How to Gain Muscle Mass After 50 (2024)

Both men and women start losing muscle mass as they age. Most people see their muscle mass diminish around 3% to 5% per decade after turning 30. Unfortunately, as your muscle mass diminishes, you also become more prone to breaking a bone if you fall.

That risk increases for people diagnosed with sarcopenia. This is a syndrome that causes a gradual loss of your bone and muscle.

Another reason it gets more challenging for you to hold onto your muscle mass after 50 is anabolic resistance. This is when your skeletal muscle gradually loses the ability to make (synthesize) protein. Protein synthesis enables you to build up strength when you exercise. As that ability lessens, it gets that much harder for you to build and maintain muscle mass.

However, none of this means that you can’t boost your overall muscle mass if you’re over 50. Before you try out a new exercise routine, talk with your doctor about options you’re considering.

Gaining Muscle Mass With Endurance Exercise

Slow-twitch muscles. Most people don’t connect endurance exercises like aerobics with muscle gain. Endurance exercises work slow-twitch muscle fibers through numerous repetitions. Your slow-twitch fibers can stay contracted for long periods. Continuous endurance training helps them become more efficient and stronger.

Building slow-twitch muscle fibers can help you when performing other endurance exercises. Examples of these might include walking briskly, running, biking, or stair climbing. Start slowly when you begin adding endurance exercise into your efforts to build muscle when you’re older.

Gaining Muscle Mass by Lifting Weights

Weight training. Resistance exercise like weight training is one of the best ways of reversing the loss of muscle mass as you age. It benefits both men and women. Both groups typically lose muscle mass because levels of testosterone or estrogen go down as you age.

Increase the amount of muscle on your frame by making strength training part of your exercise around 2 to 3 times per week. In addition to increasing muscle mass, resistance exercise provides the following benefits: ‌

  • Improves flexibility‌
  • Helps people with diabetes with glycemic control‌ (blood sugar levels)
  • Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease‌
  • Keeps you active and helps you avoid obesity‌
  • Improves back strength and relieves stress on your spine‌

Get advice. Building muscle mass when you’re over 50 can be difficult. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor and a fitness trainer before you start any endurance training. You want to make sure that your form is correct and that you’re not lifting more weight than you can handle. Professional advice will help you avoid injury.

Gaining Muscle Mass with Endurance Bands

Resistance bands. Endurance or resistance bands are another excellent way of improving your overall muscle mass. They’re a great option for people who may not like working with weights.

Any kind of strength training, whether with bands or weights, creates tears in your muscle. Muscle builds when your body works to repair those injuries. This typically takes around 72 hours after exercising.

You can find various levels of resistance bands shaped like a rubber band or a tube. Resistance bands are an inexpensive way for people over 50 to start fighting the effects of aging by building up their muscle mass.

Additional Tips on Gaining Muscle Mass

Joint health. Movements like squats, hip hinges, lunges, and pushups work larger groups of muscles while engaging your joints. They are particularly useful for people over the age of 50. Are you using weights or resistance bands? Try increasing the length of time that you perform an exercise or stretch the bands.

Follow these tips to avoid injury and have success with your strength training:‌

  • Do a warmup before each exercise session and a cool down after.‌
  • Always use proper form during an exercise, whether you’re squatting, lifting a barbell, or doing a sit-up.‌
  • Pay attention to your tempo as you go through each movement, making sure that you are in complete control.‌
  • Focus on your breathing, exhaling as you push or pull, and inhaling on the return movement.‌
  • Gradually increase the amount of weight you’re lifting or your resistance band level as you get stronger so that you continue to challenge yourself.‌
  • Give your muscles enough time to rest between exercise sessions so that your body has time to repair itself and increase in mass‌

Supplements. Be careful about turning to testosterone supplements or taking anything that promises to help you build muscle mass. You should speak with a physician about possible side effects. Change up your exercise routine often to challenge your body. This will allow you to continue building your muscle mass.

How to Gain Muscle Mass After 50 (2024)

FAQs

Can you build muscle mass after 50? ›

But while you won't be adding pounds and pounds of new muscle every month after 50, it's still possible to make incremental gains in strength and eventually muscle size, especially if you treat nutrition and recovery as seriously as training.

What foods build muscle after 50? ›

Here are 10 foods that will help seniors build strong muscles
  • Meat: Rich in protein, animal meat is an ideal dietary option for seniors. ...
  • Fatty Fish: ...
  • Tofu: ...
  • Eggs: ...
  • Milk: ...
  • Cheese: ...
  • Beans: ...
  • Nuts:
May 2, 2022

How fast can a 50 year old gain muscle? ›

When it comes to seeing the physical results of your strength training and diet regime, most fitness trainers agree that it will take a few weeks for results to show. If you train consistently, then you should notice an increase in your muscle size from six to nine weeks of strength training.

How many times a week should a 50 year old man lift weights? ›

For best results, strength training is recommended at least 2 or 3 days a week.

What vitamin stops age-related muscle loss? ›

Research has shown vitamin D plays an essential role in the health of our skeletal muscles. In fact, low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced muscle strength and function, leading to muscle loss, and decreased production of cells needed to build muscle.

Can a 55 year old man get ripped? ›

In fact, with the right mindset, exercise routine, and nutrition, it's entirely possible for personal training clients to strengthen and build muscles well into their golden years. Building muscle after 50 offers numerous benefits beyond just aesthetic appeal.

Is peanut butter good for muscle gain? ›

Just one tablespoon of peanut butter has four grams of protein, making it a good source of protein for building muscle. Peanut butter is also a good source of monounsaturated fat and antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals that will help your body stay healthy and function properly.

What is the best supplement for building muscle at 50? ›

Creatine is a popular supplement known for its muscle-building benefits. It increases your body's ability to produce energy during high-intensity exercise, allowing you to push harder and lift heavier weights. Creatine has also been shown to increase muscle mass and improve exercise performance in older individuals.

What to drink to build muscle? ›

Whey is a top choice for those wishing to gain muscle because it may be absorbed more rapidly than other types of protein, and it contains all nine essential amino acids (we must get these from food, as our bodies cannot make them).

Does walking build muscle? ›

A walking workout routine may stimulate muscle growth or prevent muscle loss in inactive people. But it likely won't build muscle in highly trained or active people. These groups will need to do something more challenging, such as walking up hills or stairs.

Can you get shredded at 50? ›

Our answer is always an enthusiastically resounding YES! With that good news, we want to show you exactly how it's possible to pack on lean mass well into your 50s, 60s, and beyond. And we're going to show you EXACTLY what you can start doing TODAY to make a lean, muscular, and ageless body a reality.

How much protein does a 50 year old man need to build muscle? ›

To build muscle past the age of 50, we need to eat enough protein AND do weight training, and consume 30 – 35 grams of protein within two hours of the workout. Due to anabolic resistance, which increases as we age, it's recommended to increase protein intake per meal to roughly 30 – 35 grams.

Should seniors lift light or heavy weights? ›

Most coaches will intuitively discourage older trainees from heavy training. The most common approach is to lower the weights with increasing age. Persons over 80 years are usually not advised to train at all (or only engage in light aerobic activities).

Is it better to do heavier weights or more reps? ›

The answer is a bit confusing — both. Lifting heavy weights with low repetition builds muscle strength and causes muscles to fatigue faster. Moderate weights with more repetition develops muscle endurance.

What is the best exercise for a 50 year old man? ›

Strength or weight training keeps your muscles ready for action. Flexibility exercises help you stay limber so you can have a full range of movement and avoid injury. Balance training becomes important after age 50, so you can prevent falls and stay active.

At what age can you no longer build muscle? ›

Typically, muscle mass and strength increase steadily from birth and reach their peak at around 30 to 35 years of age. After that, muscle power and performance decline slowly and linearly at first, and then faster after age 65 for women and 70 for men.

Can you get toned after 50? ›

For Overweight Women Over 50: It's a common misconception that advancing age limits one's ability to get back in shape. A strategic approach involving a nutritious diet coupled with a mix of cardio and strength training exercises can lead to substantial improvements in physique and health.

How can I reshape my body after 50? ›

“Be active everyday, focus on moving more and sitting less by keeping track of your steps each day. Incorporate some form of resistance training twice a week to protect your bone health and maintain your strength. Try doing some balance exercises everyday. Stand on one leg while waiting for the microwave to go off.

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