Hi friends,
When most people think about consistent gym-goers who lift weights, they picture powerlifters and bodybuilders. But there are countless other reasons to train.
I used to train because I wanted to get stronger and build muscle—and I still do. But that's no longer my main focus.
I train because when I'm 70 years old, I want to hike, play with my grandkids, throw a baseball, swing a golf club, travel the world, and most importantly, get off the toilet under my own volition.
Being able to do these things doesn't happen by accident. After 30, nearly everything declines: endurance, strength, muscle mass, bone density, and balance.
This may sound grim, but the good news is that you have significant control over the rate of decline.
An 80-year-old who consistently lifts weights can have the same strength as a 30-year-old who doesn’t.
January 11, 2026: Why I don't train like I used to
You may get away with not training in your 20s and 30s, but eventually it catches up with you.
Struggling to climb stairs or rise from a chair doesn't happen overnight—it's the result of decades of slow, continuous decline that finally crosses a threshold you can no longer ignore.
If your goal is maximum muscle mass or lifting the heaviest weight possible, your training will look quite different from someone training for longevity and function.
When you train for life, you won't excel at any single quality. You won't be the strongest, most flexible, or have the best endurance.
But you'll be pretty damn good across all of them—and that's what matters.
To preserve muscle, strength, bone density, endurance, and balance, your training should include:
Strength training (2-3 times per week minimum)
Cardiovascular work (both steady-state and high-intensity intervals)
Stability training (single-leg and single-arm exercises that focus on control and coordination)
Beyond the gym, prioritize these fundamentals: aim for 0.7-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily, sleep 7-9 hours most nights, and actively manage your stress.
Training just to train can help build the gym habit. But once that habit is solidified, you need a deeper purpose—and that purpose is the life you want to live decades from now.
✍️ Quote I’m reflecting upon
“What would it look like if this were fun?”