7 Years 148 days - Another Rig Update7 Years 148 days - Another Rig Update
I'm Quitting Alcohol
Comedian David Boyle shares a candid rig update, talking about sore muscles, ageing, functional fitness and moderation in recovery. He also reflects on phone addiction, distractions and what it means to aim for "healthy" rather than extreme.
8:08•10 Oct 2026
Rig Updates, Sore Muscles and Sober Moderation with David Boyle
Episode Overview
- Focus on functional mobility and adequate strength instead of chasing extreme, show-off levels of fitness.
- Simple movements like skipping, squatting and getting down to the ground matter more than big lifting numbers.
- Moderation is key, even in exercise; pushing too hard too fast can backfire, especially after injury or surgery.
- Smartphone use can become another compulsive habit, and stripping back to a simpler device may help reduce distraction.
- Ageing sober can mean adjusting expectations from “jacked” to realistically healthy while still aiming to feel better and move well.
“"I’m not looking to be full jacked, I’m looking to be a healthy looking 35-year-old. I don’t need to look like a jacked old man."”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? For regulars of "I'm Quitting Alcohol", this check-in from comedian David Boyle offers a funny, brutally honest look at what seven-plus years off the booze actually feels like in the body. Boyle riffs on his latest "rig update", laughing at how a few bicep curls with 25-pound weights have left him unable to straighten his arms.
He talks about sore muscles, creaky knees and the surprising reality that, at this stage of life, he’s chasing something very specific: "I’m not looking to be full jacked, I’m looking to be a healthy looking 35-year-old. I don’t need to look like a jacked old man." Instead of bragging about gym numbers, he focuses on functional movement – being able to squat, bend, get down on the floor, bounce on his toes and, importantly, skip.
After seeing videos of middle-aged people who literally can’t skip anymore, he starts skipping with his kids and even around the house, just to be sure he’s still got it (he has, though his knees crunch a bit). Alongside the physical update, Boyle admits he’s out of control with his smartphone and has ordered a Wisephone to strip things back to basics.
He jokes about playing a podcast just to drown out his own thoughts and barely taking in what’s said, tying it into a wider theme of distraction and how easily attention is hijacked. Underneath the jokes is a steady message: moderation. He talks about aiming for “functional mobility and adequate strength”, easing back into chin-ups after lung surgery scars, and not throwing extra plates on the bar just to show off.
For anyone in sobriety who relates to going to extremes, this short, raw check-in shows what scaling it back, staying honest and ageing sober can actually look like. If you’re curious how an ex–"alcoholic maniac" handles ageing, fitness, and phone addiction without reaching for a drink, this one might get you thinking about your own version of “adequate soon.”
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