Is it possible to build muscle after 40 and how to do it?

Healthy lifestyle is back in fashion. And it is not only the young who are interested in this trend. Of course, everyone can benefit from going to the gym, but as you get older, you need to pay much more attention to your health.

To keep in good shape after the half-century anniversary, you need a special methodology. If you adhere to the following tips and recommendations, listen to the needs of your own body, visiting the gym will be of maximum benefit.

With age, the body begins to work worse than before. The function of the endocrine system is disturbed, metabolism slows down and so on. If you take these factors into account when designing your training program, you will be successful.

For older athletes, there are certain principles for building a training program:

• Periodicity of loads – heavy training should be replaced by unloading. The number of repetitions when working with heavy weights should vary from 5 to 12, and with light weights – from 12 to 20. This load is sufficient for gaining a small amount of mass.
• Load control – the level should be adjusted to the best possible level. In old age, the mobility of the joints is significantly reduced, so the amplitude of movements should be somewhat different. Breathing deserves close attention.
• Recovery of the body – rationally organized periods of rest. Breaks between training days should be from two days. Everything is associated with a decrease in metabolism, slow recovery and hormone production.
• Харчування – a properly selected and balanced diet. It is not worth ignoring this point. You can not neglect health in favor of athletic achievements. The diet should be selected individually, corresponding to the age and needs of the body.

General recommendations regarding cardio training

Moderate cardio training should be performed four times a week. The recommended duration of exercise is at least 30 minutes.

Lifehack: how to decide on the intensity of exercise? Do a little test: try talking while you exercise. If the conversation did not cause difficulties, you can train in the same mode. You can run, swim, ride a bike. There are no restrictions at all. The only recommendation is that you should not be limited to one type of cardio exercise.

Strength training program

The key to a muscular body is strength training. True, priorities change with age. Instead of gaining mass, maintaining a healthy lifestyle comes first. In addition, gaining muscle mass in old age is out of the question.

It is recommended to work on safe exercise equipment, not with weights. Intensity is supposed to be such that two to three sets of 8-12 repetitions are performed for each muscle group. The training should include functional movements that mimic those performed in everyday life.

Should I use sports supplements after the age of 50?

Most sports nutrition supplements have no age restrictions, but there is simply no need to use them. There are supplements that can increase the effectiveness of your workouts and maintain a good level of health.

List of recommended supplements

The body needs minerals and vitamins at all times. The only difference is that as a person ages, he or she begins to consume much less nutrients. To compensate for this deficiency, one should take good and quality multivitamin complexes.

• Fish oil prevents the development of many diseases, increases the performance of the joint and ligament apparatus.
• Refusal to play sports leads to the destruction of muscle. To counteract these processes, proteins and amino acids should be consumed after the age of 50. The effect of an active lifestyle with them is much more noticeable.

Have a preliminary consultation with your doctor and boldly go to the gym. Your body is plasticine, you can mold it into anything you want. Create yourself! And if this article didn’t motivate you enough, here are some links to athletes who inspired us.

Robbie Robinson (64 years old in the photo)

Gianluca Vacchi, the “dancing millionaire.”

Big J

Fernando Sardina