Sometimes I don’t add the 5 pounds.
Even when you got all your reps.
Even when everything looked good.
Even when I’m pretty sure you could lift it.
Because the question isn’t always:
“Can you do more?”
Sometimes the better question is:
“Do we need to?”
If you’re getting stronger…
Your technique looks good…
Nothing hurts…
And you’re recovering well…
I’m in no particular hurry to make things harder just because I can.
Five pounds will still be there next week.
And probably the week after that.
Want to Get Stronger Without Guessing When to Push Harder?
Look, adding five pounds is easy.
Knowing when to add it — and when leaving the weight alone is actually the smarter move — is where coaching matters.
Because after 50, the goal isn’t to win today’s workout.
The goal is to keep getting stronger for the next 10, 20, or 30 years without constantly getting knocked backward by sore joints, nagging injuries, or a program that progresses faster than your body does.
That’s exactly what I help adults over 50 do at my private training studio in Austin.
Not Ready for Coaching Yet?
Fine. Don’t hire anybody until you’re convinced.
But don’t confuse not buying yet with not learning anything.
Start here:
- How Strength Training Progression Should Work After 50
- How to Get Stronger After 50 Without Getting Hurt
- Why Consistency Beats Constantly Pushing Harder After 50
Read those first. Then remember: the goal isn’t to see how quickly you can make your workouts harder. It’s to see how long you can keep getting stronger.
“Super knowledgeable towards the body and approaches weight loss in a realistic manner.”
Andrew Nesselroad, 5- Star Google Review
Written by Nate Stowe, NASM-CPT, NCSF-CPT, CES, TRX Certified
Nate Stowe is a personal trainer and movement specialist based in Austin, Texas, with over 16 years of experience helping adults over 50 move better, get stronger, and live pain-free. He’s the founder of Stowe Personal Training, creator of the GET STRONGER LIVE LONGER Program, and author of Revitalize at 50+, a best-selling book on strength, longevity, and reclaiming your body after middle age.
Over the past two decades, Nate’s training system has helped hundreds of everyday adults avoid surgery, reduce chronic pain, and get back to doing the things they love—without needing a medical degree or spending hours in the gym.
Don’t worry—he saves the third-person talk for bios, not your training sessions. Sixteen years in, he’s still awkward when writing about himself.
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