Can Older People Still Build Muscle?

Richard Sullivan at age 51.

Many people ask, “Can older people still build muscle?”

Of course they can. No matter what one’s age, the only significant physical obstacle that affects older people’s ability to build brand new lean muscle mass versus younger people is wear and tear. It’s astonishing how many people never rehab their injuries and seem perfectly fine accepting diminished physical capacity.

Older people also ask, “Why is it harder for older people to achieve their desired results when trying to add muscle?”

There could be multiple reasons for this, starting with wear and tear. As we go through life we suffer injuries. Moreover we pick up habits that degrade us physically, like poor standing and sitting posture, poor walking technique and more.

Use It Or Lose It.

Add to that years, or decades, of physical inactivity. If your muscles have not been challenged for thirty years, it’s going to take some time and effort to get up to speed once again. It’s not just machines that get creaky and slow due to a lack of use; our bodies do as well. 

Also, the average person who is chronologically in his/her twenties is fresh and new compared to someone chronologically 50 or older. Young males have far more testosterone coursing through their veins, allowing them more stamina during their workout and less time needed to recover and repair afterward. Their joints are more flexible overall, their skin more taut.

On average most young people are inherently stronger overall because they are chronologically newer with comparatively little self-inflicted damage such as that suffered by older people’s decades of inactivity, obesity, smoking, prescription drugs, junk food diets and unrehabilitated injuries. Plus many older people have a mental block, believing or wishing to believe that it’s too late because they have suffered too much damage at this point, or it’s too difficult and exhausting, or "what’s the use at my age anyway?"

It’s only too late if you’re reading this in your casket. People who don’t want to change will find multiple convenient ways not to because they will have a lot of support from likeminded others, but those who do want to change will find a way.