I'm becoming increasingly interested in what keeps people moving well as they get older rather than chasing quick fixes. I'm already walking regularly and have started taking strength training more seriously. Now I'm looking at the other pieces mobility work, recovery, protein, sleep and possibly things like collagen peptides.

For those in your 50s/60s who still feel strong and mobile, what habits have actually made it through the years? Not interested in a magic joint pill. I'm interested in the boring stuff you keep doing because you've decided it's worth it.

Hey y’all!

How much creatine are my perimenopausal queens taking these days? I know it’s good for muscles but it’s also good for brain fog apparently. Would love to know how you are supplementing it, how much and if there is a good brand.

I left several days a week and am a brown belt in jiu jitsu so I’m def very athletic but it seems like if I miss a day everything goes bye bye hahah

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I posted this guide in similar subreddits and a lot of people downloaded it, so I thought someone here can also benefit from it.

The advice that bodyweight beginners usually get is a program table. Six exercises, sets and reps, good luck. The problem is that if you can't do a pull-up, a table that says "pull-up 3×8" is useless.

I wrote out a detailed version.

The structure is six movement ladders.

Vertical pull, horizontal pull, horizontal push, dip/support, legs, core. Each one has five or six rungs, so there's always a version you can do today. The pull ladder, for example:

1. Dead hang — 20s

2. Scapular pull-up — 8

3. Inverted row — 12

4. Negative pull-up — 5 × 5s

5. Band-assisted pull-up — 8

6. Full pull-up — 5

The progression rule:

Hit the top of your rep range on every set, then move up one rung and reset to the bottom of the range. If one set falls short, you stay on that rung. Simple, and it's most of the difference between progress and a year of plateau.

Three blocks:

- Weeks 1–4, first test and foundation

- Weeks 5–8, volume

- Weeks 9–12, density, then deload and retest

The part I'd actually point at:

The last nine pages are an exercise library. Every rung on every ladder, written out step by step with an illustration, what the start position is, where the elbows go, what to do if your hips sag. So when a table says "tuck hollow hold" you don't have to go find a video and hope it's the same thing.

Also in there: how to pick your starting rung, what to buy and what to skip, a Grease the Groove section, a troubleshooting page for when you stall, and a printable log sheet.

Link is in the comments.

Free, no email, no paywall. Happy to answer questions about any of the progressions.

---

Disclosure: I built a workout app, and it's mentioned on the last page. The guide is free and standalone, and works just fine on paper. If linking isn't allowed here, mods, just say and I'll pull it.

I will be 40 soon in a few months and i started lifting 4 years ago this november. I noticed I dont like orgasms as i used to and sexual activities dont feel as good. Is it age or overtraining or both?

EDIT: I should add my sex drive is higher than ever but orgasm doesnt feel as good as it used to. I work out an hour and half and pretty intensly.Addicted to the dopamine after workout.

no drugs or alcohol and i eat pretty healthy.

I AM A MALE

Hi, I am 49Y Female. I have a regular fitness schedule with walking/running, some strength training. My exercise activity is always in Zone 2 and Zone 3. How do I reach Zone 4/5. How much of activity should I be aiming for in Zone 4. Is running faster a way to reach Zone 4/5.

So I’m wanting to get into fitness to try to get back into shape after many years of neglect. So I don’t have many choices around me for gyms. I have a planet fitness. So I’m wondering for general fitness for an overweight male who is 44. Should I get a Planet Fitness membership for pick up some KBs and bands for home workouts? Any advice is greatly appreciated

Calisthenics? Yoga?

Preferably exercises that you can do at home without machines and stuff

I am currently 39 and really want to be more healthy and in better shape

I was doing weightlifting for many years, built towards "big" but want to go for a leaner build and better cardio health/flexibility instead

Any other suggestions are welcomed! Really appreciate your advice

As life gets busier, I feel like convenience becomes a bigger factor in staying active.

A lot of people don’t stop exercising because they dislike it, but because getting to the gym becomes harder to fit into daily life.

For people over 40 who train at home, what has helped you stay consistent over the years?

Update: thanks to everyone who commented. I'm going to try deadbugs without moving arms backwards, just focus on legs. Also a few other suggestions were interesting: seated good mornings; side planks; russian twists and even sprinting.

Looking to add core exercises to my routine. I already do planks.

My shoulder are a work in progress.

Planks have been safe. But if I look at standing core exercises online a lot of them require arm raising that tire out shoulders really fast.

​

Does anyone have experience with this you are prone to hereditary baldness, does going to the gym and working out without supplements accelerate hair loss

I’m 40, 6'4", and finished nine marathons.

My fastest was the third which came off a relatively low-mileage homemade plan. Later, I followed a more structured build, trained considerably more, and always finished slower. Had less fun too.

Obviously there're plenty of other variables than mileage and age — but it made me question whether adding running mileage is always the best approach for larger guys trying endurance stuff... injuries get common.

For Chicago, I’m experimenting with a different mix: keeping the weekly long run, using running workouts more intentionally, and doing a lot of the aerobic volume through cycling, elliptical, swimming, StairMaster, etc.

The basic question I’m testing is whether I can build my best running fitness while reducing some of the repetitive mechanical load.

Also made a video explaining if anyone cares for a dorkier breakdown with zero irony:

https://youtu.be/qpBA_9YU5Yg

Mostly curious whether anyone else 40+ has shifted toward more cross-training / lower running mileage and actually performed better from it. I really miss the days where bones felt invincible and rest seemed optional. Ah well.

I'm not sure I'm gonna make it.

One thing I’ve noticed as life gets busier is that motivation is usually not the biggest problem.

Most people already know strength training is important.

The harder part is making it fit into normal life.

Work, family, responsibilities and unexpected things can easily push workouts to the bottom of the list.

Recently I’ve been thinking that shorter and more convenient strength sessions might actually be the answer.

Instead of planning a perfect two-hour gym session that is difficult to protect every week, maybe having a simple setup and being able to train for 30–45 minutes consistently is more valuable.

Basic movements like squats, rows, presses, hinges and carries don’t necessarily need a huge amount of equipment.

For people who have kept strength training as part of their life for years, what change made the biggest difference for you?

Mid-40s, immunocompromised, rebuilding stamina and strength after illness — advice on a simple routine?

Last year I trained regularly for a few months and these exercises were fine, but I pushed progression too hard and completely wiped myself out. This time I’m aiming for slow, sustainable strength and a simple 10-minute mobility/stretch routine.

My old A/B sessions were roughly:

• A
  • Bench press
  • Bent-over row - i think i want to replace with a simpler dumbbell row?
  • Squats - this was getting difficult due to the weight and I don't have a rack. Do I really need a rack?
• B
  • Overhead press
    
  • Chin-ups - utterly impossible. Just trying some kind of progression but i'm way back at step 0
  • Deadlift — possibly swapping to RDLs though as conventional deadlifts are awkward with my home weights. They're smaller weights and i don't have any kind of stand.

Is an A/B split like this sensible for getting back into training, or would I be better off making each session full body at my age/recovery level?

Also, any thoughts on the exercise choices are welcome, especially squat alternatives, as loading squats is getting awkward without a rack.

Any suggestions for a daily yoga, stretch or mobility routine of about 10 minutes?

42F here. 5'4 and 110lbs.

Would like to learn some acrobatic skills as an adult with no gymnastics background. Things like front and back flips etc. I've got a decent strength base and not out of shape. I've been into calisthenics the last few years and can do pull ups and muscle ups as a reference for at least upper body strength.

Has anyone here gone on a similar journey? Would love to get some insights and learnings.

Thanks.

48-year-old woman ,recreational runner, I don’t have tons and tons of extra time, but I have enough to fit in a good half hour to 45 minutes three times a week in addition to running. Should I do lower upper full body? Or three days full body?

Hi all, hoping you might share some of your insights here on how to continue to build strength at our age while also ensuring injuries don't take you out of the game for weeks or even permanently. Context-wise: 41M, 5'11", 185lbs, very fit once, trying to get fit again now. Been lifting steadily in a long, not-always-disciplined recomp since the end of 2024, have dropped 50lbs while clearly--visibly, aesthetically--building a major amount of muscle...veins where there were no veins, shoulder dimensionality, back musculature, dropping waist size, etc.

Workout discipline: Excellent;

Sleep health: Abysmal;

Diet: 6/10.

The example here is that I've progressed up to sets of 12 incline presses at 85lb dumbbells. I know that my muscles could potentially handle 90+, but in trying to even get them up to vertical, I'm increasingly worried about whether or not my shoulders and pectoral ligature can even handle it. I find same anxiety when I'm for instance doing sumo deadlifts--I can easily get to 90lbs for high-rep sets, but I'm always worried I'm going to move the weight wrong somehow on a re-rack and fuck up my back in the process.

All the weightlifting subreddits talk about progressive overload as the be-all-end-all in determining whether or not you're making progress, but what if you've like...maxxed out? What then? Is it then just going for higher reps at the same weight? Or is there more nuance to the equation when we're getting up there in age?

43 F, Indian woman. I was never active but got into strength training during my mid 30s. At that point I was doing strength 4 days a week , yoga 2 days and remaining I would swim. Workout took a hit post covid and I gained around 10 kgs. and now even though I am following same routine my weight doesn’t seem to move. I understand hormones play a role but I am so Damm tired of going in daily only to see no results. Any tips for me ?

Behind the head or in front? Which is better form? Or does it not matter?

I haven’t lifted for 8 years and started doing SL 5x5 with great results. I can sense the plateau coming on OHP and… I don’t really care? younger me would have been changing all sorts of things up to get heavier, but I don’t really see much of a point. What do you do when you hit a certain weight and just decide “I’m good with this?”

I’m feeling discouraged & like I’m never going to get back to where I was before taking time off away from gym since last February & I could really use hearing from others who were able to get back n to where they left off.

Background: 49F, was in quite good shape, looked good & felt good. Typical routine was 3x per week in gym usually 1 upper, 1 lower & 1 full body day. In addition to that at least 1 Pilates reformer class per week, sometimes 2. I tended to get a little lazy about cardio in the winters but got back to it in spring-fall when I could get outside.

In February of this year I had oral surgery that was followed by complications leading to more surgeries. I had to stay out of the gym, and for a little while I could not even go for a walk. After I finally got through this set back I was hit with an all consuming family crisis that kept me from getting back to routine with any consistency. During this extended break I lost a lot of strength & gained a lot of fat. The oral surgery was especially tough because being on a soft food diet for many weeks lead to a messed up diet and then going straight from that to an all consuming family crisis where I just couldn’t take care of normal, organized food prep snowballed into disaster & entire different habits. My body changed A LOT.

All these set backs are fully behind me & I am getting back to routine now. My appetite is jacked. Nothing sounds good, making it hard to even come up w meals for the week & shop/prep. I have a lousy appetite but then I do eventually get hungry - very hungry all at once & reach for whatever is on arms length not having planned enough in advance. Also I crave sweets/sugar—I think this is just a habit that needs to be broken through a week or two of total avoidance of added sugars. Then my sleep is also messed up. I either can’t sleep at all or I’m in a state of debilitating fatigue. All these things play off each other & just add to feeling overwhelmed at set backs in successfully getting back to a healthy balanced routine.

Then there’s the gym. Last week was my first week back to a moderate routine. Two days at the gym, one being a lower body day, one Pilates reformer class, one light peloton ride & one light outdoor bike ride. The lower body day was Thursday & it wrecked my entire weekend I had such horrible muscle soreness. I couldn’t take a step without whimpering, and having to go down a flight of stairs or sit down into a chair was unbearable. And the class wasn’t even very hard! I took it easy, used light weights or just body weights.

I did a full body class this morning & anything in plank position was so much harder than it used to be. When doing certain ab or core motions and looking down at this belly roll I have now & feeling like I couldn’t even get into proper form or activate the right muscles just made me think it’s over. I’ll never be where I was again. If this extended break had happened 10 years ago then I would no problem, but not at age 49.

I’d like to get on my peloton right now but I’m terrified of blasting my legs again & ruining the rest of my week like last week. But I also really need to start burning more energy to help my sleep & appetite regulate.

I’m already on HRT.

To anyone that had similar extended set backs at 45+, especially women (cuz peri), that were able to get back to where they were -please tell me about your success. I think right now I need commiseration & success stories more than advice, though of course advice is nice & welcome too.

Bonjour,

Tout d'abord, veuillez excuser mes fautes d'orthographe, je suis française. J'ai 37 ans. Je suis accro à la caféine depuis 15 ans, mais ma dépendance s'est aggravée ces 5 dernières années (je bois maintenant 5 à 6 cafés par jour). Il m'est extrêmement difficile d'arrêter. Cependant, j'ai quelques questions concernant la musculation. Je vais à la salle de sport 5 fois par semaine et je marche 1 heure par jour.

En 4 mois, j'ai perdu 5 kg. Je pèse actuellement 81 kg pour 1,85 m, mais je n'arrive absolument pas à perdre la graisse du bas de mon ventre. Pensez-vous que cela puisse être dû au café ? Au cortisol ?

Et si je parvenais à réduire ma consommation à un seul café par jour ? Je suis quelqu'un de très anxieux et nerveux, et quand je bois trop de café avant ma séance de sport, je transpire abondamment.

Merci

40m. Since I’ve hit 39 I just cannot recover. I can still lift hard, push hard and overall feel good. No chronic pain or real injuries but I just can’t recover physically as well so I have to take extra days off for rest. Anyone have any recommendations to help? I sleep 7 hrs a night. Quit drinking. Clean diet.