44 years old, what growth potential do I have?

[Immanuel79]

Hi, new here.

I have been training for the past 3 months now, and while I am starting to look more toned, my muscle mass has not grow all that much.

Is the process just slow? Did I start too late in my life in order to witness substantial improvements?

I'm 183cm tall, got my weight down to 74 Kg from 81, not sure about body fat.

[air2fakie]

You’ve lost 15 lbs. That’d generally be the opposite of growth.

But yes, the process is slow. You shouldn’t expect to be huge in 3 months after 44 years of not working out, even if you weren’t trying to lose weight. It also matters exactly what you’re doing in the gym.

[mtpockets]

Hi, new here.

I have been training for the past 3 months now, and while I am starting to look more toned, my muscle mass has not grow all that much.

You can't expect to see much mass in 3 months.


You can't out train bad nutrition, if you want to see the best results from your training, do your work in the kitchen.



Post your lifting routine and diet for a better critique.



Many folks have started later than you and have made awesome progress.


Good luck, you got this. Enjoy the journey.

[Immanuel79]

Hey, thanks for the encouraging replies.
Yes I lost weight, but I had a pot belly; now, I no longer have a pot belly.
I have put together a routine/nutrition scheme together with a friend of mine who works as a personal trainer.

I usually work out ~60 minutes each day; 6 sets for each body part, 3 body parts per day, (divided in Arms / Chest / Back / Abs / Legs) spread through the week.
So 18 sets of exercises each day, the last for each body part done until failure.

My diet is mostly oats / brown bread / wholemeal pasta / chicken breast / lean ground beef / protein powder / assorted vegetables, with exceptions in the weekend (pizza, cappuccino with a bit of sugar, etc.).

Roughly 2000 calories each day. Is it too little? Should I aim to _gain_ weight while I'm "bulking up"? Should I check my weight to aim for a certain % of weight gain each week/month?

[air2fakie]

See below.

Hey, thanks for the encouraging replies.
Yes I lost weight, but I had a pot belly; now, I no longer have a pot belly.
You look fit if that helps, which is not bad after 3 months.

I have put together a routine/nutrition scheme together with a friend of mine who works as a personal trainer.

I usually work out ~60 minutes each day; 6 sets for each body part, 3 body parts per day, (divided in Arms / Chest / Back / Abs / Legs) spread through the week.
So 18 sets of exercises each day, the last for each body part done until failure.
It's hard to judge activity without specific details on exercises/volume/etc., but for a beginner lifter working out every day while good for weight loss, isn't necessarily geared towards building muscle. You want to be doing a balanced program that will assist you in getting your lifts up initially, which is where you're going to build muscle. It won't simply happen by doing lots of stuff every day, and often not working out every day will be more productive.

My diet is mostly oats / brown bread / wholemeal pasta / chicken breast / lean ground beef / protein powder / assorted vegetables, with exceptions in the weekend (pizza, cappuccino with a bit of sugar, etc.).

Roughly 2000 calories each day. Is it too little? Should I aim to _gain_ weight while I'm "bulking up"? Should I check my weight to aim for a certain % of weight gain each week/month?
Depends on your goals. You need to decide if you're trying to lose weight, gain muscle, etc. Use the mirror as your guide, but don't expect to build muscle if you're losing 5 lbs/month.

[Gandog]

Don't bother calorie counting. Enjoy yourself, 110% effort pushing, your workout seems OK each to their own. Keep eating and sleeping properly each 100% as well.

It is a time thing. Your body seems to be getting use to pushing weights and losing weight from what you have described. Soon if you keep it up and improve, you will then notice the weight you have lost will start packing back on in muscle weight (if you are training decently/too properly). It never happens over night.

[marinevet63031]

Here is the absolute truth, you started late in life. But you started. Losing weight is sometimes good, shred fat and having a recomposition of your body is what you want. Too many people chase a number. I.e. Oh, I weigh 250 but I need to weigh 210. Or traversely I weigh 150 I need to weigh 180. Don't chase a number. Look at your body, if you are seeing more muscle definition than fat then fantastic.
It takes a long time to gain "Real and quantifiable muscle".

Body transformation begins and ends in what you eat and how you rest and recover plain and simple. Good luck and enjoy your journey.

[paulinkansas]

I'm 56 and my avatar is a pic of me after lifting for 3 years. I weighed 138 when I graduated high school.

[Immanuel79]

Body transformation begins and ends in what you eat and how you rest and recover plain and simple. Good luck and enjoy your journey.

And here lies one of my problems - I have insomnia, and often sleep twice during the day: a main rest of around 6 hours, and a follow-up nap of around one hour.
I wonder how much this will affect my muscle growth.

[Gandog]

And here lies one of my problems - I have insomnia, and often sleep twice during the day: a main rest of around 6 hours, and a follow-up nap of around one hour.
I wonder how much this will affect my muscle growth.

Quite a bit, your body recovers the most and gains nutrients the most when sleeping. I am an insomniac as well, have to drink 20 beers throughout the day to sleep or my brain doesn't turn off and can be up for 2-4 weeks at a time.. Life is to short not to try, push through it!

[air2fakie]

And here lies one of my problems - I have insomnia, and often sleep twice during the day: a main rest of around 6 hours, and a follow-up nap of around one hour.
I wonder how much this will affect my muscle growth.

Dude just lift and eat towards your goals. Not working out for 40 years is much more detrimental to muscle growth than any of this stuff, so stop worrying about all the supposed things working against you.

Working out is supposed to lower your stress level.

[Immanuel79]

Oh, this is going to be a toughie.

I can train my body and be harsh to myself, and train my mind to avoid fatty/sugar food. But I cannot just cure myself out of insomnia with just sheer willpower...

[air2fakie]

Oh, this is going to be a toughie.

I can train my body and be harsh to myself, and train my mind to avoid fatty/sugar food. But I cannot just cure myself out of insomnia with just sheer willpower...

6 hours of sleep/night + 1 hour nap isn't insomnia dude. Constant self-created stress & anxiety is much worse for muscle growth/recovery than 7 hours sleep, being in your 40s, etc.

You've been lifting for THREE months, get over it - stop coming up with reasons why you're not huge yet.

[MrCarrot]

I'm nearly 43 years old and look better than when I was 23 years old, so I would hope you also have good potential. But it takes a lot longer than 3 months, I think I will have been back at it 5 years this year.

What I found helped in the early stages was to have a clearly defined goal - initially cutting and then after 9 months of that gaining weight. I tracked my lifts, calories, weight and took progress photos, which all helped, because just randomly looking in the mirror now and again to judge your progress doesn't work. At least not for me.

[fit40strong]

Hi, new here.

I have been training for the past 3 months now, and while I am starting to look more toned, my muscle mass has not grow all that much.

Is the process just slow? Did I start too late in my life in order to witness substantial improvements?

I'm 183cm tall, got my weight down to 74 Kg from 81, not sure about body fat.

No, I don't think you started too late. I was 44 too back in 2019 when I first started with my strength training.

And you're right. At first the process does seems slow. Don't get discouraged. Carry on. My strength and muscle did developed over time. And so will you too.

In fact, I plan to strength-train for as long as I can till old age. Looking lean with six-pack well into my 60 is my goal.

[grubman]

Here you go… over 40 does not = dead! 55 next month…not at it as hard, but still consistent…and that is key!
Consistency, effort, and a healthy diet, are all you need for realistic improvements.

Read this… https://www.tigerfitness.com/blogs/w...ilding-workout
Stay drug free!!! Do full body 3xweek for 1-1 1/2 hour, as a natural you don’t need more! Just MHO

Good luck! Stick with it…be patient!

[OldFartTom]

Here you go… over 40 does not = dead! 55 next month…not at it as hard, but still consistent…and that is key!
Consistency, effort, and a healthy diet, are all you need for realistic improvements.

Read this… https://www.tigerfitness.com/blogs/w...ilding-workout
Stay drug free!!! Do full body 3xweek for 1-1 1/2 hour, as a natural you don’t need more! Just MHO

Good luck! Stick with it…be patient!

Been a while since I've seen your posts? welcome back

(Or maybe I'm being stupid and you never went)

[grubman]

Been a while since I've seen your posts? welcome back

(Or maybe I'm being stupid and you never went)

Thank you 🙂…I drop by a couple times a year…oddly, this forum has my age posted, and I sometimes stop by to remember how old I am 🤣

I still lift every other day, just not with the same passion and motivation as I was “in the days” when this forum was thriving. Maybe some day the focus will return…but I still look ok for an old fart.

[paulinkansas]

here you go… over 40 does not = dead! 55 next month…!

gjdm

[LWW]

You can't out train bad nutrition, if you want to see the best results from your training, do your work in the kitchen.

.

Wives tale and parroting.

There’s one rule for size = calories

Only health can be an issue for many here, not gains.

[mtpockets]

Make no wonder no one takes you seriously.








You're so full of sh!t, if you took one Laxative you'd disappear















You can't out train bad nutrition, if you want to see the best results from your training, do your work in the kitchen.

Facts ^^^^^^

[OldFartTom]

You may as well ask.... I've never exercised before I'm 44 how fast will I be able to run 100m. I don't know, but I do know if you train hard and consistently you will be a heck of a lot better than you are now - and that 3 months is enough to tell your body you are serious but nowhere near long enough to get any real adaption yet

Keep on keeping on going!

And get a decent exercise program.

Be clear on your goals. If you train like an aerobics fanatic you'll gradually adapt to look more like an aerobics fanatic,.
If you train like a heavy barbell beast, over time you'll start to adapt to look a bit more like that.

Be clear on your goals and priorities first.

[OGfrom06]

Man you look young for 44yro

Could easily pass for 29 deadfknsrs

[LWW]

Make no wonder no one takes you seriously.








You're so full of sh!t, if you took one Laxative you'd disappear















You can't out train bad nutrition, if you want to see the best results from your training, do your work in the kitchen.

Facts ^^^^^^

Fact - size comes from calories.

Strict dieting will slow growth vs going for calories.

It may not be healthy and that’s understandable but the person will strict won’t put on the most size as quickly, this goes for post 35.

Many have proven this, but training correctly and hard is needed to not get too fat.

[mtpockets]

Fact....

[LWW]

Mr. Chuckles is incorrect in thinking just because a number of people can’t figure out how to out train bad nutrition (whatever that means to him) that no one can.

Not true, it is possible to out train bad nutrition, especially if gaining mass is the goal.

If bad nutrition means not eating enough, then there is some truth.

You can gain some mass via very hard training and at least eating meals daily, those meals don’t need to be strict.

As you train harder and harder and grow, if you want to grow more, eat more.

Once you are a monster with juicy muscles which means higher body fat, you can eat stricter to get stridations and whatnot.

Again, it may not be healthy, but it can be done.

[mtpockets]

NO

What the hell are stridations?






You do realize that you have said nothing to disprove the statement below …Right?

You can't out train bad nutrition, if you want to see the best results from your training, do your work in the kitchen.

In fact just the opposite, you are proving it..



Let me dumb it down for you, for example.




If ones goal is to gain mass then Nutrition needs to be adjusted accordingly

If the goal is to lose weight then Nutrition needs to be adjusted accordingly

If the goal is to gain LBM then Nutrition needs to be adjusted accordingly

If the goal is to get fat then Nutrition needs to be adjusted accordingly


In all these cases if a person wants to get the best results from their training they need to do their work in the kitchen.

Because you can't out train bad nutrition.

Dumbing it down even further for you


If someone's goal is to gain as much mass as possible and only eats sugar free popsicles.
Is that going to help him achieve his goal?
Or does he need to put his work in the kitchen? Eat more Calories. Because

Wait for it

Still waiting?

You can’t out train bad nutrition.


You are arguing nonsense just to argue…


This stuff isn’t difficult. I don't understand why you struggle so much with the simplest of concepts.





I am done, once again you have displayed how ignorant you are with regard to bodybuilding and nutrition. sad

[LWW]

If someone's goal is to gain as much mass as possible and only eats sugar free popsicles.
Is that going to help him achieve his goal?
Or does he need to put his work in the kitchen? Eat more Calories. Because

Wait for it

Still waiting?

You can’t out train bad nutrition.


I am done, once again you have displayed how ignorant you are with regard to bodybuilding and nutrition. sad

I know what bad nutrition means to you, it's not weighing macros and not eating a variety of meals throughout the day, never being hungry, not eating boneless skinless chicken, fish and rice.

Popsicles only is overkill, even for you.

You can gain plenty of mass by drinking milk and eating PB and J's all day and most days, which is really "bad nutrition" however one can train a certain way, like hard and grow off that. That's not working in the kitchen at all, you buy the milk and start drinking, spoon down some PB and make sandwiches, just like a normal person would make sandwiches for work.

When you train hard, it's not even work to consume food from training, your body tells you automatically, "I NEED FUKING FOOD" no kitchen work is even needed for growing.

I'm hungry all the time, can't wait to get some of that blueberry Ricotta cheese cake tomorrow morning.

[mtpockets]

[induced_drag]

Fact....

Actually LWW is not far off. But 'bad nutrition' can mean many things.

100% fact that growth depends on excess cals. You can eat like total 'sh!t' by most standards and make GREAT strength and mass gains. Simply the act of overeating is quite anabolic in itself. 30% of mass gained from caloric surplus (without training) is LBM in some studies.

In caloric surplus, getting in all the food one can get in a day becomes the challenge. Turing to things like Whopper hamburgers, high fat foods are great options that work well. Some may call this 'bad' nutrition, but "good" and "bad" are very hard to define.