Train your age

Ever wondered if your training should be the same at 40 as at 20? Or if you need to push harder as you get older, to keep the same results? This blog answers all.

Personal Training in Marbella, Spain.

One thing to address at the beginning is, that from the age of 35 (ish) we lose strength year on year. We also lose mobility. Strength is lost due to muscle and bone mass decreasing. Mobility is lost due to joints stiffening, ligaments and tendons wearing and muscles adaptively shortening due to lifestyle choices - sitting for long periods, driving, looking at computers/phones etc.

The good news? We can train mobility and reverse the aging effects, at any age.

The bad news? After 60 (ish), if we lose strength (i.e we don't train for strength) we cannot pull this back. This is just one reason to exercise using resistance consistantly, throughout our lives.

Resistance can be seen in many forms, from weights, kettlebells, resistance bands, body weight and 'functional training' such as gardening, hiking and lifting things around the house.

Recent research suggests that our age should reflect how much mobility is incorporated into our training. If you're 70, 70% of your training should be mobility based. If you're 20, 20%.

Another thing to bear in mind is recovery time needed between workouts increases as we get older. In our late-teens and early-twenties we can go at 85% for a few days straight if we want to. Our body will recover and repair itself quickly.

If we go at 85% in our thirties to mid fourties, we might need a day inbetween to recover well, so 3 sessions per week at that output would be enough for our body to manage. But can we hit our goals with only three sessions a week. Could we drop to 70% intensity and do four a week for better results?

As we hit our fifties, sixties and seventies, recovery time is anything from 2-4 days to be optimally recovered. So the question is: If I want to train (better put as, If I need to train) 3 or 4 times per week to maintain my strength and mobility, how hard should I go? Remembering the recovery time for an 85% output is 2-4 days, then 50-60% would be good. This allows 1 day recovery, then you can go again.

Kettlebells - number 1 for strength

As we age, our focus shouldn't be on breaking our previous records, it should be on allowing ourselves the best chance to recover and train optimally often, reducing risks of injury and pain. So if you want to maintain strength and mobility as you enter your 50's, 60's and 70's, 3 or 4 sessions per week, giving a day off inbetween should be very effective.

In your twenties, go all out, go at 85%, 4-5 days per week, but don't forget your mobility training too - your 50 year-old self will thank you for it.

If anyone has any questions or comments on this post please contact here.

I am available for in-person personal training in Sotogrande and Marbella, Spain. You can also get workouts sent straight to your phone with video and text descriptions, no matter where you are in the world.

Thanks for reading!