Turning 60: A Personal Manifesto for Life's Second Half

What's Your Number? How to Measure What Actually Matters for Health and Longevity (Without Spending a Dime)

No gym membership. No equipment. No trainer. No lab. Just four simple movements and a formula that gives you a clear, objective snapshot of the two physical markers most closely linked to longevity, cognitive function, and quality of life in the second half of life. In this episode of Not Done Yet!, Dr. Brad Cooper introduces the Personal Performance Quotient — a free, self-directed assessment built around strength and cardiovascular fitness that you can do anywhere, repeat two or three times a year, and use to track whether you're trending in the right direction. The best part? It doesn't matter where you're starting. Because this one is you versus you — and nobody else. The four components are straightforward: push-ups, pull-ups, a 5K, and a plank. Dr. Cooper walks you through exactly how to calculate your score, what it reveals about where your gap lives — strength or endurance — and why zero pull-ups and a walked 5K are not just acceptable starting points, they're honest ones. This episode pairs directly with the "Shifting the Algorithm" episode on the 1%/year muscle loss statistic. Together, they give you both the why and the how for pushing back against "all things being equal." The formula: (Push-ups + Pull-ups) ÷ (5K time in minutes − Plank time in minutes) = Personal Performance Quotient Topics covered: fitness test for people over 50, VO2 max, strength training after 50, push-up test, 5K fitness, plank test, personal performance quotient, measuring fitness in midlife, longevity and exercise, muscle loss after 40, all things being equal, cardiovascular fitness, functional fitness over 60, health metrics second half of life, not done yet, self-assessment fitness, midlife fitness baseline, physical health tracking, strength and endurance balance Here is article [https://betterpath.substack.com/p/baseline] that provides alternatives to the 5K along with examples for how to calculate your Personal Performance Indicator. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603131/fan_mail/new] Reach out anytime with questions or ideas - Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Tap into the BetterPath Substack [https://betterpath.substack.com/] series on unlocking life's second half here [https://betterpath.substack.com/]. Access industry-leading, nationally board certified health, wellness & high performance coaching for yourself or your team here [https://catalystcoaching360.com/].

All Things Don't Have to Be Equal - And That's the Point!

You've heard the statistic: after 40, we lose roughly 1% of our muscle mass every year. Most people hear that number and quietly accept it — as if decline is simply what happens. But here's what almost nobody mentions: the four words that follow that stat in the research. Four words that change everything: "All things being equal." In this episode of Not Done Yet!, Dr. Brad Cooper unpacks exactly what it means to refuse that condition — and how to shift your personal algorithm from passive decline to active ascent. Whether you're 45 or 75, the science is clear: it is never too late. You'll hear about the Catalyst Cornerstones (Move, Fuel, Rest, Connect) — the high-return fundamentals hiding in plain sight while everyone chases the latest hack. Beyond that, Dr. Cooper dives into Tier II strategies including strength training, optimal protein intake, and an honest look at creatine and alcohol. For those ready to go further, he covers the Mastery Pursuits — interval training, plyometrics, and the functional mental toughness framework (fMT) that ties it all together. This episode is for anyone in midlife or life's second half who refuses to let "all things being equal" be the final word on what's possible. Topics covered: aging and muscle loss, strength training after 50, protein intake for older adults, creatine and cognitive function, interval training, plyometrics, sleep optimization, mental toughness, functional fitness, life's second half, healthy aging, midlife performance, not done yet Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603131/fan_mail/new] Reach out anytime with questions or ideas - Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Tap into the BetterPath Substack [https://betterpath.substack.com/] series on unlocking life's second half here [https://betterpath.substack.com/]. Access industry-leading, nationally board certified health, wellness & high performance coaching for yourself or your team here [https://catalystcoaching360.com/].

Getting Unstuck: How to Trade Goals for a Clear, Personal Vision

Every January, the list comes out. Lose the weight. Read more. Finally get in shape. And by February, it's quietly filed away — until next year. If that cycle sounds familiar, Dr. Brad Cooper has a confession: he used to be the guy who had a spreadsheet of goals hanging above his bathroom sink. Goals were his identity, his career, his livelihood. And then he discovered something that changed everything. A clear personal vision is a far more powerful driver than goals. And here's the part that might surprise you most: when the vision is truly clear, any meaningful goals essentially achieve themselves. In this episode of Not Done Yet!, Dr. Cooper walks through the four-step process he's used for over 13 years to build and live out a personal vision — from the initial Reflect/Collect/Digest phase to identifying your heart sparks, creating a rough visual, and ultimately living it out daily. He draws on Shakespeare's Hamlet, Paul Tillich's The Courage to Be, and David Brooks to make the case that the real question isn't "what should I do?" — it's "who am I becoming?" This one is practical, personal, and genuinely different from every goal-setting episode you've heard before.  Here is the article referenced [https://betterpath.substack.com/p/the-much-better-alternative-to-goals] if you'd like to see examples and a more detailed walk-through of the steps involved.  Topics covered: personal vision vs goals, why goals fail, goal setting for midlife, life's second half, purpose and identity, personal vision board, New Year's resolutions, Paul Tillich courage to be, David Brooks, heart sparks, F5 framework, faith family fitness finances, midlife reinvention, intentional living after 50, not done yet, life planning, finding direction, who am I becoming, personal growth over 60 Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603131/fan_mail/new] Reach out anytime with questions or ideas - Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Tap into the BetterPath Substack [https://betterpath.substack.com/] series on unlocking life's second half here [https://betterpath.substack.com/]. Access industry-leading, nationally board certified health, wellness & high performance coaching for yourself or your team here [https://catalystcoaching360.com/].

Turning 60: A Personal Manifesto for Life's Second Half

Turning 60 should come with a recliner and a slow fade into comfortable routine, right? Not a chance. In this episode of Not Done Yet, host Dr. Brad Cooper marks his 60th birthday not with nostalgia or reflection alone, but with a declaration — a personal manifesto of seven commitments heading into his seventh decade. Equal parts honest, energizing, and unapologetically forward-leaning, this episode is for anyone in life's second half who still has fire in them and refuses to let "fine" be the final answer. Brad opens with a rare moment of gratitude — acknowledging that none of us navigate this journey alone — before launching into seven commitments that challenge the cultural narrative around aging, decline, and what it means to live fully after 50. In this episode you'll hear Brad's commitments to: * Keeping the pen moving and the story alive through intentional choices and courageous action * Ignoring the growing chorus of voices urging a slower pace and a pause of purpose * Creating the meaningful margin that makes mission possible * Sounding the alarm on one of the world's most underutilized resources — people in life's second half who are fully awake to their call to adventure * Refusing the "all things being equal" physiological decline narrative — and the data that exposes it as a poor-population default, not an inevitability * Stepping into the arena even when the fog is thick and the outcome uncertain * Living as a catalyst — not for everyone, but fully and without apology for those who are ready Whether you're approaching a milestone birthday, navigating a major life transition, reconsidering what the second half of life can actually look like, or simply unwilling to coast toward the finish line, this episode will challenge you, energize you, and remind you that as long as you're still on the journey — you're not done yet. If you decide to create your own, we'd love to see it. Please email to Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Let's gooooo! Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603131/fan_mail/new] Reach out anytime with questions or ideas - Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Tap into the BetterPath Substack [https://betterpath.substack.com/] series on unlocking life's second half here [https://betterpath.substack.com/]. Access industry-leading, nationally board certified health, wellness & high performance coaching for yourself or your team here [https://catalystcoaching360.com/].

Unlimited Options, No Direction: Finding Your Aim in Life's Second Half

You worked toward it for years. And then you arrived. The degree. The retirement. The finish line. The milestone. And in the silence that followed, you found yourself thinking: now what? That disorienting quiet — the open field after a lifetime of fences — may be one of the most under-addressed experiences in life's second half. Most people reach for the nearest ready-made answer: a familiar default, someone else's script, a "should" handed to them by the culture. But there's a better way. In this episode of Not Done Yet!, Dr. Brad Cooper walks right into the middle of that space — candidly sharing his own experience of a carefully built 500-day plan losing its foundation unexpectedly — and offers five wisdom traditions to help you find your footing and fix your aim. Drawing from existentialism, Buddhist philosophy, Spartan preparation, Stoicism, and scripture, he builds a framework for navigating life's biggest transitions with both clarity and courage. You'll also hear about the difference between aiming high — moving beyond the status quo — and aiming true — living out who you uniquely are. And a simple but powerful reframe that just might change how you approach your next step: it's a t-shirt, not a tattoo. Whether you're navigating a career transition, retirement, a sudden life shift, or simply the fog of too many open doors, this episode is your invitation to pause, reflect, and aim with intention. Topics covered: life transitions after 50, retirement disorientation, finding purpose in midlife, second half of life, existentialism and meaning, Stoicism, Buddhist philosophy, navigating uncertainty, identity after career, purpose-driven living, aim and direction, not done yet, life's second half, midlife reinvention, personal growth, what's next after retirement, meaning and purpose Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603131/fan_mail/new] Reach out anytime with questions or ideas - Results@CatalystCoaching360.com Tap into the BetterPath Substack [https://betterpath.substack.com/] series on unlocking life's second half here [https://betterpath.substack.com/]. Access industry-leading, nationally board certified health, wellness & high performance coaching for yourself or your team here [https://catalystcoaching360.com/].