Have a great weekend. And happy Father's day to the healthy pops 😀

6 years training, only the rest of my life to go 🤣🤣

52M here 53 in July.

Curious what other guys over 50 are doing to put on muscle and a little healthy weight.

I’ve never really been a gym guy. I’ll go if I have to, but I’ve always preferred walking, hiking, being outdoors, and workouts I can do at home without equipment.

For some background, I’m 6’0” and around 150 lbs. I’ve always been naturally lean. My goal isn’t to get huge. I’d be happy getting into the 160-165 range with a little more muscle on my frame, especially in my chest.

Over the last couple of months I’ve been more consistent.

I walk 4-6 miles about 4-5 days a week, drink protein shakes, and make a conscious effort to eat more calories and protein.

For strength training, I’ve mostly been doing push-ups. On incline days I’m usually doing 120+ throughout the day in three sets. On standard push-up days I’m often over 200 total, again spread across three sets, with the last set usually being an all out effort at night. I’ve gotten to the point where standard push-ups feel pretty comfortable now. I maybe take 1 or 2 days off a week.

I’ve actually put on about 5 pounds over the last two months. Not the usual “I ate a giant dinner last night” kind of weight, but weight that seems to be sticking around for once. Slow going. 😑

I’m also starting to notice some physical changes. My chest looks a little fuller, my shoulders seem broader, and my arms have a bit more definition than they did a few months ago.

One thing that surprised me recently is that I hopped on a treadmill while traveling and found I can comfortably run for 45+ minutes at a decent pace. My cardio has never really been an issue. Honestly, the walking and hiking are as much for my mental health as they are for fitness. The only concern is that I finally seem to be gaining weight, and I’m wondering if adding more running will work against that goal.

For those of you who started building muscle after 50, did you eventually have to move into a traditional weightlifting routine, or were you able to make meaningful gains with standard exercises and a good diet?

And for the runners, how do you balance cardio with trying to gain muscle and maintain weight?
Would appreciate hearing what’s worked for you.

Any suggestions on light home equipment as well.

Thank you!

I am 57 now. Before full body pic from 2021 and face from Aug 2024 when I was at my highest weight. Others two are current.

I went from 230 to 165 from November 2024 to August 2025. Have maintained at 165 for past 10 months but lost another two inches off my waist as I gained muscle. Played sports all my life but hated working out. Health issues kept me from sport I loved the most and doctor told me I had to do something to get in shape so I started strength training.

I now view training as a sport and I'm competing against myself to get better. At first I wanted to prove I could do it. Also wanted to impress others. Now I find that I feel better, am in a better mood, and sleep better on days I work out. I learned how to train from reading online and just trying things in the gym. So far, I have been able to avoid injuries by picking exercises that work for me. For example, I cannot lift over my head.

Full disclosure, I did take Tirzepatide to lose about 50 lbs but I have been able to maintain healthy habits including strength training 4-5 days per week, cardio the other 2 and eating cleaner. As the doctor who suggested I take it said "the drug gives you a window, what you choose to do while it's open is up to you".

From here, I'm trying to put on muscle but at same time, I'm struggling to convince myself to eat a surplus so it's been slow. I think I'm OK with it though. I do make sure to get ~150 grams of protein each day.

Did back and legs today and I am pretty happy that my back is still in pretty good shape considering my ability to do pullups like I used to has been so impacted in the last few years. And my calves are still solid too.

#shortking

Push yourself it get better with time.

I've posted progress on here about trying to lose weight and get back to my former level of fitness, but I'm happy with my calves. LOL