You built yourself a nice accountability platform here, Mark. Glad to see you use it! Hope to see lots of videos on how you're getting to where you want to be moving forward.
So timely Mark, just changed jobs struggling with a new regime and suddenly 5kgs back on after losing 30kgs over 3 years. Hopefully back on track now. Inspiring to hear your reality.
Very minor correction*: having a high VO2 max doesn't make you use oxygen more efficiently, it just means you can use more of it at a maximal effort for a given body mass. If there are two people who run same 5k time and one has a lower VO2 max it means they likely use oxygen more efficiently. For those interested check out former olympic triathlon gold champ Kristian Blummenfelt's coach (Olav) speak on VO2.
Your content has made a big impact on my running journey. I’ve always been able to run but during Covid years gained roughly 10% weight, turned 40 and things have been more difficult.It’s refreshing to see your approach and love the movie clips and references. Appreciate you.
Mark, You’ve been teaching “living at the extremes of yin and yang”… attempt at training like an elite athlete (when you’re not) = too yang. Pausing into sloth = too yin. Remember that “sweet spot” video you did w/ Nixon?
Good timing for this video for me. I got an injury that's been keeping me away from the gym and running (hip bursitis) and I've been feeling like all my hard work in the past had been for nothing. Truth is progress is not linear and things happen, being able to overcome this is more important than losing a few weeks or months of workout.
Finding Mark’s channel last year really helped me get back into better shape but the UK winter really kicked my ass. A few months back I also stumbled over the RP Strength channel and I got back on that fitness wagon and between these two channels I’m doing really well. Thanks Mark 🙏
Great vid, nice to see you back to your old self. I think you touch on a great point in your intro that when we change our habits we end up confronting issues that we can't anticipate. Introducing the level of control required to be in top shape can also introduce obsessive and compulsive behaviour, and it's perfectly normal to find this challenging! I'm also 6'6", 102kg with a ~50 VO2 max and an indulgent few months. I'll be following your journey as I try and get back to peak fitness myself
Mark, this is a big thank u for putting on screen and words what I experienced multiple times over the the last five-sh years. I found so many similarity with your journey, both in the good and in the bad ones, (also with the same time line- witch make everything even more hilarious). I know, I'll never find myself totally pleased, and I'm ok with that. If it was the case, still to this day I would probably be even more overweight, still smoking, drinking a bit more, thinking that sofa was all I'd to seat anytime was available, unable to do a simple walking without be gasping, and with zero knowledge about nutrition. The same "dissatisfaction" , have drive me to where I am today, currently dealing with some sciatica pain, after running 19k for the first time a week ago, overeating over that beacuse my stubbornness wasn't pleased to go more easy an my joint and myself being a real new bee runner. You perfectly know that if your past self, would see yourself today would be amazed, because in a million times couldn't imagine to become who you're today, at the same time your today-self being on the other kind of side (shredded/focus/noJennaIcantgotoginnertonightitdoesntfitmymacros) is a bit upset, because it was frikking hard to get there, and also ever more to stay there. Guess what, you know how to go there again, you'll probably screw up sometimes, but it's going to be alright. Ten years ago, we couldn't imagine where we are today, ten years from know hopefully we'll be glad of the path we've choose, even with all the ups and down. Life is hard, but we're more, We'll be proud when a casual run will be our personal best, we'll be stupid sometimes to not lock up the cupboard. Hopefully we'll be healthy enough to enjoy every beat of it.
Hi Mark, someone else touched on this in the comments but it appears from the outside that your period of time where you went all in on training for a max performance had a really detrimental affect on your mindset. You were getting to the highest highs in fitness but it was taking a toll on your body and it seems on the mental strength you had built up by training sensibly like you were doing. You have had dips before but you came back from them it seems a little quicker. It might make for a video where you end up a year after you decided to go all in and was it worth it. Thanks for the video and VO2 max shaming me.😀
The unescapable fact is, as you get older your ability to train diminishes. Not only can you not train as hard, you can't train as often - and that extended time you need to recover is why you'll inevitably decline in performance. It's like the method actors who put on a lot of weight for one role and the next role they're jacked. Doing that when you're 25-45 is fine (at least in terms of being possible, it's probably not great for your health), it's significantly more of a struggle when you're 45-55 and probably next to impossible after that. After 50 you don't improve your fitness, you cling desperately to what fitness you had but will suffer an inevitable decline as you get weaker year on year and lose performance. Thus throwing your fitness away is a big mistake at that point in your life. For my dad, 30 years older and in a care home standing up and shuffling a few steps is an achievement. So I can see how much exercise I could do just 10 years ago, and I can see how much I can do now, and I can see pretty much how I'll be in 30 years time - and it's downhill all the way. The only thing you can try and do is affect how steep the slope is. Thus, the absolute last thing I would do at my age is eat too much and put on weight and do a couch potato thing for even a few weeks or months, because I can still ride a bike, I put out some similar power numbers but riding as often and as far as I could just 10 years ago? Nope. Not a chance. And if your ego tells you that you can still do it you'll injure yourself - I've been climbing for the last couple of years and everyone my age in the gym has an injury - a shoulder they can't use, a finger or wrist that's hurting - and there are 30-somethigs in there for 6 hours and they're still pulling themselves up a tough climb - whereas the injured, overweight middle aged guys are spent after 1.5-2 - well no matter what your will is, you just can't lose a significant amount of excess weight by exercising if you're spent after a couple of hours or injured. If you were an elite athlete like wiggins then your peak was huge and your decline, if you keep training will have you performing at what appears to an amateur like a high level. This is why when people say "I'm 60 and I want to start doing x how well will I do" and someone points at someone who has been, say, running or riding continually at a high level for 30 years still running and riding along at 60 as though this newcomer to the sport could achieve the same. But no 60 year old who starts training at 60 is going to perform well or see significant performance gains - they'll make small improvements but all they'll generally do is slow the decline a bit - their performance is still going to get worse year on year, not better. Lastly I'll add the hardest thing is creating a diet and exercise that are sustainable. We can all stop eating for a bit but it's not sustainable, when you don't eat enough you get weak, your brain goes foggy and you feel depressed, for a few weeks to drop a few pounds it works, but could you be a healthy weight with zero exercise? Probably, but it's not really sustainable because it's a miserable experience (doubly so if you use a kooky fad diet like keto or whatever so you now think "My weight is fine but I can never eat carbs again"? No chance. What about if you go all in on exercise instead? Cycling 20 hours a week? Going to the gym. Yes, that works too, but, again, it's not likely sustainable. You might exercise at a high volume for months, even years - indeed if you can make it an income source possibly even do it for a decade or two. but eventually you will get over doing the exercise and give up. At which point you risk the same yo-yo weight that people who try to starve themselves thin and then go back to eating their normal amount back and forth do. Sustainable means you eat enough that you're not miserable, and exercise enough that you're healthy but without doing a level of exercise that is taking over your entire life and, especially if it's high intensity, inevitably going to lead to injuries and fatigue. So eventually you will stop. Factor in aging to that and you'd just create a mountain to climb to reverse the off period that you physically won't be able to do.
Late to the party but had to chuckle at seeing you on the DEXA machine; they're not quite long enough to get my feet and head in the shot at the same time, too
Great video....sort of a reverse of the typical "before and after". Of course in 6 months (?) we will all be able to see the before, after, and after the after results.
Are you entering the thames path 100km again next year Mark? Your two vlogs from the years you ran it are still my favourite running content of all time. I always come back to them before any big run when I need maximum motivation!! Eagerly awaiting outting number 3!!
Idea for a video for you.. you could easily cycle a marathon faster than the running 2 hours record.. and never cycle 0 to 100 meters faster than Bolts 9.58s running time.. so where is the point that you can beat the run record time on a bike?? 400m? 800m? 1500m?
@@MarkLewisfitness so you'll be giving @kevsstuf4631 a cut of the profits from the video when you inevitably give in to the temptation of trying that......right? 😏
@@ItimDaveJust credit the inspo and do it anyway. Brings it to a new audience (I'm subbed to Mark. Never heard of that other channel tbh). If every unique idea in the world could only be filmed by one channel, YT would be a very empty place
Fascinating experiment. I've wondered what happens to actors who have to put on weight for a role & then exercise it off afterwards, pretty similar scenario.
Been binging all your videos recently and was surprised that I hadn't seen this one yet... didn't realise it was a new one, but very happy to see :) Love the content Mark, keep it up.
Hi Mark, thanks for posting this. I’m an average runner who got injured for the first time ever after an ultra last year. Since I’ve gained 2 stone and have been really struggling with motivation. Time to get back to it.
Nice Mark and wishing you all the best on your Journey. Keep sharing and amusing us along the way together with a smattering of facts here and there. Hopefully a bit less junk in your trunk !
I just found your channel, but as a personal trainer and triathlete who turns 50 in Oct, I think it's brilliant, insightful and funny. I'm also getting my first vo2 max test in Oct, so this was timely.
Some are sprinters some are marathoners. It's sometimes difficult to keep thé longtime momentum and you have to deal with ups and downs. I'm currently in a down, but trying to get back on thé rails. I'm confident, i've been there before and i know I'LL BE BACK !
I did this VO2 Max test last year at age 43 before my first marathon! I´m 182cm and my weight is 61kg, so my VO2 max result is pretty high (above 60). Despite that I ran a very slow 5+ hour marathon, but it was fun. Are there any backyard ultras in UK? You run every hour a loop of 6,7 km. Until only one runner is left (Last (wo)man standing). That might be a good video idea! Did my first 3 weeks ago and did 12 loops (80 km/50 miles). Keep up the good work: Your content is inspiring and makes me smile!
Wait until you get on the farm, your farmers carry will be two Jerry can's down the back to the tractor..... the sled push will be pushing your ride on mower back to the shed after it broke something......etc. You'll start to get some of it as part of the lifestyle without having to plan for it.
Thank you for sharing this vulnerable journey with us. Btw, did you know that heightened appetite is a common side effect of testosterone hormone therapy? I know this because I'm transmasculine, but the hormones we get were made for cis men and it's a very common topic within transmasculine forums. Not to disqualify anything you said - rather the opposite, if you've struggled with appetite regulation and your relationship with food it makes sense if it might have been even harder lately (despite all the fantastic good T does otherwise for mental and physical health). Just wanted to share that. ❤
It's not a Mark Lewis video without the Alpe du Zwift bike collapse clip. As someone ten years younger than you dealing with a similar injury pattern and similar BMI (if a couple cm shorter...) it's tough to not get discouraged.
Great video Mark and very interesting. You should have a code for bodyview 😂. Might give them a try. Always like more data. I’m sure you’ll come back quickly. Muscle memory and all that. Your running ability for such a unit is still impressive. Well done sir.
Brilliant Mark. Just brilliant. Your script writer surely just wants to paint you in a good light (to hide the unsightly curves I’m sure)….😂😂😂😂😂. As a nearly 50 year old, I appreciate your take on fitness. Keep fighting brother.
Glad to see you are motivated to get after it again. I am in the same boat of needing to lose some kgs and will definitely be inspired to see your changes along the way. Are you planning any events around your weight lose. IE another ultra in the distant future to motivate you, a hyrox event, spartan race, etc etc?
Mark have you heard about the upcoming indieVelo Grand Tour later next month? It would make for incredible YT content and is right up your alley! It’s a 5 day team stage race (though you can go solo if you wish) with GC, mountain, and sprint jerseys! I’d watch your video on it 100 times 💪
Great vid Mark. I have a goal of getting to 50 vo2 max by my 50th birthday in April. Last month I reached 48, so on my way. I will also do Hyrox at altitude in Mexico City in November! Terrified about that
Brilliant insights again. I do a lot of bodyweight training (burpees, pushups, situps in the 1000s) per month. I can't outperform the diet. Staying fat and fit like you'd say. Don't have anything to add to your video. It's spot on. Keep moving forward. (Expected David Goggins in the end though but I heard he's also into Rocky 😁)
Working on my 3rd year in a row of running 1000 miles. I workout lifting about 15 times a month (30-40 minutes) I’m 65 and since I’m retired I need to stay busy. Been running since 1994 so I had a good foundation to start. My VO2max is 49 at 150 lbs and 5’7”” height
I'm glad you made this video because I have started this new part of my fitness journey and I have just felt stagnant. I am 5'7"/170 cm & 185 lb/83.9 kg. I have a lot of muscle but I still have a good amount of fat on me. My goal weight is 165 lb so I decided to start running 6x a week and continue strength training 4x a week. I have now been doing this for 4 weeks and I have seen little change in my weight. Yes, I know its my diet. I eat like 2500-2600cal per day. My appetite has gone up since doing the cardio (I make sure most of my milage is Zone 2 I got a Coros watch). My running pace has not improved much I know these 20 lbs are holding me back. A. Should I chill on the cardio and just walk more, diet smarter to help regulate my weight? B. Just keep training how I'm training because progress is slow at the start?
@@onshore1ft Absolutely, that happened to me back when I was 220+ lb and couldn't run with proper posture. Which led to patella tendonitis and hip problems I still have. It stings to watch all these professional runners that are my age. However, I have to remember my aerobic base is way smaller than theirs. I didn't have sports growing up. They have had their whole life building up to race seasons. I do speedy intervals once a week to keep it fun but otherwise I'm slow roasting the turkey. I'll make sure to stay consistent and not get injured! :)
At least you are able to get back to training. Getting fat because of an injury, and not healing correctly....oh that isn't fun. You still have the option to train and that itself is a blessing. I'm 5'8" and 170bs. Even when bodybuilding and being lean I felt like a tank at 175 vs. when I would run at 155. If you can be lighter and maintain the weight relatively easy, you enjoy running soooo much more. Aside from the faster pace, you just feel built for it.
Your VO2 max may be influenced through your genetics, but not directly! As you brilliantly explain in your video, VO2 M is calculated via functional lung volume/weight/minute. Functional lung volume (the physiological terminology Vital Capacity) is termed as the maximal amount of active volume of air that is replenished through each respiration cycle (Inspiratory Capacity + Expiratory Reserve Volumes). For baseline humans, this would equate to roughly 4.5L of a total of 6L of lung volume. However, the strongest correlation to lung volume is HEIGHT!!! Not weight, not body shape. It would be more accurate to say that VO2 max directly correlates with height, not genetics.
Almost depressing how little fitness you lost :-) My watch puts me at 46 vo2max and I work out every day. Though I mostly cycle and my watch gets only my running data, but still. Not sure if my actual vo2 is any higher. Thanks for an interesting video !
Mark should take up mountain biking on gnarly single track. I started that at about his age, spent more money on bike repairs than I did on the secondhand bike, and finally figured out that perhaps I could avoid some very expensive orthopedic bills by using more caution. Seriously it would be a great sport for him to look into, and the ascents are a serious workout.
@@daveslaughter8290 do you have any tips for a beginner cyclist? I got my first road bike and I don't feel comfort on a bike (balancing, fear of falling, grip is hurting me because I'm applying a lot of press) I started learning the bike by myself when I was 24 and only tried it for 2 weeks. (ex obese) now at 27 I'm way fitter with a running background but can't get my hand around how people can be comfortable with a bike.
@@ghassandabane8459your bike may be the wrong size? Also, if you have a fear of falling off, just use regular flat pedals and not clipless pedals. Go to a bike shop and ask a tech there to assess your body size against the bike you’re riding. It could be as simple as making adjustments to make you more comfortable, or your frame size may be far too small if you’re a tall person.
People, when you compare then and now pics (the beginning of the video), you need to get into the same position and get your muscles either flex or relaxed in both pics, otherwise it doesn't make much sense and I'm thinking "this guy knows how to trick people". Other than that, very interesting video! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hi Mark, I've only been watching your videos for a year or so, but I find them very honest, motivational and informative. It may be the youtube algorithm, but I feel like I have missed a chunk of your content where you had some backwards steps in your fitness. Did you post less during this time, or is this me being less attentive or youtube not promoting your content as much?
I took a year off and ate all the things. I did a lot of damage to myself in that year. I'm 2 weeks in back on the wagon, diet and work, and it's always crazy to me how fast some things get good and how long it takes to get better. I'm out there getting my 1% everyday, though. I hope I win.
Great video! But I wonder, many scientists say that your VO2max is largely determine by genetics and hence hard to change (for better and worse). Maybe looking at other values such as VMA would be interesting!?
Amazing video as usual, I'm on my own journey back to fitness. What are you going to do now MoveHQ is closing? I'm Reading based and joined at the beginning of the year. I loved how quiet it was, but I guess that may have been part of the problem 😕
It’s a real shame but, as you say, it always looked a bit inevitable given how quiet it was. Luckily (for us at least) we are due to be moving in the next few weeks and will be building something pretty special to work out in at home.
Do you recommend the Tailored Athlete shirts? Starting to feel more comfortable in my appearance after getting back on the grind and wouldn't mind a nice fitting shirt
....I am around one month older than you, Mark. Stand at 178 cm/5' 10", and weigh in at around 108 kg... you are FINE!.👍🤣👍☀️... I am trying to loose weight, and you are source of inspiration in that endeavour. Train hard, stay safe 👍
Mark, you have fallen to my weight (I'm the same height as you). I keep having my young son bring home exotic colds and flus from his pre-school/daycare to interrupt my marathon training but I went out for a hill run on Tuesday and I feel like my right-side had fallen the pieces yesterday. Today is a recovery run. Tomorrow is an easy run and Sunday is the Long Run. Gotta keep going!
Really interesting video. Will you be doing a follow up with how the past 6 months have affected your health rather than just fitness and weight. Thinking cholesterol, resting heart rate etc? I have had Bluecrest health checks - bloods and stool samples, which are quite interesting to see what is going on internally. Also do you measure how flexible you are as this is something that with age (I am 50 too) that starts to fade with age unless maintained. This is why I married a yoga instructor…
Really struggling with binge eating Have u heard of OA? Thoughts? I lost a lot of weight there maybe I should go back but it’s depressing Arggg how do u manage the binge eating beast
"It's about how much you can get hit (by yourself) and keep moving forwards." "This is Rocky (Road Extra Creamy Ice Cream)". "Who is"...(our own worst enemies?)
Do you ever think that maybe you fall off the wagon for the challenge of getting back on again? I am starting to see that pattern in myself after another 2 month binge and vegetate in the late winter just to have jumped back on the bike for 3 months of hard dieting and exercise. I'm genuinely starting to believe its an eating disorder or maybe a need to keep working on my fitness with the challenged. I'm not particularly bothered because there are way worse health problems to have. Anyway, good luck this time around.
My mind is blown because I think that's where I'm at. Started losing weight December 22 because I was stage 3 obese, now down to stage 1 obese and only 10 more kilo left to leave the obese wagon behind and enter the average overweight population (with another 10 kilo to lose for normal) . But every time I get close to being like 5 kilos away from declassifying as obese I fall on a 2 3 4 month long half ass refattening phase. I still work-out for the most part and eat right most of the day but then at night....all bets are off. So... I either like the feeling of watching the scale go down instead of staling at the same weight for a couple of weeks or I'm afraid of succeeding and then I'll be left without a finish line other than maintaining which will be a marathon for the rest of my life.
Hi Mark, curious. How was your mental health in the last 6 months compared to when more active? When I fall off the wagon I notice general lethargy more and knock-on effects
Dont wanna bore you but i’m 44, 6ft 5 and currently 101.2kg. 2 years ago when i found your videos i was 144kg. Everyone told me i was too big and too heavy to run but you proved that to be bollocks. I dropped to 110, went back to 130 then here i am at 101(my lightest since i got food poisoning from a dodgy egg in 2001) and have a 5k PB of 22mins. Basically what i’m getting at is you motivated me so just watch some of your old videos and lay off the Donuts and i’m willing to bet you a box of Krispy Kremes you are sub 100kg before the years out. If you are struggling in December i can give you my 2001 dodgy egg recipe!
My fitness goes to shit every winter, not always for the same reasons, but usually a combination of getting sick and too much shit that needs doing. My absolute vo2max is probably not too shabby (by my standards) right now, because even if I am heavier than usual I just got a new 5K pb yesterday. I probably suck down more oxygen than I used to, but the amount of lard I carry around still makes me very slow.
Are you going to do the British Indoor Rowing Championships this year? You would do great I think. Just ask them straight out if TRT is OK. That's a story in itself. Plus, training for the 2k gives even more falling-off-a-machine opportunities so win-win ha ha
@@MarkLewisfitness If you are tested then your levels would be normal though, right? Testosterone is on the list of banned substances but every rower (even women) has it so what is the threshold? I looked at the BRIC rules and they follow the British Rowing Rules, and they follow the International Rowing rules, and they follow the IAAF rules, and they use a certain standard, and then when you finally get to the appendix of that standard Testosterone is on the list but I couldn't see more than that. Maybe research it yourself. It seems way too hard for a normal person with normal blood and urine wanting to enter a competition to figure out ...
@@datsch_ adding test is banned under WADA rules.....doesn't matter what you raise you level to (even if its still lower than most) .... testosterone is simply a banned substance.
@@datsch_ Tue is never given for functional causes of low testosterone. The vast majority of people on TRT are never getting a TUE. A TUE is for something with an organic course…. somebody recovering from testicular cancer would be a good example.
I’m just thinking I’ve got down from 128kg in May to 116kg, I’m the same height as mark although a few years younger and my VO2 max is 43. if I can get my weight down that little bit more (a) my body will look quite good and (b) maybe I can get back into running. Not sure a 2min 800m or 4m13 1500m is going to be happening again but there is hope for me yet.
New 'Mark doing something and nearly dying' clips coming up. Whoop
You built yourself a nice accountability platform here, Mark. Glad to see you use it! Hope to see lots of videos on how you're getting to where you want to be moving forward.
So timely Mark, just changed jobs struggling with a new regime and suddenly 5kgs back on after losing 30kgs over 3 years. Hopefully back on track now. Inspiring to hear your reality.
Very minor correction*: having a high VO2 max doesn't make you use oxygen more efficiently, it just means you can use more of it at a maximal effort for a given body mass. If there are two people who run same 5k time and one has a lower VO2 max it means they likely use oxygen more efficiently. For those interested check out former olympic triathlon gold champ Kristian Blummenfelt's coach (Olav) speak on VO2.
+1. Ventilatory or Lactate Thresholds LT1 and LT2 and Running Economy at different speeds are also good to measure for performance.
I’d be milking this “hey guys I got fat” thing too 😂
Well I'll be jacked again soon so making the most of it!!!!
LL olllolll
It’s great relatable content !!! Bring it on .
Your content has made a big impact on my running journey. I’ve always been able to run but during Covid years gained roughly 10% weight, turned 40 and things have been more difficult.It’s refreshing to see your approach and love the movie clips and references. Appreciate you.
Mark, You’ve been teaching “living at the extremes of yin and yang”… attempt at training like an elite athlete (when you’re not) = too yang. Pausing into sloth = too yin. Remember that “sweet spot” video you did w/ Nixon?
Good timing for this video for me. I got an injury that's been keeping me away from the gym and running (hip bursitis) and I've been feeling like all my hard work in the past had been for nothing. Truth is progress is not linear and things happen, being able to overcome this is more important than losing a few weeks or months of workout.
Finding Mark’s channel last year really helped me get back into better shape but the UK winter really kicked my ass. A few months back I also stumbled over the RP Strength channel and I got back on that fitness wagon and between these two channels I’m doing really well. Thanks Mark 🙏
Same here. Both channels are great.
Loved the 4th wall breaks
Great vid as always, Mark. No duck pond podium clip tho 😂.
It's on holiday 😂
@@MarkLewisfitness phew. All the best on the journey back to being fit. As a friend of mine says, don’t let the old creep in.
A massive let down let's be honest
Appreciate the humor and message to always just keep looking forward mate.
Keep it up! :)
Great vid, nice to see you back to your old self.
I think you touch on a great point in your intro that when we change our habits we end up confronting issues that we can't anticipate. Introducing the level of control required to be in top shape can also introduce obsessive and compulsive behaviour, and it's perfectly normal to find this challenging!
I'm also 6'6", 102kg with a ~50 VO2 max and an indulgent few months. I'll be following your journey as I try and get back to peak fitness myself
Mark, this is a big thank u for putting on screen and words what I experienced multiple times over the the last five-sh years.
I found so many similarity with your journey, both in the good and in the bad ones, (also with the same time line- witch make everything even more hilarious).
I know, I'll never find myself totally pleased, and I'm ok with that.
If it was the case, still to this day I would probably be even more overweight, still smoking, drinking a bit more, thinking that sofa was all I'd to seat anytime was available, unable to do a simple walking without be gasping, and with zero knowledge about nutrition.
The same "dissatisfaction" , have drive me to where I am today, currently dealing with some sciatica pain, after running 19k for the first time a week ago, overeating over that beacuse my stubbornness wasn't pleased to go more easy an my joint and myself being a real new bee runner.
You perfectly know that if your past self, would see yourself today would be amazed, because in a million times couldn't imagine to become who you're today,
at the same time your today-self being on the other kind of side (shredded/focus/noJennaIcantgotoginnertonightitdoesntfitmymacros) is a bit upset, because it was frikking hard to get there, and also ever more to stay there.
Guess what, you know how to go there again, you'll probably screw up sometimes, but it's going to be alright.
Ten years ago, we couldn't imagine where we are today, ten years from know hopefully we'll be glad of the path we've choose, even with all the ups and down.
Life is hard, but we're more,
We'll be proud when a casual run will be our personal best, we'll be stupid sometimes to not lock up the cupboard.
Hopefully we'll be healthy enough to enjoy every beat of it.
Hi Mark, someone else touched on this in the comments but it appears from the outside that your period of time where you went all in on training for a max performance had a really detrimental affect on your mindset. You were getting to the highest highs in fitness but it was taking a toll on your body and it seems on the mental strength you had built up by training sensibly like you were doing. You have had dips before but you came back from them it seems a little quicker. It might make for a video where you end up a year after you decided to go all in and was it worth it. Thanks for the video and VO2 max shaming me.😀
The unescapable fact is, as you get older your ability to train diminishes. Not only can you not train as hard, you can't train as often - and that extended time you need to recover is why you'll inevitably decline in performance.
It's like the method actors who put on a lot of weight for one role and the next role they're jacked. Doing that when you're 25-45 is fine (at least in terms of being possible, it's probably not great for your health), it's significantly more of a struggle when you're 45-55 and probably next to impossible after that. After 50 you don't improve your fitness, you cling desperately to what fitness you had but will suffer an inevitable decline as you get weaker year on year and lose performance.
Thus throwing your fitness away is a big mistake at that point in your life. For my dad, 30 years older and in a care home standing up and shuffling a few steps is an achievement. So I can see how much exercise I could do just 10 years ago, and I can see how much I can do now, and I can see pretty much how I'll be in 30 years time - and it's downhill all the way. The only thing you can try and do is affect how steep the slope is.
Thus, the absolute last thing I would do at my age is eat too much and put on weight and do a couch potato thing for even a few weeks or months, because I can still ride a bike, I put out some similar power numbers but riding as often and as far as I could just 10 years ago? Nope. Not a chance. And if your ego tells you that you can still do it you'll injure yourself - I've been climbing for the last couple of years and everyone my age in the gym has an injury - a shoulder they can't use, a finger or wrist that's hurting - and there are 30-somethigs in there for 6 hours and they're still pulling themselves up a tough climb - whereas the injured, overweight middle aged guys are spent after 1.5-2 - well no matter what your will is, you just can't lose a significant amount of excess weight by exercising if you're spent after a couple of hours or injured.
If you were an elite athlete like wiggins then your peak was huge and your decline, if you keep training will have you performing at what appears to an amateur like a high level. This is why when people say "I'm 60 and I want to start doing x how well will I do" and someone points at someone who has been, say, running or riding continually at a high level for 30 years still running and riding along at 60 as though this newcomer to the sport could achieve the same. But no 60 year old who starts training at 60 is going to perform well or see significant performance gains - they'll make small improvements but all they'll generally do is slow the decline a bit - their performance is still going to get worse year on year, not better.
Lastly I'll add the hardest thing is creating a diet and exercise that are sustainable. We can all stop eating for a bit but it's not sustainable, when you don't eat enough you get weak, your brain goes foggy and you feel depressed, for a few weeks to drop a few pounds it works, but could you be a healthy weight with zero exercise? Probably, but it's not really sustainable because it's a miserable experience (doubly so if you use a kooky fad diet like keto or whatever so you now think "My weight is fine but I can never eat carbs again"? No chance. What about if you go all in on exercise instead? Cycling 20 hours a week? Going to the gym. Yes, that works too, but, again, it's not likely sustainable. You might exercise at a high volume for months, even years - indeed if you can make it an income source possibly even do it for a decade or two. but eventually you will get over doing the exercise and give up. At which point you risk the same yo-yo weight that people who try to starve themselves thin and then go back to eating their normal amount back and forth do. Sustainable means you eat enough that you're not miserable, and exercise enough that you're healthy but without doing a level of exercise that is taking over your entire life and, especially if it's high intensity, inevitably going to lead to injuries and fatigue. So eventually you will stop. Factor in aging to that and you'd just create a mountain to climb to reverse the off period that you physically won't be able to do.
These videos always make me giggle multiple times. Always happy to see a new one posted.
Late to the party but had to chuckle at seeing you on the DEXA machine; they're not quite long enough to get my feet and head in the shot at the same time, too
Great video....sort of a reverse of the typical "before and after". Of course in 6 months (?) we will all be able to see the before, after, and after the after results.
Are you entering the thames path 100km again next year Mark? Your two vlogs from the years you ran it are still my favourite running content of all time. I always come back to them before any big run when I need maximum motivation!! Eagerly awaiting outting number 3!!
Amusing ! Great explanation of vomax2 . I didn’t realise excess body fat/weight had such a large impact on the outcome/mathematical equation. Thanks
Great inspiration as always Mark!
Really interesting, entertaining and honest, thank you!
So get your arse up good sir :)
Idea for a video for you.. you could easily cycle a marathon faster than the running 2 hours record.. and never cycle 0 to 100 meters faster than Bolts 9.58s running time.. so where is the point that you can beat the run record time on a bike?? 400m? 800m? 1500m?
@@kevsstuff4631 actually - that’s not half bad!!!
@@MarkLewisfitness so you'll be giving @kevsstuf4631 a cut of the profits from the video when you inevitably give in to the temptation of trying that......right? 😏
Thecyclingdane already did this a few weeks ago, not that you couldn't still do it too.
I admit I had to read that 3 times!
@@ItimDaveJust credit the inspo and do it anyway. Brings it to a new audience (I'm subbed to Mark. Never heard of that other channel tbh). If every unique idea in the world could only be filmed by one channel, YT would be a very empty place
Fascinating experiment. I've wondered what happens to actors who have to put on weight for a role & then exercise it off afterwards, pretty similar scenario.
Been binging all your videos recently and was surprised that I hadn't seen this one yet... didn't realise it was a new one, but very happy to see :)
Love the content Mark, keep it up.
Hi Mark, thanks for posting this. I’m an average runner who got injured for the first time ever after an ultra last year. Since I’ve gained 2 stone and have been really struggling with motivation. Time to get back to it.
Nice Mark and wishing you all the best on your Journey. Keep sharing and amusing us along the way together with a smattering of facts here and there. Hopefully a bit less junk in your trunk !
I just found your channel, but as a personal trainer and triathlete who turns 50 in Oct, I think it's brilliant, insightful and funny. I'm also getting my first vo2 max test in Oct, so this was timely.
After 2 years of sitting around I gained 70 lbs. I tried "running" a 5k and clocked an insanely fast for a turtle 43 minutes. My PB is 21:30.
Now you have a bench mark to chip away at 10 seconds at a time...well done for kickstarting again man
Some are sprinters some are marathoners. It's sometimes difficult to keep thé longtime momentum and you have to deal with ups and downs.
I'm currently in a down, but trying to get back on thé rails. I'm confident, i've been there before and i know I'LL BE BACK !
I did this VO2 Max test last year at age 43 before my first marathon! I´m 182cm and my weight is 61kg, so my VO2 max result is pretty high (above 60). Despite that I ran a very slow 5+ hour marathon, but it was fun.
Are there any backyard ultras in UK? You run every hour a loop of 6,7 km. Until only one runner is left (Last (wo)man standing). That might be a good video idea! Did my first 3 weeks ago and did 12 loops (80 km/50 miles).
Keep up the good work: Your content is inspiring and makes me smile!
I’ve always told myself “it’s easier to stay fit than to get fit”.
Wait until you get on the farm, your farmers carry will be two Jerry can's down the back to the tractor..... the sled push will be pushing your ride on mower back to the shed after it broke something......etc. You'll start to get some of it as part of the lifestyle without having to plan for it.
Thank you for sharing this vulnerable journey with us. Btw, did you know that heightened appetite is a common side effect of testosterone hormone therapy?
I know this because I'm transmasculine, but the hormones we get were made for cis men and it's a very common topic within transmasculine forums. Not to disqualify anything you said - rather the opposite, if you've struggled with appetite regulation and your relationship with food it makes sense if it might have been even harder lately (despite all the fantastic good T does otherwise for mental and physical health). Just wanted to share that. ❤
Keep moving forward!
Brilliant as always. Good luck for the road ahead!
"Swimming - which was invented by an idiot" SPOT ON! 😂
Thanks Mark. Great as always.
It's not a Mark Lewis video without the Alpe du Zwift bike collapse clip. As someone ten years younger than you dealing with a similar injury pattern and similar BMI (if a couple cm shorter...) it's tough to not get discouraged.
Great video Mark and very interesting. You should have a code for bodyview 😂. Might give them a try. Always like more data. I’m sure you’ll come back quickly. Muscle memory and all that. Your running ability for such a unit is still impressive. Well done sir.
Brilliant Mark. Just brilliant. Your script writer surely just wants to paint you in a good light (to hide the unsightly curves I’m sure)….😂😂😂😂😂. As a nearly 50 year old, I appreciate your take on fitness. Keep fighting brother.
Hi Mark, love the videos. I think you had a micronutrients test in the past. Just wondered who you used and what test you had done.
Cool video. Mind me asking when you started TRT? And why? Thanks, look forward to seeing your progress.
lol fat in shorts, fat at the church and fat by the tree killed me 😂Can’t wait to see all your videos getting back into shape! Cheers from Brazil
Glad to see you are motivated to get after it again. I am in the same boat of needing to lose some kgs and will definitely be inspired to see your changes along the way.
Are you planning any events around your weight lose. IE another ultra in the distant future to motivate you, a hyrox event, spartan race, etc etc?
I was literally crying when I saw that pic. Fat in shorts, church, AND by a tree! 😂 Gotta have a sense of humor about one's self.
Mark have you heard about the upcoming indieVelo Grand Tour later next month?
It would make for incredible YT content and is right up your alley!
It’s a 5 day team stage race (though you can go solo if you wish) with GC, mountain, and sprint jerseys!
I’d watch your video on it 100 times 💪
This came at the right time for me. Super thanks
Good video. Look forward to seeing an Alpe de Zwift climb at 109kg, to see where you are now. Reckon you would enjoy that 😂
How can someone who hates swimming so much have been a lifeguard once upon a time?😂😂
You don’t get in the water!
So you confirmed I am doing the right thing wearing my kinda fit kinda fat T shirt :) Great content as always Mark!
Great vid Mark. I have a goal of getting to 50 vo2 max by my 50th birthday in April. Last month I reached 48, so on my way. I will also do Hyrox at altitude in Mexico City in November! Terrified about that
I'm looking forward to the pain videos to come!
Lol the Rocky 6 reference; Gold 😂😂
Brilliant insights again. I do a lot of bodyweight training (burpees, pushups, situps in the 1000s) per month. I can't outperform the diet. Staying fat and fit like you'd say. Don't have anything to add to your video. It's spot on. Keep moving forward.
(Expected David Goggins in the end though but I heard he's also into Rocky 😁)
Swimming becos it was invented by Idiots. Baahaahaaa. Totally agree. Best quote Ive heard in a while. Love it.😅
At 2:05 that looks like Cala Alcaufar in Menorca, what a beautiful place.
Nice spot!
Working on my 3rd year in a row of running 1000 miles. I workout lifting about 15 times a month (30-40 minutes) I’m 65 and since I’m retired I need to stay busy. Been running since 1994 so I had a good foundation to start. My VO2max is 49 at 150 lbs and 5’7”” height
I have that poster on my basement gym. Love Rocky!!!
Great video Mark
@0:17s - spent more time looking at the excellent garage organisation than I did Mrs Mark Lewis in a bikini. Excellent garage feng-shui action :-D
I'm glad you made this video because I have started this new part of my fitness journey and I have just felt stagnant.
I am 5'7"/170 cm & 185 lb/83.9 kg. I have a lot of muscle but I still have a good amount of fat on me.
My goal weight is 165 lb so I decided to start running 6x a week and continue strength training 4x a week.
I have now been doing this for 4 weeks and I have seen little change in my weight. Yes, I know its my diet. I eat like 2500-2600cal per day.
My appetite has gone up since doing the cardio (I make sure most of my milage is Zone 2 I got a Coros watch).
My running pace has not improved much I know these 20 lbs are holding me back.
A. Should I chill on the cardio and just walk more, diet smarter to help regulate my weight?
B. Just keep training how I'm training because progress is slow at the start?
It is slow and boring. Just plod on.
If you're a beginner and you're running remotely hard that often you'll just end up injured then fatter. Mix it up with cycling, swimming etc.
@@onshore1ft
Absolutely, that happened to me back when I was 220+ lb and couldn't run with proper posture. Which led to patella tendonitis and hip problems I still have.
It stings to watch all these professional runners that are my age. However, I have to remember my aerobic base is way smaller than theirs. I didn't have sports growing up. They have had their whole life building up to race seasons. I do speedy intervals once a week to keep it fun but otherwise I'm slow roasting the turkey. I'll make sure to stay consistent and not get injured! :)
At least you are able to get back to training. Getting fat because of an injury, and not healing correctly....oh that isn't fun.
You still have the option to train and that itself is a blessing.
I'm 5'8" and 170bs. Even when bodybuilding and being lean I felt like a tank at 175 vs. when I would run at 155.
If you can be lighter and maintain the weight relatively easy, you enjoy running soooo much more. Aside from the faster pace, you just feel built for it.
Your VO2 max may be influenced through your genetics, but not directly! As you brilliantly explain in your video, VO2 M is calculated via functional lung volume/weight/minute. Functional lung volume (the physiological terminology Vital Capacity) is termed as the maximal amount of active volume of air that is replenished through each respiration cycle (Inspiratory Capacity + Expiratory Reserve Volumes). For baseline humans, this would equate to roughly 4.5L of a total of 6L of lung volume. However, the strongest correlation to lung volume is HEIGHT!!! Not weight, not body shape. It would be more accurate to say that VO2 max directly correlates with height, not genetics.
Almost depressing how little fitness you lost :-) My watch puts me at 46 vo2max and I work out every day. Though I mostly cycle and my watch gets only my running data, but still. Not sure if my actual vo2 is any higher. Thanks for an interesting video !
Good luck on the road ahead!
it was about time to replace the « the falling off the bike » video clip with something more fresh 😂
NEVER!! 😅
Mark should take up mountain biking on gnarly single track. I started that at about his age, spent more money on bike repairs than I did on the secondhand bike, and finally figured out that perhaps I could avoid some very expensive orthopedic bills by using more caution. Seriously it would be a great sport for him to look into, and the ascents are a serious workout.
@@daveslaughter8290 do you have any tips for a beginner cyclist? I got my first road bike and I don't feel comfort on a bike (balancing, fear of falling, grip is hurting me because I'm applying a lot of press) I started learning the bike by myself when I was 24 and only tried it for 2 weeks. (ex obese) now at 27 I'm way fitter with a running background but can't get my hand around how people can be comfortable with a bike.
@@ghassandabane8459your bike may be the wrong size? Also, if you have a fear of falling off, just use regular flat pedals and not clipless pedals. Go to a bike shop and ask a tech there to assess your body size against the bike you’re riding. It could be as simple as making adjustments to make you more comfortable, or your frame size may be far too small if you’re a tall person.
People, when you compare then and now pics (the beginning of the video), you need to get into the same position and get your muscles either flex or relaxed in both pics, otherwise it doesn't make much sense and I'm thinking "this guy knows how to trick people". Other than that, very interesting video! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Great vid! How close is the Garmin prediction on running Vo2 vs the proper result?
Always very, very close. Actually, quite impressed.
Love the vids
I love the clip of your dog pulling you up the hill 😂
I am eating chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream. I’m arguably better at baking than running but I do both. Hope your back is feeling better.
Swimming was ‘invented’…….first giggle of the day. 😆
Hi Mark, I've only been watching your videos for a year or so, but I find them very honest, motivational and informative. It may be the youtube algorithm, but I feel like I have missed a chunk of your content where you had some backwards steps in your fitness. Did you post less during this time, or is this me being less attentive or youtube not promoting your content as much?
Video goes up every single week. The algorithm sucks though. 😂
I took a year off and ate all the things. I did a lot of damage to myself in that year. I'm 2 weeks in back on the wagon, diet and work, and it's always crazy to me how fast some things get good and how long it takes to get better. I'm out there getting my 1% everyday, though. I hope I win.
I really love Rocky Road too.
Thanks Mark!
Great video! But I wonder, many scientists say that your VO2max is largely determine by genetics and hence hard to change (for better and worse). Maybe looking at other values such as VMA would be interesting!?
That title is awesome 🙌
it's got a ring to it !
Amazing video as usual, I'm on my own journey back to fitness. What are you going to do now MoveHQ is closing? I'm Reading based and joined at the beginning of the year. I loved how quiet it was, but I guess that may have been part of the problem 😕
It’s a real shame but, as you say, it always looked a bit inevitable given how quiet it was. Luckily (for us at least) we are due to be moving in the next few weeks and will be building something pretty special to work out in at home.
@@MarkLewisfitness good luck with the move. Reading will miss you guys 👋🏻
Are you going to purchase and review the fenix 8?? I know you’re a watch guy; buying one more won’t hurt
no! video just gone live on this!
Do you recommend the Tailored Athlete shirts? Starting to feel more comfortable in my appearance after getting back on the grind and wouldn't mind a nice fitting shirt
Yes-although they have no interest in sponsoring me so no, they are crap 😂
....I am around one month older than you, Mark. Stand at 178 cm/5' 10", and weigh in at around 108 kg... you are FINE!.👍🤣👍☀️...
I am trying to loose weight, and you are source of inspiration in that endeavour.
Train hard, stay safe 👍
Lol @ hulk clip disclaimer 😂😂
The movie cutaways just keep getting better
Well, they make me laugh 😂
@@MarkLewisfitness maybe get some robocop or predator in next time eh
Mark, you have fallen to my weight (I'm the same height as you). I keep having my young son bring home exotic colds and flus from his pre-school/daycare to interrupt my marathon training but I went out for a hill run on Tuesday and I feel like my right-side had fallen the pieces yesterday. Today is a recovery run. Tomorrow is an easy run and Sunday is the Long Run. Gotta keep going!
You need to keep those children outside in some sort of kennel 😂
Really interesting video. Will you be doing a follow up with how the past 6 months have affected your health rather than just fitness and weight. Thinking cholesterol, resting heart rate etc? I have had Bluecrest health checks - bloods and stool samples, which are quite interesting to see what is going on internally. Also do you measure how flexible you are as this is something that with age (I am 50 too) that starts to fade with age unless maintained. This is why I married a yoga instructor…
I will yes. Basically, everything is grim 😂
Really struggling with binge eating
Have u heard of OA? Thoughts?
I lost a lot of weight there maybe I should go back but it’s depressing
Arggg how do u manage the binge eating beast
"It's about how much you can get hit (by yourself) and keep moving forwards." "This is Rocky (Road Extra Creamy Ice Cream)". "Who is"...(our own worst enemies?)
I'm not suggestible of course ... but I may go to "Doughnut Time" tomorrow 🍩
Get two for me 😂
Where the dog??? I miss him, he was elite
Do you ever think that maybe you fall off the wagon for the challenge of getting back on again? I am starting to see that pattern in myself after another 2 month binge and vegetate in the late winter just to have jumped back on the bike for 3 months of hard dieting and exercise. I'm genuinely starting to believe its an eating disorder or maybe a need to keep working on my fitness with the challenged. I'm not particularly bothered because there are way worse health problems to have.
Anyway, good luck this time around.
maybe - I'm just not too fussed I think 😂
My mind is blown because I think that's where I'm at. Started losing weight December 22 because I was stage 3 obese, now down to stage 1 obese and only 10 more kilo left to leave the obese wagon behind and enter the average overweight population (with another 10 kilo to lose for normal) . But every time I get close to being like 5 kilos away from declassifying as obese I fall on a 2 3 4 month long half ass refattening phase. I still work-out for the most part and eat right most of the day but then at night....all bets are off. So... I either like the feeling of watching the scale go down instead of staling at the same weight for a couple of weeks or I'm afraid of succeeding and then I'll be left without a finish line other than maintaining which will be a marathon for the rest of my life.
Hi Mark, curious. How was your mental health in the last 6 months compared to when more active?
When I fall off the wagon I notice general lethargy more and knock-on effects
Not great, but never that bad given I knew it was all fixable when I was ready.
I've reached the age when my age group is included in "or beyond".
Dont wanna bore you but i’m 44, 6ft 5 and currently 101.2kg. 2 years ago when i found your videos i was 144kg. Everyone told me i was too big and too heavy to run but you proved that to be bollocks.
I dropped to 110, went back to 130 then here i am at 101(my lightest since i got food poisoning from a dodgy egg in 2001) and have a 5k PB of 22mins. Basically what i’m getting at is you motivated me so just watch some of your old videos and lay off the Donuts and i’m willing to bet you a box of Krispy Kremes you are sub 100kg before the years out. If you are struggling in December i can give you my 2001 dodgy egg recipe!
My fitness goes to shit every winter, not always for the same reasons, but usually a combination of getting sick and too much shit that needs doing. My absolute vo2max is probably not too shabby (by my standards) right now, because even if I am heavier than usual I just got a new 5K pb yesterday. I probably suck down more oxygen than I used to, but the amount of lard I carry around still makes me very slow.
After reading the title I expected some Cal/kCal shenanigans. But of course you literally meant 1 million. Gdam!
We don’t mess about with kcal here 😂
Are you going to do the British Indoor Rowing Championships this year? You would do great I think. Just ask them straight out if TRT is OK. That's a story in itself. Plus, training for the 2k gives even more falling-off-a-machine opportunities so win-win ha ha
cant do the rowing due to TRT (its a tested event)
@@MarkLewisfitness If you are tested then your levels would be normal though, right? Testosterone is on the list of banned substances but every rower (even women) has it so what is the threshold? I looked at the BRIC rules and they follow the British Rowing Rules, and they follow the International Rowing rules, and they follow the IAAF rules, and they use a certain standard, and then when you finally get to the appendix of that standard Testosterone is on the list but I couldn't see more than that. Maybe research it yourself. It seems way too hard for a normal person with normal blood and urine wanting to enter a competition to figure out ...
@@datsch_ adding test is banned under WADA rules.....doesn't matter what you raise you level to (even if its still lower than most) .... testosterone is simply a banned substance.
@@MarkLewisfitness Well WADA has the TUE theraputic exemption process though it seems quite complicated ...
@@datsch_ Tue is never given for functional causes of low testosterone. The vast majority of people on TRT are never getting a TUE. A TUE is for something with an organic course…. somebody recovering from testicular cancer would be a good example.
I was like .... Is he quoting Rocky right now????..... Yes.... yes he was
I’m just thinking I’ve got down from 128kg in May to 116kg, I’m the same height as mark although a few years younger and my VO2 max is 43.
if I can get my weight down that little bit more (a) my body will look quite good and (b) maybe I can get back into running. Not sure a 2min 800m or 4m13 1500m is going to be happening again but there is hope for me yet.