Gord Mackinnon is out to defend his title as Fittest 50-54-Year-Old on Earth. He’s a repeat champion, winning in both 2011 and 2012, and has placed first in both Open workouts in Canada West, so far.
At the 2012 Games, Mackinnon felt the other athletes getting closer.
“I learned once again that each year I have to be more prepared,” Mackinnon says. “Even though I won a few of the events, it was by one second and any missed reps or stumble could have changed things.”
“I found after winning the Games two years in a row that I am more motivated than ever because the competition is getting tougher.”
Mackinnon had a few injuries this year.
“Training has been up and down due to a few issues with my back that have interrupted training here and there, but overall I am still improving and my strength is still increasing,” he says.
He is also paying particular attention to his mobility.
"I learned once again that each year I have to be more prepared."
“I have been doing more mobility training because I am tired of being the ‘Rusty Tin Man’, and I want to become a ‘Supple Leopard,’ as Kelly Starrett would say.”
He adds: “My goals for this year, aside from winning the Games, are to learn to squat snatch; to overhead squat my own body weight; and to be able to walk on my hands for more than two steps.”
Though he placed second in the world, Mackinnon was disappointed in his 13.1 performance. He managed 165 reps, but he was tired.
“What little technique I had went out the window and I resorted to muscle snatching,” he says.
Workout 13.2 proved slightly better for Mackinnon.
He was aiming for 300, and managed 289 reps.
“I'm happy with my score because my knees and calves held up. That's a lot of impact on old broken down joints,” Mackinnon says.
After two events, Mackinnon finds himself at the top of the worldwide Open Leaderboard for Masters Men 50-54. It’s a familiar spot, but with the competition improving every year, he’s taking nothing for granted.
