WODsource

Let’s be honest—getting older doesn’t mean you’re out of the game. But it might mean you need to change how you play it. If you’ve been part of the functional fitness community for over a decade, you’ve probably had the “aging athlete” moment. You know, the one where you realize your joints aren’t quite as springy and going Rx every day isn’t a sustainable badge of honor—it’s a shortcut to burnout.

The Mid-Life Shift

Around the big 4-0, many seasoned athletes experience a shift. You’ve been doing the program, coaching, competing, and crushing WODs. But at some point, you feel it: your body starts whispering (or shouting) that it needs a break. That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom knocking.

One longtime coach describes it best: “I went from Rx or Comp every day to hitting about 80% of workouts Rx—and only going Comp on things I truly excel at.” The turning point? Recognizing that reducing the load, even slightly, brought more consistency, better recovery, and fewer twinges that lingered for days.

Scaling Isn’t Settling—It’s Smart

Scaling isn’t just for beginners or injuries. It’s a powerful tool for longevity. The Level 1 Training Guide is clear: functional movements are universally applicable, and the needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree, not kind. That means adjusting loads, reps, and intensity to preserve mechanics, consistency, and then intensity—especially as we age.

It’s not just about keeping the barbell light—it’s about being strategic. Managing volume, adjusting rep schemes, or simply dialing down the “go-go-go” mindset can help you maintain, or even improve, your work capacity across broad time and modal domains.

Learn to Throttle

Intensity is the secret sauce in functional fitness—but it’s not about redlining every WOD. Mature athletes learn to pace, stay calm, and throttle appropriately. As one veteran puts it, “If you’re making a weird mid-40s ugly guy face during bodyweight lunges, maybe ease off the gas.”

Efficiency isn’t about maxing out. It’s about sustainability. It’s about using intensity smartly, not recklessly. Your 40-something body can still hang—it just might need to swap the sprint for a steady, tactical assault.

Final Thoughts

Training with age is less about slowing down and more about refining your approach. You can still chase goals, hit PRs, and enjoy your time in the affiliate. But you’ll do it better if you honor what your body needs—recovery, control, and smart scaling.

So yeah, it’s not always a race. But if you want to keep running it, you might just need to slow down to speed up.