Bill Kober plans to still be doing daily push-ups when he turns 100 – and the 40 he’s currently clocking up every day at 98 puts him in good stead to reach that goal.
In fact, he does ‘at least’ 40 a day – an average of 20 in the morning, and 20 in the evening. Paired with a bit of pilates (apparently, he recently mastered the crow pose), it’s a routine built around maintaining strength and mobility so he can enjoy life for as long as possible.
‘Only in my later years have I realised that I’ve got this ability, and so I do it because I’m able to,’ Kober told BBC Suffolk. ‘As they say, use it or lose it, and I don’t want to lose it.’
The Benefits of Daily Push-Ups
As well as being one of the most effective ways to improve your upper-body strength using bodyweight, push-ups can improve core stability and boost cardiovascular capacity: making them a fantastic exercise to build an exercise habit around, especially as you age.
A higher push-up capacity is also associated with greater longevity and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease – so being able to do more will help you stay healthy for longer.
Kober's Top Tip
Kober’s routine is incredibly simple.
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‘I do it until I can’t do it anymore. And then I get up and relax – and that’s it,’ he said. ‘I’ve never followed [fitness] religiously, but I dabbled in a little bit of weight training and I tried running, although I didn’t like that very much.’
He says his push-up routine is what keeps him ‘breathing well’ but credits his ‘good genes’ as the key to his long life.
‘Obviously they’re working well,’ he added.
With push-ups being such a big part of his daily routine, Kober has honed his technique carefully over the years, and has one key tip for nailing the perfect push-up.
So, what is it?
‘A good straight back which gives you a nice tight buttock,’ he said. ‘If I stuck a £20 note in between your buttocks, you’ve got to grip over it so that no-one can take it.’
Of course, while Kober’s two times a day, 20-rep routine is a great way to maintain mobility and strength, building muscle may require a slightly different approach. Evidence supports aiming for 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps – but if you find press-ups easy, then up that to around 20.
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
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