Getting lean after 50 isn’t impossible, but it does require a slightly different approach than it did in your 20s or 30s. As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, so we need to be more methodical with training and nutrition. It needn’t be overcomplicated, but the fundamentals matter more than ever.

Fitness coach Bryan Mataya explains that’s exactly where many men go wrong. In a recent Instagram Reel, he shared the 10 habits he says have helped both himself and clients in their 50s, 60s and even 70s improve their body composition.

1. Protein First

‘Protein first,’ recommends Mataya. ‘One gram per pound daily. Your body is literally fighting to lose muscle as you age.’

Protein becomes increasingly important as we get older. Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, means preserving muscle requires both regular resistance training and adequate protein intake. While one gram per pound is at the higher end of recommendations, research suggests active adults generally benefit from consuming around 1.6-2.2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day.

2. Lift With Intent

Mataya recommends using ‘slow eccentrics, full range of motion and 1–2 reps in the tank.’

Rather than using heavier weights, Mataya recommends focusing on rep quality. Training through a full range of motion, controlling the lowering phase of each repetition and finishing sets with one to two reps left in reserve can all help stimulate muscle growth while managing fatigue.

3. Walk More

‘Walk more than you run. Zone 2, steps and daily movement beat long cardio every time,’ continues Mataya.

Walking and low-intensity cardio are easier to recover from than repeated high-intensity sessions, particularly as we age. Building more daily movement into your routine can help increase calorie expenditure while improving cardiovascular health without interfering with strength training recovery.

4. Prioritise Sleep

‘Sleep 7-9 hours. It controls hunger, testosterone, recovery, mood and fat loss,’ says the coach.

Sleep underpins almost every aspect of muscle growth and body composition. Consistently getting enough sleep supports muscle gain and weight loss by aiding training recovery and helping regulate appetite.

5. Strength Train 3-4 Times a Week

Mataya says you should strength train three to four days per week.

‘Recovery beats volume for men over 50,’ he says.

While resistance training remains one of the best ways to maintain muscle and strength with age, allowing enough recovery between sessions is just as important. A well-designed programme performed consistently, with adequate rest days, will almost always deliver better results than a more demanding plan you struggle to stick to.

6. Don’t Skip Fibre

‘Fibre and hydration. 40-50 grams of fibre plus water keeps digestion, hormones and appetite steady.’

High-fibre foods can help improve satiety, support digestive health and make maintaining a calorie deficit easier.

7. Eat Well-Portioned Meals

‘Stop grazing, eat real meals and earn your carbs with training,’ he says.

Regularly eating balanced meals centred around protein, fibre and whole foods can help control hunger and make it easier to stick to your nutrition plan. Long-term consistency matters more than trying to eliminate individual foods or nutrients.

8. Stick to Your Programme

‘Run your programme for 8-12 weeks. Progression changes your body, not random workouts.’

Programme hopping every week can make it difficult to track progress. Giving a structured programme enough time allows you to progressively increase weights, reps or training quality.

9. Manage Stress

‘Poor sleep and chronic stress can make fat loss harder by increasing hunger, reducing recovery and making it tougher to stay consistent,’ says Mataya.

Stress doesn’t override the laws of energy balance, but it can make healthy habits much harder to maintain. Disrupted sleep and increased appetite can make sticking to a nutrition plan more challenging.

10. Limit Alcohol

Mataya argues: ‘The leanest guys over 50 simply don’t drink.’

While you don’t need to completely eliminate alcohol to get lean, cutting back can make a noticeable difference. Alcohol disrupts sleep quality, adds extra calories and can impair recovery from training, making it harder to stay consistent with both exercise and nutrition.

If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.