No Excuses Mike THE BEAST Millen–Not your ordinary grandpa

I have so much in common with this months Caveman Athlete, the love for the outdoors, adventure, strength, mobility, being a jack of all trades, open minded, and putting health and happiness above anything else. The only difference is, he’s got 20 years on me, he’s stronger, fitter, and sexier. Damn you Mike.

 

This is what every human being should strive to, no BS, be at least 20% like this guy and you’ll be laughing. Mike got nominated for Caveman Athlete of the Month as he’s a true inspiration to everyone, he’s someone that shows you that a 65-year-old man can build muscle, that you can stay fit and healthy after 50, and most importantly that age is just a number.

 

“It’s not going to be easy to change your lifestyle, but believe me if you stick at it and lead a healthy lifestyle, it will bring a better quality of life as it has done with me and continues to do every day!”

Without further ado, I present to you
No Excuses Mike THE BEAST Millen.

 

Name: Mike Millen
Age: 65
Nickname: No Excuses Mike THE BEAST Millen
Speciality: Jack of all trades
Nationality: English
Weight: Ripped to shreds
Personal best: Walking on air
Quote: “Never regret anything you’ve done, only the things you never did”
Instagram: @MIKEMRUN

 


Subscribe to our channel for regular awesome videos.

 

“I live my life like a kid, always challenging myself and wanting to try new adventures.”

 

Hi, I’m 65 years old but not your normal 65 years old. I’m single. I have a daughter and 2 grandchildren two amazing boys of 6 and 8 that really think I’m a bit strange… In a nice way of course. Actually so does my daughter!!!! I really enjoy training people of all ages and abilities to introduce them to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and to keep moving in the many forms there are.

Each year 3 of my friends and I experience an adventure holiday, last year we trekked to Mt. Everest Base camp which was one of the most incredible things I’ve done! At 5400m you really feel alive and are being challenged by what nature can offer, as we got closer to base camp the weather got more extreme and fatigue really hit us as well. But it really does make you realize that being with nature in its wild form is truly amazing and makes material things so unimportant. We never washed or took our clothes off for 4 days as it was just too cold to even think about it. The actual trek was 7 days.

How do you stay healthy until your old age?

I also did a tandem skydive which I thought was incredible. I have a great friend that shares my spirit and lives in Spain, I managed to talk him into taking the same course and become a qualified skydiver. So we booked it in Seville a few years ago. It’s a series of levels from 1-8 and every jump gets more difficult and demanding so by the end you should be able to deal with any emergencies.

Believe me, when that door opens and the instructor shouts at you “are you ready to skydive” well, I won’t swear but you experience fear like nothing you have ever come across. The first jump I was doing well until I pulled my parachute, the lines were tangled. I had a procedure taught to me on the ground to fix this but it wasn’t much help when heading towards the ground at high speed and it’s getting mighty close. Anyway, I dealt with it and into the 3rd day, I was at level 4 where I had to carry out more drills but FORGOT TO PULL THE PARACHUTE. The instructor came toward me as I was getting closer to the ground and I could see the panic in his face. I attempted to pull the chute but I was very unstable and could not get my hand around to the toggle. He came around and pulled the chute for me, which is very dangerous as we could both get tangled up in it. Luckily we made it down safe, but my confidence was shattered and I was all in bits.

We had a debriefing and he said that everything was fine, I just forgot to check my altimeter. He then asked “We go up again or leave it till tomorrow?”. I’m thinking how can I leave and decide to go again not even knowing my right arm from my left while having already done 2 jumps and experienced faults with the parachutes? I decided it’s best to go right away. This time I’m really watching the instructor as we fall, he gives me a hand signal, I panic once again and pulled the chute too early.

I get down and say “that’s it, I’ve had enough” and decide to call it a day. The next day I still felt the same and watched my friend go on to qualify. This experience taught me so much in life. You don’t always learn the most with success and learn more in failure. And to never fail at anything, then maybe you haven’t tried hard enough. It was the greatest thing I had ever done, yet I failed and would never want to take that experience away from me.

Get out of that comfort zone people.

So, get out of that comfort zone people, the satisfaction and the sense of achievement is truly amazing. My next year’s adventure is a trip to Iceland which I’m sure will bring so many more thrills as we plan to explore this amazing country at its wildest and extreme weather in the middle of winter. I don’t live my life every single day on the limits, I have a few boring days as everyone does, but always want to make my training fun/testing, it’s all about the enjoyment.

People say to me “Hi, how’s your day been?”, my answer “It’s a good day if I can get up healthy and enjoy whatever the day brings”. We can’t ask for any more than!

I’ve always been involved in sport all my life, some of my first memories are of kicking a football around in the street. I always wanted to be a pro footballer as I grew up and only knew football..football. I made it to A-level, and always loved the training as well as playing. That continued until I was about 30 and decided to look at other sports as my football days were coming to an end. So I took up running marathons and training in the gym which I loved.
The marathons made me really fit but with little strength. So I gradually went away from the marathons but still continued to run and trained to get stronger.

For some reason, I wasn’t into heavy lifting but loved the body weight training as it was so varied and could be done almost anywhere, including using what nature has to offer and I still to this day find being outside the best and most enjoyable way to train.

Some people say I’m very dedicated, I don’t see it that way, when you’re doing something you have a passion for, it’s easy.. I’ve always wanted to make it a fun thing as well.

I consider myself a jack of all trades and a master of none, variety is the spice of life and I believe that’s true with training, I keep changing/challenging and looking for new ways as well as new locations to train.

I think most people live far too much in their comfort zone, it’s great to get out of that and it’s very rewarding and satisfying when you do. Of course, everyone’s level of getting out of that zone is different.

Exercise, sport and a healthy lifestyle has given me a great quality of life and continues to do so. I thoroughly recommended it, and there is a training program out there whatever your age or abilities are!

 

Were your parents active?

No, my dad was the only one that enjoyed sport and it was just football.

 

Why are you single?

I’m very fussy and don’t just want a girlfriend to go to dinner with. I want her to be my mate and share my love for life.

 

Do you have any training protocols?

No, every time I go to the gym I’m never even sure what I’m going to do. Once I start, the ideas just come flowing into my head.

 

6% body fat all year round how do you manage that?

People say I’m very disciplined, but the food I want to eat is real food, so it’s a balanced diet of carbs protein, good fats, and no processed foods.. Real foods are what I enjoy eating.

 

Do you have any sporting achievements?

I’m a jack of all trades and master of none. To me, that’s an achievement. I don’t want to be good at just one thing. But I have done many things that I have a tremendous sense of achievement from.

 

What are your future goals?

I don’t have any goals, I’m very happy to wake up every day and be healthy..then every day is a good day!

 

What drives you to stay enthusiastic?

My passion to enjoy life and through exercise and healthy living makes me very enthusiastic.

 

What does a training week look like?

It’s a mixture of body weight training and cardio, I love to run outdoors but only in natural surroundings like woods. And I love to do my body weight training outside as much as I can, using nature again..trees, rocks, logs anything. Let your imagination drive your training.

I listen to my body and that tells me how and when to train. I train most days and have a day off when my body tells me to.

At 65yrs young do you find that your body needs more rest to recover?

No, I feel I’m in better shape now than when I was 30 because I know my body better, I’m more experienced with my training and more varied. I might not be able to run quite as fast but my overall strength and conditioning are better.

 

How long do you stay in the ice cold water for?

I feel the cold water is a mental and physical challenge and feel drawn to lakes and cold water. It’s so exhilarating after and really makes you feel alive. I don’t stay in the ice cold lakes for long, 5mins is usually about it.

 

Do you have any injuries or re-occurring niggles that you deal with?

Injuries are part and parcel of an active lifestyle (even from someone that doesn’t have one). They are very disappointing of course but it makes even more determined to rehabilitate the injury as much as I can and most of the time you can still train around most injuries. I never see anything as a negative, and once free from that injury it really does make me feel how important it is just to have my health.

 

What are your thoughts on “Give it your all or go home?”?

I think it’s so important to listen to your body, if you feel less than 100% you can still get a great session in. But train sensibly all the time. If you’re continually getting injured then maybe your training wrong. And when you’re feeling great, then yes, of course, exhaust yourself completely. But it doesn’t have to be that way every session.

 

A pill to sleep, a pill to wake up, a pill to poo, a pill for…?

A lot of people these days live in what I call their comfort zone. Air-conditioned everything, car. house, and even gyms. I would suggest getting active in the many forms there are. Not everyone has to exercise as I do, there is an exercise program out there for everyone no matter age or abilities. Give it a try before going to the doctors for a pill.

 

You mention you don’t really have any friends around your age?

I guess I don’t have any friends or socialize with people of my age because we have nothing in common.

“Never regret anything you’ve done, only the things you never did”

 

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Shopping Basket
Total
26
Share