working out at 40

[vespr]

throughout my 20s, i used to work out 3 - 4 times a week at rather high intensities. id go for 2 x 45 min cardio classes, usually two of either body jam or body combat or power jump or 30 lap swim, and after that id still have enough energy left over for a regular 45 min+ strength training

then in my 30s, my workout got hijacked by my career - for those of you who are familiar with advertising, youd know that it's a demanding career, and that there's no such thing as a 9 - 5. i normally spent up to 10hours at the office, and i had to be on call on saturdays. my workouts fell by the wayside and my weight went from 56kilos at 26 years old to almost 80kilos by the time i was 38 years old. i am all of 5' 3"

at 38, i quit advertising for a less life-consuming career, and started my strength training again. i will tell you my attempts at cardio are stops and starts, at best, because im still unable to sleep normally, so my energy levels and stamina veers from ok to rock bottom. in my 30s, i had started taking ****** to help me sleep better because of high anxiety levels, and then got dependent on it - if i could not sleep, i could not function at work the next day. i have since weaned myself off it; im still working on healthier sleeping habits.

fast forward to today, sleep is still crappy for the most part, so progress is slow: in the two years since ive started consistently strength training again, i have dropped 10kilos by running intermittently on the treadmill and picking up my 3 - 4 x a week strength training. im happy with the weight loss, but i had expected to lose more. i dont think i should expect to be able to lose more or to improve my energy or fitness levels until i get my sleep in order, though.

however, i seem more injury-prone nowadays. i know there are lots of reasons for this, and im trying to read up as much as possible, but i also think, maybe age has something to do with it. i dont remember a time in my 20s when an injury interfered with my workout - im sure there were injuries but those must have been few and far between to be forgettable

ive noticed after running on the treadmill, my achilles heels get swollen, and that has put me off running for a few weeks. im thinking it must be the extra weight im carrying around, and also it must be that my calves are tight so i am doing calf raises every two - three days. then just two months ago, i injured my right wrist from benchpressing 70kilos; i left it alone for 3+ weeks, went back to benchpressing and must have overcompensated for the weakness in my right with my left, because now ive injured my left wrist! on reading further about these injuries, im told i should have left my wrists alone for 6 weeks. 6 weeks!

wow, so now, both my achilles heels are still sore, and my left wrist is out of commission. i dont have the stamina to run more than 2kilometres O.o this is ****ty.

has getting older impacted your training and how have you dealt with it? it's equally possible that ive been out of it for so long ... but i remember in my 20s, i could jump into anything and work it for as long as i didnt drop dead of it and still felt fine the next day. and i wasnt 20+ kilos heavier then. so, it could be im just getting older. i have a hell of a lot anxieties about getting older

[DuracellBunny]

You're over thinking things. In your 20's, you hadn't spent the last 10-15 years being sedentary. Your problem isn't that you are 40, it's that you are out of shape. Luckily, that can be corrected.

[BergMuscle]

A)You need to train differently at different ages (and you'll need to let muscles rest and recover a bit longer at 40+), and (B) you are, for all intents and purposes, a new trainer and will need to take your time getting your body used to hard exercise again. Your brain remembers what you used to do, but your body has no notion of what you are throwing at yourself.

Take it in small steps, eat & rest on a good schedule, and celebrate every bit of progress. I've become convinced that age 40+ can be a prime time build a superb physique if you go at it correctly.

[vespr]

In your 20's, you hadn't spent the last 10-15 years being sedentary. Your problem isn't that you are 40, it's that you are out of shape. Luckily, that can be corrected.

omg yes, i had been the very epitome of sedentary, practically fossillised to my chair, my desk, my mac. i hadnt taken into account how my being sedentary for 10-15 years couldve weakened my body so much. im glad its not too late to reverse most of the ill effects

[vespr]

A)You need to train differently at different ages (and you'll need to let muscles rest and recover a bit longer at 40+), and (B) you are, for all intents and purposes, a new trainer and will need to take your time getting your body used to hard exercise again. Your brain remembers what you used to do, but your body has no notion of what you are throwing at yourself.

i feel it - i feel like it's taking me longer to recover at everything, and i dont think that part is due to the fact im out of shape - ive been out of shape before but i remember being able to bounce back rather quickly. but we can only go forward, and im glad to know that in time, despite my age, once im in better shape, ill recover a lot faster than i do now, though maybe not as fast as when i was young. ah, yes, i didnt see myself as a new trainer. that's the problem. i kept pushing and pushing myself, and that is perhaps the cause of all these injuries. i should keep the fact that i am, for all intents and purposes, new!

Take it in small steps, eat & rest on a good schedule, and celebrate every bit of progress. I've become convinced that age 40+ can be a prime time build a superb physique if you go at it correctly.

yes sir. and hearing that i may still have a superb physique at 40+ (as long as i go about it correctly) is the best news ive gotten in a long, long time. thank you!

[NorthernMusicia]

I'm in my 50s and have been lifting for 3 years. I dropped 65 pounds. Prior to that time I puffed to tie my shoelaces. Now I'm rock climbing, upping my time in the outdoors and just enjoying life. Lifting and diet are the core to all my other activities. Personally, when the time comes, I just want to drop dead suddenly, preferably not while scaling a rock face. I want to go quietly, not messily. <--- just made it up. Oh, yeah. I'm 56.

[vespr]

I'm in my 50s and have been lifting for 3 years. I dropped 65 pounds. Prior to that time I puffed to tie my shoelaces. Now I'm rock climbing, upping my time in the outdoors and just enjoying life. Lifting and diet are the core to all my other activities. Personally, when the time comes, I just want to drop dead suddenly, preferably not while scaling a rock face. I want to go quietly, not messily. <--- just made it up. Oh, yeah. I'm 56.

youre funny. i will be you one day soon

[JerryB]

Bitching about age at forty is balderdash.
As was stated before. You're out of condition.
I'm in my sixties and there is less moaning and groaning about training from my age group.

[csanped411]

You're over thinking things. In your 20's, you hadn't spent the last 10-15 years being sedentary. Your problem isn't that you are 40, it's that you are out of shape. Luckily, that can be corrected.

This, 10000%. A couple of years ago, due to my career and adapting to fatherhood, I felt the same way....For me, the hardest part of working out was getting back to the shape I used to be in. I remember trying to get back in to shape-- it took me 30 minutes to get 2 miles on the treadmill, when I use to be able to get this under 15 minutes; use to military press 75 lbs dumbells, but I can only push 50 lbs; use to get 8 pull-ups unassisted, but could not even get 1... It was frustrating that my strength, endurance and bodyfat was not near the level that it used to be. Due to hard work and dedication, I am now as good of shape as I was in my early 20's. As others have said-- create a workout schedule, diet plan and most importantly stay dedicated/focus to do it.

[vespr]

Bitching about age at forty is balderdash.
As was stated before. You're out of condition.
I'm in my sixties and there is less moaning and groaning about training from my age group.

bahaha ... balderbash. you said balderbash. when i look at the profile pics of the men and women on this board who are older than me, and in better shape than me (!), yes me, and many people out there younger than them, im ashamed to say you, sir, are absolutely right.

um ... when may i legitimately bitch about age? cause im not me when i cant bitch about me :/

[vespr]

This, 10000%. A couple of years ago, due to my career and adapting to fatherhood, I felt the same way....For me, the hardest part of working out was getting back to the shape I used to be in. I remember trying to get back in to shape-- it took me 30 minutes to get 2 miles on the treadmill, when I use to be able to get this under 15 minutes; use to military press 75 lbs dumbells, but I can only push 50 lbs; use to get 8 pull-ups unassisted, but could not even get 1... It was frustrating that my strength, endurance and bodyfat was not near the level that it used to be.

even though the weightage differ, you are citing my current experience exactly: dishearteningly slow progress and massive frustration that your body can seem so uncooperative (when it isnt) hopefully i get to where you are now, soon!

[JerryB]

bahaha ... balderbash. you said balderbash. when i look at the profile pics of the men and women on this board who are older than me, and in better shape than me (!), yes me, and many people out there younger than them, im ashamed to say you, sir, are absolutely right.

um ... when may i legitimately bitch about age? cause im not me when i cant bitch about me :/

That's a good question. I trying to avoid doing it. When I do, I think about the gentleman in the following video.

[JayVincent]

Running will just place more stress on the aches you already have. Continuing to do so will simply ensure the pain remains. I suggest stop running. You don't need to run to keep the weight off. You need to eat correctly.

On average, a 1 mile jog burns roughly 100 calories. There are 3500 calories in 1 lb of body fat. Therefore, you would need to jog 35 miles to burn ONE pound of body fat. That's 5 miles a day for one week. Assuming your diet did not change at all and your cortisol levels did not rise (which they will from that kind of activity)

Best route is to simply not put the calories in rather than trying to burn them off later.

[GrimRep_er]

I'm 40 but never had a long period where I wasn't lifting. You will get sore or have things hurt a bit more then they used to, but that's how it goes. Experiment or modify your workouts slightly and find the right balance. As I got older I focused more on my diet and it made a huge difference. I started doing IF several months ago and find is very effective.

Change things up, if you try something and it doesn't work for you, you can always go back to what worked best for you.

[FitnessBlue]

Still feeling great lifting now the same as when I started in 99...
Course less energy...but other than that, all good, doubt it will change 4 years from now either. 40 is nothing OP!

[cmoore]

has getting older impacted your training and how have you dealt with it?

It really hasn't changed my training. Biggest issue is that injuries take a bit longer to nurse back.

have a hell of a lot anxieties about getting older

Please.... Jack Lalane swam the damn English channel in is his 80's. Your body has no idea how old it is, stop telling it.

[melDorado]

I was never in shape and I've done it at 40! If you were once in shape you will find it even easier due to muscle memory. Seriously IMO being 40 is nothing no barrier to progress with strength training, but you have to really mean it.
By the way, you are more injury prone yes esp tendonitis so no hundreds of curls and skullcrushers... Just listen to your body and if something hurts then do a different something. No ego lifts - slow steady progressions. This will get you there

[ElrondHubbard]

Agree with everything posted so far. Injuries do take longer to heal -- but they do heal. Give them a chance. Really take your rest and your diet seriously. Junk food throws serious obstacles at you. Train intelligently, but continue to challenge yourself.

And I agree with Jay Vincent about the treadmill. It can be hell on joints. Some people will get a lot of benefit out of it, but some won't. It's probably the least helpful of all your workout activities. For cardio, there are low-impact exercises you can do that will stimulate your heart just fine.

At 59, I'm nine months into my training after a 25 year hiatus, and in some respects (but not all) I've exceeded the fitness levels I had at 35. And I'm still progressing. So there's no reason not to be optimistic.

[Jodie10]

Get in the pool if you want cardio. No impact and burns more calories than running.

[CrippledCrawl]

It really hasn't changed my training. Biggest issue is that injuries take a bit longer to nurse back.



Please.... Jack Lalane swam the damn English channel in is his 80's. Your body has no idea how old it is, stop telling it.

Comparing Jack Lalane to pretty anyone anyone on here is like comparing a ford pinto to a R code mustang. One knows nothing about it the other is all about it.

[CrippledCrawl]

By the way, you are more injury prone yes esp tendonitis. Just listen to your body and if something hurts then do a different something. No ego lifts - slow steady progressions. This will get you there

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[cmoore]

Comparing Jack Lalane to pretty anyone anyone on here is like comparing a ford pinto to a R code mustang. One knows nothing about it the other is all about it.

LOL. Jack was one of a kind but he wasn't some genetic freak, he was just driven through out his entire 96 year life. A great example of how age isn't the great limiter so many testosterone replacement commercials make it out to be.
If Jack's body could do awesome things at 80, explain to me why 40 year olds can't be fit exactly? 40's not old, but the body does what the mind believes, so I guess if you think 40's old....


Most human limitations occur above the neck.

[ljimd]

LOL. Jack was one of a kind but he wasn't some genetic freak, he was just driven through out his entire 96 year life. A great example of how age isn't the great limiter so many testosterone replacement commercials make it out to be.
If Jack's body could do awesome things at 80, explain to me why 40 year olds can't be fit exactly? 40's not old, but the body does what the mind believes, so I guess if you think 40's old....


Most human limitations occur above the neck.

Straight shot of wisdom right there^^^^^^^^^^.

[Kelgogi]

You're over thinking things. In your 20's, you hadn't spent the last 10-15 years being sedentary. Your problem isn't that you are 40, it's that you are out of shape. Luckily, that can be corrected.

I definitely agree with Dura over here. There's a lot that happens as you age. Lord, there's a lot that changes. But truly... as long as you live a healthy life style, you're going to see those changes minimized (to a degree). I think it's time for you to just get back into it. Find inspiration, and stay motivated however you can.

[CrippledCrawl]

Jack was one of a kind...................... but he wasn't some genetic freak

one of a kind = genetic freak...period.

As for Jack lol when he was (insert age here........ESPECIALLY IN HIS 60'S AND UP) A FREAK. Only a handful of people in the world can say they did or COULD do what he DID.

If ^^^^^^^^^^^^ does not mean genetic freak to you then I doubt you will be able to name one unless you bring up some "chemical induced" freak.

You should show more respect for a man that left a foot print that you nor anyone else on this site will EVER fill.

[cmoore]

one of a kind = genetic freak...period.

As for Jack lol when he was (insert age here........ESPECIALLY IN HIS 60'S AND UP) A FREAK. Only a handful of people in the world can say they did or COULD do what he DID.

If ^^^^^^^^^^^^ does not mean genetic freak to you then I doubt you will be able to name one unless you bring up some "chemical induced" freak.

You should show more respect for a man that left a foot print that you nor anyone else on this site will EVER fill.

Keep trolling, I won't hate. I like Jack, even trained with a guy who grew up with him. From a physiological perspective, Jack was a man like anyone else (anthropomorphically and FFMI). His mind was something else entirely. Call it genetics if you will, but 40 years of age is not old and not a good reason to let oneself be unfit.