Approaching 40 fees very different than approaching 25.

Recovery is slower, gains are harder, and the brain still thinks and acts like its 21.

Ever since the arrival of the kids into my life, the goal posts begin to move.

Before it was performance, competition, aesthetics, and the like.

Now? Now it’s to be active in their lives as long as I can. Playing, running, joking. Being able to say ‘yes’ and never ‘I need a break’.

While many of the ‘normal’ measures of physical fitness still apply - it was clear there were other metrics to look at as well.

Then came the research.

• What are all of the systemic signs of aging?

• What biomarkers and benchmarks (and the failures therein) are most closely related to morbidity?

• To physical and cognative decline?

• How can we track these separately from strength and ‘time’ benchmarks?

All that research, culminated into 5 specific metrics and goals, the success and maintenance of which, are tied directly to increased longevity.

It’s called A.R.M.O.R.

This first example is specific to the aging mechanics of a 35-44 year old. (I have the other age ranges, just ask!), and the breakdown looks like this:

[A]erobic Capacity (VO2 Max)

• Why It Matters: It is the single strongest clinical predictor of your future lifespan. Keeping this score above 45 puts you in the top 25% of fit men for your age bracket and drops your risk of dying by up to 8 times. Think of it as your cardiac shield—a bigger engine means less stress on your heart.

• The Target: VO2 Max >= 45

• The Input: Conversational Zone 2 low-intensity base building combined with structured interval training.

[R]esting Heart Rate (RHR)

• Why It Matters: Your RHR tells us how hard your heart is working when you are doing absolutely nothing. A lower pulse means your heart muscle is exceptionally strong, giving it a much-needed break between strokes.

• The Target: 48 to 58 BPM.

• The Input: Consistent aerobic base building. Monitor for spikes above 65 BPM as early overtraining warnings. If you are struggling to recover, treat it as a signal to transition dynamically to lighter recovery.

[M]obility Baseline (The Sitting-Rising Test)

• Why It Matters: This measures lower-body power, flexibility, and balance. If you are using your hands or knees to get up off the floor with your kids, your system is giving you an early warning sign.

• The Target: Score $\ge 8.0$ out of 10. Every single point increase yields a 21% improvement in survival.

• The Input: Start standing barefoot, cross your legs, and lower yourself completely flat on the floor without supporting yourself. Then, stand back up with as little help as possible. Subtract 1 full point for every ground touch or assist. Practice floor-to-standing transitions currently to bulletproof your system.

[O]verload Strength (The Heavy Farmer's Carry)

• Why It Matters: Muscle mass and grip strength are your primary safeguards against sarcopenia (age-related muscle wasting). A weak grip signals a fast-declining nervous system.

• The Target: Walk 100+ feet carrying two weights totaling 140 lbs (two 70 lb kettlebells or dumbbells) without dropping them. Dropping them before 50 feet indicates severe structural weakness.

• The Input: A Minimum Effective Dose (MED) program heavy on compound multi-joint movements. Program heavy Farmer's Carries focusing on progressive overload and tissue preservation.

[R]ecovery Resiliency (Heart Rate Variability)

• Why It Matters: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures the timing variations between consecutive heartbeats to map how well your body handles stress. A high variation indicates you are relaxed and ready to build power.

• The Target: Stable Trend line. A "crash" occurs when your morning HRV drops by 20% or more compared to your rolling 7-day average—a clear warning that your nervous system is exhausted, overworked, or getting sick.

• The Input: Treat an HRV crash as a governor. Immediately downgrade training to focus on light movement, active recovery, and deep breathing to bring your system back online.

You can download the PDF cheat sheet here at the bottom of this email

Coming next - will be specific workouts, thoughts, practices, and targets to help increase your ARMOR over time.

Subscribe, send to a friend, and get ready to build.

Until next time,

- Dad.Fitness

LIVE A.R.M.O.R. CALCULATOR

LINK: Check out the real-time ARMOR calculator here »

Toggle through your age, and each benchmark to see your specific baselines for you. Then use the calculator at the bottom to see the status of your ARMOR today.