Personal training for clients 50+
Crush your fitness goals
We work on these areas …
Basic stability package
Weight lifting for hypertrophy
Body weight exercise
Balance
Grip strength
Coordination and motor units
Plyometrics
Movement
Bone-building program
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Support for your sports
Fitness in your 50s, 60s, and 70s is different. You aren’t as agile as you were. You’re not as stable. You’re not as flexible. Too many people focus on one sport, like running, swimming, or pickleball, which lets many muscles deteriorate. Most people who work out are not smooth and graceful.
David is the real deal. We've been working together for six weeks, he has changed my mindset and motivation. I’m getting stronger with less weight. With his program, you start to see results immediately.
Steve in Virginia
David came along at the right time, offering the right kind of advice. He gave me the incentive to get active again and work back into the shape I was in 20 years ago. He’s making sure I don’t get injured, but it’s still very challenging. I should have started sooner, but I’m catching up now.
Mike in the UK
Stability and balance foundation
You lose Flexibility as you get older, but you can regain back before it’s too late. I work with all my clients on knee, hip, and core flexibility, which then form the foundation for later moves.
Motor units are the signal generators that link the muscle to the brain. Too many people lose their motor units and end up off balance, with slow reaction times. Can you stand on one foot and put on a sock and tie your shoe without touching the ground? Can you get off the floor with no hands? Can you handle fast-moving situations and make split-second decisions?
The back of the leg is a critical component in aging. Ask anyone in his/her 70s about going downstairs — it’s harder than it used to be, because the control starts to go. We work very intentionally on a range of movements designed to maintain fine motor control of the legs for future stability.
Movement
Muscles need to work together. Don’t be a specialist. Build a strong foundation for the future. Spend as much time on coordination and movement as you do building muscle and sport-specific training.
David knows all about hormone replacement therapy, which most women start too late. He encourages you to build muscle safely. David is a great resource!
Kathleen in Arizona
Hormones
Benefits of HRT:
Reduces hot flashes (up to 80%), night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, improves sleep, sharpness, and overall energy.
Supports building muscle and bone.
Lowers osteoporosis risk (50%) and fracture risk by 24–34%.
Supports cardiovascular health if started early, reducing heart disease risk.
Critical for urinary health, reducing UTIs.
Tailored options (creams, patches, inserts, micronized progesterone) suit varied responses, especially for hysterectomy patients needing only estrogen. Oral estrogen is no longer given.
For men:
About 70 percent of men who start testosterone therapy end up liking it and staying with it after they have dialed in the right doses and timing. However, about 20 percent regret their decision. It’s critical to find the right doctor to work with. There are many hormone hacks online selling whatever people will buy. Do your homework, get a good doctor, and find the right combination that works for you.
Build bone
If you're over 40, your peak bone density and mass are in the rear-view mirror. As we age, we all lose bone mass, unless we can manage to build it back up. Osteoporosis, which affects over 10 million Americans over 50, can lead to fractures that steal independence. According to Dr Doug Lucas:
50 percent of adults over 50 are at risk of a fracture.
50 percent of women and 25 percent of men will suffer a fracture from poor bone quality in their lifetime (I’ve had 10).
Women have a higher chance of a fragility fracture than they do of heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer combined!
24 percent of people over 60 with a hip fracture die within 12 months.
Independence is permanently lost for 50 percent of patients who fracture a hip.
I broke both hips in my early 50s. My bones are now far stronger than they were 20 years ago. I work with all my clients on building bone.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics is mostly jumping and hopping. It keeps your motor units firing and maintains small muscles that otherwise fall into disuse. I try to get some plyometrics into every workout, always trying for a new personal record. It’s all about incremental improvement and taking small steps. Set up challenges for yourself and beat your previous time or previous accomplishment. Jump higher. Hop farther. Explode faster. Keep your fast-twitch muscles firing so you don’t lose them.
Sprinting
I encourage all clients to do cardio 3x per week in zone 2 — that would be a 45-90-minute run, bike, row, hike, swim, etc. Plus 2x per week in zone 3, which is hard work for 4-5 minutes until you have nothing left in the tank. This increases your VO2 max, and you don’t even have to measure it, just do it.
Rucking
Rucking is carrying weight on your back. It’s much better to walk 2 miles with a 10-pound vest than to walk 4 miles without. Walking does not build bone or muscle — you can use that same amount of time more productively. I encourage my clients to get a weight vest and then a ruck vest or pack when they are ready. I would like everyone to walk to the grocery store, get your groceries, and bring them home on your back, as I show here: