July 3, 2026, 7:07 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
I’ve always been athletic and fairly enduring, but never particularly muscular. That only changed around the age of 40. Today, at 50, I have the physique I wished for at 18. Looking back, there are five things that were especially important for my muscle growth.
1. Challenge the Muscle Properly
A muscle only grows if it is regularly sufficiently challenged. However, many people train for long periods with the same weights and repetitions. This can help maintain muscle but is often not enough for further growth.
That’s why I gradually increase the load—such as through more weight, additional repetitions, or more sets. The exact number of repetitions is less important than many believe. What matters is sufficient load and proximity to muscular exhaustion.
Also, when it comes to training volume, more is not automatically better. Just two strength training sessions per week can be enough if the major muscle groups are trained. Those who want to build more muscle or performance often benefit from additional training.
2. Choose the Right Exercises
I focus on a balanced mix of different movement patterns. This includes pull and push exercises, exercises for legs and glutes, movements from the hips, and training for the core, shoulders, and arms.
I find compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, push-ups, pull-ups, or shoulder presses particularly effective. They engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously and make training efficient.
Technique is just as important. Performing exercises improperly not only increases the risk of injury but often also wastes training effects.
3. Properly Nourish the Body
Training alone is not enough. The body needs sufficient energy and especially enough protein to build muscle.
For most healthy adults, I consider 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to be a good guideline. Those who train very intensively can aim for up to about 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
I also try to eat as wholesomely as possible. Highly processed foods rarely appear on my menu. Instead, I rely on a variety of plant-based foods and avoid added sugar.
My 5 Most Important Rules for Building Muscle
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4. Take Recovery Seriously
Over the years, I’ve learned that muscle growth doesn’t happen during training but afterward. Without sufficient recovery, training success may not occur.
That’s why I don’t train the same muscle groups intensively every day. Active recovery through walking, light cycling, or easy jogging can be beneficial as long as the exertion remains truly moderate.
Adequate sleep is especially important to me. For most adults, seven to eight hours per night is considered a good benchmark.
Also interesting: Why muscle building is important
5. Stay Consistent Instead of Perfect
The most important factor for me is consistency. The best training program is of little use if it’s only followed for a few weeks.
Of course, vacations, illness, work stress, or other commitments can interfere. From my perspective, what’s crucial is not the perfect week but the long-term habit.
Personally, I find it helpful to train in the morning. Then, the distractions of the day are usually still far away. In the end, it wasn’t individual hard training sessions that made the difference, but many years of consistent work following the same basic principles.