to the mature guys training 10 years and over

[Grunta]

Big bump.

In may I officially started lifting 22 years ago (1991).
I must say this shit does not get easier.
I'm pretty sure I've reached my genetic limits.
the past 3 yearsi have been consistant and it's a real grind to any any new muscle or strength.
is this it for me now. will i just remain the way I am with consistant training?
WTF could I possibly do other than exogenous hormones to continue progessing.
I have been getting stronger lately but probably oly to levels i was when i was younger.
I think this is it.

Same vintage, Aug 1991 for me.
I think as hard as it is to maintain its harder to give up.
Had to readjust my schedule a lot since then, I make it around my family go after kids go to bed, early weekends and a bit at home.
This way I can fit it in and sustain in my life for what hopefully will be a long time.
I now enjoy beer and some carbs and am as strong as I ever have been.
Just carry more BF on me than in my early abs days.
My wife nags me to lean up once per year, before we go on holidays so I look better in the photos, but after that I live a relatively comfortable but balanced dietary regime.
I feel the joints now a lot more then ever and need more sleep, but plan to continue pumping weights as long as can stand on my own.
I take: multivitamin, glucosamine, fish oil and alpha lipoid acid daily and I feel it when I don't.

 

[Goosey]

I was bitten by the iron bug in 1976.

 

[kaz]

I bitten by the iron bug in 1976.

I wasn't even born...

 

[Shrek]

Same vintage, Aug 1991 for me.
I think as hard as it is to maintain its harder to give up.
Had to readjust my schedule a lot since then, I make it around my family go after kids go to bed, early weekends and a bit at home.
This way I can fit it in and sustain in my life for what hopefully will be a long time.
I now enjoy beer and some carbs and am as strong as I ever have been.
Just carry more BF on me than in my early abs days.
My wife nags me to lean up once per year, before we go on holidays so I look better in the photos, but after that I live a relatively comfortable but balanced dietary regime.
I feel the joints now a lot more then ever and need more sleep, but plan to continue pumping weights as long as can stand on my own.
I take: multivitamin, glucosamine, fish oil and alpha lipoid acid daily and I feel it when I don't.

Interesting.
Well I carry less fat now
I agree that it's very hard to give up. Once it's in the blood that's it for life.
Glucosamine didnt do anything for me.
Ill just keep plugging away in hope of that mid life growth spurt. Hmmmm. Yeah!

 

[TrentZor]

So its my 16th year of "training" so far.

Still making strength gains at 36.

How is my recovery between sets and workouts? Not like it used to be at 19.
In the gym there are 19 years olds who can train 5 days hard out a week and reover that much quicker.

It takes longer to warmup and mobalize.Any niggling injury i feel now is looked at ASAP. Cant afford to be injured and not able to look after my daughter.

Pre 30 it was all about the aesthetics but now i just want to be strong healthy and keep up with my daughter. Priorities in life shift dramatically after your first child as they say and i couldnt agree more.

 

[El Testicle]

Hmm.. Sounds very nice and all, but call me vain - Its always about aesthetics

At least I think that's why a lot of us got into it in the first place? (Speaking for me here at least)

Gotta agree about the strength and injury comments. Started training around 1994 and seriously lifting around 2000.

1976? Geez - You'd be training in your zimmer-frame right now surely? Was born around then

I know I hit my genetic ceiling some time ago and now as I've aged and arthritis is degenerating my shoulder I'm more open to whatever else I can get my hands on to help me go as long and as hard as I can

 

[Grunta]

Interesting.
Well I carry less fat now
I agree that it's very hard to give up. Once it's in the blood that's it for life.
Glucosamine didnt do anything for me.
Ill just keep plugging away in hope of that mid life growth spurt. Hmmmm. Yeah!

Good form on the BF Shrek.
I'm happy to carry a little bit more gut now as I'm not as obsessed about the looks as I was when i was single. The idea was, train like and animal and live on chicken and eggs Mon to Fri = picking up hot chicks on the weekend.
These days i enjoy food as much as my training, so just maitain a flat gut and balance both.
Good luck with that mid life growth spurt, at 43 mine is definately late, but I'm sure it's just around the corner.

 

[Goosey]

My advice for a young bloke wanting to biuld the body is;

Train hard, train infrequently and train very hard and most importantly *train safe.
How often you train is dependent on how fast you can recover between workouts, your aim is proggressive resistance every workout.

Everything else, you need to work out for yourself.

*training safe means doing an exercise that places the muscle/s of the body part you work in it's fully stretched position and resistance is constant , follows correct path to fully contracted posisition accentuating the negative.

 

[brucep26b]

I am 47 and have been on the iron since about 1986. I just rejoined the gym at work and had to do a fitness assessment. They still had my last assement on file from 10 years ago. skin folds down from 148 then to 141 now and fat down from 24 to 22. I was 86kg then and 92 kg now. Quite happy with that. Recovery takes a lot longer now. Legs take forever to get over DOMS.