Have you ever heard the old saying, “The horse is out of the barn”?

 

It’s a folksy way of telling someone it’s too late to make a change.

 

It’s also one of the myths about fitness after 50 that we love to bust every chance we get. And here’s a great example of someone who has done so, Joe Robert Weaver.

 

Joe was almost 60 when his teenage son asked him for information about exercise. Since Joe had never much cared for training, he had a lot to learn – and he finally decided to get into shape along with his son.

 

Joe lifted weights and quickly packed on 30 pounds – muscle, yes, but fat, too, since he was eating so much after lifting heavy weights. (That’s when he took the “before” photo on the left, above.)

 

He changed his way of eating, switched to lighter weights, and adopted a nasal breathing technique that he says gave him more energy.

 

Excellence after 50?

 

And then something amazing happened for Joe, who is now 67.

 

“I got shredded!” he says.

 

Joe’s abs appeared for the first time in his life at 60.

 

“I didn’t even know they were there,” he says.

 

Joe entered a physique contest for men over 40 and took second place.

 

That busts yet another myth – that people over 50 can only maintain their previous fitness level or just hope to slow inevitable decline.

 

But a rippling torso -- for the first time -- at 60?

 

You bet.

 

Of course, that might not be your goal. Maybe you'd like to get stronger, improve your golf game, avoid falling or enjoy playing with the grandkids... The list goes on and on, but the point is the same.

 

Whatever your goal is, exercise can help you achieve it.

 

Joe’s Top 3 Tips for Getting Started

 

Like us, Joe has a passion for inspiring people over 50 to exercise. Here are his top tips for anyone just starting out, like he did just a few years ago.

 

1.      Make exercise fun. Otherwise, you won’t want to do it.

2.      Be consistent. Stick with it, without expecting instant results.

3.      Focus on functional fitness that will help you live the life you want to live, rather than, say, lifting heavy weights just for its own sake.

 

“Excessive strength and endurance aren’t that important for most people,” Joe says.

 

What matters most in building balance, strength and endurance after 50? For him, Joe says it’s moderation in the dining room and consistency in the gym.

 

We hope Joe’s myth-busting success serves as an example.

 

Come talk to us about your own fitness goals and how to bust a myth or two you’ve heard about exercise. We don’t guarantee rippling abs like Joe’s, but we definitely will make it fun, safe and effective. Promise.