Broken Oars, Episode 37: Mark Lewis - Better Than Average Youtube Sensation, Fitness Journeys, and TRT

 

 

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We return like the bad pennies we are (hey, we prefer to think of ourselves as a high-class currency, but ...), and on this occasion we're joined by Mark Lewis.

 

Mark Lewis is the man behind the burgeoning Youtube channel, Better Than Average - a channel which takes a different tack to the 'look at me, I'm perfect, buy my products' approach taken by the bulk of the Instafitness generation.

 

Through his channel, the content he creates, and the challenges he takes on, Mark hopes to inspire us to believe and go for the reality that we can, actually, be better than we already are with a bit of grit, a bit of wit, and bit of a sense of humour and achievement along the way.

 

Periodically, as part of his channel's varied and always entertaining output, he takes on a challenge to show the gap between what we think an elite athlete does - and what they ACTUALLY do. He first came to our attention when he, as a non-rower, who'd not been on a rowing a machine for the best part of 25 years, decided to see if he could row as fast as Sir Steve Redgrave did on his worst day on an erg - the infamous pre-Sydney 6 - 15 2k test collapse.

 

(If you haven't watched this video, or indeed any of Mark's content, the links are down below. We won't spoil the ending for you, but it's well worth your time).

 

As rowers, we knew we had to have a chat with this tall, fit interloper who thought he could into our sport, smash our records and this bugger off back to Youtube. We also wanted to have a chat with Mark because he has been very open on his channel in talking about his Testosterone Replacement Therapy medication. As individuals and a sport who has always taken a hard line against any form of drugs in sport, we really wanted to find out more about how this usage squared with his fitness goals, looking at the ethics, morality and advantages that it might give someone who is, essentially, a professional Youtuber whose success depends on his ability to work and inspire physical performance in others.

 

Well, we're glad we got in touch with Mark as it turned out to be a fascinating and nuanced chat. Taking in his early life and background, his trajectory into sport, we also found out about his trajectory out of it, something exacerbated by lifestyle choices and social factors we can all identify with. Openly discussing his lowest points, and also his conscious decision to put the doughnuts away and starting fighting back, Mark showed a human side not usually associated with the filtered perfection of the professional social media fitness type.

 

In this context, he talked about how even though he was eating better, and exercising regularly, and the weight had shifted somewhat, he still struggled with motivation and enthusiasm, going on to explain that going onto TRT was a lightbulb moment - one that gave him back the energy and the drive that he had been lacking even when he was doing all of the right things.

 

This is an important discussion. The UK is well behind America and Europe in terms of Hormone Replacement Therapies in both sexes; and as Mark points out, a lot of issues that are diagnosed as depression have roots in hormone imbalances that can be addressed, but aren't by an NHS that is behind the curve. We discuss morality and ethicality of his TRT use, and its implications for age-group sports like rowing as its use becomes more and more widespread. After all, what could possibly go wrong with giving a therapeutic drug that also gives you more energy and drive and recovery to a cohort who really, really like to go a bit faster than they already are?

 

A fascinating chat with a great guy, and an important discussion. TRT is coming, and as rowers and older sportsmen and women, we have to get our heads around it.

 

Better Than Average Youtube Link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dr32gbapkzgw_Eyr6VsJw

 

Better than Average Official Website:

https://www.marklewis.co.uk/

 

Better Than Average Official Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/marklewispics/

 

Stern Four? You've been assigned for random drug testing. Pee in a cup. Not now, Six!

 

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Thank You!

 

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