When it comes to fitness, most people are sprinting toward the wrong finish line. They’re obsessed with short-term gains, pushing harder, lifting heavier, grinding themselves to the floor–and then wondering why they’re constantly injured, exhausted, or simply bored. But what if the true metric of success wasn’t how shredded you are at 30, but how capable you are at 70?
Matt Waterton, a leading strength and conditioning coach who specialises in training for longevity, believes we need to fundamentally rethink how we approach movement. His work blends performance science with practical wisdom, and it centres around one key idea: training isn’t just about looking good–it’s about staying strong, functional, and injury free for as long as possible. Here are his top insights for a life well lived, and well moved.
1, Slow is Strong
Walk into any gym and you’ll see people rushing their reps – bouncing bars, flinging dumbbells, chasing speed over control. But Waterton argues that slowing down is where the real gains happen. “Most people are skipping the eccentric phase of their lifts, the part where your muscles lengthen under load,” he says. “That’s where the magic is.” A five-second up, five-second down tempo recruits more muscle fibres, improves lifting technique, and protects your tendons. You’ll feel every inch of the lift and that’s the point.
2. Stop Trying to Win the Gym
We’re not designed to move in isolation. Life demands squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, rotating, lunging, sometimes all at once. “Training movement patterns instead of isolated muscles builds real-world strength,” says Waterton. Not only does this improve mobility and coordination, it also preps your body for the demands of daily life. You’re building real-life, functional strength, these muscles aren’t just for looks.
Photo by Li Sun
3. Stop Trying to Win the Gym
Ask yourself: are you training to impress someone or to improve your life? High-risk lifts like excessively heavy deadlifts may look impressive, but are they worth it if they flare your back up for a week? Waterton doesn’t demonise any one exercise, burpees aside, but insists that everything should be evaluated for its risk-to-reward ratio, especially as we age. “The goal isn’t to be the strongest person in the room,” he says. “The goal is to still be moving well decades from now.”
4. VO₂ Max Matter, But You Don’t’ Need to Die For Tt
VO₂ max, your body’s ability to use oxygen, is a strong indicator of health and lifespan. But chasing it though punishing high-intensity workouts everyday can backfire. ”The better way? Two high-intensity sessions per week, and three to four sessions in Zone 2–steady sustainable cardio,” says Waterton. It’s not glamorous, but it’s effective and it’s what will actually move the needle on your VO₂ max.
5. Consistency Over Intensity
Lastly, the most underrated principle of all: consistency. You don’t need the perfect program. You need a sustainable one. “People burn out trying to change everything overnight,” says Waterton. “But the person who trains at 70% effort for years will always beat the one who goes all in, then disappears.” Even when time is short, show up. Do something. That’s what builds momentum.
Photo by Felix Young
The Take Home
In a world obsessed with speed, aesthetics, and intensity, Matt Waterton’s approach is a welcome recalibration. True strength isn’t about how much you can lift today, it’s about whether you can still get up off the floor with ease in 30 years. Train wisely, move often, and play the long game.
Boasting cutting-edge equipment, innovative training zones, first-class finishes, and a community-first approach, the upscale, purpose-built gym will bring SIM’s mission of setting new standards in movement, health and performance to life.
“We attract a lot of high performers because The SIM training system helps improve their health span and longevity by balancing structured strength, movement, and conditioning, prioritising sustainable performance without the burnout of excessive high-intensity training, so they can excel in both work and life” says Matt Waterton.
By Longevity Expert Matt Waterton, co-founder of Strength In Motion, Bondi.
When it comes to fitness, most people are sprinting toward the wrong finish line. They’re obsessed with short-term gains, pushing harder, lifting heavier, grinding themselves to the floor–and then wondering why they’re constantly injured, exhausted, or simply bored. But what if the true metric of success wasn’t how shredded you are at 30, but how capable you are at 70?
Matt Waterton, a leading strength and conditioning coach who specialises in training for longevity, believes we need to fundamentally rethink how we approach movement. His work blends performance science with practical wisdom, and it centres around one key idea: training isn’t just about looking good–it’s about staying strong, functional, and injury free for as long as possible. Here are his top insights for a life well lived, and well moved.
1, Slow is Strong
Walk into any gym and you’ll see people rushing their reps – bouncing bars, flinging dumbbells, chasing speed over control. But Waterton argues that slowing down is where the real gains happen. “Most people are skipping the eccentric phase of their lifts, the part where your muscles lengthen under load,” he says. “That’s where the magic is.” A five-second up, five-second down tempo recruits more muscle fibres, improves lifting technique, and protects your tendons. You’ll feel every inch of the lift and that’s the point.
2. Stop Trying to Win the Gym
We’re not designed to move in isolation. Life demands squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, rotating, lunging, sometimes all at once. “Training movement patterns instead of isolated muscles builds real-world strength,” says Waterton. Not only does this improve mobility and coordination, it also preps your body for the demands of daily life. You’re building real-life, functional strength, these muscles aren’t just for looks.
3. Stop Trying to Win the Gym
Ask yourself: are you training to impress someone or to improve your life? High-risk lifts like excessively heavy deadlifts may look impressive, but are they worth it if they flare your back up for a week? Waterton doesn’t demonise any one exercise, burpees aside, but insists that everything should be evaluated for its risk-to-reward ratio, especially as we age. “The goal isn’t to be the strongest person in the room,” he says. “The goal is to still be moving well decades from now.”
4. VO₂ Max Matter, But You Don’t’ Need to Die For Tt
VO₂ max, your body’s ability to use oxygen, is a strong indicator of health and lifespan. But chasing it though punishing high-intensity workouts everyday can backfire. ”The better way? Two high-intensity sessions per week, and three to four sessions in Zone 2–steady sustainable cardio,” says Waterton. It’s not glamorous, but it’s effective and it’s what will actually move the needle on your VO₂ max.
5. Consistency Over Intensity
Lastly, the most underrated principle of all: consistency. You don’t need the perfect program. You need a sustainable one. “People burn out trying to change everything overnight,” says Waterton. “But the person who trains at 70% effort for years will always beat the one who goes all in, then disappears.” Even when time is short, show up. Do something. That’s what builds momentum.
The Take Home
In a world obsessed with speed, aesthetics, and intensity, Matt Waterton’s approach is a welcome recalibration. True strength isn’t about how much you can lift today, it’s about whether you can still get up off the floor with ease in 30 years. Train wisely, move often, and play the long game.
More about Strength in Motion – SIM
Boasting cutting-edge equipment, innovative training zones, first-class finishes, and a community-first approach, the upscale, purpose-built gym will bring SIM’s mission of setting new standards in movement, health and performance to life.
“We attract a lot of high performers because The SIM training system helps improve their health span and longevity by balancing structured strength, movement, and conditioning, prioritising sustainable performance without the burnout of excessive high-intensity training, so they can excel in both work and life” says Matt Waterton.
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