🚨 Welcome to this week’s issue of Generation Xcellent. I’m Stephen Perrine, New York Times bestselling author and former top editor at Men’s Health and Maxim. And like you, I’m doing all I can to survive the moshpit of midlife. Thanks for joining me on the journey! If you like what you see, send me an email—and share this newsletter with another guy who could use our help.

📩 Thanks for joining the conversation!

- LONGEVITY -

The Man Who Stopped Aging

Sentenced to seven years in federal prison, this 54-year-old businessman served his time learning how to age in reverse. Here’s how he did it.

By Greg Lindberg

>Before I went to prison, I thought I had achieved something. I had built a multi-billion-dollar business from scratch, raised a family, and helped numerous people accomplish their goals.

But I was in fact already a prisoner: to sleep apnea, early-onset Parkinson’s disease, prediabetes, dozens of extra pounds, and gray hair and wrinkles that made me look and feel far older than my 50 years. Worst of all: I had been diagnosed with “onset primary erectile dysfunction.”

Today, I may be behind bars, but I am a healthier, happier, stronger, younger, and yes, freer man. How? It comes down to mitochondria: They’re the engines of cell growth and renewal. It’s within the mitochondria that our DNA is replicated, and it’s a failure to replicate DNA properly that accelerates the aging process and triggers the beginnings of cancer and other diseases of aging.

In the last decade or so, intermittent fasting (IF) has become a huge trend. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting could extend life, control weight, and reduce disease risk. One of the main ways IF works is by increasing the body’s levels of a molecule, NAD+, that is crucial for the mitochondria to maintain cell function and repair DNA. NAD+ levels decline with age; IF helps to replenish NAD+ levels. I decided to see how far I could push the science within my own body, starting with 24-hour fasts..

The first thing I noticed was that I felt leaner, younger, quicker, in body and in mind. By summer of 2021 I moved up to 90-hour fasts, followed by three-day-long, protein-rich weekend feasts, and intense bodyweight workouts every day.

One day I walked out into the prison yard on a brutally hot day and took my shirt off. My fellow inmates were stunned. I had entered prison a typically paunchy, middle-aged man on the back side of 50. But that was not what I looked like any longer.

“Lindberg, man, you look like a superhero. What the hell?”

By early 2022, my gray hair was almost entirely gone, replaced by its original red. My cholesterol had dropped nearly 40 points. My sleep apnea, prediabetes, and Parkinson’s symptoms had all vanished. My telomeres—the ends of the DNA strands that typically shrink as we age—have increased by nearly 50 percent. Since I’d been trying for a baby with my girlfriend, I had my sperm count tested before I went to prison. When I had it retested, my sperm count had jumped 573%!

Today I fast 117 hours a week. It’s brutal. But you can see results just by fasting for 18 hours a day and eating only for 6. From there, you can build up to longer fasts. This is not a lifestyle most of us can manage. But if you can embrace the pain, you can earn extraordinary rewards.

—Greg Lindberg is the founder of Global Growth, a conglomerate private-equity firm, and the author of Lifelong: Quantum Biology, Anti-Aging Science, and the Cutting-Edge Program that Will Transform Your Body and Mind.

Battle of the ‘90s Crushes: Week #8
Shania Twain vs. Gwen Stefani

>Welcome to week 8 of our epic March Madness–style tournament. Last week, Zoe Kravitz’s mom, Cosby Show alum Lisa Bonet, triumphed handily over Mia Hawke’s mom, Pulp Fiction star Uma Thurman.

This week’s matchup pits pop-tinged country star Shania Twain against reggae-tinged pop star Gwen Stefani in a battle of the musical midriffs. Which of these crushes will move on to the quarter finals? Only YOU can decide! 

We’re headed toward the quarterfinals, with triumphant Gen X goddesses competing for your vote. Check out our social pages (we’re on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads) for updates and a full rundown of the winners.

- SPORTS -

🏀The Most Iconic Sports Moments for Gen X (1980-2010)⚾️

From broken baseball curses to Holyfield’s missing ear, here are 21 moments that defined us 

By Robert Tuchman

>Most Gen X guys would have an easier time naming their favorite child than their favorite sports memory. That doesn’t mean we won’t give it a try: As the founder of Tuchman Sports Enterprises, I’ve attended 15 Super Bowls, 10 Masters, 15 U.S. Tennis Opens, and hundreds of other events. Here are my picks. Did I miss anything? Of course I did! 

February 22, 1980: The Miracle on Ice
Underdog U.S. amateurs beat professionally trained Russians. Infuriated, the USSR invaded four years later, forcing Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey to stop dancing and start shooting. Oh wait, that was Red Dawn….

June 12, 1984: Celtics vs Lakers Game 7
“The trophies and the rings and all that didn't matter,” Larry Bird once said. “It was all about beating the Lakers and beating Earvin (Magic Johnson).” 

August 11, 1984: Carl Lewis ties Jesse Owens
King Lewis wins his fourth gold medal at the ‘84 Olympics, tying Owens’s record from 1936. Sixteen years later, he’d land his fourth consecutive gold-medal long jump.

October 25, 1986: Right through Buckner’s legs
The infamous “Bill Buckner play” made a convincing case that the Red Sox Curse was real. 

November 22, 1986: Mike Tyson TKOs Trevor Berbick
Brutal, electric, and totally captivating: The youngest heavyweight ever at 20, Tyson seemed like the most dangerous man alive.

October 15, 1988:  Kirk Gibson’s walk-on, walk-off  home run
Bottom of the ninth, two out, down by one, man on, and it’s the World Series. Every guy who’s ever held a bat in his hands has imagined this exact scenario. 

October 17, 1989: A’s vs Giants vs Earth
Game 3 of the World Series is halted by a massive quake. To add insult to injury, the Giants went on to be swept by the Athletics in four games. 

August 8, 1992: The Dream Team wins gold
Jordan, Magic, Bird, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, Ewing: Head coach Chuck Daly called exactly zero freaking timeouts during all eight games.

April 5, 1993: Chris Webber’s zero timeout timeout
Then there’s the NCAA championship game between Michigan and North Carolina. Kids, make sure your waning-seconds strategy doesn't depend on a timeout that your team doesn't technically have. 

June 17, 1994: O.J.’s final run
We didn’t expect it would happen in a Bronco. Do we thank him or curse him for making the Kardashians famous? 

April 13, 1997: Tiger Woods wins his first Masters
A 21-year-old Black golfer dominating a historically white sport. Meanwhile, Eminem was preparing to dominate the rap charts. A very difficult and confusing time for racists. 

June 28, 1997: Tyson Bites off Evander Holyfield’s ear
And because we know you’re curious, Tyson once revealed that Holyfield’s ear “tastes like a**.”

June 14, 1998: Michael Jordan’s Sixth Championship
After a meh foray into baseball, Jordan returned to three-peat again, and confirmed his place as the GOAT of basketball and shoe salesmanship. 

September 8, 1998: Mark McGwire beats Sammy Sosa to #62
The race between two sluggers kept us focused on baseball all summer. Let us not speak of what happened next.

July 10, 1999: Brandi Chastain loses her shirt
After her penalty kick delivered the USA a World Cup over China, Chastain whipped off her shirt, and suddenly men discovered women’s sports.

September 5, 2001: Pete Sampras beats Andre Agassi in the U.S. Open
Power versus flair in the Battle of the Americans, with Sampras prevailing 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6. During the entire match, neither player could break the other’s serve.

February 3, 2002: Tom Brady arrives
Super Bowl tied, 17-all, 1:21 left on the clock, no timeouts, starting from your own 15. John Madden told the viewing audience that the Patriots should play for the tie. The rookie Brady had other ideas.

Related    Bill Belichick’s Rules for Winning 

June 18, 2004: Lance Armstrong cameos in Dodgeball
“Quit? You know, once I was thinking about quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer, all at the same time…. But I’m sure you have a good reason to quit.” 

August 14, 2004: Michael Phelps arrives
He sets his first world record and wins his first of 28 medals, becoming the most dominant Olympic athlete of all time. 

October 19, 2004: Schilling  breaks the Curse
It only took 86 years, but in downing the Yankees 4-2 in Game 6 of the ALCS, bloody ankle and all, Boston’s Curt Schilling set up an easy pennant win and a World Series championship. Buckner, shmuckner.

July 6, 2008: Nadal beats Federer at Wimbledon
In their third consecutive final, Nadal finally prevailed in a nearly 5-hour match, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. It’s been called the greatest tennis match of all time. 

—Robert Tuchman, a sports entrepreneur, is a co-founder of Generation Xcellent and the author of The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live.

- FATHERHOOD -

4 Answers to Gen X Dad Stress

Real-life (and scientifically proven) advice from stressed-out fathers just like you.

By Bob Larkin

>A few years ago, Penn State researchers released a study that claimed fathers were generally happier and less stressed than mothers. We don’t know who these fathers were, but we suspect they were either lying, or their gummies had just kicked in. 

We know how stressful fatherhood is, so we reached out to several Gen X dads and asked how they keep themselves sane. Then we did some reportage to see how their strategies squared with the latest research. 

STRESS BUSTER #1: A long, long walk 
“I just leave the house and walk as far as I can. Maybe I’ll eventually end up at the beach and then walk into the ocean. Hahaha, I’m totally kidding. Ish.” –Troy, 49
RESEARCH SAYS: A 2022 study determined that a one-hour walk in nature decreased activity in the amygdala, the part of your brain that makes you want to throw a TV through the #$%^&* window.

STRESS BUSTER #2: A film you’ve seen a thousand times
“I’ll watch an old movie that I love but my family can barely tolerate. Like Godfather Part 2. My wife is like, ‘Why part two? Can’t we watch the first one like normal people?’ That movie is my escape pod.” —Ben, 54
RESEARCH SAYS: Uncertainty fuels anxiety, which is why we like to rewatch movies: There are no surprises. One study found it provides “experiential control” and “emotional regulation,” two things that are the exact opposite of being a dad.

STRESS BUSTER #3: Shooting hoops until your urge to kill everyone disappears 
“Whenever it gets too much, I’ll just go out and shoot some hoops by myself. And I win every time.” –Daniel, 57
RESEARCH SAYS: Just breaking a sweat can actually help you relax. But as researchers at Tel Aviv University found, “ritualistic-like behavior…helps to improve confidence and self-assurance in situations that would be otherwise out of our control.”

STRESS BUSTER #4: Taking a bathroom break
“Have I spent longer than 20 minutes on the can, just for a little peace and quiet? Of course. Have I excused myself to take a bathroom break even when I didn’t actually have to go? Of course. I fake poop. I fake poop all the f**king time.” —Eric, 56
RESEARCH SAYS: Shockingly, there’s been no serious research into the mental health benefits of fake poop. But there has been extensive research into how taking “micro-breaks” had “increased positive effects at work.” Another study found that people who took a break to watch a funny dog video on their phone felt significantly less stressed out than those who did literally anything else during their micro-break.

—Bob Larkin is a frequent contributor to The New York Post, MSN, and Men's Health.