Start Young - Aim High (2026/042)

If you already think of yourself as 'old' forget it! Just get training for whatever your goal is. A good body Image? Strength? Flexibility? Endurance? Better health?

Yes to all of those, for sure. 

Of course, if you are in to competitive bodybuilding - then forget this post, because you're well into training already and won't be stopping anytime soon.

But for the rest of us - YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SUPERMAN - even if you can make it look that way. Consider this video clip:

We came across that one quite by chance. He doesn't exactly look like superman, does he? And he doesn't need to be:

• the nails are blunt and so close together their force on his skin is trivial compared with what flexible skin and average back muscles can tolerate;
• he's not exactly bodybuilding shape, is he? 
• he holds the stone in just the right place and takes some of its weight;
• his bent arms absorb some of the impact; 
• the impact area is clear of his rib cage anyway;
• the coach is a kung fu master and knows how to deliver the blow while keeping the boy safe;
• the boy has complete faith in his coach

In fact, the boy could do with some basic muscle work anyway! But some innocent viewers of that clip may well think of him as superhuman. He isn't: he just loves to train in his art, and gets all the encouragement he needs from his parents, his coach, and others in his club. 

OK - some say kids under 12 shouldn't even do weights. But that is not the case, if they are carefully supervised: in many sports these days the young'uns are doing serious body conditioning as part of their normal training. And retirees should definitely lift weights, to keep their bones strong and help to prevent falls.

So we're gonna start today celebrating what 21st-century kids are doing in wrestling, muay thai, bjj, and general body conditioning. All youngster images found on the net, from sites where parents proudly post their son's hard-won results (although many teens post their own of course). And if they can do the necessary work, so can you.

 

(Maybe, he IS superman!!)

Hopefully these committed kids have inspired those between 15 and 95. For the remainder of this post, we feature older guys who clearly have aimed high - in terms of muscle bulk, at least:

Want to look tougher in your flexing? Go outside...

Four more proud flexers to finish off - the first is just 14yo

All four there in the age range 14-16 - clearly started young, stayed with the training, got plenty of encouragement and are now very proud of what they have achieved.

But if you are closer to 95 than to 15 - DON'T DESPAIR -  get in the gym when ever you can, do whatever you can and, in the words of D:ream (remember them?)..."Things can only get better!"