resilient to injury.
This is literally ALL that you need…
The full recipe to staying athletic as you age.
Which is why these are the 5 foundational principles of the 12- week Former Athlete Rebuild Program.
A proven system designed to help former athletes rediscover the fountain of youth so that they look, feel and perform like an athlete again.
✔️Proven strength training principles to get you strong again.
✔️High level mobility workouts so that you don’t always feel tight and sore.
✔️Habit based nutrition coaching so that you can lose fat and build muscle without having to “diet”
✔️Weekly accountability and support so that you stick to what works and get results that last.
✔️Everything delivered straight to an app on your phone, with full access to your coach along the way.
Are you ready to begin your rebuild?
Fill out an application form HERE to see if the program is the right fit for you.
About the Author:
Jon Jorundson is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) from Winnipeg MB, Canada. As a former college basketball player turned fit pro he loves helping former athletes rebuild their athletic body to look and feel like an athlete again, through his signature program The Former Athlete Rebuild System.
Outside of the gym you can find Jon on a golf course, or exploring the Manitoba hiking trails with his family.
Here’s where you can find him:
IG: @jonny.j1
Web: www.jj-strength.com