There’s a stable probability that when NewsNation Choice Desk 2024 completes its seven-hour broadcast early Wednesday morning, Chris Cuomo nonetheless received’t be sure who our subsequent president can be. In that case, whereas many states will nonetheless be counting ballots the subsequent day, information media’s most powerfully constructed energy participant can 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 Washington, D.C. The truth is, for the match 54-year-old information veteran, strolling has not too long ago change into one in every of his most vital low-impact coaching instruments. It not solely helps him steadiness out his notorious high-intensity coaching routine, but it surely retains him mentally in tune—particularly throughout even essentially the most chaotic of reports cycles.
Cuomo continues to be jacked, maybe extra at present 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, in relation to 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 professional.
“At my age, health is about doing much less extra usually,” he says. “And likewise it’s a must to undertake boring modalities. It’s important to stroll, and it’s a must to discover a motive to love strolling, and strolling quick.
A concentrate on 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 may be seen this Tuesday night time when he cohosts NewsNation Choice DeskC 2024—has given the community a constant enhance in scores. On Tuesday night time, he’ll be cohosting the community’s election protection.
Though election night time will be the exception, Cuomo is never seen today sporting a tie, which provides off a extra relaxed vibe as he comfortably settles into his new solo spot on NewsNation. Nevertheless, 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 regularly 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 superb pump nonetheless beats political TV protocol.
“We dwell 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, but it surely’s not OK for me. I take pleasure in being sturdy, bodily competent, and with the ability to shield myself and others.”
Chris Cuomo Now Trains for the Lengthy Recreation
Strolling might not be the top of Cuomo’s coaching evolution, but it surely very properly might characterize a seismic shift in his muscle mindset relationship again to his teenage days. Rising up in Queens, Cuomo was no totally different than another 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 vital.
“[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 couple of layers, the previous Yale rugby athlete has prided himself on taking a shot at a complete big 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 could possibly 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 lower out sparring and shifted in method in an effort to keep away from pointless harm 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 eliminate 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 instances.”
Within the weightroom, full-body exercises have change into one of many primary elements of Cuomo’s self-programmed coaching routine. He’ll incorporate dumbbells, kettlebells, you identify it—and bang out presses, squats, in fact biceps curls. His coaching concept is to attempt 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 get well faster and preserve going. “At our age, you set to work at this age, nothing comes straightforward 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 reduce on operating. (“My soleus can’t take the pounding,” he says. Cuomo is, nevertheless, planning on including dash work to his coaching in an effort to keep explosiveness at his superior age. “You’ve gotten to have the ability to exert energy, so that you must dash,” he says. “In life, you typically want to have the ability to go 100%.”
A Mindset Made for Taking Care of Your ‘Mentals’
Why has the world change into so divisive and polarizing in 2024? Based on Cuomo, it’s not as a lot about political philosophy as folks 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 continuously immersing us in all of these items we don’t management. The technology earlier than us had us pondering our brains have been fried on two to a few hours of tv a day. I’ve by no means binged a single day in my life as a lot media as my children absorb daily.”
Cuomo is properly conscious of being a polarizing media determine. He reads the net beatdown he usually receives from either side of the aisle. He can shrug it off at instances. Nevertheless at instances the trash discuss 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 motive 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 method. There are going to be struggles and challenges that go public. Quite a lot of it will be exaggerated. So it’s vital for me to search out a chance [to grow] by 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 finding out philosophy from all spectrums. Cuomo is cool with reciting something from historic stoicism to quoting beast mode soccer icons.
“Marshawn Lynch gave us an incredible phrase—your ‘mentals,’” he says. “You bought to deal with your mentals. And that’s about strolling, exercising the mind, studying philosophy. It’s about eager about why you proceed to f**okay up in the identical conditions, or why you repeat errors.”
He’s swapped out alcohol—principally as a result of it doesn’t go properly along with his prescribed long-COVID medicines. Instead he’s added a milder, extra mellow mix of hemp-derived THC. “Despite the fact that 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 professional and writer of wellness journal The Purist, Cristina’s helped him make incremental modifications along with his routine. He’s added respiratory methods, together with field respiratory to his routines in addition to varied types of meditation.
Nevertheless, 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 scores since his arrival two years in the past. He additionally has a YouTube sequence, the Chris Cuomo Mission, through which he’ll focus on, along with politics, well being, wellness, diet, even self-motivation suggestions.
At NewsNation, which manufacturers itself as an outlet for impartial voters, his present usually 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 principally 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 chance that only a few folks do—I’m a witness to historical past. And that’s the best advantage of what I do.”
Along with his position, nevertheless, comes an unwritten assure that not less than half of the nation will at one level despise you. For Cuomo—who’s at instances confronted heavy criticism for protection of COVID or his position in serving to his brother, former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, cope with a sexual harassment go well with, and even impartial 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 hooked up to the trolls on either side. Or to take themselves to noticeably.
“I inform folks on a regular basis, don’t get within the enterprise to be widespread—you aren’t a star,” he says. “You aren’t supported by your followers. Whenever you’re saying what they like, they such as you. Whenever 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 could possibly be irritating, however for Cuomo, the haters won’t ever get in the best way of skipping a exercise.
“I don’t assume folks ought to keep away from supplementation as a result of somebody says a 54-year-old’s not natty!—who offers 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.”
