Muscle Loss After 40: Training, Protein and Healthy Aging
Watch APP’s original two-minute video about maintaining muscle after 40, then use this updated guide to put training, protein and aging into context. A birthday is not a reason to stop building strength, but muscle loss has more than one cause.
Read the updated context · Read the video transcript · Explore body recomposition
What to take from the video—and what needs context
The practical message is to keep paying attention to resistance training, food intake and everyday activity as you age. The recording uses strong wording about muscle loss being preventable. More precisely, aging itself, illness, inactivity, nutrition and other factors can influence muscle and function. Training can help; it does not guarantee complete prevention of every age-related change.
The video’s protein range and suggested interval-training frequency are general suggestions from the recording, not requirements for every adult over 40. Your starting abilities, medical circumstances and recovery affect an appropriate plan. Anabolic resistance is a concept studied in aging populations; it does not imply that every person should lift maximally or add several intense sessions each week.
Start with repeatable resistance training
Choose familiar movements you can perform with control, record what you do, and progress gradually. The APP strength-training starting plan gives examples of a manageable structure. The National Institute on Aging describes strength training as one way to support muscle and mobility in older adults; responses and needs vary.
Connect protein to your overall eating pattern
Look at protein-containing foods across the day alongside total intake and training. Read how much protein you may need during weight loss for evidence, population differences and individual considerations. The free APP recipe guide offers practical meals and snacks.
Use aerobic activity at a level you can sustain
Walking, cycling and other aerobic activity can complement resistance training. The CDC describes a weekly combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity for adults, adapted to health and abilities. High-intensity intervals are not a prerequisite for beginning a useful routine.
Track muscle-related function
Record training performance and the ease of everyday tasks. Use several progress measures together. If performance declines during weight loss, review training, nutrition and recovery; sudden or persistent unexplained weakness belongs in a clinical evaluation.
Video transcript
Auto-generated YouTube captions from the original April 8, 2026 recording. Obvious name and brand transcription errors have been corrected. The transcript preserves the recording’s claims; the updated context above explains their limitations.
Open the full transcript with timestamps
[0:01] If you think you're losing muscle just [0:02] because you're getting older, you've [0:04] been lied to. [0:05] Muscle loss after 40 is not inevitable. [0:08] It's predictable and preventable. [0:10] Hi, I'm Richard Hare. I'm a chiropractor, [0:12] a performance enhancement specialist, [0:14] and a health and wellness coach. And [0:16] this is the Ageless Performance Project, [0:18] where we break down the science of [0:19] staying strong, lean, and [0:21] high-performing well in your 40s, 50s, [0:24] 60s, and beyond. [0:26] Most people believe aging causes muscle [0:28] loss, what we call sarcopenia. [0:31] But here's the truth. Muscle loss [0:32] happens because of three things. You [0:34] stop training with enough intensity, you [0:37] don't eat enough protein, and your body [0:39] becomes less responsive to weak [0:41] stimulus. That's not aging, that's under [0:43] stimulation. [0:45] As we age, our body develops something [0:47] called anabolic resistance, which means [0:49] it takes more stimulus to build and [0:50] maintain muscle, not less. [0:53] But what do most people do? They train [0:55] lighter, they move less, and they eat [0:56] less protein. [0:58] Exactly the opposite of what your body [0:59] actually needs. [1:01] If you want to maintain or even build [1:03] muscle after 40, focus on these three [1:04] things. First, train with intensity. You [1:07] need progressive overload so your [1:09] muscles are challenged. [1:11] Second, increase your protein intake. [1:13] Most people over 40 should aim for 0.7 [1:15] to 1 g of protein per pound of body [1:17] weight. [1:18] Third, stay metabolically active. [1:21] Zone two cardiovascular exercise two to [1:23] three times a week combined with [1:24] high-intensity interval training two to [1:26] three times a week keeps your metabolic [1:28] system responsive. [1:32] You're not declining because of age, [1:34] you're declining because your strategy [1:35] hasn't adapted. Fix that, and everything [1:38] else changes. If you're over 40 and you [1:40] want to stay young, lean, and perform at [1:42] a high level, subscribe to the channel [1:44] because this is exactly what we do here. [1:47] Stay tuned for my next video where I'll [1:48] explain three energy systems your body [1:50] utilizes for anaerobic and aerobic [1:52] exercise and how they stimulate [1:54] metabolism. And remember, performance [1:56] has no expiration date.Keep learning with APP
Explore performance after 40, the body-recomposition guide, and more APP videos. For nonmedical help organizing your routine, visit performance consulting.
Evidence and further reading
About APP’s Editorial Approach
Published by Ageless Performance Project, founded and developed by Richard W. Hare, DC, NASM-CES, NASM-PES, CSCS. Read our editorial standards and evidence approach. This content is general education. Individual health concerns and persistent symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate licensed clinician.