The Case for Smarter Training Volume
When I hit my 40s, something shifted.
Maybe you’ve felt it too—that mix of urgency and reflection. I found myself looking back at years of inconsistency, injuries, stress, and frankly…neglect. I wanted to feel strong again. Capable. Like I wasn’t letting time slip through my fingers. So I did what a lot of guys do: I hit the gym hard. Five, six days a week. Heavy lifting. Supersets. Minimal rest. I told myself I was making up for lost time.
But here’s what I learned the hard way: more isn’t always better.
The Reality Check
At first, I thought the fatigue was just part of “getting back into it.” But weeks turned into months, and I wasn’t recovering like I used to. My joints ached. Sleep was off. I was constantly sore, irritable, and honestly—frustrated. Progress stalled, and I felt like I was stuck in this weird loop: work harder → get tired → work harder → get injured.
So I started digging into what was actually going on—and it made a lot of sense.
Why High-Volume Training Backfires in Your 40s and 50s (and beyond)
Here’s what I’ve come to understand—not as a trainer or expert, but as someone who’s lived it.
- Recovery really does take longer. Testosterone, growth hormone, even collagen production—they all slow down. I used to bounce back in a day or two. Now? It takes me longer to feel fully ready again. Ignoring that just leads to burnout.
- Injuries creep in more easily. It wasn’t always big injuries—sometimes just a nagging shoulder or cranky knee that wouldn’t let up. My body was basically saying, “Hey man… slow down.”
- Fatigue becomes cumulative. Not just muscle fatigue, but that deep, whole-body tiredness that doesn’t go away with one good night of sleep. It messes with everything—mood, energy, libido, even memory.
What Actually Worked For Me
I dropped down to three strength sessions per week max .Eventually, I stopped trying to power through and started listening to my body. That’s it. No heroic efforts. Just three intentional workouts.
And guess what? I felt better. I got stronger. I stopped dreading the gym. Here’s why I think it worked:
- I focused on stimulation, not annihilation.
I used to think if I wasn’t crawling out of the gym, it didn’t count. Now I realize: you just need to challenge the muscle—not destroy it. Good form, smart intensity, and I’m done in under an hour. So instead of feeling exhausted, now I dance in the locker rooms when changing to go out.
- Two or three days gives me balance.
I split it up — upper body, lower body, full body or push/pull/legs, depending on the week. It leaves space for recovery, mobility, and yes—life. It feels sustainable. And I never do legs only on a single day. Never.
- Consistency started winning over intensity.
I’m not trying to win a gold medal. I just wanted to feel strong and healthy in my 40s, then 50s, and beyond. And training three times a week—every week—beats going all-out for six weeks and then crashing. And deloads too. Sometimes regular and planned, just as workouts are planned.
- My joints stopped hating me.
No more repetitive strain or overuse from doing the same lifts over and over. I could plan smarter, recover better, and stay pain-free.
The Bigger Picture
For me, it stopped being about chasing some ideal or fixing what I thought I’d “lost.” It became about building something new—something that actually supports the life I want. Strong, sure—but also energetic, mobile, and sane.
If you’re pushing yourself five or six days a week and still feeling stuck or worn down, maybe it’s not that you’re not working hard enough. Maybe you’re just working too hard without recovery to match.
It took me a while to get this, but I’ll say it plainly:
Training less — smarter, not harder — changed everything.
Now I train three days a week, give my body time to adapt, and actually enjoy the process. And the results? They’re better than when I was grinding myself into the floor.
So if you’re at a stage of your life feeling the pressure to “catch up,” maybe pause and ask yourself: What would it look like to train in a way that builds you up, instead of breaking you down?
Final thoughts:
- You don’t have to do more.
- You just have to do what matters—consistently.
- That’s where the magic really is.
