What is the prime age for muscular growth/development? - JP Fitness Forums

Seventy7 · 10-31-2006, 11:00 AM

Does anyone know when a lifters "prime" is? At what age group do you have the most potential and ability to build muscle and attain a nice frame?

OldGuy · 10-31-2006, 11:02 AM

27.3825641

Rotwang · 10-31-2006, 11:05 AM

Here are several prime ages: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41 (Hey, that's me).

Seventy7 · 10-31-2006, 11:08 AM

Damn, I am 28...just missed the curve.

UpNorth · 10-31-2006, 11:08 AM

Its the exact age when you have found the maturity, education and discipline to eat the right foods and choose the optimal workout.

Edit: The younger you acheive this the better...

Seventy7 · 10-31-2006, 11:23 AM

But is there any actual scientific age that says when our bodies are at their peaks?

Frank.S · 10-31-2006, 11:37 AM

Im thinking around 20. Highest natural test levels, most energy etc.

Peak is likely around 30...

but this is all such minor differences.. diet, state of mind, intensity is all so much more important then age.

Tony Gentilcore · 10-31-2006, 11:44 AM

Here's my opinion.

Quit worrying about minutia, and go lift some heavy shit.

Seventy7 · 10-31-2006, 11:48 AM

That probably says it all...

Jeff Rage · 10-31-2006, 11:48 AM

Apparantly not 33.

Seventy7 · 10-31-2006, 11:55 AM

Rage,

Just get Bulls on Parade going while you lift and you will get your results!

77

RobLL · 10-31-2006, 01:56 PM

In my previous avatars whenever I got down to a 32 inch waste I weighed about 160 pounds, including my attempts at college wrestling, fun but had never wrestled before.

Now that I am doing all this weight lifting, I am back down to 33-32, but weigh 190.

Hence: the best time to grow muscles is when you start weight lifting

Spartan · 10-31-2006, 02:12 PM

Going by observation and a smidge of scientific data I'd say between 20-30. Most people I've seen that lift for size make their best gains in their 20's. Plus testosterone levels peak in the late 20's. But I think some argument could be made for something like the accumulation of training knowledge over age itself being the big factor for why that period is when people seem to make their best gains. From about 14-20 wouldn't be far behind as far as potential for gains for most people and there's no reason someone cant make nearly equivalent gains between 30-40 if they started late. I don't think it's worth worrying about because you cant change time, you can just do your best from this moment on.

Even so, 28 is hardly a handicap for progress. There's not really anything your body could do 10 years ago that it cant do now as far as physique enhancement is concerned.

Lost Dog · 10-31-2006, 02:44 PM

Are you just curious? Doing a paper? Looking for why things aren't going as well as you'd hoped? Surprised at how quickly you're gettin' huge and hoping it's not going to stop?

Patricia · 10-31-2006, 02:59 PM

I made my best strength and muscular gains around 37-38. Swear.

BFG · 10-31-2006, 03:37 PM

I dunno but looking at most of the fitness models I reckon they look optimum in their early to mid 30's

Damn Im 36!

Mahler · 11-01-2006, 11:33 AM

Lou Schuler · 11-01-2006, 12:45 PM

I don't have time to look up the numbers now, but from what I recall, in doing research for previous books, the peak for untrained guys is early 20s. With training, the peak moves out to the late 20s.

Among serious, competitive lifters, it's more like 30. But that peak can be maintained for a few years.

If you look at Olympic lifting records, you see a pretty steady dropoff for the guys competing in their 40s and 50s. And these are the best guys, the record holders in masters categories. That means, among guys in top competitive condition, strength peaks at about 30.

In sports, track and field athletes tend to peak around age 25, while baseball players typically have their best seasons at age 27. If you see someone in those sports breaking records in their mid-30s, you know about Mr. Needle's proximity to Mr. Buttock.

But those numbers just apply to people who're pushing themselves to their physiological limits. In the real world, you hit your peak when finally figure things out and push yourself as far as you can.

For me, that was in my mid-40s for the bench press and late 40s for squat and deadlift.

For mass and general strength (based on some personal records on dumbbell lifts), I know I hit my peak just over a year ago, when I did Chad's Total Strength Program. I got 2 reps with 100-pound dumbbells on the flat bench. I went back through all my old training logs, and the best I'd ever done was 2 reps with 95. (I got 5 reps with 95 in the set before I attempted to lift 100s for the first time.)

I'm building up now for another run at some personal records -- I haven't decided which ones yet; it'll depend on how my knees and shoulders feel over the next few weeks. I turn 50 in January, and I thought it'd be fun to lift something I've never lifted before.

My point, of course, is that if you aren't an elite athlete who has to peak by a particular age and is getting high-level coaching to reach that goal, you can peak whenever you're ready for it. Look at Mahler; he's still hitting records in his mid-50s.

The key to a late peak is to waste your youth on crappy workouts. That's my secret, anyway.

kuri · 11-01-2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lou Schuler

The key to a late peak is to waste your youth on crappy workouts. That's my secret, anyway.

Ah, good to know we're on the same page Lou

I started making decent gains for the first time a couple years ago while doing a Waterbury undulating periodization program but my best strength gains for lower body have come just this past year (34 now) with the NROL Strength routines.

Though in my early 20's I can clearly remember getting fairly ripped despite having no clue in my workouts and a typical college