Every now and then I revisit my journey and write and article to help to inspire and motivate…

My start and ground zero

I know exactly where you are…the feeling of hopelessness, depression, bad health, worries, hating yourself and generally just a feeling of, life sucks!

I was there. But after age 40 and a long sickbed and close call with death I decided I had one of two choices to make. Either I continue on this road and well, die…, or I get up, get my act together and simply force myself to become what I dreamed off but always failed to do.

Off course I knew it was going to be a rough and painful ride, especially for me with all my specific health issues, plus now I was over 40 which make this challenge even that much more difficult.

Well, today I am 56. I achieved a shape and health a few years after age 40 which I thought was completely out of my reach. I simply exceeded my wildest dreams. One of the absolute truths I believe in is that a healthy and fit lifestyle can do magic for an older unhealthy body, even with serious life threatening health issues.

I thought I would post this article to motivate my fellow over-40 followers out there. I want you to realise that no matter how bad you think your situation is, you CAN still turn it around and make your dreams come true, even those dreams that you’ve already forgotten. Life is FAR from over.

I am going to do a countdown in this article about the things I did that carried the most weight to get me to the level I am today. This is especially applicable to any guy over 40. Starting at 11 which carried the least amount of weight up to number 1 which carried the most weight in reaching my transformation goal.

Eleven (11) – alcohol

Curbing alcohol and increasing water intake. Simply put, no great body over 40 can be reached with regular alcohol use. A Ripped 6-pack is near impossible when alcohol is used frequently. In the older guy alcohol has the ability to create an internal fat layer around the organs thus resulting in this big round tummy regular drinker guys over-40 have. The limit is once a week use of alcohol, not more than equivalent to 500ml red wine! Why do I say “red wine”? Because of all the alcohol beverages out there, red wine is the “healthiest”.

Ten (10) – limit supplements

Stop wasting money on worthless bodybuilding supplements and starting to concentrate on the diet. Guys, ALL the marketing and avertisements are 99% false. They cling to half truths and incomplete science studies. They are ripping you off and believe me you will not see the results! Well your pocket will with a thinner wallet! The difference supplements can make is so small and definitely NOT worth the money. Forget about them! All these photos you see as proof are stolen and used without permission! My transformation photos has been stolen more than 130 times so far by these companies and used in false advertisements. If you want to know which (few) supplements between the 1000’s make the grade with enough science behind them to back it up, check the list here: https://gertlouw.com/supplements-order/

Nine (9) – general health

Making sure you get enough anti-oxidants in (ALA, CQ10, Vit D3 and Vit C) and a potent multi vitamin to support my health. The older guy need to take great care to ensure optimal health. Health becomes an increasing issue to deal with as we age and being regular sick can seriously derail training. With the Covid-19 threat a potent Vit D3 and Vit C is an absolute must for all older people!

Eight (8) – limit cardio

Stop doing cardio and concentrate on resistance training. If your goal is just to be fit, then sure go the cardio route, but if your goal is a great looking body, then cardio is a no-no zone! Moderate to intense cardio destroys muscle size guys. It is a fact and anyone telling you differently is either lying or using anabolic steroids, because only anabolic steroids can bypass this natural re-action the body has to cardio. Your best growth will be with no cardio and only resistance training.

Seven (7) – prioritise training

Prioritising training to ensure a session is never skipped. No matter what, gym time can NEVER be sacrificed unless sick. It is not a matter of how you feel or what your mood is. Simply get to gym and workout. CONSISTENCY IS A TRADEMARK OF EVERY GUY REACHING TRANSFORMATION SUCCESS! Lack of regular training is the no.1 reason people fail with body transformations. Your mindset must be such that you ONLY skip gym when you have a doctors sick certificate to be off from work!

Six (6) – train to failure

Train to failure 4-5 times a week to stimulate muscle growth. The muscles must be stimulated for growth in some way or the other otherwise nothing will happen…and NO, cardio does NOT stimulate muscles for growth! Growth only occur when muscles are challenged sufficiently. Although there are various ways to challenge them, training to failure still is the best tool to ignite growth.

Five (5) – NEVER stop training

Making sure that injuries NEVER cause you to completely stop training but to wisely train around injured bodyparts until healed. A big reason most older guys derail with their transformation journey is because of injuries which becomes more and more common the older we get. Accept that injuries will come but also refuse to stop training! Train wisely around them but CONTINUE TRAINING!

Four (4) – diet as a tool

Manipulate your diet scientifically to force results. Each of us have unique metabolisms. No chart or dietician can tell you what yours is. They can only do educated guesses and most of the times it is wrong. The ONLY way is to use a scientific approach whereby you do body monitoring every 14 days and adjust your daily calories according depending on muscle/fat that was lost/gained. Only through this approach can you force the results you want. Your diet is an incredibly powerful tool to shape your body when used it correctly.

Three (3) – “older body” training

Adjusting your training to accommodate a friendly but effective approach for the older body. For example – implementing CUTTING and BUILDING phases and specific training methods to lesson strain on joints and tendons. The older guy simply CANNOT train like a younger guy. A specific training approach needs to be followed to protect you as much as possible against injuries and overtraining and to force systematic growth.

Two (2) – manage testosterone levels

Your blood testosterone levels (Free and TOTAL) must be tested every 6 months or at the very least once a year when over 40. I use the home testing kit and do it at home, MUCH better and cheaper. I actually got a special deal for my followers with the supplier:

• Home testing TESTOSTERONE kit – Click here to order https://trylgc.com/gert (use 20% discount code “GERT20”)

By knowing my T-levels I can then implement the T-Manage plan to make sure my levels stay in the top 20% of what is considered normal. I’ve developed the T-Manage plan over a 6 year period after extensive personal research into products that got real science and studies behind them. Here is link to the FREE T-MANAGE plan: https://gertlouw.com/2020/04/13/the-testosterone-management-bible-for-men-over-40/Not addressing your testosterone levels is the single biggest stumbling block in your way to reach success as an older guy. I am NOT talking about steroids here but a natural systematic step-by-step approach to increase and maximise blood testosterone levels. With low T levels you will severely struggle to lose fat and gain muscle!

One (1) – faith & becoming a better “you”

The single biggest contributing factor why I have reached success is because of my journey to become a better person. This goal, to “better myself on every level”, was at the centre of my journey. When I started, I did not like who and what I was. I was selfish and well, had many“other” things which I did NOT like about myself. I hated to see myself in the mirror, both the inside and outside of who I was.

For me this journey of bettering myself was a journey of faith. A journey of trying to walk in my mentors footsteps, Jesus Christ. Now, of course I know even just mentioning that name when talking fitness will cause many people immediately take an aggresive attitude towards me. But, I for one, do not care for political correctness. I say what I believe is true and correct and do not try to say just what the “world” wants to hear. I am not one of the brainwashed minions in this world. I think for myself. My journey in faith had the single biggest impact on me pushing through with this life altering journey. Simply put, if it was not for that, I would not have reached my goal. Today I like who I am (less selfish, more kind hearted and caring). I like heart of that person I am now. I no longer “disgust” myself. So, if I ignored to mention this critical component, then I omit the most important factor that got me to where I am today. The Bible verse that guided me on my journey was: “In all your ways acknowledge God, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6.

Conclusion

So, there you have it…this was my journey and the things that played the biggest role in me getting to where I am today.

Off course with all the skills I’ve acquired on my journey over the past 16 yrs as an older guy, I now offer a custom “older guy” coaching system (ADVANCED SYSTEM II) that includes all my teachings. Designed for your body and goals and with 6-months email support. If you want to signup or find out more, just visit the following link: https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/

But apart from the coaching system, ALL my information is for free. If anything in my articles or videos have helped you on your journey, please considering a small donation to my site. That with my coaching is my only form of income. For your convenience I provide PayPal option.

• PayPal donation: https://paypal.me/GERTFITNESS

Then lastly…every year I will be running the GFIT transformation challenge to all guys over 40. Just everyday normal guys. No matter how bad your shape or size! Some nice prizes, but the purpose of it is to provide you a platform and to motivate and inspired you to take this leap to a new life and body. Want to signup, here is the link for the GFIT 2021 challenge (you will also find future GFIT challenges links in there): CLICK HERE 

So, everyone…HAPPY transformation!

Gert Louw from Cape Town