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Muscle-building expert shares 3 essential tips to build and maintain muscle after 40
Getting older doesn’t mean your best training days are behind you. In fact, it can be the perfect time to build lasting strength and muscle. Whether you want to keep lifting heavier, stay injury free, or simply feel stronger in your everyday life, the right approach makes all the difference.
That’s where Dr. Milo Wolf comes in. Dr. Wolf is a published expert on muscle growth whose research has appeared in leading academic journals and informed Olympic coaches. With a PhD in range of motion training and a growing platform of 120k+ YouTube subscribers, he’s become a trusted voice for making sports science accessible to everyday lifters.
Here are the three key things he wants everyone over 40 to know about building strength that lasts.
1. Lift weights consistently
That’s the main key: Stay active. If you lift weights, you’ll be best-equipped to beat Father Time.
“The research is crystal clear: lifting weights is the single most powerful tool to build muscle and strength,” says Dr. Milo Wolf. “Even if you start ‘late’, into your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, or even beyond, resistance training is so potent that you will still be able to build both muscle and strength.”
“In fact, researchers have argued that the primary causes of losing your hard-earned gains — what we refer to as ‘sarcopenia’ in the science — are a sedentary lifestyle and malnutrition,” he adds. These are two things you can take action on and build consistency around.
Wolf also highlights evidence from studies on masters athletes. One study of men and women aged 40 to 81 found no significant decline in lean muscle mass or quadriceps strength among those who trained consistently. “And that is the main key,” Wolf says. “Stay active. If you lift weights, you will be best equipped to beat Father Time.”
2. Increase your protein intake
This is something we hear fitness experts saying again and again, but the advice holds weight, which Wolf goes into.
“Everyone knows protein intake is important, but it’s doubly important for older gym-goers,” says Dr. Wolf. “Research shows that as your body ages, your muscles become less sensitive to the muscle-building effects of protein. The result? All else being equal, older athletes need more protein than their younger counterparts.”
Wolf says that aiming for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is a good baseline, but also notes more recent research indicates that intakes closer to 2.3 grams could be even more effective for maintaining muscle and strength into your 40s and beyond.
With new studies emerging all the time, it’s easy to get caught up in conflicting advice, but the broader body of evidence consistently supports higher protein intakes as beneficial for muscle health. The key is to focus on long-term habits and aim for a level of protein that you can sustain day to day.
Wolf emphasizes the importance of spreading protein evenly across the day and to not make the mistake of having a protein-less breakfast, either. According to Wolf, “it’s a great opportunity to stimulate muscle growth that most miss.”
Of course, everyone’s dietary needs are different. If you are thinking about making significant changes to your protein intake or overall diet, speak to a doctor or a qualified nutrition professional to find the approach that works best for you.
3. Listen to your body
Wolf highlights that “the principles of ‘consistently lift weights, consume sufficient protein and calories, eat healthily, manage sleep and stress’ apply to humans of any age seeking to gain muscle and strength.”
However, older adults may be dealing with more aches and pains and a slightly slower recovery. “What does that mean? Listen to your body and adapt your workout routine accordingly. If a given exercise seems to consistently elicit a painful reaction, don’t be afraid to substitute it with a similar exercise that doesn’t.”
Similarly, “If you notice that your performance in the gym is stagnating, and your workouts are already difficult, the answer isn’t pushing harder — it’s listening to your body and reducing your intensity,” Wolf adds.
Many of the best fitness trackers can also help with this, by monitoring factors like sleep, stress, and recovery to give you a clearer picture of when it might be wise to dial things back.
A friendly reminder: paying attention to your body also means seeking professional guidance when needed. If you are unsure about exercise modifications or are dealing with persistent pain, consult a qualified trainer, physiotherapist, or medical professional.
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