Below is an email received early this morning and my answer to their question. I have also included one of my most favorite workout routines for everyone to enjoy.

All I ask is that you leave a comment and tell me your response/results from using this program.

Hello Mr Tom Terwilliger.

I am from norway and is 48 years old. I remember you from the muscle & fitness. I always thought you had a very good physique.

I wonder if you could give me some general advice about training. I have trained on and off for many years and have always trained heavy(5 to 8 reps). My shoulders and knees are now starting to ache the day after a heavy session.


Is it OK to train lighter with more reps and shorter rest? I want to continue building muscle. Should I train intensive(to failure?)

Hope you have the time to give me some general advice.

Thanks, per gunnar olsen, Norway

Gunnar, Great to hear from you and I appreciate the compliment about my physique back in the day!

You ask a very good question. First, let me first say I am going to be turning 50 in January so I know exactly what you mean about the post workout aches and pains, in fact they’re more like pre-during and post-workout pains now. But I still train extremely hard and are glad to hear that you are as well, why da-hell not?!

I credit my longevity success to variety in my training. One half of the year I train with moderate weight and higher reps 20, 15, 10 generally using either super or giant sets (combing 2-3 exercises back to back). And one fourth of the year is spent training very heavy with reps as low as 2-4. The final quarter, I go extremely light with very high reps (100) to strengthen connective tissue and shock the muscle big time.

As for intensity, keep it high but listen to the feedback from your body, it will tell you if you need rest of if you need to back off a bit. Also mix up the routines every 8-12 weeks so that my joints aren’t constantly bombarded from the same angle and movement. Mixing things up also keeps my body responding to the exercise rather than getting stale through adaptation.

My recommendation would be to take a week off from your current training to allow your body to heal and recover then start back with something completely different than what you have been used to. I have attached a copy of the 100’s routine I have been staggering into my regiment for years. Try it. Either you will love or absolutley hate it.

You may also want to include some glutamine and some live greens with your post workout drink for added recover. And you should be taking a joint formula with glucosamine and chondroitin.

Also check out my new personal development program THE LEAP. One of the components goes deep into developing “Body Rapport” and I believe you would benefit from it. Either way give me a shout again when you are 60 and we’ll talk more about aches and pains.

Good luck Gunner!

Tom Terwilliger’s 100’s Routine