High performance athletes are always looking for an edge that can help them beat their competition. They try better training techniques, better diets, better supplements, better sleep habits, and some have even resorted to illegal and dangerous drugs. All in an attempt to run faster, jump higher, or be stronger than their competitor.
Strength Training
How to Set Up a Home Gym: A Look at Our Garage Gym
Here’s a peek into our garage gym and how you can set one up in your home so you can workout when and how you want. Barbara and I are always encouraging our readers to get into strength training. We’ve been doing it for over seven years, and it’s something everyone over the age of…
65 Years Old And Getting Stronger: How We’re Doing It!
We’re 65 and getting stronger. Here’s how we’re doing it with strength training, diet, and rest, and some of the strength gains we’ve made. Well, praise the Lord. I’ve reached 65 years old. There are some good perks with being 65. I get some cool senior discounts. Our market gives a 5% discount on groceries…
If You’re Over 40 You’re Probably Losing Strength. You Must Deal With It Now!
Are you gaining or losing strength? Evidence suggests that we will begin losing muscle mass and strength after the age of 40. Losing too much muscle and strength increases your odds of mortality and the susceptibility to the diseases of aging. Here’s how to get stronger and build better muscle mass. I recently came upon…
Get A Good Grip: How Your Hand Grip Strength Predicts Longevity
Hand grip strength is a major factor in predicting longevity and resilience to chronic disease. Let’s look at how to determine how strong you are and improve your chances of living longer. Do you know how physically strong you are? Really, it’s a serious question. For your age and gender, what kind of strength do…
Why At 64 I Prioritize Strength Training Over Aerobic Training
Maybe you’ve visited your MD recently for your annual physical. She points out to you that the “couch potato” lifestyle you adhere to is not the best medicine for aging well. So she suggests that maybe you should consider doing some exercise. Or maybe you’re reaching middle age and realize you’re…
How We’re Staying Healthy At 64: Barbara and John’s Diet And Exercise Strategy
As Beatles lovers, Barbara and I have sometimes laughed about what it would be like when we turned sixty-four. If you’re a Beatles fan, you know why. Their song When I’m Sixty-Four is a story about a young man wondering if the love of his life will still cherish him when he’s sixty-four. The man…
Our Strategies For Getting Healthier And Stronger at 63
Barbara and I are quickly approaching our 63rd birthdays. November for me and December for her. And now, even though we are kind of “senior citizens”, we are healthier, stronger, more agile, and trimmer than we’ve been since our thirties. To be honest, I feel the best I have since I was 32 years old….
Are You Getting Enough Dietary Protein To Maintain Healthy Muscle Quality?
* This post is a little long because I couldn’t think of what to leave out. Everything seemed important. Hopefully, when you’ve finished reading you’ll understand the critical importance of adequate protein consumption for good health and aging well.
April Favorites For Fitness And Wellness Enthusiasts
Hey friends, Here’s April’s treasure box of health and wellness resources Barbara and I have put together for you. It’s filled with several books we’ve recently read that offer excellent health and exercise advice. And we’re also sharing several products that we use often and have found very helpful in our wellness…
Can Starting An Exercise Program In Your 50s Help You Live Longer?
Okay, so you’ve reached middle age. You enjoy your time reclining comfortably on your couch after a hard day’s work. Perhaps tonight you’re watching a show on TV featuring trim athletic people scampering around, and you suddenly let out a sigh.
Your Attitude Toward Aging Might Affect Your Odds Of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease
How do you feel about aging? The answer to that question really depends on who it’s being asked of, right? If you’re under 40, this question probably seldom enters your mind. Like relationships, raising kids, and paying bills. However, for those of you over 40…
March Favorites For Fitness And Wellness Enthusiasts
Barbara and I have decided to put together a monthly treasure box of health and wellness resources for you. We’re filling it with several books we’ve recently read that offer excellent advice. And we’ve also listed some wellness associated products that we use often and have found to be reliable.
How My Morning Routine Gives Me a Fresh Start to the Day
I’m not one to share my deep dark personal secrets on the Internet, but I’m going to reveal some personal things today. I’m going to give you a sneak peek into my morning routine. This routine has worked so well for me that I felt I just had to share it with you. If you’re struggling…
How To Start Strength Training Over 40
I recently received a call from my sister asking me for some suggestions on what kind of weight bench she should buy. Being the inquisitive fellow that I am, I asked, “What in the world do you want a weight bench for?””Really, don’t know what a weight bench is used for?” she answered. Touché.
Why People Over 40 Need Strength Training
Everyone wants to find a fountain of youth. But it’s only a myth, right? However, what if I told you there is something you can do that’s scientifically proven to help you live a longer, healthier life? And, it’s safe, effective, efficient, inexpensive, and only takes about 30 – 40 minutes three times a week.
My Cholesterol Levels Part 1: Why I Rejected Statins
This post originally appeared on John’s website, The Progressing Pilgrim, in October 2017. He has since been on a ketogenic diet for over a year. Read our story here. His weight has stabilized at 160 pounds and his waist is 32 inches. At 62 years old, he can still pull a 300-pound deadlift. I’ve now…
10 Ways I Protect My Back So I Can Barbell Train At 61 Years Old
Recently, I was speaking with my bank officer, Angelo, and noticed that he had a muscular build that suggested that he lifted weights. I asked if he did, and he replied that he had indeed lifted a lot in college. But then he let out a sigh and said, “Now that I have…
The 10 Most Important Strategies I Used To Beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Part 2
I’m writing this post from my new home office in Raleigh, North Carolina. My family and I are almost finished moving in, and so far we’re absolutely loving Raleigh. The new home we’re renting is magnificent, the area…
The 10 Most Important Strategies I Used To Beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Part 1
I did it! I beat CFS! After suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) for 28 years, I believe I’m finally healed. I know, I should be a little cautious about saying that because when a person with CFS…
One Scientifically Proven Way To Reverse The Aging Process
I remember when I was 15 years old thinking to myself, “If I live to be 65 years old, that means I’ll be around for 50 more years. Wow, that’s a long time!” When you were 15, 50 years seemed like forever, didn’t it? We’ve all had these kinds of thoughts when we were young….
How To Use The MyFitnessPal App On Your Mobile Device
In a previous post, I showed you how to use the MyFitnessPal app to calculate your daily food consumption for a ketogenic diet. For Barbara and me, this app has been absolutely essential to our keto diet success story. However, shortly after publishing that post, I realized that most of our friends…
Our Keto Journey Part 5: Important Tweaks We Made For Keto Success
You’re now familiar with what a keto diet is and how ketosis affects your body. You’ve established why you want to go keto (e.g.. weight loss, help in treating a specific health condition, or enhanced physical performance). And you’ve solved the mystery of macro calculation. So now…
Our Keto Journey Part 4: How We Calculate Our Keto Diet Macros
In this fourth post in our series Our Ketogenic Diet Journey, I’ll give you a behind the curtains peek at how Barbara and I configured our ketogenic diet. The keto diet with its amazing health benefits is finally becoming mainstream. More and more people are turning to the diet as an effective…
Our Keto Journey Part 3: Defeating A Skinny Fat Body And Healing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This is part 3 of our series Our Keto Journey. In John’s case, he wasn’t overweight, but he did have a metabolically dangerous fat issue that required he go keto. Surprisingly, there may be up to 30 million people in the United States with this same problem, but …
Our Keto Journey Part 2: Getting Rid Of Stubborn Pounds And Guarding Against Alzheimer’s
In the first post in this series, John presented a 5,000-foot view of what a ketogenic diet looks like. If you’re completely unfamiliar with a keto diet, we suggest you read that post first. In this post today, I’ll share why I went keto.
Our Keto Journey Part 1: The Keto Diet Is Hot! Here’s Why
Barbara and I have been on a ketogenic diet for about six months, and we are absolutely amazed at the results. I’ve lost inches. She’s lost inches. And we’re both full of energy. To tell you the truth, the diet wasn’t even that difficult to configure or stay on. From our perspective, it wasn’t restrictive…
How to Recompose Your Dad Bod in Less Than a Year (Even if You’re in Your Fifties)
This article covers body recomposition and the benefits of strength training and the ketogenic way of eating. Okay, guys. You’ve put your kids through school. Your mortgage is almost paid. Your job… well, we won’t dwell on that. It could always be better, right? You’ve come to that place in life where you can finally…
Ultimate Gift Guide for Culinary, Fitness, and Wellness Enthusiasts
Today, I’ve carefully curated a list of gifts for your favorite health nut. All these gifts can be purchased online while you’re curled up on your couch with your favorite hot beverage. I don’t know about you, but that’s my favorite way to avoid the crowds at the mall. 🙂
My Quickest Recovery From Back Spasms: Did A Strong Back Help?
I was able to recover from back spasms quickly due to the strength training I had done over the years; building muscle and strengthening my bones. Two Saturdays ago, I was bending down to put something into my freezer when a severe pain shot through my lower back. In the words of Forrest Gump, it…
Pomegranate And Berry Blast Green Smoothie (Weekly Workouts)
Pomegranate And Berry Blast Green Smoothie is an incredibly nourishing smoothie, and just wait until you taste how delicious it is too. The last few weeks after our workout sessions, I’ve loved whipping up this nutritious smoothie for Barbara and me. It really seems to give us the boost of energy we need after working…
How To Optimize Your Sleep Cycles For A Restorative Night’s Sleep
Whenever your body experiences any kind of stress, it goes through a series of hormonal and physiological processes that allow each part to adapt in a way that makes it better prepared to meet that stressor the next time it appears. This recovery process is the same whether the body is stressed by lifting a heavy…
My Experience With Chronic Fatigue And Strength Training (Weekly Workouts)
This is my experience with chronic fatigue and strength training. Strength training and cardio can provide a respite from stress of the day. It was a beautiful October day in 1986. The air was fresh, the leaves were just starting to announce a new season, and the Mets were in the playoffs. It was a…
Why Barbell Squats Might Be The Most Important Exercise You Can Do (Weekly Workouts)
Barbell squats are the most important exercise for developing overall strength and fitness. There is no other exercise that compares with them for gaining strength and making you a physically better functioning human being. If you’re not doing squats, then you’re missing out on an exercise that can have a tremendous impact on your future…
4 Important Motivations for a Successful Workout Routine (Weekly Workouts)
I am starting a new series on the blog where I will be sharing Barbara’s and my weekly workouts. Today, I also wanted to share with you the four motivations that I believe are important for a successful workout routine. I’ve now been working out for about 18 months. During that time, I have missed…
How I’m Beating Sarcopenia With Weight Training
Weight training helps to improve muscle mass and strength. In this post, I show you how I did it. Did you know that if you’re over 30 years old you’ll start losing muscle mass every year? It’s true, you will. The normal human aging process dictates that everyone, at some point, in their thirties will begin losing…
Getting Healthy: My Fitness Routine
Today, John talks about getting healthy and starting his fitness routine after 28 years of chronic fatigue. Three years ago I wouldn’t have believed it was possible. Even a year ago I didn’t think it was possible. At 58 years old, I’m back in the gym lifting weights. WOW! After being unable to do any strength training…
6 Ways Resistance Training Makes You Healthier
My husband, John, is visiting the blog today with an article about the many benefits of resistance training. ~ Barbara “I don’t want to feel sick anymore. I want to feel better!” That was my constant lament during the years of suffering with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Those of you who…
10 Reasons Why Walking Is So Healthy
“If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong. The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is best. I have known some great walkers and had particular accounts of many more; and I never knew or heard of one who was not healthy and long lived.”…