Recently, there was a great article on Silicon Canals by James Brennan, who cruised through his 20’s and early 30’s having no trouble with fitness.
He could lift weights a few times a week… eat whatever he wanted… and run on a few hours of sleep and still feel invincible.
But when he turned 35, the tide turned.
He started to feel a twinge in his low back… struggled to recover from lack of sleep… and realized that even on his best days – he was working at 60% capacity. According to Brennan: “My body started keeping a running tally of every shortcut I’d taken, and the bill was coming due with interest.”
This caused him to rethink his doing-the-bare-minimum strategy and adopt certain habits that he had previously underestimated until he turned 35 – they include:
Treating sleep like it's sacred
Warming up for longer than 5 minutes
Actually taking rest days
Mobility work that looks ridiculous
Tracking workouts like a scientist
Eating protein like it's my job
Taking movement breaks during work
Prioritizing recovery tools and techniques
When I saw this list, I couldn’t help but think: These habits are not exclusive for those over 35. These are for athleticism at any age.
When I played D3 collegiate football, we were religious about sleep… warmed up for a minimum of 20-30 minutes (and yes, sometimes the mobility work looked ridiculous)… tracked workouts closely (at least our strength coaches did)… slammed gratuitous amounts of protein at each meal… and we utilized recovery tools and techniques (such as foam rolling, stretches, joint mobilizations)
This echoes something Mike Mancias, the longtime fitness coach of NBA all-star LeBron James, shared on the Tim FerrissPodcast: “Recovery never ends. Recovery never stops. If LeBron plays 40 minutes one night, if he plays 28 minutes one night, we’re still going to keep recovery as our number one focus, whether that be in nutrition, whether that be in hydration, more flexibility exercises, stuff in the weight room. It’s a never-ending process, really.”
It’s these recovery routines that allow athletes to achieve peak performance whether it’s high school football players… collegiate soccer players… or masters track athletes.
While you might not care a flying fork about sprinting faster… deadlifting a house… or dunking a basketball – these habits lay a foundation for any athleticism.
When your body moves freer and feels better, it’s easier to go on 3-mile neighborhood walks… or elliptical for 45-minutes… or lift dumbbells in the gym.
Which makes losing weight and gaining muscle a much smoother journey. When you are stiff, inflexible or lack balance, that’s when all your fitness goals get tougher.
Athletes are drilled on these habits before injuries happen.
Most people wait for an injury or ache or pain to take them seriously.