Why You Should Add an Athletic Task to Every Workout – at Any Age

As a trainer, one of my core goals is to help my clients not only get stronger, but to stay capable and athletic as they age. Strength and muscle mass are incredibly important for health and longevity—but we also need to be able to use that strength in real-life situations.

That’s where the idea of including an athletic task in every training session comes in. It’s a small but powerful addition to your workouts that trains your body to move with purpose, stay reactive, and function well in everyday life.

This concept is heavily inspired by longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia, who coined the idea of training for the Centenarian Olympics—the everyday physical tasks you’ll want to be able to do well into your 80s and 90s, like getting off the floor or carrying a suitcase up the stairs.

Why Athleticism Still Matters After 40 (and 50, 60, and beyond)

Many great coaches, like Dan John and Charles Poliquin, have said that power is the first physical quality we lose with age. That’s why it’s so important to train movements that involve speed, coordination, balance, and intent—not just heavy lifting.

Whether it’s a quick hop, a hard sled push, or carrying weight while walking, these movements improve your ability to move well and respond to the unexpected. They help protect against falls, improve confidence in your movement, and keep your nervous system sharp.

How It Works: One Athletic Task per Workout

In each of my clients’ resistance training sessions, we include one athletic task. Together we can modify or scale the task based on ability level, goals, and what equipment we have available. This list is not exhaustive—there are plenty of other variations and drills we can use—but it’s a great starting point to keep training interesting, functional, and effective.

Athletic Task	How to Scale or Prescribe
Vertical Jumps	Hop in place or jump to a low box. 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps. Max effort, soft landings.
Broad Jumps	Start from a standstill. Focus on hip extension. 3 x 3–5 reps.
Lateral Jumps	Jump side-to-side over a line or cone. 3 x 5/side. Builds ankle/knee resilience.
Sled Push (Forward)	4 x 10–20 meters. Moderate to heavy load. Boosts power and gait strength.
Lateral Sled Push	3 x 10 meters/side. Lighter weight. Great for hips and knees.
Farmer’s Carry (Flat)	3 x 50 meters with ~50% bodyweight in each hand. Builds grip and core.
Farmer’s Carry (Stairs)	2–3 rounds up/down 1–2 flights of stairs, 25–40% bodyweight in each hand.
Boxing Drills	3–5 rounds of 2–3 min. Shadow boxing or bag work. Improves cardio and timing.
Skipping Rope	3–5 rounds of 1–2 min. Light on your feet, great for rhythm and calf health.
Kettlebell Swings	3 x 10–15 reps. Builds hip drive and endurance.

It’s Not Just Physical—It’s Mental Too

I also believe in training your mental grit. Author Michael Easter talks about “burn the ships” workouts—those sessions where you step outside your comfort zone and test your limits. Even if it’s just one hard round of sleds or a challenging carry, pushing yourself in this way builds confidence and resilience, both in the gym and in life.

Coaches like Christian Thibaudeau and Kelly Starrett emphasize how important this kind of training is for building not only strength, but control, awareness, and neurological coordination.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to train like an elite athlete to benefit from athletic training. The goal is to move well, stay strong, and feel capable doing the things you love—whether that’s hiking, playing with your kids, or simply being independent as you get older.

By incorporating one athletic task per session, we’ll be working on the physical qualities that matter most for long-term health and real-life performance.

Strong is good. Athletic is better. Capable is best.