16/10/2026
You’re in your forties. You train hard, you eat reasonably well, and you’re starting to notice things are just... a little bit harder than they used to be.
Here’s something most athletes don’t realise: you’ve probably already lost some muscle mass and had no idea. By your forties it’s less than 1%. But by your fifties, we’re talking 5%. And it only accelerates from there.
That’s not doom and gloom. That’s a very clear action item.
Joe Friel, author of Fast After 50 and one of the most respected endurance coaches in the world, breaks it down perfectly. The goal isn’t big bulging muscles. You’re a triathlete, not a bodybuilder. What you need is aerobic muscle mass, the slow twitch fibre that keeps you strong, efficient and racing well into your later years.
And the way you maintain it doesn’t happen overnight. Strength training, done right, periodised properly and positioned correctly in your training week, is what protects your performance as you age.
This week’s episode is a rewind to one of my all-time favourite conversations and honestly, if you’ve heard it before, give it another listen because there is so much gold packed in there. Joe also covers VO2 max decline, recovery, the nine-day training week, polarised training and the one thing masters athletes almost universally get wrong.
Comment 🎙️ and I’ll send you the link to tune in.
