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Episode Show Notes
Tom Rowland, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast and a 53-year-old fishing guide, shares his approach to physical fitness designed specifically for anglers who want to fish when they're 80 or even 95 years old. In this Physical Friday episode with his friend Mike Larkin, Tom reveals the surprising truth about what's actually causing most knee pain in anglers (hint: it's not what you think), the two mobility programs that transformed his flexibility beyond what he had as a high school wrestler, and why the standard gym routine from your twenties might be sabotaging your body for the future. If you've ever worried about whether you'll be physically capable of making those dream fishing trips when you finally have the time and money, this conversation will change how you think about training.
How Do You Train Your Body to Fish When You're 80?
According to Tom Rowland, flexibility and mobility are the fountain of youth for anglers. He prioritizes maintaining flexibility through programs like Ultimate Human Performance by Joe Hippensteel and DDP Yoga by Diamond Dallas Page, combined with resistance training to combat sarcopenia (the three to five percent muscle loss per decade after age 30), balance work, and cardiovascular exercise to maintain function across all movements essential to fishing.
Who is Tom Rowland?
Tom Rowland is a 53-year-old fishing guide and podcast host who focuses on training for longevity in fishing. He ran a three hour and thirteen minute marathon in his younger years and believes he's in the best shape of his life, able to do anything he could do at 30 except for fast running, with better strength than when he was 25.
This episode is brought to you by Star brite, the marine care products Tom relies on to keep his boat in fishing-ready condition year after year. Learn more at Star brite.
The Fear That Drives Smart Training Decisions
Mike Larkin opens this conversation with a fear that haunts serious anglers everywhere: finally having the time and money to fish dream destinations like the Seychelles or Christmas Island, only to find your body can't handle it. He's watched it happen to people who put off their dream trips until retirement, then arrive with bad backs and bad knees. Tom immediately validates this concern and explains why everything he does in training is built around one singular goal: training to be 80. At 53, Tom believes he's in better shape than he was at 25, with one major exception related to his marathon running days. He breaks down the fundamental philosophy that guides all his training decisions, starting with a principle that might sound simple but is revolutionary when you really apply it. The mindset shift that happens when you stop training for aesthetics or performance and start training for longevity changes everything about how you approach your body. Tom's complete philosophy on training to be 80 starts at 4:10.
The Hidden Problem Destroying Older Anglers (And It's Not Lack of Strength)
When Mike asks about squats and whether they're destroying his knees, Tom's answer takes a completely different direction than expected. He reveals what he believes is the single most important physical attribute for fishing at advanced ages, and it's not strength, endurance, or even cardiovascular health. Tom admits his own opinion on this has changed dramatically in just the last two or three years after he started experiencing problems that he couldn't explain. He was doing CrossFit, lifting weights, staying active, but his knees started hurting and he was having trouble getting around the boat. What he discovered about the root cause transformed his entire training approach. Tom now spends significant time every day on something he used to completely neglect, and he says his flexibility is better now than it was as a high school wrestler. He shares two specific programs that changed everything for him, including one created by a professional wrestler who was all beaten up. The flexibility revelation that changed Tom's training starts at 15:36.
Hear Tom explain why stretching eliminated his knee pain in just two weeks
The Biological Reality After 30 (And Why Resistance Training Isn't Optional)
Tom drops a statistic that should wake up every angler over 30: men lose three to five percent of muscle mass every decade after turning 30, a condition called sarcopenia. This isn't about vanity or looking good on the beach. This is about functional capability. When you combine muscle loss with fat gain, you create what Tom calls a bad combination that makes everything harder. He emphasizes that resistance training can stave off this natural decline, but resistance training doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means. Tom explains that resistance exercises can look dramatically different depending on where you are in life, from gym weights to weighted backpacks on walks to bands to swimming. He addresses Mike's specific question about whether barbells are bad as you age, and his answer reveals a more nuanced understanding of training tools. The conversation shifts to squats specifically, and Tom makes a compelling case for why squatting is absolutely fundamental to everything you do in life and fishing. The discussion about sarcopenia and resistance training strategies starts at 22:32.
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SubscribeThe Knees Over Toes Solution and Other Specific Fixes
When Mike expresses surprise that stretching could actually fix knee problems, Tom doubles down with his own experience. He had patellar tendonitis with pain right in front of his knee, making going up and down stairs a real problem. Rather than accepting this as inevitable aging or needing surgery, Tom found a specific solution from someone called the knees over toes guy on the internet. The exercise that changed everything involves a weighted sled, and Tom describes exactly how he uses it and how often. He applies this same targeted approach to shoulder problems, revealing how repetitive stress from poling creates imbalances where some muscles get really strong while others are being neglected. Tom mentions a specific system called crossover symmetry that uses elastic bands and is popular with baseball players. The pattern Tom reveals is powerful: most pain issues aren't structural problems requiring surgery, they're flexibility issues or muscle imbalances that can be corrected with specific, targeted work. He also addresses low back problems with this same framework. Tom's specific solutions for knees, shoulders, and low back pain start at 27:15.
This conversation goes deep into practical training strategies you can implement today.
Key Takeaways
- Tom Rowland at 53 believes he's in better shape than at 25, except for fast running, and attributes this to a training philosophy focused entirely on being able to fish at 80
- Flexibility and mobility have become Tom's top training priorities in the last few years after knee pain that he thought was structural turned out to be tightness from weight lifting and CrossFit
- The knees over toes guy's weighted sled exercise done backwards completely eliminated Tom's patellar tendonitis and stair-climbing pain
- Men lose three to five percent of muscle mass every decade after 30 (sarcopenia), making resistance training non-negotiable for maintaining fishing capability
- Tom follows a 40-30-30 zone diet with 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat, weighing and measuring food to control portions because his problem isn't eating unhealthy food but eating too much healthy food
- Use it or lose it applies to every physical capability: balance, strength, agility, speed, flexibility, and even the ability to squat gets lost if you stop doing it
- Tom's flexibility surpassed his high school wrestling flexibility after committing to Ultimate Human Performance by Joe Hippensteel and DDP Yoga programs daily
Final Thoughts from Tom
This Physical Friday conversation with Mike really gets at the heart of what I'm trying to do with my own training and what I hope to help you guys do with yours. Mike's fear about finally having the time and money for dream trips but not having the body to handle them is so real, and I see it happen to people all the time. That's why everything I do is focused on making it to 80, 90, even 95 and still being able to get on a boat and chase tarpon.
The biggest revelation for me personally has been the flexibility and mobility work. I was so focused on strength and cardio that I completely neglected this, and I was getting tighter and tighter until my body started breaking down. When I committed to daily stretching and mobility work through programs like Ultimate Human Performance and DDPY, everything changed. My knee pain disappeared. My shoulder stopped hurting. I feel like I'm 20 again, and that's not an exaggeration.
If you're in your 40s or 50s and you're still training like you did in high school, this episode will give you a completely different framework. The goal isn't to bench press your max or run your fastest mile. The goal is to maintain every function your body needs to get on and off boats, cast all day, wade flats, and handle whatever adventure comes your way for the next 30 or 40 years. Listen to the whole thing and really think about what training to be 80 means for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important thing for fishing at 80 years old?
According to Tom Rowland, flexibility and mobility are the fountain of youth for anglers. He prioritizes daily stretching and mobility work above all other training, noting that his flexibility is now better than when he was a high school wrestler, and this has eliminated joint pain and improved his overall function.
Should you still do squats as you get older?
Yes, absolutely. Tom emphasizes that squatting is fundamental to life because everything from getting off the toilet to standing up from a chair to stepping onto a boat deck is a squat. You don't need to squat 600 pounds, but maintaining the ability to squat with proper form is essential for functional movement as you age.
What is sarcopenia and why does it matter for anglers?
Sarcopenia is muscle loss due to aging. After 30, men lose three to five percent of muscle every decade if they're not active. This muscle loss combined with fat gain creates serious problems for maintaining fishing capability, which is why Tom stresses that resistance training becomes increasingly important as you age.
What diet does Tom Rowland follow for fishing fitness?
Tom follows a 40-30-30 zone diet with 40% of calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 30% from fat. He gets a protein prescription based on body weight and activity level (between 0.7 and 1.25 grams of protein per pound) and weighs and measures his food because his challenge is eating too much healthy food, not eating unhealthy food.
What programs does Tom recommend for flexibility and mobility?
Tom's two favorite resources are Ultimate Human Performance by Joe Hippensteel, who has appeared on the podcast, and DDP Yoga (or DDPY) created by professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. Both programs incorporate stretching, yoga, and functional movement patterns designed to restore the natural range of motion and flexibility that children have naturally.
Related Episodes
Tom mentions having Joe Hippensteel on the podcast to discuss his Ultimate Human Performance program that transformed Tom's flexibility
Other Physical Friday episodes where Tom breaks down training specifically for fishing performance and longevity
Tom mentions they've done several shows about making healthy food choices on fishing trips when you don't have access to your normal kitchen
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Shop MTN OPSJoe Hippensteel - Creator of Ultimate Human Performance
Diamond Dallas Page - Professional wrestler who created DDP Yoga
Mike Larkin - Tom's friend featured in this Physical Friday episode
Get the Tom Rowland Podcast Knot Guide - essential fishing knots every angler should know.
Tom Rowland
Tom Rowland is a 53-year-old fishing guide and podcast host who trains specifically for longevity in fishing. He ran a three hour and thirteen minute marathon in his younger years and believes he's currently in the best shape of his life. Tom can do anything he could do at 30, except for fast running, and has better strength than when he was 25. He has completely transformed his approach to flexibility and mobility over the last two to three years, achieving greater flexibility than he had as a high school wrestler. Tom's entire training philosophy is built around being able to fish when he's 80 or 90.
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