100 Year Athlete

The short answer is yes. Listen to the conversation with Dr. Alex Wetmore for more nuance and details.

In this episode, Ben Van Treese and Dr. Wetmore dive into the 2nd and 3rd Pillars of the Nine Pillars of Fitness: Speed and Power. They discuss the importance of these elements in maintaining overall fitness, particularly as we age. The conversation highlights why speed and power are critical for both athletic performance and longevity. Key Points: Importance of Speed and Power:  --> Speed and power are essential for performing athletic activities and having fun in dynamic environments. Decline with Age: [2:24] -->Strength decline starts in the 40s, but speed and power decline at four times the rate of strength. Comprehensive Fitness:  [5:09} --> Athletes need a well-rounded fitness regimen that includes speed and power to prevent imbalances and improve overall functionality. Training Recommendations: [8:34]  For recreational athletes, training speed and power 2-4 times a week is beneficial. Start with three to five fast or bouncy exercises. Perform three to five reps and three to five sets without getting overly tired.  Combine speed and power exercises for simplicity and effectiveness. Quotes: "Speed and power are the basis of all athleticism. Anything you do that is athletic requires speed and power." "If you're going to start training speed and you're an adult that hasn't sprinted for a while, don't let it open up for at least eight weeks, you'll pull a hamstring." Conclusion: [11:01]  Incorporate speed and power into your training regimen to maintain athleticism and reduce injury risk, especially as you age.  Consistency in training and a balanced approach are key to long-term fitness and health.

What’s Your Excuse?  At age 56, mountain biker and skier Jay Burke, “pain master” behind the Park City Point 2 Point MTB race, is sending harder than most 20-somethings  Listen to the podcast for a contagious dose of Jay Burke – it’ll get your ass into the gym or out harnessing gravity. Some highlights include: The origin story (00:00-02:04): Jay’s athletic beginnings, from hurdling sawhorses to team roping to motorcycling in rural Idaho. From the ad biz to Jackson, Wyoming (10:20): One summer turned into three years Balancing parenthood, racing, and play (12:31): “Competition is crack”  The PMA Shit (20:15): Don’t underestimate a positive mental attitude. A blown ACL (22:09): “I'm not gonna let this define my future.”

Movement Skill / Mobility:  What it is: The ability of your joints to move in ways required by your sport.   Why it matters: If you lack mobility, you’ll make compromises in technique that lead to pain, injury, or poor performance.    Blind spots: Being “fit” doesn’t matter if you blow your ACL on day #2 of skiing in November due to a lack of knee and hip mobility. Because mobility training doesn’t involve sweat and endorphin highs, mountain athletes tend to overlook it. No matter your age or injury history, you can make improvements in mobility, and doing so will extend your years in the mountains. 

Check out the blog Learn why the 9 Pillars of Fitness matter and how to use them. Athleticism is longevity. The 9 Pillars of Fitness ensure you maintain your athleticism for a lifetime.

Ladies, are you hoping to get more muscle “tone”?  Well for f**k’s sake, don’t. Lifting tiny little weights for high reps won’t do diddly-squat for your fitness or longevity. “Toning” is BS. If you want to travel the world, play sports, and adventure in the mountains into your last decade of life, you need to strength train. What exactly does that mean? How is it different from toning? To find out, listen to this week’s 100 Year Athlete pod, where Alex and Ben talk through Chapter 7 of Roar by Stacy Sims. Quotes: “In order to have a good quality of life, physically, you have to train hard. You have to strength train. Cardio will not cut it.” -Ben “Don't skimp on the loads.” -Alex “We're training to make your body last a long time, so you can do cool shit until you're dead.” -Ben “I think [with] sprint interval training, an added benefit outside of the physiology is that you teach people how hard they really can work in that short interval.” -Alex “Sweat is not a measure of a good workout.” -Alex  “There's no point in trying to replicate what you already do out on the trails in the gym. We're trying to work on a totally different quality.” -Alex  

Your knees are not invincible. In fact, women are 3x to 8x more likely than men to tear an ACL according to Dr. Stacy Sims, author of Roar. So, how do you prevent ACL injuries while skiing the 40+ inches of powder that just hit the Wasatch? Take your ski vacation in Colorado. It’s scientifically proven to be safer there.  (just kidding)  The key is to train core strength, stability, and mobility, and no, that doesn’t mean do crunches, balance on one foot, and stretch. Tune into the 100 Year Athlete podcast as we break down Chapter 6 of Roar and talk about how to prevent knee injuries.  Quotes: “Good strength training really, really, really is injury prevention.” -Ben   “Regardless of whether your movement patterns are good, if you're experiencing forces that you can't handle, then sometimes there are bad consequences for that.” -Alex  “If you're not able to develop force quickly and stabilize joints, that's when things happen that are unintended.” -Alex “Train your joint through its entire range of motion so that you can be strong regardless of what position you're in.” -Ben “Mobility is way more important to train than flexibility. A lot of women are very flexible in nature. And we like to do what we're good at.” -Ben “Injury causes inconsistency in training. For most injuries, that’s probably the worst part of it.” -Ben  

Weight is perhaps the most misleading signal about your health. Many people have a number in their head about what they should weigh, and anything heavier is “bad.”  Well, screw that!  According to Dr. Stacy Sims, author of ROAR, weight isn’t important if longevity, health, and wellbeing are what matter to you. Focus on gaining muscle mass, which will make it easier to lose body fat—and help you stay active as you age. And whatever you do, ladies, do not fast!  For more on all that, check out the latest episode of the 100 Year Athlete podcast. Quotes: “Creating an arbitrary number on the scale isn't super helpful for working with your physiology and having your body work well and look good.” -Ben “You can’t be at peak performance 100% of the time. It's just not feasible. It's not sustainable. And it's ultimately not good for your longevity.” -Ben

Should you continue training while pregnant?  The short answer is yes according to Dr. Stacy Sims, author of ROAR: Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong Body for Life  In fact, training while pregnant is good for the baby’s development. Listen to the latest episode of 100 Year Athlete to learn more.    Quotes: “If you're an athlete, keep getting after it. If you've never trained before, keep it simple.  It's good for you. It's good for the baby.” -Ben “Women who regularly exercise throughout their pregnancy have a much better outcome than those who don't.” -Alex

Menopause. It’s not what two 30-something dudes usually discuss on a podcast, but we owe it to the badass women who train with us. Menopause is intense (we have moms – we hear about it), but it doesn’t have to slow you down. Join us on the 100 Year Athlete pod as we break down Chapter 3 of ROAR by Dr. Stacy Sims. We’ll discuss her recommendations for menopausal nutrition, sleep, fitness, and hydration so you can keep playing and training hard.  Quotes (Ben’s) “The end of your periods isn't the end of the line” “...There is a large drop in the protein synthesis to protein breakdown ratio once you go through menopause. So it's harder not only to build muscle, but even just to save the lean mass you have so you have to be really intentional about how you feel and how you recover.” “Just drinking water is not hydrating.”