5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight or Gaining Muscle After 50

If you are exercising but not losing weight or gaining muscle after 50, there are some easy and yet not-so-obvious reasons why. 

This is for all of you exercising but not getting results. 

Whether you or women you work with are interested in gaining muscle after 50, you may like this: 

How to Design Strength Programs that Work PRE, peri and post-menopause is a new workshop I'm offering complimentary to our members and existing Menopause Fitness Specialists. If you’re interested as a non-member, add your name here to the notifications list. 

 

5 Reasons You May Struggle Losing Fat or Gaining Muscle After 50

1. Not Working To Muscular Fatigue 

• • Starting out: 5-6 reps to fatigue
  • Experienced - 2 reps from reserve

Workouts to gain muscle strength:

• • Light - in between 6-30 reps
  • Moderate - +/- 15 reps
  • Heavy - 10 or fewer reps

2. Too Little Recovery

3 things that have to recover: Muscle, Connective tissues, Adrenals

• • Muscle

48 hours of recovery is not enough for a lot of people. As we age, we need more recovery time.

If you take too little recovery time, you will feed more tired than better and not gain lean muscle mass.

• • Connective tissues (ligaments & joints)

Recovery may be slower and healing from an injury or a strain.

Take time with warm ups and cool downs. Work on mobility around key joints like ankles, hips and shoulders regularly. 

• • Adrenals

Prolonged elevated cortisol after a workout is problematic if already chronic elevation of cortisol exists.

Estrogen regulates the HPA-axis (cortisol/adrenal signaling) function. Less estrogen reduces the ability to regulate stressors.

Decreasing exercise, reducing inflammation and taxing of the adrenals, improving sleep, nutrition sufficiency, and identifying ways to reduce negative effects of cortisol with tools that work for you.

 

More Reasons Why You're Not Gaining Muscle After 50

3. Too Few Calories Or Protein 

May limit muscle protein synthesis.

If you’re in a caloric deficit:

• • a moderate deficit (<500 calories below maintenance) 
  • resistance training 
  • high protein intake
    Can help preserve muscle during fat loss.

BUT for muscle growth, a calorie surplus is usually necessary.

An 8-week study on heavy resistance training performed in a split routine (with young adults) suggested a much higher protein intake successfully improved fat loss with resistance training in active adults. That was 3.4g protein / kg body weight. For me doing that math at 130lbs would mean an intake of 200g of protein.

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