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BUILT DIFFERENT OPEN

659 members • Free

22 contributions to BUILT DIFFERENT OPEN
Shoulders are the most vulnerable joint in the gym for men over 40.
And most men are destroying them without even realising it. The barbell press behind the neck. The machine press that locks you into one fixed path. Snatching the weight up without controlling the eccentric. Going too heavy and losing the ability to feel what you're actually supposed to be training. I've had shoulder issues. I know exactly what it costs to ignore the signals your body is sending you in that joint. And I'll tell you right now, no rep is worth a rotator cuff tear. Here's how I approach shoulder training. Dumbbells only. Thumbs on the outside, weight sitting on my hand like a shelf, not gripped tight. I position the dumbbell out slightly at an angle so I'm not locked in behind my head the way a barbell forces you to be. That alone takes the stress off the shoulder joint and lets me actually engage the muscle I'm trying to build. I start at 10 pounds. Walk my way up the rack. First set is 16 to 18 reps, just getting the blood in there, getting locked in, finding that zone. I don't lock out at the top. I control the weight on the way down just as hard as I push it on the way up. By the time I'm four sets in I've got a pump in my shoulders that proves heavier weight was never the point. Take care of your shoulders now. The men who respect this joint at 50 are the ones still training hard at 70. How are your shoulders holding up, and have you had to change your training around them? Drop it below. 👇
4 likes • 11d
After 9 months shoulder unjury including pt, this is right on. Oh EGO. When it comes to ego common sense isn't common.
1 like • 10d
Well my newest injury is IT band. Knee hurts like the devil and locks up. Old age is not for sissies.
Let me ask you something most men won't admit out loud.
How much is alcohol actually costing you? Not in dollars. In results. I see it constantly. Men in this community training hard, eating reasonably well, doing everything right , and then wondering why the scale isn't moving, why recovery feels off, why sleep isn't restoring them. A lot of the time the answer is in the glass. Alcohol after 40 hits differently. It disrupts your sleep architecture, you might be in bed eight hours and still waking up unrecovered. It spikes inflammation, which is already elevated as we age. It tanks testosterone. It slows metabolism. And it makes every single nutritional decision harder the next day. I'm not here to tell you never to enjoy yourself. That's not the Built Different message. But I am telling you to be honest with yourself about what it's actually doing to your results. I cut it out. Not because someone told me to, because I did the experiment myself and the difference in my recovery, my sleep, my energy, and my body composition was not subtle. That's the data. What you do with it is your choice. Be honest with me, how often are you drinking, and do you think it's affecting your progress more than you're willing to admit? Drop it below. No judgment in here. Just honesty. 👇
7 likes • 22d
I don't drink alcoholic beverages. Had a grandfather one of my favorite people was an alcoholic and everything that comes with it. Maybe most abused drug of all. I have empathy for those who get caught up it. Now my addiction might be dark chocolate 🤣
Push through
Hey guy, just want encourage you all. So many times this week I didn’t want work out. I had to tell myself push through, even though you don’t feel like it. I am determined to go forward rather than backwards.
4 likes • 27d
honestly, sometimes I blow it and then just get back on the horse and ride.
Legs.
I want to talk about something most men in this community skip. Legs. And I get it. You can't see your legs in the mirror the same way you see your chest or your arms. Nobody's impressed by your squat at 50 the way they were at 25. And if you've got bad knees or a history of lower back issues, the idea of leg day can feel more like punishment than training. But here's what I've learned, the men who neglect legs are leaving serious results on the table. Not just in how they look. In how they function. How they move. How they feel at 60, 70, and beyond. Your legs are the foundation of everything. Longevity, stability, energy, metabolism, it all connects back to having strong legs that work properly. A man who can't carry himself well as he gets older loses independence before he loses anything else. Now I'm not talking about loading up a barbell and squatting heavy until your knees give out. That's not what this community is about. I'm talking about controlled, intentional leg training that builds real functional strength without destroying your joints. Bulgarian split squats. Leg press with a full range of motion and controlled tempo. Romanian deadlifts at a weight you can actually feel. High reps, full control, no ego. Your legs deserve the same discipline you bring to every other session. What does your leg training look like right now, and is it something you prioritise or something you find yourself skipping? Drop it below. 👇
3 likes • Jul 2
I do legs 3 days a week, sometimes more when I combine with my nordic walking. It's a pretty simple routine. 40 squats goblet. 40 calf raises, 40 Tibia with kettleball each leg. Dead lift, heavy bands, farmers walk 5 minutes and various other routines combined with regular cardio weekly. The bodies 2nd heart.
Injuries or limitations
I want to talk to you guys about something I see time and time again in this community. Men come in with battle scars. Shoulder surgeries. Bad knees. Lower back that's been through it. Decades of life and hard work written all over their bodies. And then they walk into the gym and try to train like they're 25 again. I get it. The competitive instinct doesn't die. You remember what you were capable of. You want to prove to yourself more than anyone, that you still have it. But here's the reality. The men in this community who are making the best progress are not the ones training hardest. They're the ones training smartest. Lower weight. Full control. Slowing the rep down and actually feeling the muscle working rather than just moving the weight from point A to point B. That's where the growth is. That's where the longevity is. I've had shoulder surgery. I've had elbow issues. I know exactly what it costs to ignore the signals your body sends you. I made that mistake so you don't have to. You're not less of a man because you dropped the weight. You're a more disciplined one. And discipline is what Built Different is built on. What injury or limitation have you had to train around, and how did it change your approach? Drop it in the comments. 👇
6 likes • Jun 12
Always sound advise. After 2 months of PT for aa shoulder injury, I'm back to my routine again but with a few tweaks. One a little more recovery time. Focusing on consistency. Taking the time to warm up and stretch. Etc...
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Fred Larsen
4
86 points to level up
@fred-larsen-3729
74 male, retired educator

Active 7d ago
Joined Dec 18, 2025
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