From the Slopes to the Gym: Why Generalists Win

Last weekend Krystie, the kids, some good friends, and I headed up to Ohakune for a ski and board trip. We spent the weekend in the mountains and had what was arguably the best day of the season. Riding and skiing all day got me reflecting on one of my core training philosophies:

Don’t be the Specialist…be the Master Generalist.

In most areas of life, we’re told that being a specialist is the peak of the pyramid. But when it comes to fitness and, more importantly, longevity, I’d argue the opposite: the best approach is to become a master generalist.

You don’t need to be the strongest in the room, the fastest on the track, or the most flexible on the yoga mat..you just need to be good across the board. Strong enough. Fit enough. Mobile enough. Balanced enough.

Why? Because specialisation leaves gaps.

Take the powerlifter: unbelievably strong, but two flights of stairs and they’re red-faced and gasping. Or the endurance athlete: marathon-ready, but can’t carry the shopping without tweaking a back. They’re both “fit,” but they’re not ready for life.

Of course, there’s a place for some specialisation..no one runs a marathon without training for it. But for the rest of us, being a generalist is more valuable. I want to know that you could:

• Ski all day and not be crippled with soreness after.

• Help a mate move furniture without wrecking your back.

• Jump into a 10k, a bike ride, or a pickleball game and hold your own.

That’s real-world fitness.

Step into most big-box gyms, and you’ll see it: rows of guys pumping curls and women camped on cross trainers. That’s all show and no go.

My philosophy? Let’s train for both the show and the go.

That’s why I focus on functional training..developing power, strength, endurance, agility, and balance. These are the qualities that make you a rounded athlete and, more importantly, keep you thriving as you age.

If you’ve trained with me, you know I’m a big fan of the kettlebell. It’s the Swiss Army knife of training..the Leatherman of lifting. With a single kettlebell, you can develop:

• Power with swings and snatches..without the joint stress of plyometrics.

(Note – we have 17% power loss per decade after the age of 40)

• Strength with presses, squats, and the Turkish Get-Up..where you must be strong lying down, mid-transition, and standing tall.

• Resilience for real life, like preventing falls (or skiing wipeouts).

In fact, the Turkish Get-Up might just be the single best exercise for bulletproofing your body against falls..whether that’s on the ice, the snow, or simply walking downstairs as you get older.

At the end of the day, being a master generalist means being ready for anything. Ski trips, weekend hikes, helping friends, playing with your kids. It’s about building a body that lasts, not just a body that looks good under gym lights.

So the next time you train, ask yourself: Am I building a narrow skill set, or am I building capacity for life?

Because life doesn’t care how much you bench or how many kilometres you ran last week. When life throws you curveballs.. And it always does.. the master generalist is always ready and prepared.