Maintaining or putting on muscle mass is a topic I am often asked about by clients (both male and female). There are a lot myths and rumors that I usually have to dispel, but there is plenty of hope for aging athletes when it comes to achieving the physique or performance they desire.
There is science to go along with this. University of Oklahoma researchers compared people of different ages who followed the exact same program for eight weeks. They found that guys between 35 and 50 years old built just as much muscle as those between 18 and 22 years old. DEXA (duel-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scans showed that the college-aged men gained around two pounds of muscle, while the middle-aged men put on 2.5 pounds of muscle. Moreover, strength gains in both the bench press (7 pounds for the college-aged men and 14 pounds for the middle-aged men) and leg press (55 pounds for the college-aged men and 40 pounds for the middle-aged men) were similar in both groups.
The basic rules for building muscle as you age are mostly the same. Yes, the number of times you’ve travelled around the sun will affect the speed at which you make progress. But your age isn’t something you can change, so there’s no point worrying about it. You just need to train smart. As one of my favorite strength and conditioning coaches of all time Dan John has said, “I have one great injury left in me, but I don’t have an more great recoveries left.” In other words, err on the side of caution when it comes to training (stop one rep before failure, make sure you are capable of the range of motion before attempting a lift, and don’t smash yourself too often).
As for diet, you should be eating a diet that will help maintain muscle mass. A diet with a variety of foods that are anchored by lean protein sources are a good place to start. Keeping processed foods out is even better. There is one major culprit when it comes to killing the muscle mass of aging athletes: alcohol. I am not saying you can’t indulge, but at least be sure of what you are taking. I have asked clients during nutrition consolations how many drinks they consume in a week and after a food log has been completed, their estimates are sometimes off by a factor of 10! Booze will not help you maintain muscle mass, but it sure will destroy it.
Lastly, and this is directly affected by alcohol consumption, sleep. Getting adequate sleep on a regular basis sets you up for success when it comes to keeping muscle on. Sleep is where your hormones balance and restore to normal levels, and research shows that inadequate reduces this restoration. In other words, prioritize sleep!
It’s tough to tell which of these areas you may need to work on in order to reach your goals, but an experienced eye can help immensely. Book a free call today and let me help in your journey to putting on some lean muscle.