Hey -
Here’s a quick recap of this past week’s episode with some items that you can take action on this week. I’m personally working on my mindset this week and the self limiting beliefs I may have about my aging body. Have a good week.
This Week's Episode
EP5: "Your Body After 40" // The biology of midlife that nobody explained to you, and the three things your body actually needs to fight back. [Listen now →]
Key Takeaways
Low fitness is a bigger mortality risk than smoking. A study of 122,000 adults found that men with the lowest cardiovascular fitness had 5x the mortality risk of the most fit. Greater than smoking, heart disease, or diabetes.
Strength training alone isn't enough. Your body needs three things: resistance training for muscle and bone, steady-state Zone 2 cardio for your aerobic engine, and high-intensity interval work (like the Norwegian 4x4) for VO2max. Most men are doing one of these, but few are doing all three.
Stop training to get back to 25. Train to be useful at 65. The first half of life, you trained for performance and aesthetics. The second half is about durability and capability. You're not losing capacity. You're converting it. Your body after 40 isn't a problem to manage. It's a system to optimize.
Your Move This Week
Book three training sessions on your calendar right now. Not "I'll try to get to the gym." Three specific days, three specific times. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Treat them like meetings you can't cancel. If you're already training, add one Zone 2 session this week. Forty-five minutes, easy pace, put on a podcast.
Learn the six movement patterns. Squat, hinge, push, pull, lunge, carry. If your training doesn't include all six regularly, you've got gaps. This week, audit your routine against that list. If you're missing one, add it.
Shift the question. Stop asking "how do I look?" and start asking "what can I do?" Can you get off the floor without using your hands? Can you carry all the groceries in one trip? Can you keep up with your kids without paying for it the next day? That's the new standard. Train for that.
One Line to Carry
"I'm not saying training makes you a good man. I'm saying it keeps you in the fight long enough to be one."
Listen Now
🎧 Listen to the full episode:
Don't fade.
- Jonathan