Let me guess.
You still lift.
You still show up.
You still convince yourself that the warm-up doesn’t need to be that long.
But lately, something feels… different.
You’re strong. Sure.
But quick? Not so much.
You can grind out a squat. You can muscle through a deadlift. But if something requires speed — jumping, reacting, changing direction — suddenly you feel like your WiFi connection is lagging.
That’s not weakness.
That’s power.
And most people over 40 aren’t training it.
Strength is how much force you can produce.
Power is how quickly you can produce it.
You can still deadlift 315 at 48 and feel like a legend.
But if it takes five seconds and a small existential crisis to lock it out… that’s strength without power.
And here’s the thing no one tells you:
Power declines faster than strength as we age.
Not because you turned 40 and the universe decided you’re done.
But because you probably stopped asking your body to move fast.
At some point, a lot of adults fall into what I call the “mature athlete” phase.
You start lifting lighter.
You slow everything down.
You avoid explosive movements.
You convince yourself that cardio and controlled reps are enough.
There’s nothing wrong with controlled training. It builds strength and joint resilience.
But if that’s all you do?
You train your body to move slowly.
And your nervous system adapts accordingly.
It’s not aging that makes you slow.
It’s training habits.
This is the part that’s usually skipped.
Power isn’t just muscular — it’s neurological.
Explosive movement teaches your brain and muscles to communicate quickly. It improves coordination, reaction time, and overall movement efficiency.
Translation: you stay sharp.
And being sharp matters more than being shredded.
When you trip on a curb, you don’t need a bigger bicep.
You need faster response time.
Relax.
You don’t need to be doing max box jumps like you’re trying out for the NFL combine.
Power training for adults can be simple.
A few controlled kettlebell swings.
Medicine ball throws.
Low, well-executed jumps.
Moving moderate weight fast instead of heavy weight slow.
It’s intent.
The goal isn’t to feel wrecked or put yourself in precarious positions, but to get you to think fast, and move fast.
Let’s say you train three days a week.
Instead of jumping straight into heavy lifts, you start with one movement that emphasizes speed.
Not ten sets. Not until you’re gasping.
Just a few clean, focused reps where you move fast and rest fully to remind your body that quickness still matters.
And that small shift makes a bigger difference than adding another accessory movement ever will.
A lot of people treat aging like it’s a slow slide into fragility.
But fragility isn’t a birthday issue.
It’s a stimulus issue.
You get slow when you stop training speed.
You get stiff when you stop moving dynamically.
You lose power when you stop asking for it.
The body responds to being uncomfortable.
Always has.
You don’t need to train like you’re 25.
But you also don’t need to train like you’re fragile.
Strength keeps you capable.
Power keeps you responsive.
And responsiveness is what keeps you confident in your body...whether you’re 40, 50, or 70.
If you want to keep lifting, hiking, playing, moving, and generally not feeling like your body is buffering…
Add power.
Train with intent.
And maybe — just maybe — stop pretending slow and steady is the only safe way forward.
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