I’m 44. If you’re in your 30s watch this.
Summary
TLDRIn this personal reflection, the speaker shares insights from their fitness journey, highlighting the shift from solely cycling to incorporating strength training as they aged. They emphasize the importance of resilience, posture correction, and core stability, not just for performance but for longevity in life. The speaker also discusses optimizing time, taking ownership of progress, and finding contentment in everyday moments. The message encourages balancing present joy with future goals, testing and refining routines, and embracing life's surprises while building strength both physically and mentally.
Takeaways
- 🚴♂️ Fitness isn't just about excelling in one area, like cycling, but about being strong, resilient, and prepared for life's changes.
- 🧠 Taking ownership of your fitness journey is key, adapting to the shifts that come with age and experience.
- 🏋️♂️ Strength training is the missing link for cyclists, offering benefits like posture correction, core stability, and longevity.
- ⚖️ Balance is crucial: cycling builds a specific kind of fitness but neglects important areas like upper body strength and injury prevention.
- 🔍 Be intentional with your actions, constantly test and retest your methods to ensure they're moving you toward your goals.
- ⏳ Time becomes more valuable as you age, so optimizing your time and decisions is essential.
- ❤️ Contentment and happiness come from the choices you make daily, not just physical achievements or fleeting feelings.
- 🗒️ Writing down and pursuing your performance goals with consistent small actions helps you stay aligned with your long-term aspirations.
- 💡 Focus on both the present and the future: you can plan for the long term while enjoying the moment and loving the process.
- 🌊 Life's challenges should be approached like a flowing river, embracing the surprises and changes that come along, leading to resilience and confidence.
Q & A
What is the key lesson the speaker would share with their 36-year-old self?
-The speaker would emphasize that fitness is not just about excelling at cycling, but about becoming strong, resilient, and prepared for life's challenges. They also stress the importance of taking ownership of one’s journey.
How did the speaker’s perspective on fitness change over time?
-Initially, the speaker focused solely on cycling for fitness. However, as they approached their 40s, they realized the importance of strength training for overall health, injury prevention, and long-term resilience, not just cycling performance.
Why does the speaker believe strength training is essential for cyclists?
-Strength training targets underdeveloped muscles, particularly in the upper body and core, that cycling alone neglects. This training helps improve posture, core stability, and overall health, which contribute to cycling efficiency and injury prevention.
What advice does the speaker offer about fitness goals and routines?
-The speaker advises taking full responsibility for your progress, adapting routines when necessary, and focusing on holistic health rather than vanity metrics or superficial results.
What was the turning point for the speaker in their fitness journey?
-The turning point came when the speaker decided to start strength training after consistently riding past a gym and asking themselves, 'If not now, when?' This marked a shift in their approach to fitness beyond cycling.
What lesson did the speaker learn from their experience with ankle rehab?
-The speaker learned the importance of intentional, goal-oriented exercises. They were advised to test and retest their range of motion for each exercise, which helped them eliminate ineffective exercises and focus on those that made progress.
How does the speaker recommend managing time and progress as you age?
-The speaker suggests being mindful of how time is spent, optimizing routines, and consistently refining your approach. This includes eliminating activities that don’t move you towards your goals and focusing on ones that do.
What does the speaker say about the balance between future planning and enjoying the present?
-The speaker believes it’s possible to plan for the future while focusing on the present. They encourage people to be relentless in their consistency while also enjoying each day of physical activity.
What is the speaker’s perspective on happiness and contentment?
-The speaker views happiness as a state cultivated through daily choices rather than a fleeting feeling. They emphasize the importance of finding contentment in both small moments, like enjoying a sunny ride, and in reaching larger goals.
What final piece of advice does the speaker offer for long-term fitness and life success?
-The speaker advises being aware of how you're spending your time, testing and refining your approach, and eliminating what doesn't serve your goals. They also highlight the importance of embracing life's surprises and focusing on both physical and personal growth.
Outlines
🚴♂️ Fitness Beyond Cycling
The speaker reflects on their fitness journey, transitioning from a focus solely on cycling to a more holistic approach. At 36, they were fit but not strong. By 38, they realized the importance of strength training for cyclists, which offers benefits like posture correction, core stability, and injury prevention. They emphasize the need for self-ownership of one's fitness journey and the importance of adapting to changes. The speaker also stresses the significance of not just physical fitness but also mental contentment and the pursuit of happiness through daily choices and activities.
🌟 Embracing Life's Journey
In the second paragraph, the speaker discusses the importance of being consistent and loving every day of physical activity. They advise on being aware of how time is spent and to test, refine, and eliminate activities that do not align with one's goals. The speaker shares their personal transformation and how it prepared them for life's challenges, not just in cycling. They encourage embracing life's surprises and unfolding with resilience, confidence, and a contented heart, suggesting that these qualities are essential for navigating life's challenges.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cycling
💡Strength Training
💡Resilience
💡Longevity
💡Core Stability
💡Posture Correction
💡Time Optimization
💡Contentment
💡Responsibility
💡Test and Retest
Highlights
The importance of shifting focus from just cycling to overall fitness and strength.
The realization that fitness is about being prepared for life's changes.
The need to take ownership of one's fitness journey.
The inevitable shift in physical fitness as one approaches mid-40s.
The turning point of starting strength training at 38 years old.
The benefits of strength training for cyclists.
The importance of posture correction and core stability in strength training.
The necessity of recognizing areas in life and training that need attention.
How strength training targets muscles that cycling misses.
The advice to not focus on vanity metrics but on how exercises make you feel.
The importance of optimizing time and being aware of one's progress.
The realization that no one else can monitor your progress like you can.
The practical example of ankle rehab and the importance of intentional exercise.
The lesson of testing and refining exercises to achieve specific goals.
The journey towards contentment and finding happiness in daily choices.
The importance of reflecting on current happiness and contentment.
The advice to write down bucket list items related to performance.
The balance between planning for the future and enjoying the present.
The necessity of letting go of ideas that won't serve you in the future.
The insight that the shifts made were necessary for both cycling and life.
The metaphor of life as a flowing river, unfolding with surprises.
Transcripts
I'm 44 years old now and if I could go
back and talk to my 36y old self here's
what I would say back then cycling was
my focus for Fitness but I realize
something crucial Fitness isn't just
about riding fast up it's about being
strong resilient and prepared for the
shifts that life throws your way the
truth is behind every goal and routine
there's the need to take ownership of
your journey let's explore the lessons I
wish I had known as you approach your
mid-40s you'll feel a shift it's
inevitable at 36 I was fit but I wasn't
strong and by 38 with 40 looming I
finally acted on something that had been
nagging me for a while after riding past
a jym every day for months I thought if
not now
when that moment marked a turning point
in my Approach To Fitness but it didn't
stop the feeling of change this shift
wasn't just physical it was about
realizing that real self-help in life
and cycling means taking full
responsibility for your progress and
adapting as needed strength training
offers a host of benefits it's the
missing link for cyclists who want
longevity in the sport and quality of
life and when I was purely focused on
cycling I thought it was enough but
after putting time into strength work I
realized I was missing crucial elements
like posture correction and core
stability there's no longevity in
strength training if your posture isn't
optimized and this is where knowing what
works for you comes into play
it's about recognizing the areas in your
life and training that need attention
just like those underworked muscles and
cycling alone builds a specific kind of
Fitness but it neglects other critical
areas strength training targets muscles
that cycling misses particularly in the
upper body and the trunk which are
essential not just for cycling
efficiency but for preventing injuries
and maintaining Health don't focus on
vanity metrics or just looking good pay
attention to how something makes you
feel
before during and after and be real with
the results you're getting and if that's
what you want great but don't get
fixated on the results as I've become
more aware one thing stands out time
time slipping away and so optimizing
time has become crucial and awareness is
a big part of my decision making process
this ties into something that I've
realized that no one else can look out
for your progress the way you can and
change isn't just about tweaking your
routine or trying something new it's
about facing the discomfort of pushing
Beyond what's
easy let me give you a practical example
recently I was doing some ankle rehab
and trying a lot of different exercises
almost in a desperate try everything
kind of approach but I wasn't acting
from an intentional space and a wise
acquaintance asked me are you getting
the result you want and frankly I just
couldn't answer him he advised me to
test and retest my range of motion with
every exercise that I introduced and
then I basically eliminated 90% of what
I was doing because it wasn't moving the
needle towards my goal and this was a
big lesson and one I wish I had
committed to sooner but going forward
it's going to become crucial in how I
optimize my time it's like making sure
the thoughts that govern your life are
the right ones not just the ones that
were easy to pick up now this journey
isn't about physical gains or ticking
off achievements it's also about finding
contentment in what you do a contended
heart is one of life's greatest gifts
and over the years I've come to realize
that happiness isn't just a fleeting
feeling it's a state that you cultivate
through the choices that you make every
day whether it's the satisfaction of
nailing a tough workout or the simple
joy of writing on a sunny day these
moments of contentment are what keep you
going as you continue on your path take
a moment to reflect on your current
happiness and contentment what does it
take for you to feel truly fulfilled how
do you plan to achieve or maintain that
sense of contentment as you grow and
change it's not just about the physical
Milestones but also about nurturing a
sense of peace and satisfaction in your
life and trust me when I say this will
become more important as time passes
write down your bucket list items
related to Performance and pursue them
with Vigor it's about Relentless
consistency committing to small daily
actions that align with your long-term
go goals and this may seem
counterintuitive but don't focus on
longevity as the end goal sure set a
path but bring yourself back to the
moment and do things you enjoy doing
there's a lot in this advice that seems
like contradictions but it's really
about balancing the young bloke head
space with the wisdom of experience it's
about recognizing the difference between
these two competing ideas and then
letting go of the ones that won't serve
you in the future you can have two
things at once you can plan for the
future while focusing on the now you can
be relentlessly consistent and love
every day you get out and do something
physical most importantly be aware of
how you're spending your time test
refine and eliminate what doesn't serve
your goals and looking back I see that
these shifts I made were necessary and
they've set me up not just for cycling
but for life if you're at a similar
Crossroads I hope these insights help
you make the right choices and remember
like a flowing river let your life
unfold with the surprises that come
along the way and in doing so you're not
just improving as a cyclist you're
enhancing your ability to navigate
life's challenges with resilience
confidence and a contented heart
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