The 40-year-old NFL quarterback, principles over popularity, the craziest push-up you've ever seen

Issue #75: The 40-year-old NFL quarterback, principles over popularity, the hardest push-up you've ever done

Read Time: 5 minutes

Good morning, 66.1ers.

Thanks for reading and supporting our mission to live healthier, for longer.One week at a time, one reader at a time, we're helping people build a life of freedom through sustainable health.

Housekeeping

Welcome to this week's Wednesday issue of 66.1.I'll be back in your inbox Saturday with the first of two deep dives on maintaining your health this holiday season.

A quick refresher for anyone who's new to the newsletter: 66.1 is the average health span (years lived without a serious disease) in the US. We're here to extend that.

In this week's issue of 66.1:

• The NFL quarterback going strong at age 40

• Timeless thoughts on prioritizing principles over popularity

• Knock out this workout before your workday tomorrow

Spotlight on Longevity: Aaron Rodgers

He's far from the 66.1 year benchmark this newsletter is named after, but NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been one of the league's best for the past 15+ years.

This year, at age 40, he's returned from a torn Achilles tendon to lead his New York Jets. Considering that the average age of starting quarterbacks in the NFL is 27.9 years, Rodgers' longevity habits are worth studying.

3 lessons for longevity from Rodgers:

1. Train. Hard. ​Rodgers is renowned for showing up at voluntary pre-season workouts so he can hit the ground running when the season rolls around.He's also famous for his leg strength, reportedly squatting 400+ pounds and leg pressing 500+.​

2. Supplement​Rodgers attributes his full recovery from his torn Achilles in part to drinking a ton of collagen, which is a powerful supplement to help repair tendons. It's also critical for skin, muscle, bone, and hair health.​

3. Surround yourself with good people​Rodgers goes out of his way to train with college athletes during the offseason, is a regular guest on the Pat McAfee show, and makes a point of cultivating relationships with folks outside the NFL world.

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"Surround yourself with really good people...Because the people you surround yourself with are a reflection of you."

--Aaron Rodgers

Food for thought:

​

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Author of Self-Reliance, one of a handful of essays I reread on an annual basis, Ralph Waldo Emerson is a timeless source of wisdom.

The question for you this week:

What must you do that might not be popular with your friends, family members, or coworkers?

Whether it's saying no to a night out so you can wake up early to train, passing on dessert because it's not aligned with your health goals, or respectfully declining a meeting that isn't a priority for you, it's a daily battle to make unpopular decisions in the name of integrity.

Workout of the week

A quick workout you can do anywhere.

This week's workout:

The Workday Warmup.Knock this one out in 10 minutes or less before you hop in your car and drive to work.It's going to be especially challenging (and feel especially good) if you've got weak or unstable shoulders.

Here's the workout:

5 rounds:

20 lunge jumps (10/side)

10 dive bomber push-ups​

Level: Intermediate

Don't do it if:

You've got damaged knees that don't handle impact well.If this is you, consider doing regular, non-jumping lunges as a replacement.

Adaptation:

If the dive bombers are too tough, do as many as you can and then complete the set with regular push-ups.If you're looking for a longer workout, do 10 rounds.Want to make it harder?Do the 10 rounds for time.

​Tried the workout?​Reply here and let me know how it went!​That's all for this week.Have fun out there.​Marcus

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Why 66.1?​66.1 is the average health span (years lived without a serious disease) in the US, as of the start of this newsletter publication.​We're here to extend that.