Milt Ragz Can a 40 year old man build muscle?
Yes, you can build muscle after 40!! And you can absolutely get in better shape, burn fat, and look better. You can still become a muscular man! Being over 40 is not to old to start working out. There is always room for improvement in life. You also need to understand that you are not in your youthful regenerating prime, so take account of past injuries, your current fitness level, your goals, and workout accordingly. How and what you lift, depends on your body type and current level of fitness, as well as the training you are accustomed too, but generally you want to hit weights in the 8-12 rep range. Definitely lighter weight, higher reps to start!
Is lifting weights really a good idea for men over 40?
Absolutely! Weight training is a great way for men over 40 to build muscle and to burn fat. Incorporating supersets into you workout routine may make a huge difference for you, especially if you tried weightlifting previously and felt it took too long. Or maybe you just couldn’t get into it. Do your research, what works for one person, may or may not work for you.
Listen to your body! I cannot stress this enough, start slow, with lighter weight, and higher reps. This article was written from my own personal experiences and opinions, along with research online. I am 43 years old and got back into weight training this past year. Also have had numerous injuries over the years, as well as the normal aches and pains from the privilege of growing old.
What are supersets?
Supersets are basically doing two exercises back to back with no break. There are also trisets and giant sets for the true hulkamaniacs. Trisets are basically doing three exercises back to back to back, with no break, while giant sets are doing four or more, back to back to back to, well, you get the picture.
For this article I will just refer to this concept as supersetting. Just know that I generally do 157 exercises per body part in my SSSSUPERsets….talkin bout, Total BEAST MODE….I couldn’t find a name for what I do, so I guess I will just keep on keeping on, and wait for you mortals to try and catch up. FYI, we will be discussing the mortal’s version below. 😉
Why should I superset?
It saves time! I mean first and foremost, it get’s your workout done quicker, which gives you more time to do other things. Plus depending on your personal fitness goals, there are really no downsides to supersetting everything, imo.
But, but, but, hold on there, here’s a downside.
If you are looking to like build up your ultimate, one rep max lift, then supersetting all the time probably isn’t your best bet. Depending how you superset, you will be hitting that body part with whatever movement you are doing, after you are already fatigued. This also depends on your current fitness level, body type, and numerous other factors, but everything I’ve researched indicates that the one rep max type training would be the only weight lifting goal where supersetting may not be your best bet.
Keep in mind that incorporating various methods, so you can continually shock your muscles, is definitely something you should be doing. Supersetting can be a valid part of every workout routine, at least at some point. I superset almost everything, and been doing da AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnold split, and it works for me.
I just got back into weight training this past year, and I have no goals of bodybuilding poses or powerlifting competitions, but I do see the benefits of weight training and I enjoy it. Supersetting saves me time and is kinda how I roll, so it fits me perfectly. I also lift alone and I have no care or concern of how much weight I can lift in a certain movement. If I gotta wield the tiny pink dumbbells, I simply put on my Rambo headband, own that shit, and git it done. Think Kip, from Napoleon Dynamite, but like the hardcore, ninja, commando, version.
Same Muscle Supersets vs Opposite Muscle Supersets?
Most of my research tells me that doing Opposite Muscle(Antagonist), is the best bet for most people. This is when your superset consists of opposite body parts, so like a push/pull, chest/back, type superset. Think going from doing bench presses, to deadlifts or something, as your superset. This allows you to hit heavier weights cause your push muscles rest while you are doing your pull muscles. For most normal people, according to the intraweb, this is the way…allegedly.
But I’m special…
I am personally doing same muscle supersets, and go down in weight as I go exercise to exercise. In other words, when I hit exercise 2 or 3, I am not lifting as much with that movement, as I could if I was doing it first in the superset. I generally do 3 or 4 exercises per set, so by the time I get to the last exercise of the set, I obviously am not putting up max all time lift numbers, but as I said before, that’s not my goal.
Maybe if I start recording my “sweatin to the oldies” cosplay routine for da gram, or dat fooosbookie, I’ll start worrying bout how much is on the bar. For now, I’m just tryin to keep up with them golden gurls at the bingo hall, and some of them mommies are quick!! Walkers got wheels n shit, and I wonder if they ain’t got an electric motor hidden in the frame, with a rechargeable battery or two. Mountain bikes are doing it pretty well, so walkers seem the next logical evolution.
I have had various injuries and I am over 40, although my kid said that if I wore some cooler clothes, and different shoes, I could probably pass for like 30. That actually made my day. I was like omg, thank you so much. I was walkin on clouds of coolness for awhile, ain’t gonna lie, but anyways, gameface.
Getting Jacked
I am lifting for strength and mobility mostly, although looking better is definitely part of it as well. I been gettin JAAAAAAAACKKED now for almost a year, and you should see the ladies at the bingo hall when I show up and ask them if they got their tickets to the gun show!! We’ll pause for a moment here, cause epic cinematic shit, requires epic interludes. Actually, after the first two times I tried it I got no laughs, just crickets chirping. The third time this sweet old lady in what looked like a hand knitted sweater kindly looked at me and told me to shut the heck up, and get out of her way.
Unlike some of my attempts at humor, supersetting the same muscle really works out. For me personally, it is the way to go. It helps my mobility, strength, and keeps my heart rate up. It is a good workout, and it doesn’t take a lot of time, and I haven’t broke or tore anything in awhile, so yay me.
Here’s my current muscular man super hero workout
I generally do the elliptical for 20 mins, some minor stretching, then a super light weight shoulder warm up, then push ups, followed by whatever muscle groups I am training that day. After lifting, I get back on the elliptical, where I knock out 25 minutes, followed by some stretching, and then some lower back mobility type exercises. I broke my back in multiple places years ago, and these exercises really help. I’ll write an article on them in the future. You would not necessarily need to do 45 mins on the elliptical, but for me it fits.
It warms me up, then stretches me out. Then gives me that warm cool down smile of love once the workout is over. The cardio is a little, side bonus action. We’re still talkin bout the elliptical, right? Since I don’t always “eat clean”, and my “deal a meal” cards have run through the wash more times then I’ve moved my Richard Simmons posters tryin to capture that feng shui type feeling, the cardio helps to at least keep my belly, suck in, hideable, when an attractive female walks by.
Which way to the gym?? Chris Farley sketch…
Taking Dad Bod to the next level aka Muscular Man
Some of you should take heed…you gotta crawl before you can learn how to walk…just sayin. My workouts will be laughably easy for some of you reading this. They will feel like the Bataan Death March for others. Especially you couch sittin, cheetos eatin, motherfuckers who can’t do a pushup. You be watching every UFC fight, talkin shit, from your mom’s basement. Over 40 in your mom’s basement….I bet that stings, as it should.
If that is you then embrace that sting. Allow it to consume you enough to render you bulletproof. Then make a plan and execute. Get the hell up out of that basement. It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do up to this point. You are here. Figure out where exactly that is, then figure out where it is you would like to go. Then actively take consistent, daily, steps in the direction, that leads to the place you want to go. Block out the noise, good and bad, cause none of that shit matters, and do what you know you gotta do.
I am simply sharing this, because it works for me. If you are a 40 plus year old manly man, with various injuries over the years, including broken bones n shit, and you want to get back into lifting weights. This may be a good place for you to start. The key here, is to start. Just start. Move. Don’t wait for motivation, create it, by forcing yourself to move.
Gettin Jaaaacked
My main advice is to listen to your body man. Like I get pushing through, and the mantra of pain is just weakness leaving the body. I really do, and I still believe it is valid and true, in some instances. Just use your head, and actually rationally and logically listen to your body. I am not saying to allow the bitch voice in your head to win, excuses are excuses, period! But if a movement creates an injury type pain, maybe reduce the weight, do another movement, or allow that part of your body more rest. It’s gonna take you longer to mend broken bones, pulled muscles, and torn ligaments old timer, so just keep that in mind.
If you are new, or been outta the jackin steel game for awhile, and you are over 40, then you should think about higher reps with lighter weights to get started. You’re my boy blue…ALWAYS!! That hottie in the yoga pants ain’t lookin at choo anyways pops. I mean, do you even TikToc?? Don’t be getting her attention by having a heart attack or cause you dropped a weight on your head or some shit. She ain’t gonna care, she’ll just film your dumbass on whatever popular app is trending. You’ll probably have cute dog ears or like a unicorn horn added with exploding stars n shit for the final cut. Just sayin…brandish them pink kiddie dumbbells with pride son. Go you! Ring the damn bell ya pussy.
The Nitty Gritty
So I am currently doing the Aaaaaaaanold split, or my version of it, lol. I do chest, back, and neck on Monday. I follow that with shoulders, triceps, biceps, forearms, on Tuesday, and legs on Wednesday. Then I repeat this glorious body torture test, with Sunday not lifting at all. I do the elliptical for a warm up and cool down, and always warm up my shoulders with lightweight, high rep lateral raises, front raises, and presses, along with push ups.
I lightly stretch after warm up, and at the end before my lower back mobility exercises. This works out well for me, and if needed I can combine day 1 and 2 into a total upper body workout. So like if my schedule doesn’t allow me time, or I screw around too long and it get’s late, and that tub of Ben n Jerry’s is callin my name, and I allow weakness to win the day. You know the deal, lol.
Day 1/4 Monday/Thursday
Chest/Back/Neck
Anyways, with my current setup, I start with a heavier, wide grip flat bench press, with a barbell, that I can do 12 reps with, for 3 sets. Then I get my superset on, with 3 sets of supersets for chest, consisting of a dumbbell press, then a fly movement from 20 degrees of incline, then 30 degrees, and finishing at 45 degrees. So like press, fly, then rest for less then a minute, repeat for 4 sets, raise incline, repeat.
Then I go to da Bizzaaack, and do a giant set, 4 times. I start with a one arm bent over row, that I can get 12 reps out of, then go to a barbell deadlift, that I do very slowly and deliberately for 15 reps. I go a lot lighter then anyone I’ve ever seen on deadlift’s. Like teenage girls laugh at me, but whatever! Then with the deadlift bar set up, I bang out about 20 reps of a slightly bent over 2 arm row, that I focus to work my middle back, and then end with seated bent over lateral raises focusing on the upper back and rear shoulders for like 12 reps. I do 4 of these giant sets and then…
And then, I superset the neck…
I end the weights routine of day 1 and 4 with dumbbell shrugs into upright dumbell rows, do 50 shrugs, then 20 rows from from waste to chin. Take a sip of water, then do it again, for four supersets. Then I stretch out a lil better then I did after warming up, hit the gazelle for 20-25 mins, do some more light stretching, then finish up with my lower back mobility stuff. The back stuff really helps, and honestly I should have been doing these exercises for years. They have helped a lot with my daily back pain.
Doing the gazelle (elliptical) after lifting weights, helps to stretch out my body and really helps with muscle soreness, as I don’t really get any, so long as I workout almost every day. Like I can feel I hit different body parts the next day, but not like, can’t move so sore, type shit. I suppose it could be said that I’m not working out hard enough or lifting heavy enough, but I disagree. When I first started I did get sore, and while going heavy can be good, for me, the cons outweighed the pros
Drinking and Lifting
Lifting is like drinking, as long as you do it every day, you don’t feel too crappy really, just sayin. Lifting is probably the better choice though, if you gotta pick one. I started out lifting embarrassingly light, daily, with high reps, basically to condition my body and enhance mobility. I only recently, like the past few months, started doing da AAAAAAAAAnold, and like legit hitting weights. Before, when I went heavy, it would jack up my back, neck, shoulders, elbows, etc. This current way I am going about it is working the best for me, so far. It may or may not work for you.
Day 2/5 Tuesday/Friday
Arm Day
So we’ll call this muscular man arm day. I do shoulders, triceps, biceps, forearms. I warm up the same everyday except leg days. Gazelle, stretch, lightweight shoulder stuff, and push ups. I warm up my shoulders with lightweight/high reps on every upper body day because that’s what my body needs. I don’t really warm up anything else specifically with weights.
Shoulders and the weight of the world…
For shoulders I do the Aaaaaaaaaaaaaanold press, duh! How you gonna do da Aaaaaaaanold split, and not do the press mang?? So yeah, I basically incorporate some version of a seated military dumbell press for 12 reps, then standing lateral raises for 12 reps, then front raises for 12 reps as well. I do this triset collection, four times. My shoulders are finicky, so I really go slow and listen to them. If it hurts wrong, and not like, ohhhh, but it hurts so good, whatever in the fuck that means, I go lighter. If it still hurts, I do a different movement, or I’m done with shoulders for that day.
That goes for any exercise. Injuries suck, and take you out of the game, so I try and mitigate injuries. Listen to your body muscular man! I find that I have problems when I go heavier and like I gotta maybe help it along too much. Like when you gotta move your body to get that lil extra help to get the weight up….that’s a no go for me, especially when it comes to shoulders. My shoulders like something I can do slowly, while keeping perfect form, for at least 12 reps.
Trisetting Triceps
Training triceps with my current setup is definitely not as glamorous as it could be. If you go to, or have an actual gym, with like cool dedicated machines n shit. You will have a lot of options. Same with Da Back, those pull down lat type and row machines are awesome for back and triceps exercises, and while you can get creative on the cheap for a home/garage gym, and make something similar, I have not done that
Got free weights and dumbbells currently, and this will be my indoor muscular man setup for awhile. I do a triset for triceps, cause it just seems right, lol. Start out with a 1 arm behind the head, tricep extension, with a dumbbell, for 12 reps, each arm. I always start with my left arm, which is my non dominate arm. Then go to a flat bench lying down skull crusher for 12 reps, mainly cause skull crushing just sounds badass. I then immediately switch to close grip flat bench press for 12 reps, with the same bar I did the skull crushing with, no rest or water sippin between, straight get some, which just makes it seem even more badass to tell you about, #hardcore. Just sayin, lock up your grandma’s when Sir SkullCrusher is in town!!
The gun show, or sun’s out, gun’s out…
Then I end with biceps/forearms. Been trisetting these as well and do need to pay attention to finicky elbow pain that creeps in whenever I don’t hold a certain bar a certain way, or if I move in a way I shouldn’t. I start out with standing, alternating hammer curls, 24-30 reps, which is 12-15 reps, each arm. Alternate, left then right. Then do a kind of wide grip of an ez curl bar, for a standing barbell curl for 12 reps. Honestly the rep count gets cut to 10 reps, sometimes.
I have to hold this bar a certain way to not feel any elbow pain. Some days are better than others, but I try and be very conscious of the pains, and see them as helpful information. Like i said before, often, it is beneficial to push through the pain, as well as to be uncomfortable. This is how we grow in all aspects of life. However, I have found that joint and muscle pain, for this muscular man, is a different story.
Finishing Off the Biceps
Finish off the biceps with isolation curls off my bench, which I have set at 45 degrees. Use a little less weight then I use for the starting hammer curls and do 12 reps each arm, which usually goes down to 10 for the last set. I stand behind my bench and lay my arm on it, and curl. I make sure the total movement relies on just my bicep, and sometimes I gotta help it up with the other hand, to get that last muscular man rep.
Since these are one arm at a time, your other arm gets to rest while the arm you do first gets destroyed. You should switch which arm you start with as you go through your super, tri, or giant sets. I then throw forearm curls in at the end, basically holding a dumbbell at each side and curling up and in with just my wrists for like 30 reps. So would this bicep workout be a tri, or giant set? Technically a tri, with a forearm chaser…maybe, idunno.
And there you have a good upper body workout for becoming a muscular man
It should also be noted that with all these exercises, if I had more space, more equipment, and options, I would likely do other exercises as well as different weight and rep counts. I am trying to knock it out and get it done, without changing weights and bar set ups from exercise to exercise or even workout to workout.
In other words, while I generally target 12 rep type set ups, ideally I would like to add more weights for different exercises, but instead just do higher reps. Rationally because this makes sense for my jacked up old muscular man bod, logically, cause it would waste time and lower my heart rate resting while changing weights, but honestly, because changing weights kind of blows, and its easier to just do more reps, and that Ben n Jerrys in the freezer ain’t gonna finish itself!!
Incorporating the super, tri, and giant sets, in the way that I do, allows me to not have to change weights on the different bars, and to just use the dumbbells I have. You can most likely be more creative, and do what works best for you, all things considered, on your journey of becoming a muscular man.
But what about leg day?
Fuck leg day. Who the hell is flossing their dude legs?
You probably noticed that I didn’t give out my awesome super duper leg workout routine. Well, there is a reason for that, and it is because I don’t really have a specific routine I’ve been following. I promise I will soon, and I will write about it.
Here’s what I do for my muscular man legs.
Ride my mtb, as well as walk, and do the elliptical. Do squats, lunges, calf raises, deadlifts that focus on hamstrings, step ups, squat jumps, etc. I have not been doing these things religiously, in certain routines, or even specific orders.
I have definitely been slacking on having a defined weight training routine for legs, because honestly leg day is not something I look forward to at all, so I find it easy to be weak, and make excuses…but it is important, I mean its like half your body, lol. Anyways, I’ll write about it once I get it dialed in. I also have not been doing a bunch of specific ab exercises, but I do some leg lift, plank, and crunch type movements when I am doing my back mobility stuff.
The truth, the whole truth, and nuttin but da truth
Well there you go! If you are over 40 and looking to get yourself in better shape. If you wanna look and feel better? And if you want to become a muscular man! I hope this article gave you some ideas.
I don’t believe there is some magic trick, some easy way, some secret book you can read and implement, and like take 5 minutes a week, or like, how to look awesome while eating pizza and ice cream, lol. You gotta do the work, if you want to be a muscular man. It takes time and effort, and if weights aren’t your thing, then find some other way to move your body and break a sweat daily, maybe something you can at least mildly enjoy, or at least enjoy the result of going through it.
And look, not everything is a joyous fun factor of 10 man, sometimes, actually, it’s the end result that makes it worthwhile. Do you want to be fat and stupid and feel like shit? No?? Well, do you think there is an easy, sedentary method to get an out of shape, neglected body and mind into shape???
Choose Your Pain
Don’t think too hard man, there isn’t! Like most things in life, you get to choose your pain and your suffering, and this is no exception. Become a muscular man. Suffer in the gym, or suffer looking in the mirror. Read books to enlighten your ever decaying mind! Or let your brain become jello. The zombies won’t care either way. Books, not social media posts. Scrolling through IG and hearting some attractive female pics isn’t mind building necessarily. Is it necessary? Well, I would say yes, on some level, because attractive females can sometimes, brighten the day, but like I said, read a book or two man. You get to have the pain of working out, or pain of doctor bills, and hospital visits. Be that muscular man!
Life…Keep Moving Forward
That’s just life, and you ain’t gotta be like Goggins or James, The Iron Cowboy dude, although they are freakin both badass, and hardcore beyond my comprehension, and definitely fit the image of a muscular man. You just gotta be the best you, and you ain’t gotta be that yet, but you should be working on gettin there. It starts with a decision, then action, then the mindset and discipline to keep going, no matter what. You say you wanna look and feel better?
Well what are you doing to make that happen? You gotta start somewhere, and b4 you start, you gotta know where you are at. Where are you? What CAN you do? Notice I didn’t ask you what you can’t do, because if you seriously cannot legit do something, and it’s not just some lame ass excuse, then who cares. You can’t do something? Cool, stop thinking about it, and start thinking about what you can do, then fuckin do it, or don’t….you’re the one who will suffer by not becoming a muscular man.
But wait, there’s more…
One of the simplest things anyone can do to feel better and be healthier, while becoming a muscular man is to simply drink water. Like real water, you should drink that shit! Try and shoot for a gallon a day. You will feel better, and your body will thank you. You will also piss a lot, which is not a bad thing. Help your body flush out toxic stuff. And if you really wanna go for it and not just have that rockin, healthy, old man bod all the gramama’s are swoonin over, how bout a healthy mindset? How bout if you could look at life as something awesome, and full of potential, where the shit storms don’t smell so bad, and you can find value in pretty much anything…
Sounds good right?
Well, for $997.97, for a limited time, and only for the next 2 minutes, I will give you this secret! It normally costs $50,000, but since I like you, and we are like practically bros n shit, I will hook you up. If you act now, I will also throw in a living, breathing supermodel who will be awesomer then anything, ever, in any of your dreams, and she’ll laugh at your dumb jokes, clean up your messes, cook better then Chef Ramsey, and party like those princesses in those videos you waste too much time on. She will love you unconditionally forever, even though your head hair seems to be donating it’s soul to your ear hair system on an ever increasing basis, while the only other place on your body, besides your back, in the race to growing hair, is your nasty ass nostrils.
Like dude seriously, you can get a nose hair trimmer for like $20 at wally world. Maybe invest in that shit and hit up your ears to while ur at it. Stack the deck casanova!! You’re a winner now. Act like one. Just tell all your new admirers, single file ladies, single file…
And don’t forget to check the free upgrade box for my article on how to hit the lottery, with bonus content just added of how to have a million dollar check sent to you in the mail by tomorrow!!!! Direct to your mailbox!! You want the $100 million check?? No problemo amigo. Just check box 2, and I will upgrade you stat!!!!
If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is, but sometimes it ain’t
Ok….so that’s all bullshit, but it made me laugh, and if you did to, awesome!! The real secret to having an instantly better life is gratitude. That’s it, one word, one mindset. Is it the end all, be all, of everything great? No, but I cannot think of a better place to start or a better thing to keep in your mental toolbox, that you can use anytime and anywhere to instantly make anything better.
What are you grateful for and what were you grateful for? What are you going to be grateful for? Who are you grateful for? Focus on that event. Now feel it, like really feel it, and be in that moment, like just like you are really there, right now. Let yourself experience how you feel, in gratitude, and just live in that feeling for a lil. Ya feel better huh?? Alright alright alright…
Now go git your superset on, ya GRATEFUL bastard!!
Be that muscular man!
Peeeeeeaaaaaaaccccee
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