The Origin Story
It was the 80s, WWF wrestling was on TV every Saturday morning, the movies were dominated by overly-muscled action stars like Arnold, Stallone and Van Damme, collecting Marvel Comics like The X-Men and Spider-Man was all the rage and an awkward teenager wanted to look like these burly bad-asses because they kicked butt AND always got the girl…
Yes - that is how my fitness journey started.
In the 90s, as a young 20-something in Washington, DC, I enjoyed my part-time job at a gym (for a free membership) so much that I earned a certification and left political work to become a personal trainer. As a young man right out of college, I decided a good way to make friends and stay in shape was by joining a rugby club, so I started playing with Potomac Athletic Club (now the Potomac Exiles) in 1994.
The Rugby Insight
Starting to play rugby in 1994 is what began my interest in exercise and aging - I was 22 and was blown away by all of the “old” guys who were in amazing shape and playing rugby at a very competitive level (at 22, “old” meant over 35, there were a number of men in their late 30s and early 40s playing with PAC at that time). It was the first time I was introduced to the fact that it was possible to stay in great shape as we got older and, at 22, that is when I made the commitment to do just that. I wanted to be in the same shape as Jim Trump, who, in his late 30s, ran the conditioning for PAC. That is the origin story of my interest in longevity, it only grew from there.
The Spinning Instructor Insight
In 1998 I made the decision to leave political work and began my fitness career by earning certifications to be a personal trainer and teach indoor cycling. Both certification programs taught how to use heart-rate training by using the 220-age formula (Fox & Haskell) to estimate the maximum heart-rate. There is a derivative to that formula that uses resting heart rate (the kervonan formula) to estimate the target heart rate at a specific training intensity (say, 80% of the max heart rate).
All that to say, as a young instructor, I would diligently apply the formulas to give class participants a target heart rate for their workout (we handed out Polar heart rate monitors in the 1990s, very ahead-of-the-curve). There were many times when I would do a calculation for someone over the age of 50 and the recommended heart rate (as a % of 220-age) would be around 130-40 beats per minute; the person would look at me and say they barely felt like they were working at that intensity. These ‘older adults’ were capable of pushing 140-150 bpm without being completely out of breath, another data point that what science knew about exercise and aging may be incomplete, so I started paying attention to the published literate on designing exercise programs for older adults. And boy, has it changed over the 28 years I’ve been doing this.
The Educator Phase
In 2008, after earning a master’s in exercise science, I moved to San Diego to go to work creating education content for the certification organization that had I earned 10 years earlier: the American Council on Exercise - ACE; here’s my current bio as a content creator (I still produce content for them, on contract).
At ACE, I helped create the Integrated Fitness Training Model of exercise program design (the strength training progression was my domain of expertise). The IFT Model has been validated by independent research as an effective system for designing exercise programs - READ that research HERE.
In 2013, I left ACE to start my own consulting business creating content for a variety of fitness brands. Over the years, in addition to ACE, I have created content and represented brands such as Nautilus, StairMaster, Reebok and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM - another of the personal training certification groups).
Hopping the Pond for Work
During this era, I traveled the world for a number of brands; I was in China so much, I had a work visa and I had the opportunity to visit Moscow 3 times, one place I’ll likely never return. The most random place I visited was Oman. The busiest place was Shanghai, it makes NYC look like a sleepy burg. I had a chance to attend a beach rave on Ko Samui. The best meal was at a seafood restaurant on the docks of the residential area of Cancun, Mexico or a Georgian restaurant in Moscow. It was not uncommon to hop the pacific to teach a workshop in Beijing, Singapore or Taipei, leaving Thursday morning and returning Monday.
After the 2020 pandemic disrupted the fitness industry, the need for education consultants like me declined and I took an in-house role as the director of education for a rapidly growing, big-box, low-cost gym chain.
In 2024, I was preparing for my 3rd visit to the Rancho La Puerta resort as a specialty fitness instructor (focused on, you guessed it - strength training); during the e-mail thread confirming details, they asked if I knew of any instructors interested in working in Mexico. That is when I decided to leave the life of working for gym chains (and living out of suitcases) and return to personal training full-time, specifically to focus on helping individuals learn how to use exercise to optimize their health and extend their longevity.
After writing Ageless Intensity: High-Intensity Workouts to Slow the Aging Process, I saw working at The Ranch as a way to focus on my area of interest: helping people learn how to use exercise to mitigate the effects of the aging process.
My career has been driven by my passion for helping others learn how to use exercise to improve their lives. That’s why I wrote the books and why I produce this substack, exercise comes easily to me and it’s truly a pleasure to be able to share it with others.
The Real Reason
A very important reason why I chose to work at The Ranch is because of the traumatic brain injuries I have experienced. In the 1980s, I raced BMX. In the 90s and 00s, I played very competitive rugby. Between those two sports, I received numerous concussions. 3 times I’ve woken up looking up at EMTs, once in the back of an ambulance. In rugby, if a bone wasn’t sticking out, you played, so what if I got a knock to the head and was a little dizzy, whenever I had double-vision I just tackled the guy in the middle. That was then, now that I’m in my 50s I am feeling the long-term effects of the concussions; the absolute best thing I can do for my long-term brain and cognitive health is work at an active job where I am outside, moving all day, being in service to others all while eating amazing food. That’s the other reason I research and write about the topic of longevity is selfish; simply put - I need to learn as much as I can to keep my gray matter functioning as good as possible so I can enjoy life with my kids.
Come Visit The Ranch
It’s super exciting to announce that as a reader of Strength Training for Longevity you can now save money when you visit The Ranch for the first time. Use the code RLP-PMC when making your reservation to receive the discount. (NOTE: For 1st time guests, or those who have NOT visited in the past 5 years; if you are a recent guest, your current rebook rate is a slightly better deal).
This will allow you to come experience how hiking, vigorous exercise, healthy nutrition, meditation and many other health-oriented practices can improve your health and extend your longevity.
It’s truly amazing to see how The Ranch changes people during their visit, there is a reason many people return on a regular basis. Plus, with a founder who is going strong at 104, we kinda know longevity, so come learn for yourself.
Travel and Leisure just recognized Rancho La Puerta as the Best International Wellness retreat.
Affiliate Programs
In addition to The Ranch, as a reader of Strength Training for Longevity, you can receive a discount on weighted vests, rucking packs and Sandbells from Hyperwear - use code PETEMC at checkout! I’ve had a long relationship with Hyperwear and featured their Sandbell product in Smarter Workouts - if you want a pack or weighted vest for rucking, they make the best in the industry.
Thank you for reading!
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Plan a trip to recharge and reboot your health and fitness program at the world famous Rancho La Puerta resort and spa in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. You can take fitness classes, learn valuable mindset skills and enjoy a week of reconnecting with yourself.
