Sunday Story…Strength

So, first is zone 2, second is the mobility piece, and third is strength and skill. This one is much harder to quantify. All of us need to do strength training. The how and what of it varies greatly, however.

In my case, I do 2 days a week dedicated to squatting. Another day to work on gymnastic skills and drills. Another day to do Olympic weight training. I also do bar muscle-up progressions (15 minutes) 3 times a week. I mix various progressions and skills to move my fitness forward. The exact part of this is less important than the doing of it. You must train for strength even if all you are doing is lifting an empty barbell or light dumbbell. This is one of the pillars of fitness and longevity. Stronger is better. Strong people are harder to kill. Muscles at rest require more energy (calories) than anything else in your body. If you are stronger, you can eat more (my favorite!)

You may be looking at that and saying that sounds like too much. I get it. But you really need to start prioritizing your health and fitness. You don’t have to try to be a world-class athlete unless that’s one of your goals. But if you want to be mobile and independent into your 70s, 80s, and beyond you need to make your physical health a top priority. We are seeing way too many people die when they could have made their health more critical.

Whatever time you spend on this I guarantee it will be time well spent. I would insist that you be mindful and intentional when you do it. 15 minutes of dedicated work will beat 60 minutes of mindless scrolling while on cardio equipment.

This stuff isn’t rocket science but it does require you to work. There are no free lunches in the aging cafeteria!

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412