Checking out Pat McNamara’s Instagram Page after seeing his interview on Joe Rogan Podcast. He is an Army Special Operations guy who is now retired and created a new career providing training experiences, YouTube videos, and blogging. I like getting inspiration from guys like him who are over 50, struggled through transition, and then re-invent themselves, and continue to go for it physically and professionally.
One thing that is great about our current times is the opportunity to find inspiration and community on the Internet. You can find other people who are pushing themselves and doing amazing things. Guy Reams comes to mind. Very inspirational. Pat McNamara makes up workouts with all kinds of unusual things. He can use a wall, or a cinder block, a sand bag or whatever is around and making up new and unique workouts to avoid boring routine and keep the mind and body engaged.
So, break out and try new things. One metaphor he used struck a chord in me; when you find a spark within yourself add fuel to it, and then more wood, and more fuel, build it into a fire! This perfectly describes how life can take us in new directions and new passions based paying attention to what sparks within us. Operationalize being true to yourself and pursue new things. Pat got excited about doing body work that was non-standard and that became a theme in his content. Instead of bench press or curls he’s doing things like Turkish Get-ups, Farmer Walks, sprints, basically exercises that focus on functional movement and situational utility i.e., being able to pull someone from a car, climb over a wall. This made me think of my construction worker days. We did functional body work every day, carrying 90lb rolled roofing material up two story ladders, loading concrete tiles onto roofs, carrying 5 gallon buckets of heavy materials up and down flights of stairs, loading stacks of drywall into houses, hauling lumber or sacks of concrete, or a wheelbarrow of rock across a construction site.
Don’t get me wrong, gyms are great. But, don’ let not having a gym stop you, you don’t need a gym. Body weight squats, pushups, sit-ups, and running can make a huge difference and are available at all times. Just start. Just do one run, or walk, or pushup. Taking small action can ignite that spark, and a few more steps become a flame, once the fire is going heap some wood on it! Write it into your daily list and commit. Next thing you know you will be on fire (in a good way)!
Ben Wagner (73)
Member The 365 Commitment
