I often see comments on social media coming from people who believe building muscle naturally, without artificial enhancements, isn't possible once you're past 40. Science doesn't agree, and I don't either. At nearly 50, I know I can gain muscle naturally. I've been doing it for 10 months since I started my after-40 fitness journey. Getting hypertrophy naturally after 40 is a slow process, indeed. However, while muscle loss is part of aging, building muscle after 40 is still possible naturally. Slower, compared to those in their twenties and thirties, but with the right diet, proper training, and enough rest for recovery, everyone should see some results if they remain consistent long enough. We are different, and our genetics are unique, so some might get more muscle gains than others, but every person over 40 will improve their physique with strength training. But don't take my word for it, let's have a look at what science has to say about it.
Women after 40 can get stronger, increase muscle mass, and decrease fat with free weight, moderate-intensity resistance training
A
study, published last year in October on the National Library of Medicine website, shows that free weight resistance training is generally safe and effective for middle-aged women. Forty-one healthy women (52.0 ± 3.6 years) participated in this study and the team who conducted it concluded that performing free weight, moderate-intensity resistance training twice a week leads to an increase in 1-RM (the one-repetition maximum) squat and bench press performance, as well as an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in fat mass in pre-menopausal middle-aged women. To achieve hypertrophy and/or body composition changes in post-menopausal women, larger training volumes (> 6–8 sets/muscle per week) are likely required.
Also, in an article published at the beginning of 2024 on Harvard's
website, I read that research also shows that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss and can even build bone, instead of losing bone mass at the rate of 1% per year after age 40.
Hard, but not impossible to build muscle for men and women after 40!
Building muscle after 40 is harder but not impossible. One systematic
review of studies found that we can gain strength even in our 70s and 80s. No matter how old you are, you can still build muscle and improve your health through resistance training. Twenty-two studies were included in the review. The meta-analysis found a significant effect of resistance training on muscle strength in the very elderly. So being 40, 50, or even 60, you have all chances of building muscle naturally and
reverse sarcopenia (the loss of skeletal muscle mass with advancing age) if you train right for your age, focus on your nutrition and recovery. Unless the doctor puts you on medication, I believe choosing the natural way is best for fitness and health after 40.
