The Never Too Old to Lift Podcast

Finishing a programme and not knowing what comes next is one of the most common reasons people stop training altogether. Not because they want to, but because without a clear next step, life fills the gap very quickly. In this episode, Chris Tiley takes the three principles from last week, progressive overload, variation and periodisation, and turns them into a practical framework you can use stra...

Ever finished a program and had no idea what to do next? Or followed a plan without really understanding why it was built the way it was? You're not alone. A lot of people are great at following programs but feel completely lost the moment the plan runs out, or when something needs to change. And the reason is almost always the same: nobody ever explained the principles behind the program in the f...

"I do go to the gym, but I don't do deadlifts, I know they're bad for my back." Chris hears this in the clinic regularly, and in this episode, he wants to challenge it. The fear around deadlifts is completely understandable, but the belief that they're dangerous might actually be leaving your back more vulnerable, not less. In this episode, Chris covers: Why the fear around deadlifts is so common,...

Episode 52: Most women in menopause are told to walk, swim, and do Pilates. But that advice is quietly costing them their bones, their joints, and their independence. In this episode, I'm joined by Sam Palmer, a former nurse turned menopause fitness coach, who has spent years helping women over 55 navigate the physical changes that menopause brings, and why the standard fitness advice simply isn't...

One year in. 50 episodes. And one lesson stands above everything else: the biggest barrier to getting stronger after 60 isn't your age, your joints, or your fitness level. It's the belief that strength training simply isn't for you. In this episode, Chris reflects on what a year of conversations with physiotherapists, exercise psychologists, menopause specialists, and people who got started later...

Should you train through pain, or stop? As a physiotherapist, I give you a simple traffic light framework (green, amber, red) to make the right call every time. Most people over 50 either quit too early or push through the wrong pain. In this episode, I break down how to tell the difference, including why some discomfort is not just acceptable, but necessary for building stronger joints and tendon...

In this month's live Q&A, I'm answering four questions about muscle loss, getting back into training after a long break, recovery differences between men and women, and how to structure single-leg exercises efficiently. Questions Covered: Q1 (2:00): What is sarcopenia, and am I losing muscle without knowing it? I explain why sarcopenia isn't a disease that affects some people and not others; i...

From walking stick to 55kg deadlift, this is what strength training over 70 can really look like. Phil was 75 years old when he first came to see me. He had two serious knee injuries (2016 and 2018), no gym history whatsoever, and no expectations beyond getting a bit of help calming his knees down. He was using a walking stick regularly, couldn't kneel down, and had given up on his garden for two...

One in two women over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. One in five men. Not might — will. And yet most people walking around right now have no idea their bones are quietly becoming more fragile. No symptoms, no warning, until there is one. In this episode, Chris explains what osteoporosis actually is, why the stakes are higher than most people realise,...

You don't need a complicated gym routine to get stronger after 60. Just three exercises, twice a week, about 20 minutes — and that's genuinely it. In this episode, I break down the only three exercises you need to start strength training as a beginner over 50, 60, or 70: the goblet squat (or sit-to-stand), the Romanian deadlift, and the overhead press. These cover the movement patterns you use eve...

Here's the confusing part about strength training: you don't actually get stronger IN the gym. You get stronger during recovery. The gym creates the stimulus. Recovery is where your body adapts and builds strength. But most people get rest wrong, either not resting enough (training every day, rushing between sets) or resting too much (waiting a week between sessions, avoiding the gym). In this epi...

🎙️ Episode 44: Welcome to the March monthly live Q&A podcast episode! Today I'm answering your questions about finding time to train, osteoporosis exercise strategies, working around arthritic knee pain, and whether daily stair climbing counts as effective strength training. 🎯 Questions Answered in This Episode: 1. "I'm struggling to find time to train - can I do just 1-2 exercises daily unti...

🎙️ Episode 43: You Don't Get Ready First - You Get Ready BY Starting "I need to get a bit stronger before I start strength training." It's like saying you need to be good at swimming before you'll go in the pool. It doesn't make sense, yet this belief keeps thousands of people stuck for months, even years. In this episode, Chris breaks down: Where this belief comes from (school PE, gym culture, an...

🎙️ Episode 42: Spring is just around the corner, and if you're already planning garden projects, this episode is essential listening. The problem isn't whether you CAN garden – it's whether you can do it without being exhausted and suffering for three days afterwards. In this episode, Chris breaks down the research showing that healthy older adults use 75-85% of their maximum capacity just doing e...

🎙️ Episode 41: Welcome to the February monthly live Q&A podcast episode! Today I'm answering your questions about getting started with strength training as an older adult, including shoulder limitations, medical conditions, training with partners at different levels, rest periods, and vegetarian protein sources. 🎯 Questions Answered in This Episode: "My shoulder limits me from doing back squa...

🎙️ Episode 40: Can you build strength and lose fat after menopause? Award-winning menopause nutritionist, Jackie Lynch, says yes, with the right nutrition approach. In this comprehensive guide, Jackie (author of "The Happy Menopause" and host of The Happy Menopause Podcast) reveals why menopause changes everything nutritionally and what to do about it. You'll learn her simple "fist-size portions"...

🎙️ Episode 39: Is strength training safe after 60? Can you do it at home? What exercises should you choose? In this comprehensive Q&A episode, physiotherapist Chris Tiley answers the 13 most common questions about strength training for older adults. Whether you're worried about arthritis, confused about equipment, or just don't know where to start, you'll get practical, clinical advice you can...

🎙️ Episode 38: What if the biggest barrier to getting stronger isn't your age, your fitness level, or even your access to a gym? It's the belief that strength training "isn't for people like you." In this special episode, you'll hear from 7 people who thought exactly that – and transformed their lives anyway. Plus, 8 experts who'll explain why everything you think you know about getting older and...

🎙️ Episode 37: Most people who start strength training as a New Year's resolution don't quit because they're lazy. They quit because they hit their first barrier without a plan for how to adapt around it. In this live Q&A session, I answer the questions that stop people in their tracks during those crucial first few weeks - so when you hit those problems, you've got a plan to keep going instea...

🎙️ Episode 36: 💪 START YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING JOURNEY TODAY 📚 Free Strength Training Ebook: https://nevertoooldtolift.com/ebook 🎥 Free 1-Hour Masterclass: https://nevertoooldtolift.com/masterclass Starting strength training as an older adult isn't easy. There are barriers and challenges that younger people simply don't face - from limiting beliefs and past negative experiences to physical restr...

🎙️ Episode 35: Getting ready for your ski holiday? These 7 essential strength exercises/movement patterns will help you stay injury-free and ski with confidence, no matter your age. In this episode, I break down the exact ski preparation exercises that build the leg strength, balance, and mobility older adults need for safe, enjoyable skiing. Whether you're over 50, 60, or beyond, these movements...

🎙️ Episode 34: Welcome to the December Live Q&A Episode of The Never Too Old Podcast, where I help you set yourself up for success with your New Year's Resolution of becoming stronger, plus I answer listener questions about hip arthritis management, overcoming fear of deadlifts, and more. 🎯 What You'll Learn: In this comprehensive session, I tackle the biggest mistake people make with New Yea...

🎙️ Episode 33:  Strength training during cancer treatment? Absolutely.  In this powerful episode, physiotherapist Sarah Marsh shares why exercise—particularly strength training—is emerging as "exercise medicine" for oncology patients, and why 85-90% of people who stop exercising after their diagnosis should reconsider. Sarah reveals the surprising science behind how strength training cha...

🎙️ Episode 32: Should older adults do isolation exercises or stick with functional movement patterns? As a physiotherapist, I explain when isolation exercises (bicep curls, leg extensions, hamstring curls,etc) are actually beneficial vs. when compound movements work better. This will help if you're dealing with knee pain, shoulder issues, or want to know how to use gym machines safely. Learn how t...

🎙️ Episode 31: In this episode, Dustin Jones challenges conventional wisdom about strength training for older adults. He reveals why preparing for an inevitable fall in the future is more valuable than simply trying to prevent them.  In this episode, we explore: - Why "one rep max living" is exhausting for older adults. - The four phases of falling - and why learning to fall safely might be m...