Like many people, my fitness journey began because I wanted to lose weight.
By the time I got serious about this, there was more on the line than just looking a certain way. I was 19 and prediabetic, facing a future of chronic disease if I didn’t make some serious changes.
Long story short, I lost 70lbs in the first year. I fell in love with lifting weights and learned how to cook, buy groceries, and count calories. For the first time since middle school, I fit into smaller sizes and had to buy a completely new wardrobe
My second major goal – which lasted about four years – was to get as strong as possible. I was introduced to the sport of powerlifting and got hooked.
My training was all about putting up big numbers on the back squat, bench press, and barbell deadlift. I even competed in a powerlifting meet back in April 2014 where I set an all-time personal deadlift PR of 330lbs.
I’m now almost ten years into my personal fitness journey. Increasingly, my goals have shifted beyond just building a lean body and lifting heavy things.
I still want to look good and feel strong (who doesn’t?), but I’ve realized that the biggest benefit of lifting weights is how it helps you later on in life.
You have control than you think over how you age.
When most of us think about getting older, we assume that losing strength, mobility, stamina, and power is inevitable.
I know I constantly hear people saying things like “I’m just old” or “I guess this is just part of getting older.”
Here’s the thing: much of the physical decline we perceive as just part of getting older is not set in stone.
The appearance of your body may change, but you can hold on to much of its capacity if you’re stay active and prioritize resistance training.
One of the biggest drivers of age-related decline is loss of muscle mass. This causes your metabolism to slow down along with a host of other negative consequences.
But studies indicate that you can actually maintain much of your muscle mass as long as you keep using it. You don’t need to be a pro bodybuilder either; you just need to engage in some kind of regular resistance training.
Another challenge of getting older is being more susceptible to injury. Too many older people die as a result of slips and falls.
It doesn’t have to be this way – you can dramatically reduce the chances of falls by maintaining some level of balance, speed, and power.
Here are a few things you can do to train for health and longevity:
Train all the major movement patterns. Everyone should perform some variation of a squat, hinge, upper body push, and upper body pull on a regular basis. If you want to add a few more, I also recommend training gait (walking and carries), crawling, single leg training, and rotation (both resisting and creating it).
Read more: Core training beyond crunches
Pick exercises that work for your body and skill level. Not everyone is cut out to use barbells. And if you’re intimidated by the weight room, there are plenty of other resistance training options that can work. I strongly suggest experimenting to find exercise variations that feel good for you.
If you want help figuring out which squat and deadlift variations work for you, you can download my free Squat and Deadlift School ebook here.
Don’t do things that hurt. This is related to the point above. You would be surprised how many people push through pain during exercise because they thing it’s just part of the deal. There is always a way to to modify an exercise or train around pain. Your joints will thank you.
Read more: You got hurt. Now what?
Power training is for everyone. Being fast and responsive is what helps you prevent falls and quickly react to other stimuli in the environment. Learning how to jump and land safely is hugely beneficial. If you can’t jump, try incorporating medicine ball throws or just going for power walks from time to time.
Do mobility work every day. The last thing you want is for your minor aches and pains to turn into more serious problems or permanent restrictions. I recommend doing drills to mobilize your hips, upper back, shoulders, and ankles as often as possible.
Read more: How should I warm up?
Work on getting up and down from the floor. Being able to get up and down from the floor by yourself is hugely important for health and safety as we age. If possible, try to get up and down from the floor at least once in every workout. Turkish getups and lunges are especially helpful here.
When in doubt, keep up your cardio fitness. The best thing you can do for your health is to move every day. If all you can do is go for a short walk, make that your goal. This keeps your heart, brain, muscles, and many other systems healthy and happy.
Read more: All about cardio
I still work out to build muscle and get lean. But I also want to stay strong and maintain my independence for as long as possible.
I want to be able to climb stairs, carry my groceries, and take active vacations. I do this work now so that I’m harder to kill if I’m lucky enough to still here in a few decades.
If you’re a millennial like me, now is the perfect time to build a sustainable strength training routine. Find activities you enjoy and set meaningful goals so you can challenge yourself and stay engaged.
If you’re a little older, now is still the perfect time to lift weights or move your body in a way that’s appropriate for you.
As long as you’re still living, it’s not too late to get in better shape and reap the benefits of resistance training. If you want some help figuring out what this looks like for you, you can apply for my online training program here.