You’re 40: Here’s How to Workout, Eat, & Sleep

You’re a former athlete. You’re middle-aged. You’re someone who is trying to bring those things back for you.

So, what do you do?

Do you train like you did when you were 21? Probably not.

Do you train like you see influencers train on social media? Also probably not.

Grab your barbell and let’s go!

1 – When It Comes to Lifting Weights

I cannot be the only one who is guilty of doing max lifts every time you lifted when you were in your teens and 20’s.

I wouldn’t think so, anyway.

Think about it:
You walked into the gym, you had your cut off shirt on, you maxed out [basically].

This continued through your 20’s. Probably even continued through pain and injury.

Well, I’m sad to say that you’re not in your 20’s anymore. You may not be in your 30’s anymore, either.

If you’re still training like your in your 20’s, and you’re not training for max strength [as your sport], this is a wild misappropriation of efforts. And the risk-reward is not in your favor.

I’m not saying it can’t happen, there are certainly successful examples out there.

But, if you’re looking to build muscle back, if you’re looking to make yourself more durable (and not hurt), then there’s a different way to do it.

HERE’S HOW TO GO ABOUT IT:

First, if you have a 1 rep max, stay at or below 85% of that number.

If you don’t have a 1 rep max… good! You don’t need it.

You’re looking to spend your time in the 5 to 30 rep range with this one principle in mind: it needs to be heavy for that rep range.

How do you know what rep to use?

Is it heavy for 5?
Good.

Is it heavy for 10?
Good.

Is it heavy for 30?
Good.

The point that it’s heavy for that rep count.

Second, slow it down on the way down. A happy secondary effect of this one is that you have more time under tension and thus more potential for muscle growth.

Third, pause at the very bottom of your lift. This is not a comfortable place to pause and in the case of a bench press, you still want to be “holding” the weight.

All of these things add together for muscle growth and decreasing the chances you’re going to hurt yourself while lifting.

2 – Put Down the Bosu Ball

In my experience, you move from the “bro” stuff to the fancy stuff. You begin to learn more and get fancy with the stuff that you’re doing.

You go from a bench press to a single arm DB bench press while lying on a Swiss ball.

You go from back squats to a kettlebell pistol squat on an upside down Bosu ball.

You don’t need that. In fact, that’s probably counterproductive unless you play in a sport or something where the environment you’re standing on moves around a lot.

You don’t. Neither do I.

Simple is better.

Basics are better.

Stick with that.

3 – Stop Skipping This

My version of a warm up as a teen? Throw weight on and let’s go… no less than 45’s, by the way.

My version of warm up in my 20’s (through 25, anyway)? Throw weight on and let’s go… still no less than 45’s.

By the time I got to my later 20’s, I was a little more savvy.

Here’s what I can tell you, warming up is not just a waste of time your brain is telling you it is.

You’re also decreasing the likelihood that doing something “run of the mill” is going to hurt you. You don’t want that.

Neither do I.

So, spend 5 to 10 minutes just generally moving around. After that, get into your lifting but make smaller jumps so your body figures out what it’s doing.

The other side benefit, here? Have you noticed that sometimes heavier lifts feel better than lighter lifts?

Believe it or not, you’re re-teaching your body what to do on these particular lifts. It’s not a mistake.

4 – Routine Eating

I have kids and I sometimes find myself eating their leftovers or half-eaten stuff.

Don’t judge me. I know you do it too.

While making food slightly differently for yourself is not appealing, it is helpful to have a plan.

If you’re subjecting yourself to whatever meal “just happens,” you’re not taking ownership of your health and fitness goals.

If you’re not someone who likes to plan their food or track their food, at the very least you can follow these rules:

• Prioritize protein at every single meal
• Prioritize fruits and veggies at each meal [or throughout the day]
• Have snacks on-hand and ready that support your goals
• Drink plenty of water
• And leave yourself room to enjoy food

You don’t need to eat like a machine but you also shouldn’t eat like a child, either.

Plan ahead, enjoy, and ask yourself, “does this support my health and fitness goals?”

5 – You Have a Bedtime

I find myself constantly fighting, well, me on this one.

It’s the weekend and I want to stay up later.

It’s the weekend and I want to sleep in a bit longer.

Once again, thinking you were getting away with things in your early 20’s like staying up super late and waking up super late. That’s not going to happen any longer.

And, adding insult to injury, if you have little kids at home – it’s definitely not going to happen.

…or you’ll be grumpy and regret it later.

This goes doubly if you are someone who enjoys the adult beverage. And unless you have a paramedic friend who can hook you up with that IV (don’t tell anyone), this is probably not the best use of your down time.

My preference is to have the same bedtimes and wake times regardless of what the day of the week is.

“But Chris, I’m an adult and I haven’t had a bedtime in years.”

I understand. But if you’re asking me what is going to help you get your health and fitness goals, well, this is part of it.

One-offs, not a big deal. Constantly. That’s the issue (like drinking).

In The Spirit of Simplicity vs Goals…

I like to take action on things.

I know there are researchers in the world (and I am married to one). But get up and take action.

At the very least, pick one thing from above and run with it:

• Lift lighter but with more intensity
• Cut out the fancy training things
• Warm up before you exercise
• Plan your food in some way
• Or, keep your bedtime and wake times the same

I don’t care which one. Pick one and go with it.

You can always habit-stack them later for maximizing your time in service of your goals.

And if you want more help and direction, email me at [email protected]. This is what we specialize in, after all!