You don’t need to train like an endurance athlete to age like a badass

There’s a lot of talk about people training 10–11 hours a week on various social apps. Often, many of these influencers make it seem like if you do not follow their methods you’re not doing enough. But that’s not true.

First, I am not bashing those who train that much, sustain that load, and do so for a goal or purpose. My only point is that it's not necessary for the vast majority of us. 

Unless you're chasing a podium or prepping for a specific event, that’s likely too much activity for most people most of the time. \

At some point in our lives, the risk of injury must be critically evaluated.

You and I might be optimizing our training for different outcomes. I’m not training for a race. I’m training for life. I’m training to keep the strength, mobility, and energy I already have.

The truth about physical activity and its impact on our potential longevity and healthspan.

~The most significant longevity gains come from going from no activity to just 1–3 hours per week.

~ Going from 3 to 5 hours adds benefit—but less dramatically.

~ Beyond that? Marginal returns (for my goals)… and and far greater risk of overuse injuries.

I created this graph to illustrate a concept… ignore the values.

Exercise- for me- isn’t just about performance. It’s preservation.

• It’s about being able to get off the floor.

• Carry your own groceries.

• Put your 50 lb luggage in the overhead compartment

• Play with your grandkids.

• Avoid frailty.

Volume matters, to a point—but so does durability. Injuries will derail you faster than missed workouts. Have you ever tried to bounce back after an injury? Once your routine has been broken for over a month, restarting it can be very challenging. Even for exercise junkies like me…

So, no, I’m not trying to maximize my VO2 max. It’s high enough. I don’t need to squat 400 lbs… 225 is enough. If you want to pursue new personal records, great. Just understand that as we age, that comes with a cost, and that cost might be very high.

I’m trying to keep my joints healthy, my strength intact, and my life mine.

Train smart. Train sustainably. You don’t need to train like an athlete to age like a badass.