Yesterday I saw a story about a 90 year old bloke who’d had surgery.
Ninety!
Operation.
Recovery.
Most people at that age would slow everything down and accept the slide.
He didn’t.
He joined a gym again to get stronger and fitter after surgery.
Not to look good.
Not to prove a point.
He wanted to walk better.
Move better.
Stay independent.
So he trained.
At 90.
After surgery.
Let that land.
Now here’s what I hear most weeks.
“I think I’m too old to start the gym.”
Usually from someone who’s 37.
Or 53.
Or 61.
You’re not too old.
You’re out of the habit.
Out of shape.
Out of confidence.
That’s it.
I’ve sat in hundreds of consultations where someone tells me they just want to “tone up a bit” and “not feel ancient”.
Fast forward 12 weeks.
They’re down 6 kg.
Waist down 3 inches.
Pressing 5 kg more per dumbbell than when they started.
Walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day without thinking about it.
And the best bit?
They stop using age as an excuse.
But there is something you must be aware of.
From 30 onwards, you lose muscle every year if you don’t train.
Roughly 3 to 8% per decade.
That loss speeds up after 60.
That’s not dramatic.
That’s just biology.
But here’s the other side of biology.
If you lift weights 3 times a week and eat enough protein, you can slow that down massively.
In many cases, you can reverse it.
You don’t need 6 sessions a week.
You need 3.
45 minutes.
Focus on basics.
Squat or lunge.
Row.
Chest press or push ups.
Hip hinge like a Romanian deadlift.
Overhead press.
3 to 5 sets.
8 to 12 reps.
Add a bit of weight when you can.
Track it.
That’s how you get stronger at 30.
At 50.
At 70.
And yes, even at 90.
After surgery, that bloke didn’t smash PBs.
He rebuilt.
That’s the lesson.
Start lighter than your ego wants.
Warm up properly.
Leave 1 to 2 reps in the tank.
Train again in 48 hours.
Repeat for 12 weeks.
On the food side, stop overcomplicating it.
Protein at each meal.
Aim for roughly 0.8-1lb of protein per bodyweight per day.
If you weigh 176lb (80kg), that’s 140 to 170 g of protein.
Spread it across 3 meals.
Eggs and Greek yoghurt at breakfast.
Chicken or tuna at lunch.
Beef, fish or tofu at dinner.
Drink 2 to 3 litres of water.
Walk daily.
8,000 steps is a solid baseline.
10,000 if fat loss is the goal.
Sleep 7 to 8 hours where possible.
This is not sexy.
It works.
Now let’s deal with the excuses properly.
“My knees are shot.”
Often your knees hurt because your quads and glutes are weak.
Controlled strength work improves that in a lot of cases.
Not all.
But many.
“I don’t have time.”
3 sessions x 45 minutes = 135 minutes a week.
That’s 2 hours & 15 mins.
Most people spend more than that scrolling on their phones one evening.
“I’ve tried before.”
You probably tried going hard for 4 weeks, then stopped.
This is not 4 weeks.
This is 12.
Then another 12.
The reason the 90 year old story matters is not because he’s special.
It’s because he didn’t write himself off.
He had surgery at 90 and still thought, “Right. Let’s build back up.”
That’s the mindset.
Not “I’m getting old.”
Try this instead.
“I’m getting stronger for my age.”
Better yet.
“I’m getting stronger. Full stop.”
You don’t train to look 18 again.
You train so you can get off the floor without thinking about it.
You train so you can carry your shopping in one trip.
You train so in 10 years you’re not fragile.
You are either training or you are slowly detraining.
There isn’t a middle ground.
If you’re 35 reading this, build muscle now.
Future you will thank you.
If you’re 50, you’re not late.
You’re just behind where you could be.
If you’re 65 plus, you might be shocked how fast things improve once you give your body a reason to adapt.
The truth is simple.
Age is a factor.
It’s not a final verdict.
Train 3 times a week.
Hit your protein.
Walk daily.
Sleep properly.
Do that for 12 weeks.
Then tell me you’re too old.
-Ryan
P.S
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