You’re Not ‘Too Old’ to Get Stronger – You’re Just Not Training Smart enough

If I had a tenner for every time a client said, “I’m probably just getting old” when talking about their aches, pains or lack of progress in the gym, I’d have packed up shop and retired to Spain by now — maybe I'd open a rehab retreat with cold beers and sea views.

But let me give it to you straight: age isn’t the problem. Not training smart is.

Whether you’re 35 or 60, your body is still capable of building strength, moving better and performing well. The issue isn’t your birth year — it’s usually a combination of poor recovery, rusty movement habits and outdated training approaches that don’t match your current lifestyle, not to mention those DIY YouTube workouts done with dodgy form and zero progression.

So if you’re starting to feel like you’ve peaked physically, this one’s for you.

Strength Loss Isn’t Inevitable – It’s Preventable (and Reversible)

Yes, we do lose muscle and strength as we age — if we do nothing. The official term is “sarcopenia,” and while it sounds like a fancy Italian starter, it’s really just the gradual decline in muscle mass that starts around your thirties.

But here’s the good news: research shows strength training can reverse and prevent this decline well into your 60s, 70s and beyond. I’ve worked with men and women in their fifties and sixties who ended up stronger than they were a decade earlier — not because they trained harder, but because they trained smarter.

Forget the old-school belief that strength is only for the young. It’s for anyone who wants to feel more capable, resilient and pain-free — and not just for those weekend warriors, cyclists, gym goers and part-time footballers still trying to relive the glory days, but for those wanting to complete that DIY project at the weekend, bring their garden back to life after the winter and play with their kids and grand-kids and be the parent/grandparent they always promised they would be.

"Strength is your insurance policy and unlike your car cover, it actually pays out when you need it most"

So What Does ‘Training Smart’ Actually Mean?

It’s not about lifting the heaviest weights in the gym or smashing every session with max effort. It’s about doing the right things, with the right form, at the right intensity — consistently.

Here’s what smart training looks like:

• Quality over ego. If you’re chasing numbers with poor form, you’re just speeding up your journey to injury. Slow it down, focus on control, and build from the ground up.

  
  

• Train movements, not muscles. Think squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, carries. Functional stuff that mimics real-life movement and transfers to sport and life.

  
  

• Master the basics. Split squats, lunges, glute bridges, deadlifts (even with kettlebells or bands) are all gold — no need for fancy kit or complicated routines.

  
  

• Move often and with intent. Twice a week of focused strength work can do wonders. It’s not about quantity; it’s about consistency.

  
  

  Training smart also means knowing when to push and when to pull back — especially if you’ve got a history of injuries. (That’s where proper guidance comes in).

Stronger Bodies = Fewer Injuries

One of the most overlooked benefits of getting stronger as we age is injury prevention. When your muscles, joints and tendons are more resilient, they’re better equipped to handle the demands of your training, job or the five-a-side matches on dodgy 3G pitches and those last minute padel match.

Take the knee, for example. A stronger glute and hamstring chain can drastically reduce load through the knee joint. Same goes for your lower back — if your core’s firing properly and your hips move well, your spine doesn’t take the hit every time you bend or lift.

In other words, strength is your insurance policy. And unlike your car cover, it actually pays out when you need it most.

Recovery Becomes Part of the Process (Not an Afterthought)

Let’s not pretend we recover like we did in our twenties. You can still train hard, but your recovery needs to match that effort.

That means:

• Getting decent sleep (sorry, your 5-hour nights aren’t cutting it).

• Managing stress.

• Eating like an adult, not a uni student.

• Doing active recovery work – walking, mobility drills, light movement on rest days.

If you’re always sore, stiff, or feeling “broken,” chances are your recovery is lagging behind your training. Smart rehab and strength plans will factor that in — and that’s exactly what I help people with.

Final Word: You’re Not Done Yet

Getting older doesn’t mean giving up on progress — it just means doing it differently. Strength training in your 30s, 40s, 50s (and beyond) isn’t about chasing PBs or posing in mirrors. It’s about feeling confident in your body, staying injury-free, and performing better in sport and life.

So if you’re feeling stuck, sore or starting to believe the “I’m just getting old” story — give it a rethink. You don’t need to train harder. You need to train smarter.

Need Help Getting Started?

If you want help putting a plan together, staying consistent or just figuring out how to work around an injury — I’ve got your back. Drop me a message, book in for a in-person or virtual check-in and lets explore how we can get started.

Let’s get you stronger, pain-free, and back to doing what you love — no matter how old your knees, back or shoulders claim to be.