How I'd Build Muscle After 40: Exactly What I'd Do
If I wanted to get serious about building muscle after 40, I would get much more intentional about my training, nutrition, recovery, protein intake, and expectations, not just start lifting heavier or more often.
Building muscle requires a very different strategy than fat loss, and one of the biggest mistakes I see women make is trying to build muscle while still eating and training like they are dieting.
In this episode, the second of a three part series, I’m breaking down exactly what I would do if building muscle became one of my top priorities, including the difference between fat loss, body recomposition, and a true muscle-building phase, how much you may need to eat to support muscle growth, how much protein matters, and what progressive overload actually looks like.
If your goal is to build muscle after 40, you need more than random workouts and a little extra protein. You need enough fuel, enough training stimulus, enough recovery, and enough time.
INSIDE THIS EPISODE, I COVER:
- The difference between fat loss, body recomposition, and muscle building
- Why you may need to stop dieting if muscle growth is truly the goal
- How many calories you may need to support muscle growth
- Why a small calorie surplus can be helpful for experienced lifters
- Why eating more does not automatically mean building more muscle
- How much protein women may need to support muscle growth
- Why protein is only one part of the equation
- What progressive overload actually means
- Why simply “working out” is not the same as training for muscle growth
- How hard you need to train to create enough stimulus
- Why more workouts do not always mean more results
- The role carbohydrates play in strength, performance, and recovery
- How to balance cardio with a muscle-building goal
- Why sleep, stress, and recovery matter so much
- Why meaningful muscle growth takes months, not weeks
- The supplements I would prioritize, including creatine and protein powder
Keep listening:
- How I'd Lose 10-20 Pounds After 40: Exactly What I'd Do (Part 1)
- How I'd Improve My Metabolic Health After 40: Exactly What I'd Do (Part 3, releasing 11/9/26)
- Episode 276 - Evidence Based Strategies to Build Muscle with Holly Baxter
- Episode 23 - How to Build Muscle: Practical Tips for Increasing Muscle Mass
- Episode 287 - Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss and Why You Feel Stuck
RESOURCES:
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