Best way to build muscles for women over 50 years
If you are thinking if it is possible to get stronger and build muscles for women over 50, you are in the right place.
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Shortly it is possible.
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In this article I will go through all the information you need to know from the best exercises to get stronger and nutrition for building muscles when you are over 50 without forgetting mental side and mindset for building muscles.
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You might think that when you are older that if it is still possible to get stronger and if it is worth to start if you have never done something like that before. It is absolutely possible to get stronger and build muscles even when you are older. It will be a lot harder than it is for someone who is 20 but it is definitely possible and highly recommended.
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Actually everyone should do it for various reasons. As nature is taking care of that you will start to lose your lean muscle mass from around the age of 35 upwards, it is even more important that you are doing something actively against aging. Like you might have recognized you tend to have more pain, losing weight is becoming a lot harder than it used to be. That is completely normal and I will tell you a few ways to overcome these struggles.
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Build muscles women over 50
Best exercises to get stronger for women over 50
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Shortly, if you don’t have any problems or pain, there is nothing special you should know about. Same exercises will work that I would program for someone at 20 ́s who have similar goals than someone who is over 50. Squat, push ups, Split squats and different variations of pull ups.
You don’t need to have access to the gym, bodyweight exercises like push ups are great way to start, there are many different variations for each level. Body weight squats or lunges are great leg exercises.
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Keep in mind that your goals might be different than for someone younger who is more focused on getting better looking body and your goal might be to stay pain free or simply feel good.
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Build muscles women over 50
6 Rules for strength training over 50´s
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- Staying injury free. This should be your first goal, doesn ́t matter how old you are. Avoiding injuries will keep you train for longer, more consistently what will lead to better results. You will need a bit longer to recover, the older you get and it could mean that you must drop intensity and choose exercises for your level.
- Periodization becomes more important, the older you get because your joints will not be suited anymore for maximum reps. I recommend using ratio 2:1 or 3:1 meaning that you should always start at least 4-6 week phase with higher reps ( 10+) and repeating these phases 2-4 times before following by one strength phase for 4-6 weeks focusing on muscle strength. During strength phase, I am not recommending lower that 4-6 reps because of joints.
- Stabilise. Especially for beginners it is important to use unilateral exercises and work slow tempos to improve stabilization, what I see with many new older clients starting training.
- Focus on quality. Keep it simple and pick 4-5 exercises by keeping an eye on the quality of these movements is an excellent way to train.
- Warm up, mobilise and stretch. Spending 10-15 minutes per day on mobility and flexibility will make huge difference staying healthy and injury free at your age.
- Don’t forget cardio. Remember that you don’t need to feel exhausted or sweaty to have effective cardio workout. Walking is a great way to stay active, enjoy whatever you are doing.
Build muscles women over 50
Nutrition when focusing on strength training
Latest researches show that it is possible to gain strength and lose fat at the same time. I used to think that it is possible only in the beginning when starting workouts but it actually is possible also for more advanced according to latest studies. By saying that it is possible, it doesn’t mean that it is the most optimal way. The most effective way is after first month starting strength training to focus on either fat loss or gaining strength.
I used to lose weight easily but it seems impossible now
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This sentence I hear often from especially women in menopause. Older you get, the harder it will be to lose weight. But it is not impossible. I am not going here to all details but few logical reasons are that your daily activity might be lower. When you were younger you were walking from bar to bar and maybe even dancing, while older you get, you are driving with car and sitting more in bar instead of wild dancing. Without noticing you are moving less while eating the same than before and maybe even more high calorie foods.
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The most important macronutrient is protein.
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Whether your goal is to lose weight or maintain or gain muscle mass, protein is the key for success. Muscle growth is possible even if you are on a calorie deficit but without proteins, it will become impossible. Losing weight is possible without exercising but gaining strength is not impossible without resistance training and enough proteins.
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More about proteins, you will find from these articles : https://personaltrainerturo.it/is-protein-good-for-you-how-much-protein-you-need-part-1-2/
https://personaltrainerturo.it/is-protein-good-for-you-how-much-protein-you-need-part-2-2/
Build muscles women over 50
Mental side and mindset of strength training
Getting stronger might not sound sexy goal but actually it should be at least one of your goals. Most women are afraid to lift weights because they don´t want to look like a bodybuilder. I can guarantee that it will not happen if you don´t want to.
To get stronger, you must add more resistance (more weights, more reps, or choose more challenging bodyweight exercises). Simply because your body is as lazy as possible, it won´t do anything extra unless you make it do so. You should feel your muscles and it is ok to feel how they are burning. Aim for always something more. In every workout.
Stress is one of the key factors why most people over 40 are not able to lose weight. Accepting the fact that it will go slower than before and trying to do some relaxing activities like walking, yoga, massage or meditation will help you to reduce stress. There is no hurry or deadline to achieve your fitness goals. If you think back 5 or 10 years, you don´t remember how much weight you had, but you will remember how you felt.
Build muscles women over 50
Accountability partner
Now you have got short information about how everything is working. The problem is how you are actually doing it. You need to have a plan and somebody who is making sure that you are actually doing those things you should be doing. Get some friend or professional who will keep you motivated also through hard times when you don´t feel like working out. Like you know, consistency, not perfection is key to long term success.
That is an idea of my Online Training. You will save some time and don´t need to plan your workouts. You are doing the right exercises for your age and level. And you have somebody who is looking after you that you are actually doing things you should be doing, also on hard times.
If you want to know more and have a free consultation goal how you could reach your goals, please fill out this formula and I will contact you.
https://forms.gle/RAUh2g8w96XURDNv7
I am not trying to sell you something, my ultimate goal is to help you the best possible way and it is up to you what is the best possible way to reach your goals.
