What made Gus come into your gym?

[matt_217]

Hello Rip,

SS has done me a wonderful service. I'm 20 years old and have gained 45 pounds and look much better and feel much better. I am young and don't have to worry about the things that older people have to worry about, such as having the strength to merely walk.

You mentioned the 90 year old women who came into Wichita Falls Athletic Club had great success, what made her come to your gym? Did she have a younger grandson, or perhaps her own son/daughter, that suggested she go in there?

I ask because I think it is a truly incredible thing that a women who couldn't without a walker is now walking because she learned to train with barbells. Something that is also surprising is that she is 90 years old and was so open to doing something like barbell training for the first time.

I've tried to explain to my parents about why strength will be important especially as they get older and they don't quite understand, that or they aren't really interested, I can't tell. I imagine more often than not the older you get, the less likely you are to strength train. Is Gus just a rare case to immerse herself in something that other people her age don't do?

I've also tried to explain to my friends about SS, and some of them just quite don't get it. Do you have a difficult time convincing people to get into barbells?

Thanks,

Matt

[Mark Rippetoe]

I made Gus come into the gym. She did very well for about 2 years, and in July of 2015 she fell in her kitchen late one night and broke her hip, requiring what has been a permanent stay in a facility. She fell again about 8 months later, resulting in another fracture. She will not be going back home -- although she is perfectly lucid, with no sign of dementia, she cannot manage by herself without the risk of falling.

My advice to those of you with older relatives is to get them training sooner rather than later, using any means necessary. The earlier this intervention is performed, the longer you'll have them around as independent humans. Nothing is obtained by waiting. If they refuse, they become responsible, not you. But make them refuse.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

If they refuse, they become responsible, not you. But make them refuse.

Pretty much what I've had to do with SWMBO, but it doesn't make watching her get progressively weaker and less capable suck any less.

[Nick Klemetson]

Rip, thanks for the update on Gus. Hopefully the benefits of working with you and Carmen have still made a difference despite the recent misfortunes.

I gave a "Why Strength is Important" talk at my church a few months ago, and I closed with your video featuring Gus. It inspired several 60+ year old members of my church to start training with me. Some have stuck with it, others decided it wasn't working for them, but it has made an impact regardless.

[nykid]

This year I got both my parents (66 yrs old) and my non-athletic brother to start training. I'm proud.

[David A. Rowe]

My grandmother is past the point of help. Our family has horrible genetics for knee cartilage (mine are already ruined), and she needed to have knee replacement at 70. Now, at 85, a series of mini-strokes 7 years ago have her spending her days in the chair reading books and napping. Her body fat has crept up constantly, and her strength is nearly gone completely. 5 years ago, her lack of activity started her on the path of mental decline.

Despite all of this, my mother seems determined to follow my grandmother to the grave the same way. I have been harping on her to start strength training for the past two years, and she is slowly relenting. We have largely solved the issue of "fibromyalgia." After coming off her daily Ambien and regular massage therapy appointments, her pain is now a manageable 3/10 and her "fibro fog" is gone. She has become more active, but is stuck on doing water aerobics and flailing around with 2 lbs dumbells. I'm trying to get a bar in her hands, and I will continue until one of us dies. Like dripping water wearing away the stone.

Do I feel responsible? No. Does that make it any easier when it's YOUR family? Absolutely not.

[Brodie Butland]

Despite all of this, my mother seems determined to follow my grandmother to the grave the same way. I have been harping on her to start strength training for the past two years, and she is slowly relenting. We have largely solved the issue of "fibromyalgia." After coming off her daily Ambien and regular massage therapy appointments, her pain is now a manageable 3/10 and her "fibro fog" is gone. She has become more active, but is stuck on doing water aerobics and flailing around with 2 lbs dumbells. I'm trying to get a bar in her hands, and I will continue until one of us dies. Like dripping water wearing away the stone.

It's awesome that you're at least planting the seed.

FWIW, my mother has had fibromyalgia for several decades (now in her 60s). About 90% of her symptoms were gone after she started squatting and bench pressing consistently. She had never squatted before I taught her how to at 65.

[Nicholas Racculia]

It's awesome that you're at least planting the seed.

FWIW, my mother has had fibromyalgia for several decades (now in her 60s). About 90% of her symptoms were gone after she started squatting and bench pressing consistently. She had never squatted before I taught her how to at 65.

David and Matt,

Let me echo what Brodie said...my dad, who is now 67, began lifting several years ago with me. He was, in fact, my first (and for a long time) only trainee. At the time, he had very bad knees (a lifetime of working as a GE Consumer Service Technician had not done the knees any favors) and his back hurt constantly (throwing it out periodically). After following the Program, his knees improved remarkably...now with only occasional manageable soreness. His back improved significantly, but it wasn't until Rip visited Saint Vincent College last October and was kind enough to work with some of our lifters that we saw the full scope of a Master at work. Within 2 minutes, he found a leg length discrepancy in my dad that had been missed by all of the doctors, chiropractors, PTs and myself during a lifetime of back pain. This was corrected with a shimmed shoe; he now has essentially NO back pain. Getting stronger is the primary effect. Discovering important things about your own body is a no less important secondary effect. Like Brodie's mom, my dad had never squatted before I taught him at age 64.

Matt and David...Christmas is coming...why not buy your parents The Barbell Prescription by Dr. Sullivan and Andy Baker? Here's the link: The Barbell Prescription | The Aasgaard Company

[John Janecek]

My grandmother is past the point of help. Our family has horrible genetics for knee cartilage (mine are already ruined), and she needed to have knee replacement at 70. Now, at 85, a series of mini-strokes 7 years ago have her spending her days in the chair reading books and napping. Her body fat has crept up constantly, and her strength is nearly gone completely. 5 years ago, her lack of activity started her on the path of mental decline.

Despite all of this, my mother seems determined to follow my grandmother to the grave the same way. I have been harping on her to start strength training for the past two years, and she is slowly relenting. We have largely solved the issue of "fibromyalgia." After coming off her daily Ambien and regular massage therapy appointments, her pain is now a manageable 3/10 and her "fibro fog" is gone. She has become more active, but is stuck on doing water aerobics and flailing around with 2 lbs dumbells. I'm trying to get a bar in her hands, and I will continue until one of us dies. Like dripping water wearing away the stone.

Do I feel responsible? No. Does that make it any easier when it's YOUR family? Absolutely not.

So you got her off Ambien or you have to wait till later and it clears up (from taking it the night before or from taking it during the day?). I didn't understand that part?

I think its great what your doing, frustrating I agree but great! All you can do is keep trying?

My family all lives in another state, my preaching is all through texts and yearly visits at christmas and july 4th.. I've shown everyone of them the video of Gus at one time or another.

[kurt1911]

My advice to those of you with older relatives is to get them training sooner rather than later, using any means necessary. The earlier this intervention is performed, the longer you'll have them around as independent humans. Nothing is obtained by waiting. If they refuse, they become responsible, not you. But make them refuse.

Last weekend my dad, 62 and in remarkably good physical condition despite no regular exercise, randomly mentioned that he really fears getting old and frail. He's seen what SS has done for me but hasn't shown any interest in it himself. I told him the best way to prevent frailty is to gain as much strength and muscle as possible NOW, while he's still in good shape, then when the inevitable decline comes he'll have much more strength to lose. He agreed that made sense and then agreed to read The Barbell Prescription if I ordered him a copy. We'll see if it actually happens but I'm trying.