Recently, I flew to New York to participate in a three-day trip High Performance Lifestyle Performance an event. I had got to know the founder, Brian Mazza, when he was a guest at my Midlife Man Podcast and he invited me to experience this event.
So what is a high performance lifestyle? I’ve been asking myself that question quite a bit lately. Who determines what is high performance? Can I perform well in some areas and not others? How can I lead a life of high performance? Am I still here? What work still needs to be done and will I always be a work in progress aiming for a high performance lifestyle? When does a life of high performance really relieve me and allow me to enjoy the simple things in life? It also has to be a form of high performance, right?
At 50, I believe that high performance is about investing and committing to continuous improvement and growth. It’s what drives me to try new things, challenge myself, live my message, and set an example for my two teenage boys. A high performance lifestyle is about knowing and living like my best, brightest, happiest and healthiest days are still ahead of me.
My new book, The Quarantine Man, is based on my Midlife Male Method, which I call the “6Fs”; Family, Fitness, Finances, Fashion and Fun and helping men turn their F’s into A’s. So I wanted to share my 6F evaluation of this high performance lifestyle workout weekend.
But before we get into the actual report card, here are some takeaways and observations:
- We can do difficult things. Getting out of your comfort zone is imperative for development.
- Surround yourself with people who support you and continue to improve your life. They are everywhere. They exist and they are looking for you as much as you are looking for them. Put yourself there
- Each of the men and women who participated (41 in all) has a plan. A personal operating system and as such succeeds. There were all walks of life, ages, careers, differences, etc. What was the same with ALL was their commitment to preparation, consistency and accountability.
- Words that were heard, lived and repeated throughout the weekend: respect, determination, effort, attitude, pride, humility, vulnerability, community, prosperity, health, family, discipline.
- All simple concepts. Simplicity is difficult. That’s why most don’t…
- We have choices and decisions to make every day. Make better choices, live a better life. Again, it’s quite simple.
- Physical challenges are complemented by mental strength. You can survive cold, lactic acid build-up, fatigue… if you refuse to quit. It was a simple tip from Marcus Luttrell that got me through the water: “Look at the guy to your left and your right. He will suffer even more… Help these guys and everything will be fine.
- Everything we have done, spoken and experienced can be applied to EVERY area of life. It’s ALL connected. How you do one thing is how you do everything.
- It’s about maintaining micro gains on a daily basis.
- Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Keep moving.
6F Assessment of High Performance Lifestyle Training
Family: All I do is set an example for my family and my two boys in particular. They don’t need to be interested in the same things I am. They don’t need to do the same things I do. Anything they want to pursue in life is available and I would encourage and support them to do so.
But it’s important to me that my boys see me step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, not be afraid to try new things, meet new people, plan ahead, train for activities and challenges and having a mind, body and spirit. In that case, I was going to go to New York for HPLT on my own. Going forward, I look forward to sharing some of these experiences with my boys as they grow up. I met an incredible 58-year-old Canadian lawyer who was there with his son and was inspired by him.
Kate and Harper decided they wanted to come to New York at the last minute (Auden was in Israel) I first told them I didn’t think I had time to see them and it was a busy itinerary, I had to stay focused on the laser and wanted to enjoy the whole experience as presented. But maybe it’s a sign of maturity and perspective that when they got there I was so happy to see them that no matter how bad the weather was going to be I would find a way to spend one little with them.
Aptitude: This one definitely goes. The whole weekend consisted of major fitness challenges. We woke up at 4am to be dragged by Navy SEAL Ray Cash Care and Marine Steve Eckert onto the beach and into the ocean at 5am. . We formed a human chain and lay submerged in 50 degree water for what felt like quite a long time as the waves crashed over us, floating kicks ensued and the orders day off, rolling, head back, high heels were barked at us. We did “Murph” later in the afternoon which was a 1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats followed by a 1 mile run. We woke up for a 7am 10 mile run (I never run 10 miles) the next morning led by Ken Rideout.
This was all done within the confines of a supportive community and it was a privilege to be able to train and compete alongside the best.
Finance: The way I approach these events and experiences in terms of funding is that they are investments in myself, my family and my future. The price to pay was not given, but was worth every dollar spent, because it was tenfold. They provided everything: meals, clothing, supplements, top speakers, coaches, panelists, facilities and a community of like-minded people. I also want to point out that based on what I do with Midlife Male; the newsletter and the podcast and my coaching clients, I now get invited to events like this for free. I gather and organize the Best in Class Events and Experiences to bring men like you with me and create mature male VIP experiences at events like this in the future. I like to schedule these events, budget them, train them, look forward to them, and reverse engineer them to live, operate, and fund the commitments I make.
Food: There were panels and seminars on nutrition from the amazing human being and trainer Jacob Zemer. Our meals were brought to us throughout the weekend for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They were healthy and tasted good. They had supplements and drinks and recovery stuff available for us from brands like SLATE Milk, Vital Performance, Lemon Perfect, Holistik Wellness and more. We were also treated to dinner at Dan Churchill’s amazing restaurant, Charlie Street. As a foodie it was astounding and Dan is a stellar chef and athlete.
Fashion: What do HPLT events like this have to do with fashion? A lot, in fact. Fashion is stylish. Style is confidence. Trust is performance. Jen Thousand equipment provided outfits for all workouts throughout the weekend. Branded shorts, shirts and tank tops. We wore coordinated outfits/uniforms for all events and it created a unified vibe. The GoodLife Clothing company provided a great casual hoodie, joggers and shirt for each of us and KANE shoes had custom NYC HPLT recovery shoes for us. Everything was stored in a tactical backpack. Look good, feel good, dress well, perform well is the motto of high performance.
Fun: It goes without saying for me. Why would you do something like that if it wasn’t fun? These events amuse me. I really like this stuff. That’s why I do it. Surround yourself with like-minded people who share the same goals, visions, values, athleticism, purpose, process, reward. It was a fucking explosion. And we have memories, friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime. I was cold, wet and sandy, but I never laughed harder. I was in more pain than ever and I was still smiling. I woke up tired and struggling to get out of bed yet couldn’t wait to get down and get back.
Now, all I do is not going to check all six F’s all the time and get straight A’s….But that’s definitely the point; to check as much as possible into a framework and operating system that helps you maximize your high-performance lifestyle with authenticity, with intention, with purpose, and become the best version of yourself.
Greg Scheinman is a life coach, podcast hostand author of the new book “The 40-something male.”
