2024-01-08

Hope everyone is getting back into a routine for 2024. I thought I’d share the results from a study that really highlights the importance of fitness. I read this study after hearing about it in Dr Peter Attia’s book Outlive. Honestly, the book is kind of dull for my taste, but this study caught my attention. It included 122,007 patients (median age of 53) and concluded that “increased cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with reduced long-term mortality with no observed upper limit of benefit.” What this means is pretty simple – the more fit you are, the less likely you are to die.

However, the most fascinating part is the level of reduction in mortality that fitness gives. For example, simply improving your VO2 max from below average to above average (something I believe everyone can do if they exercise consistently) reduces your mortality risk by 41%. To put that into context, that’s the same reduction in mortality you get from being a non-smoker compared to a smoker. Other common maladies such as coronary artery disease, diabetes and high blood pressure all have increased risk of less than 41%. Thus, increasing fitness had more of an impact on longevity than avoiding diabetes did!

I wanted to share this because I don’t think many understand the benefits of exercise and increased cardiovascular fitness. We all know the risks with smoking and diabetes, etc. But perhaps if more truly understood the value of exercise to their longevity then they might choose to take it more seriously…

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Monday-

4×12 Deadlift (50%)
3×12 Bulgarian Split Squat (6 each leg)

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7 Rounds for Time:
3 C&J’s (Heavy)
50 DU

Tuesday-

8×1 Snatch+Hang Snatch+OHS (increasing)

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For Time:
6-9-12-9-6
Thrusters
Bar-facing Burpees
Pull-up (c2b if able)

Wednesday-

4×12 Back Squat (50%)
3×12 Single Arm DB Row

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For Time:
100 Sit-ups
80 Air Squats
60 Push-ups
40 Lunges
20 Burpees

Thursday-

8×1 Squat Clean-Lunge (L/R)-Push Jerk (increasing)

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For Time:
Run 800m
50 alt DB Snatch
Run 800m
*sub 1000m row if weather prevents running

Friday-

4×12 Bench (50%)
Double DB Farmers Carry 4×50 ft

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2 min AMRAP
9/6 cals bike
5 Snatch
ME pullups in remaining time.
-rest 1 minute-
2 min AMRAP
20 Wall Ball
5 S2OH
ME pullups in remaining time.
-rest 1 minute-
*repeat AMRAP’s til you reach 100 pull-ups.