It seems like everyone wants to build more muscle these days. There’s a lot of information out there about how to do it – an overwhelming amount, it seems – yet people still can’t seem to figure it out.
And if you’re trying to build muscle past a certain age? Forget about it! Right?
Actually, no. That’s not right. You can build muscle at any age if you know how to do it right. But you have to approach the problem with a multi-pronged attack. If you try incorporating some of the simple tips we have below into your diet and wellness routine, we can almost guarantee that you will see muscle gains – regardless of your age.
Exercises for Building Muscle – Quickly!
As far as human physiology goes, the phrase “use it or lose it” perfectly describes how our bodies work – especially when it comes to your muscles. If you don’t use them, your body will lose them and dedicate those resources towards something more important. So you’ll have to start lifting some weights.
But how? And if you’re older, what kind of weights should you lift if you want to do it safely and effectively?
Stability, balance, and motor coordination become increasingly more challenging as people age. We discussed this topic before in other articles because it really is that important. And the best way to slow down the progression a clumsiness and discoordination is to work out the muscles that are responsible for keeping you balanced and stable.
Exercising with kettlebells and free weights is the most direct, efficient way to give these stabilizing muscles a good workout in a short amount of time. Sitting on a weight machine and letting the pulleys and gears do the balancing for you can weaken these muscles. But depending on how old you are, free weights and kettlebells may be too dangerous of an option (starting out, at least).
If you don’t feel comfortable with any sort of free weights, you can start with bodyweight exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, and abdominals. These help work all of your muscles – including your stabilizing muscles – to improve balance, coordination, and stability. And you don’t even need a gym for most of them.
How to Eat a Muscle-Building Diet
Getting your protein from meat and dairy is the best way the help your body build muscle as you get older. But you shouldn’t just be eating any old protein. Make sure the protein you get comes from grass-fed, free-range pasture animals that are treated with little or no antibiotics.
Alternatively, you can stick to plant proteins like:
- Pea protein
- Quinoa
- Beans and lentils
- Chickpeas
Most people still believe that tofu and soy are healthy sources of non-animal protein – but recent scientific studies are starting to question this. Soy products contain an elevated level of phytoestrogens, which are plant versions of estrogen molecules that the body has a hard time processing. Some evidence shows an association between consuming too much soy and estrogen-related cancers like breast cancer. So you might want to moderate your soy protein intake just to be safe.
Healthy-fat foods like avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish are great for building muscle because they contain the omega-3 fats that you need for protein synthesis. Omega-3 fatty acids aren’t just good for heart health – they’re good for all muscle health.
Lastly, you need to make sure you stay well hydrated. The more water you drink, the more nutrients your body will absorb from the foods you eat. You may even start to notice a more youthful glow and firmer skin returning to your cheeks!
The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep for Maintaining Muscle Mass
Believe it or not, there’s a very strong and important link between good sleep and building muscle. The process goes a little something like this:
- Your body releases a hormone called Human Growth Hormone when you get a healthy night’s sleep
- Human Growth Hormone is necessary for triggering protein synthesis and building new muscle
- 75% of your daily growth hormone production happens during the deepest stages of your nightly sleep cycle
- If you get too little sleep or if your sleep is too shallow, you won’t enter the deep stages of sleep you need to produce Human Growth Hormone
Long story short: give yourself plenty of time to get a quality night’s rest, and step up your sleep hygiene routine so that you get the deepest, best quality sleep possible. It’s the safest and healthiest way to build more muscle and maintain muscle mass as you get older.
