Impossible to build muscle after 35 or harder?
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Incidentally...
I'm 36 (+1 month) and I've dropped muscle with intent for professional fighting. The thing is, I find it easier than ever to stay healthy and relatively strong but it for damn well sure is everything else (baby son, uni, work, warm bed...) that could drag me away from the commitment.
HOWEVER, I shall still be taking on EXTRA VITAMINS very soon to increase muscular strength and endurance because of the natural decline and demands (I'm fighting in untested events). But absolutely, hard work and diet will give you results in to your late 30s. Maybe your 40s too. Unless you intend to have a late surge and compete against others in a high level then you are good to go young man!
I'm 36 (+1 month) and I've dropped muscle with intent for professional fighting. The thing is, I find it easier than ever to stay healthy and relatively strong but it for damn well sure is everything else (baby son, uni, work, warm bed...) that could drag me away from the commitment.
HOWEVER, I shall still be taking on EXTRA VITAMINS very soon to increase muscular strength and endurance because of the natural decline and demands (I'm fighting in untested events). But absolutely, hard work and diet will give you results in to your late 30s. Maybe your 40s too. Unless you intend to have a late surge and compete against others in a high level then you are good to go young man!
sprange6706/09/17 @ 11:56
Crock, did not start training until I was 42 and am an office worker, and I've just had my best total in a comp @ 50 and expect to do a lot better, without chemical assistance!
Draken07/09/17 @ 00:12
slow_lift_joe11/09/17 @ 23:25
No you can make good gains at 35 and 35 plus.
The magic figure where it gets difficult they say from what I have read over the years is 55 plus. Most would say around the 55 mark.
55 plus you might have to settle for maintenance work.
...But hey you could join the book club or take up crown green bowls.
I will lift until I am in my 90's or 101, it might be 40 kilos in the bench by then but I will lift that bar until the great gig in the sky.
The magic figure where it gets difficult they say from what I have read over the years is 55 plus. Most would say around the 55 mark.
55 plus you might have to settle for maintenance work.
...But hey you could join the book club or take up crown green bowls.
I will lift until I am in my 90's or 101, it might be 40 kilos in the bench by then but I will lift that bar until the great gig in the sky.
Agree, I am 40 in a few months and haven't PBd in maybe 7 years. I find I get injured easier and injuries take longer to heal. My aim these days is to try and stay healthy, be stronger and be in better shape than the average 40yr old.
I find frequency and lighter weights help, especially for maintaining or even adding size. Train the same body part every 2-3 days, keep the reps up with a few decent working sets. I try not to go ball to the wall as it just fries my CNS and increases injury risk
I find frequency and lighter weights help, especially for maintaining or even adding size. Train the same body part every 2-3 days, keep the reps up with a few decent working sets. I try not to go ball to the wall as it just fries my CNS and increases injury risk
paul_richards said:Agree, I am 40 in a few months and haven't PBd in maybe 7 years. I find I get injured easier and injuries take longer to heal. My aim these days is to try and stay healthy, be stronger and be in better shape than the average 40yr old
If you havent PB'd since your early 30s then im afraid age wasnt the problem, either life got in the way, or you were doing something very wrong.
That said, since your goal isnt terribly high reaching id guess you are quite content and thats probably a big factor in why PBs arent coming.
I guess when you get so old, you shouldn't be able to compete because the people who want to quit won't get jealous. If you never win, then you should quit then? Bring it on old heads, or go eat some chocolate with grandma, or get hurt on purpose so everyone can feel sorry for you and you can have a registered legit out!
I starting going to the gym aged 16.
Got stronger every year up until 31
Now aged 35 I haven't beaten any 1 rep maxed since.
I get the odd rep PB on the exercises I didn't do alot if in the past.
Lifetime natural. I think I peaked at 31. At 89kg
Unless I try a huge bulk and see if i can gain strength at 100kg bodyweight? And hope it's not just fat I gain.
Wife and kids do make getting to the gym alot harder than when u are young free and single with mum looking after you at home :-)
Got stronger every year up until 31
Now aged 35 I haven't beaten any 1 rep maxed since.
I get the odd rep PB on the exercises I didn't do alot if in the past.
Lifetime natural. I think I peaked at 31. At 89kg
Unless I try a huge bulk and see if i can gain strength at 100kg bodyweight? And hope it's not just fat I gain.
Wife and kids do make getting to the gym alot harder than when u are young free and single with mum looking after you at home :-)
My pbs occurred when I was about 35 and 100kg. Now I'm 42 and 82kg so chasing the same numbers or more is probably unrealistic.
Not stopping me trying though. Bench is similar. Deadlift is 20kg less. Squat is about 35kg less. But there's a chance of closing the gap whilst staying lean. But tbh if I can stop regression I'm not doing too bad.
Not stopping me trying though. Bench is similar. Deadlift is 20kg less. Squat is about 35kg less. But there's a chance of closing the gap whilst staying lean. But tbh if I can stop regression I'm not doing too bad.
AMH_Power22/09/17 @ 14:49
Not sure about muscle mass per se as biology is biology, even if it's diminished.
But strength is a different kettle of fish. Seen 50+ year olds get strong as absolute beginners to strength sports.
Likewise, Fred Hatfield told me he hit a 500kg squat in training at 49 years old and then decided he'd done with it...
Drugs or not, don't know.
But strength is a different kettle of fish. Seen 50+ year olds get strong as absolute beginners to strength sports.
Likewise, Fred Hatfield told me he hit a 500kg squat in training at 49 years old and then decided he'd done with it...
Drugs or not, don't know.
AMH_Power said:Not sure about muscle mass per se as biology is biology, even if it's diminished.
But strength is a different kettle of fish. Seen 50+ year olds get strong as absolute beginners to strength sports.
Likewise, Fred Hatfield told me he hit a 500kg squat in training at 49 years old and then decided he'd done with it...
Drugs or not, don't know.
But strength is a different kettle of fish. Seen 50+ year olds get strong as absolute beginners to strength sports.
Likewise, Fred Hatfield told me he hit a 500kg squat in training at 49 years old and then decided he'd done with it...
Drugs or not, don't know.
drugs just set the bar higher for recovery and holding lean mass.
don't think they circumvent general age related wear and tear joints,ligaments etc.
fred made a concerted assault on the squat record, i assume putting the other two lifts on maintenance.
his bw climbed up to 260lbs (bear in mind he was 5'5") around time of his 1014lb.
most of early 80's he was in 181/198s doing IPF fullpower.
i've found focusing on 1 or 2 of the powerlifts rather than all 3 (had to squat no more than maintenance due to problems with injury and irritating hernia needing surgery at some point) has suddenly seen a spurt in both deads and bench numbers
(no other recovery modalities have changed). think that's something to think about as we age - 'picking your battles' as far as progressing on certain lifts.
lets say you are already an experienced lifter totalling 770kg (290-190-290) and you beat yourself into a pulp trying to reach 800 by adding 10kg to all three lifts at same time. maybe better to back off squat, focus on bench/deads and say end up with something like 275-205-320.
matthewvc said:
lets say you are already an experienced lifter totalling 770kg (290-190-290) and you beat yourself into a pulp trying to reach 800 by adding 10kg to all three lifts at same time. maybe better to back off squat, focus on bench/deads and say end up with something like 275-205-320.
lets say you are already an experienced lifter totalling 770kg (290-190-290) and you beat yourself into a pulp trying to reach 800 by adding 10kg to all three lifts at same time. maybe better to back off squat, focus on bench/deads and say end up with something like 275-205-320.
Not age related but I have found similar this year. Stopped squatting about a month ago and my deadlift is flying. On track to pull 380/390 in a few weeks now after being around the 350 mark most of the year.