As you get older, the way you approach life changes.
You have more wisdom than you did when you were a young man from all your years of experience—but in some settings, like the gym, you’ll need to adjust your behavior to keep up with the changes that happen to your body when you age. That’s why men over 40 should take a slightly different approach to fitness than their younger peers, with an emphasis on careful, calculated programming.
The Men’s Health Muscle After 40 book gives you that smart, measured plan you need for your workout as an older man.
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The 12-week fitness guide doesn’t give you handicapped workouts with instructions to play it safe—the plan is designed to bring out the best in you while allowing you to rest and recover within your body’s capacity. Muscle After 40 is split into 3 distinct phases, each of which consist of 3 weeks where you’ll train 3 times.
This is Phase 3, Week 1. Check out Phase 1, Week 1 here and Phase 2, Week 1 here.
Overview
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Now you’ll train five times a week. Because they aren’t full-body workouts (more on that in a moment), it should be easier to do workouts on consecutive days without too much fatigue or residual soreness. (Although you might get sore the first time through.)
Supersets
Along with straight sets and antagonist pairings, you’ll also do supersets: two exercises for the same muscle group with no rest in between. On some of them you’ll go straight from the first to the second exercise with no rest, using the same weight where indicated, and do as many reps as you can. Then you’ll rest before you repeat the superset.
Rest Periods
This is the first time I’ve specified how long to rest between sets since most workouts include supersets with no rest, and because I want you to attack each set at full strength. When you force yourself to rest a little more than you ordinarily would, you’ll be surprised at how much stronger you are on the next set.
That said, don’t feel obligated to follow the guideline down to the second, especially if you get so bored between sets you start checking your email. If you’re ready to lift, lift. My goal is to get you to focus on full recovery between sets and exercises, and see how much more work you can do with that technique.
Finishers
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You’ll end each workout with a bang, completing a challenging finisher that takes you out of your comfort zone. The finisher varies based on the workout, listed under “technique” on each workout log. Here’s how to do them:
Every minute on the minute (EMOM)
On Day 1 and Day 3, you’ll do 10 kettlebell swings each minute for 10 minutes. You’ll need to use a timer or position yourself where you can see a wall clock. With a timer, hit “start,” do 10 swings, and put the weight down to rest. When the timer hits one minute—exactly 60 seconds after you started the first set—begin the next set, and continue that way until you’ve completed all 10 sets.
Start off with a modest weight and see how it goes. If you’ve chosen correctly, by the fifth or sixth set your reps will slow down and you’ll start to feel like you need more rest between sets. If that doesn’t happen until the very end, just use a heavier weight next time. If it happens sooner, by the third or fourth set, it’s okay to change weights so you can continue with a lighter one.
On these exercises, you’re going for a level of total-body fatigue while also building endurance in your posterior chain—glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, and the stabilizing muscles of your upper back.
100 Pushups
On Day 2 and Day 4, you’ll do 100 pushups in as few sets as possible, using different grip widths. So if you choose a relatively narrow hand position on Day 2 (hands just inside shoulder width), go wider on Day 4 (hands at or just outside shoulder width).
My advice: Don’t get too aggressive with your early sets.If you think you can knock out 30 reps on first set, for example, stop after 15. Take a short break, then go for 15 again. When 15starts to feel like a max effort, stop at 10 on the next set.
Try to do a couple more pushups per set in subsequent weeks, with fewer total sets to reach 100.
Farmer’s Walk
I almost never give readers or clients a specific strength target. But this is an exception. On Day 5, I’d like you to finish your workout with farmer’s walks, holding much heavier weights than you’d probably choose for yourself. For men, the goal is 50 percent of your bodyweight in each hand. For women it’s 25 percent. So the men will walk 25 yards per set with a total of 100 percent of their weight, and women will use a total of 50 percent.
I know it’s a pretty tough challenge but when you have a goal to aspire to, you’ll increase your loads faster than you other-wise would. Even if you don’t hit the target, I think you’ll be impressed by your own strength at the end of the program.
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Choose Your Own Adventure
You get to pick your favorite squat variation on Day 1. Make sure it’s one you can do with high intensity, great form, and no discomfort in your knees or back.
The Workout
Day 1: Lower Body (Squat Focus)
A. Squat Variation
3 sets of 6 to 8 reps; 3 minutes rest (see note above about variations)
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B1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; 90 seconds rest
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B2. Bulgarian Split Squat
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; 90 seconds rest
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C. Standing Row to Neck
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; 45 seconds rest
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D. Calf Raise on Leg Press Machine
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; 45 seconds rest
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Finisher: Kettlebell Swing
10 reps every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 10 minutes
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Day 2: Push-Pull
A1. Dumbbell Bench Press
3 sets of 6 to 8 reps; 60 seconds rest
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A2. Dumbbell One-Arm Row
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; 60 seconds rest
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B1. Lateral Raise
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; no rest
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B2. Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press with Neutral Grip
3 sets of max reps; 90 seconds rest
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C1. Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; no rest
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C2. Lat Pulldown
3 sets of max reps; 90 seconds rest
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D1. Incline Hammer Curl
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps; no rest
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D2. Hammer Curl
3 sets of max reps; 90 seconds rest
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E1. EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps; no rest
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E2. EZ-Bar Close-Grip Bench Press
3 sets of max reps; no rest
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Finisher: Pushup
Reach 100 reps in as few sets as possible
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Day 3: Lower Body (Deadlift Focus)
A. Trap Bar Deadlift
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; 3 minutes rest
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B. Leg Press with Constant Tension
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; 2 minutes rest
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C1. Leg Curl
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; 60 seconds rest
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C2. Leg Extension
3 sets of 12 to 20 reps; 60 seconds rest
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D1. Seated Calf Raise
3 sets of 15 to 20 reps; 30 seconds rest
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D2. Cable Crunch
3 sets of max reps; 30 seconds rest
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Finisher: Kettlebell Swing
10 reps every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 10 minutes
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Day 4: Push
A. Half-Kneeling One-Arm Angled Press
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps; 60 seconds rest
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B. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; no rest
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B2. Dumbbell Bench Press
3 sets of max reps; 90 seconds rest
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C1. Cable Fly
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; no rest
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C2. Cable Chest Press
3 sets of max reps; 90 seconds rest
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D. Cable One-Arm Lateral Raise
3 sets of 15 to 20 reps; rest 30 seconds
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E1. Pressdown with Reverse Grip
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; no rest
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E2. Pressdown
3 sets of max reps; 90 seconds rest
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Finisher: Pushup
Reach 100 reps in as few sets as possible
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Day 5: Pull
A. Lat Pulldown with Neutral Grip
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps; 3 minutes rest
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B. Meadows Row
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps; 2 minutes rest
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C1. Seated Cable Row
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps; no rest
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C2. Dumbbell Rear-Delt Raise
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; 2 minutes rest
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D. EZ-Bar Curl
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps; 60 seconds rest
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E. Cable Hammer Curl with Rope
3 sets of 15 to 20 reps; 60 seconds rest
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F. Back Extension
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps; 60 seconds rest
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Finisher: Farmer’s Walk
6 sets of 25 yard carries; 60 seconds rest
Work up to holding 50 percent of your body weight in each hand for all 6 sets
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