Getting better as you age?? [Archive]

Paul Marsland

07-09-2008, 11:54 AM

JimPierce

07-09-2008, 12:04 PM

This is for older trainees on this board ie: 30+. and hopefully might stimulate some debate:

Have any of you found that the older you get that in some areas of your training it gets better and easier? I've found that once I got past age 34 its fairly easy to gain weight ( not just fat but a bit of muscle and some fat) and my strength is going up too if anything I'm bigger and stronger than I've ever been.

The downside is that recovery takes a bit longer and I get a few more aches and pains but nothing to worry about, plus I'm not as gung ho as I used to be so this reduces my aches and pains somewhat....

What advantages have you found with regards to your training as you've gotten older and what disadvantages?

Thanks

Paul.

I have notice that putting on weight is easier but it is also harder to take it off when trying to make weight for a contest my strength goes up and down alot more then it used to, the aches and pains have increased and like you said i'm not as gung ho as when i was young before i would want to do 2-3 contests a year now I still want to do that many but my body is happy if i do 1 now since i'm closing in on 40yrs old I am now looking at it as I am saving myself for the masters class and competeing with the really old guy :N:

just kidding

CHANTZWILSON

07-09-2008, 12:13 PM

I just recently turned 30. The thing I have noticed most is recovery. I stay sore longer.
I have also noticed how easy it is to put on fat, but that may be that I had more of a bb mentality in my early 20s and my diet was much cleaner.

Mike Gill

07-09-2008, 12:19 PM

I'll be 36 in November. I'm in the best shape of my life bar none. I find my discipline is much better, pain tolerance is greater and both of those make it easier to control my weight/ get through my conditioning sessions.

Matt Schumann

07-09-2008, 12:28 PM

Mike you should do one of the pro interviews on the forum, I am definitely interested in finding out more about your training/ conditioning etc....

I'll be 36 in November. I'm in the best shape of my life bar none. I find my discipline is much better, pain tolerance is greater and both of those make it easier to control my weight/ get through my conditioning sessions.

Scott Markowitz

07-09-2008, 12:32 PM

I've learned to pay better attention to my body, and to know the difference between "this is gonna make you sore tomorrow if you do this" and "you might not walk upright for 3 months if you do this". Recovery takes a bit longer, but i also maintain strength longer if I miss a workout (or 10). In other words, I can't train as often as I used to, but I don't need to.

Wayne Meyer

07-09-2008, 02:21 PM

This is for older trainees on this board ie: 30+. and hopefully might stimulate some debate:

Have any of you found that the older you get that in some areas of your training it gets better and easier? I've found that once I got past age 34 its fairly easy to gain weight ( not just fat but a bit of muscle and some fat) and my strength is going up too if anything I'm bigger and stronger than I've ever been.

The downside is that recovery takes a bit longer and I get a few more aches and pains but nothing to worry about, plus I'm not as gung ho as I used to be so this reduces my aches and pains somewhat....

What advantages have you found with regards to your training as you've gotten older and what disadvantages?

Thanks

Paul.

Paul -
I will be (40) August 11th and I recently hit PR's in the log with 300 x 3. I have noticed is my static strenth has never been higher however my recovery takes a bit longer than it used to.

Weight also comes on and off fairly easily (a great deal of muscle mass I might add in addition to some body fat).

This has caused me to train more intelligently and listen to my body when I train. If there is one thing I have had to modify in my training it has been to train more intelligently than I use to. I don't try to hir a PR every time I train. One week heavy the next week some muscular endurance type of training.

Hope that helps.

- Wayne

Jason Oyler

07-09-2008, 02:24 PM

I thought "Old Man Strength" comes at like age 28?

benjamin d. moore

07-09-2008, 02:44 PM

Jason - I'm still waiting for mine.

Scott Ismari

07-09-2008, 02:46 PM

Im 45 and still gaining in certain areas...weight gain..forget about it, I never could put on and keep on mass, but in retrospect, what I have kept is quality. I actually stagnated in my mid 30s, but peaked when I hit 37 and stayed there for a few years. When I turned 40, my body just seemed to fall apart, perhaps from the job I just started, I almost gave up lifting it was that bad. When I hit about 42, I recovered and improved again. At 43-44, I peaked again, being stronger than ever and hitting the weights just as hard and as frequent and intense as I did when I was in my 20s and 30s. Cant really say if smarter training took over or just plain stubborness. I backed off over the winter to let myself recover from the summer pounding and this year seem to be having abit more ailments and longer recovery time...Age? dont know for sure if its a factor yet but I think its starting to make itself noticed at least a little. I agree that one should trainer smarter the older one gets and allow more recovery time, but that length of time is an individual thing, but Ive never been one to be huge on common sense when it comes to my own training regimes. Damn the torpedos full speed ahead. If you use a smart commom sense approach , use proper form, listen to your body, but at the same time, lift right on the edge of the envelope, have a good diet to support your work ethic and get enough rest, you shouldnt have any trouble for a long long time.

Mike Gill

07-09-2008, 03:13 PM

Mike you should do one of the pro interviews on the forum, I am definitely interested in finding out more about your training/ conditioning etc....

I'd love to... If someone whats to set it up. Im available.

Nick Best

07-09-2008, 03:36 PM

hehe, I will be 40 in November! I keep getting bigger, faster, and stronger! I have learned to listen to my body which has helped prevent injury but I don't see any end in sight! Some one has to go after these young kids! lol

Nick

Steve Kirit

07-09-2008, 03:54 PM

Not even close for me. At age 25, 3 years before I did my first strongman I was off the charts stronger than I ever was. I started training at 17 and my strength peaked at 25-26. I remember doing some crazy stuff at 25 and weighing around 280 pounds, like hang cleaning 315 for 15 reps, benching 405 for 20 ( I am being serious). I squatted 600 18 times. I was benching in a single polester shirt in those days and at 25 did a 625 in the 275 weight class, then did a 650 and 700 at 280 pounds in an inzer "blast" shirt I paid 30 bucks for. When I started strongman I was already a little worn out, and now, at 35, I am still strong, but I ache all the time and really don't see ever being close to what I did at a young age. I think I just really pushed myself 110% and got everything out of my body I could. Some of you freaks can just keep getting stronger until age 40+. I know I sure am not one of them.

Dennis Ruygrok

07-09-2008, 04:02 PM

I'm going to be 33 this year and I too can attest to being stronger than ever. I pulled 700 this year at a body weight of 230. My speed has never been better, over head strength is the best it's ever been. All my lifts are going up.

The ONLY thing I've noticed that has changed over the last few years is my recovery. Everything takes a bit longer to recover but to me that's no big deal what so ever. I train more intense and heavier than ever but I also train a lot smarter aswell.

The statement "better with age" is certainly true with my training partners and myself when referring to this sport.

Paul Marsland

07-09-2008, 07:51 PM

Some great posts guys and very interesting ones, the two main things that come up with nearly every poster is recovery takes longer, and with this we've learned to train smarter, ie not going for a PR every workout. I find for me its harder mentally to hold back and think "well I did it last workout" ......putting out of my mind just how hard that particular lift was........"so I should at least be able to do it again or even better it"..............the result is sometimes a missed lift or some serious aches and pains for a few days....in which I then kick myself for being so pig headed. :BB:

Steve as a 3 x WSM competitor (which is awesome) do you feel that due to your natural advantages (and I mean this respectfully and not to take anything away for your efforts or acheievments) this maybe caused you to peak too early and then as you've gotten older your strength as dropped off more quickly due to your previous lifts being so high.

For the record I'll be 38 this year, been training for twenty years, strongman semi seriously for about a year, its only these last few months when I've took it really serious that my strength and size to some degree has taken a real jump, I'll never be a 300 lbs freak but @ 240 I'm the biggest and strongest I've been. Ideally If I can hit 250lbs bodyweight I'll be a happy man indeed.

Regards

Paul.

dcarroll

07-09-2008, 09:10 PM

Paul, I turned 47 April 14th, and I can say without any reservations I still have'nt hit my stride. When I was in my early 30s Nick and I trained the lifts together, and although I may never squat like I once did, I will be much stronger every where else( ok, I don't bench either,you get the point). My biggest obstacle is eating consistently, not just a sandwich or protien bar and then dinner. Recovery is fine as long as I get six or seven hrs. One more thing about Nick, I remember when he was growing into the 242s and the passion and drive he had then was awesome, but I think it's going to be off the charts what he does in the next couple years.

Zach Snyder

07-10-2008, 12:30 AM

I'd love to... If someone whats to set it up. Im available.

sorry to hijack, but i'd like to hear some more interviews as well... from you, and some of the other pros on this board! It's been awhile since they've been conducted.

Steve Kirit

07-10-2008, 12:45 AM

Quote://Steve as a 3 x WSM competitor (which is awesome) do you feel that due to your natural advantages (and I mean this respectfully and not to take anything away for your efforts or acheievments) this maybe caused you to peak too early and then as you've gotten older your strength as dropped off more quickly due to your previous lifts being so high.

Good point but I think its something that varies from individual. I do believe I went way too hard in my late teens and early twenties, but there are other guys who do and are still competing. I think I could if I chose to put a little weight back on, be very close and maybe even stronger in some things, but I still would not feel as good or recover as quickly, and would simply be doing more damage than good (speaking only for myself of course.)

My upper body workout tonight was as follows:
Incline bench 225x8 315x3 365x2 405x1
Push press 225x8 255x6 275x4
curls-100x20
pull-ups 20x 2 sets
hyperextensions, ab work

weighed in at 255 pounds. What I am very proud of is I can run 2 miles in under 18 minutes (when my knees feel good) and do the heavy bag for 15 minutes straight (took a while to work up to it, but great cardio training)

I can only imagine how I would feel at my normal 295-305. I guess its a trade off though, at that weight I wasnt doing the running and reptitive exercises that are probably causing me pain now, but I am trying to get away from the heavy stuff, both in weight and bodyweight, and be a little more all around conditioned.

Paul Marsland

07-10-2008, 07:24 AM

Steve, you've brought up another interesting point in regards to holding a high level of bodyweight and in general how this makes you feel. While 240lbs is not super heavy I do find from time to time I feel sluggish and I'm aware of my bodyweight for want of a better term. This is partly due to a lack of conditioning but for me an extra work causes me to drop weight very quickly so I keep extra activities to a mimimum, for cardio I do thai boxing from time to time.

RubenScheepers

07-10-2008, 07:48 AM

Very interesting topic..

It gives me a good feeling that it´s definetely not over when you´re aging.. and still getting better and stronger..

I´m now 25 years old (natural all the way) but i don´t have a feeling that i´m at my peak now. I believe and hope that i still can get a lot stronger. It´s my personal choice to stay at around 225-235 lbs bodyweight so i hope i still get stronger and get more quality muscle with maintaining my bodyweight..

But keep going veterans! very interesting to read all this stuff!

Mike Westerling

07-10-2008, 10:30 AM

sorry to hijack, but i'd like to hear some more interviews as well... from you, and some of the other pros on this board! It's been awhile since they've been conducted.

I'm finishing up one I'm doing with Nick Best and I'll start working on one with Mike Gill right after that.
-Mike

Dana clipper

07-10-2008, 11:49 AM

I am 34 right now, will be 35 in sept. Until i got hurt in june (bicep rupture) I was stronger than I have ever been. And after this heals up, I plan on staying on that track.

The older I get the stronger I get. I train smarter, and alot more constience. But as the rupture indicates, the older you get the more prone to injury you become.

Paul_Koskinen

07-10-2008, 11:54 AM

I turned 44 a short while back and I'm better than ever!!
Sure, doing a squat event is a little tough while using my walker but just you wait until I get my power scooter!! I'll be setting speed records in the farmer's walk!!
:IMHO:

Zach Snyder

07-10-2008, 12:20 PM

I'm finishing up one I'm doing with Nick Best and I'll start working on one with Mike Gill right after that.
-Mike

awesome mike! i was just going through and reading the old interviews the other day. looking forward to reading them.

Mike Landrich

07-10-2008, 02:55 PM

My best years strengthwise were in my late 20s. By the time I tried Strongman at 35, I was already on the downslope. Injuries are far more common and heal way to slow

Barney Shannon

07-10-2008, 09:10 PM

For me, things started really going down in my late 40s. However, I am stronger now then 6 months ago. I take what I can at 52. :rolleyes:

Barney Shannon

07-10-2008, 09:15 PM

BTW, many guys that I know where at their strongest in the early to mid 40s so you young pups have plenty of time.

Corey DuCharme

07-11-2008, 10:05 AM

BTW, many guys that I know were at their strongest in the early to mid 40s so you young pups have plenty of time.

At 31 years old now, that's what I'm hoping for. Didn't start training for strength until a couple of years ago. Before that it was a mixed bag of BB crap. (waste of time for me)

Anyway, overall I've been stronger than ever in the last two years, except for squats for some reason. I need to be more disciplined to really start progressing though.

Tony Crawford

07-11-2008, 10:19 AM

I just turned 38 in March. My last contest was in June. Since then I have been training 5 days a week compaired to 3 days a week before the contest. I don't try to go in and hit a PR every workout. But as of late I have been. I listen to what my body says and I go from there.

Chris Dwyer

07-11-2008, 10:23 AM

I'm 34 and I can say that I am overall stronger and more muscular now then I was in my 20's. I have worked out hard since high school, but just started strongman last year. I gained 15-20 lbs. of muscle just doing the full-body lifts vs. the gym lifts. Recovery may take a bit longer, but nothing terrible.

Mike O'Connor

07-11-2008, 08:30 PM

Im 32, and it seems that each year i get stronger..... although i wasnt as ripped and lean as i was back in my early twenty's.. I did heavy weights for body building in my late teens then powerlifting for the following 5 years.. took 3 years off after powerlifting then got into strongman... at my best powerlifting meet i pulled 602.... within a few months of training for strongman i pulled 605.. overhead pressing went up each year from 220 log to 280lbs as a lw... i noticed that my static strength has gone up each year as i age.. recovery time is defianlly slow... The thing that works for me was to take some time off training heavy and let the body rest and heal... i belive in the periodaztion method... ive seen many athletes destroy there body's by not taking time off and listening to there body's... Slow and steady wins the race....

John Beatty

07-11-2008, 09:28 PM

I certainly feel like my strength is still climbing. Although with the kids getting busier, and my wife going back to school, I don't get to compete as much. I'm hoping to hit an 800+ DL this spring. I seem to get more gains with less work, I've streamlined everything (meaning dumping 75% of assistance work) & just upped the volume on the basics over the last few years. I do stay sore longer on legs & chest, I seem to never get sore in my back anymore, regardless of the work. I listen to myself more, so instead of "working through" injuries, I rest & heal. I'm 41. I've dropped 10 lbs off my peak competition weight in the last year with no appreciable strength loss. Cardio is more regular. I think I may be a bit off my competition best, only because I only train events every 6 weeks to 2 months, but the power is there & still going up. My pressing strength is at it's best ever. Old man strength at last!

Steve Kirit

07-12-2008, 02:14 AM

Nikhil Rao

07-12-2008, 02:41 AM

I'm 24 and 18 months in I'm still trying to get my press back to where it was at 19.

Brandon Campbell

07-12-2008, 03:55 AM

There is plenty of evidence to support the so called "old man strength", In fact I am sure we all noticed it before. Dads that used to play sports and lift often in their youth. yet still pull out some pretty impressive feats of strength later on. This is because alot of strength gains come from the maturation of the CNS. Which as long the person stays active really does not deteriorate as fast as say muscle size.

then for men who keep training as they age, With everything maturation takes place and muscles become Amazingly more efficient, the CNS is more smooth sending messages, and muscle is stronger per gram then it was at younger ages, also know as "more dense".

Only down side like others have noted is the recovery is alot slower, But it also takes less to achieve the desired effect of lifting. Due to the body just being more efficient.

I say its a win win :LOL:

plus most males have the ability to be freakishly strong well into their 60's. Most primates do(scaled down for life expectancies of course) chimps and gorillas Reach peak strength and performance around middle age and beyond. Ever go to the zoo and see the old silver back compared to the gorilla that is equal to a 20-25 year old human? :LOL:

Tony Moses

07-12-2008, 11:31 AM

I think it is gonna depend on some variables. It depends when you started and how serious you were when you started. With the injuries, I think mileage on the body counts more than actual age. Somebody who didn't lift hard and heavy until they were 25 is going to be able to keep getting better, but somebody who has been at it since they were a young teenager is going to tend to be more broken down. That is a generalization and there are, of course, exceptions.

I'm 29 and am stronger and feel better than I ever have. I've been training since I was 13 so I do have some of the aches and pains that go with the territory, but it is nothing too bad.

The thing about old man strength tends to be true. I'll say hoping not to violate any board policies, but I think certain supplements can mess with this a little. You can take high amounts of things in your 20s-30s and while your body may possibly have been naturally stronger at 38 than it was at 31, if you stop using the supplements or curb the amount a little, your numbers won't reflect that and you'll never know.

Overall, I think athletic attributes like speed, flexibility, mobility, explosion, etc. tend to deteriorate after the late 20s, but I thinkt he body can get statically stronger well into middle age, and I think so long as somebody keeps their "hormonal profile" favorable, they can continue piling on muscle until they're old men.

Jim Harbourne

07-12-2008, 01:13 PM

I'll be 45 this year and I'm the strongest I've ever been in my life. I've hit a 667 squat, 567 bench and 606 deadlift all after I hit my forties. Prior to then, I never broke 6 in the squat or 5 in the bench and only pulled low 5's. Alot is due to my attitude being better and being more open minded as I got older.

John Beatty

07-12-2008, 11:34 PM

For the young men of this forum who don't know who John Beatty is., he is one of the true giants of the sport. I think, and let me know if I am wrong John, you were not only a competitive pro, but a many times nationals finalist at 255 pounds.

Steve-
Awfully nice of you, been a while! You are right, 3 times nats finals, highest was a tie for 5th. The tie for 5th I was only 225-230. Tied with Shawn Smith & Iron Bear Collins in Vegas. Never achieved anything close to your level, though. Thanks for the mention!

Barney Shannon

07-13-2008, 05:10 PM

I got my strength going back up again by cutting out the fluff and keeping it simple. For me, that means just Squats on Monday, BP or OHP on Wednesday, DL or Rack Pulls on Friday and maybe a few light assistance (bbing) moves each day. At my age, recovery just isn't there anymore. I'm better off to leave a little in the tank for next time. :cool:

Barney Shannon

07-13-2008, 05:20 PM

BTW, even though most guys will peak in their early to mid 40s, they can stay real close to that strength level (barring injuries) up into their 50s.

Wolfgang Hasenmaier

07-30-2008, 02:59 PM

I train since age 16, now am 46 and hit 3 prs in front squat, deadlift and ...yes...curls :) 3-6 months ago.

Mike Mentzer madness (heavy all out all the time) kept me far from my potential for 2,7 decades. Finally not only realising to back off in training but also d o i n g it often (the light training). This summer doing very light training. I know a guy who benches a paused and raw 485 lbs at 53 years old. 6 feet 4 and megalong arms. He takes 132 lbs ... for bench presses for 3 months in the summer. And shocks everybody during winter. :F: