As we say many times at Vitónica, strength training is not negotiable and it is not for less since it is firmly documented that strength training is associated with greater muscle mass, greater bone mineral density and therefore with the prevention of many pathologies that appear, above all, in the elderly such as sarcopenia or osteoporosis.
In this article we want to briefly explain the benefits that we can find in enjoying good muscle mass in the short, medium and long term. What’s more, We also explain how to start training to achieve this muscular base.
What are the benefits of training strength and having a good muscular base?
On the one hand we have the most direct and obvious effects; I explain. As we get older we become increasingly sedentary and contemplative, which favors a progressive loss of muscle mass and bone mineral density. This own gradual loss of muscle and bone tissue weakens us and as such we become more sedentary and contemplative. A vicious circle. All this without mentioning that at the hormonal level age does not favor us since from the age of 30 men have increasingly lower levels of testosterone and from menopause something similar happens with women.
That said, strength training at an early age can give us a good muscular and bone base to more firmly withstand the passing of the years. Obviously, it is never too late to start worrying about our muscle mass and we do not mean that you cannot benefit from training from the age of 50. Starting at 20 is better than 30 and starting at 50 is better than 60.
In short, enjoy higher levels of muscle mass at advanced ages It will allow us to have greater autonomy as well as to prevent falls or complications derived from them.. It is known that people with greater muscle mass in advanced ages go to the hospital less and if they do, they leave it earlier.
All of the above can be part of the most tangible benefits but the thing does not end there and it is that having a good amount of muscle tissue can provide us with metabolic benefits which include better glucose metabolism, better control of systemic inflammation, improvement of the lipid profile such as the reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides or better blood pressure. Little thing.
Finally, we can get to talk about the benefits it can bring to women in a specific way. Benefits that are exclusive to them due to their hormonal and biological characteristics, above all. We are talking about more regular menstrual cycles, milder or non-existent PMS symptoms, safer pregnancies for both mother and baby, lower risk of gestational diabetes or lower risk of osteoporosis after menopause.
How can I start gaining muscle mass?
First and foremost, eat accordingly. This implies eating, at least, based on your energy needs, although if there is a small surplus of at least 10-15% of your maintenance calories, the better, easier and “fast”.
The second and more intuitive thing is to train based on basic movement patterns of the human being:
- Exercises that involve performing horizontal and vertical thrusts such as flat and incline presses with barbells, dumbbells or machines or vertical presses such as shoulder or military presses.
- Exercises that involve performing horizontal and vertical traction such as rowing and pulling.
- Exercises where knee flexion dominates, such as squats and their variants.
- Exercises where hip flexion dominates, such as deadlifts and their variants.
With the previous movements we have to design and structure a complete routine that can be three, four, five days or whatever depending on the possibility of each one. Depending on this availability, we can talk about one type of routine or another: fullbody, torso-leg, PHAT…
Third, perform 12-20 sets per muscle group per week and 6-20 reps per set.
Lastly, don’t forget to self-regulate your training sessions. There are tools to do it and the most intuitive is that of the repetitions in reserve or RIR.
It’s about that When training, choose a weight that allows you to reach the last repetition of the series feeling that you could have done between one and four more repetitions.
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