Aren't These The Workouts That Got These Guys Where They Are Today?

Well, yes and no. 

Often you'll see a coach boasting that his training regime brought his kids' scores way up thanks to his secret workout techniques, or his unique insights - which can be yours for a dollar amount. But what really happened? He was delivered a busload of the most gifted teenagers in the country. And he gave them back three years later. Now: between the ages of 18 and 21, didn't you grow? Get more coordinated, faster, more muscular? This is a population that would respond to any stimulus. They will tolerate less well targeted programs than the general population. Almost anything would have delivered improvements - because these guys were going to improve anyway.

Finally, it's time to address the issue of performance enhancing drugs. These often take the form of anabolic steroids - essentially testosterone. The fact is that use of stimulants, steroids and growth hormone in professional sports is totally commonplace. It's not just widespread; it's endemic. Steroids don't just make you gain weight easier: they make you faster and stronger, and they make you recover way, way faster. So if you're my age and you're looking at doing a workout regime that's designed for a 25-year-old genetically gifted guy a foot taller than you who's been training seriously for fifteen years, has a masseur, a physio, and an armful of anabolic steroids and growth hormone, aren't you doing something wrong?

So what should you do?

Take the latest celebrity training advice with a pinch of salt, for a start. Look at disciplines that consistently produce improvements or that are widely used across disciplines. If you want to improve your physique, you should probably squat, sprint and do pull-ups. They work for pretty much everybody. 

Switch the focus of your attention. That doesn't mean treadmills and pink dumbbells are your fate - the truth is that gigantic changes are possible with moderate effort, sensibly applied, at almost any age. I personally know people in their 70s, people who were once seriously obese, disabled people, who put a couple of hours in a week and saw their bodies transformed. But they didn't transform into Magic Johnson. 

See Also: What Is Cross Fit And What Are The Benefits?

If you're looking for a program, apply the same criteria. Don't be disheartened - just be realistic!

If you think I've hit the nail on the head, or you've got a bone to pick, get hold of me in the comments section below!