Did anyone gain muscle with exercise in their 40s?

[AliceMay55]

I seem to be losing a lot of muscle lately. My arms look quite flabby, my legs look flabby etc.

I never did weights before. Is it worth starting now or is it all downhill from here? I’m just below 45.

I am building muscle in my 60s.

I do weights in the gym, body pump classes, lots of walking, some swimming.

I am careful with weights, strains don’t heal as fast as they used to, I pay attention to technique and don’t over do the weight.

I seem to burn fewer calories so pay attention to diet more than I used to to keep the covering of flab down.

Go for it! I really felt exercise and being fit helped during peri / menopause, too.

FWIW I'm 49.

I'm 57 and started strength training with dumbbells at home following Caroline Girvan 6 months ago. I was a runner before and my body has been transformed, lots of muscle definition and movement in general so much easier. Go for it!

I started resistance training a month ago. (Am 49.) Am definitely seeing a difference already - core is much more solid, baby biceps developing.

Triceps still nowhere to be seen despite working that area a lot. Bingo wings ahoy. But working on it.

Yes. At 49 I’ve started yoga with Adrienne and do it most mornings for about 20 to 30 mins. It’s made such a difference to my strength and body shape.
I love it.

Yoga and Pilates are great for flexibility and Pilates can build some strength but not muscle.

I’m 47 and I do weights. What works for me is - it’s got to be taxing. It has to hurt a bit and be difficult. No point lifting 1kg kiddie weights. You need to be struggling towards the end eg on the 7th rep of the 3rd set I feel like “I can’t do this”.
I am definitely stronger than other women my age who don’t do this. It’s enormously useful in daily life and things don’t faze me eg moving furniture, suitcases, grabbing my DC lol

PS my upper arms are actually toned and shaped and I have definitely improved the shape of my backside and quads.
I still have that bloody armpit fat from breastfeeding tho-that didn’t shift even when I lost a lot of weight

I’m doing weights just now and have been for a few months, the toning is fabulous and so much better than low impact cardio. I mix it with high impact cardio to get my heart rate up too. I’m 42. Never too late to start!

I’m 45 this week and just started lifting weights and strength training 3 times a week at a gym, group PT sessions…I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own as would t know how to stand/position myself etc

Yes you absolutely can. Eat more protein than you’re used to, ideally including at breakfast, and lift weights (correctly- make sure you don’t get injured).

It’s very satisfying to feel stronger and see changes in your body composition.

Another thing, the 'newbie gains' in muscle can be obtained quite quickly, from 6 weeks you can see a difference in body composition. It's very motivating!

I’m 55. I have exercises all of my life. I started seriously weight training 2 years ago with Caroline Girvan and my body is transformed. It is tight all over, nothing jiggles . My functional strength has improved massively.

I let it go a bit in my 40s but got it all back in my 50s, mostly running couch to 5K. Now I'm in my late 60s, and two years of COVID desk work, gaining muscle mass is more difficult, but essential. And do-able. I was chuffed beyond belief to see a ridge of muscle on the top of my thigh when cycling.

I'm 43 next week and started really getting fit this year, I look the best I've ever looked. I cut my running down to once or twice a week rather than three or four times, I go on the rowing machine once a week on high resistance and do strength training and toning videos using the Fiton app. I just use some dumbells I bought from argos, yoga mat and resistance bands.

Yes of course. In my 50s actually

@Tudorfish i joined a gym when I retired and have been doing regular classes. Until then I had done nothing at all since I left school, other than walking and the occasional swim.

I have arthritis in both knees and one hip so I can't do anything high impact and have to adapt some exercises.

I do an aquafit class once a week, which is great because I can do things in the water that I couldn't do on land. I also do yoga and sometimes use the gym, but I think what has made the most difference in terms of building muscle are the Pilates and "legs, bums and tums" classes I do. I certainly can't claim to have a 6-pack yet, but I can see that there is one developing.

I am overweight, and still have a long way to go to go, but I can now see that I have muscles. I just need to get rid of more of the fat burying them!

Yes! I started at 45 and am nearly a year in and have lovely definition in my arms and abs and have stopped getting back and joint problems (one of the reasons I began)

Check out Caroline Girvan on You Tube and just start with her 10 or 15 minute light weight workouts and go from there. Once I reaped the benefits I was hooked! Just shy of 46 and not a bingo wing in sight.

Yes, of course you can build muscle in your 40s but diet and muscle definition takes commitment.

I've been doing low weight exercises from an app. Using 2,3.5+5 kg dumbbells. Adding the it all up I'd estimate I'm doing 20 mins of actual lifting per session (if you take away rests between sets of reps) about 4 times a week. After 3 months, I'm seeing some minor results so I'm sticking with it.

I had had to really try to clean up my diet and focus on protein. I don't have a load of flab but the flab I do have is wobbly and I accept it will take a year of committment to really see muscle definition.

I use a whey protein powder to supplement but you can get vegan alternatives. I put half a measure in my breakfast every morning and a full one after my morning sessions.

I'm late 30s but I have built some muscle doing strength training, it's just not that obvious because it's still covered in some fat. I'm not overweight but I have a lot of wobble, not helped by my love of food and wine.

I aim for 3 times a week and I lift heavy, I have also taken up running and do that 3 times a week too.

Yes, a bit of hill walking and my calves are bulging. Gym/weights are boring to me, I'd rather be out hiking or gardening.

I'm vegetarian but my house is a mix of vegan and vegetarian. I also have IBS. I eat yoghurt (appreciate you can't), eat a load of kidney, haricot, butter beans, chickpeas but few lentils as no-one likes the size of them.
We have a lot of tofu in our house, use Quorn vegan products from time to time and I do have 1.5 portions of vegan pea protein shake or another type of vegan protein shake like purition.

Yes, I started running at 48 and have lean toned legs.

Yep joined a gym and now go regularly. I don't do any serious heavy lifting but I have certainly improved and toned and the bingo wings are no longer. I believe that it is vital for health especially during the menopause to do some sort of exercise that includes weights. My mantra is use it or loose it.