Below is a great video from “Fit Father Project – Fitness For Busy Fathers”. If you are like me reaching 50 years old soon, this video is for you. We need to do the right exercise for retain our muscle as we grow older. The previous exercises that we go through are not suitable for us anymore. Read on.
Building muscle after 40, 50 or even 60 is very possible, however, you should be aware that you will need to train, eat and recover differently than you would have in your 20’s and 30’s. In the video below, Dr. Balduzzi walk you through the 5 key principles to building muscle over 50, so use these principles!
The 5 key principles are:
*** 1. Use Compound Exercises at 1:25 ***
The 5 key exercises to include in the best workouts for men over 50 are Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Bench Press, and Military press. Incorporating these exercises into workouts for men over 50 can be done in a couple of ways. Firstly, you could do a full body workout that has you completing all 5 exercises 2-3 times per week. Or You could also do them as an upper/lower body split, where you would do Bench Press, Rows and Military Press on one day and Squats and Deadlifts another day.
*** 2. Understand Your Nutrition Needs at 3:31 ***
As you look to build muscle over 50, it’s more important to consider your nutrition needs than you would have in your 20’s and 30’s. This is because your metabolism lowers as you age and any excess in calories is more likely to be stored as additional body-fat. You need to prioritize a lean bulking nutrition plan and fuelling your body for building muscle. What I mean by lean bulking is to have the optimum number of surplus calories above your TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) to aid with building muscle. This should only be between 250 – 500 calories over, so as not to cause too much excess that will mean fat gain.
To calculate your TDEE, here’s the Calorie Calculator We Mentioned → https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/…
*** 3. Use Proper Supplementation at 7:12 ***
The first thing I tell all the guys is that supplements are exactly that… supplemental. They are used as a way to optimize the 2 principles above, exercise and nutrition. If you are not following those 2 principles, any amount of supplements will not lead to muscle gain or improved health and wellness.
My recommendations are:
Creatine – Increases strength and your ability to push more weight. Also helps preserve muscle, especially in aging guys. 5g to be taken daily.
Protein powder – Supports your protein intake and can be taken as Whey, Whey/Casein Blend or a plant based blend. Should be taken post-workout.
Vitamin D3 – Increases testosterone and keeps your immune system strong.
Multivitamin – Ensures you are getting optimal levels of vitamins and minerals.
Fish Oil – Helps with joint care and brain health.
Turmeric/Curcumin – Reduces inflammation, especially in joints.
*** 4. Get Enough Rest & Recovery at 9:42 ***
A little R & R is always good for you, right? Well, when it comes to building muscle over 50, it’s incredibly good for you and very important. You need to aim to get an absolute minimum of 7 – 7.5 hours of undisturbed sleep each night. To help with sleeping well, you can use Melatonin supplements, Herbal teas, and should avoid using screens for at least 1 hour before bed, to block blue light that can disturb your sleep patterns by tricking your body into thinking it’s still daylight.
*** 4. Optimize Testosterone Naturally at 10:30 ***
Testosterone is the most important hormone when it comes to building muscle, but as you age your testosterone levels decrease by 1% per year after 30-35 years old. This makes it harder to put on muscle, but easier to gain fat.
For this reason, you need to optimize your testosterone levels. I would recommend doing this naturally by following the information in this guide.
I hope this information has been helpful and that you enjoy this holiday workout routine. I wish you the best of luck on your journey and don’t forget we’re here for you all the way!
Below are my other related articles that can help you in this journey.
– Watch This On How To Use Smith Machine
– Pros and Cons About the Popular Smith Machine For Your Home Gym
– Here’s The 10 Best Weight Racks