I don’t feel any different. Actually, I feel pretty good. Should I feel different?

Recently I turned forty. Officially I guess I am getting old. How am I going to change my training now that I am entering the advanced age category?

It is simple, I am not.

There is not a line in the sand that says after forty you shrivel up and become weak. How I perform is up to me.

Things do need to change as we get older. This is not because of a specific age, but for the fact that we are now playing the long game.

I look at forty as the tipping point for life catching up to you. Consistency in training is the most important aspect of staying strong and muscular. By the time you are forty you have had a lot of time to be consistent.Training three or more days a week tips the scales in the right direction.

Nutrition is no different. If you are consistent with eating healthy, you stay lean. If you are hitting up the all you can eat buffet at Sizzler on the regular…well you know the story.

A little less obvious are the small things that add up. When I was a kid, I was constantly running, jumping, falling, and just moving. When I wanted to go sprint, it wasn't a big deal, my body was ready for it. Now, if I want to do something that I haven't in a while, I have to ease my body into it. For example, I haven't sprinted in a few months due to turf toe that Ideveloped training JiuJitsu. I plan on adding sprints in next month. To get my body ready and reduce the chance I pull a quad or hammy, I am going to ease into it. I will start with hill sprints exclusively for a few weeks, then hit the track for 50-60% efforts for another few weeks. After five to six weeks, I should be good to go.

The list below represents many of the things I am going to do to keep me strong and healthy for the next several decades.

Move every day. Stretch, train, do yoga, take long walks. I try and be active every day. I think Newton’s law also applies to people; “an object in motion….”
Use joint friendly exercise variations. For example, I try and use suspension trainers for pull-ups and chins instead of the straight bar. When your hands are free to move, it takes a lot of stress off your elbows and wrist. Stress that adds up over the years.
Sleep more. We all know we should, but it’s a struggle for various reasons. Sleep can be a game changer for long term performance and health. It is also the best way of getting hormone levels like testosterone back in check. I am trying to get between 7.5 and 8.5 hours a night.
Focus on form. I like to train intense and heavy. Unfortunately I often sacrificed good technique for more weight. Injuries followed. I learned the hard way. However with experience being the best teacher, I now focus strict smooth movement while still keeping the intensity high. Keeping the whole body engaged throughout all movements and slowing down the negative portion of a rep have helped me reduce my injuries.
Eat whole foods. At a minimum, remove any refined sugar from the diet. This includes any sugary drinks such as gatorade or soda. There is no need for them, even when training hard.
Perform loaded carries. I started doing farmer’s walks and various other loaded carries a few years ago. They have made a huge difference in my overall strength and ability to activate my whole body during a movement. Moving heavy stuff is the foundation of strength training and real world application. They are a long term keeper.
Do speed work. When I think old, I think slow moving. This doesn't have to happen. Training speed work with sprints, jumps, slams, throws, and the like will keep up the speed for decades. As noted above, just make sure to start off easy and focus on being smooth, letting the body fully adjust to the new challenge before ramping up the intensity.
Stop snacking. This should really stop in early childhood. Time to have a little discipline with what and when the body eats. Snacking is one of the largest problems that leads to obesity in America. The extra empty calories add up, and by forty, that is a lot of time to pack on unwanted pounds. Pick a number of meals to eat in the day and stick to it. Include pre/post workout meal in that number. If you like to eat something a few hours after dinner, make it count as a meal. Going in with the frame of mind that whenever you eat it is a meal, makes you plan better and less likely to binge on chips in front of the tv. Personally, I eat within an 8 hour window, usually between 12-8 or 1-9 depending on my day. Within that window I eat 3 meals including post workout nutrition. There is starting to be positive health data on this style of intermittent fasting (read this) . I find it much easier to stay lean while living a life full of work and family.To learn more check out the Leangains site.
And of course, get outside…even if it is cold and rainy. Being outdoors has a magical effect on mood and wellbeing. Training outdoors is that much better.

There you have it. My plan on staying fit from forty and beyond. Take action, say no to getting old. Now go outside and train!