What My Workout Has Looked Like Lately

If you’ve been following AoM for a while, you know that strength training is a central part of my daily life — the thing, other than my faith and family, that brings me the most joy and satisfaction.

Back in my 30s, I trained to hoist as much weight as possible. I did some amateur lifting competitions, so my goal was to maximize my one rep max on the main barbell lifts. My workout sessions would often last an hour and a half. I really enjoyed that season of my life, but the intensity of the training started to take its toll on me physically and psychologically as I entered my 40s.

I’ll be turning 43 here in a few months. I’m not the man I was a decade back. Life’s busier, and I have a body that’s not quite as forgiving as it once was. Long sessions leave me rundown instead of built-up. Training at this stage of life requires a different approach.

My longtime coach, Matt Reynolds, has helped transition my training for midlife. Since I know many of you reading AoM have grown up with me and are entering your 40s too, I thought it would be helpful to share what my training has looked like lately. Maybe it will give you some inspiration for your own programming.

The Program Framework

I do a strength-training workout 4X a week, using an upper/lower split, with each workout capped at 60 minutes. And I do a cardio workout 2X a week. Sundays I rest, except for taking low-key walks.

Here are the components of my routine:

Strength workouts:

Heavy main lift. Every session starts with a big compound movement: squat, deadlift, bench press, or shoulder press. I go heavy — something in the 3-5 rep range. I’ll occasionally do a heavy single. It scratches the itch to keep strength as a central part of training without beating me up with endless sets.
Backoff volume. After the heavy top set, I do 1-2 backoff sets at a lighter weight. This allows me to accumulate volume while staying within a recoverable zone.
Supplemental Lift. I’ll then do a supplemental lift. If it’s squat day, I’ll do a hamstring-focused supplemental lift like Romanian deadlifts or good mornings. If it’s bench day, I’ll do a shoulder-focused supplemental lift like dumbbell shoulder presses. Enough load to matter, not enough to wreck me.
Circuit. Each session finishes with a circuit — upper or lower, depending on the day. A mix of dips, chins, curls, rows, split squats, leg extensions, or whatever I have equipment for. The goal is simple: get the heart rate up, build some muscle, and walk out with a sweat.

Cardio

As I’ve gotten into midlife, I’ve put more emphasis on heart health. Three mainstays: Zone 2 cardio two times a week for long-term conditioning, rucks for a blend of endurance and load-bearing strength, and one weekly HIIT session to keep the higher gears sharp and to improve my V02 Max (I’ve got an article about VO2 in the works).

Adding Weight and Reps for Progressive Overload

On the heavy lifts, I add about five pounds a week. When I stall out, Matt will lower the weight, and then I start working my way back up.

For the supplemental lifts and circuit work, my goal is to be able to do three sets of 10-12 reps. Once I reach that goal, I’ll add weight to the lift and then do as many reps as possible until I get three sets of 10-12 reps again, and then I add weight again, and the cycle repeats.

Here’s what programming looks like specifically right now for me:

Monday (Lower Day)

Deadlift

1 set × 3 reps @ 500 lbs
Backoff set: 1×5 @ 455 lbs

Box Squat

4×3 @ 365 lbs

Lower Circuit

On all circuits, I do the 3 exercises back-to-back, then take a 2.5-minute break, then perform the next circuit, repeating the circuit 3X

Leg Press: 3×12 @ 285 lbs
Leg Curl: 3 x AMRAP (as many reps as possible) @ 140 lbs
Kettlebell swings: 3×20 @ 70 lbs

Tuesday (Upper Day)

Shoulder Press

1×3 @ 195 lbs
Backoff sets: 2 x AMRAP @ 180 lbs

Machine Incline Bench Press

I use iso arms on my squat rack for this

3 x AMRAP @ 170 lbs

Pendlay Row

3 x AMRAP @ 260 lbs

Upper Circuit

Cable Fly: 3×12 @ 250 lbs
Overhead Cable Tricep Extension: 3 x AMRAP @ 150 lbs
Dumbbell Curls: 3×12 @ 100 lbs

Wednesday

Zone 2 Cardio

One hour walking on an incline treadmill

Thursday (Lower Day)

Hatfield Squat

1×6 @ 350 lbs
Backoff sets: 2 x AMRAP @ 325 lbs

Good Morning

3×5 @ 95 lbs

Lower Circuit

Leg Press: 3×12 @ 290 lbs
Seated Leg Extension: 3 x AMRAP @ 160 lbs
Hanging Knee Raise: 3×12 @ bodyweight (195 lbs)

Friday (Upper Day)

Bench Press

1×3 @ 270 lbs
2 x AMRAP @ 235 lbs

Dumbbell Press

3 x AMRAP @ 145 lbs

Upper Circuit

Lat Pulldown: 3×12 @ 285 lbs
Lateral Raise: 3×12 @ 35 lbs
Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3 x AMRAP @ 70 lbs

Saturday

Cardio

30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio

HIIT Workout

4×4: 4 minutes hard, 3 minutes rest (repeated four times)

I sometimes substitute a one-hour ruck for this Zone 2 + HIIT routine. Just depends on what I’m feeling.

Daily Morning Routine

1-mile morning walk every day to take care of heart health

Lessons From Midlife Training

A few takeaways I’ve learned as I’ve adjusted my training for midlife:

Strength still matters. I like keeping a heavy barbell movement at the center of each session.
Adjust the main lifts as needed. Barbells can be hard on a middle-aged body. Feel free to adjust your technique for the barbell lifts as needed. For example, I no longer do traditional barbell squats and instead use a Hatfield squat due to issues with my shoulders and knee. If you can’t do a conventional barbell deadlift, swap it with a trap bar deadlift. Can’t barbell bench? Do dumbbell bench presses instead.
Efficiency is king. I don’t need marathon sessions. Short and focused beats long and meandering.
Make time for cardio. Adding consistent cardio has been a game-changer for my overall health and energy levels. It’s helped lower my resting heart rate, and it’s given me more work capacity. I don’t gas out anymore. Walk a lot for that cardio base and include one session of HIIT a week.
Don’t be afraid to take time off. I’m still really religious about my training, but I’ve learned not to be afraid to take time off. If I’m feeling beat up or tired due to increased stress, I’ll swap out my usual training session for a walk or a ruck. If I’m on vacation, I don’t train; I just enjoy myself.

This isn’t the strongest I’ve ever been. But that’s alright with me. My thirties were about building a base of strength. My forties are about maintaining it while making sure I can still hike with my family, play pickup ultimate frisbee without wheezing, and avoid slipping into soft suburban dad syndrome. I train to stay healthy and because I enjoy it an awful damn much.