Muscle building over 40 can be done provided you take the necessary steps and are willing to put in some real changes to your life. Give yourself some time to adjust to the changes, for example by setting up a workout plan that will help you slowly adopt a more healthy lifestyle and eventually make exercising an increasingly important part of your daily routine. In order to get the most out of the time you invest in building muscle and strength in your forties and beyond, it is important to have a set routine that you stick with.
At this age it is important to remember that there are still benefits to being a regular participant in the school of stength building. Elements such as reduced stress, increased bone density, resistance to falls, improved blood pressure, decreased risk of early heart disease, all are benefits to those who work out and have a consistent plan.
This doesn’t mean 5 days a week in the gym. As little as 20 minutes 3 times per week can work wonders if you use your time wisely.
If you haven’t been keeping in shape for a long time, it is vital that you start with a workout that is not designed for younger gym rats who can learn the hard way that training biceps 5 days a week is bad for them.
If you try this at 40 you will be in the hospital inside a week if you haven’t lifted in 20 years.
This by no means you can’t progress to heavy training. Just ease into and let it build over time to see how your body responds. Inititally you will be guauging how bad the muscle soreness (DOMS) is after training sessions and what your revocery is like.
Getting strong is not just a young persons job. You can get stronger at any age. You just have to work within your limits and go about it intelligently.
If you are a serious about muscle building, there are smart ways you can incorporate to improve the strength of your muscles. Some exercises are more suited to building functionl strengthand not only improving your gym lifts, but they also have a practical carry over to everyday life. Compound movements like the squat, deadlift and bench press are more beneficial than isolation exercises.Too many of these can burn your bodies energy and resources leaving you flat, unmotivated and looking exactly the same seesion after session.
Not exactly the motivation you need to stick to your new workout plan.
There are a few things you should remember if you haven’t been in the gym for a while. Or if you have not lifted weights before, it is very easy to injure yourself. You also need to be sure that you use good form on machines and apparatus that suit you, including the use of free weights.
Also, you need to ensure that you are eating the proper amount of food each day. Eating less is definitely not the way to go if you want to keep your performance and recovery levels in tune. You also need to make sure that you drink plenty of water every day and take in enough fluids to flush out the toxins in your body.
Beginning the routine and sticking to it initially can be tricky without a partner or someone to guide you and urge you on. A personal trainer can often provide you with the motivation you need to stay on track with this activity.
Building muscle is very achievable and you don’t need to have any previous training experience in order to benefit from it. In fact, it is something that many people are able to do without gym equipment. You can do it with bodweight exercise and resistance bands.
Stay away from reading mainstream muscle magazines and websites as well as supplement shops. Many have really bad advice, the training is too extreme, or they only want your money. Forget about the latest pill that can shred you in 7 days, or the latest supplements. Just get started and pick up the information at your own pace.
With regards to protein don’t go overboard at the start of a new training plan. I would recomend a scoop after you train and downloading an app that tracks your daily foot amount. All you need is 1-1.5gs of protein per pound of your bodyweight. Most people get close to this ratio per day. Check here for the specific protein ratios.
Track your progress through your workout routines with an app or a journal so that you can see where you need to increase your resistance or the amount of weight that you are lifting to achieve your desired results. It is better than relying on your memory and it lets you know when to up the tempo or change your plan.
Enough reading, get training.