It’s never too late to lift heavy.

If you ask any athlete, professional or otherwise, what’s the most important element of their training then there’s no doubt that their answer would be the mental game. It’s the strongest muscle in the body. Okay, maybe not in terms of physical muscle, but the attributes that it provides are far more helpful in the long run. Having mountainous biceps and a massive chest is great, but if you think about what gets you to the dance it’s all about the mental game.

Some lifters attack the weight with fervor in their youth. In your teens, twenties, and even thirties you feel like a god, like nothing could ever slow your progress. Then you hit your forties, the bills start piling up, and all of a sudden your focus shifts from building up your physique to ensuring that you can pay your bills on time. It can’t be helped, everyone has responsibilities after all. But allowing your duties as an adult interfere with your progress is nothing but an excuse. If you’re mentally strong you can complete any task set before you. It’s the kind of mentality that helps you train hard when you’re younger and it should be no different when you get to an advanced age.

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It’s a notion that Sam “Sonny” Bryant Jr. has taken to heart for his own training. Where most people start hitting the gym in their earlier years, Sonny took to bodybuilding later in life. At 70 years old, Sonny is an absolute shredded specimen who put many young bodybuilders to shame. While it would seem incomprehensible for a man as old as Sonny to have a better physique than most guys in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, the bodybuilder uses his strong mental game to push through and make considerable gains. Check out Sonny’s physique in the video below and find out how he got started on his bodybuilding journey.

Ultimately, it’s always important to train smart. Injury is definitely more likely as you get old. But Sonny is proof that sometimes the only thing setting lower expectations as we age… is our own self imposed limitations.

How did you start your bodybuilding journey? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.