getting older - JP Fitness Forums

rookie · 12-08-2005, 07:48 AM

A few years back when I started this quest I used to think how hard it was to maintain what I worked so hard for and how easy it was to change my body. Now, 10 years later, I find it almost impossible to make noticable physical changes but ever so easy to hang on to where I am. I think the fact that I am in really good physical shape is what makes it so easy to keep. But that same factor makes it hard to change. Making noticable size gains at this point seem to require an insane amount of dedication that I find hard to follow being as happy as I am with where I am now.

Mahler · 12-08-2005, 10:09 AM

I think that it is a commmon theme with many that we reach a fitness plateau. Not the klnd of plateau that we hit with a certain lift, that we work hard to break. It's a comfort plateau. We get to that place that we thought impossible way back when we started. And we are satisfied with the results. The disappointing part is that sometimes we have to work just as hard just to maintain where we are. That's not a bad thing, but it tests our dedication far more than when we were able to work and make visible progress. If you ever want to prove to yourself that you are not just treading water, stop doing what you are doing and watch the body change. Change for the worse, that is.

Mahler

Irishdazza · 12-08-2005, 11:17 AM

Nah...he's just getting old!

dos · 12-08-2005, 11:38 AM

I am turning 40 this year and I will say that I am training harder (and MUCH smarter!) now than i was 10 years ago and like you said, the gains are tougher...the reality is that we ARE getting older and it only gets worse from here. Wow, that sounded pretty depressing huh? I am, however, pretty happy with the way my body is handling intense workouts (although i tend to get sore a bit more and my back is doing some wacky things these days...).

Anyway, I will say that HOW you train will be crucial at this point. I find that i can gain size when I train specifically for it just as I can lean-out when i choose to train accordingly. The changes tend to happen slower but they DO happen with hard work. Keep working hard.....I am actually loving it at this point. I often wonder if I will maintain my fitness level @ 50....60 etc. I tend to think i will! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Colonel · 12-08-2005, 11:40 AM

It is hard to maintain as we age. It seems I work twice as hard for half the results of my younger friends. But it is possible, I made my best gains and heaviest lifts after I turned 46-47. Of course I gained a lot of great information here and MH forums that I didn't know in my 20's and 30's. Plus my goals change more as I age, I'm more into overall fitness now vs going for size. I think back 2 years, before my most recent bout of illness and think at 52 I must have been crazy to attempt lifts with the weight I did, but it worked and I was proud of what I was able to do. I guess I was never happy enough where I was to think about not adding another plate here and there.

Plus it's a good feeling when one of the big young guys come up to me and tell me they hope they are still in the gym busting their ass when they're 50!

It scares me to think how much worse off I'd be if I wasn't working out. I don't think I ever spent insane amounts of time at the gym. Between cardio and weights it was 5-6 hours per week at the most. Granted, at that point in my life I didn't have any kids at home, like you do, Rookie. Maybe if I had the 5-6 hours would seem like too much. There were many weeks my wife thought it was too much but she felt 1 hour was too much, also.

Marykaa · 12-08-2005, 11:55 AM

ROOKIE
the first gains we make in our early 20s.. we're almost still developping naturally.. (specially men) I think it's only around 25 that you can really consider being an adult..

COLONEL
for the last 6 months .. I spend 10-15 hours a week doing training and hiking, before it was more like 5-6 h/ week.. but I feel SO lucky being able to take all that time for me. Luckily my byfrd trains some as well (a few h/wk) (though in a gym near his work, and doesn't hike)and He is very OK with what I do.. he has his own interests.. (guitar, volleyball, computer stuff). My son is 23.. it's a time I can spend thinking of myself.. before I have grandchildren that I'll want to play with LOL

AND..
for me.. since I had my vascular accident at 28 and had to RE-learn how to walk.. I can't compare.. and maybe I'm LUCKY in that way.. I sure don't miss the shape (fitness) I was in when I was 30! I'm have alot of fun doing sports, have the maturity not to compare myself too much and.. one thing that's good about not being a top athlete.. at least I'm happy enough doing 5 hour 600m deniv hikes.. if I'd be in top shape.. I'd be wanting to plan trips to Mount Everest! way too much trouble LOL

but for the rest.. being an almost 52 year old women, with all that it entails.. well I think that's an all tgether other "getting older" thread.. that someday I'll talk about in my log.

If we grow in our maturity as much as we loose in our physical capacities.. aging should not be a problem.

duff beer · 12-08-2005, 05:53 PM

I'm 43 and some days I wonder why all the hard work is not paying off as quickly as I think it should. Injuries take a lot longer to recover from and gains seem to take forever to happen. My training partner is a full decade younger than me and I wonder when he will catch up to me (he started lifting later than me but is gaining bit by bit).

That being said, I am in far better shape than I ever have been and know what I would look and feel if I did nothing. It may take longer for the gains to occur, but they will still happen.

WorkinOnIt · 12-08-2005, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dos:
I am turning 40 this year and I will say that I am training harder (and MUCH smarter!) now than i was 10 years ago and like you said, the gains are tougher...the reality is that we ARE getting older and it only gets worse from here. Wow, that sounded pretty depressing huh? I am, however, pretty happy with the way my body is handling intense workouts (although i tend to get sore a bit more and my back is doing some wacky things these days...).

Anyway, I will say that HOW you train will be crucial at this point. I find that i can gain size when I train specifically for it just as I can lean-out when i choose to train accordingly. The changes tend to happen slower but they DO happen with hard work. Keep working hard.....I am actually loving it at this point. I often wonder if I will maintain my fitness level @ 50....60 etc. I tend to think i will! [img]smile.gif[/img]

DOS:
I'd be interested in hearing about what you specifically changed in your training that has been successful.

Q. · 12-09-2005, 04:01 PM

AGE IS NO EXCUSE!

Clarence Bass at 60!

Jack LaLanne at probably over 60!

Marykaa · 12-10-2005, 11:53 AM

Q... Just 8 years more than me.. but still they are inspiring. thanks for posting those.

dos · 12-10-2005, 01:04 PM

Quote:

DOS:
I'd be interested in hearing about what you specifically changed in your training that has been successful.

Just little things like zero steady-state cardio sessions, shorter but more intense workouts, trying to even-out volumes with all training movements. I also try to do something active every single day. Oh, and my workouts are totally different every time I train. At my age, boredom is a big factor since I have been training for so long. I am very big on doing some bodyweight training every single week...Handling big weights is cool and all but I just feel that you are not truly 'strong' until you can handle your bodyweight in movements like pull-ups, push-ups (also inverted), core movements and single leg (pistol)squats of course!