
Fitter After 40: Strength, Tendons & Recovery | Chris Ryan
From Mere Mortals Conversations by Kyrin Down & Juan Granados
May 16, 2026 · 53 min
About this episode
Chris Ryan discusses the importance of intelligent effort in fitness as one ages.
At some point, the body sends you the invoice. In this episode of the Mere Mortals Podcast , I sit down with Chris Ryan, former Division 1 runner, fitness coach, Men’s Fitness cover model, former Mirror coach and founder of Chris Ryan Fitness, to talk about what it actually takes to stay strong, durable and fit as you get older. The core lesson: fitness is not just about effort. It is about intelligent effort, repeated long enough to become identity. Connect With Chris Ryan Website: https://chrisryanfitness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisryanfitness YouTube: Search “Chris Ryan Fitness” App: Search “Chris Ryan Fitness” in the App Store or Google Play 00:00 - Welcome to Mere Mortals 00:24 - Who is Chris Ryan? 00:42 - From sport to Division 1 running 01:26 - Why the 800m teaches toughness 02:26 - From athlete to fitness coach 02:48 - Men’s Fitness, NBC Strong and Mirror 03:15 - Mirror, Lululemon and building an app 04:41 - Why men learn about tendons too late 06:00 - Prehab beats rehab 07:09 - Why tendons need smart loading 08:16 - Marathon training mistakes 09:30 - The hidden cost of running on hard surfaces 10:00 - Why elite runners avoid too much pavement…
People in this episode
Hosts: Kyrin Down, Juan Granados
Guest: Chris Ryan
Topics covered
- fitness
- aging
- strength training
- recovery
- tendons
- intelligent effort
Keywords
- fitness after 40
- strength
- tendons
- recovery
- intelligent effort
- running
- coaching
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Men’s Fitness, Chris Ryan Fitness, NBC, Lululemon, Mirror
Products: Chris Ryan Fitness
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