Anyone here start after 30?

[Crooktele79]

Hi everybody,

I am 32 years old...not qualified for the over 35 boards but feel like I have missed the boat on the best years of my life as far as weight training is concerned. I was never into sports or weight lifting growing up and had minimal experience in the gym up until this year. I began last year at 470lbs and have managed to get down to my current weight of 222. I began hitting the weights in January of this year and it has helped tremendously! Just looking for some examples of people who began bodybuilding after age 30 for some inspiration and insight. I currently have a BF% that is low 20's and have a goal of making it to 10%.

[IronCharles]

First pic age 47, second pic age 48, almost 49:






Take advantage of your youth! I wish I had.

[HoustonTXMuscle]

Hi everybody,

I am 32 years old...not qualified for the over 35 boards but feel like I have missed the boat on the best years of my life as far as weight training is concerned. I was never into sports or weight lifting growing up and had minimal experience in the gym up until this year. I began last year at 470lbs and have managed to get down to my current weight of 222. I began hitting the weights in January of this year and it has helped tremendously! Just looking for some examples of people who began bodybuilding after age 30 for some inspiration and insight. I currently have a BF% that is low 20's and have a goal of making it to 10%.

Congrats on the wt loss. Didn't really start hitting weights again till I was almost 70.

[induced_drag]

Check out this guy..... Never touched a weight until mid-40's

http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/2nd_chance/

[emp1acur]

If you want some inspiration, Ironwill started at about 45, check his before/after on post #4 of this thread:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=135145641

[StressMonkey]

Lots of us here started at 30+. It's never too late!

[nimms]

Congrats on the weight loss, that's huge....

I never touched weights till about 2 years ago (Ill be 35 this year). I wish I had found this place a lot sooner and surrounded myself with the inspration that is here on a daily basis.

[Crooktele79]

Thanks for the help guys! I too wish I had taken advantage of the years when my test levels were through the roof, but there are some amazing stories on this site...so glad I found it!

[buff_dad_dy]

I started at 39, never too late. You want inspiration, check this guys bodyspace out: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/oldsuperman/

[MichaelCJ]

I began last year at 470lbs and have managed to get down to my current weight of 222.

Wow! Well done, mate. That is very impressive. Seems you certainly have what it takes to go further - as far as you want to go.

Just looking for some examples of people who began bodybuilding after age 30 for some inspiration and insight.

I'm not a bodybuilder, or even wanting to be one, but I do strength training, and started that fairly late last year. I've made rapid progress since then - my lifts are all "intermediate" or above now, and I look much bigger, yet leaner (and just better) than I ever have.

No history of lifting, or even sports really. Sedentary lifestyle (plus smoking and drinking, etc.), skinny for most of my life, more recently skinnyfat, and no doubt "destined" to become fat later in life (ha). Well, that's all changed - for good.


It's definitely doable. Of course, the sooner the better, technically. But you can start "late" in life, and make awesome progress, yes!

[DocHoss]

Hi everybody,

I am 32 years old...not qualified for the over 35 boards but feel like I have missed the boat on the best years of my life as far as weight training is concerned. I was never into sports or weight lifting growing up and had minimal experience in the gym up until this year. I began last year at 470lbs and have managed to get down to my current weight of 222. I began hitting the weights in January of this year and it has helped tremendously! Just looking for some examples of people who began bodybuilding after age 30 for some inspiration and insight. I currently have a BF% that is low 20's and have a goal of making it to 10%.

FANTASTIC PROGRESS! Keep it up. And great biceps - totally jealous here.

I started one year ago at 47 1/2. I had never worked out and (other than hiking) was never athletic, so I really started more or less from scratch. And while my progress has not been nearly as rapid as IronCharles - or, indeed, most everyone else here - I do look way better than I did a year ago. I bust my rear in the gym and eat right (yes, I'm tracking my macros daily - drives my better half crazy), but for whatever reason, just ain't got the "get big fast" gene. But I'm not letting that stop me from trying. My only regret was not starting this noble addiction 30 years ago. Or 20 years ago. Or 10 years ago. Or even 5 years ago! But I'm doing it now and love it too much to ever quit.

But back to you, OP - good job!!

[thebigguy1]

I started getting serious with my training when I was 29 - 30, and still going strong at soon-to-be 53.



And BTW, it is NEVER too late to make positive changes in your physique.

Good luck!

Ron llll---llll

[alex2363]

34.............still getting bigger

[yakabebe]

Hi everybody,

I am 32 years old...not qualified for the over 35 boards but feel like I have missed the boat on the best years of my life as far as weight training is concerned. I was never into sports or weight lifting growing up and had minimal experience in the gym up until this year. I began last year at 470lbs and have managed to get down to my current weight of 222. I began hitting the weights in January of this year and it has helped tremendously! Just looking for some examples of people who began bodybuilding after age 30 for some inspiration and insight. I currently have a BF% that is low 20's and have a goal of making it to 10%.

WOW...what a weight loss!

Look as he saying goes age is but a #.

I started at 55.

Lots here started way after 30

Ya just gotta make decision and stick with it

Stick with it.

[pharmamarketer]

Congrats on the weight loss OP. I started October 2009

[tsoden]

congrats on the weight loss OP... i started at the end of 2010.

[moeheep]

I Just recently lost over 90 pounds, and have been lifting for 4 months and love it..I was 48 when I started losing weight....7 months ago.

Like everyone else I wished I had started earlier....BUT....starting TODAY is better than starting TOMORROW !!

[Gary89]

Some impressive late starters in this thread.

I "started" at about 45 when I realized I was mostly sedentary and had let my weight get up to about 189. Went on a diet and it was like I was in a nose dive and by the time I pulled up hit 155. I'd done this sort of diet before, but this time the end result wasn't lean, it was doughy. Joined a gym and got weighed and BF measured and was shocked to be at 157 lbs and 32% BF. Half-azz'd it at the gym for a year and then got serious about the workouts and nutrition. Been serious for about 13 months and am up to about 170 lbs and 10 - 11% BF (just below 10 measured with calipers, just below 13 using BIA). Reassessing the workout and nutrition at the moment since I seem to have plateaued.

Although I'm no where near the size of many of the guys on here (or some of the women for that matter) I'm happy to have accomplished what I have, and want more.

It is never too late unless you're dead.

OP - Your transformation so far is astounding! Keep at it!

[Crooktele79]

Thanks to all who have posted...great stuff guys! So many inspiring stories...

[GregariousWolf]

It's never too late to start working out and eating healthy. I started in my 30s. If you put me side by side with my 30 year old self, you wouldn't recognize me.

[DocHoss]

I started at 55.

Lots here started way after 30

Ya just gotta make decision and stick with it

Stick with it.

You're one of the more amazing ones - even more so when I see how late you started!

Absolutely right: Stick with it!

starting TODAY is better than starting TOMORROW !!

Perfect! I feel the same way - I'm sure we all do.

It's never too late to start working out and eating healthy. I started in my 30s. If you put me side by side with my 30 year old self, you wouldn't recognize me.

Good job! I hope to be able to say that some day. So far, I look so much like my old self that last fall an old classmate (whom I don't even remember even knowing) recognized me in the gym 26 years after graduation.

[ossizen]

I didn't start until I was 31. I was only 140lb, at 6'1". I was flatout anorexic looking. Now I have family members saying I'm too big. But, I'm in better shape now than I was at 21.

http://i.imgur.com/hSJ67.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qogVC.jpg

About a 6 year span between the two. Only a 70lb gain.

[zedx]

I didn't start until I was 31. I was only 140lb, at 6'1". I was flatout anorexic looking. Now I have family members saying I'm too big. But, I'm in better shape now than I was at 21.

http://i.imgur.com/hSJ67.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qogVC.jpg

About a 6 year span between the two. Only a 70lb gain.

That second pic... are you double jointed or something? Your wrist are really bent at a strange angle.

[ossizen]

That second pic... are you double jointed or something? Your wrist are really bent at a strange angle.

Only in my shoulders, but I guess I'm more flexible in my wrists.

[zedx]

Only in my shoulders, but I guess I'm more flexible in my wrists.

Did you do squats or leg presses to build your legs?

[ossizen]

Did you do squats or leg presses to build your legs?

Primarily squats. They're my favorite exercise. I also like doing leg press.

[pius36]

holy cow op i thought that was a typo in the op .amazing job keep up the good work!

[bubbathudd]

Started last year (34). My dad had quad bi-pass and it was a wake up call. Started with losing weight and eating healthier and using P90X. Decided that I wanted more, so started hitting free weights with AP's Beginners Routine. Body is slowly coming around from years of doing nothing. Better late than never though.

[ossizen]

Started last year (34). My dad had quad bi-pass and it was a wake up call. Started with losing weight and eating healthier and using P90X. Decided that I wanted more, so started hitting free weights with AP's Beginners Routine. Body is slowly coming around from years of doing nothing. Better late than never though.

Heya. I can relate to that. While my father didn't have bypass, he's already had a hip replaced a few years back. He quit smoking in '87 and drinking a few years ago. He looks so much better (isn't literally red in the face anymore). Better late than never indeed.

I now get comments that I look much more healthier since taking up the weights in '06.

[69cam]

I just started 2 months ago, lost 15 pounds and starting to see a 4 pack.

One nice thing is my 20 year old son has started eating better and working out with me.

We have a bet that who ever gets to 10% fat first treats to a killer dinner.