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Hi Gym Junkies…Recently our intrepid leader Vic Magary sent out a note asking for volunteers to write a blog once a week for Gym Junkies.
I volunteered and he decided to let me have at it (although it may be against his better judgment). Vic and I met a couple of years in Greensboro Alabama at an Ultimate Black Belt Test service function.
We were there to build houses (think Habitat for Humanity), train and spend some time exploring how community service can serve both the community and the business at the same time.
I am pretty sure Vic thought I was crazy as I was in the middle of my 500,000 push up quest. Yes, you read that correctly… ½ million pushups, ½ million crunches in 22 months.
These were not the greatest pushups…not like I do them now with the elbows tight to the torso and chin/chest on the mat. By the way, don’t try 500,000 at home or anywhere else. My shoulders paid a dear price for that bit of over use.
Almost 20 years ago at the ripe old age of 34 I started martial arts training in TaeKwon-Do.
In the intervening years I have tried to be a body builder type (no steroids though)after which I ran marathons and ultra marathons (anything over 26.2 miles is ultra) until my knee surgery (which was caused by something other than running) although running precipitated the surgery and all the while maintaining my martial arts training.
Today I am a 53 year old 5th degree martial artist and fitness instructor.
If I had to distill my workout/nutrition philosophy in a single sentence it would be this: Move more and eat less.
This mantra comes from Mark Sisson and the primal blueprint. We were all wrong for so many years…Chronic Cardio (thanks Mark) is a slow death.
I owned a gym for a short period of time…you know the typical Globo-Gym…people would come in and get on a bike or treadmill or stair stepper, grab a magazine and proceed to read, talk on the phone, text, or zone out for the next 45 minutes.
No intention and no change in the routine…and guess what…no change in their bodies either. Granted moving like this is better than not moving BUT there are better and more interesting ways (less time consuming as well) to create optimum health and fitness.
And that is the goal my friends: Optimum Health and Fitness. A strong mind in a strong body powered by whole foods eaten with intention and gratitude. More next week on the nutrition front because you cannot exercise yourself skinny!!
Namaste
-John
BTW be sure to check out Vic’s comments on a new article over at Fitness Spotlight on the best cardio workouts
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John Mariotti is A 53 year old martial artists and fitness and nutrition nut out to teach focus and inspire transformation. You can follow me on Twitter or get more info from me at my website. |
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Welcome aboard JOHN:
I love that saying John.. “You cannot exercise yourself skinny.” On that same token I will be borrow a quote from an interview that I transcribed for another fitness person that I share all of the time and rings quite true… Don’t “Starve yourself FAT”. How many people think they are going to get ’skinny’ by simply NOT eating… they starve themselves all day… just to continually eat all night long! It’s crazy. I am looking forward to your blogs. As an almost member of the “53 year old club” (my birthday is in Sept) I am here along with you to attest to the old saying.. AGE is not relevant… no way.. no how! Stop using your age as an excuse!
Looking forward with anticipation to the nutrition aspect.. I also receive newsletters from Mark Sisson and am quite intrigued.
I keep pushing towards those ‘elbows in’ chest tight to the mat pushups… I keep working towards that as FORM is everything!
Lisa
Atlanta, Ga.
Welcome aboard, John! I’m looking forward to your contributions. Thanks!
Hi John,
THoroughly enjoyed reading your article. Looking forward to the next one! Thanks!Rosalie
“Move more and eat less.” I agree! And it’s so SIMPLE…if only it were easy. I guess that’s why I also see losing weight/getting fit as being a “mind game.”
I guess, for me, this would be the perfect mantra:
“Move more, eat less, and know that you have to change your mind to change your body.”
What do you think?
Also…great article. Thanks for it, John! I just added Gym Junkies to my RSS feed, and I can’t wait to see what kinds of great content you guys pump out next!
All the best,
Heather