Many men over 40 believe-or are told-that they can’t build muscle naturally anymore. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you stay healthy, train consistently, fuel your body with a proper diet, and get at least 7–8 hours of quality sleep, you can still grow muscle naturally-even when you’re pushing 50, like me.
Science shows you can build muscle after 40
According to Harvard Health, “men tend to lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade after age 30.” The good news? This natural decline can be slowed-and even reversed-through proper resistance training. Shawn Pedicini, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, states: “Weight training is the best way to keep the muscle mass you have and even increase muscle mass you may have lost with aging.”
I couldn’t agree more. In the last ten months of consistent training, I’ve seen firsthand how much progress is possible after 40. My strength and muscle gains are the best proof. And I’ve achieved them without relying on heavy supplementation-just whole foods, mostly home-cooked meals, plus a few basics: concentrated fish oil (Omega-3), vitamins D and E, bee pollen in the early months, and the occasional multivitamin or mineral blend (no more than 2–3 times a week). Add in 7–8 hours of sleep each night, manageable stress, and a lot of hard training, and the results speak for themselves.
At my age, I keep my expectations realistic and always train smart to avoid injury. Stretching and warming up before every workout is non-negotiable.
One of my go-to routines for bigger, stronger shoulders and arms
Shoulder workout
1. Stretch and warm up (at least 5 minutes)
2. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
I like to start with lateral raises to pump blood into the shoulders and prep them for heavier lifts.
- Set 1: 14 kg (~31 lbs) × 15 reps
- Set 2: 16 kg (~35 lbs) × 12 reps
- Set 3: 10 kg (~22 lbs) × 15 reps
3. Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Set 1: 20 kg (~44 lbs) × 15 reps [Warm-up]
- Set 2: 24 kg (~53 lbs) × 7 reps [Failure]
- Set 3: 24 kg (~53 lbs) × 6 reps [Failure]
- Set 4: 24 kg (~53 lbs) × 4 reps [Failure]
(When I write “failure,” it means I could maybe push out one more rep with that weight.)
4. Barbell Upright Row
I usually use the Olympic bar for these.
- Set 1: 20 kg (~44 lbs) × 20 reps [Warm-up]
- Set 2: 40 kg (~88 lbs) × 10 reps
- Set 3: 40 kg (~88 lbs) × 10 reps
- Set 4: 40 kg (~88 lbs) × 10 reps
Arms workout: biceps + triceps
EZ-Bar Curl + Triceps Extension (Superset)
I use an EZ curl bar (the curved shape makes the grip easier on the wrists). I perform one set of curls, then immediately one set of extensions, followed by a 60–90 second rest before repeating.
EZ-Bar Curls
- Set 1: 8 kg (~18 lbs) × 50 reps [Warm-up]
- Set 2: 28 kg (~62 lbs) × 15 reps
- Set 3: 38 kg (~84 lbs) × 10 reps
- Set 4: 38 kg (~84 lbs) × 10 reps
- Set 5: 38 kg (~84 lbs) × 10 reps
How I do EZ-Bar Curls
Seated Overhead Tricep Extension (EZ Curl Bar)
- Set 1: 8 kg (~18 lbs) × 50 reps [Warm-up]
- Set 2: 28 kg (~62 lbs) × 15 reps
- Set 3: 38 kg (~84 lbs) × 10 reps
- Set 4: 38 kg (~84 lbs) × 10 reps
- Set 5: 38 kg (~84 lbs) × 10 reps
How I do the Seated Overhead Tricep Extension
Incline Dumbbell Curls
- Set 1: 14 kg (~31 lbs) × 15 reps
- Set 2: 16 kg (~35 lbs) × 10 reps [Failure]
- Set 3: 16 kg (~35 lbs) × 7 reps [Failure]
- Set 4: 16 kg (~35 lbs) × 6 reps [Failure]
Rope Triceps Pushdown
- Set 1: 50 kg (~110 lbs) × 12 reps
- Set 2: 50 kg (~110 lbs) × 12 reps
- Set 3: 50 kg (~110 lbs) × 10 reps [Failure]
- Set 4: 50 kg (~110 lbs) × 10 reps [Failure]
I don’t always train shoulders and arms together. Sometimes I pair chest with triceps, or back with biceps-it depends on gym crowding, recovery, and how I feel. For example, if I’m dealing with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), I’ll split the workouts to give muscles more rest. On days when I feel strong and DOMS-free, I’ll combine arms with shoulders or chest. I also like to swap exercises depending on the split-for example, dips instead of pushdowns when training chest and triceps, or chin-ups instead of incline curls when pairing back with biceps.
