It’s like respect for your elders… if your grandpa was an old-timey badass
First and foremost, I won’t draw any hard, objective lines between “old school” and “new school” gym culture. At the end of the day, the weights are still heavy, and the people who show up and put in the work get the results. Simple as that.
That said, as someone who’s been in the fitness world for a while—and grew up during the bodybuilding explosion of the 1980s—I’ve watched things change. Some changes are better, some worse, some just odd. Even as a kid in the ’80s, it felt like every other year brought a “game-changing” new method or diet. Some became obvious staples; others faded and got “rediscovered” later.
Honestly, I miss those years. People were less ashamed of just wanting to look good, and their approach was way simpler. For all the derision aimed at ’80s fitness and bodybuilding, those folks got a hell of a lot more right than wrong—and they did it with far more joy than I see in today’s gym culture. But I digress…
No matter how sincere you are, when you’re new at something, you’re just a geek. You’re convinced you’re going to “change the world” (is there a more vapid, annoying phrase? I think not). As a personal trainer, I was no different—I argued with every older trainer trying to clue me in and swallowed all the Kool-Aid the industry and the internet had to offer: “muscle confusion,” Atkins, cardio every day, never do cardio, SARMs, CrossFit (or “Cross-Fraud”), “functional fitness”—you name it.
Over the years, though, I noticed something: Every diet and exercise program that actually worked shared core traits and a similar spirit. As a socially awkward bookworm, my reading took me deeper into the rabbit hole, and I kept finding the same truths. I’m not alone—”Golden Age” bodybuilding from the 1970s has been in vogue (at least given lip service) lately, and I love it. If you haven’t watched Pumping Iron several times this year, what are you even doing with your life? Ha.
Real talk: If I had a time machine, I’d shoot Hitler, then park myself on Muscle Beach in 1976 and throw away the key. HOWEVER, for my own training and my clients’, I draw far more from the “Silver Age” of bodybuilding (roughly 1940–1960) than anything else.
Why? The Golden Age of the ’70s was the first era of the specialist. Bodybuilders often trained twice a day, were among the first to use anabolic steroids significantly, and in many ways committed their entire lives to the sport. First off, let me say: That would be an ideal lifestyle for some of us deranged gym rats, and I’ve gone as far as I can personally to emulate it. But for most people—who aren’t a little obsessed like us—I want to show clients it’s absolutely possible to build a great physique (not some boring “functional fitness” body) without drugs or 24/7 devotion.
That brings us to the Silver Age, especially the late ’40s and ’50s. Men and women back then were as “regular” as it gets—no option to “drop out” of society (that nightmare came in the ’60s). They worked regular jobs, had families, went to church—just normal life. A few caught the “muscle-building bug” and built on the strongman foundations of the previous century.
What’s most attractive about that era? Their diet and training were so… banal. Ha. And yet they produced some of the best drug-free physiques the world has ever seen. Case in point: John Grimek.
All drug-free, on a three-session-per-week full-body rotation with no specific cardio (he and his wife went dancing well into his 80s, so there’s that), and a diet that looks more like Cracker Barrel than anything else.
This style of training/living inspires a great deal of my own approach—both objectively and in spirit. Having wasted time in functional fitness and competitive bodybuilding, I can tell you this way delivers the greatest ROI: vastly more sustainable and the very definition of “Old School” in ethic and application.
Here’s John Grimek in a nutshell:
“Train regularly 2-3 days a week and add weight to the bar whenever you can handle it. Get lots of rest, eat clean food, and drink lots of water.”
Usual Meals (Example Day)
Breakfast: Whole eggs, hot cereal, honey, milk, fresh fruit
Lunch: Oven-roasted chicken, whole wheat bread, milk, vegetables
Post-Gym: Bacon, whole eggs, orange juice
Dinner: Steak, potatoes, large salad, orange juice
(This looks very similar to the Bruce Lee diet but with more calories. Interesting!)
Three-Day Routine
Monday Bench Press: 3 sets × 10 reps Chin-Ups or Pull-Downs: 3 sets × 10 reps Military Press: 3 sets × 10 reps Barbell Curls: 3 sets × 10 reps Squats: 3 sets × 10 reps Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets × 10 reps
Wednesday Incline Press or Dips: 3 sets × 10 reps Barbell Row or Dumbbell Row: 3 sets × 10 reps Shrugs: 3 sets × 10 reps Single-Arm Preacher Curl: 3 sets × 10 reps Leg Curl: 3 sets × 10 reps Abs: 1 set × 50 reps
Friday Chin-Ups or Pull-Downs: 3 sets × 10 reps Military Press: 3 sets × 10 reps Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets × 10 reps Front Squats: 3 sets × 10 reps Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 3 sets × 10 reps
So there you have it: Eat clean, train hard, sleep well, go dancing with your significant other, live your life, and be a king well into your late 80s like Mr. Grimek!
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About Lex Ronin
Lex Ronin is the owner of Ronin Fitness of Richardson, a private 1-on-1 personal training studio serving Richardson, Plano, Garland, and the surrounding North Dallas area.
A former U.S. Army (Active and Guard) serviceman, EMT-Paramedic (SWAT Medic Certified), martial arts instructor, and strength coach with more than 20 years of experience, Lex specializes in helping adults 35 and older build strength, lose fat, improve health, and train safely around injuries.
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