Exercising after 40........intermittent fasting (18/6) experiences.....

[mangyH2obuffalo]

Just wondering if there are any 40+ year old gym rats.......and your experiences with keeping muscle mass.  Did you change your routine?  How did you change it?  Have you found it to be true that you can't go about it the same way as when you were in 20s?  

 

By go about it, I mean train the same muscles together.  I have heard a lot that you can't do "bro workouts", that is, two parts together.......the classic Day 1:  Chest and Triceps   Day 2:  Back and Biceps     Day 3:  Shoulder and Legs.   

 

I know you need more recovery between workouts so I have been doing this "Bro workout" by either taking a day off in between workouts or I might do two days in a row with a day of rest or maybe all 3 with 2 days off...........

 

I have heard a lot that you need to do either a full upper body workout rest and then do a full lower body workout.......

 

As a creature of habit a big part of me wants to stay with what I know and that is the 3 body groupings mixed with light cardio and the thought that "something is better than nothing".

 

Not trying to be totally bulked up just lean........

 

Anyways, please share any experiences for working out after 40.

 

Thanks

[robblok]

I have done the classic split you describe and I have done full body workouts both work. I have not only kept muscle I gained it too. But was off for 4 months and now gaining back what i lost.

 

Good thing for muscle memory. 

 

I think you will have no problem keeping your muscles on the routine your talking about. Its far easier to keep muscle then to gain new. 

 

Right now because I have been out for a while I am doing a full body 3-4 times a week. Its taxing but as its lighter as I am used too it works. Getting back the muscle (not that I think I lost that much). 

 

Its actually quite easy to keep your muscles. Staying lean has more to do with diet then exercise.

 

I would advice though to eat some carbs around the workout time. 

 

I trained the same as I did when I was 20 recovery was a bit harder but not that hard. I now go slightly higher in reps.. 10-12 instead of 8. I don't think its much of a problem to keep lifting heavy.