Training in my 20’s v my 40’s

I found the love of lifting weights when I was 17 years old. For the past 26 years it has been a significant part of my life 

As a man now in my 40’s I know my body has different needs to my teenage years, my 20’s and my 30’s 

In this post I’m going to share with you my evolution of lifting 

1 – Warm ups, mobility and activation 

Back then – to be completely honest there were days where I’d skip the warm up and dive in to heavy sets of whatever exercise I was doing that day 

Now – I spend at least 10 minutes doing mobility and activation exercises. Then I typically start with a light weight and spend some time ramping up the weight each set. 

I’m pretty lucky that with all my training over the last few years my mobility has stayed in check. I like to think if I need to go into an all out sprint from cold I could do so without pulling a hamstring. BUT with that said, why risk it. I have also found that the better the warm up the better the performance. 

2 – How much do you bench bro? 

Back then – My goal was all about maximum weight lifted. I wanted to squat, deadlift and bench press more than anyone else… especially my buddies. 

Now – My main focus is on the quality of movement. I am in the process of trying to perform a single arm strict press with the 40kg bell but instead of going all out every single session to try and push up my numbers, I am taking a slower more methodical approach. I rarely ever go to failure and typically stop 1-2 reps shy. 

Other than the focus on nailing this 40kg I don’t really care about the numbers so much. For me it’s about being a master generalist rather than a specialist. I want to know I am ‘’good’’ at all the things rather than just being the ‘’best’’ at one thing. 

Interestingly, with this slower more methodical approach, I am the strongest I have ever been in all my years of training.

3. Training split 

Back then – it was all about the bro split.

Monday was chest and triceps

Tuesday was back and biceps 

Thursday was legs and shoulders 

Friday we went back to chest and tri’s 

This was a classic muscle split of 2 days on and one day off

Now  – I have completely changed the way I look at the body. Instead of focusing on muscles I now look at movements – Hinge, squat, single leg, push, pull, twist and locomotion. I typically performed full body workouts dividing these 7 movements into two different days. For example 

Again I will typically superset or giant set these exercises which has not only been shown to save time but also creates a cardiovascular effect. I find this method to be far more efficient and effective than the traditional approach.

4. Frequency 

Back then – I might do around 5 sessions per week 

Now  – I may still do around 5 sessions per week, they just look very different. I usually do 3 resistance sessions and I may do another couple of sessions on light cardio, mobility or skill work. 

I try to listen to my body a little more these days and am okay to skip a workout. Or simply adjust a session to make it a little easier if needed. 

5. Goals 

Back then –  My goal was to lift big weights and have a six pack (I thought the girls would take more interest 😉 

Now –  As mentioned, other than trying to lift the 40kg (which is for a qualification) my goals are to move well, stay injury free and feel good. I still think aesthetics are important they’re just not as important as being healthy

For myself and every client of mine I consider it a process of being an everyday athlete. My goal for my clients is to move, look, feel and perform better. So they can be doing all the things they love to do well into their 90s. Ultimately I want them and myself to be Antifragile

6. Nutrition 

Back then – I could get away with a lot more. Drinking, non-stick frying pans, additives, preservatives, chemical protein shakes and bars. 

Now  – My nutrition takes centre stage. I don’t really drink much alcohol anymore. 99% of what I eat is organic and I focus on real foods. No additives or preservatives. All our cookware is cast iron and I haven’t seen a microwave in years.