Jeff Cavaliere Shares The Only 10 Exercises You Need for Life After 40

ATHLEAN-X founder Jeff Cavaliere doesn’t just train to look good; functionality and longevity are also priorities. In his latest endeavor shared via YouTube on September 8, 2025, he broke down the 10 exercises he’d perform for a lifetime over the age of 40. 

With over 14.1 million YouTube subscribers, Cavaliere’s long been an authority on fitness and muscle building. His science-based approach to health and wellness has helped individuals achieve their physique goals. While mobility and strength can fall by the wayside as we get older, Cavaliere is offering a solution to help anyone age gracefully. 

Jeff Cavaliere’s 10 Exercises for Life Over the Age of 40 

Find an overview of his selections from the video below: 

1. Box Squat 
2. Reverse Lunge 
3. 30º Incline Bench Press 
4. High Pull 
5. Pullups 
6. Seated Cable Row 
7. Barbell Curl 
8. Lying Triceps Extension 
9. Pullthough 
10. Facepull 

Box Squat 

Cavaliere’s first exercise was the box squat, which allows lifters to focus on hip hinging, an essential aspect of longevity. 

“The box does something very special: the box gives you that target point — so initially, just as you start the rep, if you’re not performing the exercise properly by having some available hinge in your hips, this is going to force you to do that.” 

Reverse Lunge 

The reverse lunge builds the lower body while taking strain off the knees, unlike the traditional lunge. 

“Now, there’s a big difference between the reverse lunge and a regular forward stepping lunge, and that has to do with it how it feels on your knees. I can tell you as someone who has dealt with a lot of knee pain, this is going to be a game-changer if you find yourself in the same boat. Stepping backwards takes away almost all of it.” 

30º Incline Bench Press 

He stuck with the dumbbell incline bench press, an option he said saves your shoulders more than the barbell. 

“A dumbbell bench press over a barbell variation every day of the week because I feel like it’s a lot easier on your joints, particularly your shoulders. And with a dumbbell bench press, you can still weight this exercise adequately to get that overload needed to provide the change you’re looking for.” 

High Pull 

To effectively target the middle delts, Cavaliere favors a high pull over an upright row. 

“It’s going to target the shoulders and target more of those middle deltoids; it’s going to be the high pull. It’s not just the middle delts, but also, importantly, the rear delts. This pull occurs from bottom to top, and it’s not an upright row,” he said. 

Pullups 

He credited the pullup as the ultimate measuring stick and said if you can’t perform them, start with an assisted variation. 

“The pullup is that ultimate measuring stick: it’s not easy, but it doesn’t mean that it should be forgotten. If you couldn’t do any, you’d just use assisted variations of the exercise.” 

Seated Cable Row 

Preserving the lower back is critical for those over 40, leading Cavaliere to include seated cable rows as his sixth exercise. 

“When you do this variation of a row versus a standing barbell row, I can accommodate anybody out there that has low back issues or pain. By doing this variation, I’m not going to have to deal with that, or I’m not going to have that low back weakness become a limiting factor in being able to do this row.” 

Barbell Curl 

The barbell curl isn’t just for biceps gains; it also progressively strengthens the wrist tendons, which can translate to other lifts. 

“I’m talking about specifically doing barbell curls now until the end of time. It’s something you should be able to do forever. The barbell curl does require some wrist mobility, but it’s no wrist mobility that you shouldn’t already have. If you don’t have that wrist mobility, then you should figure out a way to regain that.” 

Lying Triceps Extension 

He named the lying triceps extension next, pointing to its impact on shoulder mobility. 

“Use this exercise to establish a progressively deeper stretch. You don’t have to start by having great shoulder mobility, but as you continue to do this exercise for years to come, you’ll improve your shoulder overhead ability.” 

Pullthrough 

This was Cavaliere’s second hip-hinge option to strengthen the glutes so the low back doesn’t compensate unnecessarily. 

“It teaches the all-important hinge. The hip hinge is going to be your ticket to a pain-free low back for the rest of your life. Because if you can allow the glutes to drive hip extension, then your low back won’t be trying to do it all the time and do the job that the glutes aren’t doing for you right now.” 

Facepulls 

Lastly, Cavaliere’s favorite facepulls earned a spot on his list. He emphasized that they hit muscles in the back that are rarely stimulated by workouts. 

“The reason why I stress the facepull being so important is because it hits so many muscles that tend to get almost zero attention in any comprehensive training program. When we look at the facepull, it replaces a lot of those pink dumbbell exercises.” 

Longevity has been a focal point for Cavaliere in addition to maintaining a strict strength training regimen. Between go-to stretches and exercises to boost the quality of life, he doesn’t underestimate the benefits of flexibility and movement as we age. 

Cavaliere believes these 10 exercises together are the perfect recipe for longevity and strength after 40. With consistency and adherence, anyone can stay fully functional and fit under his guidance. 

RELATED: Jeff Cavaliere Explains How to Train for Size vs Strength

Watch the full video from the ATHLEAN-X YouTube channel below: 

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