IT'S OUT OF THE BAG... I'M 50.
I've always found it somewhat amusing that there seems to be so much at stake with age-associated milestones. Whether it represents the opportunity to reflect on regrets and successes, entering the next stage in life as the kids begin to become more independent, or the fear associated with the perceived inevitability of physical decline turning 50 seems to take quite a toll on most people.
Although I never thought it would impact me (again), as I approach the turn of another decade myself, I have found myself more frequently reflecting on the lessons I've learned and have begun setting goals and planning for the next decade. I want to start this next period of my life by sharing a handful of thoughts, ideas, comments, lessons and tips about Health, Exercise and Nutrition that I've come to embrace with my friends.
I wrote down and shared 40 Random Thoughts on Fitness and Nutrition the year I turned 40. Thanks to Karin Schwenk for reminding me and requesting an update on those lessons.
50 Random Thoughts on Exercise and Wellness for 50 Years
Exercise is Medicine. It remains the closest thing we have to naturally reverse the effects of aging and to prevent or inhibit progression of virtually all chronic diseases. Sadly, only 10-15% of the population currently participates in an exercise program regularly enough to benefit. Basically, we haven’t really moved the needle over the past decade. We need more champions to change the culture, increase awareness and to get people moving. Most of these champions will wear the title of mom, dad, teacher, doctor, coach, and friend...NOT personal trainer.
Like pharmaceutical drugs, there is a dose response relationship between exercise and the effects it has on the body and brain. Determining the correct type, amount and frequency is essential to getting the desired effect.
"You can't out-train a poor diet"…Regular exercise and a nutrition plan executed with 80%+ consistency are equally important to achieving body composition and performance goals. In other words, don't expect to see dramatic changes until you're ready to accept this…forever.
Strength is the most fundamental characteristic to begin working on regardless of whether you aspire to be more flexible, run a marathon, or to simply drop excess body fat. If you don’t have enough strength and/or lean muscle to support the demands of other activities, you will be more vulnerable to injury and/or you'll never truly optimize the other characteristics.
Is it still a cultural "norm" to be an outcast for trying to improve yourself? I’m not so sure anymore. Social expectations are potentially the biggest reason for the obesity epidemic in America. I used to feel pressure to avoid being the only one not “drinking” at the party; and heard that quite frequently from clients. Something has me feeling as if this is starting to shift a bit. I hear more people saying that they’re refusing to allow themselves to be manipulated into a return to poor habits. Moreover, I feel like there might be a shift towards envy of someone making a positive change than before. I’m optimistic about how this will continue to evolve.
Becoming more goal-oriented has always made a difference in my life. It gives a purpose and value to the effort I put forth in all areas of life. It’s also made the process more rewarding. Do you have objective goals? This is the one area that I lapsed on in my 40s. Of course I have a million excuses, the business growth, the pandemic, injuries, family obligations, remodeling projects, etc. Consequently, I had been in maintenance mode for about 9 years, getting a minimum dose of lifting to maintain muscle and cycling sporadically for cardio. Over the past year I started to track my workouts again, build my cardio-respiratory endurance back, and to focus on joint health with a combination of mobility and flexibility activities with regularity. My goals have changed to continue to maintain some athleticism, with minor competition with my 20-year-old son in the gym, and to keep my joints healthy for the next few decades.
I've read a lot of heavily opinionated books on nutrition, from Atkins to Paleo, and over the past decade…intermittent fasting and counting macros. Guess what...they all still work to help you lose body fat and weight. Why is simple...they all follow the same basic underlying principles, they reduce total calorie intake. People who find a way to apply the principles consistently over a lifetime see the best results. There’s no magic. Only a strategy that encourages compliance.
Your "CORE" doesn't need to be trained as often as you think to have a flat stomach (or six pack), to reduce low back pain or improve performance. Moreover, most “old-school” methods of training abdominals (i.e. endless crunches and bent-knee sit-ups) are more likely to hurt you than to help you get the results you desire.
The sooner you come to understand and accept who you are, the faster you’ll find happiness. Whether it's how you look, how you perceive the world (or vice versa), you need to figure out what makes you click and then figure out how to arrange your life around that.
Consistency and intensity in exercise training are both essential to long-term results. For beginners, consistency is more valuable. Intensity gains value with training experience as our stability, mobility and exercise technique all improve.
Body composition change will occur naturally as a consequence of regular physical activity, strength training 2-3 days a week, and eating whole foods. Focusing on behaviors and not the end result always results in more lasting change.
How intensely you can train depends on numerous variables, including age, sex, training experience, physical limitations, etc. It's unfortunate that most people start an exercise program in a way that creates a bad experience.
“Muscle Confusion” is mostly BS. Too much and too frequent variety in exercise selection is counterproductive to building strength and improving how well you move. Most people need to learn to move better first, which requires regularly practicing that which you do not do well. Variety in training may have a benefit in conditioning-type training, but only for individuals who have a good base in training and have begun to plateau with their training.
We should all drink more water. If you simply drank a glass of water in place of other beverages with each meal, you’ll likely hit your fluid goals for the day.
You must "earn the right" to do certain exercises. For example, if you don't have great shoulder mobility, but you want to do overhead presses, work on increasing your range of motion and then demonstrate it before you start to load it up. Otherwise, accept your limitations, b/c there are plenty of other exercises that fit within your current ability.
This has probably been the most interesting trend I’ve seen over the past decade. While Interval Training and H.I.I.T. workouts gained popularity, the longevity movement has driven a resurgence in prioritizing steady state (specially Zone 2) cardiovascular training. The specific cellular changes that occur with LSD (long slow duration) training have a more significant impact on basic cardio-respiratory function, are more easily adapted to, can be performed with greater frequency, and are less likely to cause overuse injury.
Researchers have found that sugar is potentially as addictive as cocaine. If you have a sugar addiction, you're probably best leaving it alone b/c your brain won't let you just have 1.
You are the sum of the 5 people you are surrounded by most often. Sometimes you must make hard decisions and cut people out of your life if they are holding you back from having the life you desire. If your friends don’t aspire to and/or support your health and fitness efforts, they will most certainly attempt to sabotage you. Those who try to educate their support system will figure out who their true friends are fast.
If more people viewed exercise training as a method of improving quality of life and longevity, and not for "losing weight", they would have an easier time finding enjoyment out of the process. Exercise plays a stronger role in maintenance of weight lost than it does in the initial process.
You don't need to be sore after a training session to benefit. I can remember training so hard that I'd be sore for 3-5 days from each workout. Sure, a little soreness reminds us that we did some work, but if you can’t walk down the stairs for 2 days you overdid it. The only time I ever experience excessive soreness any more is the day after a race.
One of the biggest nutritional issues over the next decade will deal with the impact of food on gut health, and the consequential influence of gut bacteria on virtually every other system in our body.
The real benefits of training are accomplished in "recovery", both during training sessions and between. Learn to optimize your recovery and you’ll optimize your results. Training results are dependent on the amount of weight moved during an exercise. Resting adequately between sets, for some exercises in the 3–5-minute range, is appropriate, especially if your goal is to get stronger. However, resting 90” between repeat sets for the same muscle group seem optimal for stimulating muscle growth.
Regular soft tissue-work and flexibility training is essential to optimizing recovery between training sessions. A $10 foam roller can be a priceless tool for any exercise enthusiast. I spent part of the pandemic back in school getting my Massage Therapy License because I believe that the manipulation of fascia and consequently the nervous system is essential to maximizing joint health. I’m also fortunate to have an excellent Massage Therapist in-house.
The most challenging area I’ve faced with clients over the course of my career deals with the psychological issues that result in emotional overeating or starvation. Most issues are a consequence of poor self-efficacy (related to self-image), resulting from personal experiences over the course of a lifetime. If you suspect this...get help ASAP! You need to change how you view yourself mentally before you can truly change yourself physically.
Pain is your body's way of telling you to STOP. Your ability to differentiate b/w discomfort and pain will determine whether you work hard and get better or work hard and get hurt. Do NOT train through pain. Get out of the “no pain, no gain” mindset. This is true for most situations in the gym. However, there are some instances where mild to moderate amounts of pain or discomfort can be essential in training. For example, when rebuilding from a tendon injury or muscle strain, your physical therapist might advise you that a pain level of a 3 to 5 or even a 7 might be desirable. My mind hasn’t necessarily changed on this, but it has evolved to include the “it depends” scenario.
In my opinion, alcohol, not sugar, is the most destructive substance we consume. It is responsible for more failures to achieve goals than any other vice in my experience over the past 28 years in the fitness business. Most people who quit alcohol see tremendous progress in a short period of time. Recent studies indicate that alcohol impacts various stages of sleep, preventing you from both recovering physically from the previous day and limiting your brain from implanting memories.
Injuries in training are most commonly the result of placing demands on your body that your body is not prepared to manage (i.e. doing too much too soon). They can also be the result of chronic instability or movement fault. Or, trying to force your body into a pattern that it does not have the capacity to achieve (i.e. square pegs in round holes). How do you know when you are prepared to do something?
It's not a surprise that nutrition and exercise are so widely misunderstood. Today, everyone has an opinion, mostly driven by experience and it doesn't cost a dime to start a blog or to publish a manuscript. Over the last decade, the expanded use of social media has given everyone a platform to spread their bias on the world. Consequently, we must learn to question everything we see and hear and to find solid resources who can present as unbiased a perspective as possible, referencing facts and science. I saw a study recently that found two-thirds of the information spread by the top 100 fitness influencers is on a scale of BS. Things that should make you question advice. 1. The person is absolutely 100% confident in what they are saying, 2. They speak or write in absolutes; 3. They never provide a legitimate source to back up their statements.
I raced over 20 triathlons from age 33 to 40 mostly for the challenge and the culture. It took 7 years to build up the confidence to race an IRONMAN, which includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run in succession. The IRONMAN triathlon I completed for my 40th birthday, was unfortunately the last triathlon that I competed in. It was a great experience. It helped me to learn to become more patient and persistent to progress towards what was in my mind the peak of a goal. I also got a lesson in how achieving a goal without a plan for “what’s next” can cause an immediate loss of motivation and a consequent struggle to get back on the horse.
You get 80% of the benefit from 20% of your efforts. This is known as the Paretto Principle. It applies to exercise training. You get 80% of your results from 20% of the exercise you do. How can you make your efforts more productive?
The two most often underappreciated factors in the battle for fat loss: Sleep and Stress. It's interesting that we are only just learning about the specific needs of sleep and impacts of a lack of or poor quality sleep. Sleep science now recommends that everyone requires 8 hours of sleep to recover both physically and cognitively (specifically your memories) from the previous 16 hours of waking day. It’s a myth that virtually anyone can survive optimally off less. Lack of sleep is one of the biggest contributors to mortality. Yes, you are directly impacting the length of your life every time you get less than 8 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as recovering a sleep debt. I’m very curious to see what sleep science uncovers over the next decade. For now, I’ll keep trying to get 8 hours every night.
Everything is about balance. Too much training, not enough recovery, you get hurt. Too many calories in, not enough calories out, you get fat. Too much of one nutrient leads to too little of another. We are in a constant battle over homeostasis.
Objectivity is essential in training. There's a famous quote that I like "what gets measured, gets managed". If you truly want to get better, you should write things down. The more you can educate yourself about how the foods you consume and the exercise you do affect you the faster you'll start to change.
A course on both Food Preparation and Time Management should be standard in all high school curricula. As I reflect, I would also add a course on Personal Finance and Retirement planning to this.
Intuition is incredibly valuable to long-term training success. However, the majority of people are not self-aware to the point that intuition becomes usable. You must show up and put in the work until you achieve that point.
Technology is going to change the fitness industry over the next decade. We now have systems that monitor daily calorie expenditure, systems that monitor heart rate during training, and tools that assess readiness and recovery from training. Understand that technology can both help and hinder your progress in training. You need to know how to use the information you receive. I’ve found myself somewhat resistant to the new tech. However, I finally broke down and started using a WHOOP band recently. I use it to track my SLEEP quantity and quality, HRV (recovery), and exercise.
We should be focused on getting better every day, every workout. Spend 100% of your efforts on making yourself better. Don’t worry about what other people are accomplishing around you. Everyone has different genetics, experience, goals, etc. Recognize small improvements and challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone just a little more every day.
Always keep an open mind but be skeptical. If it sounds like BS...it probably is BS. From food company advertising to infomercials, we have to constantly remind ourselves to keep emotion out of our decision-making process.
Those who spend time attempting to learn the what’s, why’s and how’s behind their training program will always get better results in the long term. You can't just go through the motions and expect a great long-term outcome. Make fitness your hobby. I'm thankful to have found a career out of sharing my hobby.
Your MINDSET will ultimately determine your success in life.
Although I’ve always found it a little humorous that I have experienced many of the joint ailments that plague many of our clients. Over the past decade I’ve added to those experiences; spinal arthritis (possibly a result of rotational sports in my younger years due to its asymmetrical presentation), a bone spur on my hip (which has limited my ability to run over the past 5 years), I finally had my heart arrythmia fixed (undergoing an ablation surgery about 6 years ago…my first major surgery). Time has afforded me the ability to empathize with many of the people I work with.
Although I’ve faced some challenges, nothing has resulted in a significant loss of fitness at any point. I continue to learn ways to adapt to my own issues and adjust my training to fit my body’s current ability. I have also gotten to the point where I’ve begun to put my trust in other healthcare professionals who have insight and can use methods that I personally don’t have access to so that I can resist further issues.
Use of feedback techniques have become very helpful in the training environment. The NT Loops, used to encourage hip, knee and foot alignment during lower body exercises. The use of Kinesio taping techniques to encourage better subconscious awareness and improve movement. Almost everyone can benefit from some variation of these techniques.
I’m becoming more and more aware of the need to maintain cognitive function. Over the past decade we’ve learned quite a bit more about what does and doesn’t improve cognitive ability. Unfortunately, crossword puzzles and word-association games do not, but both aerobic and resistance exercise and sleep do, along with supplements like creatine, which were previously primarily thought to only help with building work capacity and muscle.
There is no magical rep range that is going to maximize your ability to gain lean muscle. Research over the past couple years has determined that you can use rep ranges from 3 to 25 and still optimize muscle growth. Of course, there are better repetition and loading parameters for gaining strength, learning a new skill, etc. This is why we have always used a diverse number of reps and sets in our programs.
Longevity and healthspan have become the key concepts for my generation. For those who are inactive, they can expect to spend 12-14 years of their life in poor health with limitations on mobility due to chronic pain and disease. We currently have enough knowledge to significantly reduce this number and potentially reduce mortality. I read a book called the Wellness Revolution in 2001 that emphasized the need for personal responsibility in reducing the risk of disease and disability. Given the state of our medical system (for example, it takes 3-6 months to get an appointment with a specialist and a year to schedule a physical), we’re behind the 8 ball at taking that advice.
Intention is my key word for 2024. If we focus on doing everything with intention, we will get 100% out of every task we perform. If we simply go through the motions or rush through a workout without truly understanding what we’re trying to gain out of every movement we’re leaving opportunities on the table.
If the past decade taught me anything it’s that resiliency is vital to longevity in business, fitness, and life. We survived a pandemic that wiped out nearly 25% of fitness facilities nationwide, permanently. What is resiliency? It’s basically the ability to adapt to a changing environment.
The average age of a client at Marino’s Fitness has risen from 46 to 56 over the past decade. This was the biggest factor for why we changed our business model coming out of the pandemic (i.e. eliminating group training in favor of focusing exclusively on semi-private). We want to be able to make a more significant impact on the lives of our clients, which could only be achieved in a slightly smaller and more individualized environment.
Surviving nearly 15 years in business has taught me the value in relationships and in the community that we’ve built. I owe everything to the people around me, my family, my team and those who have supported Marino’s Fitness over the past 14+ years. Thank you for being a vital part of my life. I’m looking forward to the next decade.
