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Summary
In this solo Q&A episode of the 40+ Fitness Podcast, Coach Allan opens with the good news that his post-surgery pathology came back clear of cancer, then works through listener-submitted questions. He covers how a couple in their 50s can motivate each other to get healthy by communicating needs, protecting sleep, sharing meal responsibilities, setting their own action-based goals, and holding each other accountable without judgment or nagging. He then lays out the core functional fitness movement patterns for someone in their 60s: squat, hip hinge, push, pull, carry, stamina, and getting up off the floor, while stressing side-to-side and backward movement to protect balance and avoid hip-breaking falls.
Allan defines power as the ability to move weight quickly through a dynamic range (strength plus speed), explains why it fades when untrained, and prescribes plyometrics, Olympic lifts, sled work, and kettlebell movements, organized through periodization of 8 to 12 weeks of strength followed by 4 to 6 weeks of power, always with good form given the higher injury risk after 40. He explains that kayaking builds stamina and muscular endurance but is not a true strength or power workout, so it should be paired with a full resistance program. Finally, he addresses supplementation, answering that it depends on individual deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, or hormones, best identified through symptoms and blood tests rather than a just-in-case pill-taking habit.
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Key Takeaways
- Set action goals, not outcomes: You cannot wish 20 pounds off, so build goals around what you control, such as what you eat and how many steps you take, rather than what the scale says.
- Accountability is not nagging: Hold a partner accountable by getting their attention without judgment, since everybody is human and everybody fails, and ask directly for the specific support you need.
- Train the core functional patterns: Squat, hip hinge, push, pull, carry, build stamina, and practice getting up off the floor, with the Turkish get-up as a favorite because it works balance and strength together.
- Do not neglect side-to-side and backward movement: Most falls that break a hip happen sideways, so add lateral shuffles and backward walking to protect balance, gait, and independence.
- Power means moving weight fast: Periodize 8 to 12 weeks of strength then 4 to 6 weeks of power using plyometrics, Olympic lifts, sleds, and kettlebells, and never let ego break your form.
- Supplement only for real deficiencies: Vitamin D, B12, magnesium, zinc, iodine, and sex or thyroid hormones can matter greatly if you are low, but confirm need through symptoms and blood tests instead of just-in-case pills.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 358 – Listener Questions – 3rd Anniversary Episode
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 742
Published: 2026-04-14
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)