Fit at 40ish: A Transformative Fitness Journey Thanks to The Online School of Exercise

Written By Tyler Jadah

Ty is a self-proclaimed washed-up athlete whose joints started hurting, and gym results stagnated as he approached his forties.

He joined The Online School of Exercise two months ago and has agreed to tell his story.

Follow his story as he learns how to organize his workouts to take his body to the next level before the big 4-0.

Ground Picture/Shutterstock

40 Years Old: We All Have To Go Through It At Some Point.

This won’t surprise anyone: getting into shape is hard. 

This also won’t surprise anyone: getting older sucks.

This also won’t surprise anyone: getting back in shape past a certain age is a steep climbing treadmill. 

BUT. It doesn’t have to be impossible. 


First, let’s backtrack briefly: I am almost 40 years old. I’m still a few years away from my landmark for the next decade, but I’m looking forward to making it to the big 4-0. Okay, “looking forward to it” is a stretch, but I consider it this way: I’d rather make it to 40 than the alternative…

So, how long does it take to get back into shape as a non-20-year-old?

As background, let’s call myself a washed-up athlete. As a young lad, I played hockey and baseball, the latter of which culminated in playing competitive ball for my university. 

I’ve been going to the gym consistently since I turned 20. 

But something happened a few years after turning 30; it became difficult to keep my shape.

I remember being 20-something: I ate lots of whatever I wanted. Think: McDonald’s is a hangover food, sugary snacks are used most of the day to energize me, and there is a big pizza delivery for dinner. Often, a late-night meal as well. 

It was awesome because I was in good shape and stayed that way for most of the decade. 

My eating habits improved slightly as I grew older, mostly because my wife is smart, but I had trouble maintaining the same shape I had in my 20s.

My knees started to ache, my shoulders were in pain (especially my throwing arm), and my back creaked like old wood floors. I fell into the routine that many aging washed-up athletes do: the same thing I always did.
I fell into my routine, which unfolded as such: working out, stretching once a month (honestly), drinking more coffee than water, and going to the gym routinely with little objective focus.

In short, I felt good about going to the gym but wasn’t seeing results. 
And then, something happened that honestly changed my entire mindset: The Online School of Exercise.

Call it fate, luck, or whatever you want, but I needed “The Online School of Exercise” at this exact point in my life, and my trainer Alex has helped to invigorate my love for getting in shape, training, and having a purpose at the gym. 

So, here goes my journey of getting back in shape at 40ish. 

I'm sorry, but there’s no “here’s me before” picture, and there will be no “here’s me after” picture. Nobody wants to see a half-naked late 30-year-old stranger posting pre-progress shots. I won’t be sharing photos or videos of myself motivating you to do the same. 
I will tell you the truth: where I was, where I want to go, and how I got there, thanks to Alex and “The Online School of Exercise.” 

Life is too short not to get back in shape. So, strap in. Here is a recap of my journey that can easily become yours.

Getting back into shape started with a simple question: “Where do you want to be, physically?”

I told Alex I wanted to be strong. I didn’t want to look big or focus on being vain. It’s all about functionality for me. Specifically, I told him I wanted to be able to carry two kids in my left arm and 8 bags of groceries in my right. 

Almost immediately, Alex gave me a tailored workout for my goals.

My first workout routine was an easy-to-follow 6-day program spread across five weeks. 

  • Day 1 - “Upper A”: Dips, chin-ups, dumbbell presses, and external rotation.

  • Day 2 - “Lower A”: Front squats, hip bridges, split squats, calf raises

  • Day 3 - “Mobility Day”: Back stretches, quad stretches, hip flexor stretches, calf and hamstring stretches

  • Day 4 - “Upper B”: Push-ups, chin-ups, tricep extensions, bicep curls

  • Day 5 - “Lower B”: Squats, leg curls, Bulgarian split squats, calf raises

  • Day 6 - “Mobility Day” (optional): Push-ups, pull-ups, back stretches, spine stretches, quad stretches, hip flexor stretches, calf and hamstring stretches

I’m sure this happens often. You work out for years on your end and forget how damn important tempo and rest periods are. 

Before this program, I would do my own thing at the gym. I had no goals, purpose, or real intention. I completely forgot how important tempo and negatives are during reps. 

And breaks in between reps, oh boy. 

This program immediately reminded me how important it is to follow structure, especially as you age. Years of floating around the gym, thinking I knew what I was doing, were erased as soon as I did the first day of this workout program. 

Alex also stressed to me how important it was to put in the work. Don’t cheap out at the end of a set. Even if you need to assist on that last dip or chin-up, get it done.  

Reps = priority. Admittedly, I had to swallow my pride and drop to a lower weight to hit the reps every set. 

If there’s one single takeaway here, it's to make sure you do the reps. If the program calls for 10 to 12 reps, make sure to hit the goal—even if it means dropping weight. Do what the program asks of you; you’ll thank it later.

Stretching, Where Have You Been?

I always knew stretching was important. 

Before every baseball game, I give a solid 15 minutes to warm up. But was I incorporating it into my pre-Online School of Exercise routine? No. 

But as soon as I re-incorporated it into my workout routine, I felt amazing—the day off and the next. Stretching was something I was ignoring, and it was an instant feel-good initiative. 

I instantly started to look forward to “Mobility Days.” Calm music and a good stretch – who knew it was a benefit?

Alex did, that’s who. 

Take it from an aging, washed-up athlete; don’t ignore the stretch days. You’ll look forward to them almost instantly, and it feels amazing. ‘Nuff said. 

Take Note: Take Notes!

Progress is the game's name, and you have to take notes. You probably have your phone with you, anyway. You could use the TrueCoach app to guide you and monitor your progress, as Alex recommends. 

It was a pleasant surprise to see how quickly I increased my weight. I'm a fan of the good old-fashioned notebook, but I can't deny the convenience of the TrueCoach app's dedicated note-taking area. 

I can’t stress it enough: monitor your progress. In a few short weeks, you’ll marvel at your headway. Taking notes is also a good way to pass the time between reps instead of social media. 

You also know you’re putting in work after some heavy sets where your pen feels like it weighs a metric ton.  

Join Me on My Journey to Getting Back in Shape, Workouts, and Aging 

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There you have it, folks—the start of my journey of getting back into shape as a 40-something-year-old. This workout routine takes place over several months. It involves putting in work, monitoring progress, and stretching. 

And it truly is wild.

After day one, I knew I was onto something. 

If “The Online School of Exercise” and my chronicles can help one person regain shape, I’ll consider it a resounding success. 

Getting older sucks. But it doesn't have to. 

Stay tuned, “The Online School of Exercise” is whipping me back into shape.  

Are you approaching your forties and looking to get back into shape? Book an online assessment with us to take your body to the next level.




Tyler Jadah
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