Remember Trevor from yesterday?
Great friend since grade five. Got back into heavy workouts after years away. Same routines from decades ago. Heavy lifts. Explosive movements. No warm-up. He was getting worse, not better.
I watched it happen. I used to be a ski instructor and played rugby all four years at uni. I know what a body can handle.
And I know when it can't anymore. Trevor's body was screaming at him. He just wasn't listening.
Here's what I told him.
The problem was never motivation. Trevor had plenty of that.
The problem was that he was using a 25-year-old playbook on a body that had changed.
Your joints aren't the same. Your recovery isn't the same. Your risk tolerance shouldn't be the same either.
But nobody sits you down and explains that. You just get hurt and feel old.
So I gave Trevor a prompt. I told him to open it up, fill in his real details, and let AI build him a plan that actually fits where his body is right now. Not where it was in 1998.
The Prompt
I am [age] years old and want to get back into exercise after [time away].
Here is what I used to do: [describe old routine — types of exercises, intensity, frequency].
Here are my current physical limitations or concerns: [list any injuries, joint issues, mobility problems, or health conditions].
My goals are: [what I want to achieve — strength, flexibility, endurance, weight loss, injury prevention].
Based on my age and history, create a safe 4-week starter plan that:
1. Adjusts intensity for someone returning after time away
2. Includes proper warm-up and cool-down for every session
3. Flags any exercises I should avoid or modify
4. Builds gradually — no week should jump more than 10-15% in effort
5. Tells me warning signs to stop and consult a doctor
Who Can Use This
A 58-year-old retired electrician who wants to get back into weightlifting but has a bad shoulder from years on the job.
A 52-year-old teacher who used to run half marathons and wants to start again after knee surgery.
A 63-year-old small business owner who hasn't done anything physical in five years and just wants to feel stronger getting out of a chair.
A 47-year-old nurse working 12-hour shifts who needs a routine that doesn't wreck her back.
Digital Brain Check Tested in Gemini and Claude.
Both LLMs immediately recognized the template and organized their responses around all five safety requirements — warm-up protocols, gradual progression, exercise modifications, warning signs, and the medical disclaimer.
Gemini went deeper on the intake process.
Claude structured its response with clear visual formatting.
Both included a strong "consult your doctor" disclaimer without being asked. Overall validity: 93%.
What Happened to Trevor
Trevor ran the prompt that same night.
He filled in everything. The old rugby injuries. The knee that clicks. The fact that he hadn't done a real warm-up since the early 2000s.
Gemini came back with a 4-week plan that started with mobility work and bodyweight movements. No barbell until week three. Every session had a 10-minute warm-up built in. It flagged explosive box jumps as a no-go. It told him to swap heavy deadlifts for Romanian deadlifts at half the weight.
Trevor called me two weeks in. Said he felt better than he had in months. Not because he was lifting more. Because nothing hurt. I told him that's the whole point. The goal isn't to feel 25 again. The goal is to feel good at the age you actually are.
He's still at it. Four months now. No injuries.
That's what happens when you stop guessing and start asking.
Hit reply and tell me — what exercise did you used to do that your body can't handle anymore?**
I read every reply.
Until next issue,
Stay in Win Mode!
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