
Jay Alderton’s 40+ Strength Morning
When your body stops bouncing back like it used to.
Train like the body still belongs to you. Jay Alderton's 40+ strength morning of a real breakfast, mobility work, lifting, and a cold shower.
The runsheet

Protein-first breakfast
Sit-down breakfast prioritising protein. Jay's 40+ guidance is consistent: protein-first to preserve muscle through midlife and fuel the strength session. Eggs, Greek yoghurt, smoked salmon, or a high-protein shake, choose what works for you.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing eating (mindful) before stretching
This works well because gentle stretching after eating can help with digestion and prevent stiffness, especially if you've been sitting.

Mobility prep
Ten minutes of mobility work before loading anything. Hips, shoulders, ankles, thoracic spine. Jay's programmes for over-40s consistently include this; the joints might want a longer warm-up than they used to.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing stretching before resistance training
This works well because flexibility and body awareness can help you move with better form and range of motion in strength training.

Heavy compound strength
Thirty minutes of heavy compound work. Jay's 40+ performance protocol prioritises load over volume: squats, deadlifts, presses, rows. The aim is muscle preservation and bone density, not interval exhaustion.
30 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing resistance training before cold showers
This works well because a quick cool shower lowers swelling and rinses sweat without drastically halting muscle growth.

Cold exposure
Three minutes of cold to close your shower. Jay frames this as recovery and discipline practice combined: deliberate discomfort that you can complete quickly, enjoy the alertness that comes from it.
3 min activityTime well spent.
1h 43m that belonged to you — not the inbox, not anyone else.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Jay Alderton is a UK-based 40+ performance coach and ex-British Army officer with world records in fitness. Macro tier (~571K Instagram followers @jayalderton). He posts practical content on strength standards, longevity, and performance for the over-40s. Anti-hype, military-discipline-credentialled, evidence-adjacent.