Ep. #559 | What I Would Teach My 35-Year Old Self About Working Out

By Jenn Pike | February 9, 2026

In this episode, I’m sharing exactly what I would do differently if I could go back and train my 35-year-old self. This one’s packed with practical advice for women 35+ who want to build real, lasting strength.

Key Topics:

The Mindset Shift

  • Why training smarter beats training harder every time
  • Moving beyond aesthetic-only goals to functional strength that serves you for decades
  • The importance of being a lifelong student of your own body

The Two Most Neglected Movement Patterns

  • Hip hinging: deadlifts, good mornings, hip thrusts – and why your lower back pain might be telling you something
  • Upper body strength: why you can’t skip it (and no, you won’t get bulky)

My Ideal Training Splits for Women 35+

Option A: 4-Day Upper/Lower Split

  • Monday: Lower body (hinge-focused)
  • Tuesday: Upper body (push/pull)
  • Wednesday: Rest/walk/mobility
  • Thursday: Lower body OR The Body (Pilates/barre fusion)
  • Friday: Upper body
  • Weekend: Rest or additional lower body

Option B: 3-Day Full Body Split

  • Day 1: Full body (hinge + pull emphasis)
  • Day 2: Rest/cardio/mobility
  • Day 3: Full body (squat + push emphasis)
  • Day 4: Rest
  • Day 5: Full body (posterior chain emphasis)

Sets, Reps & Real Talk

  • 3-4 working sets (after warmup sets!)
  • 6-10 reps for main lifts, 10-15 for accessories
  • Why your first set doesn’t count
  • Training to failure vs. training to form collapse

What to Stop Doing

  • Endless circuits that leave you exhausted
  • Prioritizing cardio over strength when your goal is body composition
  • Changing programs every few weeks out of impatience
  • Letting the scale dictate your worth

The Cardio Question

  • Daily walking (8-12K steps)
  • 1-2 short metabolic finishers per week (8-12 minutes max)
  • Zone 2 cardio for recovery, not depletion

Let’s dive in!

Thank you for joining us today. If you could rate, review & subscribe, it would mean the world to me! While you’re at it, take a screenshot and tag me @jennpike to share on Instagram – I’ll re-share that baby out to the community & once a month I’ll be doing a draw from those re-shares and send the winner something special!

Click here to listen:

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This episode is sponsored by:

  • withinUs | Use the code JENNPIKE20 at withinus.ca for a limited time to save 20% off your order
  • St. Francis | Go to stfrancisherbfarm.com and save 15% off your all your orders with code JENNPIKE15 
  • Eversio Wellness | Go to eversiowellness.com/discount/jennpike15 and save 15% off every order with code JENNPIKE15 /// not available for “subscribe & save” option

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Have a question? Send it over to hello@jennpike.com and I’ll do my best to share helpful insights, thoughts and advice.

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