Workout Cheat Codes I Know at 60 That I Wish I Knew at 25

When I was 25, I thought I had training figured out.
Push harder. Go longer. Lift more. Rest less. Repeat. Break down. Return. Repeat

Back then, the goal was simple: get stronger, faster, leaner — and do it as quickly as possible. I thought effort alone was the key. I thought I could outwork time.

I couldn’t. Well.. I mostly could… but paid a price. A price that, at my age, I can no longer afford.

Somewhere in my early 40s, the first signs appeared… little reminders that my body didn’t bounce back quite as easily. A sore knee after a run. A shoulder that complained after too many overhead presses. A hill that seemed to be steeper and longer than it was a week ago.

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Are you a runner? Ever notice that sometimes your finish times on the same run are longer, or you’re more short of breath, and your heart rate is 5 bpm higher? Those are the subtle signs I am talking about. Same for going to the gym. The same weight feels heavier. Your legs or arms can’t push the same number of reps.

20-year-old me shrugged off those subtle signs and doubled down, convinced that more effort was always the solution. Many of us… 20-40 years later, still have the same mindset. We often misinterpret these subtle messages or overlook them altogether. We might assume that we are weak and need to run faster or push harder in the gym. And that would be wrong. We can’t afford to miss these and many other subtle findings.

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We play by different rules now… and need different cheat codes.

Over time, my training philosophy shifted — partly due to my own body, but mostly because of what I saw every day in my practice. I’ve spent three decades as an orthopedic surgeon, and I’ve watched thousands of patients navigate the same crossroads: some losing capability far too early, others thriving into their 70s and 80s with remarkable energy and independence.

The number one cause of injury in Master's Athletes is training errors. Missing those little messages. Thinking we can still work out the same way we did decades ago.

And now, at 60, I train differently — not because I’ve stopped caring, but because my priorities have evolved. I’m no longer chasing personal records. I’m chasing longevity. I’m chasing healthspan — the ability to stay strong, mobile, and independent for as long as possible.

As I wrote in my book, Longevity Simplified, I started with a simple question:

What are you optimizing for?

The answer to that question guides me now and informs what I will share in the rest of this post.

This list comes from that journey. It’s not a theory. It’s what I wish I knew 35 years ago. It’s what I teach my patients, what I tell my friends, and what I remind myself on the mornings I don’t feel like training.

These aren’t “hacks.” They’re principles — tested by time, grounded in science, and focused on one goal: Building a life you can keep living on your own terms.

🔒 Keep reading for the 10 training principles that protect strength, mobility, and independence — and how to apply them to extend your healthspan.