This is the weekly workout routine a trainer has been following since he turned 40 to find joy in exercise

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.

Ed Gemdjian has been in the fitness industry for 20 years and his training style has changed significantly over that time.

“Since I turned 40, my goal has just been to be healthy enough and move well enough to jump into anything that seems like fun,” says Gemdjian.

He’s currently the general manager at The Gym Venice, which specializes in training people over 40, but his personal workout regimen is all about sustainable movement.

“I guess you could call it functional training, but functional for life, like just being able to jump in whatever seems like a good time,” he tells Fit&Well.

“I literally learned to play squash about a year ago and just jumped into a lesson, had a great time, and then did a tournament the next week and had a fun time doing it.”

Adopting this approach means that he can also keep up with his kid and teach regular jiujitsu classes—here’s what a week of training looks like for him.

Ed Gemdjian's weekly workout routine

Monday
Rest day
Focus: Recovery and stretching

Tuesday 10am
Strength training
Focus: Controlled eccentric and dynamic concentric movements (pairing slow, controlled lowering movements with fast, explosive lifting movements)

Tuesday 5pm
Coaching a jiujitsu class

Wednesday
Rest day
Focus: Recovery and mobility exercises

Thursday 10am
45-minute strength training session
Focus: functional free weights workout

Thursday 5pm
75-minute jiujitsu class

Friday 10am
30-minute strength workout
Focus: Accessory exercises, focusing on smaller muscles and muscle groups

Saturday 12pm
MMA class and sparring

Sunday 10am
Teaching a jiujitsu class

Five tips on how to build a sustainable exercise routine as you age

1. Take extra recovery days

You might notice that Gemdjian often incorporates two workouts into one day—this isn't a coincidence.

“Since I've gotten older, my body needs a little bit more time to recover,” he explains.

“Instead of doing one workout each day, my body actually tends to respond better by giving myself some extra days off, and occasionally doing two workouts in a day.”

2. Focus on controlled movements when strength training

Gemdjian says that focusing on the tempo of your movements is especially important if you’re strength training over 40.

He explains that slowing down the eccentric phase of a movement—which is typically the lowering phase, such as when you lower the weight during a deadlift—can help activate stabilizer muscles around your joints.

Keeping these muscles strong and stable helps your joints stay healthy and lowers your risk of injuries.

Moving quickly during the eccentric phase of movement—typically the lifting phase of an exercise, such as when you pick up the weight during a deadlift—can help you get better at recruiting muscles at speed.

"Practicing being able to pick a weight up off the ground quickly and then being able to control it back down can be really helpful with sports, but also just for everyday life and doing unpredictable things,” says Gemdjian.

“If you have a dog at home, if you have a child at home, if you have anything that's going to move in an unpredictable way, this is a good way to manage that risk.”

3. Incorporate an optional session

Gemdjian's Friday workout is optional, depending on his energy levels.

“If I feel overworked or if I need an extra recovery day, I'll just drop that session,” he explains.

The first two workouts in his week focus on large muscles and multi-joint moves, which he says are more important for his health.

The Friday strength workout features accessory moves, which focus on smaller muscles.

“This can certainly be helpful [...] because it works those smaller joints that need a little bit more work and stability. But if I were to miss a workout, that would be the one, because each one of those muscles gets some work in the other two sessions,” the trainer explains.

4. Try a personal trainer

“I am one of those people that absolutely needs someone to help me with motivation, help me with expertise, help me with consistency and accountability,” says Gemdjian.

If this sounds familiar, you might want to invest in a personal trainer—even one session could be beneficial.

“That'll give you the comfort and the confidence to exercise on your own, but also some education, in case you need to learn how to perform exercises correctly,” the trainer adds.

5. Set a goal that isn't about changing your appearance

Gemdjian says that he’s found it helpful to have a goal that’s not focused on aesthetics.

“We all want to burn a little fat, we all want to gain a little muscle, and that's fine, but I find that those things happen anyway, when you have a bigger goal.”

This might be signing up to a race, lifting a certain weight or being able to perform a difficult exercise.