There’s a stable probability that when NewsNation Determination Desk 2024 completes its seven-hour broadcast early Wednesday morning, Chris Cuomo nonetheless received’t make sure who our subsequent president will probably be. In that case, whereas many states will nonetheless be counting ballots the subsequent day, information media’s most powerfully constructed energy participant will probably be again to counting his reps and steps.
Even when the outcomes stay unsettled, Cuomo has no plans to skip his exercise—even when train consists of a brisk, mind-clearing stroll by means of Washington, D.C. In truth, for the match 54-year-old information veteran, strolling has not too long ago turn into certainly one of his most vital low-impact coaching instruments. It not solely helps him stability out his notorious high-intensity coaching routine, however it retains him mentally in tune—particularly throughout even essentially the most chaotic of stories cycles.
Cuomo remains to be jacked, maybe extra as we speak in his 50s than at any level of three-plus-decade profession. And whereas weight coaching continues to dominate the 6’2, 230-pound TV host’s coaching schedule, on the subject of health priorities, vainness now shares equal billing with longevity. Strolling and different new mindset methods have performed a task in redefining Cuomo as a extra well-rounded wellness skilled.
“At my age, health is about doing much less extra usually,” he says. “And in addition you must undertake boring modalities. You need to stroll, and you must discover a purpose to love strolling, and strolling quick.
A give attention to each bodily and psychological health comes simply as Cuomo has discovered a brand new profession resurgence. Since 2022, he’s been internet hosting NewsNation’s Cuomo—described as a “a no-nonsense present that includes the day’s most vital information from all views.” And whereas nonetheless in its infancy, the information veteran’s addition to the startup’s lineup—which might be seen this Tuesday night time when he cohosts NewsNation Determination DeskC 2024—has given the community a constant increase in rankings. On Tuesday night time, he’ll be cohosting the community’s election protection.
Though election night time would be the exception, Cuomo isn’t seen nowadays carrying a tie, which supplies off a extra relaxed vibe as he comfortably settles into his new solo spot on NewsNation. Nonetheless, Cuomo attributes the casual look as extra of a necessity—it’s important to keep away from the discomfort of getting a tie tightly wrapped round his thick neck. “My boss tells me frequently that I look too huge,” he says.
However, at the same time as his wellness repertoire expands, Cuomo nonetheless stays the weightroom warrior who dabbles in searching, fishing, and can by no means be too shy throw right down to defend a member of the family. In different phrases, in Cuomo’s world, a very good pump nonetheless beats political TV protocol.
“We stay in a world of the beta male proper now in media,” Cuomo says. “You don’t see a number of guys my measurement on tv, and I get it, however it’s not OK for me. I take pleasure in being sturdy, bodily competent, and having the ability to shield myself and others.”
Chris Cuomo Now Trains for the Lengthy Recreation
Strolling might not be the head of Cuomo’s coaching evolution, however it very nicely might characterize a seismic shift in his muscle mindset relationship again to his teenage days. Rising up in Queens, Cuomo was no completely different than some other highschool athlete searching for the eye of school scouts. With the intention to get observed, again within the ’80s, lifting heavy iron was by no means sufficient. You additionally needed to look the a part of a beefed-up jock—by any means needed.
“[In high school] I used to be strolling round with two pairs of pants on in order that my legs would look thick,” Cuomo recollects. “Now I’ve acquired child pores and skin from my groin to my knees as a result of my legs have been rubbing a lot again then. That’s the best way God laughs at us.”
Since shedding a number of layers, the previous Yale rugby athlete has prided himself on taking a shot at a complete wide selection of health disciplines—from bodybuilding fashion coaching to martial arts to finishing a triathlon. He even had a brief stint as a health author earlier than turning into a universally acknowledged investigative journalist and host. “I used to be much less polarizing then,” he says.
His lifelong relationship with staying match may very well be the explanation why now, age 54, he’s simply as comfy doling out coaching recommendation on his social media channels as he’s giving political scorching takes.
Cuomo nonetheless works on self protection (he says he primarily focuses on Tony Blauer’s SPEAR System of tactical self protection). However Cuomo has minimize out sparring and shifted in approach with a view to keep away from pointless injury that might preserve him away from coaching. He additionally says the adjustment helps preserve him as ready as doable within the occasion a state of affairs will get uncontrolled. “It’s all about practicality,” he says. “What’s going to occur in my life? How do I do away with that threat instantly? It’s simply drill, drill, drill, so if, God forbid, one thing occurs, it’s one thing I’ve carried out 1,000 occasions.”
Within the weightroom, full-body exercises have turn into one of many primary parts of Cuomo’s self-programmed coaching routine. He’ll incorporate dumbbells, kettlebells, you title it—and bang out presses, squats, after all biceps curls. His coaching concept is to try to hit each main muscle group in a exercise. This permits him to get the work carried out in a shorter, extra environment friendly method, permitting him to recuperate faster and preserve going. “At our age, you set to work at this age, nothing comes simple besides mediocrity,” he says. “I’ll do all plyometrics, leaping lunges, and EMOMs. For me, full-body HIIT coaching is essential.”
Foot points have pressured him to cut back on working. (“My soleus can’t take the pounding,” he says. Cuomo is, nonetheless, planning on including dash work to his coaching with a view to preserve explosiveness at his superior age. “You’ve got to have the ability to exert energy, so you must dash,” he says. “In life, you generally want to have the ability to go 100%.”
A Mindset Made for Taking Care of Your ‘Mentals’
Why has the world turn into so divisive and polarizing in 2024? In accordance with Cuomo, it’s not as a lot about political philosophy as individuals might imagine. As an alternative, it might be the insane quantity of technological immersion that’s been pushed in entrance of us.
“It’s publicity,” he says. “I didn’t develop up 24/7 on a tool that was continually immersing us in all of this stuff we don’t management. The era earlier than us had us considering our brains have been fried on two to 3 hours of tv a day. I’ve by no means binged a single day in my life as a lot media as my children soak up day by day.”
Cuomo is nicely conscious of being a polarizing media determine. He reads the web beatdown he usually receives from each side of the aisle. He can shrug it off at occasions. Nonetheless at occasions the trash speak does seep into his feelings. For that, he’s now engaged on battling the stress that comes with the job. “You bought to discover a purpose to find it irresistible all,” he says. “The ache prepare is coming. Individuals are going to speak s***. Issues aren’t going to go my manner. There are going to be struggles and challenges that go public. A whole lot of it’s going to be exaggerated. So it’s vital for me to search out a possibility [to grow] by means of all of it.”
To assist fight this, Cuomo has taken a deep dive into sustaining and maximizing his psychological well being. His every day walks are only one ingredient in serving to him restore optimum cognitive power ranges. He additionally begins his mornings by learning philosophy from all spectrums. Cuomo is cool with reciting something from historic stoicism to quoting beast mode soccer icons.
“Marshawn Lynch gave us an important phrase—your ‘mentals,’” he says. “You bought to maintain your mentals. And that’s about strolling, exercising the mind, studying philosophy. It’s about interested by why you proceed to f**okay up in the identical conditions, or why you repeat errors.”
He’s swapped out alcohol—largely as a result of it doesn’t go nicely together with his prescribed long-COVID drugs. As a substitute he’s added a milder, extra mellow mix of hemp-derived THC. “Although the legalities are largely going away, I occur to have a medical marijuana use card for New York,” he says. “It’s much less controversial. It’s extra gentle, and I actually find it irresistible.”
Serving to him in his journey has been his spouse, Cristina. As a wellness skilled and writer of wellness journal The Purist, Cristina’s helped him make incremental adjustments together with his routine. He’s added respiration methods, together with field respiration to his routines in addition to numerous types of meditation.
Nonetheless, a very powerful life-style change, has been the addition of remedy to his schedule.
“There’s no shut second,” he says. “Psychological coaching is as vital as bodily coaching to me within the sense of how I work on my head and my coronary heart, and the way I cope with disappointment, failure, scrutiny disgrace and frustration.”
With Chaos and Controversy Comes Gratitude
Chris Cuomo’s profession has taken him from ABC to Fox Information to CNN prior to now having the chance to rebuild his model at NewsNation. The community has seen a close to 25% improve in rankings since his arrival two years in the past. He additionally has a YouTube sequence, the Chris Cuomo Undertaking, through which he’ll focus on, along with politics, well being, wellness, diet, even self-motivation ideas.
At NewsNation, which manufacturers itself as an outlet for unbiased voters, his present repeatedly function a various vary of political commentary. His most up-to-date City Corridor together with visitor of all viewpoints together with Invoice O’Reilly, Mark Cuban, Stephen A. Smith, and even Dana White. And whereas Tuesday’s election protection stays largely unpredictable, the prolonged grind, the uncertainly and potential all-nighters are a part of the package deal newsmen like Cuomo gladly join with out reservations.
“When you make the selection, to do that, you gotta be all in,” he says. “And also you gotta be there for the length. I inform myself that getting a possibility that only a few individuals do—I’m a witness to historical past. And that’s the best advantage of what I do.”
Along with his function, nonetheless, comes an unwritten assure that not less than half of the nation will at one level despise you. For Cuomo—who’s at occasions confronted heavy criticism for protection of COVID or his function in serving to his brother, former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, cope with a sexual harassment go well with, and even unbiased evaluation concerning the candidates, he’s used to it.
His bouts with public scorn is why he tries to inform younger journalists to not get too connected to the trolls on each side. Or to take themselves to significantly.
“I inform individuals on a regular basis, don’t get within the enterprise to be fashionable—you aren’t a star,” he says. “You aren’t supported by your followers. While you’re saying what they like, they such as you. While you’re not saying what they like, they hate you and see you as a part of the issue. That’s the job, and that’s what I inform myself now.”
Even his buff physique has been the goal of trolls. It comes with the territory of posing shirtless or speaking coaching or perhaps a self-deprecating community business that had Cuomo urgent a 100-pound dumbbell at his desk, being swole additionally comes with accusations of the opposite S phrase: steroids.
He maintains his steroid-free innocence: “I’m needle averse as a result of I’m a p***y,” he says. “I can’t give myself a needle in any respect. It freaks me out.”
The reason might not fulfill health purists, and Cuomo is open to trustworthy debate on the subject. Sadly, he’s caught with a neverending battle with haters.
The hate may very well be nerve-racking, however for Cuomo, the haters won’t ever get in the best way of skipping a exercise.
“I don’t suppose individuals ought to keep away from supplementation as a result of somebody says a 54-year-old’s not natty!—who provides a s***?” he says. “It’s not a posedown. It’s about motivating your self to be your greatest self. That’s why we’re all right here.”
