I may not know you personally, but I can tell you one thing with 100% confidence…
…you are getting older!
Unfortunately we all are – which kinda sucks.
We start out young and spry.
In the weight room, we’re crushing weights and hitting PR’s every week.
Our joints feel amazing and we can train hard every time we’re in the gym.
And our bodies are like flowing hormone cocktails, fueling those gains and making us more awesome and harder to kill every day.
Until all of a sudden, things start to change.
Those gains start to slow, or come to a grinding halt.
Our joints take a little bit more cajoling before they’re ready to train.
And those hormones that were flowing like a raging waterfall in our teens and 20’s get throttled like the water pressure in New York City!
Now here’s my thing…you don’t simply stop training when you get into your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.
But you can’t continue to train the same way you did in your teens and 20’s and expect to move and feel great, either.
So as a reformed powerlifter and someone who was all about chasing big weights in my youth, here are 9 things I’ve changed about my training as I’ve gotten older.
Whether you’re a newbie who just wants to start their training career off on the right foot, or a grizzled vet who needs to take this info and start deploying it immediately, I hope these ideas will help!
#1 – The Warmup is Huge
When you’re young and bulletproof, warming up is an after thought.
For instance I can watch my 14-year-old daughter, Kendall, go from casually chatting with her friends to sprinting down a field and striking a soccer ball with full force in the span of about 1-2 minutes.
Just the THOUGHT of sprinting without a warm-up makes me hammies seize up, let alone actually trying to do it!
That’s why at this point in my life, anywhere from 15-25% of my workout is warming up.
It’s not sexy, but as Bandit from Bluey always says, “It’s gotta be done.”
Case and point, a couple weeks back I was working out with one of my pro soccer players.
He started a few minutes before me, but while I was putting the finishing touches on my warm-up, he’d already done his entire warm-up AND knocked out his speed and power work.
“When are you actually going to TRAIN?” he quipped.
I told him “someday you’ll be my age and understand”. 😉
So here’s your gentle reminder that if you’re anywhere north of 30, warming-up is no longer negotiable.
Commit to doing this every workout and not only will it make this training session better, but it will keep you training at a high level in the months and years to come.
#2 – Mobility MUST Play a Role…
In the early 2000’s I struggled with knee issues, which lead me down a path of learning everything I possibly could about the knee joint.
This culminated in a training manual called Bulletproof Knees, which ultimately helped 1000’s of people improve (or alleviate altogether) their knee pain.
And in that manual, one of my favorite sections was dedicated to what I call “The Decade Rule for Mobility.”
The thought process here is simple: For every decade of life, you need to be doing mobility training at least that many days per week!
So for example:
- If you’re in your 20’s, you need to do mobility work at least twice a week.
- If you’re in your 30’s, you need to do mobility work at least three times per week.
- If you’re in your 40’s, you need to do mobility work at least four times per week.
You get the point.
Quite simply we lose mobility as we age, so we must make it a priority if we want to maintain it going forward.
Now you’re obviously going to get some mobility training in pre-workout, but I also like to include supplemental mobility sessions throughout the week as well.
I typically do these in the evening, 60-90 minutes before bed, along with some foam rolling and gentle stretching/breathing exercises.
Not only does this help my mobility, but improves the quality of my sleep as well. It’s a win-win!
(BTW – If you’re looking for some ideas, here are four videos that will help you unlock that mobility and get you feeling great.)
#3 – …But Respect the Three Tenets Of Longevity
I’ve been creating content for over 20 years now, and one of the things I was well known for in my early days was mobility.
Now look – I think mobility is hugely important, but it’s also led to a new wave of “mobility experts” on IG and Tik Tok.
And while I definitely appreciate the message, here’s the thing:
If you’re ONLY focusing on mobility, I think that’s a huge mistake.
Sure, you need mobility to move well as you age.
But a well-rounded longevity program places a premium on three areas:
- Mobility,
- Strength, and
- Conditioning.
Mobility is the foundation of quality movement, but you also need enough strength to be a well-functioning human being.
Research from Hermoso et al. has shown that upper- and lower-body strength are critical in preventing all cause mortality. Here’s a little snippet from their research paper (citation below):
Higher levels of upper- and lower-body muscular strength are associated with a lower risk of mortality in adult population, regardless of age and follow-up period
And as Joel has alluded to numerous times here, there seems to be a very strong correlation between improving your VO2 max and living a longer life – which is proof enough for me!
The message here is simple: Don’t get too focused on any one physical quality.
Your workouts should blend mobility, strength AND conditioning if you want to maximize your health and longevity.
#4 – Movement Quality is King
When you’re young, the primary metric you’re chasing in the gym is (generally) strength.
Is my squat going up?
My bench?
My deadlift?
If so, congrats!
You’re making progress.
And while that definitely has a time and place, I’d argue that if you’re building a ton of strength on top of a poor movement foundation, your house is going to crumble at some point in time.
Let’s use the squat as an example.
Most trainees who go in the gym and back squat go through this cycle:
Back Squat Heavy –> Cut Depth –> Back Squat Heavier –> Cut More Range –> Back Squat Heavier STILL
It’s a vicious cycle, and eventually, they either get hurt or stop squatting all together.
Instead of opting out of entire groups of exercises, think about finding variations that allow you to move well while also allowing you to push some weight.
For instance I think squats are a hugely beneficial exercise – but 25 years of coaching also tell me most people don’t back squat particularly well.
So instead of falling into the “don’t squat” camp, I’ll opt for an anteriorly-loaded (i.e. weight in the front of the body) variation instead.
When you swap to a 2-kettlebell or barbell front squat, or even a Zercher squat, you can not only get stronger, but the loading in the front also allows you to work through a fuller ROM with less stress on your back.
The morale of the story here is simple: Absolutely work on building or maintaining strength, but not at the expense of HOW you move.
#5 – Don’t Forget About Power
When I was a young 20-something at Ball State University, I had the pleasure of studying under two of the biggest names in strength and power research:
Dr. William Kraemer and Dr. Robert Newton.
Now being in my early 20’s I knew next to nothing, and it was an incredibly humbling experience to study under two titans in the strength and conditioning space.
I remember talking with Dr. Newton one day, and we were discussing the importance of things like balance and strength in keeping older clients healthy.
Then he dropped this knowledge bomb on me:
Strength isn’t the first physical quality that declines with age – it’s power.
Dr. Robert Newton
Ever since then, I’ve always tried to incorporate power training into both my workouts, as well as those of my gen pop clients.
The key here is meeting people where they’re at – because let’s be honest, some of us may not be doing max effort box jumps and power cleans in our first session!
Let’s take Janice for instance.
She was one of our clients at IFAST years ago, and you can see her transformation from her 1st day in the gym, to a few months later.
What a difference, right?
So it may not look cool and sexy right out of the gate, but find ways to incorporate power training into your workouts.
Your body will thank you!
#6 – Touching Intensity with Weights
When I first started working out, I was obsessed with lifting weights.
And to be more specific, I was all about building my bench.
Now like most 15-year-olds, my training program was pretty elite:
- Monday – Bench Press
- Wednesday – Bench Press
- Friday – Bench Press and then max out on bench press
Hopefully you can see feel the sarcasm coming across the screen… 😉
Now when you’re young, those joints are fresh, the hormones are flowing, and your recovery capacity is through the roof.
If you’re going to do dumb stuff while training, absolutely get it out of your system when you’re young!
But as you age, you need to get smarter about how you do things.
Those intensive training sessions definitely take more of a toll – not just on your joints, but on your nervous system as well.
This is why I’m such a big believer in the concept of “Touching Intensity” as you age.
The goal isn’t to go in the gym and max out every week – but there are specific times of the year where you can and should push some weight to keep your “strength” bucket filled up.
For instance once or twice a year, I’ll run a couple of blocks that are focused on force production, and as I wrap them up, I might hit some moderately heavy sets.
The goal here isn’t to necessarily hit a new or lifetime PR, nor is it to wreck your body in the process.
Remember with longevity our goal is to find a more balanced approach to training, where mobility, strength and conditioning all play a part.
So take those times out of the year to top off that strength bucket, and then get back to more balanced training.
#7 – Intensity DOES NOT Equal Volume for Conditioning
One of the hardest lessons for me to learn when it came to conditioning was that you can’t replace volume with intensity.
Like most of us, when I was getting started in the industry I loved the idea of 5-10 minute finishers.
You know what I’m talking about – the lactic bath you give yourself (or your clients) to check that box and say you worked on conditioning.
But if you’ve been following Joel’s work for any period of time, you know that when it comes to conditioning you simply cannot replace volume with more intensity.
The physiological adaptations are totally different, and while you might make some minor changes to your conditioning early on, over the long haul it’s not going to work.
Instead, you have to wrap your head around the fact that if you want to…
- Decrease your resting heart rate,
- Increase your HRV,
- Improve your VO2 max, and/or
- Increase your lifespan
…you absolutely MUST increase the volume of your conditioning!
Now here’s the issue: A lot of people hear this and they try to go from 20-30 minutes of conditioning in a week to 3-4 hours.
Please don’t do this!
Instead, make it a goal to slowly but surely ramp up.
If you’re doing 30 minutes of total conditioning a week now, try to get 40-45 next week.
Maybe 50-60 the next.
The goal isn’t to be at that “ideal” volume right out of the gate, but to slowly build up to it over time.
# 8 – Make Conditioning FUN
Look I hate to admit this here, but I’m going to do it anyway…
…conditioning is NOT my favorite thing to do.
I think this goes back to my high school days, when I was forced to run cross country to “get my legs in shape” for basketball.
Crushing endless mile repeats and mind-numbing hour long runs definitely wasn’t my cup of tea, especially as someone that trends toward the strength/power side of the continuum.
But the worst part?
I definitely DID get better at cross country – only to really suck at basketball for the first 3-4 months of that season due to the adaptations it created!
But I digress…
As an adult who wants to play the longevity game and life a longer, healthier life, I know I need to condition more often if I want to do that.
And I think this is the real hack:
You absolutely MUST find ways to make conditioning more fun or engaging.
The best example for me is to play sports.
As I mentioned before I hated running cross country – I but could literally play basketball for hours on end and never get bored.
Now depending on how old you are, you may not be wanting to go out and play pick-up basketball at the Local YMCA.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t slap a heart rate monitor on, move around and get some shots up, and easily accrue 45-60 minutes of Zone 2 cardio without blinking an eye
But if I tried to do the same thing on a spin bike or elliptical?
I’d be in my own personal hell.
Another option that works well for me is what I call the “cardio swap.”
I’ll do this a lot when I’m on the road and want/need to get some conditioning in, but only have access to a standard hotel gym.
The message here is simple my friend:
We all know we need to do conditioning, so find ways to make it more fun and engaging.
To quote the buddhists: “Pain is mandatory, but suffering is optional.”
#9 – You Can Always Do SOMETHING
Last but not least, I want you to remember that when it comes to training, you can always do SOMETHING.
In my powerlifting days I had a set training routine that never wavered:
- Tuesday – Squat Day
- Thursday – Bench Day
- Friday – Deadlift Day
- Sunday – Accessory Bench Day
I wasn’t worried about conditioning.
And while I was definitely doing some mobility training, it was not the primary goal.
Now as I’ve gotten older and my goals have changed, I’ve started to realize two things:
- I need more diversity in my program (i.e. not just lifting weights), and
- I need to do SOMETHING pretty much every day.
Now when most people read that second point, they assume I’m “training” every day – and that’s definitely not the case.
One day I might lift weights.
The next I might get a cardio session in.
If I’m feeling beat up or tired, I’ll do some extra breathing, recovery and mobility work and consider that a workout.
One thing that’s helped is shifting my thought process on what a “workout” or “training session” really is.
In my powerlifting days if it wasn’t 75-90 minutes of high-intensity strength training, it wasn’t even a workout.
Now a “workout” could be just about anything:
- Lifting weights.
- Getting shots up in the gym.
- Going for a hike.
- Taking a long walk with my dog.
- Doing extra stretching and mobility work.
So for starters, don’t be afraid to shift your mindset on what a workout is.
But if you’re Type A like me, you’ll also need to work on being less rigid as to WHEN you do these things.
As I’ve gotten older and accrued more stressors and responsibilities in my life, let’s be honest…sometimes big squat Tuesday just isn’t in the books!
Be more relaxed about when and how you workout.
Start to shift your mindset about what “training” really is.
And obviously, be more diverse in your approach.
Summary
Okay my friend so there you have it – 9 ways my training has changed as I’ve gotten older.
As you read this, were there any areas that really stood out to you?
Or maybe areas where you really need to shift your emphasis or focus?
If so, I’d love to hear from – either in the comments section below, or on whatever social media platform you found this article on.
Thanks so much for reading and MAKE IT a great day!
All the best,
MR
P.S. – Want to learn more about my approach to programming for gen pop adults?
If so, you can learn more about my Program Design Mentorship HERE. The application deadline is this Friday, so if you’re interested in joining, be sure to apply ASAP!
Learn More and Apply for the Program Design Mentorship HERE