I’ve been lifting weights for a long time. My mum first dropped me off at a gym when I was 15. Back then, I was the classic kid who grew up on 90s action movies convinced that if I trained hard enough, I’d eventually look like I was forged in an action film.
And in those early years, it honestly felt that simple. I’d look at a dumbbell, and my muscles would grow. Zero science. Zero strategy. Just enthusiasm, youth, and a metabolism that cooperated.
Now I’m older. I still lift four times a week, but I approach it differently. These days it takes more intention, better programming, more attention to recovery but the upside is, the results feel more meaningful. And thankfully, muscle memory is very real. When you’ve put in the work for decades, your body remembers how to be strong.
I share this because many of you reading this are in the same boat. The early gains aren’t as easy. Life is busier. The goal shifts from “look good for summer” to “stay strong, capable, and healthy for life.”
And that’s what this month’s email is really about. Let’s get into it.
Muscle is more than something you see.
It’s something that keeps you alive and well
Most people still see muscle as something cosmetic, something you train for appearance. But modern research has reframed muscle as one of the most important organs in the body.
Muscle is metabolically active.
It produces signalling molecules called myokines that influence:
- Blood sugar regulation
- Inflammation
- Immune function
- Brain health and cognition
- Mental wellbeing
- Longevity
This is why people with higher muscle mass and strength have dramatically better long-term health outcomes. It’s not “gym bro science”. It’s peer-reviewed, clinical, replicated research.
Muscle isn’t just strength.
It’s metabolic armour.
The decline starts earlier than people realise.
Around the age of 30, muscle begins declining. Slowly at first, then more noticeably each decade. By 60, the acceleration is significant.
This process is called sarcopenia. And it affects:
- Strength
- Mobility
- Metabolism
- Bone health
- Stability
- Lifespan
It’s one of the most important health issues nobody talks about.
Here’s the hopeful part:
Strength training is one of the few interventions proven to slow, stop, or reverse sarcopenia at literally any age.
You can make meaningful strength and muscle gains at 35, 45, 65, even 75. The body responds to resistance training all through life.
You can’t stop ageing, but you can absolutely slow the rate at which you lose capability.
The overlooked benefits of muscle
1. Better metabolic health
Muscle acts as a major site for glucose disposal. More muscle = better insulin sensitivity.
2. Brain health
Strength is strongly correlated with lower risk of cognitive decline. Myokines interact with the brain in fascinating ways.
3. Joint resilience
Muscle stabilises joints, improves posture, and offsets the consequences of long hours sitting or working.
4. Bone density
Load-bearing exercise increases bone mineral density — something that becomes crucial with age.
5. Functional freedom
From carrying shopping bags to keeping up with kids to simply moving without discomfort — muscle is what makes daily life easy instead of effortful.
This is why I now see muscle less as a “look” and more as a long-term investment. Something you build for your 60-year-old self as much as your current one.
Let’s finally kill the “bulky” myth
Especially among women, there’s still a persistent fear that lifting weights equals getting bulky. In reality, building substantial visible muscle is incredibly hard, even when you try.
Strength training won’t make most people bulky.
It will make you:
- Leaner
- More toned
- Stronger
- More metabolically efficient
- More confident
The research is unequivocal.
The minimum effective dose is smaller than you think
Strength training doesn’t require hours in the gym or a complicated routine.
The science backs this simple formula:
2–3 strength sessions per week.30–45 minutes each. Focusing on five key movement patterns:
- Squat
- Hinge (deadlift or hip thrust)
- Push
- Pull
- Carry
If you did only these, consistently, you’d build strength, muscle, functional capacity, and resilience that would last.
As someone who’s been training for over three decades, I can tell you: it’s never about doing “everything”. It’s about doing the right things, consistently.
Protein: the foundation people overlook
One reason people struggle to build or maintain muscle after 30 is simple: they’re not eating enough protein.
Optimal intake sits around 1.6–2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day
Protein becomes more important with age, not less.
This is one of the reasons we take such care with our formulations at Innermost. No fillers, no artificial nonsense, just clean, science-backed blends that actually support muscle, metabolism, and recovery.
The best time to start was 30 years ago. The second best time is today.
I’m glad I started lifting at 15 even if the reason back then was “I want arms like Arnie.”
But the real value of lifting didn’t reveal itself until much later. Strength training has been one of the constants that’s helped me stay grounded, focused, and resilient, physically and mentally, through every stage of life. And I’m sure I wouldn’t have had the grit and determination to launch and grow Innermost without it.
Whether you’re starting at 30, 40, 50, or beyond, biology is on your side.
Muscle is not a young person’s game.
It’s a lifelong tool.
A form of self-respect.
A strategy for ageing well.
And one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health.
Start with what you can. Stay consistent. Your future self will thank you.
