10 Tips to Build Muscle After 40
#1 Punch the Clock
If you want to improve at a skill you have to practice it. Building muscle requires consistent effort. Training, no matter the goal, has residual effects. This means if you stop training for 2-4 weeks you will lose strength, power and muscle. You have to “punch the clock” to build and keep muscle.
Resistance training 2-3 days a week over the course of a few years will build an incredible physique.
“Most people over-estimate what they can accomplish in one year, and underestimate what they can accomplish in five years.” – Bedros Keuilian
#2 Ditch the Cardio Madness
The fitness industry is out of control with promoting high-intensity training. More is not always better. Low-intensity training is accomplished through strength training (this should be the majority of your training). There is a place for high-intensity training, I am not against it.
I have found using 6-12 minute protocols at the end of sessions to be the sweet spot for driving your heart rate for conditioning. If you are training at 80%+ of heart rate max for an hour, you might be forcing too much stress on the body and promoting fat storage.
“Just because you’re doing a lot more, doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot done.” -Denzel Washington
#3 Accentuate the Eccentric
Slow down the tempo of your lift. Eccentric muscle loading has been building muscle for years. A hidden benefit of accentuated eccentrics is improved motor control and tissue flexibility. Motor control is essentially how the brain organizes the firing of muscles to promote healthy movement patterns.
Tissue flexibility is critical in the aging athlete. Most stretches are ineffective because they lack loading to support memory retention in the brain. This is a bang for your buck method.
#4 Train Single-Limb Movements Often
Most life tasks involve being on a single-leg or using a single-arm. During walking and running motions, the amount of time both legs spend touching the ground at the same time is minimal. Often, we favor a particular limb (think about tendencies for left and right-handed individuals). By training limbs individually you can shore up any asymmetrical issues that may be causing movement dysfunction.
Pro Tip: When utilizing single-limb movements, always train the non-dominant side first. Never use more load than the non-dominant side can handle.
#5 High Rep Warm-Ups
High rep warm-ups are a game changer for the aging athlete and made popular by world renowned strength coach, Matt Wenning. High-repetition low load exercises have two significant benefits:
a.) Increased blood flow- Blood flow is critical for nutrient delivery to muscles and joints. These types of warm-ups also increase body temperature and lubricate the joints.
b.) Increased volume- Volume is key when building muscle. Volume is calculated using this formula: Weight X Reps X Sets.
Although regular exercises are phenomenal here, I personally love using a sled for the lower body.
#6 Traction Based Exercises
The human body is in a constant state of compression. Societal postures and technology produce compression on the spine and hips. Gravity also plays a role on compression of the spine. Most exercises in the gym also cause compression. All the barbell lifts cause compression and shear forces.
If you want to spare the spine, utilization of traction-based exercises is a must. Exercises like hanging knee ups, 45 degree extensions and belt squats are great for traction. Inversion tables are also great tools for traction.
#7 Eat More Protein
Protein is king for nutrition. If you want to build and maintain lean muscle mass, you must eat complete proteins. Animal and fish proteins are the best sources for a complete profile of amino acids (protein). Vegetarians are a great example of individuals who struggle to build lean mass. They lack the complete amino profiles to build muscle.
An added benefit of upping protein intake is satiation. If you feel full, you are less likely to indulge on poor carbohydrate choices.
#8 Ditch the Barbell (sometimes)
Cycle your training every 2-3 weeks. This means train all movement patterns but with different tools and variations of the main movement. Here are a few examples:
Barbell Front Squat to KB Front Squat
Barbell Bench Press to DB Single-Arm Bench Press
Barbell Deadlift to 2-Kettlebell Deadlift
If the barbell lifts are causing pain and you miss sessions due to injury, then you can’t punch the clock (rule #1). I have found much success using barbells sparingly with non-performance athletes.
#9 Switch Variations and Tools
To prevent overuse injuries and training boredom switch lifts every 2-3 weeks. As stated in rule #8, this applies with all lifts. Be wary of trainers or online articles that promote only using one specific tool (i.e. kettlebells, barbells, battle ropes, etc….)
This doesn’t mean you have to program hop. It simply means you need to switch the variation slightly often. For example: if you have a program that calls for 6 weeks of bench press then cycle the barbell, dumbbell, and kettlebell every two weeks.
#10 High-Frequency Total Body Training
If you only train 2-3 days each week, you should train total body every session. Stimulate as much muscle as possible each session. 3-4 sets for each muscle group is sufficient to stimulate muscle growth if trained multiple times per week.
If you train more than three days per week then your training will require a movement (or body part) split.
Anthony Looney, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Owner at Discover Fitness, Strength and Conditioning