Forty StrongCoaching for men 40 to 55

Free 14-minute video from Dan Mercer, former physical therapist

Get stronger after 40 on three workouts a week.

For men 40 to 55 who sit at a desk all day and have a family to get home to. Watch how we add real strength and take inches off the waist in 16 weeks, without six-day splits or a crash diet.

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14:02, captions on6 chapters

“I watched it in my truck before work. Chapter three was the first time a coach showed me real numbers from a guy my age.”
Mark, 47, deadlift 185 to 315 lb in 16 weeks

In the video

0:00Why your old program stopped working. The six-day plan that got you in shape at 30 now leaves your back sore and your waist the same.
2:30The 3 numbers we track instead of the scale. Waist at the belly button, five-rep strength on three lifts, and daily protein.
5:00Two clients, week 1 to week 16. Including Mark, 47: trap bar deadlift 185 to 315, waist down 3 inches.

Dan Mercer, Columbus, OhioTwelve years as an outpatient physical therapist, mostly treating men who got hurt on programs built for 25-year-olds. Coaching online since 2019.

214men coached through the full 16 weeks

47average client age

3 x 45minutes of training a week is the plan

Forty StrongCoaching for men 40 to 55 Book a call

Here's the video. Press play, captions are on.

Why your old program stopped working, and the 16-week plan that replaces it.

0:00 / 14:02

0:00

The 14-minute video plays here as a three-minute captioned walkthrough. Keyboard: K plays or pauses, J and L skip 10 seconds, C toggles captions. On the timeline, arrow keys seek and Page Up or Page Down jump chapters.

The booking calendar opens after chapter 5, The offer (10:30).

That's where Dan covers the price and the guarantee, so the call can be about you. Already sure? You can book now.

Book a call now

Full transcript

What you get

Sixteen weeks of one-on-one coaching, built around the week you already have.

Most of the men I coach are not out of shape because they're lazy. They're out of shape because the plans they find assume ten free hours a week, perfect sleep and no kids' games on Saturday.

So we plan for three sessions of about 45 minutes, in your garage, a basement with a pair of adjustable dumbbells, or a regular gym. We eat enough protein to hold on to muscle while your waist comes down. And every week you see your numbers move, or we change the plan.

I check every client myself. There's no assistant answering your check-ins, which is why I take six new clients a month.

Book my 20-minute call with Dan

Free call by Zoom or phone. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you and give you a plan to run on your own.

Forty Strong, 16 weeksOne-on-one with Dan

Custom training planFor home or gym, three sessions a week, updated weekly in the app: Weekly
Macro coachingProtein, calories and a plan for restaurant and travel days: Weekly
Video check-in replyYou send numbers Sunday, Dan sends an 8 to 12 minute video by Tuesday: 16 videos
Bloodwork reviewDan walks through your last labs, and you take the questions to your own doctor: Weeks 1 and 16
Movement screenA 20-minute video session to find what hurts and why: Week 1

$2,400paid in full, or 4 payments of $650

The finish-line guaranteeComplete all 16 weeks of check-ins. If you haven't hit the strength and waist targets we agree on in week 1, I keep coaching you free until you do.

Client results, last 18 months

Real numbers from men with real jobs.

Every client measures the same way: waist at the belly button on Monday morning, and a top set of five on the same lifts in week 1 and week 16.

Results vary with consistency, sleep and starting point. These are typical of clients who completed all 16 check-ins, not the best we've ever had.

How a week works

Three workouts, one check-in, one video back from Dan.

On Sunday you log your waist, your top sets and your average protein in the app. It takes about five minutes.

By Tuesday you get a video from me going through your numbers, your lifting clips if you sent any, and exactly what changes this week. If your knee is cranky or you're traveling, the plan changes with it.

MonTrain, 45 min

TueDan's video

WedTrain, 45 min

ThuWalk

FriRest

SatTrain, 45 min

SunCheck-in

Week 9 check-inMark R., sent Sunday 7:42 pm

Waist39.25 indown 1.75 in

Protein, avg158 ggoal 170 g

Sessions3 of 3on plan

Trap bar deadliftwk 1: 185255 x 5
Goblet squatwk 1: 5080 x 5
Dumbbell benchwk 1: 45s60s x 5

Dan replied, 9:48Deadlift is moving well. Add 10 lb next week, keep the squat where it is until the knee settles.

Who this is for, and who it isn't.

I would rather tell you now than on the call.

A good fit if you

Are 40 to 55, sit most of the workday, and can train three times a week.
Want to be strong at 60, not just leaner by summer.
Will send a check-in every Sunday, including the bad weeks.
Have some equipment, or a gym membership you're paying for anyway.

Not for you if you

Want a six-week shred, or to lose 30 pounds by a wedding next month.
Have an injury that needs hands-on physical therapy first. I'll point you to someone good.
Don't want to track anything. The numbers are how the plan changes.
Are looking for a template. Every plan here is written for one person.

Coach: Dan Mercer, 48
Before coaching: 12 years in outpatient physical therapy, Columbus, Ohio
Home setup: Garage gym, two teenagers, one very old Labrador

I spent twelve years fixing the injuries. Now I write the programs.

My clinic saw the same patient every week. A guy in his mid-forties, a good job, a family, who decided to get back in shape and picked a plan written for a college athlete. Six weeks later he was on my table with a tweaked back.

The fix was never to stop training. It was fewer sessions, better exercise choices, loads that go up a little every week, and enough protein and sleep to recover. That's all Forty Strong is, done one-on-one, with the numbers written down.

Dan Mercer

Questions men ask before the call

I have a bad back (or knee, or shoulder). Can I still do this?

Usually, yes. Most of my clients arrive with something. We screen it in week 1, pick exercises that load it safely, and build from there. If it needs hands-on treatment first, I'll tell you on the call and help you find a local PT.

What equipment do I need?

A pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench is enough to start. A barbell or a gym membership opens up more options. I write the plan for what you have, and it changes if you travel or add equipment.

How much time does it take each week?

Three sessions of about 45 minutes, a five-minute check-in on Sunday, and roughly ten minutes to watch my video reply. Walking on off days is encouraged but optional.

Why do you ask for bloodwork?

It's optional. If you have recent labs, I'll go over lipids, glucose markers and vitamin D with you so you can have a better conversation with your own doctor. I don't diagnose or prescribe, and your doctor has the final word.

What happens on the call?

Twenty minutes. We look at where you are now, what's gotten in the way before, and the plan I'd write for you. If coaching makes sense, I'll explain how to start. If it doesn't, I'll say so and you'll leave with a three-workout plan anyway.

How does the payment plan work?

$2,400 paid in full, or four payments of $650 taken every four weeks. The payment plan costs $200 more in total, which covers card fees and the admin.

What if I don't hit my targets?

If you complete all 16 weekly check-ins and haven't hit the strength and waist targets we agreed on in week 1, I keep coaching you at no cost until you do. The targets are set to be realistic for your starting point, and they're written into your plan so there's no argument later.

Book a 20-minute call and see what 16 weeks would look like for you.

Evening and Saturday morning times. You'll answer four short questions first so Dan comes prepared.

Book my 20-minute call with Dan

$2,400 or 4 payments of $650 if you join. The call itself is free.

Forty StrongCoaching for men 40 to 55

Book your 20-minute call with Dan.

Four quick questions, then pick a time. Dan reads your answers before the call, so the 20 minutes are about your plan, not small talk.

20 minutes, one-on-one with Dan Mercer

Zoom or phone, your choice. The link comes by email.

You leave with a three-workout plan, whether you join or not

I almost didn't book because I figured it would be a sales pitch. Dan spent most of the call on my shoulder and my schedule.
Andre, 50, sales director, client since March

How are you training right now?

Not training at the moment Once or twice a week Three or more times a week

What matters most over the next 16 weeks?

Lose inches off my waist Get stronger Both, equally Train without my back or knee flaring up

What has gotten in the way before? One or two sentences is plenty. Travel, sleep, an old injury, lost motivation after week 3.

If Dan thinks it's a fit, are you able to invest $2,400 (or 4 payments of $650)?An honest answer helps Dan plan the call. Either answer still gets you a call.

Yes, if it's the right fit Not right now

Forty StrongCoaching for men 40 to 55

Call booked. Confirmation sent to your inbox.

You're on Dan's calendar.

Dan will read your answers before the call. Spend three minutes on the homework below and you'll get twice as much out of the 20 minutes.

Your call with Dan Mercer Tuesday, September 15 7:00 pm ET, 20 minutes

Where: Zoom link in your email, or Dan calls you
Reminders: Email, 24 hours and 1 hour before
Your goal: Get stronger and lose inches
Need to move it?: Reschedule link in every reminder

Add to Google Calendar Add to Outlook

Your 3-minute pre-call homework

Three numbers. Jot them here and they'll still be on this page when the call starts.

Measure your waist 1 minute

Tape at the belly button, relaxed, after you breathe out. Round to the nearest quarter inch.

Waist, inches
Write down your best recent lift 1 minute

The heaviest weight you've done for five clean reps in the last month, on any lift. "Haven't lifted" is a real answer.

Lift and weight
Guess yesterday's protein 1 minute

List what you ate. A rough total is fine. Most men guess high, and that's useful to know.

Protein, grams

Saved on this device only.

Forty Strong, text reminders

Hi, it's Dan's office at Forty Strong. Your call is tomorrow, Tue at 7:00 pm ET. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule.24 hours before

C

Talk in an hour. Have your waist number and your best lift ready. Zoom: in your email.1 hour before

Add a mobile number on the booking page to get these texts.

What the 20 minutes cover

0 to 5 minYour numbers

Waist, best lift, protein, and how your weeks actually run.

5 to 12 minWhat's gotten in the way

Your answer from the booking form, plus any injury history Dan should know about.

12 to 17 minThe plan Dan would write

Your three training days, your starting protein target, and the targets for week 16.

17 to 20 minIs it a fit

If yes, how to start. If not, Dan says so.

If it's not a fit

Dan will tell you on the call. You still leave with a written three-workout plan and a protein target, and you won't get a string of follow-up sales emails. One check-in note in six weeks, that's it.

What lands in your inbox

Now
Your call with Dan is bookedZoom link, reschedule link, and this homework
Day before
Tomorrow: your call with DanA reminder and a two-minute clip on measuring your waist
1 hour before
Talk in an hourThe Zoom link again, so you're not searching for it