I'm an old man: give it to me straight, guys

[CaviarPretzel]

Quick stats:
37 years old
5'10", 145lbs, 12% bodyfat
Tiny frame, tiny hands, tiny bones, tiny joints (wrists/ankles smaller than most women)
I'd consider myself naturally small/weak
Haven't lifted in a few years

Quick history:
Used to lift regularly from age ~23 to ~28 and again from ~31-34
Went from 115lbs up to 175lbs in the first 5 years. Was thick, but carrying too much fat for my liking (14%) and was still weak
Second lift session I leaned out to 155lbs @ 10% bf. I was the strongest ever during this period and preferred the lighter body weight.

Lifetime lift maxes:
Bench: 180lbs x 2
Squat: 250lbs x 2
Deadlift: 295lbs x 2

Goal:
Pull 5 plates on deadlift

So the goal is to be 'strong'. 'Strong' to me means 3 plates bench (315lbs), 4 plates squat (405lbs), and 5 plates deadlift (495lbs). However, I don't really care about bench or squat and I'd really just like to pull 5 plates at least once in my life. When I gained 60lbs back in my 20s, I figured out how to eat. When i leaned out in my early 30s, I figured out how to do the big 3 lifts. I think now I start at a disadvantage due to age (and obviously an inferior body structure), but I do have the discipline and knowledge to know what to eat and how to train. There's probably also some remnant of muscle memory there too. It's not starting at ground 0.

Given my history and situation, how likely do you think this goal is? Please save the blowing of sunshine up my nether regions. I don't want to hear about how "anything is possible". I want to know realistic opinions. As a genetically inferior 37yo man, can I get there? If so, can I get there naturally? Lastly, how much do you think I'd have to weigh in order to achieve this goal? I post this more to spur discussion and collect people's opinions/experiences than to collect iron clad answers to these questions.

To kick things off, I think that it's possible, but I do think that I'd have to gain upwards of 40lbs (185lbs total body weight), and I think it would take me several years. Secondly, I also believe that I'd have to gear up if I really wanted to hit 495 on deads. I'm not going to do gear, but that's my honest opinion of what I think it would take. Thoughts?

[DoULikeDaggers]

Pics

[pastorgbc]

Yes, I think you can do it.

You describe everything you need to do, so you know what to do.

I would start eating and start with a solid strength building program such as a 5x5 program, or Starting Strength.

I would also set short term progressive goals as well.

Start lifting.

Ray

[itsagoodday]

It's not impossible. Only one way to find out though, and that's to get off your butt and start working on it. However, constantly telling yourself that you are weak, small and inferior will not help you achieve your goal, so I would suggest dropping that mindset as a first step.

[bodyhard]

You are old at 37??? Dude STFU with this nonsense, get to the gym lift heavy, eat and f'cking grow!

I am 51 and the thought of old doesn't even enter my mind there are dude in their 70's still killing it....

Old at 37, dude seriously?

Consistency is key, think about this if you train for 10 years you will only be 47, stay consistent!!

[decz]

You are old at 37??? Dude STFU with this nonsense, get to the gym lift heavy, eat and f'cking grow!

I am 51 and the thought of old doesn't even enter my mind there are dude in their 70's still killing it....

Old at 37, dude seriously?

Consistency is key, think about this if you train for 10 years you will only be 47, stay consistent!!

^This. Bro, you're 37 years old are you kidding me saying you're old?! First, stop telling yourself that you're an old geezer and get your as$ to the gym.
Keep it consistent so that it becomes routine. Once you get into a routine of hitting the gym and get your diet in check it becomes much easier.

Good luck.

[AbuDina]

Ah poop! That means I'm old too with one foot in the grave as I turn 38 in August.

Feck it! I quit. Off to get the will sorted out before it's too late.

It's been a pleasure geezers!

[shaneinga]

Comes into over 35 section at the ripe old age of 37 and says he is an old man, LoL.

What if we said there is no way in hell you could get it done, that is to much weight for an old skinny weak guy like you?

Would that stop you from trying like hell to get there? If the answer is yes, then you have found your answer.

Good luck man, go chase your goals.

[Bo_Flecks]

Does anyone lurk and read anymore before they start their first thread? I mean, seriously, if the OP had ever lurked the O35 he would've known better than to begin his thread with a question about age that always bring these types of responses.

I'm half convinced these are just elaborate troll attempts.

If not, then my "thoughts" for the OP is to do some reading before he decides to peck on the keyboard.

[MoldyGopher]

My favorite types of posts are the ones who start off genuinely calling themselves 'old'. All this negative 'inferior body type' self-talk ain't helping either. You need to spend some time working on your mindset as well, imho.

OK! A real answer, let's look at Killgore's charts: http://lonkilgore.com/freebies/freebies.html

For 181 lbs, a 3-4-5 would place you solidly above the 'advanced' and verging on the 'elite' levels.

So it's possible, does that help? You have a long road ahead of you, in a couple of ways though.

[Lou1se]

CLEAR !!!

[NYkarate]

It's an over 35 thread and a 37 year old is calling himself old. Does he think by 40 we're dead? Obviously the op hasn't spent any time in the forum before posting.

OP, you seriously need to boost your feeings of self-worth. You probably have 30-40 more years to live and you have to realize that there will always be people weaker, stronger, younger and older than you. Who cares? Make yourself better and stronger a little each week. That is something very few people do.

[DuracellBunny]

OP has given himself every excuse possible as to why he can't succeed, so that it's not his fault when he fails. I would personally recommend just taking up knitting instead.

[jjchen330ci]

of course is possible, I started about the same stat as you,

5'11 - 140 lbs, it was 7 years ago. now, I am 42 and average about 185 lbs.

left arm was 11.5" and right arm was 12.5" or so....can't remember....now, 15.5" cold

see my signature for the lifting stat.... it is certainly possible, but you have to go after it!!!!

[jdtemple]

Let's see...

Tiny frame, tiny hands, tiny bones, tiny joints (wrists/ankles smaller than most women)

I'd consider myself naturally small/weak

...was still weak

...I start at a disadvantage due to age (and obviously an inferior body structure)

...a genetically inferior 37yo man, can I get there?

...I also believe that I'd have to gear up....

Negative, negative, negative, negative. That's all I see. What it sounds like is you are telling yourself you can't, then asking us to tell you that you can. You're already halfway to failure with all that mess.

I was 33, 5' 10" and 275 lbs of chewed bubble gum when I started. Am I pulling 495? Nope, but I work hard and do the best I can.

Get in there and put in the work, and the time. See where it takes you. That's all you can do. I guarantee you that you won't regret it, even if you aren't pulling 495. Will it take several years? Probably. So what? You'll be in a better place than you are now, no matter how it plays out.

I've been doing this for 9 years now, and I still haven't done it. 405 is the best I've done. Thing is, 405 is still a hell of a lot better than the average Joe will do. When I tell non-lifters about it, they're shocked that it's even possible.

37 years old is not old. I'm 42, and I'm in the best shape of my life. Physically, I'm a much younger man than I was 20 years ago.

[PhantomMaxx]

At your current weight and state-of-mind, the answer is NO you can not make those goals. Change the way you think and all is possible. 37 is younger then most of us here. At 5' 10' 145lbs you are underweight if you are looking to lift those numbers. You would need to put on some muscle on and stop thinking about body fat percentage, just eat towards your lifting goals! I know being lean feels good but not as good as having muscle mass and being strong.

I'm 49 and didn't start lifting until 44.

[boathead]

these threads are stupid.

OP, not likely. you spent some serious time two times in your life and did not even get past beginner weights. and so, i would question exactly what you know, or think you know. because you don't know.

[2nd_chance]

Having spent a lot of time on message boards and also having been away from them for long stretches, I have realized that everyone is not message board savvy. I.e., they don't always read all the threads and stickies on their question before they post. I see people get frustrated like "that's been posted a thousand times!!" Well, it's their first post and they don't spend 5 hours a day on the forum like some people, so give them a little slack until they prove differently.

[Corbi]

Quick stats:
37 years old
5'10", 145lbs, 12% bodyfat
Tiny frame, tiny hands, tiny bones, tiny joints (wrists/ankles smaller than most women)
I'd consider myself naturally small/weak
Haven't lifted in a few years

No you will not hit your goals, #315 bench and #495 DL with your little girl joints and an attitude that flat out sucks, nope no way in hell and I will bet anyone here the OP never hits those numbers.

[Bo_Flecks]

Having spent a lot of time on message boards and also having been away from them for long stretches, I have realized that everyone is not message board savvy. I.e., they don't always read all the threads and stickies on their question before they post. I see people get frustrated like "that's been posted a thousand times!!" Well, it's their first post and they don't spend 5 hours a day on the forum like some people, so give them a little slack until they prove differently.

So are you saying not being savvy on a message board is an appropriate excuse for not taking the time to read and do your own homework?

You are right. The OP's question is of the type that has been asked ad nauseam here. He could find the answer he's looking for (repeatedly) on the first three pages of the O35. Hardly hours of exhaustive reading on a message board.

Throw in the "old man" at 37 reference and the thread becomes a lightning rod... another thing just perusing the first few pages of the O35 would bear out.

In my first post I asked if anyone lurks or reads anymore before starting a thread. When they don't, the result of this thread is bound to happen. I understand that, and it doesn't surprise me.

[TripleStack]

Ha, I got back into bodybuilding at 40, after a 14-yr hiatus doing MMA. For my comeback I went from benching 95lbs to 315 for reps. But raw numbers is not my goal, I wanna look swole! My body weight went from 185lbs 20% bodyfat to 228lbs 11-12% bodyfat. If I can do it, you can do it better!

You lifted before so you should have the technique down, and your gains should come quick. Eat right, eat often train hard and rest well. Youngin'!

[bodyhard]

This is one of the reason I do not like posting in the OV35 regular. The damn OP makes a thread and then never comes back, just imagine if his question was a legitimate one and we gave him a good thought out response?

[Fishman15]

OP has given himself every excuse possible as to why he can't succeed, so that it's not his fault when he fails. I would personally recommend just taking up knitting instead.

Plus he has already convinced himself he needs gear to do it. I predict done before he started here...

[Bando]

This is one of the reason I do not like posting in the OV35 regular. The damn OP makes a thread and then never comes back, just imagine if his question was a legitimate one and we gave him a good thought out response?

When I was new, you gave me a good thought out response and props, even answered my PM's. Do you regret doing that?

Once in a great while a guy will actually listen to the advice he's given.

[2nd_chance]

So are you saying not being savvy on a message board is an appropriate excuse for not taking the time to read and do your own homework?

You are right. The OP's question is of the type that has been asked ad nauseam here. He could find the answer he's looking for (repeatedly) on the first three pages of the O35. Hardly hours of exhaustive reading on a message board.

Throw in the "old man" at 37 reference and the thread becomes a lightning rod... another thing just perusing the first few pages of the O35 would bear out.

In my first post I asked if anyone lurks or reads anymore before starting a thread. When they don't, the result of this thread is bound to happen. I understand that, and it doesn't surprise me.

I got negged on the first post I made on this forum...

But yeah, everyone who makes a first post is not required to read and do homework first.

[KyleAaron]

So the goal is to be 'strong'. 'Strong' to me means 3 plates bench (315lbs), 4 plates squat (405lbs), and 5 plates deadlift (495lbs). [...]
Given my history and situation, how likely do you think this goal is? [...] As a genetically inferior 37yo man, can I get there?

It is physically possible. It'd take at least 2 years for most guys. The main thing is whether you stick to it. I'm sceptical you'll stick to it because before you've even started you're posting here asking us to tell you that you're going to fail. edit: note that I wrote this before reading anyone else's response.

But if you keep showing up 3 or so times a week for 2+ years and work hard on basically any routine that doesn't actually injure you, then you should be able to do it. If you half-arse it you can still do a plate less on all those lifts.

At 5'10" and a sensible bodyfat, 190-210 would make the lifting goals a lot more achievable.

Really though your goal should not be to lift X weight or weigh whatever. Your goal should be to just keep showing up.

[bodyhard]

When I was new, you gave me a good thought out response and props, even answered my PM's. Do you regret doing that?

Once in a great while a guy will actually listen to the advice he's given.

Yeah but you was well worth it, look how long its been. look where you are at now. One of the strongest pound for pound on BB.com and more importantly look at the progress of your build within that timeframe...

[CaviarPretzel]

It's an over 35 thread and a 37 year old is calling himself old. Does he think by 40 we're dead? Obviously the op hasn't spent any time in the forum before posting.

OP, you seriously need to boost your feeings of self-worth. You probably have 30-40 more years to live and you have to realize that there will always be people weaker, stronger, younger and older than you. Who cares? Make yourself better and stronger a little each week. That is something very few people do.

Sorry to hurt your feelings, but yes, over 35 is considered 'old' when it comes to athletics. There's a reason why there's a section on this forum that caters to 'over 35'. It's not about being dead by 40. It's about having a body that's already well past the point where things have started breaking down. I don't feel old in my day to day life, but when I do get injured, I have noticed that it takes significantly longer to get back on point than it did 10 years ago. My 'old man' comment was a bit tongue in cheek, which should have been obvious if you guys weren't so sensitive to the fact that YES, WE ARE OLD.

The second part of your post is just wrong. It's not about people being stronger, weaker, older, or younger than someone else. It's about MY DESIRE to be strong. Not 'stronger', but strong. I don't need to work on my feelings of self worth. I'm pragmatic, and I realize that I do have a couple strikes against me, age being one of them. Just because I realize this, it doesn't mean I have low self esteem. Do you think you're perfect? Have you so little introspection that you can't identify areas where you may be lacking?

Thanks to everyone for the serious responses, and for the rest of you, why don't you just get out of this thread if you have nothing to add?

[CaviarPretzel]

OP, not likely. you spent some serious time two times in your life and did not even get past beginner weights. and so, i would question exactly what you know, or think you know. because you don't know.

That's the whole thing...I'm not a stupid person. I lifted a couple of solid blocks of time during my life, and didn't really progress beyond 'beginner weights'. Sure one conclusion could be that I didn't know what I was doing, but that's hardly the only logical conclusion. Besides, that's not what I was getting at with that comment. It was more that I know how to do exercises and how to put together a routine. I don't have to spend time in the gym figuring out how to do a deadlift, for example. When I first started lifting, I would say that it took me at least a year before I was comfortable even doing some of these exercises. So someone that had never lifted before would likely have to burn some time just learning the ropes. I come from a place where I already have that fundamental foundation.

[CaviarPretzel]

Having spent a lot of time on message boards and also having been away from them for long stretches, I have realized that everyone is not message board savvy. I.e., they don't always read all the threads and stickies on their question before they post. I see people get frustrated like "that's been posted a thousand times!!" Well, it's their first post and they don't spend 5 hours a day on the forum like some people, so give them a little slack until they prove differently.

Exactly. I don't live on this forum 24/7. I have a job, I have a family, and I have other things to do with my time. If you guys aren't interested in having the discussion, then not sure why you even bother yourselves to respond.