Train like you are 28 and feel like your 28, not 44.

I am now in my 40s…

I don’t know about you, but I am in quiet denial about my age. I think this happens to most men. Hit 40, but mentally think we are still in our late 20s.

For me, that number is 28 years old.

I want to feel and believe that I can train just as hard, have just as much energy, be just as strong as when I was 28. Most of all I want to be able to keep up with those men 15 years my junior.

I read this the other day…

“We all get older and when we do, things change around us. Our kids get older, our friends get older, and we feel different pressures on us. Some things never change though.

The drive for strength and power that makes us men never changes. That deep-seated urge to continue to strive for the top and to beat ourselves and our limitations don’t change.”

I think this sums it up perfectly.

The problem is our body has changed, it is that little bit older, it doesn’t bounce back as quickly, injuries and stupidity from our teens and twenties are starting to catch up on us.

Have you been guilty of this?

You hit the gym or play some sport on the weekend, your male instincts and ego take over, you go all out, you put in a mighty effort and for that hour or so you really did perform like you are 28 again. But as soon as you finished, the pain and fatigue starts to creep in, and by the next day you really do feel 42, or in fact closer to 50, by the way your body aches and hurts.

So how can we feel like we are 28 all the time?

I know this answer is going to sound too simple, but it really does come down to training smarter.

What does smarter training look like at Adaptive Strength when you’re in your 40 and beyond.

It will focus on 3 main pillars – movement, strength, and recovery.

You cannot have one without the other. They are dependent on each other.  

When you start are Adaptive Strength you will receive a Functional Movement Screen. This is used to identify areas of asymmetry within your body, any mobility issues, and any stability issues. Mobility and stability go hand in hand. The more stable you are or stable your joints are, the more mobility you can achieve in that joint area and therefore the body as a whole.  

If any issues are identified, we will work towards resolving them. Having good mobility and stability is key to injury prevention.

In parallel, we start building your strength. The stronger you get the greater capacity you will have. It is all about ensuring you have enough in the tank with plenty of reserve for everyday life.

Our strength training is aimed at fixing asymmetries, ensuring you are just as strong on your left as your right.

You will soon realize that strength training is not just some mindless exercise you do in the gym, but it is in fact a skill to be mastered.

You will approach every session as a practice session to master the skill of strength. This will ensure you are always performing your exercise safely and with control. By being focused on the moment and methodical you gain better results without injury.

In everyday life you have the wisdom of someone in their 40s and 50s, so why not train this way. Use your years of experience to your advantage.

You already know it is the little things that count. The little things that you do consistently that add up over time. You know a big bang approach does not work. You know you cannot go crazy for a day, a week, or even a month. You know this is not sustainable. You have seen this time and time again in your life and through work. Maybe you or people you know go all out in the short term, only to burn out and in the end, do a mediocre job at best. Your life experiences have taught you this already.

Exercise, training, and getting fit is no different. It is the tense focus for short periods of time, but consistently that gets results.

That is why when you are over 40 your strength training needs to consist of ballistics and grinds. Ballistics are exercises like kettlebells swing and snatch that work on developing power. But, what really sets Adaptive Strength apart is High-Intensity Repeat Training.

I am sure you have heard of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). HIIT is probably the worst thing you can do when you are over 40. It is destructive on your body and in many training programs, it is designed to leave smashed lying in a puddle of sweat on the floor at the end.

There is a much smarter way and that is High-Intensity Repeat Training. The idea is to train with maximum effort for a short burst of time and then have enough rest time to fully recover before repeating. Every effort is at 100%. Plus, because you have enough time to rest you can train with focus, so it is safer and you can keep good form and technique. It builds strengths, it builds cardio and endurance capacity without all the wear and tears on your body.

On top of doing the ballistics, you need to do the grinds. These are exercises like squat, deadlift, military press. Big full-body exercise design with one purpose – to get you strong, very strong. We have a saying here at Adaptive Strength. Life is easier when you are Strong. But I want to add to this. Life is easier when you are Strong and pain-free.

By fixing your movement and then adding strength on top, you will become pain-free and move with ease. Truly life is easier.

The final pillar is Recovery. Often forgotten, but extremely important. Recovery comes in many forms. As mentioned above in the High-Intensity repeat Training, having enough rest and recovery between sets is crucial to success. But you also need to focus on recovery between sessions. This requires simple things like, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, eat nutritious food, getting body maintenance like massage, managing your stress, and of course have enough rest between training sessions.

Going hard every day will lead to burnout and injury. You need downtime. I am not saying do anything on the days you are not training. Still move your body. Go for a walk, do stretching, do something that will freshen both your body and mind.

If you put all this into place I can assure you, that you will not feel 42. You will feel like you are 28. You will have energy, strength, move pain-free, but most of all when the time comes to show those younger blokes you still have what it takes, you will have plenty in the tank to prove it.

If you are over 40 and want to know how we can help you with feeling like your 28 again, send us a message, we will be happy to have a chat.