Training volume in old age: Why "A lot helps a lot" is your enemy after 40 #100
Do you give 110% at work, sleep little and want to go full throttle in the gym? Find out why high training volumes are counterproductive after 40 and how you can train smarter.
Training volume with age: why you can't train like a 20-year-old influencer (and shouldn't)
Let's be honest: you're a doer. In your business, you give 110 %. Your diary is fuller than Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse on a Saturday lunchtime, and „break“ is a word you only know from the dictionary.
You're over 40, you're in the middle of life, you're successful - and you want your body to reflect that.
So you do what you always do: you want to force results. You go to the gym (if time permits) and then it has to go bang. Lots of weight, lots of sets, lots of sweating. And in the evening, you have a well-earned glass of wine (or three) to wind down before you fall into bed for 5 hours.
Sound familiar? Then we need to talk. Because this strategy is exactly why you feel like you've lost a fight with a lorry - and why your progress is stagnating.
The problem: your body doesn't keep a P&L journal
Your body is not interested in your performance in the boardroom. It's only interested in one thing: Stress management.
Training is stress. A job is stress. Little sleep is stress. Alcohol is (chemical) stress.
When you're 20, your „stress bucket“ is huge. You can party, barely sleep, eat pizza and bend over backwards the next day. If you're over 40, your bucket is still stable, but it's already half full with responsibilities, a job and maybe the odd physiological ailment.
If you now try to create a Training volume (number of sets and reps) like a young bodybuilder who has all day to sleep and eat, your bucket will overflow.
The result:
Injuries (the famous „Zwick shoulder“).
Stagnation or even muscle loss.
Burnout symptoms.
The belly remains, despite training.
Junk volume: Why "a lot" is not "good"
Many high performers fall into the trap of „Junk Volume“. This is training volume that makes you tired but does not stimulate growth.
Imagine hammering a nail into the wall. One precise blow is enough. But you hit it 20 more times because „a lot helps a lot“. The nail is in, but the wall is broken and your thumb is blue.
In training from 40 applies: Quality > Quantity.
The reality about regeneration and alcohol
Now it gets awkward for a moment (sorry!): You can't expect to drive like a Ferrari if you fill up with diesel and never put the car in the garage.
Sleep: If you only sleep for 5-6 hours, your testosterone production is down and your cortisol (stress hormone) is up. A high training volume in this state is not training, but self-sabotage.
Nutrition: Too little food (because „no time“) means you have no building blocks for muscles.
Alcohol: Alcohol stops you burning fat and ruins the quality of your sleep. If you work out hard and then drink, you're basically pressing the accelerator and the brake at the same time.
The solution: Minimum Effective Dose (MED)
The good news is: you don't have to more Spend time in the gym. You must less spend time there, but use it more intensively.
For the busy high performer over 40 at Ultimate Personal Training the strategy is clear:
Lower the volume: Fewer sentences, fewer „Puschi-Puschi“ exercises.
Increase the intensity: The few sets you do have to be right. Correct technique, full concentration, until close to muscle failure.
Adjust frequency: Proper strength training 3 times a week is better than half-hearted „fidgeting“ 5 times a week.
The aim is to set the stimulus and then immediately initiate regeneration.
Checklist for your training after 40
To continue delivering high performance without burning out, stick to these rules:
[ ] Prioritise sleep: Try to get to 7 hours. This is the strongest legal anabolic steroid there is.
[ ] Protein is king: Eat protein with every meal. Your body needs it to repair itself.
[ ] Train hard, but short: 45-60 minutes of focussed strength training is completely sufficient.
[ ] Manage the alcohol: If you want performance, reduce your consumption. At least on training days.
Conclusion: Train like a CEO, not like an intern
You wouldn't hold unnecessary meetings in your company that don't produce results, would you? Then why do you do „unnecessary sets“ in the gym?
Training volume as you age needs to be adapted to your lifestyle. You can still be strong, muscular and fit - even better than when you were 20 - but you have to stop working against your body and start working with it.
Less is sometimes more. But this „less“ has to be damn good.
Do you feel like you've been caught out? If you don't have time to think about periodisation and volume control, then let the professionals do it. With Ultimate Personal Training in Zurich, we make sure that your training fits right into your busy schedule - efficient, challenging and without the risk of burnout.
DE 
EN