The ultimate guide to get in shape after 40. From eating well to exercising (and everything in between), here’s how to get in the best shape of your life.

+++

We make getting in shape so difficult … and confusing.

Eat this. But don’t eat that.

Go to the gym. Lift as heavy as possible. Or maybe just only use light weights for high reps.

Make sure to eat within these specific times. But, never at these times.

Cardio is great for you. Except for when it is completely unnecessary.

Coffee is okay. Wine is okay. Sugar is the devil.

But also, coffee and wine (or any alcohol) are terrible and you should avoid them at all costs.

And don’t even get me started on where we land on the pros and cons of fruit.

You get confused by all the madness, adopt a bunch of these rules, feel totally boxed in and restricted. And then you quit.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been coaching fitness and nutrition for almost 20 years. It started as a side hustle when I’d coach friends and coworkers after I’d leave my work as a sports anchor.

Then it became my full-time focus when I launched my online fitness/nutrition coaching business (the Lean4Life Academy).

Over those two decades of experience, I’ve realized that the most successful people who get in shape … and stay in shape … are the ones that make the process as simple as possible.

In this newsletter, you’re going to get the minimalist plan to get in shape after 40 and stay that way based on four important pillars.

No more white-knuckling your way through crazy detailed diets and programs with tons of rules and restrictions.

Just a basic approach that will help you stay consistent. For the rest of your life.

It’s exactly what I’ve done to get in shape at the age of 45:

If you’re looking for a simple way to get started prioritizing your fitness, this guide is for you.

Or maybe you’re tired of all the rules and just want to adopt a more minimalist approach so you can put your fitness on autopilot. If that’s you … this guide is also for you.

Let’s get into it.

+++

You’re not too old to get in great shape

One of the biggest reasons why the elderly need assisted living facilities is because they aren’t strong enough to get up and down from the toilet without help.

They lack the ability to do that half rep of a bodyweight squat required to lower and raise back up again without assistance.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

And no, that’s not just a byproduct of “getting old.”

You are only as old as you choose to feel.

Our sedentary lifestyle is relatively new to humans.

For decades, centuries, millennia, humans would move all day:

• Walking most places
• Carrying things like buckets of water
• Hunting for their dinner, chasing and then carry their prey back home

Now we are sitting. All day.

We sit to eat our breakfast before sitting in our car (or in mass transit) only to go to the office and sit some more before returning home to (you guessed it) sit on the couch and veg out.

No more hunting for our meals. We don’t have to haul our catch back to the village.

No need to carry jugs of water from the well or chop firewood and bring it back to the house.

Which means we need to add purposeful exercise into our daily routine in order to make up for this lack of movement.

While we’ve devolved into sitting so much, we’ve made up for it by eating more and more.

Larger portions. More highly-processed foods. Less emphasis on whole, natural plants and quality protein sources.

We don’t sleep consistently. Instead opting to stay up staring at artificial lighting from our screens.

And then we wonder why we’re all sorts of stressed out of our minds.

We can do better.

When you exercise regularly a few awesome things happen:

You are more likely to eat healthy.

Studies show that most people opt for healthier options after working out than if they’d just been sitting around.

Energy levels increase.

For many people they start to realize that they are not tired, they are actually lethargic. It’s inertia.

Your body has been so used to sitting around that now it just wants to keep sitting around. Once you start getting up and exercising regularly, you’ll experience more energy.

Additional benefits of regular exercise:

• You’ll get better sleep.
• Stress and anxiety will be lower.
• Improved mood.
• You’ll feel (and likely even look) younger.

Sounds like a nice recipe of awesome sauce. Let’s get to work.

Here’s the minimalist plan to get in shape after 40

It breaks down into four main pillars:

1. Manage your diet and nutrition to ensure a focus on lean proteins and whole nutritious foods.

2. Spend time every single day for mindfulness and mental enrichment. Do one thing you enjoy every single day.

3. Prioritize good sleep hygiene and consistency. Aim for a solid 7-9 hours every single night (weekends included).

4. Be active and move your body every single day.

Walking a ton should be the majority of your physical activity as it is a major emphasis of the Blue Zone areas throughout the world (the areas with the high concentration of people who live to see 100 years of age).

We’ll start with what and how much to eat.

I. Master your diet with this simple approach

Nutrition experts do not agree on much, as witnessed by, well … everything you see online.

We argue over when to eat, which foods to eat and which foods to avoid.

But, we do agree on a couple of core things.

1. Make sure you are eating enough protein.

We can argue the proper amounts of protein. But, protein is a requirement of any worthwhile not-fad dietary approach.

2. Eat your plants.

We can all agree that eating some form of plants will improve your digestive health due to the fiber (which also helps lower cholesterol) while also keeping you fuller for longer.

They also supply a nice dose of vitamins and minerals to the body.

3. Limit processed foods.

Eat more lean protein sources and more plants in general.

Try to eat fewer crackers, cookies, things that are pre-packaged and packed with a ton of ingredients you can’t pronounce.

My 3P Framework for eating healthy looks too simple to actually work.

But, it will satisfy the big three major rules of nutrition.

The 3Ps stand for: Protein. Plants. Portions.

If you stay consistent with this, and tweak it to your tastes and needs accordingly, you’ll be set with a simple healthy eating strategy for the rest of your life.

Protein

The internet bros will have you eating more protein than actually required.

I think these lofty protein targets of eating 1 gram per pound of bodyweight can be intimidating and turn people away.

In reality, the science-backed evidence says the minimum effective dose for daily protein intake should be about 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (or about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight).

For a 150-pound individual that would come out to about 109 grams of protein per day.

Much more attainable and sustainable.

(The internet bros would have that person eating 150 grams of protein instead.)

Make sure you eat protein at every single meal and snack.

You choose the protein sources that you enjoy; not what some influencer tells you to eat.

Plants

Some coaches will argue that fruit sucks because of sugar, other coaches will argue all you need are plants.

Either way, we all agree that some kinds of plants in your diet are required.

(Unless you’re part of the carnivore crowd which … please don’t get me started on this backakwards style of eating.)

Just like the protein rule, be sure to include some kind of plant at every meal or snack.

Yes, it can be a vegetable or a fruit.

No, a starchy vegetable does not count here. Potatoes are going to be considered a carb source.

Which leads us to …

Portions

Once you nail down the first two rules, we’ve got to talk about how much to eat.

Because at the end of the day, even though we are not counting calories, the calories do count.

This is where portion control comes into play.

Look at the graphic below for how to break down each meal per day and portion your plate like this:

• ¼ plate for protein
• ½ plate for plants (yes, even fruit is okay)
• ¼ for carbs
• 1 tablespoon for additional fats (or maybe a dressing or sauce)

You’ll want to eat three to four meals with this setup.

Test it out for a few weeks. See where your hunger levels are. Make sure you’re checking in on your progress.

If things are working, awesome.

But, if you’re finding yourself too hungry, maybe go from three balanced plates to four or perhaps add a smaller snack.

For a snack, you’ll just mimic the balanced plate, but try to fit the snack in the palm of your hand. Think an apple with a stick of string cheese and maybe a teaspoon of peanut butter.

I cannot tell you exactly how much you need to eat. You must be a grown up and figure that out for yourself.

But this plan will give you the foundation necessary to do so.

Why does this work?

You’re getting protein for recovery and muscle preservation.

If you are eating three to four balanced plates per day, you’ll be getting pretty close to that 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight protein requirement without giving it much thought.

You can always opt for more protein if that suits you. Add a protein shake before or after a workout and you’ll more than cover your bases.

There’s lots of lower-calorie and nutrient-dense fruits and or vegetables that also pack tons of fiber to keep you full.

This is not low-carb, but portioning the carbs this way prevents you from overloading your plate with pasta or rice.

You can still have it and enjoy it and now it’ll fit nicely with the rest of your meal.

The added tablespoon of fat provides an opportunity to add some healthy fats to the plate, which also aid in hormonal health and satiety.

This is your starting point. Get really good at this for the next month or two and then you’ll start to see whether you need to add an extra meal or maybe even a snack.

II. Movement and strength training

Adopting a strength training regime as you get older is required. It’s no longer a luxury.

But, you don’t need to spend time or money on some fitness class to get in shape after 40. It can be minimalistic and simplistic.

I’ve been designing workouts for almost 20 years and ever since I simplified it down to just basic bodyweight movements, I’ve never been more consistent and I’ve never been in better shape.

Our bodies do a few basic core things.

As humans, we …:

• Push things
• Pull things
• Squat down
• Pick things up by hinging at the hips
• Lunge
• Carry things

That’s basically it.

And that turns into a nice little full body workout routine:

• Push-ups
• Pull-ups (or Rows)
• Squats
• Hip thrusts (or Deadlifts or even Kettlebell swings)
• Lunges
• Farmer’s walks

3-4 sets x 8-12 reps of each. 2-3x per week.

Boom.

If your workout program includes these basic movement patterns and you are able to add some form of resistance to get stronger in each of those patterns, you have a well-rounded strength training program to get in shape.

My workouts are only about 20-25 minutes per day

I’ve simplified it down to three bodyweight movement patterns per session (variations on the push-up … pull-up … and then squats or lunges).

If that’s something you’d like to explore, I explain how to create your own minimalist bodyweight workout plan here.

Set up your weekly flow

If you want to get in shape and stay in shape for life, you must commit to moving your body every single day.

Our younger counterparts can get away with lazy days of little to no activity.

That is no longer a luxury when you hit 40s and up.

Move your body every day.

You have your resistance training set up, but to round out the program and get in shape, you’ll need a good mix of movement that includes low-impact exercise.

Walking –– the most underrated form of exercise on the planet and should be the core of your daily activity.

Make it a habit to go for a walk every single day.

Mobility –– If you’re healing that weird pop in your hip when you get up off the floor (or maybe you struggle to simply get down on the floor in the first place) then you need to start thinking about your mobility.

Here is one of my favorite accounts for all things mobility: GMB Fitness

Grab some of their mobility exercises and videos and start making this a priority.

You can do a little bit each day, or opt for a longer session once per week.

Alternatively, if you’ve got a yoga routine or class you like, that’ll work, too.

Cardio –– Incredibly important as you get older for conditioning. You don’t need much. Maybe a couple of sessions per week.

But you do need to start doing it now.

Gone are the days where we could act like the younger kids and just ignore the steady state cardio or higher intensity conditioning work. Time to focus and get serious.

Here’s a simple weekly plan to provide some inspiration:

• Monday – Full body strength training (use the simple routine above)
• Tuesday – 30 mins of cardio
• Wednesday – Mobility or Yoga
• Thursday – Full body strength training
• Friday – 30 mins of cardio
• Saturday – 15-20 mins of conditioning (HIIT)
• Sunday – Mobility or Yoga

And every single day, you should aim to go for a 20 minute walk (or longer if you have the time).

Play around with this.

After a few weeks, if you want more volume and have the time for it, add an additional strength training session.

But always commit to at least one full body strength training session every week. For life.

III. Mindfulness and self-care

If you’re stressed out and burned out, then you’re building your health regime on a house of cards. Time to get serious.

Do at least one small thing for your mentals every single day.

Meditate. Journal. Take some deep breaths. Go for a walk. Do some yoga poses. Read.

Just make sure that you are doing something to help alleviate stress and take care of your mental health every single day.

Maybe that’s something as simple as dedicating more time to play.

Or shifting from an action-packed morning routine and adopting more of a minimalist, slow morning routine like I did.

IV. Quality consistent sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, you need at least seven to nine hours of shuteye every single night.

The best way to make that happen is to set a bedtime and a wakeup time and stick to it. Yes, even on weekends.

I know you have kids; I do, too.

My wife and I strive to have the kids in bed by 8:00 p.m. (8:30 the latest).

Then we get about an hour of time together to watch a show, catch up on the day, or … just sit on the couch in disbelief that we survived yet another day of raising two humans.

By 9:30 p.m., I’m getting in bed with a good book.

By 10pm, it’s lights out.

Then I’m up at 5:15 a.m. to start my slow morning routine.

That’s about seven hours of sleep.

It’s the best I can do for now because my kids are early risers and my biggest rule for my slow morning routine is to simply avoid letting my kids be my alarm clock.

I stick to this same routine even on weekends; I just need that kind of structure and consistency.

Do what you can. Make it a priority.

Figure out how to get into bed 15 minutes earlier starting tonight.

Do that for a few weeks and then try to shave off another 15 minutes.

Over the course of a two to three months, you’ll likely settle into a consistent bed time that allows for more quality rest.

This is how you build a solid habit without it feeling too terribly difficult.

Take the slow and steady approach to get in shape after 40

This is the year that you’re going to get into the best shape of your life and you’re going to do it by being ruthlessly consistent with the simple basics.

Every single day, you’ll commit to doing something for each pillar:

I. Nutrition
II. Mindfulness
III. Sleep
IV. and Exercise

Think of it like your “daily dose” of healthy habits to get in shape after 40.

Understand that this is not some plug-and-play, done-for-you, 12-week program like P90X.

It’s a lifestyle approach that you’ll have to test and tweak to your liking.

But doing so makes it more sustainable and enjoyable because you’re the one designing it.

I just gave you the simple rules you must follow along the way.

Side note: Wanna feel old? Well … P90X just turned 20. And yet it’s creator, Tony Horton is out here looking fantastic for a dude who’s almost 70 years old. It shows the power of getting and staying in shape.

Here’s the basic framework:

• Move your body with some form of exercise (ex: walking, strength training, yoga, cardio, mobility)
• Eat at least one balanced meal per day follow the 3Ps and eventually try to get up to the 3-4 total plates per day (protein, plants and properly portioned)
• Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep by committing to a consistent bedtime and wake up time every single day
• Manage your stress by finding mindfulness practices (journal, meditation) and incorporating more fun things into your day

Test things.

See how you feel with three balanced plates per day and one or two snacks.

Or maybe four balanced plates and one snack. (never eat fewer than three balanced plates per day, though).

See if you can make strength gains with training once or twice per week.

Or maybe test how you feel by adding a tad more volume.

I’ve given you the structure, you now know the basic rules to follow.

Now it’s up to you to take this knowledge, apply it, have fun with it and then get in the best shape of your life.

Let’s fuggin go.

I hope you found this useful. If so, I’d appreciate it if you sent this newsletter to one person you think would benefit from my writing today.

And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I answer all of my emails at pete [at] petecataldo [.] com … Hit me up with the subject line “get in shape after 40” and I’ll answer any questions you have to make this work for you.

Until next time,
Pete