3 exercise tips to help men over 40 train with injuries.

 Why is this article important to me? I live in a constant state of injury. No joke. I have endured multiple injuries to my spine, multiple joints have dislocated, and both knees have a tear, or repair. My point is to share that I am most likely more fucked up than you… This means, if I can do it, so can you. Hop off your pity horse, and start training like an intelligent man. Injuries do not mean you are down. They mean you are requiring mobility and flexibility to restore your function. Why should function be important to you? Maybe you have kids, or grandkids you would like to play with. Maybe you love golf, and want to play well into your later years. Hell, maybe you are just a spiteful punk like me, hell bent on wrestling all I can from life. It is up to you to choose your why. It is up to you to be driven by your why. It is up to you to restore function to your body. Keep reading for 3 exercise tips to help men over 40 train with injuries.

1. Allocate time for recovery training.
2. Substitute movements.
3. Reduce Volume/Increase Reps.

Allocate Time for Mobility Training.

Question 1: How many hours do you train a week?

Question 2: How much of that time is 20%?

Answer the questions and do the math. 20% of your total training time must be committed to mobility. If you train for 5 hours a week, 1 hour of mobility training is mandatory. How you distribute this time is important as well. I recommend distributing this time across three 20 minute training sessions. Example: Monday- 20 minutes, Wednesday - 20 minutes, and Friday- 20 minutes. Preferably outside of your normal workout time. I prefer to do my training at 6 a.m. Monday - Friday. I perform this separate from my strength training. If you need guidance, subscribe to my Total Body Mobility Course for Men. It will help you train with injuries, recover, and remain unshakably fit.

Substitute Unilateral Movements for Bilateral Movements.

When we injure our muscles, they inflame in order to protect. This inflammation can reduce range of motion in the affected area. This reduction to range of motion, can lead to imbalanced bilateral movements (movements pertaining to both sides of the body). Example: injured right knee can cause uneven weight distribution in a squat (bilateral movement). A wonderful substitute during a knee injury is a lunge (unilateral movement- movement pertaining to one side of the body). This change in movement focus reduces range of motion, and increases individual leg strength. Another benefit is stability, which reduces future risk of injury. Choosing the right substitution can be hard. In order to make this change hyper effective, I must move on to my next point.

Reduce Volume/Increase Reps.

You don't have to convince me it is more fun to lift heavy weights and perform less reps. I am a meat head at heart. Powerlifting was my start, immediately followed by strong man. I would love to be out there moving logs, and tossing stones. Unfortunately, I am currently at the mercy of a torn disc. Until this is remedied, I am on this volume/rep scheme. If you are a man over 40 training with injuries, I recommend you adopt this approach. Moving less volume at higher reps, allows you to move with better intention. Yes, no mindless meathead reps here. I am talking full attention. Every rep is light. Therefore you have the ability to move as close to perfect as possible. This is one of the basics of recovery. Reduce the load, until proper function can happen. It is almost impossible to provide an exact percentage and rep count. However, I have found this formula to be a great place to start. Reduce to 20-40% of your movement capacity. If you can do 10 pushups max. 2-4 slow controlled knee assisted pushups might be the answer you seek. A 400 lbs x 3 reps back squat set, becomes an 80-160 lbs 10-15 reps back squat set. Fortunately, the combos and solutions are endless. This means there is a solution for you. My Total Body Mens Mobility Course might be the answer.

3 exercise tips to help men over 40 train with injuries.

1. Allocate time for recovery training.
2. Substitute movements.
3. Reduce Volume/Increase Reps.

In conclusion, our bodies are evolving, so must our training. We do not get the luxury of ignoring our past transgression against our body. Maybe you didn't take care of it. Maybe you pushed it too hard. Maybe life dealt you a bad hand. Regardless, men over 40 must learn how to exercise with injuries. Our bodies are growing up. So must our mind.