Are They Built Different? What We Can (Actually) Learn from the Superhuman Few

Freak strength, wild skill, impossible comebacks — and what they mean for the rest of us.

Part 1of 3 in the series More Than Muscle: What Mortality, Setbacks, and Superhumans Reveal

Outliers aren’t just faster — they’re finishers. And many of them didn’t even start until most people had already sat down.

We’ve all seen them.

The ones who lift twice their bodyweight like it’s a warm-up.

The ones who move like time forgot about their joints.

The ones who seem immune to gravity, aging, or even logic.

You know the type.

They run marathons in their 60s.

They outlift people half their age.

They flip, jump, and sprint like human physics was just a suggestion.

And it leaves the rest of us wondering:

Are they built different… or just living proof that we all could be doing more?

Let’s unpack the myth — and the reality — of the outlier. Because buried in their stories is something useful for everyone. Especially those of us over 40, who are still learning just how much our bodies can do.

🧬 Born or Built? What the Science Actually Says

Let’s be honest: genetics matter.

There are people born with fast-twitch muscle fibre dominance, longer Achilles tendons, perfect limb ratios for power, or ridiculously responsive nervous systems. There are mutations that affect oxygen processing (like those found in elite Ethiopian runners), and tendon insertions that create more leverage per muscle contraction.

Some traits are simply structural advantages. You can’t train your way into a longer femur or a narrower pelvis. You also can’t will your body to have a VO₂ max of 80 if you’re working with a different respiratory blueprint.

But here’s what’s often missed:

Biology sets the range. But it’s training, environment, and mindset that determine where you land inside it.

That’s where the stories get interesting.

🌱 Your Genes Are Not Your Destiny: Enter Epigenetics

In recent years, science has uncovered something revolutionary: epigenetics— the study of how environment and lifestyle choices affect gene expression.

Translation?

Your genetics are not a fixed sentence — they’re a toolkit. And what you do with that toolkit matters more than most people realise.

Exercise, diet, sleep, stress management — all of these can “switch on” or “off” certain genes related to muscle repair, fat storage, recovery, inflammation, even coordination and memory. Yes, even in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

Your DNA may give you the cards. But you still play the hand.

🏋️ Outliers Who Started Late — and Went Far

Not every strength legend was a child prodigy. Some didn’t even start until midlife. And a surprising number had to overcome huge barriers just to get started.

Take Charles Eugster. He didn’t start serious resistance training until his 80s. By 96, he was setting world sprinting records. His training wasn’t built on youth — it was built on curiosity, discipline, and intelligent progression.

Or Ernestine Shepherd, a bodybuilder who started training in her 50s and was crowned the oldest competitive female bodybuilder at 74. She hadn’t been an athlete in her younger years — she’d been a secretary. Her transformation began with grief, and turned into legacy.

And let’s not forget Marjorie Carter, who only discovered her love for competitive rowing in her 60s after retiring from a career in healthcare. With no sports background, she started training with a club, worked her way up, and medalled at masters regattas well into her 70s.

What these people share isn’t genetics.

It’s adaptability, consistency, and a refusal to accept the expiration date society tries to stick on physical potential.

Some tools never change—but the hands that wield them might. Exploring what separates the exceptional from the rest starts with understanding what truly matters.

🧍‍♂️ Real-World Outliers: Not Famous, Just Relentless

Let’s meet Alan, a 52-year-old who never played sports growing up. He worked retail jobs, smoked in his 30s, and didn’t own trainers until his 40s. At 48, his doctor warned him about pre-diabetes and hypertension. He bought a kettlebell and started walking.

Today? He’s competing in Masters-level strongman events. He didn’t get there with perfect genes. He got there with habit stacking, sleep, progressive overload, and coaching that respected his age and experience.

Or Ruth, 59, who had scoliosis surgery in her teens and feared movement her whole life. She started Pilates in her 50s and now trains in Olympic weightlifting — yes, snatching and clean & jerking. Not at elite levels, but at her best levels.

And Mohammed, a 47-year-old IT consultant who never touched a barbell until his mid-40s. He now deadlifts double his bodyweight and competes in local powerlifting meets — all while managing chronic shoulder pain through smart programming and mobility work.

These stories aren’t viral. They’re just true.

And that’s what makes them powerful.

🤯 Freakish Skill or Refined Precision?

Sometimes we call people “outliers” not because they’re stronger, but because they move like no one else.

Think of athletes like Simone Biles or Roger Federer — their coordination and control defy even other elite competitors. But that kind of movement mastery isn’t just raw talent — it’s years of refinement, pattern recognition, and nervous system fluency.

We’ve seen similar stories in everyday life too:

• The 50-year-old climber who trains grip strength and balance like an art form

  
  

• The ex-ballet dancer who turned their lifelong proprioception into an age-defying yoga practice

  
  

• The late-start martial artist who, after decades working an office job, finds flow and skill in their 40s

  
  

Skill-based movement isn’t about lifting the heaviest weight.

It’s about neuroplasticity, awareness, and control.

And those can be trained at any age.

🧠 The Physiology Behind the Outlier Advantage

Outliers often benefit from enhanced versions of systems we all have:

• Their nervous systems respond faster — but yours still responds.

• Their muscles recover quicker — but yours still rebuilds.

• Their coordination is tuned — but yours can still improve with reps.

  
  

Here’s the encouraging truth:

• Hypertrophy can still happen after 60.

• VO₂ max can be improved through smart aerobic training.

• Neural adaptation is often faster than muscle growth — meaning skill can be built without big loads.

• Hormone profiles shift with age, but they’re highly responsive to resistance training and proper rest.

  
  

You just need to play the long game, and keep showing up.

💬 “But I Didn’t Play Sports as a Kid…”

Let’s address this one head-on:

Not everyone had access to early training, equipment, or encouragement.

Some people spent their youth working, caregiving, or just trying to survive.

So what happens if you start in your 40s or 50s — for the first time?

You still adapt.

In fact, in some cases, you adapt better — because your motivation is intrinsic. Because you’re training for life, not ego. Because you’re ready to listen to your body instead of fight it.

There’s a rising number of “late bloomers” in strength and skill sports:

• People who picked up Olympic lifting in their 50s

• Cyclists who started racing in their 60s

• Men and women who ran their first marathon after retirement

• Office workers who fell in love with calisthenics during lockdown

  
  

They didn’t have perfect biomechanics or golden-age coaches.

They had curiosity, time, and grit.

And that’s more powerful than any muscle insertions.

⚠️ What Outliers Aren’t

They’re not invincible.

Many elite performers push through pain, overtrain, or burn out early.

Many retire broken or disillusioned.

Outliers can also intimidate others into thinking normal progress isn’t enough.

But you don’t have to match their numbers or skills.

You just have to be your own outlier — relative to your history, your limits, your story.

Outliers aren’t there to make us feel small.

They’re there to expand the ceiling of what’s possible — so we can chase it in our own way.

🧰 Are They Built Different? Training Like an Outlier After 40

You don’t need a sports scientist in your pocket — you need principles that work. Here’s how to channel your own outlier energy:

• Train skill and strength together: Outliers aren’t just strong — they’re efficient. Add mobility work, drills, and body control practice to your routine.

  
  

• Cycle your intensity: Especially after 40, strategic deloads and varied volume protect joints and fuel long-term growth.

  
  

• Sleep is your best supplement: Want a secret weapon? It’s 7–9 hours of quality sleep. No legal substance outperforms it.

  
  

• Do fewer things, better: Focus on key compound lifts, bodyweight control, and sustainable conditioning. Variety is fun, but mastery beats novelty.

  
  

• Recover like it’s your job: Boring? Maybe. But recovery wins races, heals tissue, and fuels progress.

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📚 More from this series:

More Than Muscle: What Mortality, Setbacks, and Superhumans Reveal

→ Part 2: The New Face of Mortality: Are We Truly Healthier?

→ Part 3: 🥊 Until You Get Punched in the Face. The Truth About Injury, Adaptation, and Moving Forward After 40

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3. Faigenbaum, A.D., Kraemer, W.J., et al. (2009). Youth resistance training: Updated position statement paper.Strength and Conditioning Journal, 31(5), 62–63.

4. McPhee, J.S., French, D.P., Jackson, D., Nazroo, J., Pendleton, N., Degens, H. (2016). Physical activity in older age: Perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty. Biogerontology, 17(3), 567–580.

5. Joyner, M.J., & Coyle, E.F. (2008). Endurance exercise performance: The physiology of champions. The Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 35–44.

6. Fiatarone Singh, M.A., et al. (1999). High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: Effects on skeletal muscle.JAMA, 281(22), 2033–2040.

7. Denham, J., Marques, F.Z., O’Brien, B.J., Charchar, F.J. (2014). Exercise: A potent regulator of epigenetic modifications in skeletal muscle and beyond.Epigenomics, 6(5), 627–639.

8. Booth, F.W., Roberts, C.K., Laye, M.J. (2012). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases.Comprehensive Physiology, 2(2), 1143–1211.

9. Raue, U., Slivka, D., Minchev, K., Trappe, S. (2009). Hypertrophy and muscle function in master athletes: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(6), 1781–1788.

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