I started lifting weights at 15. Hauling dumbbells home from a council cleanup to build my backyard gym. Over the years, my collection grew, and after high school, I joined a gym during a youth exchange. By my first year of uni, I was working in a commercial gym.

Back then, after five years of lifting, I was young, naive, and quick to judge. I saw clients struggling to show up or perform certain moves and labeled them “lazy.” I’d hear, “Just wait until you’re my age,” and scoff, thinking they’d simply failed to take care of themselves.

(Don’t I sound like a great guy!)

Oh, how you don’t know what you don’t know.

One of the things I’m unfortunately waking up to now is the – “just wait until you get to my age reality”

I’m only 38 so many of you will still be thinking – “you just wait son!”

Now, at 38, I’m starting to understand. Despite two decades of consistent effort, prioritising mobility, flexibility, form, sleep, nutrition, and health injuries that once healed in days or weeks now linger. They overstay their welcome, testing my patience.

As much as they’ve been frustrating I do my best to keep going and modify.

As tempting as it sometimes is stopping is the enemy. A trap that leads to muscle loss, deconditioning and a steeper decline. As Paul says – he’d rather be strong and injured that weak and injured.

I guess the reality is I’ve climbed the mountain now I’m on the way back down. My job now is to pace myself, stay resilient, and keep the brakes on for as long as possible.

I hope you choose to keep moving, too – because the real victory is in never stopping.

PS – Give me a slap if you ever see me not taking this advice 😉

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