🏋️‍♀️ recovery tips for lifters over 40

Just a friendly reminder as the weather gets warmer: Please bring your crusty protein shaker bottle in from the car. Your loved ones will thank you later.

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• Recovery tips for lifters over 40.

• Five CrossFit workouts to help you build muscle.

• Strongwoman Nadia Stowers’ unbelievable 690-pound long bar deadlift.

Recovery

Bounce Back Faster

The closer a car gets to having six-figure mileage, the more important basic care and maintenance become. Our bodies are, unfortunately, pretty much the same — even more so for those of us who lift weights regularly.

Most of us understand that it’s a bad idea to roll back the car’s odometer and pretend everything’s still in perfect working order. What we sometimes have trouble admitting is that being “middle-aged” means it’s time to take inventory of which of our own parts are no longer in factory-fresh condition.

But that doesn’t mean you need to give up on the gym. The opposite, really. You need to keep training, but you also need to support that training with some tips, tricks, and hacks that will boost a recovery ability that just isn’t as quick as it used to be. Here’s where to start.

CrossFit

Building Blocks

Your favorite CrossFit athletes are absurdly jacked. They might not be on stage posing like a Mr. Olympia hopeful, but they’re built like they could be. With CrossFit, the goal may not be to look a certain way — but all those muscles can certainly be a nice bonus from all those intense training sessions. If you’re looking to build more mass, we’ve got the best CrossFit workouts to get you there.

In the article below, you’ll find routines for your upper body, legs, and your core. And if you’re a beginner, we’ve got a workout just for you. That’s a lot to get to, and you’ll find it all below.

PR Alert

Long-Bar Prowess

Strongwoman Nadia Stowers is known for her record-setting feats of strength, like the time she tossed a 40-pound bag over a 15-foot bar at the 2021 Rogue Record Breakers or when she set a log press record during the 2021 Static Monsters competition.

On June 19, Stowers performed one of her most impressive feats when she posted a video showing off a 690-pound long bar deadlift PR. She pulled the massive long bar in a conventional stance with an overhand grip. And once the barbell left the floor, Stowers inched it slowly but surely up her thighs until she drove her hips through and secured the lockout.

If you’re unfamiliar, the long bar is, as its name suggests, much longer than a traditional Olympic barbell and bends significantly more by comparison during a lift. You can watch Stowers hoist the weight below.

Everything Else

Gummie Gains

• Gummies are all the rage in supplements, but can a creatine gummy provide the same benefits as a powder? Find out for yourself.

• Leg curls get your hammies ready to hammer out big deadlifts and squats. Learn how to do them the right way.

• The 2023 IPF World Classic Championships featured seven days of fierce competition and record-breaking lifts. Check out the full results.