How often should you strength train after 40? A sample week

What does the research say about how often to train?

Two sessions a week is the proven minimum, and three works well if you recover from it. A 2015 review in Sports Medicine looked at 25 trials and found these settings gave the biggest strength gains. The people studied were over 65, so if anything, someone in their forties or fifties will respond at least as well.

The authors flag that many of the trials were small, so treat these as a good starting point, not a rule. They line up closely with the Australian guidelines and with what we see on the floor.

What does a good week of training look like after 40?

Two or three strength sessions on non consecutive days, something for mobility and control like reformer pilates, daily walking and at least one genuine rest day. Here’s a sample week we’d give a 45 year old who is new to lifting.

Busy week? Keep the two strength sessions and let everything else flex. If you only manage one strength session, don’t try to double up the next week. Just get the next one done.

What goes into each strength session?

Four to six exercises that cover the big movement patterns, done for two to three sets each, after a short warm up. Over the week you want every pattern trained at least once, and most of them twice.

• Squat: goblet squat, leg press or barbell back squat.
• Hinge: deadlift, kettlebell deadlift or hip thrust.
• Push: dumbbell bench press, push up or overhead press.
• Pull: seated row, lat pulldown or chin up.
• Single leg: step up, split squat or reverse lunge.
• Carry: farmer’s walk with dumbbells or kettlebells.

Each week, try to do a little more than last time: one more rep, a slightly heavier weight, or the same weight with better control. That’s progression, and it’s what drives the results.

Why do rest days matter more after 40?

Because strength is built between sessions, not during them, and recovery takes a little longer than it did at 25. A day between your main strength sessions lets muscles repair, joints settle and energy come back for the next one.

Rest doesn’t mean doing nothing. Walking, swimming, gardening and pilates on your off days keep you moving without adding to the load. If you’re still sore or flat two days later, the session was too big, not you too weak.

When should you add a third session?

Add a third strength session when two feel easy to recover from: you sleep well, you’re not sore going into the next session, and the weights have been going up steadily for a couple of months. If any of those slip, go back to two.

Plenty of people never need a third. Two well coached sessions a week, kept up for a year, will change how you move and feel. If youIf you’re unsure whether lifting is right for you right nowrsquo;re unsure whether lifting is safe for you, start with is it safe to start lifting weights after 40, and the full picture is in our complete guide to strength training after 40.

What this looks like at Catalyst

Many of our members build a week like the one above, all under one membership at 115 Avoca Street, Randwick. Strength sessions run as coached small group training through the week, reformer pilates is in the same building, and the open gym is there for anything extra. If you want a week built entirely around you, personal training does exactly that. See our memberships to find the mix that fits.