Exercise library
Exercise Technique Guides for Men Over 40.
Every exercise in this library is written for a man who is past 40, short on time and carrying a few old aches. Each guide covers one movement: what it trains, how to set up, the cues that matter, the mistakes that cause trouble, how many sets and reps to do for your goal, and what to swap in when a knee, back or shoulder objects.
If you’re new to lifting or coming back after years away, start with three patterns. Learn the hip hinge before any deadlift, use the goblet squat to groove your squat, and build pulling strength with the dumbbell row. Those three, plus a push-up and a carry, cover most of what a busy man needs.
The guides tell you which workout plans use each lift, so you can move from technique to a full program. If you’d rather have someone watch your form and adjust the plan week to week, that’s what 1:1 coaching is for, in person in Toronto or online. For the reasoning behind all of it, read strength training after 40.
Exercises
- Assault Bike Intervals: How to Do Them Safely Over 40How to do assault bike intervals safely after 40: seat setup, push-pull arm action, and starter, intermediate and hard intervals with sensible rest periods.
- Exercise Technique Guides for Men Over 40How to do the main lifts safely after 40: setup, cues, common mistakes, sets and reps, and joint-friendly swaps for sore knees, backs and shoulders.
- How to Do a Band Pull-Apart: A Desk-Worker Shoulder Fix for Men Over 40How to do a band pull-apart: arms straight, pull the band to your chest, squeeze the shoulder blades. Band choice, grip variations, mistakes and daily sets.
- How to Do a Bench Press Safely Over 40 (and Keep Your Shoulders)Bench press safely after 40: set your shoulder blades, tuck the elbows, touch low on the chest and use safeties. Mistakes, sets and reps, and shoulder swaps.
- How to Do a Bird Dog: Slow Core Control for Men Over 40How to do a bird dog: on hands and knees, reach the opposite arm and leg without your back moving. Cues, the common shortcuts, sets, reps and harder versions.
- How to Do a Box Squat: A Controlled Squat for Men Over 40How to do a box squat: pick a box height, sit back under control, pause without relaxing, then drive up. Why it helps sore knees and squat depth after 40.
- How to Do a Calf Raise Properly (and Why It Matters After 40)How to do a calf raise through a full range: from a deep stretch to a high pause on the big toe. Straight-knee vs bent-knee versions, mistakes, sets and reps.
- How to Do a Chest-Supported Row (the Back-Friendly Row for Men Over 40)How to do a chest-supported row on an incline bench: set the angle, keep your chest on the pad and pull without cheating. Sets, reps and back-friendly variations.
- How to Do a Chin-Up: Underhand Pulling for Men Over 40How to do a chin-up with an underhand grip: hand width, full hang, chest to the bar, slow lower. Chin-up vs pull-up, elbow care, sets, reps and progressions.
- How to Do a Copenhagen Plank: Groin Strength for Men Over 40How to do a Copenhagen plank, from the short-lever knee version to the full one. Why adductor strength matters for men who play sport, plus holds and progressions.
- How to Do a Dead Bug Safely Over 40: Core Control Without CrunchesThe dead bug trains your abs to keep your lower back still while your limbs move. Setup, slow numbered cues, common faults, sets and reps, and progressions.
- How to Do a Dumbbell Row Safely Over 40A one-arm dumbbell row done right after 40: a supported bench setup, pulling the elbow to your hip, no twisting. Fixes, sets and reps, and back-friendly swaps.
- How to Do a Face Pull Safely Over 40 (for Healthier Shoulders)The face pull trains the rear shoulders and upper back that desk work neglects. Cable height, rope grip, the pull-and-rotate cue, mistakes, and sets and reps.
- How to Do a Farmer's Carry Safely Over 40The farmer's carry builds grip, traps and a trunk that stays upright under load. How to pick up, walk and set down safely after 40, with distances and weights.
- How to Do a Glute Bridge Safely Over 40The glute bridge wakes up hips that sit all day. How to do it safely after 40, why you feel it in your hamstrings or back instead, and how to progress it.
- How to Do a Goblet Squat Safely Over 40: The Best First SquatThe goblet squat is the easiest squat to learn after 40. How to hold the weight, sit between your heels, keep elbows inside the knees, and when to move on.
- How to Do a Hip Hinge Safely Over 40 (Before You Deadlift)The hip hinge is the movement behind every deadlift and swing. How to learn it after 40 with a dowel and a wall, the mistakes to watch for, and when to add load.
- How to Do a Hip Thrust: A Safe Guide for Men Over 40How to do a hip thrust: bench height, bar padding, foot position, chin tucked and ribs down. The mistakes that send it into your back, plus sets, reps and swaps.
- How to Do a Kettlebell Swing Safely Over 40A kettlebell swing is a fast hip hinge, not a squat. How to hike, snap and float the bell safely after 40, back-saving fixes and what weight to use.
- How to Do a Landmine Press: Shoulder-Friendly Pressing After 40How to do a landmine press: an angled press for men whose shoulders dislike overhead or bench work. Setup, half-kneeling and standing cues, mistakes and sets.
- How to Do a Lat Pulldown Safely Over 40How to do a lat pulldown safely after 40: thigh pad, grip width, pulling to the upper chest, never behind the neck. Mistakes, sets and reps, and grip swaps.
- How to Do a Pallof Press: Anti-Rotation Core Training Over 40How to do a Pallof press with a cable or band: stand side-on, press straight out and refuse to twist. Setup, cues, mistakes, sets and progressions for men 40+.
- How to Do a Push-Up Safely Over 40: Form, Fixes and ProgressionsHow to do a push-up properly after 40: hand position, a rigid plank, elbows at 45 degrees and full range. Incline and harder versions, plus wrist swaps.
- How to Do a Rack Pull: A Shorter Deadlift for Men Over 40How to do a rack pull from pins or blocks: set the height, wedge into the bar and lock out. When it helps men over 40, mistakes to avoid, and how much to lift.
- How to Do a Reverse Lunge: Knee-Friendly Form for Men Over 40How to do a reverse lunge: step back, drop the back knee, push up through the front foot. Why it's easier on the knees than forward lunges, with sets and swaps.
- How to Do a Romanian Deadlift Safely Over 40The Romanian deadlift done safely after 40: hinge from the hips, keep the bar on your thighs, stop at your hamstrings' limit. Cues, fixes, sets and swaps.
- How to Do a Seated Cable Row: Back Training That Spares Your SpineHow to do a seated cable row: sit tall, pull to your stomach, squeeze the shoulder blades, and don't rock. Handle choices, mistakes, sets and reps for men over 40.
- How to Do a Side Plank: Form, Holds and Progressions for Men Over 40How to do a side plank: elbow under shoulder, hips stacked and lifted, body in one line. Knee and full versions, hold times, mistakes and harder progressions.
- How to Do a Single-Leg RDL: Balance and Hamstrings After 40How to do a single-leg RDL without wobbling: a level pelvis, a long back leg, and a weight that hangs straight down. Supported versions, cues, mistakes and sets.
- How to Do a Sled Push: Low-Impact Conditioning for Men Over 40How to do a sled push: hand position, body angle, short driving steps. Why sled work is easy on the knees, how heavy and how far to push, and conditioning sets.
- How to Do a Split Squat Safely Over 40How to do a split squat safely after 40: stance length, a straight up-and-down path, back knee to the floor. Fixes for wobbling and knee pain, plus sets and reps.
- How to Do a Squat Safely Over 40: Setup, Cues and FixesHow to do a barbell squat safely over 40: rack setup, a numbered descent and drive, the knee and back mistakes to fix, and sets and reps by goal.
- How to Do a Step-Up Safely Over 40: Box Height, Cues and FixesStep-ups build stair-climbing strength one leg at a time. How to choose a box height after 40, drive through the top leg, avoid pushing off the bottom, and progress.
- How to Do a Suitcase Carry: One-Sided Core Strength for Men Over 40How to do a suitcase carry: one weight, one hand, no leaning. Why the one-sided load trains your obliques and hips, how heavy to go, and how to progress it.
- How to Do a Trap Bar Deadlift Safely Over 40The trap bar deadlift is the friendliest heavy pull after 40. Step-by-step setup, the cues that protect your back, common faults, and sets and reps.
- How to Do a Turkish Get-Up: A Step-by-Step Guide for Men Over 40How to do a Turkish get-up in seven steps, from lying down to standing with a weight overhead and back. Start with a shoe on your fist, then a light kettlebell.
- How to Do an Incline Dumbbell Press Safely Over 40The incline dumbbell press builds the upper chest with less shoulder strain than flat barbell work. Bench angle, getting the weights up, cues, mistakes and sets.
- How to Do an Overhead Press Safely Over 40How to do an overhead press safely after 40: grip, rib position, bar path past the face, the lean-back mistake, sets and reps, and swaps for stiff shoulders.
- How to Do Your First Pull-Up Safely Over 40Can't do a pull-up yet? A safe progression for men over 40: dead hangs, scapular pulls, slow negatives and assisted reps, plus how to do the full rep.
- Leg Press vs Squat Over 40: Which Is Safer, and How to Do EachLeg press or squat after 40? When each makes sense, how to do the leg press safely without your hips rolling off the pad, and how to use both in one program.
- Rower Technique: How to Use a Rowing Machine Properly After 40Rower technique for men over 40: legs, body, arms on the drive, reverse on the recovery, and a damper of 3 to 5. Common faults, sample workouts and back tips.
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