164: How an Athletic Mindset Extends Your Physical Longevity Even If You're Not an Athlete with Greg Herceg (The Volleyball Strength Coach)

There are certain athletic principles that can significantly increase your longevity and your quality of life. And no, you didn't have to grow up playing sports or thinking of yourself like an athlete to adopt these principles. 

 

In fact, adopting an athletic mindset is one of the most important things you can do if you're over 40 years old because it protects you from injuries, increases your strength (which is one of the best predictors of lifespan), and reframes your entire approach to fitness. 

 

That's why I invited Greg Herceg, The Volleyball Strength Coach, onto today's episode. Greg helps adult and recreational volleyball players extend their careers because he's cracked the code for extending physical longevity. 

 

He's an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to injury prevention, increasing your fitness longevity (and your overall longevity), and becoming more confident in functional movements especially as you get older. 

 

If you find yourself getting injured too often or you want to do everything in your power to build a body that's injury-proof, listen now. 

 

Here's what Greg and I discuss: 

 

• What most middle-aged men are missing from their workouts 

• Why isometric exercise (like yoga postures) is the most effective pain relief exercise you can do 

• The simple injury prevention formula that keeps you active as you age

• Why adopting an athletic mindset is perhaps even more important for non-athletes 

 

And more, including… 

 

• How Greg chopped at least five years off his volleyball career by making innocent training mistakes in the gym that most guys make too (9:22) 

• The "strength through length" secret for getting stronger without increasing your risk of injury (9:58) 

• The 2 completely separate root causes of knee pain (and why both versions require a different recovery protocol) (12:53) 

• How isometric holds have a direct pain elimination effect for tendon-specific issues (15:39) 

• Why you should almost NEVER use ice on injuries (contrary to popular belief, ice prolongs recovery!) (17:30) 

• The subtle way training the spine to move (instead of training the spine to be stable) goes a long way towards increasing your physical longevity (23:52) 

• The single fastest way to exponentially increase your risk of injury (28:27) 

• How low-intensity athletic movements can delay your death (and why these movements might be more important for non-athletes) (34:07) 

• The scientific explanation behind why injuries become more common with age (it has to do with the natural loss of elastin that starts in your 20s… but it doesn't have to be permanent!) (36:38) 

• How to prevent the aging process from deteriorating your body by simply playing like a kid (47:37)  

Guest Bio: 

 

Greg Herceg is The Volleyball Strength Coach. He coaches adult and recreational volleyball players to extend their careers by increasing their vertical, improving their performance, and eliminating their pain.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

 

1. Find Greg on Instagram: @the.volleyball.strength.coach

 

2. Man Flow Yoga Events: We just announced new locations for 2026 in-person events. Find the full list of cities we're coming to here: https://manflowyoga.com/man-flow-yoga-events/ 

 

3. Man Flow Yoga: Haven't signed up yet? Start your 7-day free trial and see how yoga can eliminate aches and pains better than other types of exercise here: https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7