I’m walking out of HEB and spy an older woman, who I’m guessing is in her late 70s, holding a bunch of large grocery bags. She walked across the parking lot and loaded those bags into her Subaru with more grace and stability than people half her age. When I complimented her strength, she laughed and said, "Honey, I've been building this body for decades!"
This conversation stayed with me because it perfectly captures what's wrong with our approach to fitness after 40: we're still thinking in terms of quick fixes when we should be thinking like architects.
The Long Game Revolution
At 41, I'm finally understanding what she knew instinctively, that strength isn't something you achieve and maintain with minimal effort. It's something you build systematically, layer by layer, with an eye toward decades, not just beach season.
Why Traditional Strength Training Fails Women Over 35
Walk into any gym and you'll see the same pattern: women in their 20s lifting heavy, women in their 40s on cardio machines, women in their 60s relegated to "silver sneakers" classes. There's an assumption that as we age, we should do less, lift lighter, aim lower.
This progression is backwards.
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