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Summary
On episode 358 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan marks the podcast’s third anniversary with an update on the show’s growth, the launch of his new book The Wellness Roadmap, and the move to Panama, before opening the mic to listener questions.
He reflects on the show’s evolution from 5 days a week at 15 minutes each to a weekly interview format, and shares numbers: over 205 guests, 1.3 million downloads across 149 countries, and a 4.96 average rating.
The back half is a straight Q&A: mobility and balance work, staying in ketosis through endurance training, how to tell joint pain from muscle soreness, and what a mature woman should prioritize in her training.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Mobility and balance work should target your own tight and weak spots, not a generic routine. Allan uses his own tight calves and hip flexors, paired with weak hamstrings and quads, as the example: stretch what’s tight, strengthen what’s weak, and let that guide your squat and gait pattern.
- Balance training works best built into daily life, not just the gym. Simple things like standing on one foot with eyes closed while brushing your teeth, done in a safe spot near something sturdy to grab, train balance without any equipment.
- Getting into ketosis for endurance work happens in 2 stages: fat adapted, then keto adapted. Fat adaptation (getting your body comfortable burning fat) takes days to about a week and often causes “keto flu.” Full keto adaptation, where performance can match or exceed sugar-burning levels, can take a year or more.
- Runs under 90 minutes rarely need special fueling once you’re fat adapted. The body holds roughly 90 minutes of glycogen and blood sugar for moderate intensity exercise. Beyond that, athletes still building keto adaptation can bridge the gap with exogenous ketones or a small, tapered amount of starch or sugar before or during a run.
- Joint pain and muscle pain call for different responses. Pain felt in a joint signals a tendon or ligament issue that heals slowly and should be backed off and assessed. General muscle soreness usually clears in 24 to 48 hours of rest; anything that still hurts after 3 days at rest is worth a doctor’s visit.
- Resistance training is close to mandatory after 40, especially for women. Without it, sarcopenia (muscle loss) and osteopenia (bone loss) set in, and lost strength eventually threatens independence, down to being unable to get off a toilet without help.
- Endurance, mobility, balance, and agility round out a mature woman’s training priorities, in that order. Endurance keeps you able to keep pace with family activities, mobility and balance guard against falls, and agility (the ability to react and step aside quickly) rounds out the list. Periodizing these across seasons keeps the workload manageable.
- The show has grown from a 5-day-a-week, 15-minute format into a weekly interview show built around 205-plus guests. Allan credits listener feedback, on sound quality and ad placement, for example, with directly shaping changes to the format over 3 years.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 742 – Q&A – Motivation, Functional Fitness, Power, and Supplements with Coach Allan
