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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
IVY BEAN

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a woman who has lived a long and full life, is still going strong at over 100 years old and has inspired people not by here mere longevity, but by the manner in which she lives her life and continually adapts to changing times.

Much like a previous training inspiration of ours, Henry Allingham, Ivy Bean has not only lived a remarkable number of years, but she has lived them in a remarkable manner and with an attitude that will serve all of us well not only in our training but in our lives.

Even at an advanced age of well over 100, Ivy has been staying abreast of the latest developments in technology and is an avid user of both Facebook and Twitter (@IvyBean104), something that has earned her more friends and followers than probably anyone you know.

And the manner in which she is staying active and on top of things so far into her own life has implications for all of us in our training, fitness and workout goals.

Are your workouts getting stale? Has your progress reached a plateau or even declined?

Well, make no mistake, Facebook and Twitter weren’t around when Ivy Bean was a spring chicken, and take my word for it that exercise and fitness are areas where science and technology are constantly burgeoning. Sure, there are countless pages of re-hashed programs and supplements in every fitness magazine, most of which offer nothing new. But at the same time, even the most seasoned gym veteran will not have worked out his or her muscles in every way possible.

The same way Ivy Bean takes advantage of new technologies to keep her quality of life at a whole at its peak, you can do the same to keep your workouts interesting and your fitness at its peak. Throw in some kettlebells. Haven’t got the hang of them yet? Work at it and acquire a new skill.

How many times have you tried to get your grandmother to create an e-mail account? Well great-great-grandmothers are out there doing more online than you or I. It’s possible.

So you’ve been doing flat dumbbell or bench press your whole life and need to shock the system or rekindle your interest? Try the dumbbell presses on a swiss ball and give yourself a bit of a core and balance workout at the same time.

There are plenty of relatively new variations out there that minimalist and old-school workout programs largely haven’t adapted to include. And just like most of our grandmothers, who still head to the post office and lick stamps to stay in touch with us, a couple minor changes could really help us take things to the next level: for them, keeping in touch more regularly with their grandkids (though the onus is on us as well), and in the case of your workouts, some minor changes could either take you to the next level or at least keep you more interested and motivated.

We have our life and our bodies and we have to make the best out of both of them. And the quality of both is deeply interlinked. Much as Ivy Bean is taking a positive and proactive attitude (and a thirst for knowledge and adaptation) and maximizing the quality of her life, we can all be doing the same – in life and in fitness.

TODAY: BACK (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests) and ABS

CLOSE GRIP MACHINE LAT PULLDOWNS (4 sets)
- 3-3-3 Tempo, 90 Second Rests
150 x 8
200 x 4
250 x 3
300 x 2

WIDE GRIP REAR PULL-UPS (3 sets)
Body x 10
Body x 7
Body x 6

WIDE GRIP FRONT PULL-UPS (3 sets)
Body x 10
Body x 6
Body x 7

CLOSE GRIP UNDERHAND PULL-UPS (3 sets)
Body x 7
Body x 6
Body x 5

BENT OVER BARBELL ROWS (3 sets)
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

ABS (4 sets)
Crunches x 70
Crunches x 40
Crunches x 50
Crunches x 50

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Back): 16
Total Sets (Abs): 4

Today was more of a thinking day. I just got in a quick ab workout and a light back workout as I let the rest of the body recuperate and get ready for big things to come…

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