This week’s content looks at the importance of prioritizing building muscle mass as you get older and a literal SMARTER way to set and achieve goals.
#1: Importance of prioritizing muscle mass as you age
Essentially they had regained the fitness that they had lost in the previous 30 or 40 years in three months of exercise
– Dr. William Evans on the elderly’s adaptation to exercise
Previously, studies showed that strength, not lean body mass, was associated with our general health span, injury risk, and mortality. This interview with Dr. William Evans explains the great importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age and the effects this may have on everything from our hormone production, brain health, risk of injury and quality of life:
- Do strength / resistance training as you get older. This is not just for aesthetics. By building muscle, the brain learns to use your muscles much more efficiently, strengthening not only your bones and muscle, but also your brain and preventing cognitive decline.
- Increase high quality protein intake as you age. Older adults produce less growth hormone and testosterone, reducing the efficiency of protein synthesis.
- Use creatine to build muscle and strength. It is one of the few supplements shown to be truly efficacious and safe (one of the most researched supplements).
- Intermittent fast or restrict calories. Practice caloric restriction regularly as it helps with reducing inflammation.
- Workout with others. Find a friend or partner who will work out with you consistently, this will make working out more sustainable than going at it alone.
References, sources and more:
- Source: Longevity by Design: Dr. William Evans – Why Muscle Mass is a Marker of Longevity
- Notable studies by Dr. Evans:
- Exercise training and nutritional supplementation for physical frailty in very elderly people
- Strength conditioning in older men: skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improved function
- High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: effects on skeletal muscle
- Sarcopenia: an undiagnosed condition in older adults. Current consensus definition: prevalence, etiology, and consequences. International working group on sarcopenia
#2: The SMARTER Way to set and accomplish your goals
If you look back over the course of your life. Probably every significant, important meaningful thing that happened to you began in the discomfort zone.
– Michael Hyatt
If your limiting beliefs and vague goals are leaving you disappointed, this podcast interview with Michael Hyatt is a great one for you. Michael Hyatt discusses an effective method (SMARTER) with Brett McKay in how to think about the goals you set to make them much more attainable.
- S – Specific. The more specific and concrete the goal, the better. Write them down to clarify your thinking. Example: Not just going to the gym but exact workouts you will be doing at the gym when you go.
- M – Measurable. Reduce it to a number. Example: Going to the gym 3 times a week or only having an alcoholic beverage once a week.
- A – Actionable. Something you can take action on. Must be a verb. Example for sales people: Don’t say you will make 100K next year, say you will take 4-6 sales calls a day that can lead to that income.
- R – Risky. The goal should be risky and get you out of your comfort zone. Just don’t enter the delusional zone.
- T – Time keyed. There should be a date or time associated with the goal (every day, week, quarter etc..).
- E – Excited. The goal should be inspiring and get you excited and shouldn’t be based on what other people want. Look internally to see what really motivates you to want to accomplish this goal.
- R – Relevant. The goal should be relevant to the season of life you are in and life circumstances. Make sure to have balance and to use some internal logic. If you are in your 40s with a family, it may not be the best time to strive to join the NBA.
Notes:
- Before you set new goals, review your past ones to see what went wrong and adjust your behavior.
- Regrets are oftentimes a geiger counter for buried treasure. Things you’ve done in the past where you feel regret are often opportunities to make improvements.
- 7-12 goals is a reasonable number. You can spread them out each quarter throughout the year or at a schedule of your choosing.
- Be picky about who you share goals with. Accountability groups or people can help you achieve your goals.
- To keep you motivated, you first need to find your “why” for setting the goal in the first place.
- Overcome inertia by just starting and not over-planning. Start with the easier stuff to give yourself some momentum. Think “START” – Schedule The Action Required Today
- Get a review process going to stay on track. Stay connected with your goals somehow by putting it in your calendar, visual notes you see daily or by staying connected to people that will hold you accountable.
- Measure the gains not the gaps. Example: You lost 30 pounds but didn’t hit your 50 pound goal you set. The process is where the gold is. Don’t beat yourself up over the arbitrary number. Just reassess and make improvements.
References, sources and more:
- Source: Podcast #762: Prepare Now to Have Your Best Year Ever with Michael Hyatt
- Michael Hyatt’s Best Year Ever Program
- Michael Hyatt’s Book
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