Men Over 50 Must Build Muscle To Protect Their Aging Health

Men over 50 must build muscle before it is too late. Head off disease and chronic illness by building lean muscle. Use muscle to safeguard your future after 50.

Senior man swing kettlebell to build muscle.

Craig's Story

Craig stood up as his doctor entered the room.  

This was the follow-up for his annual physical, and he was anxious to hear the verdict from his doctor. But one glance at the dismayed expression on her face told him all he needed to know - the news wasn’t good.

At 52 years old, Craig’s body was breaking down faster than he realized.

His A1c came back at 5.9, indicating prediabetes. And his body fat percentage had crept up to a dangerous 31% - no longer just overweight but now obese.

As a high school math teacher, Craig wondered why he continually felt fatigued and rundown. In recent years, his activity levels had declined significantly.

Reflecting back, he hadn't worked out for the past several years. Plus, he spent each Sunday at a sports bar, watching NFL or NBA games while chowing down massive amounts of fried food.

The doctor’s words were alarming. It shocked Craig that he was now setting himself up to contract either cancer or dementia.

He rarely played pickup basketball on Saturdays because he tired so easily. Plus, his waist had grown to 42". 

Seeing those test results in black and white was an urgent wake up call.

With a family history of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, Craig knew he was now at high risk for developing these chronic illnesses himself - as well as cancer.

For years, Craig had taken his health for granted. But time was no longer on his side.

At 52, his muscle mass would only continue to decline year after year if he didn’t take action.

His doctor warned him that turning back the clock would only get more difficult.

So Craig committed then and there to fighting back against age-related muscle loss.

He began researching muscle health and stumbled upon a book called “Forever Strong” by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon.

Her powerful message immediately resonated with him - optimizing muscle was the key to boosting metabolism, regulating blood sugar, torching body fat, and avoiding disease.

What Craig had perceived as inevitable decline was the progression of sarcopenia, an insidious condition robbing men of strength, health and vitality during middle age.

But Dr. Lyon made it clear - sarcopenia was preventable and treatable if caught early enough.

Forever Strong provided him clear guidance and a science-backed plan to take control of his health, starting with his body’s most vital organ - his neglected muscle.


It Comes Down To This: Men Over 50
Must Build Muscle

Senior man doing back exptensions to build lower body strength.


Why "Forever Strong" is Essential Reading

As Craig poured through Dr. Lyon’s book, he quickly realized how essential it was for men over 50 looking to take control of their muscle loss.

Dr. Lyon’s muscle-centric approach provides the perfect science-based guide to fighting sarcopenia through targeted strength training for older men.

She explains how our muscles change as we advance in years and why preserving muscle mass after 50 is so vital for strength, metabolism and avoiding risks of chronic disease as we age.

Dr. Lyon details the specific amino acids required to ignite rebuilding aged muscles and provides a blueprint on the optimal daily protein intake to grow bigger muscles in your 50s.

She highlights which foods—like beef, eggs and dairy—are highest in muscle-building leucine to best support testosterone and muscle retention.

And rather than just explaining the science, Dr. Lyon offers practical tips for tailoring resistance training programs and lifestyle changes to fight frailty.

Craig learned how something as simple as inadequate sleep could accelerate muscle wasting.

Applying Dr. Lyon’s wisdom, Craig soon realized small daily choices could empower him to take control and make a difference.


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The book gave Craig renewed motivation.

He finally grasped just how vital muscle truly is—not just for strength and appearance, but for achieving muscle mass to increase his survivability into the senior years.

Dr. Lyon made it clear: preserving muscle health proactively starting in middle age led to increased protection from disease, injury and obesity.

Craig had considered his declining fitness inevitable.

But now he understood the power he had to strengthen his body’s armor and change the trajectory of his health.

The bottom line is: men over 50 must build muscle, or they will set themselves up for a variety of serious diseases as the years progress


Man overweight eaqting poor choices of food.


Why Men Lose Muscle After 50

As Craig learned, there are numerous factors that accelerate muscle loss in older men after 50 leading to sarcopenia.

By understanding what was happening within his changing body, Craig felt empowered with the knowledge to counteract the decline.

For most men, the natural drop in testosterone levels that accompanies aging results in reduced protein synthesis and a decreased ability to effectively utilize those vital amino acids needed for maintaining muscle mass.

Research shows men over 50 lose the capacity to fully respond to resistance training.

Without the proper molecular signals, the body fails to adequately stimulate muscle growth or appropriately repair damage after workouts.

Lifestyle factors also exacerbate these complex biochemical processes.

Poor nutrition deficient in quality proteins, Vitamin D or anti-inflammatory foods leads to lost muscle mass due to illness or daily wear and tear. Inadequate sleep and inactivity speeds up muscle wasting.

Unmanaged stress takes a toll. Even bodily inflammation created by excess body fat or chronic illness can hamper muscles’ ability to fully regenerate.

As Dr. Lyon highlighted, all these elements work synergistically, contributing to a vicious cycle of increasing weakness and frailty.

But Craig’s situation was far from hopeless.

He focused on the encouraging advice from Forever Strong on simple training, diet and lifestyle adjustments allowing men to counteract declining hormones and sensitivities.

He felt galvanized knowing that while difficult, stimulating muscle growth in his 50's remained achievable through Dr. Lyon’s science-backed plan.

She made it clear: with consistent effort, men over 50 have ample time to support overall men’s health while working to mitigate risks, rebuilding aged muscles.


700 senior man kneel olympic bar


The Solution: How to Build Muscle After 50

Armed with a new level of determination after reading Forever Strong, Craig wasted no time implementing Dr. Lyon’s multi-faceted science-backed regimen.

Her first recommendation was resistance training 2-3x per week focused on progressively overloading the muscles with increasingly heavier weights or more challenging bodyweight exercises.

Craig followed her specific strength training for older men protocol—incorporating squats, deadlifts and weighted carries designed to stimulate testosterone and muscle retention.

Dr. Lyon also emphasized meeting increased protein requirements to maximize muscle growth results from training.

Due to metabolic shifts after 50, getting the proper amino acid building blocks became crucial.

She advises men aim for 1.2-1.5 grams of protein daily per pound of body weight throughout this life stage.

Consuming her targeted selection of best protein sources for muscle growth high in leucine was also vital.

Craig also knew his crappy diet needed to be completely overhauled.


Men over 50 must build muscle. It is imperative to your future health.


Forever Strong further outlines adjunct muscle health protectors like anti-inflammatory spices, ensuring adequate Vitamin D levels to prevent sarcopenia, and even stress management to sidestep catabolism.

Through strategic nutrition and training, the tools now existed to help Craig build himself a new biology—one no longer destined for obesity, frailty or chronic illness if he made his muscle health priority number one.

Committing to this protocol, Craig embraced his doctor's phrase: “Men’s health over 50 is a choice”.

Destiny could be defied, the clock turned back, and the race against time won. But victory would require diligence to this muscle-first lifestyle.

As Craig's doctor emphasized: "Time is running out. You are in the last third of your life. Men after 50 must build muscle. It is imperative."



Key Takeaways: Men Over 50 Must Build Muscle

500 Man Muscular Keto Foods


  • Sadly, the majority of men over 50 are flabby, and have little muscle tone. They are slowly sabotaging their health.

  • 85% of men with Pre-Diabetes, or full-blown Type 2 Diabetes are NOT EVEN aware of it.

  • Once you are diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic, you set yourself up for contracting a variety of cancers, and Dementia.

  • See your doctor immediately and get have your A1c and Free Insulin tested.

  • You can reverse aging by getting on a program that emphasizes building lean muscle.

  • You must get crap food (sugar foods, fried foods, high-carb processed foods, and industrial seed oils) completely OUT of your diet.

  • Protein builds lean muscle. You must start eating more.

  • Get soda and alcohol out of your diet. Start drinking more water.

  • Move every day. If you can walk for an hour per day, it will be extremely beneficial.

  • Workout instead of watching TV.

  • Time is running out. Each day you refuse to workout or eat cleanly, you set yourself up for a lifetime of chronic health misery.

  • Get a copy of Forever Strong, today. Discover how you can set yourself apart from the majority of men 50+.


700 mature man beard bench press


Conclusion: Men Over 50 Must Build Muscle


In her parting guidance, Dr. Lyon drove home that with targeted nutrition and training, men over 50 can absolutely fight muscle loss, counteract sarcopenia and achieve increased strength regardless of age.

For Craig, the science-backed protocol outlined in the book provided the perfect blueprint to finally take control of his health.

He recognized that if he failed to act now by prioritizing his fitness, his window would shortly close.

As Dr. Lyon warned, once men’s health declines progress too far after 50, rebuilding aged muscles becomes infinitely more difficult.

But committing today to preserve muscle mass through strategic resistance training and protein intake pays dividends for years to come in terms of heart health, blood sugar regulation, injury resilience and greater vitality.

Craig understood transforming his physique and future health trajectory wouldn't be easy.

He imagined the discipline required - diligently fueling his body, grinding through challenging strength sets, learning to actively manage the daily stresses that amplify muscle loss.

Yet he also envisioned the payoff at 60 years old if he committed now.

He pictured himself stronger, still draining jumpshots on the basketball court thanks to resilient joints and energy.

He thought about dodging chronic illnesses, avoiding disability.

Investing in optimized muscle health today would safeguard the independence and vitality he wanted to experience in the coming decades.

Protecting his muscle as proactively as possible would allow him to truly live life on his own terms.

This muscle-building mission could transform not just his body composition but his longevity and quality of life.

In the end, Craig recognized prioritizing muscle now was perhaps the greatest gift he could give himself and his loved ones.

He alone had the power to shift to a lifestyle that enriched his health rather than watching it slowly erode.

If he succeeded with Dr. Lyon's plan, his 50s could be the start of his prime rather than a descent. Craig was determined to realize that vision.

This was the best gift he could give his future self. After all, men’s bodies over 50 are often simply a reflection of earlier choices.

There is really no other option. Men over 50 must build muscle.

For Craig’s next chapter, the choice was clear: He would become forever strong.



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