As you get older, it is not as easy to build muscle as it used to be. Building muscle after 40 may take a little more effort and it may take a little longer than it did when you were 20. But the good news is that you can build muscle no matter what your age is.
If you are just starting an exercise routine or if you haven’t exercised in a while, it is critical that you see your doctor first for a check up. You do not want to discover you have an underlying heart problem or other medical condition during your exercise routine.
As you age, your natural levels of testosterone slowly level off and begin to decline. To grow large muscles your body needs testosterone, which is why men can naturally grow larger muscles than women. But, testosterone supplementation is downright dangerous. Instead, there are specific exercise routines that you can use to naturally increase the amount of testosterone your body manufactures and thus positively impact the amount of muscle you can develop.
Before you start a weight training program, you need to decide what it is that you want to accomplish. Do you simply want to lose a few pounds and get toned? Do you want to add mass? Do you want to increase speed and endurance? Once you get a good idea of what it is that you want to accomplish, it will be easier to tailor a weight lifting program to your needs.
If you are just starting out, it is a good idea to get professional instruction. Joining a gym is a great way to get your own personal trainer that can tailor your weight training to your specific needs.
If you do not want to join a gym and have all of the necessary equipment at home, then make sure you have a good resource that will show you exactly what type of exercises to do. This resource may be in the form of a personal trainer at your home, a book or a DVD.
To avoid injury, it is critical that you warm up before you start doing any weight training. You could do some stretches and a few minutes of cardio exercise such as running on a treadmill or jumping rope to get your muscles warmed up.
You need to keep in mind, that as you grow older, your body doesn’t respond or bounce back as easy as it used to. You should gradually glide into your weight training program. If you overdo it, you are setting yourself up for injuries that you will have a hard time recovering from.
Diet is very important when starting weight training. You need to make sure that you get rid of all of the junk foods and start eating healthy, whole foods. Eating five or six small meals a day will keep your metabolism revved up and help you to burn more fat and develop more muscle. You really are what you eat!
If you smoke or drink, it’s time to quit. These poor lifestyle habits are not only unhealthy, they will impair your ability to build muscle and create a negative impact on your overall health and wellness.
Water is very important when building muscle. Muscle is made up mainly of water. If your muscles do not contain enough water, it will be hard for them to move or develop. Water also lubricates your joints. Without enough water, you could run the risk of doing irreversible damage to joints and connective tissue.
Building muscle after 40 is possible. It is just not as easy as it was when you were 20. But if you go about it the right way, you can continue to weight train the rest of your life.
Resources:
Medical news Today: Do Testosterone and Growth Hormone Impact on Muscle Building
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246728.php
MayoClinic: Performance Enhancing Drugs
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/performance-enhancing-drugs/HQ01105
Harvard Medical School: Testosterone and the Heart
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/testosterone-and-the-heart.shtml
Mercola: 9 Body Hacks to Naturally Increase Testosterone
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/07/27/increase-testosterone-levels.aspx
International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2117006/
Harvard: A Harvard Expert Expresses his Thoughts on Testosterone Replacement Therapy
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