Building a new layer of muscle requires some adaptability after you hit 40 generally, especially if you’ve been out of the gym some time. For seasoned bodybuilders, gains can also be slow, especially if they are trying to add some thickness or lean definition to a physique that’s already seen over 20 years of elite training.
And there’s the subject of mobility. Do you have it or even need it? I’m firmly a believer in the philosophy if you don’t use it, you lose it. It’s not just philosophy neither, I’ve been on the losing side of this equation so many times. Stiffness leads to a restrictive range of movement, and a restrictive range of movement leads to injury.
Being too tight as you age progressively leads to back, neck, and hip pain, and once we start to leak power and mobility range in these areas, this weakness not only effects our gym performance, but also can lead to debilitating pain and chronic mobility problems as you age. Excessive sitting and a lifetime of wear and tear plays a toll on your body and the quality of life you live as you age.
Or as Jack Hanrahan puts it:
Weight training is just loaded stretching. So it makes sense that if your movement is restricted, you can’t load muscles very effectively.
This is one of the main reasons why older lifters struggle to build muscle.
It’s not because of age…it’s because they’ve stuck to a very limited repertoire of movements and the joints have gradually eliminated ranges of motion not utilized. You know the saying – if you don’t use it you lose it. {yeah – just said that}
Mobility exercises can help to expand your ranges of motion and get your joints moving well. Perform a thorough warm up before you lift and dedicate some time, separate to the weights, to work on your mobility and joint health.
Mobilty + Muscle Over 40
Yes, I agree Jack. But you cannot overly focus on mobility solely if you want to build some serious muscle after you hit the dreaded 40 mark, the two go hand in hand. Building muscle requires you to have the suppleness of a leopard and the strength of a barbarian.
If you are just getting back into training roll in the first month easy, always warm up properly and take the time to cool down as well. Don’t statically stretch or foam roll like a psychotic badger just before you hit the plates of iron.
Rather focus your mobility sessions when you are out of the gym, or start doing some Pilates and mobility workouts first thing in the morning or evening (ideally both) until you start to lumbar up a bit.
Alternative hit the gym for a mobility-only drill with resistance bands and stretching. Hit YouTube for some ideas; you’ll get an encyclopaedia of results.
Going back to Jack H, I like his approach to muscle building for the more senior among us.
Train “heavy” and “light”.
There are two primary mechanisms of muscle growth:
1. Mechanical tension
2. Metabolic stress
Mechanical tension occurs when the muscles are strongly tensed and moved through a full range of motion with sufficient time under tension.
This is best achieved with heavier weights and performing low-moderate rep sets (5-8) that take 20-30 seconds to complete.
Metabolic stress occurs when muscles work for extended periods of time, evidenced by the burning sensation.
This is best achieved with lighter weights and performing higher rep sets:
(8-15+) that take 30-60 seconds to complete.
Training across a broad spectrum of rep ranges with a mixture of heavier and lighter loading is therefore the best way to maximize muscle (and strength) gains.
Get the volume right.
Volume is the technical term for reps x sets x load.
You need enough volume to build muscle, but it’s easy to overdo it. Many people fall into the trap of “more is better” and struggle to build muscle as a result.
Doing too much leaves insufficient time and energy to repair and rebuild tissue (muscle, bone etc). You wind up in a state of “recovery debt” and performance stagnates before steadily declining.
If you’re over 40, you have a lower work capacity (ability to do work) and a slower recovery rate compared to your 20 year old self. This must be considered if you want to build muscle successfully.
3 – 4 weight training workouts with 4 compound exercises (and a couple isolations) is more than sufficient. This will ensure you hit each muscle group with enough volume to stimulate muscle adaptations.
Be a stickler for good form.
Form is everything. It keeps your joints safe and it keeps tension firmly on the muscles. If you don’t generate enough muscular tension, you don’t stimulate adaptations.
Period.
But remember that good form is a skill and It will only improve if you train with intent. Control the tempo, grip strong, activate your feet, brace and breathe correctly. Contract as hard as possible. The details matter.
Intelligent Gym Programming Enhances Muscle Gains After 40
No need to get the spreadsheets out unless you are a data junkie, but to highlight what Jack said above and to cross reference it with what I have learned in the iron game, you can train hard and heavier with a lower rep range (5-8) or go lighter for longer (10-15 reps), but you can’t do both all of the time.
Lower rep ranges with heavier weights are good for building your strength, which has many benefits for bone density and longevity {which you can read about here}, and it’s an essential component of bodybuilding training.
If you mix both at the same time in your gym sessions, not only will your training regime stagnate, but you will die of boredom and quit before you reap the benefits of your training plan. Oh, and by the way, hating on the data-harvesting nerds at the start of this segment, I am a big fan of journaling. That is to say, keep a training journal, whether that is in a notepad format, aka old school style, or use an app or note taker on your phone.
Personally, I’m a fan of a physical journal, and research shows writing stuff down is akin to making more connections in your brain (remember the old mind/muscle connection in bodybuilding) as opposed to typing it on a device. You will connect more with your muscle and vastly improve your memory. And with all due respect, unless you have the memory of an elephant, no one is going to remember each and every set done in the gym the week before, including how it felt, how your energy was that day, did a barking dog wake you up the night before and zap your workout energy the next day….
The journal is there to log your workout and detail your energy and motivation levels. It lets you know when you are approaching burnout so you know when to back off, change things up, and adjust the intensity levels.
Over 40s Workout Plan Recap
Choose intensity block cycles- that is break your routine into 12-week sections, less if you struggle with boredom and repetition, so in this case 8 would be fine.
Choose 2-4 main compound exercises per workout.
Train preferable 3 times per week, and up to 5 if you are a gym junkie and will go back to street hustling if you don’t get a gym fix.
Start your first training block going light in the 12-15 rep range. Add weight slowly each week in small increments, making sure you always get between 10-15 reps.
Concentrate on going slower on the negative portion of every set, apart from squats and deadlifts, unless you are experienced and have safety racks/spotter in pace.
Focus on controlling the weight and don’t swing about wildly (unless occasionally doing bicep cheat curls with a belt on).
Now either:
a) At the end of each cycle, increase the weight for 2 weeks so you are training heavy and get between 5-8 reps
or
b) Start a new cycle where you work heavy for 12 weeks in the 5-8 rep range.
Whatever method of training you do, focus on control and don’t excessively add weight too quickly, or you will burn out your bones, ligaments, and muscle tissue and push your recovery into the red. Get some mobility training in at the gym or at home, but don’t go crazy just before a workout.
Finally, don’t overthink your training. Don’t get bogged down in adding 15 sets of the latest isolation exercises trending on the socials. I’m sure the “influencers” have plenty more hidden knowledge to give to you where that comes from if you only sign up to their exclusive training plans and monthly subscriptions. I prefer the old ways, which we’re honed by years of practice, trial and testing, and logging everything down. New training methods and experimentation have their place, but consistency trumps intermittent half-arsed training any day.