Research shows that men over the age of 35 lose 5 percent of muscle mass every 10 years. Hence the need to lift. Preserving and creating muscle isn’t just about looking good shirtless (though you will); it’s key to better performance, health, and staying injury-free.
You need only 3 moves to do it, says strength coach and Special Operations veteran Beau Bryant. His plan — a minimalist version of Mark Rippetoe’s classic Starting Strength — includes the titans of multifunctional exercises: dead lifts for back and legs, and bench presses and weighted chin-ups for upper body, in a 5-by-5 set-and-rep scheme proven to build muscle fastest.
The approach takes 40 minutes and hits a sweet spot for developing strength and mass, says Stuart Phillips, a muscle researcher at McMaster University. “You can’t get more spending twice as long in the gym,” he adds.
