Propel Fitness Journal, Issue 017
“I used to be able to do that. Must be my age.”
I hear this every week.
I’m going to tell you the truth no one wants to say out loud:
It’s not your age — it’s your training age.
If you haven’t been progressively loading your body over time, of course things feel harder now.
Of course you’re stiffer.
Of course your knees hurt and your back talks back.
But it’s not degeneration — it’s deconditioning.
Strength isn’t something you just “had” and then “lost” because you hit 30 or 40.
It’s something you stop reinforcing, and so the body stops prioritizing it.
The good news?
You’re not broken.
You’re not “past your prime.”
You just need to train smarter and rebuild the capacity you lost.
With the right plan, your 40s can be stronger than your 20s.
Hell — I’ve worked with clients deadlifting, hiking, and lifting grandkids pain-free well into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s.
Because strength doesn’t discriminate by age.
But it does respond to effort.
– Dan
Injured and want to get back to lifting heavy? Grab The Injured Lifter’s Playbook (free), and you’ll get the Propel Fitness Journal in your inbox every Monday.
Want help with your own comeback? Work with me.