Keep Your Strength And Retain Muscle Mass As You Age. Part 1

[Poppy]

Let’s start from the beginning. We are all born with a particular genetic make up that predispositions us for who we are and will be. Our support systems (cardio vascular, renal, hepatic, HPTA etc) are there in the correct capacity to support our bodies in their natural state. For the sake of this series, we’re leaving out the outliers, folks born with defects, those that develop defects and those that should be dead and just won’t die.

If the average meathead puts on 20-30 pounds of extra muscle (outstanding), they will be taxing their onboard support systems. This makes an argument to take care of yourself inside while you’re building outside. This also will be a discussion for another part in this series.

I know competitive powerlifters, strongmen, OLY lifters and bodybuilders are in way better (cardio) shape than most folks realize. There’s only one way to get through the constant grueling training sessions and that’s putting in the work to strengthen your cardiovascular system. Also when packing on mass for your chosen sport AND having to function in day to day life…training your cardiovascular system will pay off in big dividends, now and in the future.

There’s a good argument that maintaining a good blood supply to excess muscle is more taxing on the heart than providing fat with blood flow.

I will expand on these thoughts later on in this series of articles.

Keep Your Strength And Retain Muscle Mass As You Age. Introduction Training-Diet-Logs

This is going to be a muliti-part article on how to prepare for the long game and adjust your training for your “golden” years so you can still be that old dude that the younger bucks will take a second look at and ALL the ladies will think “hmmmm that old gray fox has got to belong to someone…” The article will in no way be absolute. There’s only one absolute on this rock and that’s death…period. It will be a culmination of things that have worked for me and others I know. There will also be i…

 

[herrubermensch]

It’s definitely a process that builds on itself each way: Muscle burns more calories than fat, so as you become more muscled, you become a better fat burner, which tends to make you more muscled. Conversely, as you become fatter, you become a less effective fat burner, which tends to make you fatter. The key for the (slightly) older set among us is to establish a good base of muscle before your age (and everything that goes along with age, such as injuries) makes it difficult or impossible to do so. That makes you an inherently better fat burner as you get older and allows you to keep lifting when otherwise you would not.

I’m no expert. Just my $.02 based on my personal experience and a little reading here and there.

 

[Poppy]

Perfect! Agreed!

 

[NeuroRN]

training your cardiovascular system will pay off in big dividends, now and in the future.

But I don’t wanna. It’s no fun.

 

[Poppy]

THAT I understand!!!

 

[herrubermensch]

I have to do that today. Ugh.

 

[NeuroRN]

I have to get back to it. I did compressions last weekend and looked like I was gonna need em next when I finished.

 

[EF9kid]

Following. Love the post @Poppy

 

[Poppy]

CARDIO TIP:

This is what keeps me sane and helps. Do big drop sets at the end of your compound movements. Today I did belt squats…4 sets of 8-12 at load. Took a couple minutes and did a drop set thru a George thourogood song.

That or a barbell complex, heavy bag work….

 

[Poppy]

I’m no expert

I respectfully disagree. You, @TBU @Kad1 (just to rattle a few off the top of my head) are an expert at training as you age. There isn’t gyms full of us out there. I would probably put the ratio at maybe 30:1 in overall gym population. You know things that the younger guys do not…the good/bad and ugly.

 

[herrubermensch]

You are as always gracious and magnanimous, my friend. Of course, you yourself clearly fall into that category! That’s why you are the author of the thread!

I will say this: I have learned how to temper my enthusiasm. As most of us are, I am an extremist: When I do something, I go all out. But when it comes to lifting, slow and steady wins the race, and that is anathema to my personality and very difficult for me to accept. But conquering that desire to spend 2-3 hours EVERY day in the weight room, pushing more and more weight on each occasion–that has served me well and kept me relatively injury free over the past couple of years. @Kad1 exemplified that recently when he had his knee surgery and couldn’t really do much in the weightroom without reinjuring himself, so he had the discipline to do what he could without more.

It’s tough to accept age-related limitations. But if you don’t, you’re going to go backwards. (And yes, @NeuroRN , I hear Goggins voice in my head calling me a fucking pussy; must resist!)

 

[herrubermensch]

I like that idea as well! Drop sets can be a lot of fun, get some cardio in, and pump you up like a puffer fish!

 

[Poppy]

pump you up like a puffer fish!

Blahahaha

 

[Kad1]

So true

 

[Kad1]

I hear Goggins voice in my

For as much as I admire David he is an absolute moron! To injure yourself as much as he did training is just silly. I love the heart and the mindset to push but he takes it way to far. So much so that he wasn’t able to deploy often to do what seals are actually supposed to do, fight.

 

[Kad1]

We all have to listen to our body’s and check the ego at the door. Some days you are the fire hydrant and some days you are the dog. Learn to train with the ebbs and flows of your body.
For me right now 4 weeks post cycle I actually feel great. I’ve been training heavier than I have in years but less often. I’m only actually lifting 3x per week, cut back from . Jujitsu 3x , 2-3 hit training and some steady state cardio.

 

[Poppy]

You and @herrubermensch are the good examples of training hard as you age.

Staying in tune to your body and still hitting it hard.

 

[Kad1]

Sometimes more is not better it’s just more

 

[Poppy]

Well said

 

[Kad1]

Why thank you. Haha