Your proportion of lean muscle mass will naturally decrease as you age, which can increase your risk of physical injury and slow your metabolism. However, strength training on a regular basis will quickly improve your strength, stamina and bone density, particularly if you focus on training properly. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Include All Major Muscle Groups
Rather than focusing on one area, to pump up your pecs or get a "six-pack," build muscle throughout your body by including exercises for all major muscle groups. You should do at least one exercise each that targets your chest, your upper and lower back, your shoulders, your abdominal muscles, your gluteal muscles and your upper and lower arms and legs. An ideal way to work all the important muscles is to find inclusive strength-training exercises. For example, doing a squat can tone your abdominal muscles, gluteal muscles, thighs and shins.
Train Multiple Times a Week
Get in at least two to three strength-training sessions every week, ideally working out every other day or working the lower and upper body on different days to give each muscle group at least 24 hours of recovery time, recommends Columbia University's Go Ask Alice! health-services website. Each session should last at least 20 to 30 minutes and include about eight to 10 different exercises. Include at least one set of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise and repeat up to three sets. If you're just getting started in your strength-training regimen, work at a resistance level that allows you to do 15 repetitions before you fatigue.
Alternate and Update
Constantly reinvent your strength-training routine to constantly challenge your muscles. Changing up your program every four to six weeks or so will help prevent the plateau that occurs when your body adapts to its challenges, Bill Sonnemaker, entrepreneur and personal trainer, tells "Forbes" magazine. One common way to increase the challenge is to increase the amount of weight you lift once you're able to easily perform 12 or 13 repetitions at your current weight. Another way is to alternate among various strengthening activities, such as resistance tubing, free weights, weight machines and body-weight exercises. Other ways to spice up your routine: increase the amount of exercises you do per muscle group and change up the order of your routine.
Fuel Your Workouts
Most people who regularly follow a strength-training routine should consume about 500 extra calories a day to properly build muscle mass, Go Ask Alice! explains. Carbohydrates from foods such as whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables help fuel workouts and reduce your risk of getting fatigued early on in your strength-training sessions. Heart-healthy fats from foods such as fish, nuts, avocados, olive oil and seeds also offer a quality source of fuel. Although protein is popularly considered a "must" for people building muscle, most Americans get as much protein as even the most avid bodybuilder would need by eating foods such as hamburgers. Consult a dietitian about meeting your protein needs if you don't eat meat or if you tend to eat fewer sources of protein for any other reason.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier; June 30, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Weight Training: Improve Your Muscular Fitness; Feb. 12, 2011
- "Forbes" magazine; Tips to Build Your Muscle Mass at Any Age; Allison Van Dusen; Aug. 13, 2007
- Columbia University --- Go Ask Alice!; Vegetarian Wants to Bulk Up with Protein Foods; March 23, 2007
- Columbia University --- Go Ask Alice!; Wants to Build Muscle Mass Through Weight Lifting and a Healthy Diet; Dec. 7, 2010
- Columbia University --- Go Ask Alice!; Weight Training: Do I Need To Change My Workout to See Results?; Dec. 7, 2010
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