Did I also mention that Ive worked out religiously twice a day for the past 25 years? That's over 18,000 workouts. In my current condition, I stand 6'3'', weigh 240 pounds, and am under 10 percent body fat.
Why am I telling you this? Its because Ive been able to overcome every obstacle thats been put in my way-except growing older.
View this post on Instagram Why wouldnt I smile? At 40 Im the best version of me that Ive ever been... #everydamnday A post shared by Bobby Maximus (@bobbymaximus) on Feb 19, 2019 at 5:57pm PST
I dont want this article to be about how great you can be later in life and how every man over 40 can look and feel like theyre 20 years old. Thats bullshit.
Id love to tell you I am as fit today as I was when I was 20. But that would be a lie. Id also love to tell you my training hasnt had to change. That would also be a lie. I havent found the fountain of youth, I havent figured out how to defeat Father Time-hes never lost, by the way-and I havent been able to extend my peak.
Theres a lot of stuff out there promising men they can tap into their youthful energies as they age. Theres a never-ending list of dishonest programs, book, infomercials, and supplements. The reality is this, though: Do you see many 40 year old athletes who are just hitting their prime? Doesnt happen. If an athlete does compete into their forties they are usually just trying to hang on.
Im not trying to bring you down or rain on your parade. You can be extremely fit at 40 years old. You can look and feel relatively good-but its not free, its not easy, and theres a real cost.
Here are three of the main areas I have noticed have changed as I have gotten older and how I try to cope with those changes.
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Training Volume And Intensity
As you age, you must adjust your training volume and intensity. As a general rule, both need to decrease.
When I was younger I could go hard all the time. I could sprint in the morning, do HIIT-style training at lunch, and lift weights at night. I had a seemingly limitless supply of energy and never had an issue with overtraining.
The older I have gotten the more that has had to change. I cant go hard every single session. Now I have to pick my spots.
These days I train twice daily. Once in the morning and once in the evening. To facilitate that kind of work volume I cannot go hard for both sessions. Id fall apart. I need to alternate between hard and easy sessions.
So if I go hard in the morning I go easy at night and if I go easy in the morning I go hard at night.
View this post on Instagram I didnt get like this by taking weekends off. Especially at the age of 40. While most are resting (I put that in quotation marks because they havent worked hard enough a day in their lives to earn their rest) or partying, Im doing what Im always doing. Working my damned ass off. Every day is another chance to get a step closer to my goals. On the other hand every day wasted is a lost opportunity. Lets say you took every weekend off for a year. Thats a 104 days. Almost a third of your year. If youve ever sat around wondering why youre just not as fit as youd like to be, desperate for a solution, Id suggest you start there. Its really pretty easy. So make your choice. If youre looking to hop on the Bobby Maximus fountain of youth train then heres your answer: Show up every damn day. If not and youre happy with your Dad Bod then I guess just keep on doing what youve been doing. No shame in letting yourself go right? #realtalk #everydamnday A post shared by Bobby Maximus (@bobbymaximus) on Feb 2, 2019 at 1:55pm PST
What do I mean by hard and easy?
My hard workouts would be when I lift heavy (or to failure), or when I breath hard. These workouts could be my weekly strength workouts, hypertrophy workouts, or interval workouts. My easy workouts are usually focused on practicing technique or doing easy paced cardiovascular work or doing mobility work.
During the course of the week I aim to hit a 50/50 split between hard workouts and easy/restorative workouts. Regardless of how many sessions I hit, I maintain this ratio. This is essential to stay injury free and also combat the effects of aging.
No More Stupid Sh*t
There used to be a day when I tried to compete with everyone. Id see someone doing a workout and I would have to try it too. Id hear of some savage workout challenge and I would want to test myself and see if I could do it too. If my friend was deadlifting a weight, I would try to deadlift more.
At my age that is a surefire way to get hurt. I have learned this lesson the hard way too. I cant compete with some 20 year-old. There are only two outcomes when I try: I get hurt. Or I complete the workout, maybe I even win, but then am sore or off my training program for the next few days.
Remember this simple phrase: No one wins the workout. My goal is to improve, not competing in a game nobody cares about.
The next time you see some kid on the internet doing 1,000 burpees for time or lifting a big-ass weight, ask yourself if you really need to do it too. Ask yourself if you are even capable of doing it. Everything is risk vs. reward and as you get older, the risk goes through the roof.
The best advice I could give an aging athlete is to stay in your lane.
Recovery Practices
Theres no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a cost and everyone has to pay.
A younger athlete doesnt need as much sleep and doesnt need to pay much attention to recovery and restorative work. As you get older that changes dramatically. It has for me.
When I was younger I rarely needed to go for massages, get in ice baths, or be on a foam roller. Lately those things are all I do.
In fact if you were to ask me today (and I told you honestly) I would tell you I probably spend more time in a spa then in the gym. I try to hit a 2:1 ratio of restorative work to training. That means for every time I train, I try to incorporate two recovery practices. I use the sauna, ice baths, contrast showers, recovery walks, air compression boots, stretching, foam roller sessions, and massage.
Before you get all in your feelings about how you don't have enough time or money for all of those things-I get it. I really do. I am fortunate to have a career in the fitness industry that allows me the freedom to recover this much. Im well aware most people dont have that time. Most people dont train 10 times a week either, and may not need that much recovery.
Here is a simple rule: Choose a recovery practice once a day and do it. You can choose from the list above. You dont have to be excessive with your choice either-devoting just 20 minutes a day to one practice will pay incredible dividends.
What Does It All Mean?
Can you be fit at 40? Yup. Can you look good and feel good and perform well? Yup. It just costs a hell of a lot more than did when you were 20.
And even if you pay the cost you still are just fighting to hang on. So prepare to make a few changes to your training schedule. Double down on sleep, then triple down on recovery. And dont be stupid about stuff in the gym. Stay in your lane, be aware of your limitations, and get ready to do the work.