There comes a point where training harder isn't necessarily the answer as you get older. For men over 40, coach Tom Ragusa says the problem is training intensity. 'You're in a different season of life now,' he says in an Instagram Reel. 'And most men over 40 are working hard and building nothing in it.'
According to Ragusa, if you're still trying to train exactly as you did in your 20s, your body will usually let you know. 'The constant soreness. The slow recovery. The results that don’t match the effort. That's not a motivation problem. That’s a program problem,' he says.
'The approach that built your body at 25 is now the exact thing breaking it down,' he says. 'And chasing the PRs you hit at 25? That's your ego talking.' He recommends 5 ways to adjust your training to make progress without the setbacks.
How to Structure Your Training Over 40
Hit Each Muscle More Often
Ragusa recommends full body strength training three to five days a week. Rather than hammering one muscle group once a week or bro splits, Ragusa suggests doing 'one exercise per body part, every session, three to five days a week'. He explains, 'Every muscle gets hit multiple times a week instead of once. More frequency. More signal. More growth.'
Keep Every Movement High Quality
One exercise per body part also means you're not dragging yourself through endless sets with exhausted muscles. 'No pre-exhausted muscles. No half-effort reps. Full intensity on every set, every session,' says Ragusa. Focus on range of motion and technique.
Train Hard, but Don't Redline
The goal is to do enough to stimulate progress, without leaving yourself unable to recover. 'Train hard but never redline,' he says. 'Hard enough to build. Smart enough to recover.' Work to a challenging intensity, but you don't have to work to failure.
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Spread the Stress Out
By spreading volume across the week, Ragusa says your 'joints recover' and your 'nervous system recovers'. That means you’re more likely to stay consistent.
Stop Chasing Your Old Self
Perhaps his most important point is goal setting. 'Your new PR is the body you're building now – not the one you’re trying to relive.' He says, 'This season of life isn't a limitation. It's an opportunity to train with more intention than you ever did at 25, and the results will prove it.' Be realistic with the body you're bringing into training, and the results will pay off.
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