Hi Mark, as someone who can squat 285 kgs on a squat machine at a body weight of 75kgs, I find it fascinating to watch you improve your mental and physical strength as well. Now, given that I am 55 years old, and not 50. I do however see a parallel in our ability to push the boundaries of Mother Nature to her limits. I wish you well in your journey and future activities.
I am 61 in two weeks. I love dance, yoga and running. Last weekend I did a half marathon and now it is time to go for a 7 mile run in the rain. I am not feeling it🙄, so I put on your video for inspiration and motivation. I find you hilarious and that is very motivating. Thanks for making me laugh at myself and at your humor. Have a great day it is time to run🏃♀
I'm 37, 240lb and signed up for my 1st half marathon in March. Your videos have been really useful on my weightloss journey (down from 297lb) keep it coming
that's awesome! I signed up for one in November, I went from 260 down to 233-235'ish preparing for it since mid June hopefully I can get to 225 or lower by November
Turned 50 this summer and feel great. Training weights three times a week all year, do lots of whitewater kayaking and mountain biking in the summertime, skiing in the wintertime (slopes & backcountry), sauna, ice baths, eat loads of fish, don´t smoke, quit alcohol, take no supplements other than cod liver oil.
i started running about 4 months ago and lost about 13 kilo, i was around 119 kilo and now i am about 107 kilo, these videos keep me inspired and motivated to keep running and not to give up, so thank you Mark for another great video 💙
Ive now ran consistently for over a year. Started August 2022, now on 100 miles a month. Also doing weights. Have done several races, lost 3 stone. Youve kept me trucking Mark. Cheers
Mark, you're not that old and definitely not out of shape. I worked out and played organized sports until my 30s then work and family took over. I started working out again at 60. The past couple of years have been great - especially with people like you to provide motivation. Thank you.
Down to earth, no hype, no nonsense and the humour is genuine. All in all very useful. Thanks Mark. I’m 61 and have started to creak over the last two years. No habits are required
Thanks to the motivation you've given me, I just broke the 30 mins barrier for my parkrun! Have knocked 6 mins off this year, now heading to sub 25! Thanks
I have always tried to stay fit and healthy but once we had finished having kids (yep 7 of them) , my mission became to stay fit and healthy. I noticed going through menopause that I my knees especially began to ache and I felt old. Weight went on too. That wasn’t going to work for me so started at gym first time in life (at 48) and started strength training, and running. Healthier than I have ever been. No issues with knees and about to run a Half marathon. Weight came off with extra. Go team Mark Lewis. You and Jen are an inspiration. 🎉🎉
My advice to older people starting out to log all of your workouts, in my case runs. I noticed that if I run 4:40 per KM twice a week, I hurt myself. Now, I go 4:50 once a week and changed one second run to a longer run a little slower and then a long run on Sundays. I also changed from 4 runs a week to 3 runs plus a mountain hiking session.
Accompany every cup of coffee one drinks with: 3x2.5min alternating single leg hops. Start with 3 subsequent hops every leg to 10 or 15 single leg hops.
I have told so many people about this channel. Funny, motivational, honest and I believe from the heart. Above average is great, being better than the person sat on the sofa or going out for a run in the rain. My Mrs lost a shot load of weight, she beats herself up a little bit, but she runs several times a week as well as weight training. I tell her the same thing , above average when she's training outside in the rain or at 7-30 on a Saturday morning in the gym as an example . Although when I shout the Goggins STAY hard at her, she give me the shut up you #@ck look. Lol.
I'm nearly 25 and I've been through anorexia for a couple of years now I hope it's finished. I find all of your content very inspiring (to be grateful to our bodies being able to accomplish such long distances; pushing physical limits, but also to start respecting ourselves). Also one of the only sport I can practice is swimming because of osteoporosis so I don't really know why I love your content so much ^^' (and I'm french if that's not enough ^^ that's said sorry for some language errors) Really hoping that you will start enjoying swimming one day for a triathlon :-)
My hips and knees are pretty shot and were hurting all the time but I found doing more focused stretches on myself have reduced the pain a lot. I hit the gym more intensely since watching this channel resulting in better cardio and strength than last time but if you ignore the mobility work you will definitely feel it the next day. Thanks for the video and the motivation Mark.
I had a bit of fitness transformation in my mid 20s. I was always a beanpole, I was 6’4 and weighed just under 10 stone. I started training in 2017 and by the time the lockdown hit I had put on 3 stone in (mostly) lean bodyweight. Friends and colleagues assumed I spent 20 odd hours a week exercising, when in reality I did a 45 minute to 1 hour gym session 5 times a week. The gym was a 5 minute drive from my house (yes, no cardio on those days), so in all it never took longer than 90 minutes out of my day.
I’m 52. I’ve had two knee surgeries as well. I gave up running years ago because a personal trainer friend of mine said it was bad for my knees. I topped out at 220lbs in December of last year and I said F it. I started training again sensibly. I’m now 187lbs. I’ve completed my first 15k Tough Mudder back in September and loved it. I have signed up for a Spartan Beast in May of next year and I will be doing my first 50k in April of next year. Love your content Mark.
It baffles me when people say things like 'grow old gracefully'. What the f*!@ does that mean? I swear, they see age as some sort of affliction that hobbles your ability, forgetting to mention that most age-related problems are in fact lifestyle-related, and we've just been at them a while. They cave at the first ache or niggle, hit the bottle, and tell themselves it's time to 'enjoy life' while developing a casual drinking problem and type 2 diabetes. Sod that, I'll age how I want to thank you. When I had kidney failure in my early 40s I was told repeatedly that running was bad for me, and that not drinking was boring, notably by non-runners and heavy drinkers, but guess what? I had a transplant and recovered faster than anyone expected. 3 years later I'm still running and feel better than I have in 20 years. Keep it up, Mark. You're a fine example of doing it right. And you're not THAT old...
The older I've gotten (45 now), the more important movement is to my well being. If I don't do some form of exercise for 48 hours, be it running, yoga, pilates, hiking... I get incredibly stiff and achy. My tolerance for intensity has gone down as well. I used to love running 5ks and doing 2 hour intense HIIT and MMA sessions. Now I'm so tired from working 60 hour weeks, a zone 2 run followed by 15 minutes of pilates is my happy spot. Don't get me wrong, mentally I'm still driven and competitive, I've just switched gears to ultras. I'm far less sore, tired, and injured focusing on endurance than I ever was focusing on intensity. But every body is different. I think the 1 thing that holds true for ALL living things is that motion is lotion, however we prefer it.
100% agree Mark. Blew out my back last year trying to deadlift too heavy. I managed to lose 25kg since despite being more cautious. You have been really helpful, like a 1 year younger Alabama step dad guiding me on my way. Just another easy 3kg to go and I'll be back in prime condition 😂
Im 22 and already experiencing knee pain from years of dance and am currently watching my mum at 53 not able to walk because of her knees so i really appreciate you mentioning about knees because i am very interested in preventing joint pain for as long as possible 😊
youtube.com/@TheKneesovertoesguy?si=j_8VwbENrsE-0ifA Hope Mark is ok with me referring this other channel here, but it does work wonders on many people!
Right as I started working out, I got shin splints, and my shoulder hurt like hell. My volume was way too high, and I overtrained every week until I took a step back and only trained 3 times a week with 2 extra running sessions. I had to start slowly and work my way up to higher volumes again. Everyone is different, and your body might react totally differently than mine did. Greetings from Germany peeps.
@@MarkLewisfitness Or, that you are wearing the wrong shoes. I had been running for a few years and still getting shin splints, when someone said I must be doing something wrong b/c shin splints were a beginner's problem. Shortly after that, I injured my back at work and found Pete Egoscue's book, "Pain Free". That book convinced me to go minimalist with my shoes. It was about 5 years before the barefoot movement, so I was running in water shoes. Fixed my herniated disc and my shin splints. After reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, I got onto the Vibram five finger shoes, and I've been wearing them ever since.
@@lornadoell I've used minimalist shoes, and still the I get shin splints within ten steps of starting to run, even after resting for weeks, might have a chronic problem, will see a doctor soon enough. Only thing that's helped (a bit) is compression
Much like you, I was heavy in my youth, and lost weight in my 30s. Seeing what you've done after that has really inspired me to know that I still have a chance of achieving above averageness.
Thanks Mark! Great tips here. I'm 49, 6'2", 102kg a cyclist for years and started running again this year. Managed a 25.02 parkrun on Saturday... sooo close to my sub 25min goal for the year! Knees are a bit sore so balancing running volume to keep my joints happy. Loving the podcast by the way! Cheers from 🇦🇺 Australia!
If you were inactive until you were in your mid-30s, then that explains a lot as well. I'm ten years younger than Mark, but played a LOT of sport from the age of 15 onwards. Now there are some things that my joints just won't allow me to do, even though I am able to work around it and stay fit
I stumbled upon your videos and wow! I really appreciate how candid you are. I’ve struggled with being casually fit, but never anything above that. Your videos have helped me push myself to go beyond that in as safe as a way as I can!
I love your list in specially the mother nature and knowing your limits. Since I always heard people talking about injuries like they’re normal and that never made sense to me because I’ve done about 13+ years of sport without any injury, granted I’m still young but I’ve heard even people younger than me under 20 talking about “I got injured from lifting weights, obviously, like you do”. Great points, I was kinda doing them subconsciously/instinctively but it’s awesome and encouraging to see that I’m on the right track.
Engaging content as usual! I distinctly remember Tony Horton, an equally wholesome pre-modern Mark Lewis, from p90x saying it wasn’t the dozens of pull-ups, the 6 pack abs, or the bison torso quads that kept him young and fit: it was yoga, which he described as the fountain of youth. I’ve been wondering when stretching would come along for you, and excited to see if it continues to play a role, and if so, how much. As for aging gracefully - I don’t think there’s very much attention paid yet to some of the amazing athletes that are in their 60s and 70s. I joined the triathlon club in San Diego, and some of those old fogies are absolutely ridiculous. After a 45 minute interval bike ride, I went on a 2 mile run with this old fella. He had to pull over to use the portable toilet for a number 2 (the curse of old age?). I thought it was the perfect time to make a little bit of distance so I could breathe a bit and re-tie my shoes, but before I even got done with the first shoe he had FINISHED and was right next to me again at an 8 minute pace! In any case, hoping to be a 20 year sub and see what 70 yo Mark Lewis and early 40s Jenna can do.
mobility and stretching are so important and often overlooked. I try to focus on these myself (though, admittedly, i could be better at being more consistent with them) and attribute it being (mostly) injury free
Hello Mark, I just completed my first 10k race at a 45:56, you were a big help in my journey and I have sadly became addicted to running. Thank you. :)
@MarkLewisfitness- as a 50 year old getting ready to receive my first hyaluronic jab it would be really insightful to understand how often folks are getting these and best practices to maximize effectiveness. Love you videos!
Hey Mark! Big fan, just thought it was interesting you didn't mention TRT in the recovery, or supplement category. The main reason it's banned in athletic competition is because it has such a positive impact on both recovery and muscle development, and I know you've mentioned your usage in a couple prior videos from years back. Obviously all the things you mentioned are super helpful, just thought this was a big one that shouldn't be thrown under the rug since some extra T flowing through your veins is more helpful than a sauna or ice bath... especially for older athletes
Because it was a bunch of things I do that are likely beneficial to the vast majority of people listening. And my addressing a medically diagnosed issue isn’t. Even my knee jabs don’t need a pre existing condition - footballers get them for purely preventative reasons. No one is (or should be) getting hormone replacement without a serious issue being diagnosed first. Way beyond the scope of a “here’s some stuff to try” video. This channel is not “do what mark does” - it’s about seeing what I do and cherry picking bits of it for yourself, if you want. No one should be cherry picking other peoples medication.
My 78 year old mother with osteoarthritis swims an hour and a half every morning so she is warmed up for a bike ride up a mountain later in the day, she says she’s only stopping when the bike ride kills her. Granny Goggins over there keeps fighting, you go down swinging Mark!
I did request this video in a comment at some point. Thanks for making it. Couple of damaged calf muscles lost me 9 months of improvement on my park-run. At the moment, running on the grass rather than the concrete path seems to be helping.
I'm 53, been on a "proper" fitness journey in last 2 yars. Got dodgy knees from years of sporting abuse, could have got an op, but they said: get stronger! Which I've done, 100x better. I always skimp/skip the stretching, you have spurred me on, I must make it par of daily routine, the app looks good. I cut the booze back to pretty much zero about 6 months ago...the excess weight just fell off (plus a whole stack of other benefits). Always enjoy your content and motivation.
I decided after watching several of your vids that I should get into running. Last time was 40 years ago and now at 55 I ran 5k yesterday (my first outing). It would have been non stop except after 10 bleedin minutes my right knee started giving me gyp. Nope never had as knee problem.. I'm putting it down to age. On the plus side once the knee has recovered I can run without doing the lampost walk thing which amazed and pleased me at the same time. I have though been into Cross country mtbing for 20 odd years I suspect that may have helped. Your inspirational vids are keeping me motivated to crack on. well done keep the good work.
Your better than average philosophy really hit home with me, as luck would have it, many years ago a good friends quoted this as his philosephy for life in general, (work, relationships, etc...). As for too old, there is no such think. I am currently 60 years old and exercise 1-2 hour max, 5-6 day a week. I wasn' t any kind of athlete growing up, and really started "serious" exercise in my early 50s. I dropped about 40 pounds since then, competed in a number of running and cycling events, and completed my first sprint triathlon at 58. Keep up the good work, your entertaining and inspiring (but not an idol ;))
What a good video! Mark hit every aspect of training for longevity that I’ve been dealing with as well. I loved his comment about evolution not needing him anymore. I guess that’s why I keep coming back to his videos because they are so engaging.
You aren’t that old or heavy! In other compliments, finding your videos in November of last year took me from doing nothing but strength and eating to doing a hybrid approach and triathlons. I have never been stronger or healthier. I still like to eat. Between you and Peter Atiea, I am realizing how much I need to build up my mobility routine.
Great video Mark. As someone of a similar age I can relate to the idea of not pushing too hard on a workout. while training for Ironman I was told to keep in mind the next session. It’s no good getting a pb on a run if you then can’t bike the next day. Consistency not your ego gets you results.
Mate your inspirational to me I am 31 I was unhealthy through my twenties and now work out regularly and want to be running marathons when I am older too 👍 keep it up and keep injury free
thanks for another great video. Not sure if you've done it already, but in this video you touched on the "supplement" topic, so I'd love to see a video dedicated to which supplements you take, and how you feel they have impacted you. keep up the great content
Hi from sunny Bournemouth. I'm 50 in 3 weeks. Same kind of background and level as you Mark but starting to really notice the mobility issues getting worse along with recovery times. Just signed up to that Pliability app so will let you know how I get on. Great vids by the way. Been following you since the beginning.
1. Volume - not too much 2. Not going to failure 3. Recovery (esp.sleep, also sauna and ice baths) 4. Mobility - app 5. Mother Nature - Supplements and procedures to help minimise effects of aging
I think the trouble I’ve had as I got older. I still think I’m 20 and try and train as such. My body on the other hand is like no you are 42 stop that! Damaged my left knee during an Olympic lifting session last year. Ego got the better of me! Still aches now a constant reminder Mother Nature is always watching 😂☠️ Fantastic content as always Mark 💪
I maintain it isn't activity and using them which messes up your knees...it's things like rapid changes in direction from playing things like tennis or football (either of them).
Hi Mark, More good stuff. I am 10 yrs ahead of you so, by your standards, utterly abandoned by mother nature BUT your approach is interesting. That bit about getting a sports massage BEFORE you are injured and the stretching app! That sounds worthwhile. thanks again for another informative and entertaining instalment.
Most of the recent studies seem to suggest knee injuries, esp. with regard to running, are weight related. Big people on little knees. nice video as usual.
Most, if not all of my injuries came from doing mandated PT with the army. Amazing how you can stay injury free and maintain a decent level of fitness when you're training to how you physically feel without some vain whopper PTI screaming and shouting at you to work harder whilst he/she stands there looking at themselves in a mirror.
i hope you stay free from injury. At the moment i cannot train after a shoulder separation injury from jogging and falling on my shoulder,very Depressing😭
I am nearly 48, saw Berlin Marathon & decided to do Marathon the same afternoon, all my prep was just running 30 miles a week, a tostie, 7 gels, 1000 mls of fluid, just Goggins...lol
Tip for going to failure and stretching: you can do it safely if the weights used are low (i.e. in a set with 15+ reps) so there is not much resistance to cause harm in the first place and you do it on exercises where failure is unlikely to result in injury, so squats or deadlifts are not a good idea, but pushups, no problem. As for stretching, instead of being in a stretch for minutes, stretch, keep the stretch, contract the muscles that are stretched while holding the stretch, then release the miscles and you will instantly be able to go much deeper. Rinse and repeat. Then, use the extended range of motion in a movement. Tight range of motion is a neural problem, so you need neural solutions, not time. Hyolaronic acid seems to be effective orally, and collagen hydrolysate as well as glucosamine have now been proven to be effective, but slow acting.
Love your stuff, joined Patreon just to give you a little back of what you've given. No idea if available in UK but Peptides , BPC 157 specifically was a game changer for me for long term knee & shoulder injuries.
As one of those late 30's with work and four small kids, and all the excuses etc etc - running them to school (them on bike) rather than driving by car, takes similar time, thanks trafic... cost less fuel, and gets everyone happier to their desks
I’m 47 so a bit younger. My cycling improves massively with volume, not intensity. But cycling is zero impact so if I get the time I crack on. Like you I do a bit of weight training, I’m a lot smaller at 78kg tho, I work within myself and never go to failure. Any injuries I have ever had have been not whilst working out, more like normal activities after blasting the weights. Now I don’t do that I seem to be fine touch wood!
Fully agree with not going to the limit , being a 68 year male in train most days with something , sleep agree 8 hours etc these all are more specific as you age
Thanks for recommending pliability, I give it a try. I do 2-8 minutes yoga every other morning. I skipped a few lately. Maybe this will be better and I will continue longer.
Some solid advice here and imo the things that will make the biggest difference to reducing injuries (prioritising sleep, not training too hard for too long and spending time on flexibility and mobility work) are all free and even the extra bits like suppliments, sauna's, massage's etc don't have to cost the earth to put into practice, I do have a question though which is have you noticed an improvement in your recovery since getting on TRT? (Massive kudos on the honesty in that video)
Good question - and just to clarify why it's not mentioned here a) this is a video on things the vast majority could consider, so specific medications to address medically diagnose issues is way outside that scope and b) the reality is raising some issue - be it TRT or being Vegan - turn some people off and thus, the actual message of stuff like "hey, try stretching..." never gets heard! To answer your question though....the answer is no ... but! The but is that, as I said here, I simply don't train that much so never get close to pushing the edge of what I can recover from. The same as I don't train with weights to a point where I am pushing the edge of muscle development. COULD I recover faster? Get bigger? etc - yes, probably, compared to other men my age unless they were genetically lucky - same as I can see better than most 50 year olds if I have my contacts in! (unless they do the same) - but I simply don't train in a way that lets me find out - and doing so is of little interest to me and would not help the channel either. I can better motivate people and entertain - by doing a daft 200 mile bike ride for kicks....than showing how I put half inch on my bicep 😂
@@MarkLewisfitness makes total sense as to why it wasn't mentioned and as far as entertainment value I agree it's alot more interesting to see a big heavy bloke of a certain age attempt to be above average at lots of things rather than just focusing on getting bigger and heavier
When I just ran, I kept hurting little stuff. Cross training solved a lot of issues, from IT band to shin splints to bringing in the groceries... but not enough, as I wave meekly from the sofa with my foot propped up in a boot...
Mate I laughed so hard at this video. Thanks so much for sharing, I’m just trying to get into fitness - and make it stick - from being a sack of potatoes up until my late thirties. I really need to find a way to make resistance training fun, because I’ve found I really am enjoying running now. Keep up the great content!
I like how you say you don't do that much... then list a ton of stuff that you do 😂 I feel the same, but then realise i exercise almost everyday. So, compared to many peers i do an absolute ton of stuff. Love the content and 100% agree on the flexibility stuff.
You’re awsome😀 Thanx for all you do, good tips and fabolus humor😀👍🏻 Nearly 50 my self and train strength and running to. Had a good experience with cold baht? Hope to see a vide🙏
Good video as always Mark. Couple of questions: 1) which of your clips gets the most use; you groaning on your 100km or Goggins shouting "stay hard"??? lol 2) interested in your view on ice baths? I know you have previously talked on saunas and the not so scientific benefits so keen on your view. I've done some research and thinking of getting my own - what size is the barrel that you use (we are not too dis-similar in size) and how do you find fitting in it? Thanks
I would like to know more about your strength/gym workouts, which allow you to run for long hours. Focus, split, examples, etc. Yes I know people will wrongly follow it blindly, but I would like to understand better the principle of what allows you to run for long hours at a reasonable pace and still look like a fit guy, not a skinny pure runner. Thank you for your videos and information!
If somebody thinks running leads to knee destruction..... Ok - that it's what doctors told everybody 20 years ago, and some not getting up to time still do. Most of them have very low activity. There was some studies on running vs gonarthrosis (knee degeneration). People included head no problems with knees on start of the study. (If you already have some joint disease- don't do running or do slow jogging) The study proved that running is not a cause of gonarthrosis as general, and it can be (but doesn't have to be) in people with high BMI (so obese people). So the answer is- if you are mostly healthy running won't destroy your knees. If you are obese, you can try running to lower the BMI. If it works, you are safe. If you can't get your body mass lower (genetics) you can try slow jogging - a tehnique of running preventing injury and microinjurys (it is not good to win races, but it is very healthy and effective as activity) . I'm a MD. My maks BMI was 37 and it was not muscul. I'm 43 years old. I jog 2-3 h a week. My BMI is 28.
On the other side of the spectrum, if you start skinny fat (or just skinny), knees might not be a problem at all, but the ability to go all out sprinting from day 1 opens up the possibility of tearing every single muscle and tendon in your legs in a single go. That was (and still is) my issue. I never got fat... my joints are fine, but man... every time my cardio base gets stronger, I get too excited and almost destroy my legs by pushing paces I really shouldn't. I'm always on the very edge, especially with running. Even if I've been doing squats and calf raises for years... compared to carrying 50lbs everyday for 3 decades, it's laughable. It just can't prepare your bones, tendons and anterior tibialis muscles to take the load you are easily capable of putting on them by running. I am now learning to build distance and get used to be bored running. I love to run fast. It's fun, and I can do it in short bursts, but it's not sustained long enough at lower stress to trigger growth. It's a constant struggle to keep myself from turning an easy run into a tempo run.
Im 47 and training for IM 70.3 Weymouth next year racing my Royal Marine mate for charity. Alot of my long runs are zone 2 and do see benefit from them. Could you do a vid on zone 2 training by any chance
Mark, another great video. I was waiting for the additional use of testosterone though at the Mother Nature section as that hormone will play a big role in recovery and overall wellbeing
