As your body ages, it's natural for your approach to fitness to change from when you were younger. Our workout routines should adapt to our changing bodies, not the other way around. The same holds true for muscle building. Rather than spending hours lifting weights, gaining muscle mass as an older adult requires a change in fitness routines designed with your body in mind, allowing even the most senior citizens to reap the benefits of increased muscle mass.

Why Build Muscle?

We lose about 15% of our lean muscle mass after the age of 30. Our muscles help us maintain our overall health and age gracefully. Muscle growth has three primary advantages for older adults:

• Improves balance, lowering the risk of falling.
• Reduces the symptoms of aging issues such as osteoporosis
• Reduces arthritis aches and pains

As you get older, your chances of falling and injuring yourself increase, so having more muscle mass may reduce your chances of falling. Even a small amount of strength training to increase muscle mass can increase bone density, improving overall balance and strength. Increased bone density also helps reduce symptoms of common aging ailments, such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition in which our bones become porous, making them more fragile and prone to fractures. Weight training keeps the bones strong and healthy while also strengthening the muscles that surround them.

Strength training, similarly, helps keep the cartilage between your joints from deteriorating, which means no joint stiffness or pain. The more active and mobile you are, the less likely you are to suffer from arthritis, lower back pain, and other joint pains.

How to Build Muscle Mass for Older People

While exercise is an important component of muscle growth in older adults, it is also important to maintain a healthy balance of nutrition, activity, and rest in order to get the most out of your fitness routine.

Nutrition

Eating healthy does not simply imply avoiding junk food. It entails ensuring that your body receives the nutrients it requires. If you're wondering how to gain muscle mass as an older adult, think about your diet as well as your exercise routine. Maintain a high fiber intake, monitor your calcium and vitamin D intake, and concentrate on three key areas.

Activity

Exercise is required to increase muscle mass, but the type of exercise is important. Cardiovascular and strength training are the two most effective ways for an older adult to gain muscle mass.

Cardio is something that everyone needs, especially those who lead sedentary lives. It is critical for overall cardiovascular health and metabolism. It also doesn't have to be too strenuous. Something low-impact, such as walking or biking, can suffice for older adults.

Strength training is the key to muscle growth in older people. It's best to start with light weights and progress slowly. Slow movements with lighter weights put more strain on your muscles. If you don't have any weights, you can use your own bodyweight to perform resistance exercises such as push-ups and squats.

Regardless of how active you become, you must remain mindful of your abilities and limitations. It can be difficult to determine which exercises you can and cannot do safely as you get older, so having a professional personal trainer can help you understand how your body works and what is and isn't safe for you.

Rest

Because exercise strains your muscles, it's critical to allow them time to recover. Avoid working out the same muscle groups on consecutive days. Allow a day or two between sessions instead. You don't want to injure yourself, so prioritize rest as well. Rest isn't just important in the days following your workout. It is also required immediately following your workout. Any exercise regimen should be followed by a few minutes of cooling down to allow your muscles to relax and your heart rate to return to normal. Stretching is an excellent way to accomplish this, as it also helps to reduce the likelihood of post-workout soreness.

Wrapping Up

When it comes to fitness, everyone's results will differ. Some people notice changes within weeks, while others take months. Your level of fitness beforehand, as well as the makeup of your body, influence how quickly you'll see results. Having clear, specific goals is the best way to see results in yourself because you can focus on how to achieve them. Some older adults believe they are too old to achieve such fitness goals, but the truth is that there is no such thing as being too old when it comes to your health and well-being.

There's no reason you can't see the results you want and deserve if you're serious about gaining muscle mass as an older adult and work within your body's capabilities. Seeking out a personal trainer can help you narrow down your fitness goals and find the best regimen for you.

How many times have you gone into a new diet, or any change, with high hopes only to crash and burn within weeks? This happens far more frequently than you realise.

Many people approach a new diet with an all-or-nothing mentality. This not only sets you up for disappointment but also makes the transition more difficult and uncomfortable from the start.

You don't have to give up everything or completely overhaul your life to see results. Small, manageable changes are usually the best approach. They also help you succeed because they are easier.

Starting a diet is the easy part; sticking to it and seeing results is the difficult part.

Here are some pointers to help you make the most of your new diet plan by understanding what to expect and how to set yourself up for success.

Tip #1: Start Small.

Begin with one or two small goals that you believe you need to work on and commit to them for two to three weeks in order to make them a habit. Once you've mastered your small goals, set some new ones. If you're still having trouble, try a different goal and different habits until something clicks.

Tip #2: Create Your Own System.

Building systems is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your long-term health and fitness goals. Systems are routines that are built into your daily life to assist you in removing obstacles and developing habits.

And the more seamless your goals are, the easier it is to stick to them and the faster you will see results.

Do you want to improve your ability to go to the gym every morning? Choose your gym clothes the night before and place them next to your bed.

Want to stop eating out every day for lunch? Set aside time each week to meal prep healthy options, or use a meal delivery service to do the work for you.

Tip #3: Stay Accurate.

You can't manage something if you don't measure it. Stop guessing how much you're eating and start tracking it with a macronutrient-friendly nutrition app.

Tracking your daily food intake, including cheat meals and alcohol, is the most effective way to hold yourself accountable and ensure you are meeting your goals. Otherwise, when it comes to nutrition, you're flying blind.

Tip #4: Manage Your Cravings.

When you start restricting something, it's human nature to crave that same thing. And the more you restrict, the more you crave — particularly sugar cravings!

Aside from sheer willpower, good nutrition is an excellent way to reduce cravings. Increase your protein intake, focus on more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, and avoid calorie restriction.

Organizing your cheat meals and learning true diet maintenance can also help. No food should ever be forbidden, especially if you want your hard work to last after you've finished dieting.

Allowing yourself small amounts of your favourite cheat foods will help you improve your relationship with them.

Schedule cheat meals ahead of time to eliminate any guilt associated with them. You don't have to overdo it to enjoy it; challenge yourself to include some favourite foods and gradually reduce your intake.

Tip #5: Sleep is Important.

You can kiss your willpower and good intentions goodbye if you aren't sleeping well or enough. Dieting already requires some self-discipline, and it is much more difficult to stick to a diet, get a good workout in, and support your health when you are tired. Muscle recovery and growth require rest as well.

Make sleep a priority by setting a bedtime and getting up at the same time every day. Remove all distractions from your bedroom, such as your cell phone, television, and light. And gradually increase your sleep time to at least 7 hours per night. It will make a huge difference.

Tip #6: Don't Rely on the Scale.

Weight fluctuations are completely normal and are not always under your control. Water retention can cause drastic swings in your body weight depending on your macronutrient intake, workouts, stress, sleep, hormones, and so on.

Not to mention that if you're gaining muscle while losing fat, the scale won't budge even if your pants are getting looser. So, rather than living and dying by the scale, track your progress in other ways.

A body fat analysis is the best way to see if your efforts are paying off. This will show you how much fat you've lost and how well your workouts are supporting lean muscle mass, resulting in a more toned appearance.

Tip #7: Be Consistent.

True change comes from consistency and patience, not perfection. Remember that your health is the result of all the decisions you've made throughout your life, not just the last meal you ate.

You are what you repeatedly do, so the more you do something, the more powerful it becomes. This is what consistency entails.

Bottomline

Strive to get it right most of the time rather than all of the time, and everything will fall into place.

Is winter the “bulking” season, or have you simply gained fat over the holidays and given up on staying lean? Bulking up during the winter is no longer fashionable. Bodybuilders are becoming more informed about ongoing research on gaining adequate lean muscle mass without gaining inflammatory fat.

Most people believe that giving up the strict diet and simply relaxing for a few weeks would be beneficial to their adrenals. However, most people will train harder before and during the holidays to compensate for the increased caloric intake, thus taxing the adrenals. The best approach would be to view the winter season as a chillax period rather than a bulk-up period. Stick to the fundamentals rather than reserving a permanent parking space at McDonald's. This could be the ideal time to try something new.

Here are some more suggestions for bulking up responsibly.

1. Boost Your Immune System.

Those of you who live in cold-weather areas are practically guaranteed to catch the flu. The holidays are the ideal time to spread flu-causing microbes. Furthermore, the constant eating that most people do during the holiday season strains their digestive systems. Your immune system is primarily built in your gut. A healthy gut reflects excellent health.

A good probiotic is the best immune system booster. Instead of the typical yogurt, which is often high in sugar, choose goat milk or Greek yogurt enriched with probiotics. Glutamine as a supplement will help a lot. One of the best ways to beat a cold is to take 5g of glutamine every hour when you feel one coming on. It will mend the gut.

When bacteria enter the gut, it can take up to five days for it to grow strong enough to invade the rest of the body and cause the dreaded flu symptoms. Repairing the gut as part of the process will restore the gut's homeostasis and help beat the symptoms in half the time.

2. Try Different Foods.

Because most people follow the same diet with the same foods year after year, use this time of year to shake things up. Substitute filet mignon and mashed cauliflower for the chicken and rice meals. The brain slows down and energy levels drop during the winter season. Changing your diet can help you get rid of some food intolerances, which are often triggered by eating the same foods over and over.

We begin to lack a critical component of life during the winter because we play outside less and do not get enough sunlight. It's a good idea to eat foods that are high in this vitamin. However, I would avoid “vitamin D-enriched” juices, milk, or foods because the body does not absorb them as well as bio-available vitamins from natural sources.

3. Continue Building Lean Muscle Mass.

In this case, increasing your protein intake is the best option. One way to accomplish this is to consume more meat. Experiment with different types than you're used to. Wild game, such as venison, boar, and bison, is the best—completely natural meat with no hidden chemicals and raised in the wild without antibiotics. It will not only help you gain muscle mass for your “bulk-up phase,” but it will also help you stay focused throughout the day and boost your metabolism. All of the amino acids will also help you beat the winter blues and maintain your energy levels.

4. Make Sure Your Metabolism Remains Active.

Bulking up does not require you to look like Michelin's puffed mascot, only to lose all the fat later. Maintain your low glycemic carbohydrate intake as usual, but increase your carbohydrate intake at night. Because your body processes carbohydrates more efficiently at night, it's a good time to eat higher glycemic carbs like sweet potatoes, wild rice, or carrots. This meal is the best after a great hypertrophy workout if you time it correctly. The best approach is to time your nutrient intake. Protein and its amino acids will speed up your metabolism like nothing else, but carbs at the right time will ensure you have enough energy for your next lifting session.

5. Keep Your Mental Health in Check.

Around this time of year, depression-like symptoms appear. The lack of sunlight and warmth makes some people more susceptible to negative thoughts and makes it more difficult to stay motivated. This is not the time to lose weight. The brain requires fat to function properly. All fat sources are required. Polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats are the way to go, especially in the winter. Saturated fats have a positive effect on free testosterone. It is extremely beneficial for muscle growth, tissue regeneration, immune system enhancement, and sexual function. Coconut oil, organic butter, meats, and nuts are the best sources of saturated fats.

What follows is extremely encouraging news for omega-3 supplement users. Mary Enig demonstrated in her book, Know Your Fats, that saturated fats help retain more omega-3 fatty acids in the cell and can make it easier to convert them into DHA, which is essential for optimal brain health and function at all stages of life. Too much saturated fat, on the other hand, can be harmful. Assume that a reasonable amount is one-third of your daily fat intake.

Wrapping Up

After winter, spring will arrive. Even though planning takes time, doing so ahead of time will save you time. Take a few months off your regular diet and use it to your advantage by experimenting with these types of foods to help you get through the cold and boring winter months. Because you did something completely different to break you out of the same old chicken and rice bodybuilding routine, your lean phase/summer diet will seem much more fun and interesting.

No one wants to be known as the “chicken leg dude.” Read on if you want to stop wearing sweatpants to the gym and playing the ‘out of sight, out of mind' game.

The chicken leg physique is one of the most noticeable mistakes in the gym. These people are easy to identify because their upper bodies are well-built and their legs are underdeveloped. The issue stems from overtraining show muscles such as the biceps and chest while ignoring the legs.

If you want to have a pair of epic legs, skipping leg day is a big no-no for your program. It's time to suck it up and get ready for a destructive leg day that will help you grow those chopsticks.

But first, some science so you can appreciate a good leg day.

What you need to know about your legs

The quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles are the four primary muscle groups in your legs. Understanding how these muscles work and what causes them to thrive is critical for achieving your training objectives.

Your leg muscles are made up of both slow-twitch (type 1) and fast-twitch (type 2) muscle fibres (type 2). Both of these fibre types respond differently to various load and resistance training methods. Type 1 fibres, which are resistant to fatigue, have been shown to respond well to lower load and higher repetition training. Type 2 fibres, which are more prone to fatigue, respond better to high-load, low-repetition training.

Because most of these muscles contain both sets of fibres, the muscle should be trained with varying loads and repetitions. Because your legs are made up of so many muscles, dedicating two days a week to legs will help ensure strength gains and organize your training methods. Let's go over the major muscles in your legs and what helps you get the best results.

1. Quadriceps – Your quadriceps muscles are made up of both type 1 and type 2 fibers. The vastus medialis oblique (teardrop) twitch slower, the rectus femoris (center) twitch faster, and the vastus lateralis twitch faster. Quadriceps can only grow if both fibre types are targeted with different loads and repetitions.
2. Glutes – The glutes should always be emphasized because who doesn't enjoy a good butt? Yes, you may need to buy new jeans, but having strong glutes improves athletic performance, prevents lower body injuries, and attracts the attention of the ladies. The glutes are made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus (the body's largest), the gluteus medial, and the gluteus minimus. To train the glutes, you must train them frequently and with a high volume.
3. Hamstrings – The hamstrings are a muscle group that needs special care and attention. Because this muscle group is made up of 70% fast twitch fibres, heavy loads, explosive training, and eccentric movements should all be included in your hamstring program. With the predominance of fast twitch fibres in the hamstrings, you should definitely emphasize methods such as eccentric training.
4. Calves – The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are the two main muscles in your calves. The gastrocnemius is made up primarily of fast twitch fibers, whereas the soleus is made up primarily of slow twitch fibers. Drop sets, alternating foot positions, and iso holds at the top should all be part of your calf training routine. Dancers and boxers are good examples of athletes with proper calf development. Why are these athletes able to develop these tenacious muscles faster than others? Simply put, they are always on their toes.

Time for some leg day!

Don't just go to the leg extension machine every leg day and hope to get away with a half-assed leg day. To improve your quality of life and performance, learn about the structure of the muscles and how they grow. Muscles are made up of different types of fibre that respond differently to stimuli, and understanding this concept for each muscle group will result in faster leg gains than you'd expect. Focusing on eccentric and isometric training in your sets can help you grow those stubborn limbs you've been longing for by forcing the muscles to spend more time under tension.

Don't forget that incorporating progressive overload is an important part of any strength training program. You don't have to keep a journal or keep track of your weight every day at the gym, but being mentally aware of what weight you're lifting and how long you've been lifting at that weight is essential for your program.