Dear Dave,

Thanks for sending out this great email. We have much in common: I am your age, we both lost our fathers at about the same time, and we both “discovered” Outlive that same year.

Like many of your other followers, I was a dedicated gym bro who found RBT during the lockdowns. I thought it would be a temporary alternative to tide me over until the gym reopened. I could not have known then how much RBT would change my entire approach to fitness long after the gym reopened. 

One point you have touched on that I’d love to see you get into more is the unimportance of load. Nearly every male fitness “influencer” writes about the importance of always “lifting to failure.” They define “failure” as the inability to do one more rep— or the point at which form breaks down out of sheer fatigue.  I used to feel like I wasn’t doing enough if I finished every set and didn’t get sore afterwards. Maybe that breakdown is a fine way for someone in their 20’s or 30’s to get jacked. But in my 60’s, I call it “training to stupidity.” Your programs and band work helped me get away from that mindset. I still lift weights 3-4 days a week, but bands are also part of every session.

I hope that in the coming year, you keep showing us ways to improve movement quality.  Your programs have kept me pain-free, injury-free, and guilt-free for all my early 60’s. With your help, I hope to stay that way. Keep up the great work.

Cheers,

Michael H – Band Gym Member since 2020