Ep 711: The 7 Physical Skills You Should Never Lose After 40
7 Physical Skills You Should Never Lose After 40
Getting older is inevitable.
Becoming weak, stiff, slow, and out of shape doesn't have to be.
As we move through our 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond, it's easy to focus exclusively on how we look.
How much do we weigh?
How much body fat do we have?
How big are our arms?
How does our physique look in the mirror?
Those things can certainly be part of fitness.
But there's another question that may be even more important:
What can your body actually do?
Can you move well?
Can you lift something heavy?
Can you get off the floor?
Can you move laterally?
Can you control your own body?
Can you generate power?
Can you maintain your conditioning?
Can you still do the things you enjoy?
That's the focus of this episode of the Jeremy Scott Fitness Podcast.
There are seven physical skills that every man and woman over 35 should work to maintain as they age: strength, mobility, power, conditioning, lateral movement, bodyweight control, and the ability to move well.
Fitness After 40 Should Be About More Than Looking Good
There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good.
Building muscle, maintaining a healthy body composition, and staying lean are worthwhile goals.
But fitness after 40 should also be about capability.
You want a body that can do things.
You want to be able to travel, hike, play sports, lift weights, play with your kids or grandkids, carry luggage, climb stairs, get off the floor, and handle the physical demands of everyday life.
That's what athleticism really means.
It's not necessarily about competing in a sport.
It's about maintaining the physical qualities that allow you to live an active life.
1. Strength
Strength is the foundation.
As you age, maintaining strength becomes increasingly important.
Strength allows you to lift, carry, push, pull, squat, and perform the basic physical tasks of life.
It also gives you the foundation necessary for many other physical abilities.
Your training doesn't have to revolve around lifting maximal weights.
Instead, focus on consistently challenging your muscles with good technique and progressive training.
Think about fundamental movement patterns:
Squatting
Hinges
Pushing
Pulling
Lunging
Carrying
You don't need to chase every new exercise.
You need to continue getting stronger at the movements that matter.
2. Mobility
Strength without mobility can limit your physical capabilities.
Mobility is your ability to actively control movement through a useful range of motion.
As we get older, many people become less active and spend more time sitting.
That can contribute to feeling stiff and restricted.
The answer isn't necessarily spending an hour stretching every day.
Instead, incorporate mobility into your training and daily life.
Work on your:
Hips
Shoulders
Ankles
Spine
T-spine rotation
Squat position
Overhead movement
The goal isn't to become a contortionist.
The goal is to move well enough to do the things you want to do.
3. Power
Strength and power aren't the same thing.
Strength is your ability to produce force.
Power is your ability to produce force quickly.
And that distinction matters as you age.
Think about jumping.
Throwing something.
Getting up quickly.
Accelerating.
Reacting.
Changing direction.
Those are all examples of expressing power.
You don't necessarily need to train like a professional athlete.
But completely eliminating explosive movements from your training as you get older can mean you're no longer practicing an important physical quality.
Training power intelligently and appropriately for your current ability can help you maintain athleticism.
4. Conditioning
Being strong isn't enough.
You also want the ability to keep going.
That's where conditioning comes in.
Good conditioning allows you to perform activities without becoming completely exhausted.
It can help you hike, play sports, climb stairs, carry things, travel, and participate in active experiences.
Conditioning doesn't have to mean spending hours running on a treadmill.
Walking, incline walking, rucking, cycling, rowing, intervals, circuits, and other forms of cardiovascular work can all be incorporated depending on your goals and fitness level.
The goal is to maintain the ability to work and recover.
5. Lateral Movement
Most traditional strength exercises happen primarily forward and backward.
But life doesn't always happen that way.
You move around obstacles.
You step sideways.
You change direction.
You catch yourself.
You shuffle.
You rotate.
You react.
Lateral movement is an important component of athleticism because it challenges your body in ways that straight-line movement doesn't.
This can include movements such as:
Lateral lunges
Side shuffles
Lateral carries
Skater movements
Change-of-direction drills
Athletic footwork
You don't need to turn your workout into an agility camp.
But you should continue exposing your body to different directions of movement.
6. Bodyweight Control
One of the most underrated measures of fitness is how well you can control your own body.
Can you perform a push-up?
Can you hang from a bar?
Can you get down to the ground?
Can you get back up?
Can you crawl?
Can you control a single-leg movement?
Bodyweight exercises provide a simple way to train strength, coordination, stability, and movement control without necessarily requiring heavy external loads.
They're also a great reminder that being strong isn't only about how much weight you can lift.
It's about what you can do with your own body.
7. The Ability to Move Well
The final skill ties everything together.
Move well.
That sounds simple, but it's incredibly important.
Good movement isn't about performing perfectly choreographed exercises.
It's about having the physical capacity and confidence to move through different positions, planes, speeds, and ranges of motion.
You should be able to:
Squat
Hinge
Push
Pull
Carry
Rotate
Crawl
Step
Balance
Change direction
The more capable you are across different types of movement, the more physically prepared you are for life.
Why Athleticism Matters More as You Age
When you're younger, you can often get away with neglecting certain physical qualities.
You may be able to sit all day and still feel relatively good.
You may be able to stop training for a few months and bounce back quickly.
You may not notice the consequences of losing mobility or conditioning.
That changes over time.
The older you get, the more valuable it becomes to intentionally maintain the physical qualities you want to keep.
That's why training after 40 shouldn't simply be about doing the same workouts you did at 25.
It should be about training intelligently for the body you have today.
Don't Just Train for the Mirror
Your physique is only one measure of fitness.
Ask yourself:
Can I carry something heavy?
Can I get off the floor?
Can I climb a flight of stairs without getting destroyed?
Can I hike?
Can I play with my kids?
Can I react quickly?
Can I move laterally?
Can I get up and down from the ground?
Can I still do the physical activities I enjoy?
Those questions reveal a different kind of fitness.
And that's the kind of fitness that can have a major impact on your quality of life.
The Goal Isn't to Train Like You're 20
There's an important distinction between training to stay athletic and trying to recreate your 20-year-old training program.
You don't have to prove anything.
You don't need to destroy yourself every workout.
You don't need to chase personal records constantly.
And you don't need to train through every ache and pain.
Instead, your training should become smarter.
Focus on:
Quality movement.
Progressive strength training.
Mobility.
Conditioning.
Power.
Recovery.
Consistency.
The goal is to still be training, and still enjoying your body years from now.
How to Stay Athletic After 40
If you want to maintain athleticism as you age, your training should expose you to multiple physical qualities.
A well-rounded week might include:
Strength Training
Build and maintain muscle and strength.
Mobility Work
Maintain useful ranges of motion.
Conditioning
Improve cardiovascular fitness and work capacity.
Power Training
Maintain the ability to produce force quickly.
Athletic Movement
Move in different directions and positions.
Bodyweight Training
Maintain control over your own body.
Recovery
Give your body the opportunity to adapt.
You don't necessarily need seven separate workouts.
The key is making sure these qualities don't disappear from your training entirely.
You Don't Have to Stop Being Athletic
One of the biggest mistakes people make after 40 is assuming that athleticism belongs to their past.
They say:
"I used to be athletic."
But what if the better mindset is:
"I'm still athletic. I just need to train for it."
Your body will change as you age.
That's normal.
But your training can help determine how much capability you maintain.
You can continue to build strength.
You can continue to work on mobility.
You can continue developing power.
You can maintain conditioning.
You can practice lateral movement.
You can control your body.
And you can continue learning how to move well.
Old Man Athletic: Training for the Next 10, 20 and 30 Years
This philosophy is also the foundation of Old Man Athletic, Jeremy Scott Fitness' 10-week training program designed to help adults 35+ stay strong, fit, mobile, explosive, conditioned, and athletic as they age.
Rather than focusing exclusively on aesthetics, the program is built around maintaining the physical qualities that make you capable.
The podcast specifically discusses how Old Man Athletic can help you stay strong, fit, mobile, and athletic for decades to come.
The goal isn't to turn back the clock.
The goal is to make sure you can continue doing the things you love for as long as possible.
Your Age Isn't Your Limitation
Getting older isn't an excuse to stop challenging yourself.
It's a reason to train smarter.
You don't need to train like a professional athlete.
You don't need to spend hours in the gym.
And you don't need to chase every new fitness trend.
You need to consistently train the physical qualities that matter.
Strength.
Mobility.
Power.
Conditioning.
Lateral movement.
Bodyweight control.
The ability to move well.
These are skills worth maintaining.
Because ultimately, fitness isn't just about how you look.
It's about what you're capable of doing.
Listen to The 7 Physical Skills You Should Never Lose After 40
In this 43-minute episode of the Jeremy Scott Fitness Podcast, Jeremy breaks down the seven physical skills he believes every man and woman over 35 should work to maintain, along with how to continue building athleticism as you age.
Listen to the Full Episode
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If you've reached the point where you don't want to simply "work out" anymore, you want to become stronger, more mobile, better conditioned, and more capable Old Man Athletic was built for you.
10 weeks. One goal: become more athletic and stay that way.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important physical skills to maintain after 40?
The seven skills covered in this episode are strength, mobility, power, conditioning, lateral movement, bodyweight control, and the ability to move well.
Can you still be athletic after 40?
Absolutely. Getting older doesn't mean you have to stop training for athleticism. A well-rounded program can continue developing strength, mobility, power, conditioning, movement control, and other physical qualities.
How should I train after 40?
A balanced fitness program after 40 should include strength training, mobility, cardiovascular conditioning, and appropriate athletic or power-based movements. The specific amount and intensity should be matched to your current fitness level and recovery ability.
Is strength training important after 40?
Yes. Strength training is an important component of maintaining physical capability as you age and can help you continue performing everyday activities and recreational pursuits.
How can I improve mobility after 40?
Consistent mobility work combined with strength training through useful ranges of motion can help you maintain movement capacity. Mobility doesn't have to mean spending hours stretching; it can be integrated into a broader training program.
What is athletic training for adults over 40?
Athletic training for adults over 40 focuses on maintaining multiple physical qualities, not just muscle size or maximal strength; including power, mobility, conditioning, balance, coordination, movement control, and the ability to move in different directions.
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