Fitness & Exercise

Stop Training Like a 20-Year-Old (Especially If You're Not One)

I was 42 when I tore my bicep doing a max effort deadlift that absolutely did not matter to anyone except my fragile ego.

The worst part? I was training exactly like I did at 22 - same intensity, same recovery expectations, same "more is always better" mentality. And I paid for it with 6 months of physical therapy and a permanent reminder that my body had moved into a different phase of life whether I accepted it or not.

That's when I stumbled across Dan John's work, and honestly, it felt like someone had finally turned the lights on in a room I'd been stumbling around in for decades.

The Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

Here's what pisses me off about the fitness industry: we market youth to everyone. Scroll through Instagram and you'll see 23-year-old influencers selling programs designed for people who recover like they do, sleep like they do, and have the same life responsibilities (basically none).

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old accountant with two kids and a mortgage is wondering why he can't recover from the same program that works for college athletes. The 58-year-old who just wants to keep playing with his grandkids is following protocols designed for people preparing for powerlifting meets.

It's insane when you think about it.

Dan John gets this. After 50 years of lifting - yeah, you read that right, FIFTY YEARS - he's still going strong in his 60s. Not because he found some secret supplement or revolutionary technique, but because he understood something most of us refuse to accept: your training needs to evolve with your life.

The Three Stages of a Lifting Life (And Why You're Probably Doing Yours Wrong)

Stage 1: The Invincible Years (16-35)

This is when most of us fall in love with lifting. Your recovery is stupid good, you can eat pizza and still see abs, and you bounce back from workouts that would hospitalize your future self.

But here's where it gets interesting - and where I screwed up royally. This isn't just about going heavy and often (though you can). This is your foundation-building phase. Think of it like constructing a house. You don't just throw up walls and hope for the best; you dig deep and pour concrete.

What you should actually be doing:

Learning perfect movement patterns (boring but crucial)
Building work capacity that'll serve you for decades
Experimenting with different training styles to find what clicks
Yes, going heavy sometimes, but not every damn session

What I did instead:

Maxed out constantly because it felt cool
Ignored mobility work entirely
Treated my body like it would never break down
Developed exactly zero self-awareness about what actually worked vs. what just felt hardcore

The guys I know who are still crushing it in their 40s and 50s? They spent their 20s and early 30s being smart, not just intense. They built movement quality, learned their bodies, and yes - they had fun and pushed boundaries, but with some actual thought behind it.

Stage 2: The Reality Check Years (35-55)

Welcome to the phase where your body starts sending you invoices for all those years of abuse.

This is where things get real, and frankly, where most people either figure it out or spend the next two decades fighting a losing battle against Father Time.

Your recovery isn't what it was. Your responsibilities have multiplied. You've got maybe 4-6 hours of solid training time per week if you're lucky, and you need to make every minute count.

The harsh truth: You can't train like you're 25 anymore. But here's the thing nobody tells you - you don't need to.

I spent my early 40s (before the bicep incident) trying to out-volume and out-intensity my younger self. It was like trying to win a race by driving faster in a car with worse brakes and a smaller gas tank. Predictably stupid.

What actually works in this phase:

Strength maintenance becomes the priority
Recovery gets equal billing with training intensity
Movement quality becomes non-negotiable (trust me on this one)
You start training for life, not just numbers

Dan John talks about this phase as the "get strong and stay strong" years. Not get stronger at all costs. Not chase every new program. Get strong enough to handle whatever life throws at you and maintain that strength consistently.

Real talk: This is when you need to get honest about your goals. Are you training to set PRs or to be the 50-year-old who can still help friends move without throwing out his back? Both are valid, but they require different approaches.

Stage 3: The Wisdom Years (55+)

I'm not here yet, but I've watched enough people navigate this phase to know it's where the real art of lifting shows up.

This isn't about slowing down or "taking it easy." It's about training smarter than you ever have in your life. The guys who do this well - and Dan John is exhibit A - often look and perform better than people half their age.

The secret sauce:

Consistency trumps intensity every single time
Recovery becomes a skill you actively develop
You focus on movement quality like your quality of life depends on it (because it does)
You train for functionality first, aesthetics second

The most impressive 60+ lifters I know aren't the ones still trying to deadlift 500 pounds (though some can). They're the ones who move like humans were designed to move, who never miss workouts because they never push so hard they need extended recovery, and who genuinely enjoy training because it enhances rather than dominates their lives.

The Assessments Nobody Does (But Everyone Should)

Here's where Dan John really opened my eyes. Before you even think about what program to follow, you need to know where you actually stand. Not where you want to stand, not where you used to stand - where you are right now.

The "Can You Move Like a Human?" Test

This isn't complicated:

Can you get up and down from the floor without using your hands?
Can you reach overhead without your lower back turning into a pretzel?
Can you squat down to pick something up without looking like you're defusing a bomb?

If you answered no to any of these, guess what your training priority should be? Hint: it's not adding weight to the bar.

I spent years adding plates while my movement quality went to hell. The result? Chronic pain, decreased performance, and that bicep tear I mentioned. Fun times.

The "What Actually Matters?" Assessment

Ask yourself:

What do I need my body to do outside the gym?
What hurts, and why am I ignoring it?
How much time can I realistically commit to training?
What would "strong enough" look like for my actual life?

These sound like simple questions, but they'll completely change how you approach training if you answer them honestly.

Why This Approach Actually Works (And Why I Wish I'd Found It Sooner)

The beauty of thinking about lifting as a career rather than a series of disconnected phases is that it forces you to play the long game. And the long game is where the real wins happen.

Short-term thinking: How much can I bench press this month? Long-term thinking: How do I want to feel and move when I'm 70?

Short-term thinking: This program promises 20-pound strength gains in 6 weeks! Long-term thinking: What training approach can I stick with consistently for years?

Short-term thinking: I need to work around this nagging injury to hit my numbers. Long-term thinking: What's causing this injury and how do I fix it properly?

The people who get this - like Dan John - end up with something most lifters never achieve: they get to keep training at a high level for decades. They don't burn out, break down, or quit because training stopped being fun.

The Program Nobody Wants to Hear About

Want to know what the perfect program looks like for most people, most of the time? Brace yourself, because it's going to sound boring as hell:

For the 16-35 crowd:

Master the basic movement patterns
Build work capacity gradually
Learn to recover properly
Have fun but don't be stupid about it

For the 35-55 crew:

Maintain strength with intelligent programming
Prioritize recovery like it's a skill
Address movement issues before they become injuries
Train consistently rather than intensely

For the 55+ warriors:

Focus on movement quality daily
Strength train 2-3x per week with perfect form
Never skip warm-ups or mobility work
Listen to your body like it's giving you stock tips

Notice what's missing? Complex periodization schemes. Exotic exercises. Programs that require spreadsheets to follow.

The unglamorous truth is that consistency with basics beats complexity with inconsistency every single time.

What I'm Doing Differently Now (And Why You Should Care)

These days, my training looks nothing like it did in my 20s or even my early 40s. And you know what? I'm stronger in the ways that actually matter, I feel better, and I haven't had a significant injury in years.

My current approach:

I warm up like my life depends on it (because my quality of life actually does)
I train 4x per week, never more, sometimes less
I prioritize sleep and stress management as much as my actual workouts
I test movements regularly and address issues immediately
I've made peace with the fact that my 1RMs probably peaked years ago, and I'm totally fine with that

The result? I'm 47 and feel better than I did at 37. I can still move heavy weight when I want to, but more importantly, I can play with my kids, help friends move, and handle whatever physical challenges life throws at me without thinking twice about it.

Your Turn: The Questions You Need to Answer

Here's what I want you to do right now. Don't bookmark this article to read later. Don't plan to think about it tomorrow. Answer these questions honestly:

What phase are you actually in? Not where you wish you were or where you were five years ago - where are you right now?
What does your body need most? Movement quality? Strength? Recovery? Be honest.
What would "successful training" look like for your actual life? Not your fantasy life where you have unlimited time and energy.
What's one thing you're doing now that you know isn't serving your long-term goals? We all have something.
If you could only train 3x per week for the rest of your life, what would those sessions look like?

The Bottom Line (And Why This Matters More Than You Think)

Lifting isn't just about the time you spend in the gym. It's about building and maintaining the physical capacity to live the life you want for as long as possible.

The 25-year-old who learns to train smart has a 40-year advantage over the one who just trains hard. The 40-year-old who finally gets it can still have decades of quality training ahead. The 60-year-old who embraces their phase can often outlift and outmove people half their age.

But it all starts with accepting where you actually are and training accordingly.

Dan John figured this out decades ago, which is why he's still crushing it in his 60s while most of his peers are dealing with chronic pain or have given up on training entirely.

The question is: are you going to learn from his example, or are you going to keep training like you're 20 until your body forces you to stop?

Because trust me - one way or another, your body will have the final say.

What phase are you in, and what's your biggest struggle with accepting it? Drop a comment and let's figure this out together.