
How Hard Should You Really Be Lifting After 40? | Ep 485
From Wits & Weights | Strength Training & Fat Loss Over 40 by Philip Pape | Strength Training & Fat Loss Over 40
July 13, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 485
About this episode
The episode discusses how lifters over 40 often misjudge their training intensity and the importance of training close to failure for muscle growth.
How hard are you REALLY training? Is it enough to build muscle? Most lifters believe they are stopping a rep or two short of failure, when the real gap is far wider, and it often stalls muscle and strength. Learn about the research on proximity to failure and how badly we misjudge our own effort, including predicting reps to failure and how close to failure you need to train to build muscle. We get into why the common advice to leave reps in reserve backfires for people who picked up strength...
People in this episode
Host: Philip Pape
Topics covered
- lifting after 40
- muscle building
- training intensity
- proximity to failure
- strength training
- effort misjudgment
Keywords
- lifting
- muscle
- strength
- failure
- training
- effort
- reps
- nutrition
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