while yes it can be harder to gain muscle as you age, That does not mean we can’t do it. There are plenty of studies that show men well into their 60s and older can still gain muscle and stay healthy through weight training. It’s recommended to have a rest day in between your weight lifting workouts and do a couple of fewer sets.
Important keys to building muscle when you get older
- Weight training
- Rest and recovery in between workouts
- Getting enough protein
- Consistency
Building Muscle as We Age
One of the reasons why it becomes increasingly harder to build muscle as we age is because our testosterone drops at least 1% every year after 30. it’s also thought that most men’s muscle can you get at the age of 40.
Also, sarcopenia is to blame as well. this is a natural part of the aging process as we get older we start to lose more skeletal muscle mass. expect to lose .5-1% every year after the age of 50 years old.
I know this all sounds like Doom and Gloom and why even try because many Studies have shown that weight training can help slow down the aging process sarcopenia also well we need to be able to build muscle as we become older.
There was a study done that showed that building muscle for older men can be done as short as 40 minutes of weight training twice per week. This amount of muscle added was the same regardless of young and middle-aged adults and older adults.
The Benefits of Protein
With what you eat has a big effect I’m being able to build muscle. eating a higher amount of protein has always been touted as the king of building muscle. during this process, your body will break down protein into amino acids and this is what is used to help build muscle. when we get older our bodies can experience what is called anabolic resistance, which can affect the body’s ability to synthesize protein.
As far as how much protein you need pretty all over the map and can change from day-to-day. That’s been recommended anywhere between .7-1 grams per pound of bodyweight Of protein is what your body will need to build muscle. We don’t need as much protein as we once thought we did, which was based on a bodybuilder’s diet.
This could be very misleading because they can be on synthetic hormones which can completely affect the way the body processes protein compared to someone who is a natural lifter.
There are plenty of different sources to get your protein. I understand it can be difficult to always try to hit the right amount of macros to get your daily intake. I too sometimes struggle with make sure I’m getting enough protein, which is why I like to use a power protein to help supplement what I missing in my daily diet if I’m just too busy to eat enough protein.
There are many different types of powder protein, from whey, plant-based, egg, and hemp. as you can see there are many different types of protein even more than what I have mentioned here but these are the pretty standard popular types of protein powders. So if you do have a food sensitivity or allergies there are other options for you out there.
Foods High in Protein
As you can see there are plenty of options to make it easy for you to increase your protein intake.
- “Beef jerky 30-40g
- Tuna steak 32g
- Pumpkin seeds 30g
- Turkey 30g
- Peanuts 25-28g
- Edam 27g
- Canned tuna 25g
- Seitan 25g
- Beef 20-24g
- Chicken 24g
- Salmon 24g
- Almonds 21g
- Sardines 21g
- Lamb 20g
- Pistachios 20g
- Pork loin 17-20g
- Tempeh 20g
- Cashew nuts 18g
- Mussels 18g
- Chia seeds 17g
- Walnuts 15-17g
- Brazil nuts 14g
- Eggs 13g
- Tofu 12g
- Cottage cheese 10g
- Greek yogurt 10g
- Oats 10g
- Lentils 7-9g
- Kidney beans 8g
- Chickpeas 7g
- Peas 6g
- Quinoa (cooked) 5g“
Resistance Training to Build Muscle
The game or muscle Weatherby younger man or as we age we should be increasing either the volume, repetitions, and load. If we are not increasing one of these variables for each workout we’re not challenging our bodies to grow muscle.
I worked out for many years and have left it in early happy way but doing the same exercises and the same sets and weights without much change. What I like best and what has worked for me is increasing the volume for my workouts.
Here are the number of sets for the minimum effective volume all the way up to the maximum amount. The ides is to start with 10 reps per muscle group and add a set each week until you get to the top number of sets.
Between week 4-6 is usually when you can begin to experience overtraining or fatigue. This is why a cookie-cutter program approach will not work for most. Unless you take a week between week 4-6 as a light weigh almost kind of a rest week.
This is done by just doing two reps per muscle group at 60-70 max weight. Basically, not too heavy where you are struggling or too light that it feels like a warm-up. This will help you to recover while helping your muscles grow as well.
- Chest: 10-15
- Back: 10-18
- Biceps: 10-18
- Triceps: 10-14
- Legs 10-18
- Abs: unlimited
Rest and Recovery
Sleep! We all love it but are often overlooked when we are trying to gain muscle. Exercise and sleep go hand in hand. Training helps you sleep and sleeping helps you recover, full circle.
There is a lot going on with your body while you are sleeping. While your body aids in repair with protein. Sleep is producing your hormones while you sleeping, like HGH Human Growth Hormone.
During the 3rd stage of NREM sleep is when increased blood flow to your tissues and muscle repair occurs. Many important repairs like tissue and muscle growth happen mainly during sleep. Our bodies grow outside of the gym.
What Type of Weight Training is Best
I used to read in magazines and online when I was younger all about bodybuilding isolation exercises, curls etc.. about how it would make you gain muscle. Pshhh….While it may have it’s place a natural weight lifter will not see many gains from that kind of a routine.
It wasn’t until later in life Things like compound exercises like deadlifts, Squats, Barbell row and press started to become the main pillars of my programs. Barbell bench, of course, I wasn’t including it because Monday’s are National bench press day in the gyms.
Once I started to use these exercises I started to see more results as a natural weight lifter. Compound movements are great because you are working more than one muscle group at a time. As I like to say getting the most bang for your buck.
Compound Exercises
- Bench Press
- Squat
- Deadlift(The most important exercise if I had to pick one)
- Barbell Row
- Barbell overhead press
The exercises above should be your staple. It’s not all doom and gloom as we age as once thought. Gaining muscle is not just vanity or an extreme thing. It’s vital for our health and body composition. Gaining muscle can be done at virtually any age with the right steps and these should help.