Body builders peak competitive age?

[Tekkerz]

Just wonder if anyone knows what the average age of guys competing in body building competitions is and also if there is a peak competitive age for the major titles?

I'm asking this because while I am in no way built enough to be a serious competitor right now, if I continue training hard and eating well for the next several years I think I could be at that level of physique by the time I hit 30 in two and a half years...

 

[Fadi]

Ok Tekkerz, I’m going to make an educated guess and then put my spin on it for you. According to the scientists, men’s testosterone level begins to head south at the age of 25. My spin on this is that this age is going to decrease gradually as we find some young bodybuilders going to extreme with their diet by throwing the building blocks of testosterone down the sink. I’m talking about the mighty cholesterol here, the best of which is found in the humble egg. Do your research, you may find something similar to what I’m saying here.

I’m in no way implying that it’s all over and done with if you’ve passed 25 years of age. I’ve put my best upper body muscles around the age of 40; which means you’ve got a long way to go yet Champion.


Fadi.

 

[BoyFromAus]

Fadi, is there any chemical explanation as to why it starts to go down as you age?
..is it the case that less cholesterol is being converted or less DHEA is being produced or .... ?

 

[Fadi]

Yes Rasika there's a chemical explanation alright; it's called the aging process taking its course. Can you stop it? No, but you can slow it down and/ or resort to exogenous alternatives.


Fadi.

 

[Kyle Aaron]

It's just aging, things slow down. They don't slow down as much as some people like to think, though - the people who say, "oh but I can't work out and I have to have a big belly because I'm old, man."

For athletics competitions there exist age-adjusted tables which give factors to adjust for age. This is just like the various ways we have of comparing lifters in different weight classes; isn't a 69.5kg guy benching 102.5kg more impressive than a 99kg guy benching 102.5kg?

If a 60 year old sprints 100m against a 20 year, and the older guy runs it in 13.05 seconds and the younger guy in 11.00 seconds, who won? Shouldn't we adjust for age as we adjust for weight? Well, the factor for a 60 year old male doing a 100m sprint is 0.84, giving us 13.05 seconds x 0.84 = 10.96 seconds. We'd consider that the older guy had actually won the race.

These factors are always changing, because they're based on real-world performances. If the best 60 year old's 100m sprint is 12 seconds, and the best sprint at any age is 9.58 seconds, then the factor will be 9.58/12 = 0.80. So the factors don't necessarily represent the limits of what's humanly possible, but the real world performances - in all age groups, these are improving, as older people start saying, "well, maybe I don't have to just sit around feeling old and crippled but can actually do stuff."

But for what it's worth...

In speed events like the 100m sprint, the decline is about 5% through each decade after 30, and 10% from the 80s on.

In endurance events like the 5km run, it's about 6% for each decade after 30, 7% further in the 60s, and 14% and accelerating into the 70s.

In strength events like shotput, the decline doesn't set in until 35, is 8% by 40, total 15% by 50, about 33% by 60, and so on.

The declines are relative, of course. If at 60 you have 67% the strength you had at 20, well it could be 67% of a lot or 67% of not much at all. And maybe if you weren't an athletic 20, 30, 40 or 50 year old, at 60 you could become stronger than you ever were in your life. You might only be 67% as strong as you could have been had you trained at 20 - but you can still be stronger than many current 20 year olds.

Some slowing down is inevitable. But it's not as much as some people like to make out.

 

[TrentZor]

Just wonder if anyone knows what the average age of guys competing in body building competitions is and also if there is a peak competitive age for the major titles?

I'm asking this because while I am in no way built enough to be a serious competitor right now, if I continue training hard and eating well for the next several years I think I could be at that level of physique by the time I hit 30 in two and a half years...

The average age is 21-34 (alot of em around the mid to late 20s). above 35 is considered the masters.

You should consider getting a reputable dietitian. These BB shows most of the time are about how u dial in your condition 6 weeks out from the comp. Eating only protein for 5 weeks and little carbs/water (losing memory/feeling agitated) east away at people on these comps.

3 years is enough of a base to step up on stage. As u would have had the muscle maturity and a solid foundation to show it off by then. Too many people make the mistake of going on after say a year of training.

If you dont already you will find the most guys are on serious gear and cycle continuosly at BB contests.

 

[fitnation]

This one of the reasons why much of the material being taught in texts books is so questionable. It states that the body is supposed decline in various ways over each successive decade. The rule is so general and like many things is very much a one size fits all approach. A person who is involved it fitness/weight training for most of their lives is certainly going to be different from what the general population is. And instead of declining it is very likely that they may improve various factors of their fitness over many years of training. There is so much scientists are learning about aging and so many ways out there to reverse things that many text books may need to be re-written.

 

[Tekkerz]

Thanks for the input guys especially Ceffo and Fitnation as they addressed my question the most directcly but the input from everyone else is still appreciated.

There is no way that what anyone says could stop me from continuing to improve my physique but it's nice to know that if I choose to I could still become the 'buffest' man in the world...