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Why Most People Over 60 Get Strength Training Completely Wrong (And What Actually Works)

I see it every day.

People who've spent thousands on personal trainers. Who've done everything "right." Who've followed every program to the letter.

Yet they're still getting weaker. Still losing independence. Still watching their world get smaller.

The trainers mean well. They're using the same approach that works for 25-year-olds trying to build muscle mass. But what you need—what most people over 60 need—isn't what you'll find in a typical gym program.

The truth is, there's a fundamental difference between how younger bodies and more experienced bodies build strength. And if you've ever felt frustrated that traditional strength training doesn't seem to work for you the way it promises, you're about to understand why.

This Might Sound Familiar...

If any of this resonates, what I'm about to share might change everything for you.

The Hidden Truth About Strength After 60

In this video, I'll show you exactly why the standard "add more weight" approach to strength training misses the most important factor for people over 60. What you'll discover explains why so many traditional programs fail—and what actually works instead.

In this demonstration, you'll see me work through three essential movements—the squat, push-up, and row. But watch carefully. Notice how I'm NOT focusing on how much weight I'm using. Instead, I'm teaching something called "deep internal attention"—and it's the key to everything.

The Shocking Reality Nobody Talks About

After age 30, we lose approximately 3-8% of our muscle mass per decade, with the rate accelerating after age 60.

But here's what the fitness industry doesn't tell you: simply adding more weight to your exercises isn't the solution. In fact, for most people over 60, it's exactly the wrong approach.

Your Brain-to-Muscle Connection Is Everything

Your physical strength comes from two places:

First, your neurological system's ability to activate muscle fibers—think of it as the electrical signal from your brain that tells your muscles to work.

Second, your muscle fibers' ability to contract and control movement.

Here's the analogy I love: Imagine having a powerful car engine, but the electrical system is failing. It doesn't matter how strong that engine is if you can't get it to turn on properly.

And as we age, it's that electrical connection—not the engine itself—that deteriorates first.

This neurological decline is actually one of the four major factors that can lead to loss of function and mortality as we age (alongside cancer, diabetes, and heart disease).

The "Knucklehead Approach" That's Hurting You

I call it the "knucklehead approach"—and I say it with affection, because I used to do it myself for years.I call it the "knucklehead approach"—and I say it with affection, because I used to do it myself for years.

‍It's the standard fitness industry method: Progressive overload.

Just keep adding more weight… Five pounds becomes ten.

Ten becomes fifteen.

More weight does activate more muscle fibers—that's true. But for people over 60, there's a smarter approach that builds strength without overstressing aging joints and tissues.

You see, this traditional approach works great if you're training for the NFL or want to be a UFC champion.

For moving without pain during your daily walk?
For being able to get on the floor with grandchildren?
For staying active without constantly getting sidelined by setbacks?

It's actually creating more problems than it solves.

When you focus only on adding weight, you:

The Better Way: Deep Internal Attention

Instead of focusing externally on how much weight you're lifting, the breakthrough comes from what I call "deep internal attention."

It's about truly feeling and controlling every aspect of your movement:
When you train this way, you activate neurological pathways that create real, functional strength.

Research published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care confirms that focused, mindful movement training significantly improves neuromuscular control and strength outcomes in older adults. In fact, this level of internal attention has been shown to produce 40 to 60 percent more exercise results than progressive overload alone.

The Three Movements That Matter Most

In the video above, I demonstrate three essential movement patterns that translate directly to your daily life:

Quality Over Quantity—Always

Here's what I emphasize that most trainers miss: A perfectly controlled bodyweight squat with full neurological attention creates more usable strength than a heavy, compensated squat where you're just trying to survive the weight.

It's the difference between building strength in optimal positions versus strengthening dysfunction. One helps you move better in daily life. The other just makes you better at being dysfunctional.

This Isn't About Looking Like a Fitness Model

Let's be clear about the goal here. This isn't about having Instagram-worthy muscles or impressing anyone at the gym.

This is about:
We believe in Functionality first. Then everything else follows.

The outcomes are clear. But here's what most programs get backwards: They chase these outcomes directly. Add more weight. Push harder.

Instead, the results you want are built on something most trainers skip entirely—and it's the first thing we look at. More about this in a moment.

[Note to our readers: Whether you're having trouble with basics like getting up from the floor, or you're already fit and active but keep getting sidelined despite doing everything right—this approach works across the entire spectrum. You don't need to train like a 25-year-old athlete. You need precision that matches where YOUR body actually is today.]

From Understanding to Implementation

The principles in the video are transformative.

‍But here's what most people discover: Knowing what to do and actually implementing it correctly—especially if you've developed compensation patterns over decades—are two very different things.

Your neurological patterns are unique to you. Your injury history, your specific limitations, the way your particular body has adapted over the years—these all matter.

Whether you're on the "barely getting off the floor" end of the spectrum or the "already active but keep tweaking something" end—the pitfalls are different, but the solution is the same: Precision that matches YOUR body.

Here's what most people discover: They lacked someone who could see what they can't feel—compensations you've normalized, misalignments invisible to you, weight shifts you don't notice. That's usually where the problem starts.

Generic YouTube exercises can't account for YOUR specific pattern. And that's where most people get stuck.

Your Personal Roadmap to Strength

This is exactly why I developed the Functional Movement Consultation.

During this consultation, I use my Three-Filter System to assess exactly what's happening in YOUR body:

‍Filter 1: Sensory Perception—How your brain perceives and feels movement
‍Filter 2: Motor Action—How you actually execute movement patterns
‍Filter 3: Performance—How it all translates to real-world function

Together with a Fitness Doctor Specialist, we'll discover:

Ready to Feel Strong and Capable Again?

If you're tired of fitness advice that doesn't work for your body…

If you want to maintain (or reclaim) your independence…

If you're ready for an approach that actually makes sense for people over 60…

We’d love to help you discover what your body really needs.

‍Schedule your Functional Movement Consultation—it's my way of understanding exactly where you are and showing you a clear path forward.

‍This is a 90-minute paid consultation. It’s $297.

This isn't another generic fitness program. It's a personalized assessment of YOUR specific patterns, with a customized plan for YOUR body.

‍Click here when you're ready to discover what's really possible for your strength and independence >>

The Beautiful Truth?

Your body is incredibly adaptable—even after 60, even after years of compensation patterns.

Research confirms that aged muscle remains remarkably adaptable—it can still respond to the right training by increasing both mass and strength.

Once you understand YOUR specific neurological patterns and start training them correctly, the changes can be remarkable.

‍We see it all the time: People who thought they'd "tried everything" discover this missing piece, and suddenly they're stronger at 70 than they were at 60.

The sooner you identify and correct your patterns, the faster you'll feel that confidence returning—the kind that comes from knowing your body is actually getting stronger in ways that matter for YOUR life.

‍Schedule your Functional Movement Consultation here >>

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