Muscle building over 40

This guide will teach you the following:

• How to build muscle regardless of your age.
• What age-specific training challenges you will face and how to overcome them.
• The necessary steps to improve your body over the age of 40.
• How you can modify the primary muscle building exercises to reduce the stress on your body.

Age is just a number...

Age over 40 often brings with it some dreaded and misinterpreted visions of aching joints, back pain and declining fitness. "It's time to accept the fact that you're getting older and can no longer do in the gym what you used to be able to do," says the little old man on your shoulder. Are you going to give up and allow the stresses of life and age to keep you from an active fitness plan?

Not so fast. Getting older doesn't mean you have to cancel your gym membership and reduce your workouts to walks around the neighborhood. Not only is there hope for less pain, less fat and more muscle, but there's also a path to a better body.

If you're reading this article, you've probably come to the conclusion that you're facing challenges, need solutions and want more in terms of your fitness goals. Forty is the new thirty, right? So let's define where you are, what your true motivation is and where you can go from here.

Are you concerned?

What's the big deal about the age of 40? Why is this age such a negative milestone when it comes to staying lean, training hard and having enough energy? You may have been working out since your teens and now simply find yourself at a crossroads in terms of goals, motivation and health. Or maybe you're just starting to train with weights and feel a little lost when it comes to where to start.

If you're a member of the "I've been doing this for years" group, then you should know that it's more about training age than physical age. If you've been training daily for more than 20 years, this can take a significant toll on your body - especially if you're training for a specific goal in a sport.

If you're new to training with weights for whatever reason (fat loss, muscle gain or a desire for increased functionality), then a lot of the advice out there can be a little intimidating. This advice also seems to be aimed more at young people in their twenties who want to build maximum muscle mass and superhuman strength. What's a person in their forties to do? No wonder many choose running or golf as their sport of choice.

Let's look at a few challenges the average 40+ exerciser might face when it comes to motivation, training and life.

Compare with others

Yes, forty is the perfect time for maximum confusion. You don't think of yourself as old, but you're no spring chicken either. But you still find yourself comparing yourself to other younger exercisers at your gym. That said, it's not that long ago that you were bench pressing some impressive weights or working out with full energy for two or more hours at a time.

Let's be realistic, your former self is still whispering to you that you're just as fit as you used to be and with a little time and dedication, you can perform at the same level as these millennials. Here's the trick: stop it. Stop comparing yourself to every youngster who walks into the gym. Who cares if those guys bench press more, move more weight on curls or do countless pull-ups? Focus on your strengths, balance out your weaknesses and develop a solid plan that fits your goals. And speaking of goals...

Motivation/goals

Once you've spent a decade or so on the iron, it can sometimes be hard to define a specific goal to work towards. When you were younger, it was all about getting more muscular and stronger. Now that your ego is no longer all that matters, it's time to set new training goals. It's time to find new motivation and create a new plan of action.

However, your goals need to be specific. You can no longer just crank it up and train haphazardly towards becoming more muscular and toned. You need to define what you want, how you want to achieve these goals and how long this will take. What motivates you? What is your new idea of the ideal body? Do you have any weaknesses or functionality issues that need special attention?

Metabolism

Of course, it's no big news that your metabolism will potentially slow down as you get older. For sedentary people, it's already the thirties, during which a natural loss of muscle mass and strength will begin. Children, stress at work and other planned life events can cause you to cut back on exercise and nutrition. Lack of activity, poor eating habits and stress can have a devastating effect on your metabolism.

But it doesn't necessarily have to go downhill. Careful planning can work wonders when it comes to finding time to exercise, eating a balanced diet and coping better with stress. There are many tactics in terms of training strategies, nutrient timing and recovery that can help you get your metabolism back on track.

Regeneration

Another critical aspect of getting older is the complicated issue of recovery. When you were younger, staying up all night and still making gains in the gym the next day seemed like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the fact is that recovery will take longer as you get older. The aforementioned list of additional stressors will further impair your recovery, making it harder for you to achieve your goals.

Even with age and life working against you, there are still a few things in your toolbox that can help with your recovery. In addition to a regular sleep schedule that will aid your recovery ability, proper nutrition is also crucial. Without a solid nutrition plan, your recovery will be a challenge.

Time

The time available for training and meal preparation can also have a huge impact on your progress. Admittedly, this can be difficult when you are trying to find the right balance in your schedule between family, social life, work and yourself.

Again, careful planning can work wonders - and not just when it comes to your progress in the gym, but also when it comes to your daily life schedule with your responsibilities. Sticking to a solid nutrition plan, exercising regularly and getting enough rest and recovery is achievable with some preparation and planning.

The reality of the 40+ exerciser

Yes, you are no longer the young twenty-year-old exerciser you once were. Your strength, muscle mass and recovery have diminished a little, but there's a little secret. You are tougher and more resilient than you think. Of course, you have to accept these "weak points", but you should mentally focus your perspective on improving what you have.

You still have the ability to build some serious muscle, get leaner and build a more balanced body. Let's look at a few things you can influence.

Things you can improve:

1. find your (new) motivation

What motivates you to get up in the morning? What do you want to improve about your body? Write it down and don't just think about it. Find out what motivates you, write it down and read it every day. This will confirm your purpose, give you drive and build your confidence bit by bit.

2 Realistic assessment and realistic goals

Evaluate where you are right now in terms of your goals. Give yourself an honest assessment and write it down. Take photos if you want and set yourself some realistic, specific goals. Define these goals in detail. These goals could be to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, build 10 pounds of muscle in 4 months, or improve your conditioning by learning a complex skill within a set period of time.

3. what you are capable of

Be realistic but strict with yourself when it comes to scheduling a time for your workout and sticking to that schedule daily and weekly. Do you have to get up earlier in the morning to go to the gym before work? Do you have time to work out during your lunch break? Can you take your lunch to work? Do what you can with what you have, but don't make it too easy.

4. make a solid, realistic plan

Make sure your plan is comprehensive and achievable. A two-hour extreme leg workout is probably not realistic for most people. Burnout, overtraining and diminishing motivation can undo even your best efforts. Put together a moderate volume program that revolves around the basic exercises and includes some core training and injury prevention exercises.

5. filter out the unnecessary

One-arm cable curls will do little for your overall body development. Avoid the small unnecessary exercises and focus on the big multi-joint exercises that will work numerous muscles at once. Bench presses, squats and pulls will do more to reshape your body in less time than countless isolation exercises.

6. warm-up, stretching and flexibility

Make sure you do a dynamic warm-up before every training session. This can include burpees, prisoner squats(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmnNYOxUB5A) and push-ups to name a few. You should also ensure that you stretch after each training session, which should include key areas such as hip flexors, leg flexors, gluteus and lumbar. Improving your flexibility will have a big impact on your long-term results.

7. stay flexible

By this I mean flexibility in your training and diet. Don't be so strict that you drive yourself crazy over a missed training session or a messed up meal. Just carry on as planned and look ahead. Life sometimes takes its own course and you need to be prepared to adjust your training and nutrition plan to compensate for these challenges.

The new beginning

Once you've found your new motivation, defined your specific goals and know what makes an effective training plan, it's time to start your journey. What good is a perfect plan if you don't put it into action?

Remember: you can train hard, train for strength and do the classic exercises without having to enter the circuit training area of your gym. If you have problems with shoulders, knees, hips or other areas, there are workarounds, alternatives and modifications so that you can still reap the benefits of the heavy basic exercises.

As mentioned earlier, the big multi-joint exercises are the best exercises to build muscle, increase your strength and boost your metabolism. Too many isolation exercises will waste your valuable time, drain your energy and do little to get you closer to your goals.

Modifications of the basic exercises

Squats

Correct exercise form is the most common problem with barbell squats. Using too much weight is also an ugly truth that many exercisers are guilty of. Back off on the weight, use the full range of motion, use a higher repetition range and increase the weight gradually. If you still have joint problems or issues with your exercise form, you can try adding box squats, Bulgarian split squats or front squats to your workout.

Bench press

Again, using too much weight seems to be one of the main reasons for most problems for many exercisers striving for a stronger, more muscular chest. Reduce the weight and work on your form. Or try doing dumbbell bench presses with either a 45 degree angle between your upper arms and torso or a neutral grip (palms facing each other) to reduce the stress on your shoulders.

Shoulder press

This is another exercise that can potentially cause shoulder problems. At the same time, shoulder presses have a lot of benefits for overall stability, which carries over to other exercises such as bench presses or rowing. If using a barbell gives you shoulder pain, try dumbbell shoulder presses, Arnold presses, plate raises(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePK_-52OOKM) or single-arm landmine presses(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynCR3U_Z1JQ).

Deadlift

Deadlifts give you full-body strength and muscle mass. If traditional deadlifts give you trouble, or you're a bigger exerciser, try partial repetition deadlifts from blocks or a bench. Start with the barbell at mid-shin height and perform the top half of the movement. You can also use a trap bar(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNgxEhOoOjo) or try dumbbell deadlifts.

Dips

Dips are a basic exercise for real upper body strength. When performing dips for triceps, keep your upper body upright and your elbows at your side throughout the movement. If you are doing dips for the pecs, you should lean your upper body forward and keep your elbows slightly out. Only go down as far as you can without difficulty - but at least as far as a 90 degree bend in your elbows. If this exercise is too difficult for you (you may need to work on your strength), try assisted dips on a machine with a counterweight.

Barbell curls

Although this exercise is touted as the best building exercise for the biceps, barbell curls can put undue stress on your lower back and shoulder joints. If this is the case, try seated dumbbell curls or spider curls(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvufDW-MSQk). These will take the load off your back and help stabilize your shoulders, resulting in less pain.

Pull-ups

Considered to be the absolute best muscle building exercise for the back, pull-ups and all variations (wide grip, close grip, reverse grip, etc.) are a challenging exercise for almost all exercisers. The most popular alternative is the lat pulldown machine, but a better alternative is inverse rowing. While you still use your body weight, inverse rowing uses an angle that makes the exercise slightly easier than traditional pull-ups, but still trains your latissimus effectively.

Rowing bent over

Rowing bent over is one of the basic exercises for building back mass, but it can also lead to back problems. There is always a risk of injury to the lumbar spine and correct form can also be a challenge. Positioning your hips, knees, shoulders and spine correctly while stimulating your latissimus can be a challenge. If you struggle with performing bent-over rows, you can try an alternative such as dumbbell rowing, T-bar rowing and rowing on the machine.

Romanian deadlift

No exercise challenges the leg flexors like the Romanian deadlift. As the leg flexors, gluteus and calves are stretched to a certain degree, this exercise puts a completely different strain on the leg flexors than any variation of leg curls. If lower back problems are preventing you from adding weight to the bar, try the one-legged version.

Exercises with your own body weight

The ability to move your own body weight is a sign of real strength. Pull-ups, push-ups, dips, inverse rowing and abdominal exercises are too often forgotten in the muscle building world. Make sure to incorporate some bodyweight exercises into your program and develop full body strength and functionality.

Sample program for experienced exercisers

Below is a sample training program for exercisers over 40 that takes into account the factors mentioned above. Try four days a week, e.g. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with cardio training on the non-training days. Carry out the dynamic warm-up described below before each training session. This is only an example program - your personal preferences regarding exercise selection, repetition ranges, training days per week, volume and time constraints may be different.

The warm-up

Perform 1 to 3 rounds of the following before each training session:

• Squat jumps or box jumps - 10 reps
• Inverse rowing(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biFQAM16Q4I)- 10 repetitions
• Reverse lunges - 10 reps per leg
• Push-ups - 10 repetitions
• Hanging leg raises - 10 repetitions

Monday and Thursday
Training session for experienced exercisers
Exercise	Warm-up sets	Work sets	Break (sec.)
Dumbbell incline bench or flat bench press	1 x 12	3-4 x 8-12	60
Push-ups with raised feet		3 x 10-20	30
Inverted rowing	1 x 12	3 x 10-20	60
One-arm dumbbell rowing		3-4 x 8-12	30
Plate Raises		3 x 10-12	60
Rowing upright with dumbbells		3 x 10-12	60
Crunches		3 x 20	30
Tuesday and Friday
Training session for experienced exercisers
Exercise	Warm-up sets	Work sets	Break (sec.)
Spider curls	1 x 12	3 x 8-12	60
Dumbbell tricep press lying down	1 x 12	3 x 8-12	60
Seated calf raise	1 x 12	3 x 10-12	30
Leg presses or Bulgarian split squats	1 x 12	3 x 10-12	60
Single leg Romanian deadlift		3 x 10-12	30
Walking lunges		3 lengths	60
Lying leg raises		3 x 20	30

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/over-40-muscle-building