Workouts for Men Over 40.

Every page in this section is a full program, not a list of exercises. Each one gives you the weekly layout, every session in a table with sets, reps, rest and how hard to push, a warm-up, an eight-week progression, what to do in a deload week, and swaps for the knee, back or shoulder that won’t cooperate. Print one, put it in your gym bag and follow it for two months before judging it.

The programs differ by what your week allows: two days or five, a full gym, a pair of dumbbells, a kettlebell, a hotel room or nothing at all. If you don’t know where to start, read the workout plan for men over 40, which sorts the options by schedule and goal. Brand new to the gym? The beginner gym workout starts on machines and teaches the basics first. Short on time, take the 30-minute gym workout. Training around a sore back starts with the lower-back-friendly workout.

A written plan covers the training. If you’d rather have someone set your weights, watch your form and adjust the plan each week, that is what 1:1 coaching is for.