Fitness

Philosophy

I’m not chasing aesthetics. Optimising for looks alone feels counter-productive, even unhealthy. My focus is functional fitness: gradual improvement, consistency, and the ability to enjoy life — whether that’s a long hike, a weekend ride, or a casual game with friends.

I believe everything we know about good health should be carried into daily life. Fitness is not just about extending lifespan, but about extending healthspan — staying free from preventable lifestyle diseases and living with energy and quality of life. I feel fortunate to have this awareness now, and my aim is to act on it.

Why I Started

Moving to Melbourne gave me both inspiration and opportunity. I found myself surrounded by people who took fitness seriously—marathon runners, ex-Olympians, AFL players, even colleagues at work. Add to that a better work–life balance, and I finally had the space to commit to fitness as part of daily life.

What I Do

• Cardio: ~120 minutes of zone-2 work each week, plus one high-intensity VO₂ max session (usually a Norwegian run).
• Strength: Twice-weekly sessions covering major muscle groups at the apartment gym. Self-taught with help from ChatGPT and YouTube.
• Conditioning: Two yoga sessions per week and a mandatory stretch after every workout. Game-changer for recovery and consistency.

The Basics

• Sleep: Targeting 8 hours nightly.
• Nutrition: Protein-first—scoop of whey in the morning, meat in main meals, more fibre, less sugar (still a work in progress).
• Supplements: Creatine daily. No other supplements unless a deficiency is tested and confirmed.

Tools I Use

• Apple Watch: Clear inflection point in my fitness data once I started tracking.
• Hevy: For strength training logs and sticking to routines.
• Strava (free): Auto-sync from Apple Watch.
• AllTrails: Great for discovering Melbourne hikes (though the nearby options are mostly ticked off now).

Companions & Motivation

• Cycling: Exploring Melbourne’s neighbourhoods and trails.
• Gym & Running: Dedicated time for podcasts—longform conversations on tech, politics, and science.
• Yoga: A meditative reset.

Teachers & Influences

• Running: Ash
• Yoga: Yoga with Kassandra
• Strength: GrowingAnanas (home workouts)
• Science & Optimisation: Huberman Lab, Peter Attia
• Cautionary Benchmark: Watching Bryan Johnson’s experiments, but not copying them.

Goals

• Keep a sustainable, enjoyable routine.
• Improve gradually over time.
• A playful OKR: Abs (VO₂ max) > Abs (resting heart rate).