Building Strength and Muscle After 50

Muscle and strength have no age limits.

With Building Strength and Muscle After 50, you can benefit from over 30 years of personal training experience from Chad Landers, who has trained high-profile clients such as Duff McKagan, William Zabka, Jerry Cantrell, Stephen Perkins, and Catherine Dent. He will guide you through the physical, hormonal, and mental hurdles that trainees over age 50 encounter in their efforts to build and maintain muscle and definition. 

Building Strength and Muscle After 50 describes the importance of recovery, the value of resistance training, and the most effective ways to reduce the risk of injury while training. Landers discusses the big three age-related health issues—sarcopenia, metabolism, and osteoporosis—and will help you develop an approach to building strength that meets you where you’re at. The book contains 73 exercises for the entire body:

• 20 chest and back exercises
• 23 shoulder, biceps, and triceps exercises
• 13 core exercises
• 17 hip, thigh, and calf exercises

Whether you’re returning to resistance training after a break or you’ve never picked up a weight before, the step-by-step instructions for each exercise make this an accessible and approachable resource. Chad’s Take sections offer ways to maximize results and vary or modify an exercise for your unique goals. With nine programs ranging from two to four lifts per week, you can pick the plan that fits your schedule. 

Practical and accessible, this resource is complete with a chapter on nutrition guidance to help you fuel correctly and contains an abundance of pop culture references meant to make the reading experience more enjoyable. Landers has trained dozens of clients in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s, proving that it’s never too late to claim or reclaim your strength at any stage of life!
 
Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.

Audience

Adults ages 50 and over who want to enhance existing training, start resistance training, or return to it after an extended period of time off.

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Duff McKagan
Preface
Exercise Finder

Part I. Strength 
Chapter 1. The 50-Plus Body
Chapter 2. Pillars of Strength Training
Chapter 3. Your Unique Nutritional Needs
Chapter 4. Assessments

Part II. Exercises
Chapter 5. Warm-Up
Chapter 6. Chest and Back 
Chapter 7. Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps
Chapter 8. Core
Chapter 9. Lower Body

Part III. Programs
Chapter 10. Optimize Your Training
Chapter 11. Two-Days-a-Week Programs
Chapter 12. Three-Days-a-Week Programs
Chapter 13. Four-Days-a-Week Programs
Chapter 14. Cardio and Recovery

Chad Landers is a 1991 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. He has a graduate diploma in sports nutrition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and he was the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Personal Trainer of the Year in 2018.

Landers is in his 32nd year as a personal trainer in Los Angeles, California, and has owned and operated PUSH Private Fitness, a personal training–only gym, for over 20 years. He is known for his work with actors and musicians who need to look their best for the stage and screen. Current and former clients include William (Billy) Zabka, Duff McKagan, Sarah Hyland, Robbie Amell, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Corbin Bleu, among others.

In addition to competing in the sport of powerlifting, Landers enjoys writing and public speaking. He has been featured in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, People, AARP The Magazine, Onnit, Yahoo!, Personal Fitness Professional, and Personal Trainer Development Center and has been a guest on numerous podcasts.

“Training with Chad has been a game changer. In this book he shares the exact methods he used to help get me performance ready for Cobra Kai! I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to share it with my friends.” 
—William Zabka, Actor (Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid)

“Chad’s 50-and-older workout routine methods have been test-driven. With this knowledge in your hands, you will have the tools to stay in shape while safely building stamina, muscle, and endurance over the age of 50. The benefits are countless. Read the book . . . do the work.”
—Stephen Perkins, Drummer for Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros

“Chad’s simple, straightforward approach to strength training not only transformed my body but also gave me the confidence to display it on stage and screen. I can’t wait to share Building Strength and Muscle After 50 with my Gen X family and friends!” 
—Corbin Bleu, Actor (High School Musical and In the Heights)

“I trained with Chad for over 10 years—maintaining my weight and staying injury-free the entire time! Chad truly understands the unique needs of a body over 50, yet he never compromises on the effort needed to reach your best self. Highly recommended!”
—Catherine Dent, Actress (The Shield and 21 Grams)

“After COVID, my body went through some very unhealthy changes. I just couldn’t seem to snap back into shape. Chad’s over 50 program literally brought me back to a form I thought was long gone. My drumming has never been better, and I gotta say, the Mrs. likes what she sees!”
—Jimmy D’Anda, Drummer for BulletBoys and Lynch Mob

“What makes Chad special is his compassion. Instead of pushing me through pain, he emphasized healing and safe training. Chad took the time to help me build strength properly, and this book will do the same for you. It’s like having your own personal Yoda!”
—Grey Damon, Actor (Station 19 and Aquarius)

“Chad’s training goes beyond reps and macros; he taught me how to show up with discipline, how to push through discomfort, and how to build real confidence from the inside out. What I gained from working with him wasn’t just physical—it was foundational.”
—Jack Falahee, Actor (How to Get Away With Murder and Mercy Street)

“I met Chad when I had little to no connection to my body but had a curiosity to explore the world of fitness. The lessons I learned training with Chad will last for a lifetime and have led to my being not just physically fit but mentally fit as well. Anyone and everyone can benefit from the wisdom he has to give!”
—Camryn Grimes, Actress (The Young and the Restless and Magic Mike)

“I don’t like working out. I’ve spent most of my life avoiding it. But, somehow, Chad got me to show up—consistently—and that alone feels like a minor miracle. Postpartum, I needed a serious push (and possibly an exorcism), and Chad delivered with equal parts patience, humor, and just the right amount of pressure. What really sets Chad apart, though, is the heart he puts into everything he does. He genuinely cares about his clients—not just their reps or results but their lives. His ability to connect, listen, and tailor his approach makes the experience personal in a way that sticks. He’s not just a trainer; he’s someone who shows up for you, even when you don’t really want to show up for yourself.”
—Italia Ricci, Actress (Designated Survivor and Chasing Life)

“Chad beat the hell out of me—in a good way! He was able to take my routine and training to another level. His expertise allowed him to hone in on the specifics I was looking to achieve. And he always did it with a smile.”
—Robbie Amell, Actor (Upload and The Flash)

“I remember getting cast on a show where I was gonna have to be showing some skin, so I went looking for a personal trainer to help me feel more comfortable in my body for those scenes. Chad Landers was a great resource for me. He has a super genial, sweet demeanor and got me to where I was able to not worry about my body and just focus on my job.”
—Douglas Smith, Actor (Big Love and The Alienist)