Masters Athlete

The sports world was shocked to its core this past weekend. As a Celtics fan, I was never the biggest cheerleader for Kobe, but relentless pursuit of greatness was something to behold and extremely inspiring. This episode talks about the mentality he had, along with athletes like Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and others, to become the incredible athletes they became and how the masters athlete can absorb that mindset for sports, finances, and relationships. 

We've all read what Men's Health and Muscle & Fitness magazines have told us regarding strength training. But the reality is that our training programs need to mimic EXACTLY what it is we are looking for in terms of our goals towards performance. This week I touch base on the basic concepts of strength training and will build to more advanced concepts in the upcoming weeks.

We've all done it. We've done 30 minutes on the treadmill and then headed off to our strength training session and pumped out some squats, pull-ups, bench press, whatever (or strength THEN cardio...whatever). Well, science shows this isn't the best way to attack your training and in today's episode I'll discuss why you should do these on separate workouts rather than in the same session. This is my first of a series of episodes dedicated to strength training.

In part three of my series on aerobic endurance, I wanted to talk about the types of aerobic endurance needed for performance and the fuel needed for long slow distance events.

I ran into a situation this past week where being prepared for a health emergency was of the utmost importance. I talk about that along with a recent study regarding shoes on this week's episode.

2019 was a banner year for being a masters athlete. With the launch of this podcast, running at the Masters National Championships, and coaching several athletes, I’ve learned a ton throughout this year. This week’s episode i talk about what I’ve learned along the way and what to look forward to for next year.

And we're back with another episode dedicated to aerobic endurance. This week I touch base on long-distance versus short distance endurance training and when it's appropriate to use HIIT as a training tool. I talk about using heart rate as an indicator of fat utilization and to focus on long steady increases rather than fast improvements.

Aerobic endurance has many different aspects and types of training associated with it. It can be anything from a 1-mile run to a full marathon. But the training for those two events, while both being aerobic endurance, is not the same. Today I give a high-level overview on why the concept of specificity is extremely important when programming for this type of competition.

It's no secret that our healthcare system is broken. From the education that physicians receive to the care plans insurance allows, to the fact that the allied health field is completely shut out from working alongside MD. The entire system is broken and today I go into detail about how this directly affects the masters athlete.

We've all seen and heard of What the Health and Forks over Knives. Pro-vegan movies that promise everlasting life and make you scared to ever eat another hamburger again. Unfortunately, though, they have little to do with actual science and more to do with tugging at your emotions. There's another movie out now that does exactly the same and it's called Game Changers. This time the vegans are attacking animal-based proteins and how it affects athletes. In this episode, I talk briefly about the movie and how it can be misleading.

We'd like to think we can do everything ourselves but sometimes we just need a coach to help us get through the madness of what it takes to be healthy. Whether it's fitness, nutrition, or health coaching, we all need a coach at some point and this episode is dedicated to guiding you to the right coach for the right job. https://www.nsca.com/ https://www.acsm.org/ https://www.nasm.org/ https://www.crossfit.com/certificate-courses/level-1 https://www.precisionnutrition.com/ https://www.eatright.org/ https://www.wellcoachesschool.com/ https://www.welcoa.org/ https://www.nchec.org/

Martial arts isn't something that's only performed in an octagon. It's also a lot more than learning how to do various forms to get the next belt. Martial arts is a means of survival and a way to protect yourself against danger. My guest this week is a martial art and exercise science guru and is the owner of Valhalla Academy in Frankfort, Kentucky and is a professor at a liberal arts college in Kentucky as well. He also runs the online community Old School Jujitsu and provides self-defense instruction to various tactical teams around the state. He has a fantastic way of bridging the gap between the science of exercise and the application of it on the street. For more information on Valhalla Academy and Old School Jujitsu, please click on the links below. www.valhallaacademy.com IG - @valhallaacademy.com Facebook - Valhalla Academy www.oldschooljiujitsu.org IG - @old_school_bjj Facebook - Old School Jiu-Jitsu

Tell me you've heard this before...a friend/relative/client/coworker has justified their poor decision making regarding nutrition with the term "everything in moderation". Maybe you've even used it yourself. Or how about this one...the same friend/relative/client/coworker has told you they started a workout regimine and they are looking forward to "toning up" their arms or hips. When I hear both of those phrases, it makes me want to crawl into bed and cry. In this week's episode I discuss why those terms are bad and what we can do moving forward to fixing them.

This week I delve into some of the articles I'm reading again and talk at great length about how they tie into what the masters athlete has to deal with and ways they can help the masters athlete train. https://donate.teamrwb.org/event/wod-for-warriors-2019/e235163?_ga=2.172732576.209550981.1568902229-1756156768.1504480037 https://elemental.medium.com/extreme-athleticism-is-the-new-midlife-crisis-d87199a18bed https://www.amazon.com/No-Sweat-Science-Motivation-Lifetime-ebook/dp/B00TRF2LGU/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=no+sweat+book&qid=1569601484&sr=8-3

We all have a drop in motivation. Whether it's family related, or injury, or financial stress, it's there. So this week I wanted to talk about why we have those drops in motivation and how we can move forward to getting past them.

I thought I'd try something a little different today and review a few of the articles I've read over the past week that I've found interesting. Below are the links to these articles and I highly recommend you read them for yourself. https://simplifaster.com/articles/acceleration-max-velocity/ https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-it-was-easier-to-be-skinny-in-the-1980s?utm_source=Dan+John%27s+Wandering+Weights&utm_campaign=74ab3fb0f3-djww251&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d663067162-74ab3fb0f3-37003541&goal=0_d663067162-74ab3fb0f3-37003541&mc_cid=74ab3fb0f3&mc_eid=9475a2f271 https://simplifaster.com/articles/managing-travel-costs-track-field/amp/ http://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/PrinterFriendly.aspx?ID=1079&lang=EN

Last week's episode questioning the application of Olympic lifting, and to a lesser degree, power lifting, into the strength training program of a masters athlete generated quite a bit of discussion. I wanted to revisit the subject this week clarifying some of my stance and offering a further explanation on why I feel that Olympic/power lifting MIGHT not be necessary for the goal you're trying to accomplish.

There's a lot of controversy surrounding the topic of just how much a masters athlete, or any athlete for that matter, requires the use of Olympic and power lifts incorporated into their training program. Yes, there are definite benefits associated with all of the lifts, but not every athlete requires this type of training as the benefits of this type of weight training simply aren't there when you are wanting to run/swim/cycle as fast as possible. https://simplifaster.com/ http://itccca.com/10925/2015/11/tony-holler-post-collegiate-training/ https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/exercises/olympic-weightlifting/ https://www.scienceforsport.com/olympic-weightlifting/ https://www.completetrackandfield.com/does-the-squat-and-deadlift-improve-sprinting-speed/

We all have stressors. As masters athletes we may deal with them a little more than those younger athletes. Today we talk about the stressors in our life and ways to deal with them. https://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/health-issues/stress https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3894304/ https://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-6-manage-your-stress/ https://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-actions-for-an-anti-stress-protocol/

We are all walking around in an inflamed state. Whether it's from poor nutrition, decreased quality sleep, increased stress, or poor gut health, we all have our reasons for being inflamed. This week's episode I want to discuss those reasons, the problems they may cause, and what we can do to help decrease the amount of inflammation in our bodies. We might not be able to eliminate inflammation, but we have to do what we can to help decrease the preventable amount. As masters athletes, we have to worry about stress, lack of sleep, finances, and eating on the go all of the time. We need to find ways to help reduce this systemic inflammation in order to keep moving forward with our activities. 

As a masters athlete, we tend to fall into one of two groups: those that need to be a part of a community to help push us...hello CrossFit...and those that have decided we don't like the hustle and bustle of going to a commercial gym so we invest into a home gym. This episode talks about everything needed for a home gym, both fitness and prehab/rehab equipment, along with resources that are available to get you started in the right direction. https://garagegymathlete.com/ https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MastersAthleteSC/?modal=admin_todo_tour

This week I talk about the happenings at the USATF Masters National Track and Field Championships that were held in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State University. I review my events, how I did, and the injuries I overcame. I then talk about the people I met at the meet and my goals for next year at the World Championships. http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2019/USATF-Masters-Outdoor-Championships.aspx http://finishtiming.trackscoreboard.com/#/results/meet/201900312 http://wmatoronto2020.com/

This week's episode is an interview with someone I see on a regular basis, especially when I'm trying to get to the starting line of any event I've signed up for. Dr. Kyle Bowling is the owner of Kentucky Sports Chiropractic in Louisville, KY and is also the creator of the CTM Band, which is a compression and trigger point therapy product. Dr. Kyle is an avid runner, has competed in multiple Boston Marathons, and competed at the college level at the University of Louisville in both track & field and cross country. Dr. Kyle has also performed treatment and care for the elite jockeys at Churchill Downs and was in integral part of the medical team that helped win the first Triple Crown in 37 years of horse racing. http://www.kentuckysportschiropractic.com/index.html https://ctm.band/

In this week's episode, I talk about the very basics of nutrition. I go over what macronutrients are and how to fuel yourself for short, intense activities versus long, slow, low-intensity activities. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3024813/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/maltose https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/ https://chriskresser.com/healthy-fats-what-you-need-to-know/ https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/5-roles-protein-5785.html

This week's episode of the Masters Athlete podcast details the movement-based approach to training. This includes incorporating all planes of motion into your fitness routine and provides examples of the types of exercises that are involved with that. It also gives a summary of the joint-by-joint approach to training, originated by Gray Cook and Mike Boyle. For more information on the joint-by-joint approach, visit the following websites: https://www.otpbooks.com/advances-in-functional-training-excerpt/ http://graycook.com/?p=35 https://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1282.cfm https://ericcressey.com/how-to-apply-the-joint-by-joint-approach-to-the-elbow https://deansomerset.com/fast-tracking-your-training-the-joint-by-joint-approach/

We all know we should have some kind of fitness assessment done when we start exercising. Today I want to discuss just a few that are available to us to help us start our training on the right foot and help prevent long term injuries. We discuss the ACSM, FMS, CrossFit, and others. https://www.functionalmovement.com/ https://www.acsm.org/read-research/books/acsms-health-related-physical-fitness-assessment-manual https://opexfit.com/blog/4-tests-determine-best-training-program-crossfit-athletes/ https://www.otpbooks.com/functional-movement-screen-7-screens-3-clearing-tests/

This episode is an interview with Suzy Goodwin of the RunLiftMom Podcast. She’s the owner of over 50 marathons and ultra-marathons and has 4 children under the age of 5 years old. Suzy is a retired RRCA and CrossFit Endurance running coach but still finds time to train to complete a marathon in all 50 states. You can find Suzy on al social media platforms at #runliftmom.

In this episode I wanted to discuss all of the options available to you as a masters athlete. You no longer have to just participate in a local 5k race or beer-league softball team. There are tons of options for you to sign up for as a masters athlete. Anything from CrossFit competitions, to adult baseball, to track and field. Get out there and explore all of the sports and stay active.

What is a masters athlete? It’s the 50 year old guy that runs in USATF masters track events. It’s the weekend warrior that plays pick-up basketball whenever possible. It’s the 60 year old that joined a CrossFit box. It’s that person who is over 40 that wants to continue to participate in sports and activities well into their 60’s, 70’s, and beyond. We will talk about exercise physiology, nutrition, injury prevention, stress management, and how to fit an active lifestyle into family life.