can 50 year old woman build muscle?

[mollierose]

I am 50 years old and just starting to work out have lost 20 pounds and have a 40 more to go , I enjoy working with weights but want to know if it is possible to gain muscle at my age, I am also a vegetarian so don't get alot of protein . Thank you for your input.

 

[mollierose]

I am 50 years old and just starting to work out have lost 20 pounds and have a 40 more to go , I enjoy working with weights but want to know if it is possible to gain muscle at my age, I am also a vegetarian so don't get alot of protein . Thank you for your input.

 

[Vee]

Not Cathe, but I wanted to respond.

Here is a link to a study on the effects of aging on muscle:
http://www.ptjournal.org/cgi/reprint/74/1/71.pdf

It says a lot of other stuff, but your question is answered too. Women between the age of 60 and 72 experienced muscle growth (hypertrophy) and strength gains with weight training. So I would say, you are making an early start.

I am aware there are quite a few women who say they achieved their best bodies around age 50 from training with Cathe, here and over at the videofitness forum.

Yuo may not pack on as quickly as a younger woman, but yes you can achieve musce growth.

I am vegetarian. I do not get noticably bigger from weight training, but that could be genetic - nobody on either parent's side is muscular. My physique does get "harder" and look tighter with weight training. I eat real food - dont like protein drinks - I like soy and lentils and green leafy veggies.

My husband is vegetarian and I have noticed that soy based protein isolate shakes seem to do a good job supplementing a vegetarian diet for protein. Perhaps he would have gotten bigger without them too - cannot say. He has become seriously bigger with weight training and he has never eaten meat ever.

~* Vrinda *~

 

[Vee]

Not Cathe, but I wanted to respond.

Here is a link to a study on the effects of aging on muscle:
http://www.ptjournal.org/cgi/reprint/74/1/71.pdf

It says a lot of other stuff, but your question is answered too. Women between the age of 60 and 72 experienced muscle growth (hypertrophy) and strength gains with weight training. So I would say, you are making an early start.

I am aware there are quite a few women who say they achieved their best bodies around age 50 from training with Cathe, here and over at the videofitness forum.

Yuo may not pack on as quickly as a younger woman, but yes you can achieve musce growth.

I am vegetarian. I do not get noticably bigger from weight training, but that could be genetic - nobody on either parent's side is muscular. My physique does get "harder" and look tighter with weight training. I eat real food - dont like protein drinks - I like soy and lentils and green leafy veggies.

My husband is vegetarian and I have noticed that soy based protein isolate shakes seem to do a good job supplementing a vegetarian diet for protein. Perhaps he would have gotten bigger without them too - cannot say. He has become seriously bigger with weight training and he has never eaten meat ever.

~* Vrinda *~

 

[DirtDiva]

The reason why I started lifting in my late 30's was to support my love of mountainbiking. Carrying at least 10 pounds of gear(hydration, tools, tubes,) and throwing around a 29 pound bike, my muscles are very important. Now that I'm in late 40's I want to define and grow them even more. Lifting weights has so many benefits, including the big one of warding off osteoporosis. Weight-bearing activities strengthen your bones. I'm not sure if being a vegetarian precludes you from using whey protein? Beans are another good source, and soy. I would educate myself and read, read, read. This is an amazing place to start, sometimes I can't break away from it as I've learned so much from the members of this forum. And yes you can build muscle at any age, with the right form and nutrition and proper rest, and of course motivation. Visualize what you want, set goals and then put it in writing and go for it.

 

[DirtDiva]

The reason why I started lifting in my late 30's was to support my love of mountainbiking. Carrying at least 10 pounds of gear(hydration, tools, tubes,) and throwing around a 29 pound bike, my muscles are very important. Now that I'm in late 40's I want to define and grow them even more. Lifting weights has so many benefits, including the big one of warding off osteoporosis. Weight-bearing activities strengthen your bones. I'm not sure if being a vegetarian precludes you from using whey protein? Beans are another good source, and soy. I would educate myself and read, read, read. This is an amazing place to start, sometimes I can't break away from it as I've learned so much from the members of this forum. And yes you can build muscle at any age, with the right form and nutrition and proper rest, and of course motivation. Visualize what you want, set goals and then put it in writing and go for it.

 

[kathryn]

In a word: yes!
But we have to work a bit harder, and make sure to get sufficient recovery (which is more than what we could get by on when we were younger).

As for 'not getting a lot of protein,' if you are eating a well-balanced veg diet, you probably are getting enough protein (and more). But if you are concerned about it, you might try a hemp-protein based supplement (smoothie) once a day. Hemp protein is probably the best plant-source protein. (the fact that you were 60 pounds overweight on a vegetarian diet makes me wonder how balanced that diet was/is? Watch your intake of processed foods--including 'meat analogs' and dairy products, if you eat them. Both can be calorie dense without being nutrient dense).

Since you are just starting out, you might not notice a lot of difference at first, as the first strength changes come about more through neuro-muscular adaptation (ie: your nervous system learning to recruit more muscle fibers) than from adding extra muscle tissue. Keep with it, be consistant, don't overdo (RECOVERY is very important for muscle growth. Muscles get the stimulus to repair and grow from the workout, but need the recovery time to actually do the growth). It may take some experimentation to see what the ideal combo of work-to-rest is for you.

 

[kathryn]

In a word: yes!
But we have to work a bit harder, and make sure to get sufficient recovery (which is more than what we could get by on when we were younger).

As for 'not getting a lot of protein,' if you are eating a well-balanced veg diet, you probably are getting enough protein (and more). But if you are concerned about it, you might try a hemp-protein based supplement (smoothie) once a day. Hemp protein is probably the best plant-source protein. (the fact that you were 60 pounds overweight on a vegetarian diet makes me wonder how balanced that diet was/is? Watch your intake of processed foods--including 'meat analogs' and dairy products, if you eat them. Both can be calorie dense without being nutrient dense).

Since you are just starting out, you might not notice a lot of difference at first, as the first strength changes come about more through neuro-muscular adaptation (ie: your nervous system learning to recruit more muscle fibers) than from adding extra muscle tissue. Keep with it, be consistant, don't overdo (RECOVERY is very important for muscle growth. Muscles get the stimulus to repair and grow from the workout, but need the recovery time to actually do the growth). It may take some experimentation to see what the ideal combo of work-to-rest is for you.

 

[cottagecheeks]

Hey there Mollierose.
I’m a 50 year old veggie too!
Welcome to the forum.

Congratulations on your weight loss and the decision to start working out.

How long have you been a vegetarian?
It’s only been a couple of months for me.
I only notice fat loss not muscle loss so far.
I do like my tofu ,tempeh and veggie burgers.
I don’t use any protein powders yet , but there are Vegan varieties out there.
If you use dairy there are a lot more.

When you workout with Cathe 50 is the new 25.

You go girl!
Joyce

 

[cottagecheeks]

Hey there Mollierose.
I’m a 50 year old veggie too!
Welcome to the forum.

Congratulations on your weight loss and the decision to start working out.

How long have you been a vegetarian?
It’s only been a couple of months for me.
I only notice fat loss not muscle loss so far.
I do like my tofu ,tempeh and veggie burgers.
I don’t use any protein powders yet , but there are Vegan varieties out there.
If you use dairy there are a lot more.

When you workout with Cathe 50 is the new 25.

You go girl!
Joyce

 

[workingToBeFit]

I am 51 and am here to add an emphatic YES YES YES!!! based on my own experience in the last year. Keep up the great work and congrats too!

~ Ann ~
Aim for nothing and you'll hit it everytime --- anonymous