The High Performance Journal​ - November 28th, 2023

In a couple of days, I'm about to hit the big 44.

As I've aged, I'm becoming more interested in the idea of longevity. I not only want to live longer but I want to also live a quality life.

This, in turn, has got me thinking about my death. But less of a morbid way and more of a stoic one.

I know I'm going to eventually die. It's something that I'm embracing yet at the same time doing my best to delay as much as possible.

This reminds me of something I learned from Dr. Peter Attia called The Marginal Decade.

The Marginal Decade is the last decade of your life, which is when you are likely to experience the most significant declines in physical and cognitive function.

In the book ​Outlive​, he states that no one knows when their marginal decade will come but they will know it when they are in it.

Do you want to be walking on your own without assistance? Do you still want to ride a bike? Do you want to be able to pick up your grandkids from their crib? Do you want to have your full mental capacities and avoid cognitive decline?

His suggestion is to get clear about how you want to live that marginal decade and then to work backward.

How do you know you're setting yourself up to do those things in the future? Test your standards.

There is a set of fitness standards that will give you an idea of your future reality.

There are 5 of them in total that you can test right now:

5 Fitness Standards To Test Your Longevity

#1 - VO2 Max Test

Female and Male Standards - 75th percentile (use chart)

VO2 max is the maximum rate your body is able to take in oxygen. Over the past decade, ​​several scientific studies have shown that it is a key predictor of longevity.

The higher the VO2 Max number correlates with a higher chance of living longer.

The best way to test this is through a laboratory with a doctor. But that can be somewhat expensive and inaccessible to most people.

The next best way is test your V02 max is through a Cooper Test:

Depending on your level this is either a walk, jog, or run. You simply run for 12 minutes straight to see how far you go. Ideally, you want to do this on a track.

If you do this on a treadmill you want to raise the incline to 1 degree to simulate outdoor running conditions. ​Use this chart to test your VO2 max​ using the Cooper Test.

#2 - The Air Squat Hold

Female and Male Standard - 2 Minutes

The squat is a fundamental human movement that's essential for everyday activities like getting up from a chair, walking, and climbing the stairs.

The air squat hold is an isometric exercise that tests your lower body strength and endurance.

How To Do The Air Squat Hold

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.(lumbar curve maintained)
3. Lower your body down by bending your knees and pushing your hips back keeping your heels on the floor.
4. Continue lowering your body until you reach your full range of motion.
5. Hold the position for as long as you can.

When doing this exercise avoid rounding the back as that puts pressure on your spine.

Also, make sure to brace your core (push out your abs) and squeeze your glutes.

#3 - Deadlift

Female and Male Standards - 10 reps at your body weight ex. 180 lbs man doing 10 reps of 180 lbs.

The deadlift is another fundamental exercise that tests your ability to pick up things from the ground. For most people, I would avoid doing this on a barbell as the risk to reward is too high.

Instead, I'd use a trap bar to test this out as it puts your body in a safer position.

How To Do A Deadlift:

1. Sit your hips back, bend your knees slightly, and lean your torso forward, maintaining a tight core and flat back.
2. Grab the bar, placing your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing in toward your body.
3. Before lifting brace your core by pushing your abs out.
4. Push your feet onto the floor and stand up tall, pulling the weight with you and keeping your arms straight.

Note: If you have a pre-existing lower back or chronic lower back pain I'd stay away from this exercise.

#4 - Farmers Walk

Female and Male Standards - 50% of your body weight in your hands for 2 minutes ex. A 150 lbs female carrying 75 lbs for 2 minutes.

Farmer walks are a test of grip strength as well as your body's ability to handle loads over time.

How To Do Farmer's Walks

1. Grip the weights firmly to increase the contraction in your core and lats (back muscles).
2. Make sure to hold the weights slightly away from your body and slightly externally rotate your shoulders so they don't bump your sides.
3. Pull your ribcage down so that you don't arch your back.
4. Brace your core and start walking.
   
   

#5 - Dead Hangs

Male standard - 2-minute hang Female standard - 1 minute and 30-second hang

As you age, grip strength is a sign of both physical and mental function.

Dead Hangs are also a great exercise to decompress the spine and replace the space that's been lost between your bones, joints, and discs in your back.

How To Do Bar Hangs:

1. Find a bar to hang from suitable.
2. Hold the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
3. With your arms straight hang from the bar with your body straight and your feet off the floor.
4. Remain motionless - no swinging or twisting - for the duration of your set. If you can't hang from a bar use a support at the bottom to place your feet on.

How Did You Test?

Here's how I would make the best use of these standards:

Test them once now. Then test again every 4 months.

Between those months work on the areas that were the weakest.

One thing I should mention is that these standards are better to train for than aesthetics.

Instead of trying to look good, you're aiming to improve performance, which is a fantastic way to train over the long term.

Hope you got value out of this. If you have any questions let me know by replying back to this email.

Onwards and upwards 🚀

- Dan

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