How Should Men Build Muscles After 40s?

Some people say that age is just a number. This generalizing statement can affect how you approach your workout and may encourage you to lift more than your capacity, which may result in an injury. You should do exercises that align with your fitness levels and goals.

Scroll down to learn about the things to consider when exercising to stay fit in your forties. Also, discover some energizing ingredients such as creatine monohydrate, multivitamins, and testosterone boosters to enhance your performance and results. 

What Helps Men in Their 40s Build Muscles?

Aging is a journey that is personal and unique to each individual. Therefore, not everyone can work their way around the same workout regimes. However, a few basic principles apply to every man who wishes to train his muscles and dodge occasional injuries. Take a look:

1. Work Up All Your Joints

There are different muscle groups in your body that do more than one function. For example, your pectoralis major helps with actions such as pushing your arm away (flexion), pulling it closer to the midline of your body (adduction), and lifting your arms sideways. Therefore, just doing pushups and bench presses won’t help cut it when improving joint movement with age. 

2. Do Compound Exercises with Isolation

Fitness experts stress that compound and isolation exercises are necessary when building muscles at any age. Compound exercises like climbing, running, lifting, pushing,  jumping, and pulling work up all the muscles in your body. But you also need isolation exercises, such as bicep curls, lateral raises, press downs, etc., to enhance the growth and strength of specific muscles. They are also less energy-demanding than the compound exercises and can be done for longer durations as you age.

3. Do Reps and Lift Loads in Moderation

You become more susceptible to injuries with age. Therefore, keeping your reps in a moderate range is essential, which should be 8 to 12 reps for upper-body workouts and 12 to 20 for lower-body workouts. Also, avoid lifting too much weight as it will load your joints. Instead, use moderate weights with the above rep ranges to stimulate muscle growth.

Things to Fuel Your Muscle Growth

When exercising after a certain age, you may feel fatigued much quicker. This is why you must keep energized to improve your workout performance. These foods might help you:

• Creatine Powder

Creatine increases muscle strength and stamina and helps you lift heavy weights. It also reduces muscle cramps and prevents the risk of injury. Moreover, it helps with faster muscle recovery and growth. You can get these advantages of creatine powder by consuming it in pill or powder form.

• Fruits

Fruits are abundant in multivitamins, such as vitamins B6 and C, that support muscle function and improve the absorption of amino acids. Vitamin E and A helps reduce oxidative stress during physical training. They are also rich in fructose and fiber, energizing your exercise. 

• Testosterone Boosters

Studies show that testosterone levels begin to drop in men after their 40s. Testosterone drop is linked with reduced muscle mass and slowed muscle growth. Therefore, if you wish to increase your muscle mass, you need to increase your testosterone levels. Some foods you can consume are ashwagandha, shilajit, avocadoes, berries, fenugreek, etc. They also help improve your stamina and help you stay active for longer periods.

To Sum Up

Building muscles after your 40s requires you to focus on developing overall muscle strength and mobility, doing a mix of compound and isolation exercises, and keeping your rep range and load in moderation. Focus on a workout that trains your muscles without draining you. Consume nourishing things such as creatine powder, fruits, and testosterone boosters like ashwagandha, shilajit, etc., to improve your energy and stamina for long workouts.