If your training is not lifting you up and making you feel stronger and younger with more energy then something may be off with your training.

If you are typically more beat up and notice it is harder to lift weights as you did before then it is time for you to change your approach to training.

There are very few bad exercises but there are plenty that will not make sense for you based on a number of factors.

Just because you “used to train this way” or “it worked before” does not mean these are going to continue to be reliable methods of training. Once you get into your late 30’s and beyond, you will have to train differently.

Now, it doesn’t mean you can no longer train hard and look like you train hard. It does mean that your approach will have to change to allow your body to keep up with what your mind still thinks it can do.

The vast majority of the people that come to see me at EBM Fitness Solutions come in because of pain. They want to train but pain always seems to limit them in some way. 

The idea is to blend what you want with what your body needs and will tolerate.

If your shoulders do not tolerate heavy barbell bench press and you keep forcing it into your programs, you are going to fall into a cycle of pain. The pain will get better when you stop doing the movement but will come back every time you try to force feed it into your plan.

You could switch to dumbbells or use bands when benching with the bar to take advantage of the accommodating resistance. 

Deadlifting with the barbell is a great exercise. But, if it is causing your low back to crab at you after doing it, maybe it is time to switch to the trap bar. 

The idea is that you can still bench and deadlift but HOW you do them may have to be altered a bit.

Do not be that person that continually bangs their head against the wall and wonders why their head hurts. 

Your program should get you stronger and make you feel better. 

Performing daily activities should be easier. 

Sports and other hobbies should be less taxing to your body.

If your program is not doing these things or is increasing your pain and making it harder to train then it is time to change your mindset about HOW you are training. 

There is no shortage of exercise programs available.

How do you know which one is a good one to choose?

If you do not have a proper assessment, you can only guess. This is not necessarily a horrible thing but it makes finding the right program a little trickier. 

A thorough assessment will tell you what your body needs and what it will tolerate. Most people choose programs or individual exercises based on what they like and what they want to see physically change. 

I would caution that what you want (your goals) and what your body needs are often two very different things. If you fail to address the needs and only focus on the want, your program is likely to leave you run down, in pain and nowhere close to your goals. 

These cookie-cutter programs are not geared towards dealing with injuries are not made for people over 40 (like myself). There is too much of the same type of movement which leads to soul-crushing volume, stagnation, and injuries.

Your program should include:

• A thorough assessment

• Volume that is specific to you and your goals.

• Intelligently chosen exercises that align with your goals

• Contact with your coach to make changes on the fly

• Accountability to ensure you are staying on track

• The ability to record exercise videos for review

• Results that leave you feeling better than when you started

You are probably weaker than you think.

This type of weakness is less obvious than, say, weakness after surgery. It sneaks up on you over time. The main reason? You probably do not focus on exercises you struggle with or are not good at. 

I cannot say that I blame you. Why spend time struggling with an exercise you are not good at when you can go dominate some other exercise that comes easily to you?

Following this approach for too long creates a disparity between those “strong” movements and the “weak” ones. I am sure you have heard the phrase, “only as strong as the weakest link”. 

When you move, your body will follow the path of least resistance. In most cases, that path of least resistance means the forces you are creating to move are stressing the wrong parts of the body.

This idea is sometimes referred to as energy leaks. These leaks will rob you of strength and will increase the likelihood of injury.

This can even apply to you if you are fit and have been exercising for a long time. There is too much of what you like and not enough of what you need.

You probably do not focus on HOW you are performing an exercise as much as you should. If you are dealing with pain, I can almost guarantee this is the case.

You must know how to create total body tension when exercising. This means keeping the legs and core engaged when performing upper body movements.

It also means keeping the upper body and core engaged when performing lower body movements. 

Remember, a rising tide lifts all ships. If you focus on making those weaknesses strengths, it will make your strong lifts even stronger. 

If you are ready to train smarter AND harder, grab your FREE guide below.

7 reasons you are training with pain - and how to fix them.

Until next time,

Dr. Tom