Starting in our thirties our bodies tend to lose muscle mass... as we age our muscle naturally deteriorates. As we near our forties and fifties, the deterioration only gets worse, and those once sculpted muscles that we naturally had when we were younger tend to turn a little softer and weaker.
The good news is that you don’t need to spend hours at the gym to rebuild your muscles and reach your fitness goals. A quick and productive workout can help you re-sculpt those arms into the chiseled biceps they once were.
BUT weight lifting brings more benefits than just stronger muscles and a toned body - and it's good for everyone, no matter your age! Adding strength training to your workouts is a great way to improve your overall fitness, from burning body fat and strengthening your bones to preventing injury and making your heart healthier. By building stronger muscles through lifting weights, you're also making your body more effective at burning fat. The reason is simple: muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does. So in addition to burning more calories while at rest, you'll also naturally boost your metabolism as you add lean body mass through weight lifting.
Lifting weights doesn't just strengthen your muscles. It also helps to improve your bone and joint health. Having strong bones and joints is important to fight the natural weakening of bones that occurs as we age. Lifting weights also can reduce your risk of injury. Muscles form the foundation for all the movement, balance, and coordination of your body. So, a body strengthened through weight lifting may be less likely to suffer injury. Lastly, you might not associate weight lifting with your heart, weight training also has significant cardiovascular benefits that can improve your long-term health.
Lifting Isn’t the Only Key to Fitness
In addition to an exercise routine, proper nutrition, rest, and sleep are also essential to successfully building muscle:
Healthy Nutrition: You can’t outlift a poor diet. Maintain a balanced diet that includes nutrient-dense proteins, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. You’ll need to get enough protein and carbohydrates for muscle repair and growth. Avoid foods with sugar, alcohol, and bad fats.
Rest: Muscles need time to recover in between workout periods. Rest can make you stronger, because it allows the muscles you have broken down to heal and recover. Give yourself rest in between reps and workout days so your muscles can work at their peak performance when you’re lifting.
Sleep: Not getting enough sleep can undo the hard work you put in at the gym or sabotage your dieting efforts. Aim for seven to nine hours each night so your body and mind can work their best.
Quick Muscle-Building Workouts
Here are three workouts you can do to build muscle quickly. Commit to strength training three or four days a week and you’ll start to see strength and definition come back.
Workout One
For this workout, complete three to four sets of each exercise with 60-90 seconds of rest in-between each set:
- 8 - 12 reps Barbell squat
- 8 - 12 reps Bench press
- 8 - 12 reps Barbell bent-over row
- 8 - 12 reps Barbell overhead press
- 8 - 12 reps Dumbbell curl
- 8 - 12 reps Dumbbell overhead extension
Workout Two
For this workout, complete three to four sets of each exercise with 45-60 seconds of rest in-between each set:
- 8 - 12 reps Knee Extension
- 8 - 12 reps Hamstring curls
- 8 - 12 reps DB Bench press
- 8 - 12 reps Seated cable row
- 8 - 12 reps DB Lateral raise
- 8 - 12 reps Barbell curls
- 8 - 12 reps Cable tricep press down
Workout Three
For this workout, complete four sets of each exercise with 60-90 seconds of rest in-between each set:
- 8 - 12 reps Leg press
- 8 - 12 reps Incline bench press
- 8 - 12 reps One-armed DB row
- 8 -12 reps DB Overhead press
- 8 - 12 reps Cable bicep curl
- 8 - 12 reps Tricep “skull crushers”
When you commit to building muscle, you can expect to gain one quarter (for women) to one-half (for men) of a pound of muscle per week. Slow and steady wins the race for building lean muscle that will keep you strong for the long haul.
Our personal trainers, team training, group fitness classes, and free weight areas are all available to you as a member to help you build muscle and improve your physique and your fitness.
