I became obsessed with wanting to be bigger and stronger at an early age. I was always the smallest and one of the puniest in my grade school. I attended High School in NY City and I really got serious about getting bigger when I tried to try out for the football team as a freshman. I asked a football coach in a large room full of students, “Is this where you try out for football?” He slapped his big bald head saying, “what kind of _______ are we getting now?”. I left the school humiliated.

On the way home I stopped in a magazine store and saw a magazine called Strength and Health, edited by Bob Hoffman, the father of American weight lifting. On the cover, there was a picture of John Davis deadlifting. The caption said “John Davis, worlds strongest man, dead lifts 600 pounds.” I told myself that I would do this one day. I was a little over 100 pounds then, my Mom was 4’10” and tiny, my Dad was tall, slim but strong. Hardly the genetics for a heavy weight lifter.

My Dad put me on a routine including pushups, sit ups, chins and running. Plus he taught me how to box. I started weight training in college in 1956. I later had weights in my garage, lifting with friends. In 1965 I had a great garage gym with a hand made power rack in Boulder Colorado. We formed a power lifting and Olympic lifting club called the Boulder Power Masters and did quite well. Several of us won State titles. I did get very big at 6’ and got to be over 250 pounds, of muscle and fat. Very strong but not fit. I then decided to retire from competition at age 29, got my weight down to 215 and on one Friday night, after a month of psyching for it, deadlifted 625 and quite easily.

I am now 65 and in better condition than I was then and still pretty strong for my age. I took the Cooper Clinic stress test and scored in the top 5% for my age. Dr. Jensen thinks I’m in the top 1% in strength for my age and body weight.

I now spend less than two hours a week lifting and one hour doing aerobics training and I believe this is all the time it takes for anyone over 50 to vastly improve their muscularity, cardiovascular health, improve their bone strength, maintain their proper weight, have less arthritis pain, improve their sleep, build more self confidence and add years to their life.

A man I coached recently was in terrible condition at age 55 when I met him. He confided in me and told me he thought he only had 5-10 years to live. He had never exercised and was easily 35 pounds overweight on a small frame. He looked like he had a pumpkin in his stomach. I told him I could help him and he was very coach able. In four months he was down 30 pounds and four belt sizes. All I did was give him a barbell set I had in my garage, taught him 10-12 exercises, got him strength training two times a week, walking four to five times a week and cut back on carbs, especially all processed foods, potatoes, sugar, soft drinks, cookies, ice cream and candy. I got him to switch to water and the fat magically flew off him. He has told me several times that since he has lost the weight and gotten stronger and much fitter that he thinks he will live another 25 years or more.

I am now training more for fitness and health than strength as I would rather be one of the healthiest men at age 70 than the strongest. This is a major change in goals for me. I believe that training should be fun and leave you energized and not enervated so I only train for 45 minutes in the gym and I never train to failure. I do a lot of supersets and tri sets with higher reps to get more work in and pump blood through my body. I’m not obsessed with getting stronger but will still add weight when the lift gets too easy. My aerobic workouts are short but intense. I like several protocols but vary them from 15 intense minutes to 30 easier minutes. My wife and I rescue dogs so I run eight of them in abandoned Corp of Engineers property on Lake Grapevine three or four times a week for 40-50 minutes, a good easy workout for my pooches and me. I have learned a lot from your web site, especially about nutrition and I’m experimenting with fewer carbs, paying closer attention to food labels and I think I’m getting leaner. I can honestly tell you that I feel better now than I did 20 years ago and expect to live to be 100 plus. I’m grateful to have met you and I look forward a long relationship with you helping people succeed with their lives.

I am now switching to my favorite routine of all time:

My Strength Routine

Monday: Chest and Back

Nautilus Ab machine 2x5-8

Dead lift 2x5-8

Nautilus chest press 2x5-8

Nautilus pull down 2x5-8

Hammer incline press 1x5-8

Cable row 1x5-8

Dumbbell shrugs 1x5-8

Wednesday: Legs

Nautilus lower back 1x15-20

Nautilus leg press 2x10-20

Nautilus leg curl 2x5-8

Abductor inner 1x10-20

Abductor outer 1x10-20

Extension 1x5-8

Calf raise 3x10-15

Friday: Shoulders and Arms

Dips 2x5-8

Nautilus curls 2x5-8

Hammer seated press 2x5-8

Preacher curls 2x5-8

Triceps pushdown 1x10-12

Forearm curls 1x10-12

Bent forward lateral raises 2x10-15, superset with
Standing lateral raises 2x10-15

I’m trying to lift slower, with 4 seconds in positive and 4 seconds in negative and trying to lessen momentum and mostly use muscles. I will start with a weight that I can easily do the lower reps and gradually increase reps until I hit the top rep, then I’ll add the smallest amount of weight possible. I’ll try to stay on this routine for several months.

My Goals for 2003

I plan to lose 5-6lbs of fat and bring my body fat to 10-12% at 5’11” and 180lbs with an honest 32-inch waist with defined ABS. I expect to be stronger at age 66 then I am now.

Editor’s Note: As of today, February 2005, George has progressed even further and is in the best shape of his life—and he’s almost 70!

Contact Information: Feel free to email George at GBoedecker@aol.com. George hails from Dallas, Texas and lives with his wife and a myriad of animals! George cares very deeply for animal rights and is active in the pet adoption community.