Every Sunday morning I train some amazing ladies- the Dragon Boaters.They are a bunch of amazing ladies. What is so amazing about them? I can make a list that would last forever, but instead I will focus on just a few things that make them special.(Oh yeah, I almost forgot- 1/3 of them (at least) are breast cancer survivors.)
First of all, they range in age from the early 40's to the mid 60's. That's special. When most folks are winding down in life and becoming soft and sedentary, these ladies are kicking butt. And here is something else thats extra cool- they TRAIN. None of this machine circuit baby workouts. What do I do with them? They run stadium steps, they push the prowler, they Muay Thai kick box. And thats just the cardio part. They squat and deadlift. They press overhead. They perform the basic lifts and they excel at them. And according to the feedback, it pays huge dividends on the water. This morning, we did some dynamic mobility work and then moved onto the heavy bags. They hit the bags for 3x1 minute rounds with a 30 second break. During the break, they did 10 bodyweight squats. Next, they shadowboxed for 2 rounds of 1 minute with a 30 second break. Then the Dragonstuds went to the power racks and did hang cleans right below the knee and push press for 5x3. In between sets, the stretched their hamstrings. Next up were straight arm lat pulldowns, one arm rows,upright rows and RDL's. They also did ab work between the sets of pulldowns. Then we stretched as a group.
In the group this morning were two over sixty ladies who did the whole workout without complaining or skipping an exercise. They both amaze me. For them, really, age doesnt even come into play at all. They have fallen in love with how training, proper training, makes them feel, not just on the water, but in everyday activities. And that's why it irritates me when other people say that they don't have time to train. Give me a break! These ladies are beating cancer, raising kids,working all day and still getting in to bust their rear end in the weight room and to be part of a team. I am very fortunate to be a part of this whole thing-these ladies have made me realize that everyone needs strength and that everybody can do the basic, gut busting exercises and succeed at them regardless of their age and regardless of what obstacles life has made them hurdle over. Here's to you ladies!
