“GETTING TO 40 is a blessing because, honest
to god, I’ve lost a lot of mates.
“I’ve certainly collected a lot of scrapes and
bumps over the years, mainly because I love
to push myself to extremes. It’s always been in
my nature. That’s why I’m excited about going
into my forties and being able to achieve new
PBs and looking to guys older than me who are
still forging new ground. Other people see that
and want to do it for themselves, rather than
conforming to what society feels a person that
age should be.
“I’m probably the fittest, capacity-wise,
that I’ve ever been, even when I competed in
the CrossFit Games (in 2009). I’ve got much
better mobility and functionality.
“The one thing I always talk about is
consistency. To achieve that it’s about peeling
back the layers and identifying your purpose.
If you’re not training for reasons beyond the
superficial, you won’t sustain it, you won’t
constantly chip away at it.
“The reason I train and compete is so that
I can reach my potential, which means I can
be of greater service to others. That’s why I
don’t drink anymore. Why do things that undo
you? It undermines what it is I’m trying to
achieve. I’d rather put myself on the front foot
by getting a good night’s sleep. When you’re
younger you can just press go and the intensity
happens. Nowadays there’s a whole process in
the warm-up, almost like prehab, so then you
can hit the go button.
“I don’t have big expectations for this year’s
CrossFit Games. I’d love to make it to regionals
and have a crack there. I can spend 2-3 hours
in the gym, but there are guys doing 4-6- that’s their life, their eyes are on the
prize. I’m using it as a year to cut my teeth.
Regardless of where I place, I think being
this age and mixing it up with others speaks
volumes to people out there in terms of
motivation and inspiration to do things they
want to achieve in their own lives.
“To quote Ernest Hemingway: ‘There is
nothing noble in being superior to your fellow
man; true nobility is being superior to your
former self ’.”
APRIL 2016^93FITNESSMASTER THE
MUSCLE-UP
Forty is a good time to raise the
bar, or rise above it, says Willis,
who is a Sage Institute of
Fitness Ambassador. Use his
t i p s t o p u l l o f f t h i s c la s s i c
calisthenics exercise
TO SEE WILLIS EXECUTE
A MUSCLE-UP, SCAN THE
PAGE WITH THE FREE
VIEWA APP‘‘If you’re not training for reasons
beyond the superficial, you won’t
sustain it... won’t chip away at it’’
HIIT THE BOX
“In their forties most guys slip into golf when
they should be doing CrossFit,” says Craig
Cooper, MH adviser on 40+ Health and author
of Your New Prime. The reason? “You start
to experience age-related muscle loss.” Less
muscle means you burn less energy. Maintain
the same food intake and you’ll put on weight,
adds Bishop. But middle-aged spread doesn’t
have to be inevitable. “You need to adapt
your training to the hormonal and physical
changes that are happening to your body,” says
Cooper. “Steady-state cardio is not doing you
any good.” High-intensity interval work and
metabolic weight training – CrossFit, F45- offer the best bang for your buck, he advises.
THE STRESS DECADE
In your forties work and family commitments
begin to bite, leading to spikes in blood
pressure and cholesterol, says Richardson.
Relationship breakdown, overwork and
a wonky work/life balance mean greater
incidence of depression, he adds.
Get peace of mind. A study at Thailand’s
Srinakharinwirot University found a daily dose
of mindful meditation can significantly reduce
serum cortisol levels. Aim for 15 minutes a day.FIND A FRIEND
A study by Beyond Blue found one in
four Australian men have few or no social
connections, with loneliness common in men
between 30 and 65. “Men don’t naturally
seek out new friendships as they age and
old friendships fall apart,” says Cooper.
“Maintaining those friendships helps preserve
your mental health.” Out of touch? Join
a sporting club, volunteer or make
your next birthday – even if it’s not a
milestone age – a boys’ weekend.BASIC TRAINING
Weight: 97.5kg
Deadlift: 240kg
Back squat: 200kg
Bench press: 150kg
Strict form chin-ups: 20
Chest-to-ground push-ups: 50(^1)
From a standing position, jump up onto
a chin-up bar and begin a kipping
chin-up, swinging your legs to build momentum
tohelphoistyourstomachabovethebar.
(^2)
A s y o u r s t o m ac h p a s s e s t h e b ar, f u l l y
extend your arms until your waist is
level with the bar.
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