Guys over 40 need to stop adding weight to the bar

[@elliotthulse1]

Join Elliott's free Alpha School - alphaschool.ai/

[@DAK.512]

Alpha school... 😂😂😂 Gimme a break.

[@ChrisS-nj3ye]

@@DAK.512 The cringe level is high on this one

[@mdabril891]

53 here, been strength training since 13 years old. This works. You're just stabilizing the current working weight until it feels light. You still get stronger and bigger, you just allow perfect technique, healthy tendons/ligaments and recovery dictate when to increase resistance, less injuries and you'll feel amazing. The ego doesn't say when, YOU say when.

[@Dad_of_War]

53 here as well! Been doing about the same weight for the past 5 years but hey I'm good with that! Better than going backwards!

[@YzFool78]

Agreed. I’m going to be 47 and just got back into the gym about 8 months ago. I don’t progress until 5 sets of 10 (dumbbell curls as an example) start to get light & easier. Then I will progress up in weight.

[@WhatIfUrMistaken]

53 as well. Training since high school. The hardest thing is do not add weight as we're conditioned for progressive overload.

[@kloogyB33]

This comment is gold nugget

[@abeybaby29]

Words of wisdom right there. Training smart makes working out enjoyable and safe for long term injury free for years,

[@to-ih1cr]

Elliot, this is good. This is what’s needed. A channel dedicated to older lifters. Bravo at rebranding

[@elliotthulse1]

Yes sir

[@DimitriTheBarbarian]

I only lift and play sports with young men. Not planning to join old people network no matter how old I get✌️

[@DonMack279]

@@DimitriTheBarbarian don't complain when them joints start snappin

[@davidanderson7093]

Great comment. If you think about it, Elliotts main demographic is us 40(ish) year old guys…we all watched him when we were in our prime a decade or more ago…then a lot of us disappeared to start a family or career (or both) and now we’re back - and so is Elliott, it would seem. Great to see him again - love the content 😄

[@eddieogun]

​@@DimitriTheBarbarianyou're not that bright, are you?

[@brentcecchini5843]

About to turn 59. The key is to not stop. Work around the dings, eat and rest to recover. Put more work into maintaining mobility. Pop the clutch and lift heavy on the days younfeel good.

[@anthonyhulse1248]

I’m 65 in March, recent cancer survivor. Weight lifting saved my life. 2 years ago I could barely bench 65lbs now I’m benching 230. My goal is 315. I’m focusing on the 4 big powerlifting lifts. I’m the strongest I’ve been for 20 years.

[@Ttlwar]

fuken amazing proud of you bro

[@matthewstrauts5427]

Love it and wtat it's all about! Congratulations!

[@swiftaudi]

What are the four big ones?

[@Ttlwar]

@swiftaudi most likely SBD ( squat , benchpress, deadlift) and overhead press

[@swiftaudi]

@ right now I’m so busy with kids, work and wife I’ve decided 2 days a week is good and I’ve been just doing squats, incline bench, deadlifts and pull ups. What’s crazy Is i only squat 70lbs and ill watch others kill higher numbers like it’s no big deal. I can max out at 115lbs. Ive skateboarded for 15 years i have an active job. My legs don’t look this weak, why are my squats so weak.

[@dominickloka9758]

You had a part in the building of a 554-lb deadlift and a 239-lb strict clean & press in my mid-forties after starting lifting at 40. Thanks! Back in 2013-2014, I listened mostly to you and Leroy Colbert. I'm still lifting full-body every other day, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, most of the time middle-of-the road.

[@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527]

At 44 years I beat all running times, pulled my hamstrings, broke muscles first times in my life and Win 2nd place in a running trail race :)) First guy was 23 years old and national ex champ at 800m . I never was faster and stronger than I am now.

[@admiralbonetopick600]

hell yeah dude. Hope you recover soon.

[@Themix274]

Yeah ok but at what cost? You destroyed your body good job

[@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527]

@@Themix274 Destroyed ??:)) In 3 weeks I was like new

[@ho2673]

Bet if you was disciplined as you are now but at 23 the numbers = way better

[@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527]

@@ho2673 At 23 I was a student engineer, I did not have much time for sports.

[@adrianhardwick6271]

I'm 44 and I just hit 315 for 5 reps for the first time ever. Not going to win any competitions or anything but I'm excited about it. Then 225 felt like 135.

[@blackpalacemusic]

I'm 40 and I just decided to train for 315 again. Reached up to 280 a few years ago and fell off.

[@brob8204]

That's amazing. Good job.

[@donnyyasu2764]

Not winning competitions, but stronger than 95% of people with a gym membership and a monster in the general public.

[@dexterramey8787]

​@@donnyyasu2764I would say 99%.

[@Ttlwar]

who cares about competition, the real competition is the one with yourself

[@navymustang-b7d]

This hit hard brother. 44 Male here. Active Duty Military and this definitely resignated with me. Thank you. It’s tough accepting our age when we know what we once did.

[@tompriceusmc]

Many years in the Marine Corps here and you ain't lying. I'm over 50 and my ego still wants to run three miles in 18 minutes. 😅

[@MrLuckytrucker21]

So true, 51 here, no ego lifting, rest days in between workouts, and going on a carnivore diet! I'm in the best shape ever!

[@patriknorsten5813]

56 here, male, Have been training since 48. 8 years. There is allways this voice in my head to increase the weight, try heavier. I can not believe I´m allmost 60 but I feel I have to settle down a bit. Maybe your advise here is something to try out. Just stay put before any massive injury occure. I broke a muscle in my thigh when lifting, it just snapped, a piece inside the thigh. Damn I got scared but a few days later I was back again. Not squats and heavy lifting for 3 weeks. The mindset is like when 25 regarding training. Great advice I listen.

[@giovanniamador9283]

Independent variables for progressive overload: 1) weight 2) sets 3) reps 4) tempo Embrace tempo - slow it all down

[@awakenspirit3277]

It's not about being too old. It's about how you feel. People should not be placed in categories because of age, which is too heavy for some is light for others

[@lambchop-bs3fy]

There's a reason you don't see top pro athletes competing at 45+ among the prime guys in their 20/30s Nature automatically puts you in a category 😄

[@anon5863]

@lambchop-bs3fy they are cracking the mystery of aging you never know what the next decade has for us physical illness age onset illness are being reversed in labs who knows people in their 50s may be younger one day haha but seriously we are in different times now no other humans have been at this point

[@d-c4918]

The reason it’s totally different and it has a little to do with the age factor. You don’t have a clue what talking about.

[@anon5863]

@@d-c4918 reason ??

[@awakenspirit3277]

@lambchop-bs3fy like I said, it depends on the individual person. Individual people that still lift heavy weights that are in their 40s and 50s, they think outside the box. I am not talking about a group of people. I am talking about individual people.

[@vqdriver]

Been following you for over a decade!! Thank you for what you do and keep at it!!

[@ReneArreolaArt]

Nice. I needed to hear this. I turned 50 this year, and I am getting stronger in the gym after not working out for a few years. Now at 50 years, that is a wake up call, and it's what got me back in the gym. But yeh, I'm def not in my 20's-30's anymore :)

[@stjackso17]

This is perfect. My mindset was outdated based on where I used to be when I was younger and at my best. Now I can move with confidence and find my new best! Appreciate it once again Elliot.

[@TraumaER]

Been lifting lighter year after year and still adding muscle in my 40s. Learned to bodybuild instead of weightbuild. 💯

[@thethirstyscholar1]

How are you increasing muscle mass and getting weaker

[@TraumaER]

@@thethirstyscholar1 not really getting weaker, but let's say I was benching 225lbs for 10 reps in my 20s. I might be able to do 225lbs for 2 reps at most in my 40s today. However, part of that is because I no longer bench to see how much I can bench. I can stick with 135lbs or 185lbs and focus on contraction. I rarely use free weight BB to bench and focus on hammer press machines so I can focus on contraction more and the pump. So that is why I have more muscle mass today, look better, but most likely can't lift as much as I used to.

[@paulduffy2524]

I've been powerlifting for 35 years, pushing 50 years old...i gotta keep pushing, used to hit 315 for 15, down to 315 for 5, but still gotta stay after it.

[@Mike-hn4uu]

youre never going to get back to where you were if you follow this lames advice

[@paulduffy2524]

@@Mike-hn4uu yep, i don't think I will ever get there again, but gotta train like I'm going to

[@TiredOfImbecileLibtards]

@@paulduffy2524 Hop on the roids you'll get back to 15 reps.

[@beingmyself000]

You only say used to when you can no longer.

[@warren14567]

i have been training since the age of 14 now 55 still lifting heavy

[@alialdur4901]

That was helpful, thanks man. 46 here, been lifting weights and doing various sports on and off since I was 18. The goal at this point of life is to be injury free.

[@jjsifo1]

Thank you ! I am 71 and needed to hear this.

[@M98GOD1ST]

Nothing but facts, much respect Elliott!! I've appreciated your grind since way back! 🙏🏿

[@RaymondSua-sh1xm]

Thanks Elliott. Really need these guys over 40 information thanks to you.

[@mrvapor4791]

I'm 51. This is the message I needed to hear this morning. Thanks.

[@coachpark8634]

Loving this good ole intro from back in da day! Keep up the good work my man! And our hips don't lie as well ; )

[@erniegamboa5609]

Hello Elliott, Today is Dec. 18th, 2024 and I just turned 57 on Dec 8th.. I'm 5'10" and currently weigh 190 lbs. with a 30" waist. I played football as a kid and stayed active most of my early adult life (surfing, snow and jet skiing, and cycling).. I got more serious about lifting at around 32 yrs old and worked my way into bodybuilding and trained hard that way up until about 40 yrs old. I was able to put on good size and got up to 225 lbs. pretty strong and lean and maintained that for about 6 yrs. and at about 42 yrs old I began to notice my increasing limitations. The good thing was that I knew it was coming and began to get my mind right about that fact around 40 yrs old. It took me a few more years when I was about 45 to finally really change the way I train. Not only in way I was training but also with the amount of weight I will lifting in a given exercise or training session. I no longer push the weight I used to, i.e. I used to bench 315 on incline 405 on flat bench for reps but now I only get up to 225 on incline and no longer do complete flat barbell bench presses. The problem I have is lowering my intensity level to match my scaled down training method. What I mean by that is I seem to have a problem with resting too long between sets (doing super and at times monster sets) as well as keeping my training sessions in the 60-90 min. range. What you have brought to the table for me with this video, I believe is the missing piece to my puzzle brother! This is exactly what I needed to hear! To a degree I have done part of what you're advising in the sense that I'm not pushing mad weight but the nugget you gave me here was, "The Principal of Stabilizing"! It was an epiphany of a sort for me. Now I have always known that controlling the weight and it's movement through the "plain" or path of an exercise was crucial but when you said "make it your bitch!", that gave me a mental breakthrough for sure! That is exactly what I need to do and I believe it will also help with with my problem of staying in the gym too long! Like you said bro, "in seasons"! Thank you for your wisdom and keep up the good work you are doing in this space brother!

[@ryandeffley7652]

I'm turning 44 in a few weeks, and the heaviest I go is a 5RM. Spend a lot more time in the 8-10 range now. Also, for progressive overload, I tend to focus more on increased time under tension or adding reps.

[@jimfox5299]

Im 61 and have lifted and been physically fit my whole life with a few setbacks from living life. Jobs family and such. I have always lifted natural extra protein and creatin. But my best strength and size gains now at 61 are 8-10 reps and always going to complete total failure. With a few striping sets on top of failure if I feel I didn't completely reach failure in my set somehow. Failure is the key to bodybuilding at any age. Don't let anyone tell you you can't lift that hard. I'm living proof, I am still a natural beast at my age and able to do anything I want in life. Don't go to under 6 reps and the weight is safe to try to kill yourself with. Stress will always make your body have to adapt. Stress your muscles, don't shock your muscles, if your muscles twitch your shocking them. And don't destroy your body by trying to lift too much weight. You only get one back in this life don't hurt it. Keep up the good work, brother!!!

[@coleheketoa]

Awesome advice. At 55 I totally agree with you. The myriad of variables are so much more fun. Thanks Bro

[@DeyanKanov]

Elliot answering questions on KZbin...what year is this? I used to watch this channel religiously back in ~2010, learned a lot about body mechanics here. At some point the channel took a direction that felt like moving away from physical training and I stopped following it. I'm happy to see a return to the roots, this video really brought me back in time :) I'm getting closer to the 40 number and had to figure out the hard way that regular "easy" workouts produce much better overall health(both physical and mental) compared to going all out every time and being overtrained (yes, overtraining is real), sometimes even injured. For the average person the goal should be to stay fit and healthy, rather than pursue numbers.

[@Wickedjc2119]

Glad you made this video. That's exactly what I've been thinking and feeling.

[@brentduff7971]

So glad these videos are back I been working out for 7 years went from 135 to 185 and these type of videos gave me motivation and knowledge to keep going 💪

[@chrisadkison8969]

Glad u r back brother never give up

[@aghoover]

This is consistent with what Wendler has been saying. Slow progress and bar speed/ rep quality is most important.

[@Ttlwar]

guess that goes for all gym bros

[@Dan.50]

I'm 53 and a few weeks ago for the first time in my life sprained my knee doing almost nothing and it swelled up. Yeah, take it easy.

[@giovanniamador9283]

Embrace time under tension Slow and steady wins the race Use the target muscle to lift less weight as opposed to overcompensating with other muscles to lift heavier weight

[@TheDailyPumpLife]

Solid advice, Elliott-owning the weight instead of chasing constant overload is a game-changer for us lifters over 40. 💪

[@YzFool78]

Agreed. I’m going to be 47 and just got back into the gym about 8 months ago. I don’t progress until 5 sets of 10 (dumbbell curls as an example) start to get light & easier. Then I will progress up in weight. Started off with 20, then 25, 30, now 35 slowly hitting 40s. I will will throw in 40s on my last 2 sets to get use to the weight before I switch. Seems to be working out so far. Also, glad you brought this back!

[@garrydye2394]

53...been training for 41 years. Was 2x Armed Forces BB Champion. Took me a long time to learn there is a huge difference between "training" and "lifting." I would guess 99% of the men I see in the gym are lifting...picking heavy things up and putting them back down. I really started to grow in terms of muscle gain when I stopped paying attention to the weight on the bar. My intensity started to go up...my workouts got harder...and my muscles started to grow. A light when off for me when I squated the day before I went on vacation in Asia for two months. I did not train a single day while I was there. I drank...I partied and I lost 18 pounds. Came back to the US...refreshed and ready to get on it. I knew I would be very weak but got under the squat bar and off I went. To my shock...I kept going up...up...up and away in the weights. I ended up squating 30 pounds more than I had ever squated in my entire life. I realized that day that strength and muscle are not the same. As mentioned, I had lost 18 pounds.

[@dzat]

I'm 53, been lifting since i'm 21.....your advise is spot ON bro.

[@lamberingetonino1225]

40 here, working out since 12 y/o, I plateau on all My sets long time ago since I am Natty, but maintaing and perfecting technique has given me a few extra pounds on the bars in the last year and a half. At this age is about keeping healthy and not a race, a hernia is a btch to the body and the possibilities increase with age and heavier loads

[@Ttlwar]

break the plateau by just trying one rep of just a little heavier, I do it all the time. I once hit a Plateau and thus is how I have always broken it in the SBD and overhead

[@DrGChiro]

Been following you since my early 20’s and now I’m 38! Appreciate you brother! 🙏

[@OrangeBlossom4x4]

40 is still a baby. If your form is optimized, you're periodizing your training, and you're not progressing load too quickly, then you can still lift relatively heavy loads as appropriate. And that goes for any age.

[@stewpidaso26]

testosterone starts to drop in your early 30s and its common to have degeneration somewhere in your joints. 40 is far from being a baby. people you see that are older and acting like their 20 are on a TRT treatment, road or both. along with being on every supplement known to man. thats just the reality of it.

[@leftysr2stupid354]

​@@stewpidaso26you wanna bet??

[@lexxon11]

Preach Brother!!! Facts! I am 55, and I stay within a range 5 to 6 reps 2 days and 8 to 10 2 days 6 exercises boom bam gone!!!

[@samreimann4233]

Strength doesn't leave you that quickly. People saying you are on the decline after 30. I've been lifting for 20 years, I'm stronger now than in my 20s. It's just healthier on the joints to not keep adding weight and concentrating on good form.

[@Superboy8545]

It's funny because ''owning the weight'' has been exactly what I've been doing the last year, and I'm 29 years old. I know I won't be able to add weight on the bar for the rest of my life, so I do fairly light weights and just try to progressively overload before I add more weight. I've made substantial gains the last year doing this, and it goes against what all the 'fitness advice' said. As long as something works for you, that's all that matters. I'm happy I could get value from this video even though I'm not 40+ yet. It validated something I'm already doing. Thank you Elliot

[@rocktheclock240]

74 yrs here. I'm still going up on the bench press, but it's relentlessly slow progress. AND, in old age, there are days when I'm way down in what I can manage. I don't know that in old age you can reach a "stabile," reliable weight to build upon. It's more like an up and down zig-zag, generally (but not reliably every day) heading up. -- A high of 315 with pause one day, then a drop to a 277 max a week later, then back up to 310 two days ago). No drugs, TRT, etc. Just persistence. And enduring lots of disappointing days, waiting for the good ones to strike like unexplainable lightening.

[@dark_SDKR]

yo! Elliot... been watching your content from pretty much the beginning. i hit 54 in october... good words... good advice.

[@jln6701]

What about older guys just starting out or who haven’t been consistent over time? Can they still get that beginner growth - in moderation, of course?

[@madhusudan]

In my experience, yes. I did home workouts for a while, but am just nearing in March the end of my first year on heavy (for me) barbell in a gym. I am very pleased with my progress both in terms of adding muscle as judged by my mirror and weight on the bar. Being late-40s, I don't have social pressures to go out, drink alcohol, or any of that shit, so I can prioritize nutrition, sleep, and other healthy habits. I do double-progressive overload by adding reps before I add weight. Start with a weight you can handle for 8 reps, then over time increase to 12 before adding more weight and repeat. This keeps me from getting injured and still allows for wins every week on some lift or other.

[@bencarlson3656]

I remember watching back 08-09 glad you’re making content again.

[@Jolly_RodgerNL]

After all these years still solid advice E!

[@gijonny78]

I added weight in my 20s and was constantly injured. I'm 46 now and getting stronger, slowly. Recovery is so important, cold plunge, gut biome, sleep, mobility /flexibility, obviously proper form and programming. The 531 program works best for me.

[@marcusjones1432]

I just turned 45. I have to ask…what is the 531 program ??

[@gijonny78]

@ it's a strength program by Jim Wendler. A week of 3x5 followed by a week of 3x3 then 3x5,3,1. Several variations out there if you just type in 531.

[@marcusjones1432]

@ thanks !!

[@richardcollins2622]

This is a very good video. Spot on advice for guys who are a little bit older.

[@TheJewishtraveler]

Elliot always wanted to thank you for your videos. You really helped me a lot in life. Whenever I wanted to have a good week, I would say I would watch one yo Elliot. One yo Elliot video a day keeps the doctor away…. I suggest to you to put up KZbin shorts that’s the big thing today. Small KZbin shorts are where it’s at with everyone having ADHD etc.. Lots of luck keep posting thanks regards from Jerusalem.

[@SixtyEightnOyouOne]

Thank you for the great info. 47 here, definitely practical info for us gym bros ex athletes who are trying to stay healthy lol, wish you nothing but continued happiness brother

[@elliotthulse1]

Thank you

[@brob8204]

Excellent info. Lots of wisdom from Elliott.

[@MOFACE1000]

Bro!!!!! Thanks for this info. I needed to hear this I am 53. I always want to go heavy. I'm thinking heavy equals results. But I'm learning more reps with no so heavy weight will produced the same results. Thanks again

[@DopeKingCastro1199]

There is a guy at my gym who is 56 and he hit 4 plates on flat bench it was a pr for him

[@jesseclark4577]

The main thing when u get old is time off between workouts. If u give your body enough rest you can still lift heavy and not get injured with good form.

[@Yannis2022]

I'm 51 and added weights too fast. Added weight in leg press at a rediculous rate, yesterday something in my abdominal muscels popped, its hernia, in other words, game over!

[@PNW_DAVE]

48 here, I've been intuitively doing this for a while now. Cool to see it may be the proper way to go about things these days. Also man good to see you back out here doing thing. 💪

[@jeremyspencer5301]

Nah man, Dont think I will stop anytime soon. Im still getting stronger and Im 48. I've tried going to the gym with a cruise control mentality and its fucking boring, Id rather not go then go and go through the motions lifting the same old weight and never moving forward. I've never injured myself and would like to think I've learned how to do this safely while still hitting new personal bests.

[@MrBooYa-yd5er]

I could n agree more. Thank you for sharing this. Really awesome stuff.

[@ronburgandy3339]

Agreed.

[@tonyd5990]

Same here, 49 and still getting stronger, I don’t do 1 rep max but push it to the 3-5 rep max

[@zezeti2246]

At least in my experience,I just need more rest days between training sessions

[@kingjames9564]

Great vid Elliott! Nice to see you again!

[@LP18888]

Been watching your video since 2014 glad you are doing it big! Thanks for all the great information.

[@marcusholloway-c6q]

54 squat 515x2, bench 335x1, deadlift 495x1, barbell curl 155x4. had to cut back on chest because of shoulder injuries and all i do is listen to my body. If i feel it i'll do it and if i dont i wont its always another week. Love working out!

[@infallibl]

To be fair, you end up working this out without anyone telling you anyway.. At 46, I simply can't casually throw plates around anymore.. Whats funny is, changing the manner in how I train (lifting less), I'm the same size with similar muscularity anyway.. When the older lads used to tell me "you dont have to pb every day" it was true.. I look not too far from the way I did in my peak. You truly do master the tension and squeeze elements more to achieve that failure. Use all the tricks in the book you've learned over the years to substitute that young, and aggressive approach to training.. I've just read the comments and most guys are speaking from the strength and power side of things.. I'm in the hypertrophy category.. I will say that the only injury I've had in the gym after maybe 17 years is a torn pec a few months ago.. Classic taking your eye off the ball and forgetting you're 46.. Brought the 60kg dumbs too far away from my body whilst flying.. Wah wah wah waaaa... Hadn't done that weight in that exercise in 3 years.. Fool of the highest order. No rupture but a slightly disfigured pec aesthetically..

[@rudimerm7686]

Older guy here. Instead of adding weight, train for volume. Instead of 2 minute breaks, reduced break time to 1-minute and aim for the same reps. Reverse order of your exercises as well, which challenges you without putting yourself at risk.

[@kingofcelts]

Great advice, over 40's or myself especially 50 plus. You just have to accept that you can't keep breaking out more and more weight. The process of wreck and recovery on the muscles and obviously joints is totally different to a young person..

[@ecod7r]

Cheers Elliot, excellent tip as always.

[@y2shanon]

Sage advice, honestly though, I think I've been working out like this all my life!

[@soonergm]

I believe this same advice can be applied to high effort guys under 40 in a lot of cases as well. The "season" may not be as long, but can probably avoid a lot of injuries this way.

[@Nick-gg6tg]

Damn that intro. The memories, used to binge watch these in high-school 14yrs ago.

[@PR1MOfit]

YO ELLIOTT ‼️ That intro sparked my inner beast !!! Old school video feel! Love it bro!

[@NoobSaibotVII]

Kinda surprised this isn't how most people do it anyway. It doesn't really matter the age, adding too much weight too fast because of your ego will get you hurt. Lift a weight until it feels light, then add a little bit more to it.

[@wbgfsdert]

First hand knowledge on this too. Been training a very long time. When u hit 40 the 2 things that immediately become noticeable. 1 you obviously don't lean out as fast. 2 the worst of the 2 is injuries. A injury that took 2 weeks to heal in your 20s takes 6 months now in your 40s. Its hard to accept not being 25 anymore but I know all to well your body will quickly let your mind know your not. Avoid those injuries guys they are hard to get over when u leave your 30s

[@altaafkader9675]

Ay bro, herniated 2 lumbar discs. Road to recovery is long. Yearning to get back to heavy back squats and deadlifts but gonna take it really slow

[@lamarrlewis9658]

That's a fact. AND if I can add... The accumulation of injuries and wear&tear definitely becomes more prominent

[@CyborganizdInc.-gc5so]

Not only that, but sadly as you age, injury becomes inevitable, it's basically impossible to avoid.🤷‍♂ You also get sick more often, and when you do get sick, it takes longer to get better.

[@Ttlwar]

i don't have these issues guess i'm lucky but i do alot of physio, acupuncture and chiropractor. i have injured myself 100 times but have healed them

[@BuckandOden]

45 year old lifter. Nobody keeps getting stronger forever, but we all have weak spots we can improve. But if you've built a good base, just maintaining that as much as you can as you age is a win.

[@dagale67]

I'm 57 and I definitely needed to see this. My mind thinks I'm 25 and still in the Army. LOL

[@reuben9844]

Thank you!

[@shaolin0071]

I am 51 and training only 3 yrs. I push hard. I am doing 100lbs incline dumbells 8 reps 2 set 5 reps. Whem i started i couldnt dont do even 1 rep 3 yrs ago. Get stronger on all lifts.

[@William-s1y]

Perfect timing on this video,I am theorizing on this at 31 about to be 32 I’m thinking I’m just going to focus on aesthetics

[@marcorodriguez7694]

You’re too young to be thinking about that. I’m 37 and just now fully understanding the best way to incorporate progressive overload and have been making more progress than I did while I was in my 20’s. Be smart, but take advantage of the fact that you haven’t hit your 40’s yet.

[@ivo3598]

@@marcorodriguez7694Yea exactly im too 32 going heavy all my life

[@redbeardedberserker]

This is me as well. I’ll be 40 in 4 months and I noticed my heart rate and endurance isn’t what it used to be. I feel like I’m getting stronger than ever but feel gassed quicker than ever

[@Matto_Harvo]

Wait until you’re 50. It is a real tipping point

[@CyborganizdInc.-gc5so]

@@Matto_Harvo and 60, and 70, and so on...and it only accelerates. Such is life🤷‍♂

[@Matto_Harvo]

@@CyborganizdInc.-gc5so Yes. But some people crap on that age is only a number.

[@Ttlwar]

practice my cardio then. i ran and lift weights

[@stephenbrown2313]

I just turned 60, after the age of 40, check the ego and protect your joints. The body adapts to heavy weights, it doesn’t adapt to reps. Lee Haney say stimulate don’t annihilate , and he’s never been injured.

[@garagegymbros2198]

41 here and after a shoulder injury I told myself never to rep with more than a 120kg bench. Now that 120 feels light enough, I started to increase my intake. My record is 135kg x 5, I think every year let's see how far we can go... once a year I have a period of 3 months to go heavier, the rest is playing with 120kg. (but it actually gets heavier if you never go over it!)

[@dwintster]

Great video. I have been lifting a little longer than him and hitting 40 next year. I have started taking this approach over the past year, and it makes all the difference on my joints and tendons. The only thing is I can't seem to fully recover from patella tendonitis/knee injury I got in my 20's. It doesn't hurt as much, but it never completely goes away.

[@Cmchristich88]

Love the content here. I would like add with progressive overload, it goes beyond simply adding weight. The quality of execution of the lift is the most important variable as we have to earn the right to progress. Second factor is the number of reps of perfect execution achieved with the represented set. Weight should only be added if our execution is perfect and we’ve exceeded the controlled number of reps we have designated for that lift. Also, adding 1lb plates vs 2.5 and higher can mitigate those injuries.

[@MichaelMillerVlogs]

Benching 440. I'm 50. 💪🏻 I'm the strongest I've ever been.

[@mjlives5428]

i'm 51 and the stringest i've ever been 265 for 5

[@MichaelMillerVlogs]

@@mjlives5428 It's all good!

[@Brhoward31]

Wow

[@justinlee2642]

Lier 😂😂😂

[@radoslavdragnev8797]

440 bench ? At 50? Either you are on steroids, or have supreme genetics, or you are close to 440 yourself. I've seen lots of stuff been in the gym 15 years and not once I was someone with 440 bench gear free. and at age 50? cmon man. . . either you lie , you are not natural, or you are like a the 0.00000001% gifted genetic freak which is unlikely. if you are about 190 pounds which is average male and have a 440 bench that is competition level of strenght and I doubt a regular everyday normal guy has that

[@dilpickles5928]

I think it ultimately comes down to just listening to what your body is telling you. In the decades I've been lifting I've had very few injuries and when I have it's because I ignored that rule. Lifting heavy was not the problem. Closing in on 50, I know I'm vastly stronger and more capable and competent than my 18 year old self. Of course with age and experience comes wisdom or at least it should. I realize not every workout needs to be an endurance test or a PR record. Some workouts you just don't have it and pushing yourself at these times is reckless. But, that doesn't mean I'm going to baby myself because I've hit some arbitrary age... Come, now... What would the Vikings and Spartans think..

[@Yonisaj12]

If you are healthy, injury free and you feel energetic. Why not increase the weight gradually? I am 43 and have done this for the last year. It's great for me, especially if I take a little longer break my strength won't drop so drastically.

[@Copycatcarnivore]

57 years old here that all changed with me when I went 100% carnivore and started working out even more I switched to 90% kettlebell workouts and with the carnivore diet I don't have soreness my recovery time is very short all inflammation is gone!!!!......... diet is the key to that workout energy.........

[@brocklanders1984]

At 67 I am benching 395lbs . It’s never too late to make gains in strength

[@dariusandrews4490]

Dang this is right on time... Just last night I was on the bench thinking if I should go up

[@dtjrealmc]

I'll be 46 in a few weeks. I'll keep to Mike's advice and continue to lift heavy

[@Sonic_1000]

Mike who?

[@Paul-ob6ob]

Dr Mike isreatel from rp on KZbin or could be mike ohearn otherwise known as Mike otren both are on the juice.

[@Phantom_Shadow79]

So true I'm 45 now ✅ jus use moderate weight high reps 💪💪💪 been watching your vids from back in the day keep up the hussle 💪✅💯

[@jasonashley4579]

Im 44 and just did 300 navy seal burpees today, I'm not lifting any weights until this weekend and it'll be moderate for sure.

[@tomaszgaluba1459]

Depends on who and what you are 😉 My body is more prone to injuries when on high reps. 1-3-5 reps of submaxes (75-85%) works wonders for me. No injuries whatsoever and still progressing.

[@mjlives5428]

i'm 51 added 40 pounds on my bench in the last 15 months up to 265 for 5.Goal is 275 for 6 to 8 in the next 6 months.

[@tompriceusmc]

I'm 54 and nowadays I do mostly NO weights. Body weight squats, lunges, dips, push ups, pull ups.... The only time I use weights is for military press and dumbbell curls. Oddly enough my pec muscles grew considerably once I started doing only push ups for chest. The growth has plateaued now, but for about four months my chest was growing like I was 20 years old again! It was freaky.

[@big-daddy-o8576]

I'm 63 and jacked. I now concentrate on adding an extra rep here or there, constantly improving my form, adding more duration (time) under tension, and getting a little more stretch in my range of motion. The result is that every so often, I'm also able to increase the actual weight a little. Now, instead of gaining maybe 3 to 5 pounds of lean mass in a year like in my twenties, I might gain 1 pound. But that's still something!

[@poppycock6572]

I listened to this clip.... I'm 56 and hit 505 bench x2... assist on the 2nd. 50lb. Dbell curls and have nothing left to 'prove' 😂... gonna work at easing up for long-term maintenance here on out. Good info and I need it going forward. Just subscribed! 😊 TEST?... of course.

[@vmac38]

At 53, soon to be 54, I have to regularly remind myself, I'm 53, not 35. I can't do everything I used to do. Even when I was 35 and running regularly, I realized that I couldn't run 3 to 4 miles as fast as I used to. Went from running 3 miles in under 20 mins to talking about 9 to 10 mins a mile on average. Now, I just don't run, even though I want to. My body has too many issues that running like I used to would not be beneficial for me.. I've been looking at getting into sprints but, I definitely need to condition my muscles and body for it.

[@Theo-ul8qm]

Elliott is describing here what in the strength world in known as 'step loading'. Basically staying with the same weight for a while, before you move up. This works for everyone, not just guys in their '40s.

[@Trendle222]

great way of looking at it! Awesome

[@KrisKazmierski]

I'm 64 and use time under tension with lighter weights 20-40 sec with 20-30 sec rest between sets. Great pump and use a pre-workout (six star w.o. fury) to keep muscles fully pumped. Goal for me is to maintain muscle I've built up over 40 years in the gym.

[@jeffwilliams7054]

Ty Elliot !!!!!!!!!

[@robcubed9557]

Glad I watched the whole video, the title is a bit misleading. One thing that people forget is that tendons and ligaments and bones require a longer time than muscles to adapt to stress. In the beginning, the tendons and ligaments are stronger than the muscles, therefore the gains are more rapid. But the muscles catch up in a few months or a year. Trying to add weight continuously at that point can damage the joints. I believe that's what Elliot is trying to say: it's okay to add weight to the bar, but make sure that you're fully recovered before adding weight. For people 40+ years old, the connective tissues need more time to "catch up" to the muscles before adding weight as compared to a 20-30 year old. I've added pauses, volume, and also shortened rest intervals as a means to stress the muscles while allowing my tendons and ligaments to recover.