When someone tells me they’re fit, I’m always interested in what they mean. Can they run 5km? Ride a bike for a couple of hours? Get through a tough I.C.E. session? Walk all day without getting tired? All of those are great achievements. But here’s something worth considering. Being good at one type of exercise doesn’t necessarily mean we’re physically prepared for everything life throws at us. And as we get older, I think that becomes increasingly important. Fitness has more than one...
about 24 hours ago • 2 min read
Here’s something I often see when talking to people about their nutrition. They tell me they’re pretty good with their food choices during the day. But by mid-afternoon, they’re hungry. Really hungry. And suddenly, they’re looking for something to eat. A biscuit with their coffee. "I just something a little sweet". A handful of whatever happens to be in the pantry. And sometimes that continues into the evening. Sound familiar? Now, there can be plenty of reasons for this. But one of the first...
3 days ago • 2 min read
Here’s a question for you. How much time do you spend sitting down each day? Think about it. You might get up early and do an I.C.E. or F.I.R.E. session. Great start to the day. But then you drive to work. You get to work, then sit at a desk for several hours. Sit down for lunch. Drive home. Have dinner. And perhaps finish the evening watching a bit of television. Before you know it, you’ve spent a large part of your day sitting. Even though you’ve exercised! But I already exercise! And...
5 days ago • 2 min read
Here's something that might surprise you. You don't actually get stronger during your workout. You get stronger because of how your body responds to that workout afterwards. And that's an important distinction. Because while most people understand that exercise is good for them, not everyone appreciates just how important recovery is. Exercise provides the stimulus When we exercise, we're challenging our bodies. During a F.I.R.E. session, we're asking our muscles to produce force against...
15 days ago • 3 min read
John's Strongest Years Aren't Behind Him John in action! Here's something I love seeing at Excite. Someone who's been training consistently for years, yet is still getting stronger. That's exactly what's happening with John. John is in his early 50s. He joined Excite in January 2021 and has now started his 22nd 10 Week F.I.R.E. training block. And here's the really interesting part. In his most recent block, he recorded more than seven personal bests. Think about that for a moment. After...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Here's something I'd like you to think about. What do you want to be doing when you're 70? Or 80? Perhaps you want to travel. Play golf. Go hiking. Spend time in the garden. Play with your grandchildren. Or simply get up in the morning, go about your day and not have to think too much about what your body can and can't do. Now here's the next question. Are you doing anything today to help make that possible? It's not just about living longer There's a term you might have heard called...
19 days ago • 2 min read
There's a question I think everyone who does some form of strength training should occasionally ask themselves: Am I actually getting stronger? Not: "Am I doing weights?" Not: "Did I go to the gym this week?" But: Am I stronger than I was three months ago? Because they're not necessarily the same thing. Our bodies are very good at adapting Let's say you start doing some weights. Initially, they're challenging. But after a while, your body adapts. Those same exercises with the same weights...
26 days ago • 2 min read
Whenever I talk about the importance of strength training, there's a response I hear reasonably often: "But I'm already pretty active." And you might be. You walk regularly. You run. You cycle. You play golf or another sport. Maybe you do two or three I.C.E. sessions every week. Your cardiovascular fitness might actually be very good. So do you really need to strength train as well? I'd say yes. Because being fit and being strong aren't quite the same thing. Your heart and your muscles have...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
about 1 month ago • 1 min read