Christian McCaffrey has spent his NFL career training to be faster, stronger, and harder to bring down. But as the San Francisco 49ers running back has gotten older, his approach has shifted toward something increasingly relevant to men over 40: preserving the physical qualities that can help you stay capable as you age.
New research gives that idea some weight. In a 2026 study of more than 13,000 older adults published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found that higher physical fitness was associated with lower risk of death, with balance and agility, lower-body strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness showing particularly strong associations.
“Move every day,” McCaffrey, co-founder of while on earth, tells Men’s Journal. “You don’t need to spend hours in the gym. What you need is a routine that keeps you consistent, keeps you strong, and keeps you feeling athletic.”
Related: I’m a Trainer: The Secret to Staying Powerful After 40 Isn’t Lifting Heavier
McCaffrey Says Strength Still Matters After 40
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For guys over 40, McCaffrey puts resistance training near the top of the list.
“Lean muscle mass is one of the biggest predictors of health as you age, so focus on resistance and weight training if nothing else,” he says. “Maintaining mobility and balance is also key.”
The larger message tracks with established exercise guidance. The CDC recommends that adults perform muscle-strengthening activity at least twice weekly. An NSCA position statement also concludes that resistance training can counter age-related losses in muscle strength and mass while supporting physical function.
His Training Has Shifted From More to Better
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McCaffrey hasn’t stopped training hard. He’s become more deliberate about what his body can handle.
“Today, I pay closer attention to movement quality, recovery, mobility, and how my body is responding,” he says. “I still train just as hard, but I’m smarter about managing volume.”
His training emphasizes acceleration, deceleration, footwork, landing mechanics and full ranges of motion. That philosophy also shaped the CMC trainer from while on earth, which McCaffrey says was designed for speed work, strength training, conditioning and movement sessions.
Related: The Real Secret to Visible Abs After 40 Isn’t More Sit-Ups
What Men Over 40 Can Do to Manage Aging
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You don’t need McCaffrey’s workload to borrow his principles.
- Lift at least twice weekly. Research supports two sessions as a solid baseline, while four weekly workouts can make it easier to spread out your training volume.
- Keep moving. Walking, conditioning and other daily activity can help turn exercise into a repeatable habit. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly.
- Train movement, not just muscle. Include mobility, balance and, when appropriate for your fitness level, controlled explosive movements to preserve athleticism.
- Protect recovery. McCaffrey prioritizes sleep, nutrition, mobility and soft-tissue work. But one stands above everything else: “Sleep is number one though, and it’s not even close.”
The principle tying it together is consistency. “It’s a commitment of stacking quality days over and over,” McCaffrey says.
Source: Life – Fitness – mensjournal
