I recall the old saying, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” In the health and fitness realm it is so true. When I was bodybuilding, all I saw were exercises that helped me to get bigger. When was a power-lifter, all I focused on was to get stronger in three lifts. Later I realized that in each of those areas I had limited myself as far as fitness was concerned. I even lost focus from my love of the martial arts during those days.

Today, things are much different. I love engaging in many different fitness and movement activities and feel that it’s helped me to become stronger, faster and more athletic than most men my age and even younger. I’ve even bettered the amount of pull-ups (in one set) that I did in my 20’s by a whopping amount! By the way, I’m not unique in this way. Many older men and women are bettering themselves physically.

Here is a rule that I created for myself and you can use too: Challenge yourself in and out of the gym. In fact, make everywhere your personal gym.

You may have seen the multitudes of YouTube videos depicting guys doing amazing feats on playground jungle gyms, pull-up bars, and the like. It matters not where you train, you can still train hard and create a body that would make those around you envious (unless they are your training partners).

One of my friends and clients engages regularly in rock-climbing. This workout does wonders for the upper body and is especially great for developing grip strength. I am a firm believer in developing one’s grip strength. Whatever you do as your primary workout, make sure to add variety into that as well as other types of workouts. This includes developing your grip strength. I read in several studies that stated grip strength is directly correlated to one’s true age.

When you expand your fitness realm, make sure that they help you develop physical strength, muscular endurance, aerobic capacity and flexibility. This combination is what I call the true fountain of youth cocktail. Yes, you still have to eat healthy, get sleep and reduce emotional stress.

Getting back to the hammer and nail analogy, with this fitness realm expansion, you’ll have many more types of tools in your toolbox in which to use. Your mind will see much more than a single type of workout. Through Parkour, I see physical obstacles in which to overcome and build balancing/jumping/climbing skills. Through the martial arts, I see movement in my body that emulates combat engagement and build speed/flexibility. Through street workouts and outdoor bar training, I see the playground as equipment to build my body. And those are only the start.

I now offer you the challenge to expand your fitness realm and get into total fitness. You can do it.

Cheers,

Bob Choat, “Transformational Master Black Belt”
America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of Mind Your Own Fitness