Building muscle is difficult for old guys. While I personally do not consider myself an “old guy”, based upon my current age (47) I am definitely an “old guy” by most people's standards. As such, I have many struggles that younger guys just don't experience. The picture above shows the dramatic progress I've had in just a 3 week period starting immediately after my show on April 14, 2012 and culminating this past Saturday, May 5, 2012. This article outlines how I've gotten there.
Testosterone Booster
Everyone knows that the older a man gets the lower his testosterone production is. This lowered testosterone production will result in more difficulty building muscle. Since building muscle is the goal, we must do something to counteract the problem. It can be counteracted in many ways, including diet and training along with supplementation. I spent months dropping fat from my body. This has enabled better blood flow to my muscles, which means they are getting fed better. My muscle building efforts are more successful as a result of the fat loss I have experienced. However, the testosterone is still something I have to contend with daily. As such, I have been using a natural testosterone booster called Viridex XT.
It took a few days, but I definitely began to notice a difference with the Virdex XT. My energey was better and my sex drive had increased. I have to believe that my efforts to build muscle have been helped by this product. I would strongly recommend this product for any man over the age of 40. It is made by Gaspari Nutrition and they are a very respected company in the supplement industry.
Diet
To build muscle there has to be a diet plan in place. There were three changes to my diet that happened after the show on April 14. The first thing is that I have added more carbs to my meals. The second is that I am rotating my protein sources between chicken, turkey, fish and lean beef. The third is that my overall calories are higher. To counteract some of these changes (the carbs and the calories) I am doing more cardio, but the diet seems to be working. It is essentially a slightly modified approach to the Getting to Shredded program by Chris Albert.
Training
The main modification to my muscle building training is that I am holding every lift at the top of every movement. At times the muscles will even cramp from the intense pressure. I have found that what I can lift has decreased, but the DOMs is intense the next day. I squeeze so hard that every muscle fiber comes into play. Yes, I've always squeezed on every lift, but there is just something about the squeeze and hold approach that is beating on my muscles and causing them to grow.
Cardio
An important consideration here is not gaining too much fat while trying to put on muscle. This is being controlled via a cardio regimen that has me hitting cardio twice per day. It is the timing of the cardio that is making it work. I essentially do cardio in the morning when I first awaken. I then weight train in the middle of the day. This is followed up with another final cardio session at night.
Results
As you can see from the picture above, the results have been astounding. What you see is just my shoulder area (an area that needed major improvement). It has gotten much fuller and more round. The muscles pop off my frame now. I can definitely use even more size, but this is just 3 weeks in.
Thus, you can definitely build muscle with the protocol I am using. Leave me your comments about the progress in the comment section below.
