Lower body workout for athletic longevity ⬇️ 1. Warmup: Resisted Treadmill x 5 minutes

Here's a very common weak link—full ROM pressing strength.

How many dips can you do with shoulders below the line of your elbows?

Read on for how to scale to any level: Most people are strong pressers but not necessarily in a full range of motion.

This is because conventional barbell bench press (and push ups on the floor) do not allow the shoulders to fully stretch a the bottom.

But with a set of gym rings, any one can start working on full range push ups.

Just walk your feet further forward to make the exercise easier.

Hip Mobility Secret Weapons

Try these 3 right now:
🧵 1. Seated DeadlIft Iso Pulse x 15-20

Use heavy dumbbells to pull yourself down into a deep adductor stretch.

Be sure to keep your lower back extended and your shoulder blades retracted.

I’m 48

Couldn’t do this at 28.

But I have a plan to move even better at 50.

Here’s 7 simple benchmarks for results at any age:
(1/8) 1. Is your squat range below parallel actually getting stronger?

Squatting deep improves mobility and protects your knees.

Start at your pain-free level and gradually increase from there!

The "A-T-Grass" Squat Mobility Thread

Literally 😂

Progressions to help you regain this essential human movement: 1. On The Floor

This is a good place towards pain-free deep knee bend.

Still shocked I can get above the rim at 48!

Simple @kneeovertoesguy workouts like this got me there. You can too: 🧵 1. Sled/Resisted Treadmill

I tore my ACL at 23 on one side and my Achilles at 29 on the other leg.

So now in my late 40s, healthy lower legs and knees are a TOP training priority.

I start my workouts from the ground up with a sled, treadmill, or even backward walking/jogging if no equipment is available.

Sitting 8 hrs/day is wrecking your back & stiffening your hips.

Fight back with this daily anti-sitting routine, no equipment needed (except your chair)
🧵 1. ATG Split Squat x 10, per side

This exercise puts your back leg into a loaded stretch in a position that is almost the opposite of sitting.

Proper form is full coverage of your calf with your hamstring at the bottom while not allowing your back knee to touch the floor and keeping your torso vertical.

Most people will be tight when starting out and need to elevate the front foot on something like a chair as shown.

As you get stronger and more mobile, the longterm goal is to work down to flat ground.

Part 1: From Stiff to Mobile

Use these 4 dumbbell exercises to help open up your shoulders and upper back: 1. Pronated Dumbbell Fly

I love this exercise for stretching out tight shoulder and chest muscles from sitting and pressing movements.

Start with a light weight. Lower down to a full-stretch, rotate to unwind, and return to the starting position.

More MOBILE at age 48 than I ever thought possible!

Thanks to @kneesovertoesg's @atgexercise system.

Here's 4 of my favorite ATG exercises for better hip mobility 🧵 1. Deep Squat

The full-range squat and all its variations is my all-time favorite exercise!

You can start with just bodyweight.

Elevating your heels and/or holding a weight in front of you as a counterbalance can help you get deeper.

If squats bother your knees, regress the load to a pain-free level by using assistance from your hands.

Leg Day for Strength & Flexibility: 1. DEEP Squat

Start with two lighter warmup sets, working up to a weight that challenges you for 10 reps.

Goblet loaded, back squat, or front squat are each great options.

Believe it or not, you can drastically improve mobility in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond with smart strength training.

I'm living proof.

Here's a thread with 4 @atgexercise stretch + strength moves that can scale to almost any starting level: 1. Seated Good Morning

The primary purpose here is to improve strength and flexibility in the adductor muscles in the inner thighs.

Keep an arch in your lower back and your shoulder blades retracted throughout.

You can use a cable machine, dumbbells, or even a barbell.

At 48, my knees are stronger than ever—despite ACL surgery in my early 20s.

@kneesovertoesg's @atgexercise system is the reason why.

This thread shows my route to long term knee health in my 40s...

(And to be clear, this is NOT where I started—and not even necessary for most people’s goals—but a fun ability nonetheless!) 1. Start in Reverse

Backward walking, dragging a sled, or spinning a treadmill backwards is the perfect place to start improving “bad” knees.

The knees go over the toes on every step—strengthening the quadriceps muscles for better knee protection.

At 48, my hip mobility is better now than ever—thanks to @atgexercise training.

These are the 4 exercises I've consistently used the most to get here. The great thing is that they all scale to almost any starting level: 1. Couch Stretch Pulse x 20

If you have trouble getting into this one comfortably on the wall, try starting with an incline bench instead.

I never would have thought that I could be more athletic and mobile now at almost 48 than I was at 28...

I used simple, balanced strength training routines like this to get there. You can too: 🧵 1. Sled

I tore my ACL at 23 on one side and my Achilles at 29 on the other.

So now in my late 40s, healthy lower legs and knees are top priority.

I like to start my workouts from the ground up with a sled, treadmill, or even backward walking/jogging if no equipment is available.

10 years ago, I was 37, overweight, and struggling with the day-to-day grind.

Now in my late 40s, I'm more athletic, healthy, and mobile than ever.

I used simple, balanced training routines like this to get there—you can too:
🧵
Optional Warmup: Backward Treadmill x 5 minutes

Whenever I have access to a sled or the @atgexercise Backward Treadmill, I use it as a daily warmup and efficient cardio tool!

3 ATG Movements For People Who Work at Desks

Read this thread if you SIT a lot: 1. Back Extension

In my opinion, this machine is the safest and most effective way to train the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings at home.

(Beginner, Basic and Pro versions shown)

*If you don’t have a back extension machine, you could substitute a high-rep offset RDL (demonstrated in the 4th clip)

I used to think my plantar fasciitis pain was permanent...

Here's how I finally beat it:
🧵

(Hint—it wasn’t ice, rest, orthotics, stretching, compression sleeves, acupuncture, or cortisone shots—although I tried all those too)
After much trial and error (and lots of money spent on new shoes, inserts, night sleeves, and other gadgets), I finally figured out a simple truth:

The soleus muscles in my lower legs were WEAK.

You Can Improve Athletic Performance In Your 40s

This is a series of threads showing exactly how I did it—and what I'm doing to continue to improve.

Part 10: Balanced Exercise
As I’ved learned from @kneesovertoesg's @atgexercise system, the human body thrives on balance.

This may be THE most important factor for maintaining (and even improving!!) athleticism as we age.

You Can Improve Athletic Performance In Your 40s

This is a series of threads showing exactly how I did it—and what I'm doing to continue to improve.

Part 9: Mobility Standards Being flexible on its own doesn’t necessarily make you more explosive or athletic.

But it does provide greater access to strength and helps the body to work more efficiently as intended.

You Can Improve Athletic Performance In Your 40s

This series shows how I did it at 47.

Part 4: “Bulletproof” Against Common Injury
If you want to improve athleticism and continue to play sports, obviously injury prevention is a MUST.

As I learned from @kneesovertoesg, this requires a “reserve” of physical ability greater than the demands that you ask of your body.

You Can Improve Athletic Performance After 40

This is a series of threads to show you how

Part 3: Strengthen Lower Legs
Why?

More conventional workout programs adds muscle mass and power to the upper body, hips, and thighs, but the muscles below the knees are often neglected.