How to Build Muscle After 40?

Although I mostly work with younger guys obsessed with getting big muscles, I also train a lot of men in their 40s and 50s.

And they all ask the same questions:

How do I build muscle after 40?
Can I get back the body I used to have?
Is it still possible to gain muscle at my age?

My answer is always the same:

Yes — absolutely.

But you need a different approach than you used in your 20s.

What Actually Works?

You can still build muscle after 40, but it requires the right balance of training, nutrition, and recovery. Your body doesn’t respond the same way it used to, so your strategy shouldn’t be the same either.

In this guide, I’ll break down everything you need:

• the best workout structure
• how much cardio you really need
• what your diet should look like
• and how to train smarter, not harder

Plus, you’ll learn why adding a natural testosterone booster like Testo Prime can help support strength, muscle growth, and energy as testosterone naturally declines with age.

How to Build Muscle After 40?

1. Workouts after 40

The best way to build muscle after 40 is by exercising.

You should work out different muscle groups at the gym.

But, as we get older, our bodies are more prone to injuries.

That’s why you need to change some things regarding your workout.

Always warm up for at least 15 minutes with some cardio before you start weightlifting.

You will raise your body’s temperature and you will have good blood flow for the upcoming exercises.

Warming up and stretching are now more important than ever.

Let’s go further.

How Many Sets And Reps to Build Muscle After 40?

Your reps should be moderate to high: 8-12 reps for your upper body and 12-20 for your lower body.

In this phase, you use weights that are 60-70% of the maximum rep (1RM – repetition maximum).

What is 1RM?

That’s the biggest weight you can lift only once while doing a certain exercise.

So, if you are doing a squat with 200 pounds and you manage to do only 1 rep that’s 1RM.

And 60% of 1RM, in this case, is 120, or 140 pounds for 70 %.

Why shouldn’t you lift the maximum weight?

A lower intensity training rather than strength training with more reps leads to hypertrophy (increasing muscle fiber volume).

Also, heavyweights cause big stress on your joints and ligaments.

So, you should use moderate weights for your reps to avoid that.

That’s how you will stimulate your muscles to grow.

How to exercise?

Combine bodyweight exercises and gym machines.

Also, don’t forget to lift weights to increa yourse strength.

When you are younger you can do more bodyweight exercises.

But, as you age your stabilizer muscles become weaker and that can lead to serious ligaments and tendons injuries.

You can lower the risk of getting injured by using machines.

You need to perform the exercises properly.

Your body can’t recover as fast as before.

And if you don’t do the exercises right, you can get injured more easily.

What else changed after 40?

Rest days and rules.

You need more time to recover.

Rest and recovery are key: you need to spend fewer days at the gym.

Those are some of the basic rules you need to follow for muscle growth.

Here’s a workout program for beginners over 40.

This is a one-week training program for the entire body (weight training and rest).

You should work out 4 times a week.

Build Muscle After 40: 7-day Workout Program:

1st day:

• Squats (use Smit machine): 3 sets, 10 reps
• Lying Leg Curl: 2 sets, 10 reps
• Standing Calf Raise: 2 sets, 10 reps
• Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets, 12 reps
• Lat Pulldown: 3 sets, 10  reps
• Overhead press: 3 sets, 12 reps
• Triceps Pushdown: 2 sets, 12 reps
• Barbell Curl: 2 sets, 12 reps

2nd day: Rest

3rd day:

• Leg Press: 5 sets 18 reps
• Seated Calf Raise: 2 sets, 12 reps
• Incline Bench Press: 3 sets, 10 reps
• Seated Cable Row: 3 sets, 8 – 12 reps
• Dumbbell Side Laterals: 3 sets, 8 – 12 reps
• Triceps Dip: 2 sets, 8 – 12 reps

4th day: rest

5th day:

• Barbell Squat: 3 sets, 10 reps
• Seated Leg Curl: 2 sets, 10 reps
• Standing Calf Raise: 2 sets, 12 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets, 10 reps
• One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets, 10 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 10 reps
• Lying Triceps Extensions: 2 sets, 10 reps

6th: rest

7th: cardio

Cardio workouts after 40

There are several reasons why a cardio workout is very important if you are over 40.

First, your metabolism slows down.

If you try cardio from time to time you will increase your metabolism to burn those fat layers.

Second, and very important – cardio is essential if you want to have a healthy heart.

But you should do low-intensity cardio like walking and jogging.

20-30 minutes of jogging is enough.

Once or twice per week on a treadmill will be good for you.

You can do cardio on your rest day.

2. Gaining Muscle Mass After 40: Nutrition Tips

As I said, when you are over 40 your metabolism slows down so you need to change some dietary habits.

You can’t have the same dietary habits as when you were 18.

Actually, you can, but you will gain pounds and fat layers really quickly.

So, you should avoid high-carb foods, junk foods, alcohol (especially beer), etc.

Also, after 30 your testosterone levels drop so you need to increase them.

You should eat foods that boost testosterone like:

• Egg yolks
• Lean beef
• Nuts
• Salmon
• Green vegetables
• Cruciferous vegetables
• Pumpkin seeds

You can read more about the best testosterone-boosting foods here.

Furthermore, you should eat foods that release your Human Growth Hormone (important for lean muscles) like:

• Foods high in Arginine – milk, beef, chicken, seafood, legumes, peanuts
• Broad bean
• Foods that boost Serotonin – pineapple, banana, berries
• Coconut water
• Foods high in GABA – soy, seeds
• Foods high in HOLIN – broccoli, wheat, Brussels sprout, peanuts, yolks.

You can read more about foods that boost HGH here.

Eat foods high in good carbs before a workout (to boost your energy) like:

• Brown rice
• Oat flakes
• Wholewheat pasta
• Sweet potato
• Orange juice

And eat foods high in proteins and fats after a workout:

• Low-fat dairy products
• Beef, poultry
• Tuna, salmon

3. Supplementation

And last, but not least – proper supplementation.

Supplements are definitely very good allies in your bodybuilding and fitness journey.

Especially when you want to build muscle after 40.

Here’s the kicker:

I don’t like steroids so I’m not talking about steroids.

There are some effective supplements made of natural ingredients that can help you build muscles after 40.

You will need a testosterone booster to build muscles in your 40s and 50s.

The most effective supplement for building muscle over 40 (I am not using steroids), in my opinion, is Testo Prime.

I am using this supplement when I need more testosterone and more strength.

Testo Prime is made only of natural ingredients (you can check the label to see a complete list).

It’s made of 12 clinically-tested ingredients:

• Ashwagandha extract – clinically tested ingredient, that boosts testosterone, energy, focus, and endurance. Also improves sleep quality, reduces stress, and boosts metabolism.
• Panax Ginseng – a plant extract that increases your libido and carries oxygen to your muscles, so improves endurance and reduces fatigue
• Fenugreek– a plant extract that blocks estrogen production, boosts libido and increases your strength
• D-aspartic acid – an amino acid that boosts testosterone production by 50%
• Green tea – helps maintain testosterone levels, speeds up the metabolism
• Pomegranate extract – improves sexual performance and increases penis blood flow, reduces fatigue
• Vitamin D – also increases the levels of testosterone and your libido. Improves your immune system.
• Zinc – is vitally important for the excretion of testosterone. Best testosterone-boosting mineral.
• B5 vitamin– converts fat layers into energy.
• B6 vitamin – by stimulating the androgen receptors in your body, vitamin B6 signals the testicles to produce more testosterone.
• Garlic extract – boosts T levels, overall health, and metabolism. Don’t worry, your breath isn’t going to be bad.
• Black pepper (piperine) – helps all the above-mentioned ingredients to be absorbed well.

It will boost your testosterone, reduce tiredness, fat layers, and man boobs and increase muscle mass.

Also, it will help you get a lean body.

I am using Testo Prime in both phases, bulking and cutting.

But, you need to use it regularly, for at least 3 months in one cycle.

You can read more about Testo Prime and check the price here.