096 - Time Under Tension Beats Heavy Weight Every Single Time

[00:00:00] What if everything you've been taught about building muscle after 40 has been wrong? In this episode, you're going to learn why it might be better to lift slower than it is to lift heavier. How to train for longevity instead of just looking good. And the simple nutrition and mindset habits that have kept Glenn Wilkinson in incredible shape at age 55. If you want to stay strong, lean and active for decades to come, this episode is just for you. Welcome to another episode of the The Health Movement.

[00:00:34] Welcome everybody to another episode of the Health Movement Podcast. I'm Derek, your host, a certified personal trainer, a teacher of over 20 years. And before I introduce today's guest who I am incredibly flattered to have on the show. We are not doctors so before you go changing any of your programming or anything like that, please consult with your physician. All right, now that that's out of the way, I have with us today Glenn Wilkinson from the Grindstone Foundation out of Scotland.

[00:01:05] No, Derek. I'm not Scottish. I'm Irish. Oh, I, you're, I, that's sorry. Sorry. Irish language. I'm Irish. Oh, I am so sorry. I'm half Irish and quarter Scottish. I got messed up. Hold on. I don't care. We're all kelts. Don't worry, Derek. Don't worry. It's quite okay. No, I'm redoing that. I'm redoing that. All right. No, don't keep it in. Keep that in. That's great. All right. All right. Sorry, Glenn. From Ireland. There we go.

[00:01:34] Thank you so much for having us. Can I, can I caveat that as well? Yes. I'm from Northern Ireland. So, oh, that's right. That's right. I'm Scottish. I'm Irish, but I'm not. But that's fine. Don't worry. Keep that in because that's good. All right. I'll keep it. Well, as I said before, the Scottish have invaded Boston. So I think every, the Scots are on my mind here, but the Irish are welcome always as well.

[00:02:02] My last name's O'Rearden. So that, that's in my blood. I appreciate it. Well, Glenn, thank you so much for joining the program. I really appreciate you coming on. No, I'm, I'm very blessed. I'm very privileged for you to ask me to come on, Derek. I've been looking forward to chatting to you today. Thank you. And I, just to dive right in, I've noticed with a lot of your workouts, a lot of your focus is on more the movement side.

[00:02:31] And there was one thing I saw where you were talking about, you never know what's going to get, what's going to hit you. You might have to climb a rope on a ship or do, do a number of things. What's, what's the, the foundation of, of your training? What's the focus?

[00:02:47] Okay. Well, I love exercise. I just absolutely adore working out in many different genres. So I'm 55, nearly 56. So I have to think smart about how I trained, Derek. I have to think about the longevity. I have to think about the load. One of the most important fundamentals for me is mobility.

[00:03:11] So I, I'm known as the 30 rep guy. So a lot of my workouts encompass 30 repetitions. And I could tell you the rationale behind that.

[00:03:24] Well, please do. Okay. So for me, when, as an older athlete trying to, so I'm not going to get any, I'm not really interested in hypertrophy. I'm not really interested in getting any bigger. You know, I've sort of been 74 kilos. I know yous Americans and yous pounds. For what reason? I don't know. But anyway.

[00:03:51] Don't even get me started on the, how much better the metric system is than what we decided on here. Maybe without being offensive, yous need to get with the program. But anyway. So I believe, Derek, that time, time under tension is the most singular important fundamental when it comes to aesthetics and for shaping your body and creating density.

[00:04:17] So 30 reps takes around 2 minutes and 30 seconds. So all my sets take 2 minutes and 30 seconds to perform. And I work with a load of no more than 60 kilograms. Sorry. No more than 60% of my maximum weight.

[00:04:39] Okay. Okay. So if my maximum weight is 100 kilograms, I'm giving all your listeners a bit of an education on the metric system. We appreciate that. We do. So if my maximum bench press is 100 kilos, I will never lift more than 60. In that, well, first, can you just explain time under tension for people who might be unfamiliar with that?

[00:05:06] So time under tension is just very simply put, the amount of time that your muscle is put under contraction in two phases. So the lowering phase is what we call the eccentric phase and the shortening phase, which is called concentric. So I believe, Derek, that that lowering phase. So if I'm doing a bicep curl, I will spend more time in the lowering phase. So I'll always go down for four.

[00:05:36] One, two, three, four. And the shortening phase, I'll come up for two. And that works across my whole body, whether it be legs. I love training legs. I love, I love, when I start talking about exercise, I just, I just get enthused. So forgive my enthusiasm at my age. I love it though.

[00:06:00] I love, and I just have to say 55 with that head of hair as a guy who's follically challenged. I'm a little jealous. There's not an ounce of gray in that thing either. There's not. I do get accused of this and accused for that. As I say, I'm totally natural. I've been the same weight since I was 18, around 74, 75 kilograms. I've done a lot of natural bodybuilding competitions.

[00:06:28] I excel in CrossFit. I play soccer. I believe that age, Derek, doesn't have any bearing on my physical prowess. But I just have to be smart. George. We got a visitor. George, come on. This is this. Well, he keeps you young too, I'm sure. Oh, he's my best friend, Derek.

[00:06:58] Apart from you, you're going to be my next best friend. Oh, I can't wait. Next time I come back to Ireland, I'm looking you up. I'm going up north. Is that Scotland? Wherever you send me. Wherever you send me, I'll be. So when you go 60%, and I will say, I have a buddy, Patrick, that I met at the gym, who is a massive individual.

[00:07:24] And he would never do more than probably 60% of whatever his max is. And bench press with 135 pounds, and that was the most he would do. And everything is controlled, like you said. Yes. And he was massive. And it always, I think that was my first real introduction to understanding that ego lifting

[00:07:50] and just trying to move the heaviest weight possible doesn't grow much. And then it leads to injury. And then you can't train for six months or whatever you did to yourself, however long it takes to recover. Exactly, Derek. I have lots of little sayings. So when I'm training, I think one of the most important things is the mind to muscle connection. So I could perform 30 reps just for the sake of performing 30 reps.

[00:08:19] But if I get this connection between my mind, the lowering phase, the shortening phase in my mind, I'm thinking about all those muscle fibers knitting together, recovering, being put under stress, anabolic stress. And I think that is very important. But I believe as well that comes with maturity and with time. Oh, it absolutely does. Yeah, I agree with that. I played on... I would go into... Sorry. No, go ahead.

[00:08:48] Go ahead. I like training on my own, just with George. I'm not big into going into commercial gyms because I've been in commercial gyms all of my life. And it can be very competitive. I don't like training in front of mirrors. Again, that detracts from me personally. And forgive me, I'm not being, you know, opinionated.

[00:09:14] Maybe some people like to look at themselves in the mirror, but I like to get this connection in my mind. I like just to be on my own in the zone. I don't use music. I'm just so focused. And it's those little 1%, I think, across the board. So 1% with the mind and muscle connection. 1% with the weight selection. 1% with the full range of movement.

[00:09:43] I do all the little 1% very well. And on a consistent basis, I think that's very important as well, Derek. Did you like the tash? I do. I do. I tried growing it and I can grow the full beard now. But when I first started it, this was probably three or four years ago, it was splotchy. I'm like, am I bald on my face as well as my head? But it was all white.

[00:10:11] So I get it dark here and then it gets heat. I can't pull it off the way you do. The mustache does not look good on me. Well, my wife hates my mustache. Oh. She's continually going on, Glenn, Glenn, get rid of that mustache. It makes you look older. You look ridiculous because I'm trying to develop it up the same. But the more she bangs on about it, the more I'm going to keep it. Oh. All right. All right.

[00:10:40] We'll have to work together to see if we can convince you then. Are you going the full twist on the side? Is that what you're looking for? Yes. Oh, that's... I found online that if you put glue on the end of it, it will be able to keep it there. Oh, I cannot wait to see that. I cannot wait to see it. You had mentioned the four seconds and then two seconds on each rep.

[00:11:09] Yes. And it reminded me, I played American football in college. Well, I was on the team. I didn't play a whole lot. But we had the strength and conditioning coach for one of the pro teams, the Buffalo Bills, came my... It might have been my sophomore year, my second year of college, to talk to us. And that's what he told everyone to do. You know, the four seconds down, two seconds up. And in my mind at the time, like, oh, that's stupid. Like, I can't do as much weight.

[00:11:39] So, I mean... Yes. We were all... Like you said, you're too kind of young to really understand the purpose of lifting and how your body benefits from even the time that each rep takes. And it takes some time. When you work with people, how open do you find most people to those little nuances that you've learned along the way? Well, if I'm being honest, Derek, I work with different sort of demographics.

[00:12:07] I'm a strength and conditioning coach for a local professional soccer team. Okay. So, the difference between, you know, strength and conditioning for performance is totally different to what I train myself for aesthetics and physique and for CrossFit. I do a lot of eccentric movements, a lot of dynamic movements. And my job, basically, is to help the players perform on the pitch.

[00:12:37] And the main concern that I have is injury avoidance. So, lots of... In soccer, you know, with the World Cup being on at the minute, I'm actually calling it soccer. That's the first time I've ever called it soccer. I could... You said it and my ears perked up. I was like, well, Glenn, call it soccer. I'll get ridiculed over on this side of the pond for calling it soccer. You're definitely going to hear about it. I'm going to post that a few times.

[00:13:04] But as a family, I know I'm going on a segue here. Our family, we want to move to the States. So, that's our dream. Oh, really? I'm sort of trying to put down some connections. And it's in California, actually. But anyway, so, 21% of injuries in soccer are hamstring injuries. So, it's that explosiveness. I don't know. Have you heard of a player called Mbappe? Yes.

[00:13:33] So, he plays for France. He's probably the fastest, most dynamic player out there. And the high-speed running is through the roof. And if you consider in one of those World Cup games, although I don't have... I'm not privy to the GPS stats. But those guys potentially could be running 12K, 13 kilometers for the entire 90 minutes.

[00:14:00] And these games tend to go on 95 minutes, 96 minutes. So, if you think of the high-speed running and the output and the stress that's going on in the hamstrings and the calves and the adductors during a soccer game or a football game, it's quite amazing. Yeah, the speed those guys play. And it's the change of direction, too. It is. Yes. The quick, sudden movements.

[00:14:30] So, that's... What do you do to help prevent, though? Because you can't prevent all injuries. No, you can't. But it's exposure to high-speed running. So, just say we play a game on a Monday. It's not enough just to sprint every Monday. You have to be sprinting maybe on a Thursday, maybe a little bit more on a Wednesday. I call it hamstring health days. A lot of eccentric movements.

[00:14:58] A lot of work for the posterior chain. A lot of strength. But when I train my soccer players, I would never do more than five reps. Have you ever heard of contrast training, Derek? I have not. No, Glenn. What is that? Contrast training is a way just to develop strength and power. So, you might do five back squats very, very heavy. Then immediately followed by a plyometric exercise.

[00:15:28] So, you go from one contrast to the next. And it's just a way of sort of replicating the sort of power output and the force production that you need in soccer. Derek, I think I'm talking an awful lot. It's an Irish thing. We talk a lot. Well, no one's here to listen to me. We want to hear you. I apologize. You must have spent time at Barney Castle.

[00:15:55] I will say I've been fortunate enough, and it's been a while, but to come out to Ireland, I've been a few times. The O'Reardons are from County Cork as far as I can tell. Went down that way and visited. And then even I was with my mother and my sister, and we were taking a trip around the Dingle Peninsula. Oh, beautiful. And there was Reardon Cafe that wasn't open yet, and we were just kind of taking pictures in front of it.

[00:16:25] And the owners came out to talk to us because they were opening up maybe within an hour. They opened the whole place up for us, made us food, sat us down. I recommend it if people can get out to Ireland. It's such a welcoming environment. It was such a good time. We are a friendly bunch. We really are. You know, where I live in Belfast, well, I live in a little place called Ballymena,

[00:16:53] which is just outside Belfast, about 20 minutes. And you walk through the city, and you would say hello to people just walking down the street. All right, how's it going? How you doing? Nice to meet you. How you doing? So it's very, very friendly because it's a lot smaller. In Northern Ireland, we have maybe in the whole country, I think we have 1.9 million people. Oh, okay. Down south in the Republic of Ireland, I think they have about 5 million. I think that's the stat.

[00:17:21] So everyone sort of knows everyone. That's kind of nice, though. It is. I don't know. I like that. I like saying hi to people. The one thing I have trouble with is you walk onto an elevator, or you're in a room with somebody you don't know, and you make eye contact, and then both people look down immediately. Yes. Say hi. Exactly. How's it going? I don't know. It just seems to make everybody smile a little more when you're willing to connect on some level,

[00:17:50] and I think that's super beneficial. Yeah. It doesn't cost anything to be polite or to be kind or to be generous. No, no, it definitely doesn't. It definitely doesn't. There is, I was going through a bunch of your content, and there was one thing you wrote on there. It was on the heading on one of them that says, I don't do conventional. And you were jumping over these tall boxes, and it was not conventional.

[00:18:20] Yes. What's the reasoning behind that? Well, because I've been training for so long, I've been in the fitness industry since I was 16. I was a professional soccer player when I left Northern Ireland to go to play in England, which was a dream come true. And I thought this was my opportunity for fame, for stardom.

[00:18:47] But it didn't really work out the way that I had anticipated, which was fine because that's how you learn. Yeah. So ever since then, because I'm so passionate about exercise, I'm always trying to sort of challenge myself in different ways. And I think sort of longevity, continuity in my training journey has been there because I keep changing things. I don't want to, you know, just adhere to the status quo.

[00:19:17] I want to try, I want to push the envelope. I want to try different things. I have a world record. Did I tell you that, Derek? No, no. What's that in? Are you ready for this? Yeah. I pushed a wheelbarrow the whole way around Northern Ireland. It took me seven days, but I had someone in the wheelbarrow. And we were, we pushed 300 miles.

[00:19:45] So my training partner, I pushed him for a mile. We swapped. He pushed me for a mile. We swapped. We did that for 13 hours a day. And we, we, we, we, um, we made a world record. We were doing it for charity. Yeah. I was going to ask why there had to be some, some reason behind that. Yes. So only in Ireland, two crazy guys.

[00:20:10] And it was in the middle of winter when the rain and the, and the snow, and we had a big support team and a big van and a physio. And we were on the news and everything. Two crazy Irish guys pushing a wheelbarrow the whole way around Northern Ireland. It was funny. I'll never forget it. How, how many, because I've certainly pushed a wheelbarrow before and it's not uncommon for it to tip. Who, who dumped who more often? Well, that's my training partner with, he was a hundred kilograms.

[00:20:40] So I got the short straw. Yeah, you definitely got the short straw in that one. But we were going, we were averaging a mile in sort of 15 minutes. So it took, it took us a long, long time. And we had, as I say, physio and we had a masseuse. My wife and my kids were there and a big van and we were all over the television. It was, it was really good. We, I think we raised 20,000 pounds, which it was amazing.

[00:21:09] That was really good. Yeah, that is amazing. That is amazing. That's fun. Whose idea was that? Uh, I told you I was unconventional. I was going to guess it was yours. That would have been my guess. Yes. So I do a thing over here on social media because this social media journey, Derek, for me, has only probably been going about just over a year, a year and a half. George, come back, please.

[00:21:41] Uh, so I have on Instagram, I have grown from zero. I think I have about 340,000 followers on Instagram. Yeah, I saw that. Yeah. And so it's, and it's, I try to reply to every single message and get back to people. Um, I get quite a bit of hate, but anyway, so this gives me an opportunity to do different things. So I've been trying out MMA. Um, I saw that. Did you see it?

[00:22:10] I did. I was, I have a note to ask you about that too. How was that? It was so much fun. It was amazing. But I'm a 55 year old dude trying MMA for the first time. I was worried about my teeth and I was worried about my, my ears. I didn't want to not being disrespectful. No, no. I got you. The cauliflower ears. Yeah. Yeah. That's usually a telltale sign. Yes. But it was great fun. And it enabled me.

[00:22:38] I get lots of opportunities to do, to do different things. And people are kind. I think Derek, if you're genuine and if you're authentic, I'm, I try not to pretend to be something I'm not, you know, uh, again with, with my exercise prescription, I'll say, have, have a go at it. See, see if this works for you because there's different nuances and there's no right and wrong ways. There's just different ways. Yeah.

[00:23:07] And what works for me mightn't work for you and what works for you mightn't work for me. Yeah. And I, I noticed that especially, uh, a buddy and I, we, we opened up a nutrition shop, uh, not, well, it's his nutrition shop. He pulled me into it and we were talking about like, we work with different people on there, um, or in there and it's everybody. It's something different. Like for me, I like to eat a big breakfast. I have a, I, I like a couple of different protein shakes.

[00:23:36] I'll have a big lunch and then I'm good for the day. I don't like, I'll get my calories in so I can get my intermittent fasting in other people that doesn't work. And it sounds insane to them and they can't be consistent with it. Other people don't want to eat breakfast. Their first meals at noon and they'll eat till six or so. Um, so it's, it's whatever you can do consistently that is, you know, that's, that's the best way to go.

[00:24:04] I have my own little strategies when it comes to nutrition. So I think macronutrient timing is very important. That's just a fancy pants way of saying for your listeners, just the optimum times to eat your protein, to eat your carbs and to eat your fat. And again, over time, I've developed different strategies through trial and error.

[00:24:31] So I, I try to optimize my carbohydrates, especially my fast acting carbohydrates around my exercise window. So before I lift weights, I would get a lot of carbs in. Then after I lift weights, I would also get a lot of carbs in. The rest of the time, I'm more sort of focusing on protein and good, healthy fats. What are the good, healthy fats that you like?

[00:24:59] Cause that seems to be difficult for some people. Yes. A lot of people. And well, I probably take on average about 120 grams of fats, sometimes more depending on, on my recovery days. through eggs, through avocado, through walnuts, through, you know, butter, all that sort of stuff. But again, if your listeners, hopefully they don't think that I'm talking about myself,

[00:25:29] but I would stay around 8% body fat all year round. So, um, like for example, with, with regards to abs and things like that, I'm in this, I'm in this condition all year round. And to do that at my age, naturally with no TRT. And again, I don't make any judgment.

[00:25:54] I know when I'm in the States, I know there is quite a big emphasis on TRT and that's fine. You know, um, I just choose not to go down that route. I would like to try and do it as, as, as naturally and with food and with reduction of stress and with good sleeping patterns and the people in my life and all this sort of stuff.

[00:26:18] So please, I don't make any judgment for, for guys who decide to go down that route, but I am a big advocate for trying to do it as naturally as possible. I think that I like that. I like, and so wait a minute, 120 grams of fat. So eating fat doesn't make you fat. Is that exactly. Yeah. I just, exactly. A lot of people, I, they hear the word fat and they're like, I can't eat that.

[00:26:45] It's going to make me fat, which I can understand the, the, the correlation between the two things because it's the same word, but there's a big difference between fat and a cookie and avocado, eggs, walnuts, and the things that you mentioned. Yes. I primarily, when I look at my plate, I think, what can I draw out of that plate? So my carbohydrates, what can I utilize those carbohydrates for? Is it for energy?

[00:27:14] Is it for replenishment? When I look at my protein, okay, I'm using those proteins for, for, for repair, for to increase my muscle. When I look at fat, I think in my mind, Derek, hormonal transportation. So I think there's a direct correlation with guys. I know you have a lot of ladies who watch, but for, for fat is essential.

[00:27:39] For my, bolstering my natural testosterone, because as we get older, you know, it does start to decrease. But I don't want to succumb to that narrative. I want to push the boundaries. I, um, I, I want to, you know, I get my, my testosterone measured every maybe five months, five to six months. And I am in a normal scale. You know, I'm not massively high or I'm not massively low.

[00:28:06] So, so it's just an, an, an, an, a normal, an, a normal state. And that's, you, you, uh, say basically that's the lifestyle that you live, the food that you eat, the sleep that you get, the relationships that you have, try to cut out stress, which is sometimes easier said than done. Um, but that's, that's the recipe. And like you said, not, it doesn't work for everybody.

[00:28:32] There, there's certain, you know, genetically we can't always control what's going on there. So sometimes you need, you need help in that department. Um, exactly. I have a little procedure. When you get to my age and I've had some businesses and went, went bankrupt and had, had some issues and everything.

[00:28:52] I've, you, you get to art my age and you have a lot of experiences, but now I, as part of my lifestyle, I try just to keep a close circle of friends. You know, I don't get too close to people. Um, we have a saying here in Northern Ireland, I don't have any melters in my life. Do you know what that means? I don't. I can guess, but why, why don't you explain that?

[00:29:21] How would you get, what would you guess at? I would think melters or somebody that around you is a negative person or, or somebody that kind of brings you down and ruins the vibe. Yeah. Melt your head. And for me, that's one of the key strategies in my life. No, I, cause I, when you're online and you give out so much and you get lots of, you know, abuse and everything. But I can, I want to control the people in my, in my life.

[00:29:50] And I only want to be around people like yourself. Cause I checked you out and I said, I want to talk to this guy. I appreciate that. I'm at a stage now when I, I can be quite selective. And because that, that has a bearing on all different types of, you know, the people that you lie in. And it has a bearing on, on, on your mood. It has a bearing on, on, on how you live your life, you know, and the thoughts that you think.

[00:30:16] So, um, I would, and I know we always can't be positive. I come online and I am generally, my cup is always half full. I, I tend to see the good in, in, in most things and, and be quite positive all the time. And that takes a bit of practice as well. But if you surround yourself with people who are always, you know, continually tearing you down, that, that will have an impact.

[00:30:42] Whereas if you surround yourself with people who maybe are, have a bit more experience. Like I love going to train with someone who maybe knows more than me. I can glean from them. Maybe someone who's maybe a bit stronger, a bit faster. Cause that's, they're going to make me better. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. That's a part of the reason why I haven't monetized this podcast or anything like that.

[00:31:07] It, it, it's not something that, that helps me out financially, but the people that I've met in the connections that I've made, it motivates me and it's knowledge that I gain. And I, and you know, I get to, to share it with other people as well, because I think we just, we can learn so much from the right people and you can obviously learn the wrong things from the wrong people.

[00:31:32] And you want to make sure you're, you're selective and you're choosing the right people that you want to spend your time with. Show me your friends and I'll show you your future. I love that. I love that saying there. Yes. And family as well. I've been married for, for 22 years. I've got three, my kids are all teenagers and they're getting ready to go to university.

[00:31:54] And so it's, life's all about different stages and different, you know, different timings and timings, timings, everything in life. You can't, I keep pushing doors. I, I, I, I knock a lot of doors and if the door opens, it's meant to be. And if the door closes, then it's not meant to be. Yeah. And you try a different door or you try the same door, but at a different time and see, see what happens then. Exactly.

[00:32:22] Um, I noticed that you've been, you do some, you do speaking engagements too at different companies and places. How have you enjoyed that aspect of things working with large groups of people? Derek, I really enjoy it. I get really nervous. Um, so I was doing a speaking engagement yesterday, uh, to some top executives and I'm not polished.

[00:32:48] I don't have a, um, uh, you know, a presentation or anything. Everything I do in those seminars, it's, it's fun. It's, there's lots of participation. I'm very open. I'm very vulnerable. I try to help with companies and productivity and sort of setting little goals. Um, I talk about nutrition. I talk about, so yesterday I was in a seminar, the 60 executives.

[00:33:17] And I just looked out at this, these guys all in their suits and everything. And the way that they were sitting in their chairs just spoke volumes to me. Some of them had their arms folded, their shoulders were retracted. Some of them were sprawled out. And I said, just even having a little think about how you sit. Your chest is high. Your shoulders are retracted. That allows a nice pathway for oxygen.

[00:33:44] The position of your chin or your knees higher than your hips. If they are, it's maybe having a shortening effect on your hip flexor, which can bring to some lower back issues. So little, little nuances. And then I do some little fun posture tests and little challenges and just have lots of sort of interaction. And at different stages, I just throw tennis balls into the audience. And if they catch it, they get a prize.

[00:34:13] So it's great fun. And I think you can be a wee bit stuffy when you're delivering a seminar. But I just like to, again, I talk about my own experiences. I talk about the little 1%. I love to encourage. I think that's my purpose in life is to be an encourager. So I enjoy it. And it is challenging.

[00:34:39] But it's very rewarding to think that maybe I say to them, you know, maybe in a three weeks time, four weeks time, you remember a little nugget that that long-haired guy with the mustache came in one day. And if you remember one thing, then I've done my job. That's right. That's right.

[00:34:58] And I understand being nervous, speaking to a big group of people, but you got to remember these guys, I'm sure, sitting in boardrooms and stuffy meetings that are all the same with PowerPoint presentations. And then the energy that you have in the passion that you have for what you're talking about, that's a breath of fresh air to a lot of people. And I imagine it's a fun experience. And I saw the red and white pants that you were sporting. I appreciated those. I love that. I love that.

[00:35:29] I love fashion, Derek. I do a thing on my social media. Maybe if you could invite your viewers to give me a follow. It's called Sunday Vibe. Have you ever seen my Sunday Vibe? I didn't see your Sunday Vibe. Well, every Sunday. I love the 70s. I love flowers. I love extravagant colors and, you know, medallions.

[00:35:55] And, you know, it's this whole sort of, it's not a persona. It's just who I am. But I'll be very flamboyant in my dress. If you get a chance, check out my Sunday Vibe. I will be reposting some of your Sunday Vibe. I'm going to make a habit of that. Glenn's Sunday Vibe. I'll just say, just be prepared because it's pretty, it's far out there. You got to, you got to have fun.

[00:36:26] I don't know. If people are always so concerned with what everyone else thinks, like you said, just be yourself. If you enjoy certain things, share with the world. People appreciate authenticity more than anything else. I feel like. Yes. And I think maybe that's why people sort of like my, my, the social that I put out, you know, cause I'm not, we have a saying here in Northern Ireland. And I'm always telling you about the sayings that we have in Northern Ireland. I like the sayings.

[00:36:53] We have no, there's no errors or graces. Have you ever heard that term? I have not. Well, my granny used to say it. I don't really know what it means, but you know, we're just authentic. We're just real. There's no point pretending. Cause I think you get fined out. Oh yeah. You can tell when someone's doing something or trying too hard. Exactly. I teach 10 and 11 year old.

[00:37:20] Actually, um, I did teach 10 and 11 year olds. I got, I have a new job starting next year as a, as a physical education teacher with a buddy of mine. So a little bit of a career I've been doing the other thing for 23 years. So it was, it was time for change. Um, I wish you all the best for that. Thank you. Thank you. It's still teaching, but this time I get to teach fitness to kids. So that's going to be, uh, it's going to be a lot of fun.

[00:37:47] Um, but one of the things I, I try to instill in the kids is be who you are. The ones who are authentic, even if they're incredibly bizarre, but they're not trying to be something else. They're just themselves are the ones you appreciate being around the most. Cause they're just them. And then everybody likes them. Like nobody, you don't have to try if you're just yourself, just whatever it is, own it.

[00:38:16] And I find those people are more accepting of everybody else as well. Cause they, they see the authenticity. And I, I love that. So Sunday vibes, everybody will definitely have to check that out. I will be looking forward to that on my Sundays. Now there's a little bit of a time difference, but we'll make sure. Oh, and on that note, I asked, um, I can't say it out loud. A L E X a. Um, I'm like, what time is it in the UK? And it, it told me the wrong time.

[00:38:45] I almost missed you by an hour. I'm like, wait a minute. That doesn't, I thought it was five hours. And that thankfully I double checked it. Cause I would have been coming on at the wrong time. Um, it's, it's, um, 1145 here in the, we're heading towards what we call the longest day, which I always get a wee bit. Um, I don't like the longest day cause we're all, I like the shortest day because you're, you're optimistic.

[00:39:15] You're thinking about the future and so on. Um, but, um, but we're coming to the States in July. My family, we go most years to, to California. So I've, I've got some friends in, in California and we go out there and we do some training and we do some exercise and all that sort of stuff. Well, that's a where in California? A place called Redding. I'm not familiar. Is that Northern Southern? Where is that? It's Northern California. Yes.

[00:39:44] It's like the Ballymena of California. Yeah. It's, it's quite green and, um, the sort of the culture is quite, quite different. But last time I was there, I went to, um, Venice Beach and I trained in Goals Gym, which was always a, uh, a dream of mine to go and train in Goals Gym. It's famous. Uh, the Venice Beach one for sure. It was good.

[00:40:09] And I met a guy called Charles Glass, who is a very famous old time sort of bodybuilding guru. And I had a chat with him. I didn't want to encroach on his time or anything, but that, that, that was a, a great experience. I had to pinch myself thinking, uh, I'm just a wee guy from, from Northern Ireland and having the opportunity to go and train in Goals Gym. It's amazing. It's crazy. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:40:35] There's a lot of the, a lot of the big bodybuilders that have spent time there and out on the beach and everything. It's, uh, yeah. I can see that being intimidating walking in there, but you're, you're not a little guy by any stretch of the imagination. You definitely put the work in and the consistency. So I think you belong wherever you, whatever gym you walk into. I don't think you have to worry too much. But even though I was training in Goals Gym, I still have the same enthusiasm.

[00:41:03] So this is my, this is my home gym. Can you see that? Yeah. Oh, I love it. I love it. The big open doors in front too. Yes. So I spend a lot of my time. This is where I do all my videos and, and I just spend most of the time up here on, on my own. I've got my little mood board. And if I have some ideas, I post four videos a day, Derek.

[00:41:30] That's how, what's that like pulling together the content? Do you just film what you're doing or do you have to think of content ideas or is it just comes? It just comes. Sometimes I just, I just, I don't find it difficult at all. You know, I don't schedule things. I just post as I'm training. I do train two or three times a day. So I do have a lot of content. I work in the evening.

[00:41:58] So my days are filled just with, you know, posting and because it's how I make my living. That's how I, you know, I, it's, it's, this is how I make my living. So I just enjoy it. I don't find it tedious. I don't find it cumbersome on, you know, and it does, it doesn't impinge on my family or anything. It's, it just all again, when you're being yourself at, you know, it's, it's not difficult. Yeah. And I, I will say you, you mentioned how you try to get back to everybody.

[00:42:26] When I reached out to you, um, I saw the following you had. I'm like, I don't like, this is probably a long shot. He's, he's not, you know, not that people don't want to get back, but the amount of messages and everything, when you've got the following, you have you, you got back right away. I was, I was really impressed. Um, that you were able to do that and take the time. And the, the, I, I encourage everybody who's listening to, to reach out to Glenn, um, and give him a follow.

[00:42:55] It's he's, I'll put the, the link to your, your page in the show notes. Um, the content is awesome. I loved you. You have a pinned reel where you're on a podcast talking about Faj. That guy's reaction, his face was priceless. He had no idea where that was going. So wherever I go in Northern Ireland, I'm, I'm known as the Faj guy.

[00:43:25] Cause I do, it's a little bit of tongue in cheek. There is irony there. You know, I do know how to pronounce it properly. Oh yes. You know, Faj. Yes. But it, it just propelled this, this sort of narrative and it's fun, you know. And so people send me Faj in the post. I get all, you know, they tag me in if they're in, we have a store called Tesco's, which is maybe like your Walmart or your Costco. Yeah.

[00:43:52] And people send pictures of me eating Faj. I love it. I love it. I do get the double entendre sometimes and that's okay. It's okay to be a bit naughty sometimes. Oh, it is. That's, I think what everybody should do is take pictures of themselves with some Faj in different, different supermarkets and in Walmart and all that and send them to Glenn just so his inbox can be inundated with Faj pictures. Yes. I would love that. That would be good fun.

[00:44:22] That's actually my, my mother. When I, whenever I eat, have dinner over there or whatever, obviously there are leftovers and she'll, she'll put them in Tupperware, but all her Tupperware is empty Faj containers. So I have so many meals that come home and in Faj containers. So that's appreciated over here for sure. Oh, I love to hear that. That's great. That's great. Um, well, I, I really appreciate you taking the time.

[00:44:49] I looked up and we're already at 45 minutes and I know, I know that went quickly for sure. Is there anything when you have these, these presentations you give or working with clients, are there any takeaways or two or three things that you really hope people understand about longevity or health or any aspect of this that you can leave the listeners with?

[00:45:15] Well, I think as I've maybe said before, Derek, it's, it's the small things that make a difference. There's not one big magical formula or one magic potion. It's, it's, it's the accumulation of all of the things. And if you try just to make, um, so if, if my bar is really high, okay, if I achieve 100%

[00:45:40] in, in good sleep and nutrition and reducing stress and recovery. So I, I have the time and the, the sort of the focus to do that. But maybe if your listeners were, we're just trying to make subtle differences in, in some of those aspects of your life. Like sleep for me is key, really important. And just, you know, setting the scene, setting the mood before you go to bed, your room temperature,

[00:46:09] you know, not watching your devices, not having too much food before you go to bed. If you start making little sort of small, practical, tangible differences in all aspects, before you know it, you've increased, um, your, your longevity over time and you get getting out in the air, walking, getting out and doing a little bit of exercise, a little bit of mobility. There's not one thing that trumps the others.

[00:46:39] It's just those little things that you could try to improve on over time. I love that. It's a long game. It's not something you have to fix in a week, um, or a month that you really will. Yes. Quick fixes, quick fixes do work for a short time. It's like, uh, I know I'm going down a rabbit hole, but I'm not big into transformations, you know, go on a, a, a six, eight week transformation program.

[00:47:09] Yes, you will get results. Yes, you will reduce your body fat, but they're not sustainable. Any program that you follow has to be sustainable. And my sort of lifestyle has been sustainable for, I I've been training since I was 16, you know, so it's, it's been a long time. And it's worked. It's worked almost 40 years. So you, you can speak to it and what's worked for you.

[00:47:36] And I think that's a, that's a great takeaway that people can, can walk away with. So Glenn, thank you. Um, I, I'm truly honored to have you on the show. And when you come out to the States, you'll have to come East coast sometime out near Boston. We will. Would you put me up? I would love to pick you up. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I'll see if I can get up with you.

[00:48:02] We can get a couple of workouts in and we can get some fudge. I love it. I love it. Well, everyone, thank you for taking the time to listen. Glenn, thank you so much for, thank you. For hopping on the show.