Health/Longevity Bias

[Steve Shafley]

Interestingly enough, my current interest in the thixotropic properties of the body's muscles and connective tissue really, really chime with frequent mobility work.

[James Evans]

My grandfather on my old man's side was teetotal and never smoked in his life. He died at the age of 98 or so.

Grandfather on my mother's side, drank moderately, never smoked. Died at 95.

Both were pretty damn active up until their last few years when death was probably a welcome visitor. And I mean active, not just getting up to change channels rather than use the remote. And both ate sensible amounts from what I would consider a fairly standard middle class diet from the first half of the twentieth century.

My uncle once told me we had longevity in our genes. BS!

Activity. Alcohol in moderation. Food in moderation. No cigarettes (and I write that as someone who until recently was a heavy smoker). I have little doubt that's why those two men lived so long.

My father was as strong as ox. And I mean strong enough to lift a pool table by himself. But he smoked and drank. Died at 52.
My mother smoked and drank. Died at 30.
Both my grandmothers died young of illnesses relatively unheard of 100 years ago. As did my great grandmother on my mother's side. All smokers.

Dr Mike Stroud puts forward many interesting ideas in his book 'Survival of the Fittest'. Well worth reading. Particularly for those of you who don't believe we were born to exclusively sprint and perform Fran for time.

[R. Alan Hester]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Below you will find my attempt at distilling all of the pertinent facts out of the above posts in order to provide a cheat-sheet for all that question my emerging approach to life (i.e., my family and friends who find me odd). All future suggestions are welcome.

Alan

Health/longevity Bias Summary:
Exercise:
From September to April: Focus on strength and metcon using ME Blackbox approach w/ 1-2 metcons per week
Example:
M-ME Total
T-metcon (low-intensity GPP= sled pulling, sledgehammer)
W-ME Lower w/ mobility work
Th-metcon (high-intensity GPP= 100m-400m intervals, WOD (Kelly)
F-ME Upper w/ mobility work
S-walk/frolic/rest
Su-Rest

From May to August: Focus on strength maintenance and more metcon
Example:
M- metcon (low-intensity GPP= sled puling, sledgehammer)
T- ME Total w/ mobility work
W- metcon (high-intensity= 400m intervals, WOD (Kelly)
Th- ME Lower/Upper w/ mobility work
F-metcon
S-walk/frolic/rest
Su-Rest


Nutrition: Paleo foods
From September to April: Lowcarb, Intermittent Fasting nutrition plan
References:
Performance Menu Issue for April 2007
The Protein Power Life Plan
Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival


From May to August: Seasonal, Local carb sources that can support higher-frequency, higher-intensity metcons while maintaining strength.
References: See above

Mobility:
References: Need suggestions on best works

Sleep:
8-9 hours, perhaps sprinkled with a little ZMA or, in the immortal words of Robb Wolf, as much as you can get without getting fired or divorced.

Stress:
Reduce it

[Neal Winkler]

Looks good Alan. Remember, you don't have to workout 5 days per week every week either if you just have a health/longevity bias.

[Robert Allison]

Nice... Very similar to my approach these days. Not so much the specifics of the workouts, but the underlying philosophy. Although I will probably keep more of a strength focus up though the middle of June. I am using a modified SS program right now and want to give it about three months. As a result, I am limiting my metcon a bit more than you.

Regarding mobility, you might check out Magnificent Mobility. I have been using it for a couple of months now, with good results. I also hear that Eric Cobb's Z-Health program is pretty good, but I have no personal experience with it. Pavel also has some material on mobility, but it is a little pricey for what you get (IMO).

I would suggest that you give the ZMA a try, even while following the sleep recommendation from Lights Out.

As far as explaining what you are doing to others... let me know how that works out for you

[Mike ODonnell]

I agree for maintaining strength a 1x a week workout would probably do well (if increasing is not your goal). Also over use of high intense intervals too often may cause lack of recovery depending on your calories intake. So assuming just for lifelong health you would want to minimize calories without muscle and performance loss. The best way is just trial and error...plus some weeks you may get all your workouts in...some weeks you may not.

Mobility...try Yoga. It's a great active recovery and mobility workout. Plus a great stress reducer....that is if you are not wearing an Ipod with "Welcome to the Jungle" blasting...

[Robb Wolf]

Great Stuff!

[Ken Urakawa]

Doesn't Clarence Bass advocate a 1 workout a week approach?

[R. Alan Hester]

Originally Posted by Ken Urakawa

Doesn't Clarence Bass advocate a 1 workout a week approach?

He does advocate it in this article: http://www.cbass.com/GOALSETT.HTM

I do wonder, though, if an approach such as his is doable because of the high level of fitness he built over the years. That is to say, a reformed couchpotato could not get by on 1 strength and 1 high-intensity tabata based protocol that he supports, no?

[Mike ODonnell]

It is definitely easier to maintain than gain.....so if you are looking for increased strength, muscle size, endurance....then yes probably more than 1x a week is a needed stimulus....however if you are at a level you just want to maintain or progress at a very slow rate...then you can probably get away with a 1x a week full body weighted session....during the week could be additional activities (hiking, running, biking, sled dragging) and general GPP using bodyweight (pushups, pullups...) to keep the G-flux (as Beradi would say) high....Diet also plays a huge role too in maximizing muscle retention. That's the name of the game....keeping muscle and burning fat all day....