3 Compromises I've Happily Made As A Lifter Approaching 40

There’s a strange pressure in the fitness industry that suggests getting older means you need to become even more disciplined, more extreme and more “optimised” if you want to stand a hope in Hell's chance of staying in shape.

Seriously?

As I approach 40, I’ve found the absolute opposite to be true.

I still care about training.

I still want to build muscle, stay lean and feel strong.

But I’ve also realised that a bigger picture fitness plan matters far more than chasing maximum possible results.

Over the years, I’ve made several compromises with my training and physique goals, and weirdly enough, they’ve improved both my consistency and my relationship with fitness.

Oh and I'm carrying more muscle and enjoying my life more than ever.

Here are 3 compromises I’ve happily made as a lifter approaching 40.

1. Reduced Training Volume

One of the biggest changes I’ve made is reducing my training volume.

Now to be clear, research does show a dose-response relationship between training volume and muscle growth. In simple terms, more productive volume can often lead to more muscle gain.

But the internet tends to take that information and turn it into:

“More is always better.”

And that’s simply not true.

More training is only beneficial if you can recover from it consistently and still maintain balance in the rest of your life.

So when I was in my 20's and lifting 4x per week for around 90 minutes.

On top of competing in volleyball with 4-8 hours of training per week and matches and travel on the weekends.

But I also had a low stress job, few responsibilities, no significant other (🥲), and I was able to put almost all my energy into training and recovery alongside the raging hormones of a 20 something guy... it worked.

These days, that shit won't fly.

These days, I’m perfectly happy training three focused sessions per week.

That’s enough for me to:

• build and maintain muscle

• stay strong

• recover properly

• enjoy training

• and still have energy for work, relationships and life outside the gym

I’m no longer trying to squeeze out every possible 1% of progress.

Instead, I’m prioritising training that I can realistically sustain year-round.

And honestly, I think many people in their 30s and 40s would benefit from this mindset shift.

A good fitness plan should work during normal life, not just during perfect weeks.

And when you can both turn up consistently to work genuinely hard on a few key sessions, then go away, recover, and enjoy your bigger life.

Great things really do happen.

2. Maintaining a Slightly Higher Body Fat Percentage

The second compromise I’ve made is accepting a slightly higher body fat percentage.

Could I get leaner intermittently for holidays or a photoshoot? Absolutely.

Would it probably help with social media and online fitness credibility? Probably (athough it'll be pretty jarring to see me fake tanned 10 shades darker than my usual pasty self).

But over time, I realised that maintaining very low body fat simply doesn’t align with the lifestyle I actually want.

There’s a huge difference between:

• being lean enough to feel healthy and confident

• and trying to stay “fitness industry lean” all year

That extra 5% body fat buys me a much better quality of life.

It allows me to:

• enjoy meals out

• relax on holidays

• have flexibility socially

• stop obsessing over food constantly

And most importantly...

• know my way around a bakery as much as I do a gym.

And the funny thing is, most people would still consider me lean.

Social media has distorted what normal, healthy physiques actually look like.

Staying extremely lean year-round often comes with:

• increased food focus

• more restriction

• reduced flexibility

• higher fatigue

• and more mental energy spent thinking about dieting

At this stage of my life, I simply don’t want fitness occupying that much mental space.

I’d rather maintain a physique that supports my lifestyle than sacrifice my lifestyle to maintain a high maintenance physique.

3. Accepting Slower Progress

This is probably the biggest mindset shift of all.

When you’re younger, there’s often urgency around fitness goals.

You want:

• the fastest fat loss

• optimal muscle gain

• short term transformations

• jaw dropping results in the shortest timescale possible

And social media constantly reinforces this mentality.

But one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned approaching 40 is this:

Slower progress is often more sustainable progress.

I’m no longer willing to organise my entire life around getting leaner or building muscle as quickly as possible.

I don’t want fitness to consume my life.

I want it to enhance my life.

And sustainable fitness usually looks far less dramatic than social media makes it appear.

Most great long-term physiques are built through:

• high consistency on realistic routines

• key high value habits

• years of repetition

• and avoiding the all-or-nothing cycle

Not through constantly chasing perfection.

The older I get, the more I value sustainability over optimisation.

Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to follow the most hardcore plan possible.

The goal is to build a way of training and eating that you can genuinely maintain for decades.

Because you truly enjoy it and value it for it adds to your life completely.

The Value of Fitness Compromises for Lifters Over 40

Approaching 40 has changed the way I view fitness.

I still train hard.

I still care about my health and physique.

But I’ve stopped believing that fitness needs to become my entire personality in order to work.

Reducing training volume, accepting a slightly higher body fat percentage and embracing slower progress have all helped me build a more sustainable relationship with fitness.

And honestly?

I think that’s a trade-off worth making.

And the result ain't bad either.

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