BodyBuilding and Age

[Lilluda_5]

This seemed like an appropriate forum to post this in, as well you guys have probably at one time or another experienced this.


I was just looking for a little in sight on how carrying larger amounts of muscle mass can affect you later in life if you stop lifting. I'm not by any means big, but I was just wondering what sort of consequences (if any) I would be looking at if I keep lifting seriously the next 5-10 years then stop when I start a family and a solid business.

Reps for serious answers, thanks guys.

[ironwill2008]

After a period of time, you'll simply revert back to whatever condition you'd be in if you never trained at all.

[MecGen]

Problem is getting used to all the calories, then if you stop working out and don't adjust your intake accordingly, you will gain fat.

Regards

[ljimd]

I was just looking for a little in sight on how carrying larger amounts of muscle mass can affect you later in life if you stop lifting.

You come on bb.com in your 40's and ask if you are too old to gain muscle mass.

[ArchAngel'73]

Consequences? Lots.
Everything that lifting did for you goes away. If you eat the same you're going to get fat beecause those cals aren't used anymore. Any health benefits you once had from training go away and you open yourself up to the risks "normal" people have.
Let's talk about consequences to your mental health...possible risk of lowering self esteem, opening yourself up to depression that training might have kept at bay due to the endorphins, possible sleep difficullties, and let's face once you are jacked reverting back to your former self is not exactly easy to accept nor tolerate.
If you quit for a mate, possible resentment towards him/her.

My advice is to never stop.
There are plenty of folks in the over 35 with families and long work weeks with stressful jobs that manage to either train their a$$es off or at least workout regularly.
If they can do it, so can you, so can I.

[Lilluda_5]

Consequences? Lots.
Everything that lifting did for you goes away. If you eat the same you're going to get fat beecause those cals aren't used anymore. Any health benefits you once had from training go away and you open yourself up to the risks "normal" people have.
Let's talk about consequences to your mental health...possible risk of lowering self esteem, opening yourself up to depression that training might have kept at bay due to the endorphins, possible sleep difficullties, and let's face once you are jacked reverting back to your former self is not exactly easy to accept nor tolerate.
If you quit for a mate, possible resentment towards him/her.

My advice is to never stop.
There are plenty of folks in the over 35 with families and long work weeks with stressful jobs that manage to either train their a$$es off or at least workout regularly.
If they can do it, so can you, so can I.

Man I didn't even think about the mental aspect of it. Not hitting the gym at least twice a week would be hard.

Physically though does your muscle just deteriorate (for lack of a better word) away or what?

[Karl_Hungus]

Physically though does your muscle just deteriorate (for lack of a better word) away or what?

It simply atrophies....and eventually will reach your pre-lifting state. Honestly though, what is the point of lifting if you just plan to stop in a few years?

[ArchAngel'73]

Man I didn't even think about the mental aspect of it. Not hitting the gym at least twice a week would be hard.

Physically though does your muscle just deteriorate (for lack of a better word) away or what?

The mental aspect makes you or breaks you in this game.

Your muscles will atrophy (waste) away over time. You might retain some of that muscle mass but without stimulation the muscle cells will shrink to a point close to what they were before you started lifting. Does not happen in days but you will be able to tell within 3-4 weeks. You'll feel it before you see it.
If you eat too much after you quit you'll gain bodyfat. If you eat too little you will atrophy at a faster rate. There is a misconception it will turn to fat but this is physically impossible, its all related to diet.

Why would you think you would have to quit young man?

[John Prophet]

This seemed like an appropriate forum to post this in, as well you guys have probably at one time or another experienced this.


I was just looking for a little in sight on how carrying larger amounts of muscle mass can affect you later in life if you stop lifting. I'm not by any means big, but I was just wondering what sort of consequences (if any) I would be looking at if I keep lifting seriously the next 5-10 years then stop when I start a family and a solid business.

Reps for serious answers, thanks guys.

Dudes with families and businesses still find time to lift or to shoot ball or whatever.

If u gain now and then u dont have time to lift 5x per week or whatever you will still be able to find time to do SOME sort of exercise and your body will just morph to fit whatever u do

u can also gradually build a home gym etc etc


u wont turn into a pumpkin at 25

[jayluk4600]

Always time to lift. ALWAYS. I have 2 kids, a business, a home and woman who is Vacation crazy. Between estimates and working my jobs and paper work I dont even wanna say how much I work in a given week. lets just say its over 60. Kids games and practices and a bevy of other time consuming head aching activities I still manage 5-6 days a week in the gym.

I am not saying I do anything diff then any other swinging deek on these threads I reckon we are all busy men. I am just saying there is always time to train.

[Zeke5]

This seemed like an appropriate forum to post this in, as well you guys have probably at one time or another experienced this.


I was just looking for a little in sight on how carrying larger amounts of muscle mass can affect you later in life if you stop lifting. I'm not by any means big, but I was just wondering what sort of consequences (if any) I would be looking at if I keep lifting seriously the next 5-10 years then stop when I start a family and a solid business.

Reps for serious answers, thanks guys.

What I would answer is that if you manage your diet, which I'm guessing that you are, then you'll lose some weight and move on.

What I suspect is that if you are currently carrying 'larger amounts of muscle mass' you will find a way to keep/build it because you are already seeing the benefits. Many people on this list have a family and a business and keep working out.

I'll bet you will find a way as well.

What I find is that people tell me that I don't look my age, or they can't believe how strong I am, or that I'm 'buff'.

Which is all crap. By just about any standard I'm fat, I lift only a bit more weight than the average guy in the gym, and I have all of the joint issues and wrinkles for my age.

But having more muscle mass that the average guy in their mid-50's seems to make all of the difference.

So find a way to keep yours.

Zeke

[DougPlaiss]

This seemed like an appropriate forum to post this in, as well you guys have probably at one time or another experienced this.


I was just looking for a little in sight on how carrying larger amounts of muscle mass can affect you later in life if you stop lifting. I'm not by any means big, but I was just wondering what sort of consequences (if any) I would be looking at if I keep lifting seriously the next 5-10 years then stop when I start a family and a solid business.

Reps for serious answers, thanks guys.

Your mind will have a harder time adjusting...

[latebloomingmom]

I think you already have the tools/knowledge you need to lead a healthy life. Just because you may know a lot of old married people with kids who have 'let themselves go' does not mean that you will do the same thing does it? There really is not cut-off age as long as you are in good health and the doctor gives the ok then keep on doing it!
When your kids are little you and your wife may need a home gym or some gyms have babysitting on site. If it remains as one of your priorities then you will MAKE time for it in your life.

[VIsland]

Stop lifting? Are you high? Why in the world would you plan to set yourself up for failure. Fitness is a lifelong study. Think of it like brushing your teeth. It's just something you generally do everyday for life and you really don't plan on stopping that in your life. Or do you?

[Lilluda_5]

Thanks for the help guys, you really helped shed some light on the subject for me. I won't be stopping anytime soon that's for sure, if at all. It's sort of an addiction for me right now, I hope it carries on.

[Tommy W.]

When you have a family and a business that's when you really need the outlet the gym provies. Physicl AND mental.

[Tybalt71]

168 hrs in a week and dont buy the BS "I cant find 5-6 hrs(1 hr training) 5/6 days/week" & yet studies have shown on average we spend 28hrs/week watching reality TV or 20hrs/week surfing the net, so it's down to priorities.
Through my years of lifting, had to take periods of time away for things like LIFE but i found as i got older when i started back up again, within a few weeks we have like muscle memory & didnt take as long to get back to form and actually look better and have more strength and to be honest, i have a better mind/body spirit now at 40 then i ever did at 30 or even 20!!!! that's a fact for me and my life experiences. If i only knew then what i knew now, WOW!!!!!!-Ty , Not to mention that today we have crazy access to information & resources like BB.com etc

[Whiskeyjack]

Muscles are always in a state of hypertrophy (growth) or atrophy (shrinkage). Fat surrounds muscles depending on diet; the two types of tissue are utterly different and never mixed; stopping training does not turn muscle to fat. The muscle atrophies over roughly the same time it took to build, and if diet is not adjusted leads to fat; the fat replaces the muscle on the frame at unequal rates and distribution. If the diet is adjusted at atrophy, you need not get fat, but the feeling of atrophy along with the other associated benefits of training do lay you open to the kinds of physical and mental vulnerabilities aging non-bodybuilders get; except for the former bodybuilder, these things are more pronounced because the fall is greater. I speak from experience. Having gone from feeling marvelous all the time in my serious training days to feeling ordinary lousiness with time I have resorted to committing again and am reaping the benefits all over again; it's like leaving a warm bath and running outside wet in the snow, then sliding back into the bath...

So if you know the advantages of training, stick with it. Don't let "life" get in the way. There will always be time if you make it.

[clive]

I was just looking for a little in sight on how carrying larger amounts of muscle mass can affect you later in life if you stop lifting. I'm not by any means big, but I was just wondering what sort of consequences (if any) I would be looking at if I keep lifting seriously the next 5-10 years then stop when I start a family and a solid business.

Reps for serious answers, thanks guys.

It doesn’t have to stop when things in your life change you just adapt, don’t stop training make it part of your lifestyle.
Also you don’t have to go to a gym to stay in shape, I’ve only ever worked out at home and built some reasonable muscle.

[AndroShock]

One thing you dont lose when you quit is all the permanent joint, muscle, and connective tissue damage that is permanant. Often times it is even worse when the muscle surrounding the joint is week and doesnt support it like it used to. Even with perfect form and proper weight you can have these problems. Some of my problems occured bacause I do not have the skeletal frame to support as much weight as carry. I cant tell you how many times i was told to stop adding muscle or I will have problems. Now I will ask any of you the same thing. Would you guys stop?

[desslok]

Consequences? Lots.
Everything that lifting did for you goes away. If you eat the same you're going to get fat beecause those cals aren't used anymore. Any health benefits you once had from training go away and you open yourself up to the risks "normal" people have.
Let's talk about consequences to your mental health...possible risk of lowering self esteem, opening yourself up to depression that training might have kept at bay due to the endorphins, possible sleep difficullties, and let's face once you are jacked reverting back to your former self is not exactly easy to accept nor tolerate.

This happened to my older brother. He is the one that got me into lifting back around 23 years ago. I looked up to him. He was a little over 200 pounds sub 10% bf, benched 480 I wanted to be just like him. Then after college football, he quit lifting but kept eating the same. Now he is probably 250+ at 40%bf, he is a slob who hates his life and is waiting for the end of the world come 2012, sad really.