For OGs Like Me,
80% is the New 100%
There will be a time for all you OGs still getting after it with high levels of fitness to check the ego at the door and consider a new saying of mine:
80% is the New 100%
Whether you call it an 8/10 on the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale (RPE) or my new 100% quote, this will help you decrease training injuries and help with your recovery time as well. Think about the previous injuries you have experienced since you started athletics and training hard for the tactical professions or other sporting events. Seriously, do a complete assessment of everything from traumatic injuries to training injuries - even if they no longer affect your daily life. For instance here are some of what I deal with personally:
History of Traumatic Injuries
1 - Ankle sprains - About 20 ankle sprains over the years from 13-33 has caused some lateral movement weakness, years of taping it up and going hard (sports / spec ops), and eventual ankle surgery.
2 - Broken Leg - Though it occurred while roller skating when I was 10 years old, this injury caused me to miss a year of baseball and some minor imbalances that have been corrected with smart physical therapy.
3 - Neck / Lower back injuries - From contact sports to carrying heavy loads in both spec ops work and training have led to years of stiffness, general aches and pains, and decreased mobility. With a smart mobility and flexibility training with warmups and cooldowns, most of the pains from training / living are gone.
4 - Broken / Jammed Fingers - Years of football and rugby took its toll on some hand and wrist mobility still affected today.
5 - Shoulder Separation - Grade 3 separation caused a a few month's delay in training while serving in the military. In fact, it has limited lifting too heavy with bench press and military press and even doing dips.
6 - Concussion - Though the concussion protocol was not a thing in the 80-90s multiple concussions from contact sports and a few when serving in the military have been an issue in the past. Not sure what the future will bring with those?
Surgery report - I only had ankle surgery in my life, though I could have had shoulder surgery but declined and focused on rehab and being smart with the joint. So far these two injuries only limit me from running laterally and heavy 1 rep max bench presses.
Non-Traumatic Training Injuries
Running Injuries - Too Fast - Pulled hamstring, Achilles tendonitis and hip flexors from running too fast - PERIOD. Ages 14,18,28,35 have been years when these injuries occurred Over the years, as I have aged into late 20s and early 30's these injuries re-surfaced and caused a few months of having to stop running even swimming with normal kicking. After 40, I decided not to try the full - all out sprint and keep fast running in the 80-90% effort.
Running Injuries - Too Much / Too Often - Jumping into running with little to no progression has caused a few aches and pains that caused a decrease / quitting of running for a short period in order to heal. Injuries like plantar faciitis, shins splints (younger), knee tendonitis (patella, ITB)and a stress fracture (I had all the above). Running also caused a 3rd phase roll at BUDS about 5 weeks before graduation. But I came back faster with the next class with smart nonimpact cardio workouts and progressive running plans.
Lifting - Too Heavy - Pulled muscles - luckily nothing torn. But strains in the chest, hamstring, lower back have been the result of either lifting too much without a good warmup progression or just improper form in the weight room. Some of these injuries were just awkward carries of people and equipment that caused some long term pains. Luckily it has been decades since I have hurt myself lifting largely due to changing training goals as well as improving form / technique. Now, My goal lifting challenges is to do as many reps as I can of my body weight with bench press and up to 1.5BW with other lifts like dead lift and squats for a moderate number of reps.
Calisthenics - Too much volume. Over the years, doing hundreds of repetitions in a workout has caused common aches and pains like joint tendonitis. Largely easy to handle with ice and compression, these injuries are nagging and will cause you to have to change your training program. That matters when you are on a timeline to ace a fitness test and cannot do pushups or pullups due to shoulder / elbow tendonitis.
These injuries are part of your history and if you are lucky you may have experienced a few, recovered well from them, or have to get creative to work around them. We all have them, but it is how we deal with them when they have a reoccurring theme associated with them is what is important. We should also be aware of what DOES NOT HURT US and start getting good at them.
Avoiding These Injuries Is Key When Older
You ego stays at the door - every day. Here is how you can keep the ego in check as well as not experience long term injuries from over-training again.
Running - Stop running several days a week and add in non-impact cardio activity in between days of running, or once again, make 80% of your cardio non-impact options and 20% a variety of running. Be smart with progressions when in running cycles. If you are a heavier person (200lbs +), you should change the frequency of running and decrease your time, distances, speed, and frequency as you age. But if you enjoy it and are lighter in bodyweight, you will likely not see the typical pains a bigger person would see. Obviously - when it comes to sprinting into your 40-50s and beyond - give it the old 80% effort as a new sprint level.
Lifting - Consider avoiding the heavy for a 1 repetition maximum effort lift. You can still do 1 rep, but leave "one in the hole" just in case - even when doing multiple reps. I just prefer not to do them if there is a chance I am going to fail with the next repetition. Having a spotter who knows this is also helpful as the spotter can help you before the weight starts to go in the opposite direction in which you intended it to move. That is when lifting injuries occur the most.
Calisthenics volume - Same goes for calisthenics, instead of pushing to that point of failure and not getting that last half repetition, pull back and leave a few on the table. You will find your recovery for future sets will improve and the likelihood of pulling something is decreased as well. Tendonitis sets in a little quicker in your later years, so listen to the body, control volume from levels you are not accustomed to, and monitor form with every repetition.
As I age in the next 20-30 years and become the real OG in the fitness business, I hope to continue to do all of the above methods of exercise, keep experimenting with new ones (ie. surfing, skiing, paddle boarding), but will likely be replacing running with harder intensity non-impact cardio activity either in the pool or on stationary equipment (bike, elliptical, rower).
I definitely see me doing more swimming, calisthenics, stretching, mobility with yoga based exercises in my future years. But the run and the lifts will be part of the training process as well - just different from now just as what I do today is slightly different from when I was 30 years younger.
Things That Do Not Injure Me
These are the things that do not injure me: Swimming, yoga, calisthenics when done at 80% max effort, lifting at 80% 1 rep max, and goal pace running vs sprinting or long slow distance running but mixed with other nonimpact cardio activity (bike, elliptical, rowing) on an every other day basis.
Feeling No Pain at 50 and Over...But - There are some activities that actually leave me to say as I am walking out of the training area, "Man, I do not feel any pain right now in any movement I do." When you can say that - especially at 50+ years old, consider that activity to become more of a staple of your training. For me it is when I swim, tread water, do dynamic stretches in chest deep water, stretch on mobility days, and do yoga classes.
Change Your LIfe with this Once a Week Workout - Mobility Day
Change Your Life with Mobility and Flexibility
Find New Ways to PR
To be honest, my new way to achieve PRs (personal records) is to push old swim scores, max reps on bodyweight bench presses, get some yoga poses without pain, and crush health screenings to include blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and body weight. Crushing the health screening test is my new annual PFT...and of course coaching others to be their best so they can serve our country and communities with pride and be an asset to help others.
There is More to StewSmithFitness.com Than You May Know
Dive deeper into the world of Tactical Athlete training and mental toughness by exploring Stew Smith Fitness Programming for the Tactical Athlete online store. Uncover the strategies and techniques used by elite forces to push past physical and mental barriers. Visit https://www.stewsmithfitness.com now and equip yourself with the tools for success for many special ops level selection programs in the military and police world.
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Who is Stew Smith? Coach, Trainer, Author, Podcaster
I'm the former Navy SEAL that special ops candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession. See More at StewSmithFitness.com
Where to Find More Information About Optimal Performance Training Programs
When you start training again, consider the seasonal tactical fitness model. I call it A WAY to train and obviously not the only way to train. But it offers the opportunity to never neglect your weaknesses, helps with flexibility and mobility, but will also put you at a level of physical abilities where you are happy with your overall ability to just about anything. We have a systems where the seasons dictate our training. When it is nicer outside, we tend to run and do more calisthenics. When it is colder and not so nice, we lift more, run, less, and still maintain our outdoor activities with shorter runs and rucks. Check it out: Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization System.
My most recent programs that walk you through these four cycles with 12 weeks of each season in two programs.
These Seasonal Tactical Fitness BLOCK Periodization programs will walk you through 4 x 4 weeks cycles with 16 weeks of each season in two programs. (32 total weeks)
The Specific Military / Special Ops Physical Fitness Workouts Where Optimal Performance Will Be Tested Each Day
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 1
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 2 - 3
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 4 Grinder PT
Navy SWCC Workout
Army PFT Workout (Prep For Rucking, OPAT, ACFT)
Army Special Forces / Ranger Workout
Army Air Assault School Workout
Army Airborne Workout
Advanced Running Program - Special Ops Supplement Plan
USMC RECON / MarSOC Workout
USMC OCS / TBS Workout
USMC IST and PFT
The Combat Conditioning Workout
Air Force PJ / CCT Workout Battlefield Airman Prep Course
The UBRR Upper Body Round Robin Workout / Spec Ops version
The Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer / Navy SAR Workout
The Service Academy Workout (West Point, Navy, Air Force Academy)
The Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp Boot Camp Workout
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The Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Workouts
The FBI Academy Workout | FBI Workout Vol 2
The DEA Workout
The FLETC Workout - Ace the PEB
The PFT Bible: Pushups, Sit-ups, 1.5 Mile Run
The Fire Fighter Workout - Ace the CPAT
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