Are you wondering whether you can lose some fat and gain some muscles as a midlifer? Even if you have never done it before, you can begin midlife bodybuilding from 40 if you are in good health and live an active life.
Some people have turned to lift weights to keep their muscles strong and avoid osteoporosis. Doing so leaves you feeling healthier and more robust, and looking good among your peers. Whether you are 40, 50, or 60 years old, you can start bodybuilding and get the physique of your dreams. It’s never too late.
Table of Contents
What is bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is typically a sport that involves resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. It seeks to cultivate the development of one’s musculature or build up muscle mass. Bodybuilders typically engage in weight training and cardiovascular exercise. It is considered by many to be a sport because it requires athletic prowess and physical strength.
Is bodybuilding healthy for midlifers?
Yes, it is. However, if you are an active person and have any chronic health issues, you need to consult your doctor first. Doctors can help you decide if midlife bodybuilding is ideal for you.
Midlife bodybuilding involves adapting your diet and training to manipulate your physical appearance. As you age, you start to experience muscle loss, fragile joints, and decreased testosterone production. Remember to consider these things if you want to take up midlife bodybuilding as a midlifer for competition.
IMPORTANT: Before you start midlife bodybuilding, please visit and talk to your doctor first.
Is bodybuilding just for men?
No. while some women shy away from midlife bodybuilding due to the misconception that I will make them bulky and look like a man, it is not just a man’s thing. As a woman, you can reap all the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of bodybuilding.
Don’t worry about bulking up if you don’t want to. Midlife bodybuilding as a woman will help you look fitter and more toned instead of ungainly and beefy.
So, you have decided to take the plunge and start midlife bodybuilding? Here [1] are some top tips to get you on the right foot.
How to find a bodybuilding gym
The process of finding a bodybuilding gym is not an easy one, but it can be done. For starters, you should ask around for recommendations from friends and family members who have been to a gym before. If you don’t have any friends who are into bodybuilding, you can always start by searching for a gym near your house and ask them if they would be able to recommend a good gym for you.
Find a Trainer
Once you’ve found a gym, ask the staff if they can recommend a good trainer who can suit your circumstances and needs. The gym or trainer will ask you some questions about your health status. This is the bit where you tell them that you’ve consulted your doctor and answer the questions with confidence. You don’t have to be in tip-top condition. Your gym or trainer will be able to design a workout that suits your condition and goals.
Your trainer or gym will develop a training program that will cater to your health, ability, time availability, and goals.
Find a Training Partner
When it comes to bodybuilding, there are many people who help give guidance and motivation to the person they are training. A training partner can be someone you train with on a regular or occasional basis. Their role is to keep you motivated, help you squeeze out a few more reps, and ensure you’re lifting weights safely. You will in time do the same for them.
Join a bodybuilding community
Your gym will hopefully provide some bodybuilding community spirit and social events. If you wish you can also extend your community online. I highly recommend Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat Fat Inner Circle.
Read some books
My list of the best books on bodybuilding includes:
- The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle: The Simple, Proven System of Fat Burning for Permanent Weight Loss, Rock-Hard Muscle and a Turbo-Charged Metabolism, by Tom Venuto
- Bodybuilding For Beginners: A 12-Week Program to Build Muscle and Burn Fat, by Kyle Hunt
- Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (Muscle for Life Book 1), by Michael Matthews
- Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body (Muscle for Life Book 2) by Michael Matthews
Train By Feel and Not Numbers
Agewise, you are past the point of throwing vast amounts of weight around. You should realize that you will not only get better results by feel, but you will also put less pressure on your joints. Although it is important to train to failure in the six to eight rep ranges with compound lifts, such lifts are crucial but should not be your focal point for each routine. Instead, go for intensity-building techniques, including drop sets and rest pauses to recruit more muscle fibers.
Rest Your Legs Enough
Most bodybuilders forego training their legs for seven days out from their competition. However, this changes as you age. You need to increase your recovery time after doing a leg workout. Aim for ten to 14 days on average. Doing intense cardio exhausts your legs, especially towards the end of prep when you feel depleted.
If you realize that your legs start flattening and losing their volume due to the lack of training, go for cardio that is easier on your legs, including Wii boxing. It works great to raise your heart rate without exhausting your legs in the process.
Be Keen on Your Nutrition
By the age of 40, you already know certain supplements and foods’ effects on your body. Counting macronutrients and meal preparations are a must since you cannot reverse any mistakes made in the kitchen with a slower metabolism. To ensure that your blood sugar remains stable, consider using chromium and cinnamon.
Also, time your meals as per your schedule. For example, you can have fast-digesting carbohydrates immediately after your training. To determine what is working for you and what is not, consider switching one macronutrient by keeping your diet simple. That way, there is less room for error.
Consider Training Around Injury
As you age, your risk of injuries increases. Also, once you are injured, you take longer to recover, and taking eight weeks off on your bodybuilding journey will derail your progress or even overwrite all you had achieved before.
When you notice that something hurts, you can either train around it through exercises that don’t increase the pain or choose to take off all together. Switch up exercises that focus on the injured area with those that benefit it without causing you more pain or worsening the injury. For example, if you have an injured shoulder, avoid all pressing movements and instead do rear delt and front/side lateral movements.
Always Exercise Safety First
Safety is paramount when midlife bodybuilding for any person. However, once you are 4o years and above, the risk of accidents and injuries increases. You, therefore, need to exercise more caution and make safety a priority. Here [2] are some tips to help you do that.
Start Slow – Doing too much too soon will only increase your risk of injury. Take your midlife bodybuilding journey slow by starting with light weights and short sessions. That way, your body adapts to the exercises and continues to grow stronger to handle heavier weights or withstand more extended sessions.
Use Good Form – If you lift weights with a poor technique or form, it could lead to an injury, and you need to avoid those at your age. In case you are not sure how to lift weights properly, don’t shy from asking. You can get a personal assistant to help you with it. Besides, how will you get more empowered if you don’t keep learning new things from other people and your experiences?
Don’t Forget to Rest – You are not a robot, so your body needs adequate rest to perform to its optimum. Have rest days between your bodybuilding sessions. Your body requires time to recover from all the heavy lifting and heal from any tiny ligament tears. Consider taking a day off after every training session to recover and rest.
Don’t Ignore Your Body – If you notice that something doesn’t feel right, stop lifting. Shift things by lifting lower weight. Ensure that you are using the proper technique and form. Alternatively, you can take a few days’ break o see whether the discomfort or pain goes away. If it doesn’t go away even after resting, talk to a doctor or your trainer.
Conclusion
Your midlife age should not deter you from living your dreams of becoming a bodybuilder. Whether you are 40, 50, or 60 years old, you can start midlife bodybuilding and get the physique of your dreams. Midlife bodybuilding as a woman will help you look fitter and more toned instead of ungainly and beefy.
Although it is important to train to failure with compound lifts, such lifts are crucial but should not be your focal point for each routine. If you notice that your legs are flattening and losing volume due to lack of training, go for cardio that is easier on your legs. Switch up exercises that focus on the injured area with those that benefit it without causing you more pain or worsening the injury.
If you have an injured shoulder, avoid all pressing movements and instead do rear delt and front/side lateral movements. Have rest days between your midlife bodybuilding sessions. Your body requires time to recover from all the heavy lifting and heal from any tiny ligament tears. If you notice that something doesn’t feel right, stop lifting. Shift things by lifting lower weight. Alternatively, take a few days’ break o see whether the discomfort or pain goes away.
