Why You're NOT Building Muscle Over 40

Many midlife women are quick to blame their age when they can't build muscle.

But if you’re over 40, working out with weights, and NOT seeing the results you want, I'm almost sure I know why.

And it has nothing to do with age.

The real problem?

You’re probably NOT training properly to actually GROW.

If you're struggling, here's what could be going wrong:

✅ You’re not pushing close enough to failure.

You’ve likely heard that to build muscle, you need to “train close to failure.”

I usually say that ideally you should be within 1-3 reps in reserve (RIR). So no more than a few reps from failure.

The problem is that what most people think is failure…isn’t even close.

Let’s say you stop a set at 10 reps because that's what you have in your program. But maybe you could have done another 6 or 7 reps with the weight you selected. 

That's NOT going to stimulate maximum muscle growth.

As you approach true muscular failure, you recruit more of the high-threshold motor units responsible for hypertrophy (muscle growth).

That’s what sends your body the message: “We need more muscle to handle this.”

And no, you don’t need to take every set to failure. But the majority of your working sets — especially on machines or safe movements — should be near that point.

The difference this makes over the course of a year can be HUGE.

➡️ For your next workout, pick one of your exercises and try to push until you really struggle or your technique starts to break down.

See how far past your usual reps you go.

✅ You’re not tracking your workouts.

Even if you’re training reasonably hard, you won’t build muscle without PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.

That means doing more reps, lifting more weight, or doing a more challenging exercise.

That's really hard to do if you’re not keeping track of your workouts.

How do you know how to move ahead this week if you can’t remember what you did last week?

Whether you use a spreadsheet, notebook, or the Notes app on your phone, tracking your workouts adds structure and accountability.

There's no guesswork.

Having structure makes it all easier. Because I know you have enough on your plate!

➡️ Progression isn't just about adding more weight to the barbell or picking up a heavier dumbbell.

You can also add more reps, more sets, more load, more volume over the week, slower and more controlled reps, or a more challenging exercise.

💥 If you’re over 40 and struggling to build muscle, don’t blame your age (PLEASE!).

Most people don't have the knowledge and expertise to train as effectively as they could.

And no one's blaming you.

You've spent at least a decade building a career in a completely different field. You can't be expected to know everything about training.

Focus on these two factors and you'll be ahead of 90% of people:

1️⃣ Effort — Push your sets closer to failure, especially on days you're feeling more energetic.

2️⃣ Progression — Monitor your weight training program and make changes over time.

It's also important to do those things CONSISTENTLY.

Doing one workout one week, then 4 workouts another week, then taking a week off, and then another 2 workouts after that isn't going to help you grow.

➡️ Do 2-4 weight training sessions per week

➡️ 25-45 mins of actual weight training (plus a 5min warm-up and 5mins of stretching/mobility at the end).

Want me to put together a muscle-building plan for you?

Applications are open in my private online coaching program for June. 👉 Details HERE.

Stay strong!