My hero and role model is my grandfather.
He lived a long, healthy life and was active up until 4-5 months before passing away.
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This is how we are supposed to age.
…living vibrant lives with just a short breather to reflect, before passing on.
My grandfather was also a man of strong character, which is something that seems rare in today’s world.
He always did the right thing, even if it was inconvenient.
I NEVER saw him lose his temper.
“You can tell the size of a man by the size of the thing that makes him mad.”
I roll my eyes when I see young guys online trying to be “Alpha” and all of that corny advice that they give.
My grandfather makes these guys look like sissies.
(That whole generation was badass.)
As I get older, I’m fascinated with research on aging.
Exercise is crucial for a long and healthy life.
Recent research is showing that interval training, in particular, is showing age-reversing effects on the cellular level.
I’ll discuss that after a quick music break.
The music theme for this article is LEGENDARY 90’s songs performed live.
Speaking of legendary music…
Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries passed away a couple of days ago. One of the prettiest voices ever and she will be missed.
(This song always gives me chills.)
Using exercise as a way to fight off old age?
Here’s the (long) name of the study I’ll refer to:
Enhanced Protein Translation Underlies Improved Metabolic and Physical Adaptations to Different Exercise Training Modes in Young and Old Humans.
Science Daily has a solid summary of this study.
The study compared interval training workouts VS strength training.
“They found that while strength training was effective at building muscle mass, high-intensity interval training yielded the biggest benefits at the cellular level. The younger volunteers in the interval training group saw a 49% increase in mitochondrial capacity, and the older volunteers saw an even more dramatic 69% increase.”
Interval training was also more effective at improving insulin sensitivity.
Increasing mitochondrial capacity is a big deal.
What is the significance of mitochondrial capacity?
Many researchers view aging as a mitochondrial disease or mitochondrial decay.
Mitochondria create 90 percent of the energy needed to sustain life.
Defective mitochondria appear as we get older, robbing us of endurance and function.
…and we can’t improve or repair our mitochondria with medicine.
“Based on everything we know, there’s no substitute for these exercise programs when it comes to delaying the aging process,” said study senior author Sreekumaran Nair, a medical doctor and diabetes researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “These things we are seeing cannot be done by any medicine.”
You also can’t just eat a healthy diet for this positive effect.
Diet is important, but a lot of fitness writers underplay the role of exercise.
One phrase that annoys me?
“Abs are made in the kitchen.”
Have you ever noticed that the majority of people saying this online are in their 20’s?
(Enjoy the easy-to-get-lean ride while it lasts, young people.)
AND
Get off my lawn!
*I know I’ve told you to get off my lawn a few times in my articles, but you aren’t listening.
Uncle Rusty will be here for you once your Abs are no longer “made in the kitchen”.
So yes, you need to eat in a healthy way…
…but exercise is how you drastically slow down aging.
There are a ton off different ways to do intervals.
Here’s an interval routine I’ve used for years to get lean.
I call these “pyramid intervals”.
I like doing this on a StepMill, but the same idea can be applied to any cardio machine.
The idea is to alternate 1.5 minutes of walking with 30 seconds of sprinting.
I repeat 6 times for a total of 12 minutes.
*Level 6 for 1.5 minutes
*Level 15 for 30 seconds
*Level 6 for 1.5 minutes
*Level 16 for 30 seconds
*Level 6 for 1.5 minutes
*Level 17 for 30 seconds
*Level 6 for 1.5 minutes
*Level 18 for 30 seconds
*Level 6 for 1.5 minutes
*Level 19 for 30 seconds
*Level 6 for 1.5 minutes
*Level 20 for 30 seconds
The walking level always stays the same, but each sprint section is of increasing intensity.
(If I’m feeling extra ambitious I work my way back down, but only recommend that after a day of heavy eating when you have the energy to spare.)
These are the levels I use, adjust for your fitness level and what machine you are using, etc.
Note: I like cardio machines for HIIT due to the fact you can dial in intensity like this. I have an entire course based on cardio machines, but you can come close to mimicking this with weights or bodyweight training.
For building aerobic capacity I recommend 3-4 times per week with some type of interval.
This is in addition to some type of strength training routine.
I realize that I recommend more exercise than most trainers.
I just feel that society is slowly getting rid of ALL physical activity.
My grandfather spent his life as a blue collar worker, and after he retired his days were filled with repairing things for friends and relatives.
We are living a different life than what he experienced.
If we don’t set aside time for exercise, there is almost a zero possibility for us to live a long and healthy life.
Heck…
I don’t even have to get off my couch to get groceries with Amazon Prime Now.
(Abs are made on the couch?)
As technology advances, we are probably going to move even less than we do now.
So…
Don’t feel guilty about spending time in the gym or playing a sport, etc.
Being intentionally active might be your only route to good long-term health.
*NEW* Visual Impact Fat Loss Boost Diet
For 15 years I've helped fashion models get lean for photoshoots. Use my plan to Lose 5-10 pounds of PURE body fat in 14 days.
Some type of interval or strength training daily is the ideal way to slow down the effects of aging.
Include a mix of both for the best results.
Cheers,
-Rusty Moore
As a former fitness coach to fashion models, I can teach you how to increase muscle definition without adding size.
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