Welcome to your modern fitness daily news report! Every weekday, we break down the trending fitness news, tips, and insider scoops to keep you informed. Each read will be under 3 minutes so that you can stay shredded and thumb through no-nonsense fit-quips. Thanks for reading!
TODAY’S LEVEL UP:
Pro Tip: Tempo Training: Slow Down Your Reps to Build More Muscle
Supplement Spotlight: Ashwagandha — Don't Let Stress Run You Down
Did You Know?: How slow you lower a weight changes how much muscle you build
Question: "Do I have to lift heavy to grow muscle after 40?"
Fit Trivia: Which mustachioed wrestler told fans to eat their vitamins and flexed his "24-inch pythons"?
Tempo Training — Slow Down Your Reps to Build More Muscle
If your joints have started voting against heavy weights, there's a way to keep building muscle without loading up the bar: slow down. Tempo training — deliberately controlling the speed of each rep — lets you make a lighter weight feel plenty hard, which is exactly what you want when you're over 40 and want results without beating up your joints.
The magic is in time under tension. Muscle responds to how long it's working and how hard, not just to the number on the plates. Rush your reps and you use momentum to cheat the muscle out of the work. Slow them down and every inch of the movement earns its keep.
How to do it:
Own the lowering phase: Take 3–4 seconds to lower the weight on every rep — the descent of a squat, the way down on a press, the negative of a curl. This eccentric phase is a powerful driver of muscle growth and it's gentler on the joints than heavy loads.
Pause where it's hardest: A 1-second pause at the bottom of a squat or the stretch of a row kills momentum and forces the muscle to do the job.
Drive up with control: Lift with intent, but never turn it into a jerky heave.
A useful shorthand is a tempo like 3-1-1: three seconds down, one-second pause, one second up. Try it on your main lifts with about 60–70% of your usual weight and you'll be surprised how challenging a "light" set becomes.
The beauty for an over-40 lifter is that tempo work delivers a strong growth stimulus while sparing your joints and connective tissue from maximal loads. Lighter weight, slower reps, more control — same muscle, less wear. Give your knees and shoulders a break and let time under tension do the work.
Supplement Spotlight: Ashwagandha — Don't Let Stress Run You Down
You can have your workouts, diet, and sleep dialed in and still feel like you're running on empty. Between work, family, training, and everything else life throws at you, chronic stress can take a toll. Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement that has been used for centuries and is now being studied for its potential role in helping the body manage stress.
Here's what it actually does: Research suggests ashwagandha may help reduce perceived stress and support healthier cortisol levels in some people. Some studies have also found potential benefits for sleep and exercise performance, although the evidence isn't strong enough to treat it like a miracle supplement. For men in their 30s and beyond, the appeal is simple: better stress management can make it easier to recover, sleep, train, and stay consistent.
How to take it: studies have commonly used around 300 to 600 milligrams per day of a standardized ashwagandha extract. Follow the serving instructions for the specific product you choose rather than assuming every extract is equivalent.
We recommend looking for a standardized extract from a reputable manufacturer rather than buying the cheapest bottle on the shelf. Ashwagandha isn't something you need to take just because you're getting older, but if stress and recovery are areas you're struggling with, it's one supplement worth researching before adding to your routine.
FROM RYAN’S DESK
Life will test you. Difficult days, setbacks, and unexpected problems are part of the deal. You can't control every challenge, but you can control how prepared you are to face it. Build your body, strengthen your mind, and sharpen your habits. Be the guy who bends under pressure without breaking. That's where true strength is built.
Did You Know?: How Slow You Lower A Weight Changes How Much Muscle You Build
The speed at which you lower a weight isn't just a detail — it can change your results. The lowering, or eccentric, portion of a lift creates high tension as the muscle lengthens under load, and studies link controlled eccentric work to strong gains in muscle size and even better tendon health. Yet most people rush it, letting the weight drop and wasting half of every rep. Simply taking three to four seconds to lower the bar, dumbbell, or your own bodyweight can meaningfully boost the training effect of a set — no extra weight required. It's one of the easiest upgrades in lifting: same exercise, same load, better return, just slower on the way down.
Question from Our Readers: "Do I have to lift heavy to grow muscle after 40?"
No. Research is clear that you can build muscle across a wide range of loads — from heavy weights for low reps to lighter weights for higher reps — as long as you take your sets close to failure, meaning the last couple of reps are genuinely hard. That's great news after 40, when heavy maximal lifting can aggravate cranky joints and connective tissue. A lighter weight taken to within a rep or two of failure, ideally with a controlled tempo, sends a comparable muscle-building signal with far less joint stress. Heavy lifting still has its place if you enjoy it and your joints tolerate it. But it's a tool, not a requirement — effort and consistency matter far more than the number on the bar.
Our Picks: Supps We Actually Use
Some of our coach’s favorite supplements:
Creatine (Travel Packs) - $36
Add this to your water in the morning or in your post-workout shake. Creatine is one of the few supplements that has a mountain of data proving its benefits. Don’t miss out on it!
A great way to hit your protein goals. Don’t rely on a protein powder alone, but add it as a post-workout shake or midday shake to increase your protein intake and hit your protein goals. Remember, high protein equals higher muscle and higher satiety.
Replenishes essential electrolytes. Use this if you sweat a lot, do intermittent fasting, or go on long-distance walks, hikes, or runs.
We are a proud partner of Thorne Supplements! We are affiliated and use these products. We may receive commission from your purchase.
Fit Trivia: Which mustachioed, bandana-wearing professional wrestler urged fans to "train, say your prayers, and eat your vitamins" while boasting about his "24-inch pythons" during the 1980s Hulkamania craze?
Answer: Hulk Hogan! His larger-than-life physique and shirt-ripping entrances made him the face of 1980s wrestling and a fitness icon to a generation of kids flexing in the mirror.
Ryan Engel, Intl. Fat Loss Coach
Ryan is a leading fitness coach and one of the most known professionals in the space.
He specializes in Body Recomposition and visual body aesthetics and has reached millions worldwide with his powerful messaging. He brings a unique, non-nonsense, yet sophisticated approach to body change.
Publisher: Ryan Engel
Editor: Michael Pender
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