Suggestions to build muscle after 50

April 8, 2024 6:32 AM

I have been told by my doctor I need to build muscle. I'm 53 and don't want to go the gym. Please share suggestions, experience, etc.

I've never been muscled, even as a young, fitter man, and most of my excercise has been mountain climbing when I was much younger, and walking and riding my bike over the past decades. I got moe heavily into bike riding during the pandemic and do 1 - 2 hours of riding in the Andes foothills every week.
I have gone to the gym a few times decades ago and hated the vibe, the noise, the smell, the people, everything about it. I know that if I start going I'm not gonna last more than a few sessions.
So, I'm thinking of maybe buying some simple gear like dumbells, kettle-thingies, or some kind of machine. I work at home most days and could easily fit in some sort of training periods. It's a small house with a small yard.
I could also pay for a trainer and or some kind of doctor, for a few sessions if they'd help me get started.
This is not for aesthetics, I don't plan (or fantasize about) getting "ripped" or anything, this is strictly for health and feeling healthy.
Money is not the main limiting factor here, it's more finding something I'll actually do.

posted by signal to Health & Fitness (29 answers total)

A trainer that visits you and keeps you on a plan is a great investment. I haven't done this personally, but my brother has done it and so has a friend and they both swear by it as life changing. You don't have to go to a gym for this - they come to your house and you work out in your house or yard or garage.

Less expensive than that is using an online app for workouts. I have enjoyed using the Apple Fitness strength workouts, for example - I think there are free trials that you could try for something like that.
posted by Mid at 6:55 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

I bought a kettle bell for this purpose though I've yet to really get going. There's many books, YouTube videos, etc. that explain what to do. Something to consider anyway.
posted by Depressed Obese Nightmare Man at 6:56 AM on April 8

One of my favourite pandemic purchases was adjustable dumbbells. The ones I purchased were from Bowflex and go from 5 lbs to 55 lbs each. They don't take up much space and are comfortable to use. Bowflex has a bunch of decent videos on their site, as well.

I also have some exercise bands and my community has calisthenics parks, which allow me to do strength work outdoors. I switch it up according to my mood.

A trainer can help with form if you are unfamiliar with strength training.
posted by TORunner at 6:58 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

A trainer that visits you and keeps you on a plan is a great investment. I haven't done this personally, but my brother has done it and so has a friend and they both swear by it as life changing. You don't have to go to a gym for this - they come to your house and you work out in your house or yard or garage.

And, I've noticed a trend over the last few years, particularly after COVID, that many trainers even offer virtual services. Obviously it's tougher for them to critique your form and position you appropriately, etc, over a Zoom session - but it can be more convenient after you've got your routine established.
posted by kbanas at 6:58 AM on April 8

I'm in a similar situation and I am looking into consulting a trainer and a nutritionist. I think you need to work on both sides of the issue. In the mean time, I've been exploring resistance band workouts. They don't take up much space and I can take them anywhere.

Looking forward to seeing the other comments for ideas.
posted by jraz at 6:59 AM on April 8

I like the Centr app, which has a lot of different workouts including strength training. I wanted to like Arnold’s Pump App but I don’t - however it is really focused on building muscle as an older adult. Yes I do like celebrity apps if they are good (the Centr app is not about Hemsworth) and anything that makes me smile is additionally good.

I have a set of dumbbells like these and they cover a lot of needs, and store nicely.

A trainer is great too.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:03 AM on April 8

There is no "right" way to strength train. Machines, barbells, kettlebells, bands, bodyweight - they all work. High reps/low weight works. Low reps/high weights work. Doing the same exercises every time works. Mixing up routines and exercises works. Full body exercises are generally better, but isolation exercises are fine. The only two musts are: 1) you must do it consistently, and 2) you must challenge yourself: You don't need to lift to exhaustion, but the last few reps of whatever you do should feel difficult.

Given that you've been pretty active, I wouldn't start by hiring anyone or even buying anything - unless you think that will motivate you. You can get plenty strong with just bodyweight exercises. The only thing I'd say is a big help (but not essential) is access to a bar that you can hang from. If you don't have access to one (like at a nearby playground), get an over-the-door pull up bar.

Regular pushups, pullups (or variations if you can't do regular ones), squats, and ab exercise of your choice will get you strong. If you do that regularly for a few months, then you can search for other bodyweight exercises.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:08 AM on April 8 [12 favorites]

Try Couch to Barbell.
posted by caek at 7:14 AM on April 8 [5 favorites]

As a man over 50 who has added significant muscle (to recovery from surgery) in the past two years, I agree with the excellent suggestions above (esp. Mr. Know-it-some's). Something no one has touched on yet, though, is nutrition.

Most everything I've read notes that it's important to have protein in your diet if you want to add muscle mass. That doesn't necessarily mean animal protein, though -- our house is predominantly vegetarian and foods like beans and rice, not to mention tofu and meat substitutes, can give you the needed protein.

One last thing: The trainer I follow most closely has a piece of advice that I love. He says, people always say you need to exercise more and eat less. He advises that what you really need is to exercise more and eat more. Basically, if you're burning lots of calories, you actually need to eat more than you did before to avoid throwing off your metabolism and losing muscle mass. It's more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it, and my registered dietitian partner says it's accurate. In any case, it seems to be working for me.
posted by martin q blank at 7:36 AM on April 8 [11 favorites]

Seconding caek above: take a look at couch to barbell.

I'm 43, I climb and ride bikes, I have a yoga routine I do occasionally, that's about it. But this year (2024) I wanted to get a bit stronger, and without going to a gym. Casie Johnston's proposal is this: weights go up. It takes very little time each day you do it. Each time you do the weight goes up. If you're eating well, and sleeping well, the muscles grow. We bought a small cheap collection of weights, when I'm working at home and grading a whole stack of assignments I occasionally pick a weight up and move it in the relevant direction. It works, it is working.

Johnston has a newsletter (She's A Beast) which is described as "a very good newsletter for lefty-liberal meatheads and those who are meathead-curious." But you don't have to want to be swole to be open to the possibility of getting slightly stronger by lifting some weights. Gym optional.
posted by Joeruckus at 8:57 AM on April 8 [5 favorites]

Does your local park have outside exercise stations or equipment? Go there instead of going to the gym. Do pull-ups and dips and incline or decline push-ups and whatever they have.

There might also be some bootcamp groups that meet in the park regularly. You can seek one out and and join it for additional motivation.
posted by Leontine at 10:26 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I am in pretty much the same situation, and started the /r/bodyweight program last year with good results after keeping at it for the past 12 months. Here's a link to the webpage dedicated to the program with the build-up routine, the primer and then the progression program. It has worked for me, taking about 1 hour or so each time. Since I can do this at home with my own music,etc. I feel pretty comfortable with it. the only investment has been a door frame pull-up bar.

https://nick-e.com/primer/#buildup
posted by alchemist at 10:27 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Out of a particular box — you can build a lot of muscle with some kinds of work. Want to dig a big ditch, build a rock wall, terrace someplace (ditches *and* walls!)? Sister every rafter in a garage roof? Build a roof farm on an industrial building with strong walls but no working elevator? Do some citizen science by carrying equipment difficult places? These are all things that have worked for people I knew!
posted by clew at 1:22 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

There was an article on precisely this question in yesterday’s Guardian newspaper: The muscle miracle: can I build enough in my 60s to make it to 100 – even though I’ve never weight-trained?
posted by rongorongo at 2:30 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

This guy has just started writing a weekly column about building muscle and getting fit at age 60. This week's column includes a list of body weight exercises.

Last week's column gave an idea of where he started.
posted by lulu68 at 2:32 PM on April 8

Oh snap rongorongo!
posted by lulu68 at 2:32 PM on April 8

Kettle bell, chin-up bar, resistance bands and you're set. Look into calisthenics: press-ups, pistol squats and chin-ups can get you a long way and if they get boring and easy there's handstands and planches and all that gymnastic stuff. You don't need to invest $$$ in equipment.

The main benefit of weights is that they allow people who are already pretty strong a practical path to increasing resistance when 100 pushups isn't providing a stimulus any more, but if you're not a body builder and you're starting off a low base, you don't need them. (Although if you like the idea, go for it, it is potentially more time efficient once you're reasonably strong).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:08 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Also on the age thing: in your 50s you still can achieve some respectable growth, even if it's not what you might have done in your 20s. Just take it easy on your joints and resist the urge to push through if things don't feel right. Ignore the "no pain no gain" messages you might have internalised. It does take a lot longer to heal from injuries at our age (I am 54) and we don't have time for set-backs - slow steady progress without injury is what we want.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:11 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

I’m trying to get back into strength training, also currently wanting a minimalist workout I can just get in quickly.

If (like me) you think short, daily workouts will help you build consistency more easily, you could do 2-3 exercises daily. As long as you’re hitting your big muscle groups, in a push/pull manner 2-3x a week, and keep increasing weight or reps every time, you’re good. You don’t want to do too many reps (like 30) because that will incline you to tendinopathy. So like 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Ie: Day 1) any kind of squat + bench press. Day 2) any kind of deadlift + rows. Day 3) squat + overhead press. Day 4) deadlift, glute bridge or Nordic curl + pull-up or lat pull-down. Day 5) plank (for core) + hip abduction and adduction (eg lateral band walks or prone hip raises).

Try to do single legged movements once or twice a week to ensure equal muscle strength (sometimes with double legged movements one stronger leg does more work). Helps with balance, too.
posted by cotton dress sock at 3:40 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Lots of different workouts at fitnessblender.com that are strength focused. Workouts range in length from 10 minutes to 50 minutes. They also have "programs" that choose the workouts for you.

They have a lot of free content, but the yearly cost (around $70) is totally worth it. The trainers are all down-to earth and focus on form and genuine encouragement. They offer a lot of different modifications to make things easier or harder. I have the least expensive version of these adjustable weights and it was totally worth the price.

I would see an in-person trainer for a few sessions so they can really make sure you're following proper form for things like squats and deadlifts and other common moves. That way you will avoid injury.
posted by brookeb at 4:30 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Loop-style resistance bands are great—I've been using them for a few months and I've really enjoyed it. There are some expensive band/board/bar workout plan sets (like X3 and Harambe) that make some pseudoscientific claims about what's possible and how fast, but I do find a bar (that the bands hook onto) and (less importantly) a board (that you stand on while running the bands underneath) make the workouts easier and more productive.

There's a YouTube channel called "Hybrid Resistance" that has a lot of good band/bar/board content. The host is way more measured and pleasant than a typical fitness YouTube influencer.

I personally use Sunpow bands—the set of five, I think it is—along with a GEKU bar (the one with the metal hooks on the end). They're both from Amazon. I recently bought one of those big plastic aerobic steps for $7 at a thrift store to use as my board, but I haven't really integrated that into my workouts yet.

I use free weights and a machine too, but honestly if I'd gotten into the bands earlier I might have just settled on that for most of my work. They feel better on my joints than similar exercises with dumbbells, and I find it way easier to make sure I'm working the muscles I want to be working.
posted by Polycarp at 5:27 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

My partner [64 years old] is a serious power lifter and even he, a very blokey-bloke with lots of judgments about weightlifting, loves Cheryl Coulombe or “Lift with Cee” on YouTube. She has tiny little hacks that make each rep really work. She doesn’t talk too much, and she’s in her fifties. It’s the only thing I have stuck with for several years.

I am self conscious at gyms as a mid-50s woman and I have found her 30 minutes of three tri-sets full body work out, three times a week are great. I started with her 20 minute two tri-sets routine [kinda preferred it] five times a week. If you do it with regularity, you feel results.

I only have 2 ten pound handweights and I adapt her exercises to work with those weights [eg use two hands on one weight for tricep exercises where a ten pound weight in each hand would be too much. Or use the two weights held close together for squats] I think a heavier kettle bell would be a good addition but so far I like that I can have my weights in my living room without a big set up/ separate room somewhere.
posted by honey-barbara at 10:14 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I strongly recommend adjustable weights. If you can't keep increasing weight you're just accepting that you won't build that much muscle, since you can't take a "number go up" approach if number no go up. The Bowflex ones linked above are great.
posted by potrzebie at 11:30 PM on April 8

I'd recommend Dr. Sten Ekberg's Youtube channel. He is a former Olympic decathlete now in his 50s and working as a holistic doctor. As an example, here he is talking about how to do abdominal exercises effectively and safely, for example. He also covers nutrition quite a lot and, as others have suggested, I would recommend getting familiar with how recommendations in this area have evolved in the last 10 years or so.

We are about the same age so will have lived through a bewildering variety of health/exercise and diet advice, much of which has proved dubious. In terms of nutrition: I would recommend getting to understand why there has been a grown in people advocating a intermittent fasting and low carb/ketogenic diets and how these are supposed to help. Understanding activities which can boost stuff like autophagy and production of human growth hormone - and also understanding to role of hormones like insulin and cortisol - are all part of the picture of developing muscles in a healthy way.
posted by rongorongo at 11:39 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I'm in my early fifties. I've always been good about cardio but I've been trying to get better about building muscles.

I did the seven-minute workout for a while and I found it sustainable and pretty helpful.

Recently, I have started lifting weights, and I have found it VERY helpful to have a personal trainer -- not so much for motivation as to teach me good form. With proper form, I've found that I can push myself very hard without injury. Without it (as I've learned from hard experience in various athletic endeavors), I'm likely to end up doing more harm than good.
posted by yankeefog at 2:22 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

Simple & Sinister kettlebell practice has helped me. I'm a similar age with a background in distance running, but never weight training. To start you just need the book and a 16 kg kettlebell.

No matter what practice you take up, a personal trainer or physical therapist can be really helpful. If you're like me you'll have a whole host of odd imbalances that make it difficult to do weight exercises with good form. A professional can identify root causes and prescribe corrective exercises.
posted by wombat praxis at 4:41 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

Thoughtful nutrition is vital to this effort.

I'm a 58-year-old woman whose digestive system doesn't work very well anymore. So it's hard for me to eat enough protein to add muscle.

However, I was still able to add muscle and strength without adding much body fat, over a period of a couple months, following a simple protocol.

What I do is largely based on the LeanGains methodology. I've also listened to Andrew Huberman's podcast episodes on intermittent fasting.

Note: If you're diabetic or prediabetic, or have a family history of same, consult your doctor about the insulin-spike approach I describe below.

1. Work out fasted. Yep, that's what I did, up to 16 hours of fasting prior to workout. 8 hours, 12 hours, really any amount of fasting you can do prior to your workout will benefit. If you can comfortably omit breakfast, you can time your workouts for around noon and break the fast just afterward.
2. 15 minutes prior to workout: 5 mg creatine powder in water and an EAA or BCAA supplement. No sweeteners. Caffeine in forms like black coffee or coffee with a fat like coconut oil will enhance your workout as well.
3. Workouts: 2-3 times a week.
   • I do a mix of bodyweight and weighted exercises. See below.
   • I do sets and reps in a reverse pyramid style, which is 3 sets of 8-10 reps, each set with less weight and a few more reps than the previous. Rest 3 minutes between each set. The whole thing should take no more than an hour, perhaps less.
   • My go-to exercises: Bulgarian split squats holding dumbbells, pushups, low rows using a TRX swung over the door, abdominal wheel rollouts, and reverse leg raises lying on my stomach on a mat.


4. 15 minutes after workout: Protein and sucrose / fructose snack with 5 mg creatine powder in water.
   • Why the sweet stuff? You actually want your insulin level to spike: helps drive the protein from what you eat into your muscles. As I've already said, though, if you're diabetic, consult your doctor before you try this.
   • My usual: 30 grams farmer's cheese with some high-sugar fruit like 2-3 dates. Orange would also be good. Sometimes I'll throw a teaspoon of unrefined cane sugar on top. I don't weigh much, so you may need larger portion sizes.


5. 15 minutes after snack: A regular meal. I eat a goodly amount of animal protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and carbs mostly in the form of fruits, legumes, potatoes of all kinds, a bit of oatmeal, and rice.

Good luck! It can be done!
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 6:53 AM on April 9 [4 favorites]

I'd also recommend adjustable dumb-bells. You can get most of what you need done with those. Most bar-bell exercises can also be done with dumb-bells if you don't want very heavy weights on the bars, which should be fine for you.

Some people like resistance bands. They have the advantage of being small and light. The disadvantage is that the resistance varies: the first few inches of pull has little resistance, the last few has a lot of resistance. So dumb-bells are preferable for most movements if you can have them to hand, as you get full "resistance" for the whole range of motion. Obviously dumb-bells are not so good if you're trying to put them in a suitcase to travel with etc.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:26 AM on April 10

A specific recommendation about balance - this is derived from Michael Mosley's book "Just one thing" - but it can be seen elsewhere. He mentions a study in which a large number of 53 year olds were asked to do various tests in the late 90s. Thirteen years later the researchers followed up and compared the people who had died with the rest. It turned out that the best predictor of whether somebody would go on to die was whether they were unable to stand on one leg with their eyes closed for at least 10 seconds.

This is something people get worse at with age: under 40s can manage 15 seconds; fifty somethings 8 seconds, those in their seventies just 3 seconds. People also fall more as they get older and falls are second only to car accidents as causes of accidental death.

This distills into one piece of advice: stand on one leg while you are brushing your teeth - and see if you can maybe close your eyes for a few seconds while you do so. This helps develop your leg and core muscles and is also a workout for your sense of balance that can pay off later in life.
posted by rongorongo at 3:54 AM on April 17 [1 favorite]