How to get a muscular body after 40?

Click here to view video “How to get a muscular body after 40”

I started at age 40 with a plan to change my body, this is how I looked…with many serious health issues.

Fast forward to age 52, this is a photo of me taken recently.

EVERY YEAR I have managed to increase size, shape and aesthetics even past the age of 50.

Here is a short flexing vid I took with my phone in the gym locker room after training: 

Click here to play video “CHALLENGE TO ALL THE YOUNG GUYS”

This is my 12-point plan for obtaining a muscular body after the age of 40:

Point 1

Sitting on the coach with a beer in one hand, fat tummy, watching tv and generally look bad, what you don’t realize is that what you are doing is slowly dying and killing yourself. You need to look life in the eye again, you need to choose life, get up and LIVE again. You need to change yourself from the inside. Appreciate the small things in life, start caring for people in need, make right with God, start liking the person you see inside and out and respect yourself. Such life altering choices make one want to get up and LIVE and go to gym to re-invent your body. Such choices make the whole process so much easier and WORTHWHILE…

Point 2

Diet determines 80% of your bodybuilding success. You REALLY need to get to grip with this. If you are not ready to follow proper muscle growth diet guidelines your body will not respond even to the best training and best supplements regimes. Your results will be very mediocre at best. This is what separate the hero’s from the average…the diet!

Here is a link to a proper building diet:  http://gertlouw.com/2014/10/27/muscle-building-phase-sample-diets/

and proper cutting diet: http://gertlouw.com/2014/08/16/cutting-diet-challenges/

Point 3

You must align the diet for YOUR body. No two bodies re-act the same to the exact same diet. Every 14 days you need to monitor how your body reacted the past 14 day to the diet to determine if you lost muscle weight (bad), fat (good) or both (bad) and then adjust the diet accordingly in a specific fashion. It is not as difficult as it sounds, here is a link to the exact process you need to follow: http://gertlouw.com/2015/06/01/forcing-fat-loss-and-keeping-muscles-safe/

Click here to watch video “How to FORCE fat-loss”

Want my system fully customized for your body and goals?

Here is where you can signup:  https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/

Point 4

Training determines 15% of your bodybuilding success.  Next to diet this is 2^nd most important. You must train at least 4 times a week and not more than 5. At age above 40 the body need more time to recover and grow, I find 4 the best balance (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Frid).  Less than 4 is not advisable. It is too infrequent training and put you in danger of injury and is not conducive to muscle growth. Keep sessions never longer than 90 mins preferably 50 min.

Point5

Training MUST be split as follows due the body being older than 40:

• 3 months building phase (6-8 reps per set, EACH set to complete muscle failure)
• 1 week rest
• 3 month cutting phase (12 – 20 reps per set , 30% lighter weights, never to failure)
• 1 week rest
• repeat

If you are COMPLETELY new to training and lifting here is a video specifically for the novice to help him getting accustomed to lifting:

Click here to view video “How to do a transformation from scratch – for the novice”

The above training regimen allows for a serious 3 month growth spurge but place serious strain on tendons and joints which then need to recover and strengthen during the cutting phase.

You cannot start training to failure from day one – you need at least a 3-month period of gradual weekly weight and intensity increases to reach the starting point of muscle failure for the next 3 month with the building phase program. Your body need 3 months to adapt from no training to serious training. If u were 20 jump in but we are much more fragile past the age of 40 and need to be wise in our approach.

You MUST also adjust your diet for the appropriate phase:

Building phase diet:  http://gertlouw.com/2014/10/27/muscle-building-phase-sample-diets/ and proper Cutting phase diet: http://gertlouw.com/2014/08/16/cutting-diet-challenges/

Should you find that you have mastered the beginner stage of lifting and techniques, here is my building phase training program to illicit maximum muscle growth:

Click here to view video “Training Program for MAX muscle growth”

Point 6

During the building (growth) phase you MUST train to absolute muscle failure on each set. This is a key principle for growth. Failure means total and utter failure – mentally and physically you must not be able to lift that weight one more set. If you train with sufficient failure intensity you WILL grow! Those that do not push the limits will stay mediocre – full stop.

Point 7

Supplements makes out about 3% of your success factor in bodybuilding. If your diet is focused and training is spot on, you got most of your bases covered. However, where supplements can play a significant role is during training to protect muscles from being used as energy source and divert energy requirements to fat stored. This can be done by taking a BCAA drink with L-Glutamine during training (caffeine can be added when focus is required during training). After training L-Glutamine again with Whey protein and an apple or banana – this will spike the insulin which is crucial for max muscle growth. The next meal (within 90min after training) also plays a significant role for muscle growth.

A potent multi vitamin is a must – taken once a day after meal to support the body in this strenuous training environment.

Other highly suggested supplements for the over 40:

• Co Enzyme Q10
• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Omega 3 + 6

Point 8

Gym time priority needs to be very high on your list. The only things above it must be family time, church and work. Nothing else must come in the way of gym time. Early morning, late evening, whatever it takes. It can also be of great help to get a training partner with the same focus as you. It keeps you responsible to rock up at gym and can help tremendously when you are not fully motivated.

Point 9

Start a facebook page  or fitness blog and post regular updates about your new achievements. Astound the world and at the same time it is an awesome tool to keep you motivated and focused. Share your success with the world  – this will be a great tool to measure and monitor your progress…but ALWAYS stay humble no matter how awesome you start to look.

Point 10

Alcohol and smoking MUST stop. You cannot built a healthy body by smoking and drinking. 500ml wine per week is the maximum and if u drink wine cut out your carbs completely during that meal (only protein and salad). The only way to obtain a serious 6-pack is by correct diet and cutting out alcohol and smoking.

Point 11

You must get your natural testosterone levels tested every 2 years when above the age of 40. If you need replacement therapy do NOT say no. Testosterone is a critical hormone for the man to prevent depression, low energy levels and supports healthy muscle size, fat loss and good health (heart).

Point 12

DO NOT HAVE AVERAGE STANDARDS.

Choose a role model…the BEST role model out there that has the shape and size you want to achieve (or even surpass). Burn this image into your mind.

Before and during every training session call up this image and visualize the muscle you are training and the shape and size you want. With each contraction visualize how you want that muscle to look. Visualization  is a powerful tool to focus the brain and keep you motivated. Many, many bodybuilders believe that it is much more than that, and that the constant visualization and mind muscle connection have a direct impact on growth and shape of the muscle. Either way, it is a great tool to keep you focussed on your goals.

I NEVER accepted average and since age 40 I am visualizing with each training session my goal for shape and size of the muscle exercised. It focusses me, motivates me and every year my shape is better and more aesthetic.

Don’t be average – don’t reach for the sky, reach for the stars!

Follow these guidelines and you WILL reach success. But only YOU can make it happen and you have to take that first step and start climbing the ladder.

Lastly, you can order any item/supplement/training gear/Peptide/HGH/TRT/Sarm’s/etc that I discussed in any of my articles through my SUPPLEMENTS ORDER page. It was specifically created for my clients but I now also made it available for my followers. Some good discounts can also be found on that page. I only list supplements that WORK and which got the necessary science studies to back it up.

MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Happy training

Gert Louw

I have a comprehensive customised & holistic blueprint system developed for guys over 40 to get that dream body. This system is based upon my 12 point system and regime I am following for the past 12 years to create the environment for growth, fat-loss and prevention of injuries and safe training while ensuring the body is in peak health…fully customised and widely considered as the definitive approach for the over 40 guy to transform. Everything addressed in detail – from supplements to diets to training to building and cutting phases, etc. Here is where you can signup:  https://gertlouw.com/my-transformation-secrets/