Building Muscle After 50 - The Definitive Guide

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Building muscle after 40, 50, or even 60 is very possible, however, you should be aware that you will need to train, eat and recover differently than you would have in your 20’s and 30’s. In this video, I walk you through the 5 key principles to building muscle over 50, so use these principles along with our free resources to get started today!

*Use Compound Exercises (1:25)

The 5 key exercises to include in the best workouts for men over 50 are Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Bench Press, and Military press. You may have done these exercises before, but here at the Fit Father Project, we show you how to tweak them to keep them safe for aging bodies.

Incorporating these exercises into workouts for men over 50 can be done in a couple of ways. Firstly, you could do a full-body workout that has you completing all 5 exercises 2-3 times per week.

You could also do them as an upper/lower body split, where you would do Bench Press, Rows and Military Press on one day and Squats and Deadlifts on another day.

*Understand Your Nutrition Needs (3:31)

As you look to build muscle over 50, it’s more important to consider your nutrition needs than you would have in your 20’s and 30’s. This is because your metabolism lowers as you age and any excess in calories is more likely to be stored as additional body-fat. You need to prioritize a lean bulking nutrition plan to fuel your body for building muscle.

What I mean by lean bulking is to have the optimum number of surplus calories above your TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) to aid with building muscle. This should only be between 250 - 500 calories over, so as not to cause too much excess that will mean fat gain.

*Use Proper Supplementation (7:12)

The first thing I tell all the guys I train is that supplements are exactly that… supplemental. They are used as a way to optimize the 2 principles above: exercise and nutrition. If you are not following those 2 principles, any amount of supplements will not lead to muscle gain or improved health and wellness. My recommendations are:

Creatine - Increases strength and your ability to push more weight. Also helps preserve muscle, especially in aging guys. 5g to be taken daily.

Protein powder - Supports your protein intake and can be taken as Whey, Whey/Casein Blend, or a plant-based blend. Should be taken post-workout.

Vitamin D3 - Increases testosterone and keeps your immune system strong.

Multivitamin - Ensures you are getting optimal levels of vitamins and minerals.

Fish Oil - Helps with joint care and brain health.

Turmeric/Curcumin - Reduces inflammation, especially in joints.

*Get Enough Rest & Recovery (9:42)

A little R & R is always good for you, right? Well, when it comes to building muscle over 50, it’s incredibly good for you and very important. You need to aim to get an absolute minimum of 7 - 7.5 hours of undisturbed sleep each night.

To help with sleeping well, you can use Melatonin supplements, Herbal teas, and should avoid using screens for at least 1 hour before bed, to blue blocking light that can disturb your sleep patterns by tricking your body into thinking it’s still daylight.

*Optimize Testosterone Naturally (10:30)

Testosterone is the most important hormone when it comes to building muscle, but as you age your testosterone levels decrease by 1% per year after 30-35 years old. This makes it harder to put on muscle, but easier to gain fat. For this reason, you need to optimize your testosterone levels.

Your friends here at the FFP,

-Dr. Balduzzi + The Men's Health Experts @ The Fit Father Project

**Disclaimer: This information on workouts for men over 50 at home is for reference purposes ONLY and cannot replace personal information you can and should discuss with your Doctor. If you have any concerns about your health, you should see your Doctor immediately. Results vary by individual, so we do not guarantee you will get the same results as any shown here or on our website.

[randallfinney]

I’m 53 and had a heart attack four months ago. I started my comeback by walking and now I’ve added strength training three days a week. I’ve learned a lot from your channel and it’s helped me progress. It would be great if you did a video for the men who have had a heart attack since it definitely changes what you can do, eat, and take as far as supplements.

[mr.edwards]

Your awesome my guy, I’m 32 and my father 62 this really helped us bond father and son time. Thanks for being the bridge to connect us again.

[kicknadeadcat]

I’m 67 and was prediabetic. Had to lower my carbs substantially and increase my fat. Lost 25 pounds getting close to seeing my abs and I’m building muscle. Only eat two meals a day. No snacks and water at night and I fast between 12 and 16 hours a day. I’ve gone from 35 inch waist to a 30 inch waist. My blood glucose is in the normal range now, my blood pressure is excellent. And my Acid reflux has disappeared. All that in seven months. There is no one-size-fits-all diet. But consistency is key.

[LisaMurphy]

I'm 65 and I I've always used light weights to keep myself reasonably toned along with some easy exercises. I eat all organic. Two months ago I decided I wanted to look more muscular for a music video I'm making and I was shocked at how quickly my muscles improved, especially my stomach! In just two months I started getting great definition. I eat mostly raw veggies and some fish and beef, sprouted whole wheat bread, whole milk and I drink one glass of red wine a day. The only supplements I take are vit C and D3 and also 50 mg dhea. (guys shouldn't take dhea but it has no ill effects for me, been taking it for five years.) So my point: YES you can build muscle over 50 and also over 60!

[michaeldean]

Obviously some HATERS out there with the 'thumbs down'. PLEASE! Give the young buck some credit for a thoughtful and informative presentation. Great job!

[roberthorning]

Hey, come on. I’m 71 and still lifting and boxing on a heavy bag. Can you say 40s, 50s, 60s, and over or 70s. Thanks.

[savergon]

Good content. I am a 52 year old former personal trainer and you covered a lot of good information for people.

[Video]

Strange how he doesn't mention stretching / calisthenics. I find that I need this more than ever to avoid injury and have a complete range of movement.

[tayyabkhan]

Crossed 50.
Have been doing exercises on and off. Still can run 30 min on the treadmill. Now, it is getting challenging to control the fat around the waist.
Your video is encouraging and to the point. Will explore further.

Thanks for this excellent video.

[GIguy]

Thank you my friend! I had a lot of doubts until I found your video. I have always desperately wanted to start working out and have a really good body for once in my life. Long story short, until I was 20 I was always a stocky guy, at 5‘11“ tall, how is usually around 180 to 200 pounds, but then at 20 I was diagnosed with severe stage four Crohn’s disease, one year after that, my large intestine ruptured, killing me for three minutes, they found intestinal cancer growing on the outside of my intestine. From 20 until now that I am just turning 54 on Thursday, I’ve had 37 surgeries, four relapses of the cancer, they removed over 95% of my G.I. tract, I spent more time in the hospital than out of it, and from all the chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and medications, I developed nine other chronic illnesses, and I take more medication then both of my elderly parents combined. Last month my kidneys failed, I nearly died again, they determined the tiny amount of intestine I have left isn’t enough to keep my internal organs functioning, as I cannot absorb enough fluids and/or nutrients, so they have put me on home IV infusions every second day for the rest of my life, and for the first time since before I was diagnosed, I feel strong again, and confident to the point where I am ready to go back to the gym, but I didn’t think I would be able to build any muscle at this age. My biggest problem is nutrition, with almost no intestine, it’s very difficult for me to take in the necessary nutritional requirements I will need, I do take a lot of supplements that I have to grind into a powder, but again my body only absorbs about 5% of anything I swallow, and I am wondering if any of your clients have had a similar problem? If so what did they do to overcome it? Basically what I need to know is what are the most essential nutrients for building and maintaining muscle? If I can figure that out, I can have that added to my intervenous treatments, that way it goes directly into my bloodstream and bypasses my stomach. It is one hell of a diet, my last surgery was in 2018, since then I have gone down to 130 pounds, had no appetite, and could not gain any weight, but now that we know the problem and I can supplement things with my infusions, I’ve managed to put on 15 pounds, and I feel so much stronger, I just need to know what are the essential building materials for muscle mass? I can easily get it in liquid form, and inject it into my IV bag when I’m doing my infusions. I take .5 mL of testosterone every week, because my body stopped making it due to all the surgeries and cancer, but that alone is not enough. Any and all advice you can offer would be incredibly appreciated, I have years of catching up to do, and because I am now living on permanent long-term disability, I have a lot of time on my hands, and I figured what if I got to lose? I have been dying to have a body like yours all my life, but because of my health, I just haven’t had the opportunity until now, and because I represent only 0.05% of all gastrointestinal patients, the doctors cannot help me, because my case is so extremely rare. Anyways, just wanted to give you the background so you can understand what I might possibly need to get me started. I’m a very determined man, I don’t do things half assed, when I start this I am going to keep going until I get what I want. I’m confident I can do this, the doctors told me on five separate occasions I was going to die for certain, I’m still here, so I don’t normally listen to statistics, I just listen to the goals except for myself, and keep working as hard as possible until I achieve them. It won’t be easy, but it will be so worth it, for the first time in my life I’ll be able to look in the mirror and be proud, and not ashamed. I have an ileostomy bag, along with a permanent IV line, a.k.a., PICC line, and a heavily scarred abdomen, but the muscles are still there, I can deal with everything I’ve gone through, I can deal with the bag on my side, and the IV line sticking out of my arm, but I can’t deal with having no muscle anymore. Thanks again, all the best!

[wonbyonechurchful]

Thank you. I’m 58 and 5’ 11 and I have learned a lot from your videos. I’ve gone from 220 pounds to 193. From a size 36 to a size 32. Working towards the weight goal of 185. Im healthier now than 25 years ago.

[danijuggernaut]

Absolutely great video, great explenation ! The trick over 50 is simply to be patient and do not hasitade. I´m 52 years old and i´m doing exactely what is explained in the video. Over fifty, jogging is for trained people thru many years of activity. Walking is the best comfortable way to exercise. 12´000 steps (about 10 Kilometers, 2 hours walking) are 1100Kcal of burning.

[capngeo]

Almost 70. Here's the definitive guide. Good, sensible nutrition, reasonable rest and workout like you always have.

[noufelconstantine]

Ufff finally I've got my right coach I am 48 I been playing soccer all my life, besides I go to gym whenever I got chance . I am so happy to find you here hopefully you can help me out for one year training program coz right now the only sports I am interested is gym thanks in advance

[raymondpalermo]

IM 59 and had disc surgery about 5 years ago and dont do deadlifts because i dont want to do any damage to my back but I love doing flys bench presses and alot of Dumbell work.I have been working for the same place for 30 years and have been sick from work one day other than the time I was out for my back surgery.I guess I must be doing something right all these years.I still feel strong.

[pnkflyd]

Good video. Not perfect in my mind, but good. I'm 57 and in the best shape of my life using these same basic principles. One point I'd like to make here is that folks over 50 need to find a sustainable path to fitness that will carry the through their 69's, 79's, and into their 80's. Getting buff is a nice benefit, but setting yourself up for longevity should be the goal.

[TrussttN]

Good video. I decided a few years to concentrate on the compound exercises too. I add power cleans to my workout though.

[marcusdinunno]

I agree with you on mostly everything you say I been using those methods for years . Been training for 40 plus years I'm 58 year old natural bodybuilder still have a six pack, but I train no different than I have when I was 20.

[anthonysantora]

I’m with Robert Horning, I’m 75 yrs young and still hit the gym 4-5 days a week! Gotta love it .

[manisthemeasure]

I am 62 and keep it very simple:

1. Intermittent fasting (all meals in an 8 hr
Period, and after 16hrs minimum of
fasting. This helps build testosterone.

2. More recovery time between on and off
days, and an exercise regimen of HIIT.

3. Reduce carbohydrate intake.