🏋️ tips for gaining muscle over 40 

Today’s newsletter is presented by Hims. Find out how Hims Hard Mints can offer up a fresh — and personalized — treatment for ED.

Here’s what we’re talking about today:

• Tips for building muscle over 40.

• The best strength-building calisthenics workouts for all experience levels.

• Powerlifter Bradon Gulch squats 525 pounds for an astonishing 21 reps.

Exercise Tips

Middle-Aged Might

If you’ve been lifting for more than a few years, you’ve probably noticed the need to avoid a few exercises, lessen the loads, and work around some achy joints. You may even find yourself talking about the heyday of your record lifts, how big you used to be, and how “kids these days” don’t know what they’re doing.

You’re just fooling yourself if you don’t realize you’ve crossed into new territory. The truth is, the mileage has started to set in from all those years of heavy lifting.

If you crave longevity, functioning knees and shoulders, and still want to make appreciable progress towards having a great physique, you need to adopt a different mindset than you had 20 years ago. Lucky for you, you can still see gains on the regular, even if you’re over 40. Just follow the tips below.

From Our Sponsor

Boost Your Confidence With Hims Hard Mints

Wintergreen never tasted so good!

Try Hard Mints by Hims, an innovative ED treatment available starting at $7.50/mint, personalized to your needs.

Workouts

Making a Case for Calisthenics

The principle behind calisthenics training is that you don’t need heavy weights to build functional strength. Instead, you can just use bodyweight movements outside on the ground and on a pull-up bar to get the long-term strength and mobility gains you’re after.

If you need advice on where to start, we’ve simplified the whole thing by breaking down the best calisthenics workouts for all experience levels. While these exercises may look simple at first, your body is still going to feel them from head to toe once you’re done.

Must-Watch

A Page From “The Quadfather”

Bodybuilder Tom Platz had one of the best sets of legs in the business. And they weren’t just for show — Platz once pulled off an incredible feat by squatting 525 pounds for a staggering 23 reps back in 1992.

Since then, that set has become a part of gym lore, with plenty of other lifters trying (and failing) to top the mark. The latest attempt came a few weeks back when powerlifter Bradon Gulch loaded 525 on the bar and made a go of it. Though he didn’t quite top Platz, his 21-rep set is well worth a watch. Check it out:

We’ve partnered with Wodify to bring you weekly advice to take your gym or personal training business to the next level. Every Monday, you’ll get valuable insights from their expert retention team and top-performing fitness business owners.

Today’s advice: The key metric top-performing gyms are measuring is client retention. And utilizing a Customer Retention Platform (CRP) is crucial to raising your retention rate…and keeping it there.

Everything Else

Diamonds Are for Gains

• Want a taxing strength-builder that you can do anywhere? Then learn to perfect the diamond push-up.

• Take a minute to be impressed by powerlifter Laura Sancho’s (82KG) 263-kilogram (579.8-pound) raw British deadlift record.

• Some of the best weightlifting in the world is taking place through May 15 at the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships. Read the results in progress.

Sound Off!

Your Favorite Push-Up

The Results Are In!

Take a Stand

In the May 1, 2023, edition of The BarBend Newsletter, we asked if you performed shoulder presses standing or seated. Here’s how you voted:

1. Standing (36.62%)

2. Seated (31.84%)

3. Both (31.54%)