Blog

  • With a little help from my friend, technology

    I’ve said how I prefer to rely on intuition and “feelings” to assess where my health and fitness is at. Part of that is justified. I disagree with the trend of the glorified tracking of absolutely everything. It’ll only distract most people from what truly matters, taking action.

    That, and I believe that relying too heavily on data will further dampen our intuition.

    Yet part of my tech rebellion is based on a pink coloured, romanticised view I have of the past. A longing for the simpler times (hear me go, I sound like I was born in the 1920s. Someone play Ain’t Misbehavin’ on the gramophone and pour me a boulevardier).

    But I don’t live in a vacuum. Harnessing the right technology can and will help us in our quest for a healthier future. Both individually and as a whole.

    All of which brings me to a platform that my buddy Nick Harris has been cooking for the last three years. Optimal Humans app, or a fancy pants “personal health and fitness advisor in your pocket”.

    And it’s out now.

    Unlike other apps, Optimal Humans tracks the relationship between your performance, behaviour and biometrics. Once it knows enough about your current health and fitness, it’ll proactively prescribe solutions to your underlying limitations. Allowing you to reach your health and fitness goals faster.

    You can download and use it for free to gain a better understanding of your health and fitness. And how to move past whatever’s holding you back from being your most optimal self. By learning from some of Australia’s top health and fitness experts.

    I know Nick’s got big ambitions for what the app can do for your health. Both now and with the future releases. But instead of me trying to explain it, get a front row seat by downloading the app from the App Store.

    It’s dope.

    -J

  • The best thing I’ve done for my own training

    The older I get, the more I am appreciating short strength workouts. Even if the short workouts are by necessity. With two young kids, a coaching business and freelance writing, there’s only so much a man can fit in.

    But after two years of Covid imposed short strength workouts, I wouldn’t go back to longer session. Even if I’d figure how to go from 24 to 28 hours a day. A hindrance I am still trying to solve.

    When in the past I’d set aside an hour for training, I now get in about 30 minutes. Including the warm up. Obviously, living in the tropics cuts down the need for an extensive warm up. After three or four specific warm up exercises, I can focus on workout specific warm up during the first few sets of the actual training session. If I’d live in a colder climate, I’d take longer to get ready.

    So, time-wise my workouts are half of what they used to be. But the actual amount of work isn’t as low. Since I am training at home, it’s mostly distraction free compared to the gym environment where I was constantly chatting to people.

    At home, I do most of my workouts when the kids are not at home. And I train at the end of the workday to not get pulled back to the work stuff. Podcasts don’t count!

    That’s an unnecessarily long-winded, but a very Joonas-like way of saying that when I train, I can actually focus on training. And get a decent amount of work done in a short time. The goal is to hit 16-18 total work sets within each session. Which is roughly about two thirds of what it used to be.

    That and avoiding complete failure in each set means that I am fresher immediately after the session. And (usually) my patience is on the nicer side for the rest of the afternoon.

    All of that and the fact that my strength levels haven’t taken a noticeable drop means that my short workouts are here to stay.

    But before you go halve all your workouts…

    Short workouts are not for everyone.

    If the training time is the only time you move during the week, you benefit from longer sessions. Get as much movement in as you can when you can. While pulsing between intense and less taxing movements in the actual workout.

    But if you’re already active daily and strength train 3 or 4 days a week, try shorter workouts. I think you’ll be surprised. In a good way.

  • What does it take?

    First, the decision to start. To accept that there will never be a perfect time. So you might as well start now. Even if you’re low on time. Even if you can’t give your 100%.

    Because, who isn’t low on time? And can anyone with an actual life give their 100%? Ever? With anything? I don’t think so. Like marriage, having kids or standing at the muesli aisle, it’s all about a compromising.

    Not compromising your values or beliefs, but letting other less important things sometimes slide.

    Second, the strength and courage to show up. Put it in your calendar. Set a reminder. Arrange your day in a way that you can show up. Book your training for a time that you’re more likely to show up.

    Know ins and outs of your energy levels. If you’re not a morning person, don’t decide to train first thing in the morning. Maybe you’ll get there, eventually. But for now, why make it harder than it already is?

    Third, the will and determination to build consistency. Regardless of the day, mood, or the circumstances you’re in. Stick to the training days you set in the beginning. If on some days it means that you can only do a quarter of your workout, so be it.

    Like Tony Iommi’s fingers, do the best you can with what you’ve got. Turned out alright for him. It will for you too.

    Fourth, to expect nothing. Not immediately, anyway. People fail because they expect instant rewards. Focus on building consistency and creating momentum.

    The result will follow.

    While we’re at it, what do you need help with? What topics you’d like me to write more about?

    Reply to this email and let me know.

    Or don’t. Either way, we’re cool.

    -J

  • Graceful fitness isn’t about never training hard

    You can, and probably should, push your limits.

    But because I harp on so much about reasonable workouts and a balanced approach to health and fitness, some of you might think that I am against intense workouts.

    If that’s the case, it’s on me for not being clear enough. Something that my wife would likely agree on.

    Here’s a snippet of a recent text message conversation I had with a client who’s dealing with long-Covid. I’ll share her comment and my reply here slightly edited as it’s a nice overview (for once!) of the whole graceful fitness idea I go on about.

    Client’s comment, shared with permission:

    “If I remember your story correctly, I think you’ve learned this for yourself as well. Train smarter, not harder. (But you have to admit – it was kinda fun to push the limit and just exhaust oneself every now and then?)”

    My reply:

    “In the past it [the way I trained] was as hard as possible for as long as possible for as often as possible. Now it’s mostly shorter workouts <45min, mostly medium intensity. Some days I get into the workout and everything just feels off. I stop and go for a walk instead. Occasionally, when I feel really good, I’ll push it.”

    ”You don’t have to settle for only doing medium workouts for the rest of your life. Just know when to push it and when to hold back.”

    There you have it. Hope that clears it up a bit.

    -J

  • If it’s in front of us…

    …we tend to do it.

    So much of our success with health and fitness comes down to our environment and surroundings.

    Whatever you have in your fridge and cupboard, that’s what you’re going to eat. Buy accordingly.

    If you want to reduce the amount of ice cream and cookies you eat, only buy a single portion at a time. Instead of hauling a carton load through the door each time you do the shopping.

    Keen to drink less? Hide the wine glasses and only buy enough wine to last an evening. And never keep beer in the fridge for “just in case”.

    If the goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables, stack them up. Put the fruits where you can see them. To act as a reminder and a cue for you to eat them.

    As for training, leave your weights where you can see them. Drill a permanent chin up bar to a door frame. Never buy a piece of equipment with a feature that “easily folds and rolls into storage under your bed”. You will never use it. And it makes vacuuming heaps annoying.

    Want to spend less time doom scrolling and more on reading meaningful books? Put your phone in a draw where it’s not constantly yelling “pick me up!”

    You get the idea.

    What do you need to put out of sight? And what needs to be more prominent?

     

  • Fitness savings account

    Most of us focus on the relatively immediate benefits of training:

    To get stronger, to have more energy, to manage stress, to improve mood and mental health. And, to feel good about the person we see in the mirror.

    And all of that is cool. They’re all worth the focus.

    If you’re over 35, you’re likely thinking about the benefits that being active has on aging. Avoiding chronic diseases and getting older gracefully motivates you to move. Instead of stumbling through the years, eyes closed, fingers crossed, and hoping for the best.

    What we often neglect to appreciate, because we suck at planning for something that might not happen (or like to think that it won’t happen), are the benefits that training has on the life’s “oh shit” moments.

    It could be a fall, an accident, a surgery or an illness. Yep, “oh shit”.

    Training and being active is literally like building our fitness savings account. And whether we want to acknowledge this, there’s a chance that one day we need to withdraw from our fitness savings.

    The longer your training history is, the better off you will be if “oh shit” happens. You’re more likely to recover faster. Or to even make a full recovery. Especially when compared to those who are in the same situation as you, but untrained, overweight and inactive.

    So, give yourself a wink, a nudge-nudge, or a high five each time you add strength and fitness to your savings account.

    And if you haven’t started accumulating your savings yet, the next best time is today.

  • We can still reclaim (some of) it

    It’s incredible to watch how little (zero) encouragement most young kids need to move. To watch what they can do or what they’re trying and failing to do. And how little they need to get excited about it all.

    I’ve got a two spare double mattresses in my home office. In the past I would’ve donated them to a charity. But now, I am holding on to them. With teeth. Because our kids use them to bounce off the walls.

    Tackling them, climbing them (when one’s upright), bouncing around, running circles, rolling, jumping off them, wrestling, somersaults… And it’s not like I am asking them to do it. They’re demanding to enter the padded room.

    Usually accompanied by music. Music that, for a standard adult, is the equivalent of a rusty spoon stirring the brain through the ear canal (“Put on Paw Patrol song!”). On repeat.

    This circus can go on for an hour. With tight three second hydration pit stops in the middle. It’s incredible to watch. The energy of it all.

    But the best part of it is that there’s no end goal to any of this. The point is to just move in any way humanly possible.

    Then, at some age, this interest in movement grinds to a halt. Some of it is just biology. We get older. Some of it is environmental. Most of us swap movement for sitting. I think school has a lot to do with this. “Sit still!” “Don’t move!” But I’ll save that rant for another post.

    Yet, it’s not too late for us adults to redeem ourselves. We can learn a thing or two from how kids approach movement.

    When’s the last time you physically tried something that you haven’t done before, or recently?

    For no other reason than to just do it.

    Now, I am not saying you need to put on Friends’ theme song on repeat and bounce in your garden or balcony for an hour. (Although, why not?)

    For some of us, it might be just as simple as learning to touch toes or sitting in a deep squat. Others might want to try backflips into the pool. Most of us can re-start somewhere in the middle.

    When it comes to movement, young kids can teach us a lot. Regardless of our age.

  • What do you need to move forward?

    If you feel like your fitness isn’t where you want it to be. If you feel stuck.

    If you crave for something better. If you can see a stronger, fitter future for yourself.

    There’s a good chance you don’t need more training knowledge. You know enough.

    You don’t need to find a new training program. That’s not what’s missing.

    It’s likely that you’ve already gained enough nutrition information. And you definitely don’t have to wait for the next diet trend.

    But you probably knew all of that already.

    What you need right now is action. You need structure.

    You need to set a specific, measurable and time-based goal.

    You need to break it into actionable steps. And you need the accountability to stick to it.

    As long as your life circumstances allow it. Now might not be a good time.

    After a while, the lack of results is rarely about the lack of knowledge. And even when we know this, it’s sometimes good to get a reminder.

    It gets us to pause. We can reflect on the situation we’re in and find our place on the map.

    Before deciding on what to do.

  • Moving past motivation

    We give motivation (or more like, the lack of it) way too much control and credit for our (in)actions. Blaming the lack of motivation is a fruitless pursuit. So is waiting for the motivation to strike before taking action.

    After a certain point, seeking for the holy grail of motivation becomes a waste of time. Like excessive planning without doing the actual work, the focus on the ups and downs of motivation keeps us from making progress. And there will always be ups and downs.

    Take teeth brushing as an example. All of us have done it since we were little kids. It’s ingrained into our identity.

    You don’t skip brushing your teeth because you’re not motivated. You don’t stop it for a month because you don’t feel like it.

    Except on rare occasions (hot date!) you don’t have a burning drive to squeeze toothpaste on to that brush. You don’t stop caring for your teeth because it’s not (always) fun.

    You don’t need an exciting monthly toothpaste subscription with ever changing flavours to spice up your evening routine in front of the mirror.

    Almost anything that happens in your life makes zero difference to your teeth brushing habits.

    You keep taking care of your mouth hygiene because it’s good for you. Because you’re the kind of person who looks after their teeth. Brushing (and hopefully flossing) your teeth are part of who you are and what you do.

    What if you’d approach movement and exercise with the same Stoic mentality as you do brushing your teeth?

    Become a physically active, ideally daily, because you’re the kind of person who does it. Because it’s good for you. Regardless of how motivated you feel.

    That used to be you. Now might be a good time to reclaim it.

    You already know how.

  • Let go

    During my twenties, I was all about the fitness lifestyle. Counting calories, carrying food in Tupperware containers, and training like a donkey on speed.

    I was also feeling unhealthy, unfulfilled, and constantly injured because of it.

    When I eventually realised that the mountain I thought I was building was actually a hole I had dug, I knew I didn’t want to stay in it. Being a fitness addict wasn’t working.

    I looked at everything I was doing, used it to guide me going forward, and slowly adopted a more reasonable, balanced approach to health and fitness.

    When your health and fitness aren’t where you want them to be…

    It helps to stop and look back at what you’ve tried in the past. And how would this look if you’d do the opposite?

    And then gradually take the steps that take you there.

    -J

    ps. Here’s a more elaborate version of my fitness addiction.