Still Lifting Heavy After 40

The runsheet

1. 1

   

   Protein breakfast eaten mindfully

   Eating (mindful)

   Sit-down breakfast prioritising protein. Going protein-first helps preserve muscle through midlife and fuels the strength session. Eggs, Greek yoghurt, smoked salmon, or a high-protein shake, choose what works for you.

   15 min activitySetup 3 min · Reset 3 min · 21 min all-in

   See the recommended Bearmore guide

2. Bearmore’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.

   2

   

   Mobility

   Stretching

   Ten minutes of mobility work before loading anything. Hips, shoulders, ankles, thoracic spine. Alderton (who this Burst was inspired by) consistently includes this in programmes for over-40s; the joints might want a longer warm-up than they used to.

   10 min activitySetup 4 min · Reset 4 min · 18 min all-in

   See the recommended Bearmore guide

3. Bearmore’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.

   3

   

   Squats, deadlifts, presses

   Resistance training

   Thirty minutes of heavy compound work. Prioritise load over volume: squats, deadlifts, presses, rows. The aim is muscle preservation and bone density, not interval exhaustion.

   30 min activitySetup 8 min · Reset 11 min · 49 min all-in

   See the recommended Bearmore guide

4. Bearmore’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.

   4

   

   End your shower with cold

   Cold showers

   Three minutes of cold to close your shower. It's recovery and discipline practice together, deliberate discomfort you can complete quickly, so enjoy the alertness that comes from it.

   3 min activitySetup 6 min · Reset 6 min · 15 min all-in

   See the recommended Bearmore guide

5. Time well spent.

   1h 43m spent doing something good for yourself.