I’m going to piss off a lot of readers with this one …
But I’m hoping you’re not one of those people that chooses to get offended.
Because I’m hoping you take what I’m about to say as motivation and not me bashing you.
I recently wrote an article called “5 Keys To Survival Fitness: Can you save your own life?” … and … it wasn’t that popular.
In fact, the only couple comments I got were from some of my older readers lamenting the fact that they were not 20 years old anymore.
The truth is that most people are using their age as an excuse, and I’m about to prove it to you:
You’re Not Too Old. You’re Too Lazy.
Life is tough, there’s no doubt about it.
And one of the toughest things to do is keep moving forward … because we are ALL lazy. It’s the human condition.
It’s easy enough to rest on your past accomplishments (if you have any) and make excuses for not achieving anything now because you’re “too old” or “not 20 years old anymore”.
But while there is some truth to that — Yes, neither of us is 20 years old anymore — you are not too old to improve.
Even if you ARE too old to improve, you can still WORK at improving and you will improve in some way.
So don’t use your age as an excuse. There are multiple examples of some very old people totally outworking and outperforming much, much younger guys and girls because they WORK at it.
Today, I have proof …
Example #1: The Original American Patriot, Captain Samuel Whittemore, The Oldest Combatant In the American Revolutionary War At 78 years old.
Samuel Whittemore was an American farmer and soldier that was 78 years old when he became the oldest known colonial combatant in the American Revolutionary War.
(Before that, he had fought in King George’s War and even the French and Indian War at the age of 64.)
On April 19, 1775, British forces were returning to Boston from the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the opening engagements of the war. On their march, they were continually shot at by colonial militiamen.
Whittemore was in his fields when he spotted an approaching British relief brigade under Earl Percy, sent to assist the retreat.
Whittemore loaded his musket and ambushed the British Grenadiers of the 47th Regiment of Foot from behind a nearby stone wall, killing one soldier.
He then drew his dueling pistols, killed a second grenadier and mortally wounded a third. By the time Whittemore had fired his third shot, a British detachment had reached his position; Whittemore drew his sword and attacked.
He was subsequently shot in the face, bayoneted numerous times, and left for dead in a pool of blood. He was found by colonial forces trying to load his musket to resume the fight.
He was taken to Dr. Cotton Tufts of Medford, who perceived no hope for his survival. However, Whittemore recovered and lived another 18 years until dying of natural causes at the age of 96. (Edited from Wikipedia)
That’s the last of the historical, awesome older people. Let’s focus on modern awesome older people.
Example #2: Former Delta Force Operator Ed Bugarin, Still Ruck Running at 63 years old
Ed Bugarin is a former Delta Force operator. These days he still keeps in shape. In an interview with him at ITSTactical.com he had this to say:
ITS: You’d stated that you’re still doing weighted ruck runs these days (at age 63). What paces are you hitting on these rucks?
Ed: I turned 63 on January 9, 2013, not too long ago. At ASPOC (Assessment & Selection Preparatory Orientation Course) where I’m currently an instructor, I did the following with the students carrying a 45 lb ruck. That’s not including water, radios and other items that I was required to carry.
4 mile ruck run (temperature 32 degrees) = 39:29 (9:52 minutes per mile). One week later we did a 6 mile ruck run (37 degrees) = 55:11 (9 minutes 5 seconds per mile). Five days later we did a 10 mile ruck run (64 degrees) = 1:47:18 (10 minutes 43 seconds per mile).
I overdressed for the 10 miler. Notice how the temperature played a part in my performance? In the last course, I finished the 10 mile ruck run in 1:42:00.
That is some seriously impressive stuff.
Example #3: The Ultimate Survivor: 60+ Year Old Navy SEAL “Rudy” Boesch Outrunning Young Navy SEAL Recruits Half His Age
I’ve never been much into the whole reality TV show thing, so I didn’t realize that one of the first guys on the Survivor TV show was an old, retired Navy SEAL named Rudy Boesch.
More impressive is that before his retirement, Boesch was designated the “Chief SEAL” (a.k.a. “Bullfrog”), a title identifying the longest-serving SEAL still on active duty.
According to Wikipedia, Boesch was a physical training fanatic whose dog tag listed “PT” as his religion and who through the decades gained a reputation for leading grueling runs that men would look for ways to get out of by faking injuries or hiding in bushes.
In former SEAL James Watson’s 1995 memoir Point Man, he states of 1964 training that, “We had to be physically fit to perform what was expected of us. And for all our trying [to get out of the runs], Rudy Boesch made sure that we stayed in condition.”
Kevin Dockery’s 2003 work Navy Seals: A History Part III – Post-Vietnam to the Present includes three different SEALs relating how, when Boesch was 50 to 57 years old, he could keep up with or surpass trainees less than half his age in five-mile runs, obstacle courses, and open sea swimming.
In his 2011 memoir, SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, former SEAL Howard E. Wasdin tells of being assigned to SEAL Team TWO in the late 1980s, where Boesch, though nearly 60 years old, nevertheless ran with the trainees over an obstacle course; he then made every person who finished behind him run it again.
In short, Rudy Boesch is a great example.
Example #4: Retired Green Beret, CIA Contractor, Billy Waugh Was Hunting Terrorists in Afghanistan at 71 Years Old
Billy Waugh is a retired Special Forces and CIA operator who served more than 50 years between the Green Berets and the CIA’s Special Activities Division.
He did Vietnam as a Green Beret and a bunch of other stuff working for the CIA’s Special Activities Division. He also tracked Osama Bin Laden in the early 1990’s.
Waugh says, “Jogging was my cover to get around the city [Khartoum]. The police follow you for a while, and after about a year, they leave you alone. I jogged by his [bin Laden’s] frigging compound every day, and all his Afghani guards would fake throwing hand grenades at me, and I’d fake throwing hand grenades at them. Pull the pin on nothing and sling it.”
At the age of 71, Waugh participated in Operation Enduring Freedom as a member of the CIA team led by Gary Schroen that went into Afghanistan to work with the Northern Alliance to topple the Taliban regime and Al Qaeda at the Battle of Tora Bora.
Example #5: 55 year old John Taffe – Possibly The OLDEST Man To Graduate ARMY Basic Training
Sgt. 1st Class, John Taffe is 55 years old and he just graduated from ARMY basic training. He’s a former sailor, having served 14 years with the U.S. Navy before being released from active duty in 1991 and then decided to join the ARMY Reserve recently.
To prepare for BCT he said he ran five miles at 4 a.m. and did CrossFit six days a week, as well as participated in outdoor activities like rock climbing, skiing, snow camping and climbing Mount Whitney in California.
“It’s mind over matter. Failure is not an option. This is the EOD motto I used to remove thousands of anti-personnel and anti-tank landmines from 147 linear kilometers of the border between Kuwait and Iraq after the first Gulf War,” Taffe said.
Example #6: Sonny the 70-year old bodybuilder (who started when he was 44)
All that I know about this guy is the description for the following video on Youtube, “Sonny the 70-year-old bodybuilder”
He tells you a bit about himself in the video below:
Example #7: Herbert, the 60-year old guy from the lower east side that does 700 pushups a day
This guy is super impressive. What’s impressive the most to me is that he just does his exercise as a daily thing it seems like. 60 years old and claims to do 700 pushups a day (by the looks of him I don’t think he’s lying)
Don’t Use Your Age As An Excuse.
No. I’m not saying you are just as good physically as your 20 year old self …
No, I’m not saying you don’t have legitimate health issues.
No, I’m not saying that you don’t have legitimate problems to deal with (of which getting older may be the least of) …
But what I am saying is that you can choose to NOT be lazy.
You CAN choose to get in better shape.
You CAN choose to improve.
You CAN choose to get tougher.
You should do hard things. You should challenge yourself. You should try to keep improving no matter your age.
It’s fine to acknowledge the reality of your years on this planet, but don’t use it as an excuse. Take it into consideration and then get on with the task of improving yourself.
Interesting article. I have a neighbor who is 83 years old, rides a souped up motorcycle and even drag races it. He looks to be 50. I, on the other hand, am 72, and I am a 100% disabled Viet Nam vet. I live alone, and because of my disability, can barely walk to the mailbox and back.
I have been a follower of the prepper/survialist movement for several years. In all this time, I have read many articles such as this one. Never, though, have I read any articles that speak to the disabled and what should they do when faced with a bug-out situation. As always, the disabled of this country are ignored, even in a movement that makes a hell of a lot of noise about what to do, how to arm yourself, and surviving in the wilderness. I would like to thnk that the disabled would be a priority for the prepper/survivalist movement, but that is not the case. It makes me sad…
Charlie, I’m a VN combat vet wounded out after 3 tours, and where i live there are a good percentage of people between 60 and 90 and we all mind our own business but we can and will help each other out in emergencies.
I’ve overcome some pretty restrictive physical conditions and pain most of my life. 72 is not really that old in today’s super scientific world. There’s a lot that one can do to ‘fix’ themselves. The only pre-requisite is to have the ‘willpower’. Like the people pointed out above. As for how to ‘bug out’ if you’re disabled, see one of my articles on Survivopedia.com blog on ‘Why you should join a survival group/three Reasons To Join a survival group, for starters to answer some of your bug out questions if you’re physically disadvantaged.
Not all bug out situations are the same. What I usually recommend for people of your particular disposition as having a fixed retirement income NOT dependent upon a job location, and if you are really worried about surviving and have adapted to a prepper mode, it might be prudent for you to consider a change of location? The primary factor being that if you are ALREADY LIVING in a relatively safe ‘BOL’ (Bug Out Location), with good peripheral resources for survival, then you won’t have to be so…sad? Because you’re Already Bugged out!
I think the “group” or “tribe” idea is definitely legit especially for disabled vets — you can share the load — so to speak — across whomever is able for each task.
Great ideas.
Great article, Caleb. And you’re absolutely 100% right on with the ‘laziness’ truth. I see all those ‘senior citizens’ sitting on their fat asses for hours playing cards or slowly and cautiously driving a golf cart everywhere on a golf course and actually sitting in the cart more than they are standing and swinging and passing that off as ‘exercise’, and then spending the rest of their ‘free time’ pissing and moaning about all their ailments and illnesses, while they constantly stuff their sagging gerbil jowls with corporate profit poisons euphemistically called ‘food’ and they proceed to further destroy their bodies with Big Pharmaceutical chemical toxins to counter the poisonous effects of the so-called FrankenFoods they devour as if it were their last death row meal…
…which it could be, easily, at anytime.
It’s a vicious circle that i personally, in a conspiracy theorist kind of perspective, am convinced that the NWO Totalitarians are purposely planning it that way, and manifesting it in pragmatic application through mass marketing brainwashing and habit conditioning.
After all, it’s not in the best financial interest of the NTWO (New Totalitarian World Order) to have people living too long into their 60’s anymore. Especially as the world population bomb increases in ‘megatonage’.
The trurh always upsets people
Aho Charlie!!! I hear what you say. That would be a nice thing for you guys have served our country well and should never be forgotten! We are all in this together and we all need to be together!!!
Hawk…
The truth always upsets people’s perceptions & makes them angry. Sooo what’s new?
My name is Lugene. I’m 59, years old. I also had a below the knee amputation two years ago. Since I got back into getting a survival kit together, I pretty much have everything in my backpack. Including important papers. The way I see it all is this. I would rather have all of this and not need it than need it and not have it. As the saying goes safety first.
Awesome! Good for you!
Caleb, you’re correct as usual. I’m am glad you brought up prior injuries. After retiring with 31 years in law enforcement, I had a bunch injuries, although nothing earth shattering. I moved from Southern California to the mountains of Central Utah. After a year of being bored, I joined the local volunteer fire department. We are required to complete a yearly ‘pack test’, 45 lb lead filled vest, 3 miles in 45 minutes. With my pain management doctors permission, I double up on my pain meds, taking them upon waking up and again prior to the test. In nine years, I’ve never failed to pass the test. This year will be the first I do not take the test. Part of my pain meds are 800mg Ibuprofen. That took a tole on my stomach, and I cannot take it any longer. Unfortunately, the Ibuprofen did more to manage the pain then the Tramadol. I still stay in shape by walking, I just can’t handle the pack any longer. No longer being an active fire fighter, I just administer the department and make sure the rest of the fire fighters stay trained and get the equipment they need. for the upcoming pack test, I’ll walk with the rest for the fun of it, just sans the pack. Let this be a lesson to those taking NSAIDS. I always thought I had a cast iron stomach. This stuff is bad, Live with the pain as I have been doing for the last 6 months.
Sorry to hear that. NSAID’s are VERY bad for the stomach.
Have you looked into systemic enzymes for pain management? Wobenzym for example, look up the studies on that. Can also help heal your stomach …
Never heard of them and I try to stay up to date on all natural cures. Thanks a lot. I’ll definitely look into this!
There’s also abundant Alternative natural plant/herbs medications that many users claim work far better than the prescription medications they used to take Without the deleterious side effects. MSM, for instance, is natural compound sold over the counter that helps mitigate pain. Also SAM-e, Kaprex, in addition to the Proteolytic enzymes Caleb is suggesting would create a ‘synergistic’ effect for some surprising pain relief? When i can think of the website I’ll post it here, because there are some Non -regulated herbs and plants that are so good that the FDA Nazis want to ban them because if everybody got wise to these, they’d put too much of a dent in their profit for greed machine. I even think i wrote an article somewhere on these. One of them is called Opium Lettuce, which is just an invasive weed that grows almost everywhere. But the milky sap in the leaves is supposed to be a highly effective systemic pain reducer, hence the name ‘opium’ lettuce.
Caleb This is a good article and maybe the kick in the pant’s we need to get off are butts and get in shape. I have recently had heart bypass surgery and used that as an excuse to get lazy. We as a people need to be ready for the uncertain future if we are to survive. Thanks for stating the obvious no matter how unpopular it is, the truth hurts. SEMPER FI !!!
I’m 60 years old and for years have been concerned about high impact exercises damaging knees and back. I ride bikes, on ‘bike paths’ (riding in traffic scares me) It’s great cardio and not boring, like treadmills. I use a digital ride calculator/computer, that tracks time, distance, average speed etc. I log the results after each ride (on paper). Then use that data, to compete against, on each subsequent ride. While riding, I keep the computer display on ‘Ave Speed’ and try to keep it high, so I’m not slacking.
Nice! Glad to hear it and I hear you, I’d like to ride a bike … but traffic scares me too.
Turned 65 this past January. Have always had a survivalist mentality growing up camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. in High Sierras. Three seperate tours in VN reinforced these values. Saw many “old” men in very physically fit condition while they lived in terrible conditions. I was a fortunate individual in that I returned to the world with relatively few and very minor injuries and extremely physically fit. In 2003, while driving tractor trailer cross country, I was struck by a flying SUV which had blown a tire in the opposite lane on a freeway, and nearly killed. The accident destroyed my left shoulder, scapula, and severely damaged neck, spine and hip. I am no longer capable of running, push-ups, or most other PT activity I enjoyed previously. It had been my habit to start the day with 250 push-ups, and a brisk 5 mile run, followed by 150 sit-ups. As for being able to defend myself, even with my physical limitations, no I would never be capable of packing out on a bike or on foot, but I can defend myself wherever I am within alimited range. And my trigger finger still functions just fine.
Thank you Caleb, you are 100% correct, I am LAZY. I have been trying to correct this fault but the progress is slow. But I am determined that I will ether succeed or drop dead. By the way you would make a great motivational speaker. Where I now live ( NW Arizona) I have miles of trails that I can bike and hike, I just have to get this old and abused body moving. So far I have misplaced 60 pounds, 40 more to go.
Great job David, keep it up!
You converted me.
Glad to hear!
Some of us old fart earned the right to set on our fat ass and play cards so you young asses can talk and say what you want to say now. If it wasn’t for us old farts the young generation wouldn’t have the right to all the thing and privileges you have today. So next time you see and old fart setting on his ass and playing cards walk up to him and thank him for your right to complain and bitch. The way I look at it when I was young I respect my elders but this new generation doesn’t that a shame because someday there going to get old and lazy ,Tired. Let see what they say then about old people then.
haha! Ok …
I hate it when you’re right. I’ve been able to convince my self it isn’t me, it’s my age that is stopping me, but my “plateau” (for weight loss) is telling me it isn’t my age, it’s my mouth – that I can’t keep shut. Feeling much better at just 10% of my goal, I must admit you’re right, and I’ll make it to my ideal weight only if I don’t keep using the (lame) excuses I’ve learned to rely on, and get back to walking instead of riding everywhere [and my m/c runs better when it doesn’t have to carry around all that garbage that I’m carrying].
We are all basically lazy and it takes a lot of discipline and will power to get fit for our age and abilities. I’m a disabled veteran and retired 20 years ago after having brain tumor surgery. I was told my the surgeon to not exercise for a year. In 2005, I had both of my hips replaced and was told by the surgeon not to run, jump or make sudden moves or changes in direction if I wanted my hips to last for any length of time. I followed the instructions on my doctors and had a great excuse to become lazy. I also put on weight and would get short of breath very easily. In 2013, I decided that enough was enough and I started exercising again. I started with walks, and light weight training. I slowly built up to walks/runs and heaver weights. I can now run two miles, do push-ups, sit-up and lift weights with the active duty army guys at Fort Benning. I recently took the physical fitness test for the Columbus Police Department and maxed the run, sit-ups and push-us. Not bad for a 61 year old with two artificial hips. I don’t think I’ll be doing any 10 mile runs with my ruck sack though.
way to go Bob!
I agree with most of the writers and try not to use my age as a reason not to perform. I have had several surgeries, (vascular & rotator cuff) but three years ago I took up sky diving and love it. I go to the gym three days a week for strength work, I spend three months each winter in Arizona with my primary recreation being hiking in the mountains. Some of them are exhausting but exhilarating! I live in an old house with three active levels + attic so I use a LOT of stairs. I am 72 and do expect to survive whatever comes my way.
awesome!
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GREAT article! My 30-year-old USMC nephew sent it to me because he said it reminded him of me. I’m 56 years old and in my 38th year of training in and teaching martial arts. I have one knee that’s a wreck due to an old judo injury (torn ACL) so I’m not able to run anymore. Rather than make excuses I bartered private lessons to a student in exchange for his parents’ unused elliptical machine, and I use that for cardio work. Ten years ago, at 46 years of age, I was sparring with a student (about half my age) and suffered a complete tear of the hamstrings of one leg. In other words, I tore my hamstrings OFF my pelvis bone. Six hours of surgery to reattach my hamstrings; six weeks in a brace that wouldn’t let me bend at the waist. Three weeks after the brace was off I was back teaching at the college where the injury occurred the previous spring, faking it through classes so my supervisor wouldn’t find out Id been injured. (I needed to keep the job!) I did my own rehab and eventually worked the injured leg (my primary kicking leg) back to about 90% of its pre-injury capacity. Ten years later I’m still sparring with my Muay Thai students, many of whom are a third my age. My hands are faster than ever, and I could probably break most people’s thighs with my roundhouse kick. For decades I’ve celebrated most birthdays by doing some sort of physical feat designed to give Father Time the finger, an idea I got from my hero, fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne. Often times the feat relates to rhe age I’m turned: when I turned 35 I threw punches and kicks on a heavy bag for 35 minutes non-stop; when I turned 44 I leg-pressed 440 pounds for 44 reps; when I turned 56 last fall I did 56 sets of 10 kettlebell swings for a total of 560 swings. I don’t mean to brag with all of this, I only hope to buttress your article. I’ve written this comment while icing my bad knee, as I just returned from teaching a class tonight, working with some young guys who are competing in a couple of weeks. I believe in leading by example, and if my guys can handle me in the ring, they’ll be ready for anything. Anyway, sorry for the lengthy comment. Great article- keep up the good work!
This is GREAT!
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