I need some encouragement...

[drkstar00]

I love the way bodybuilding makes me feel, but because I'm in my late 40's, it seems that my larger muscles need 4-5 days to recover, which limits my growth.

I'm afraid I'll never be able to achieve the cool body I want in the time remaining to me...

I need a mental/ attitude boost. Some hope.

Thanks.

[George2100]

What? 4-5 days to recover? What’s the problem then? Just do a bro split

[ElrondHubbard]

I love the way bodybuilding makes me feel, but because I'm in my late 40's, it seems that my larger muscles need 4-5 days to recover, which limits my growth.

I'm afraid I'll never be able to achieve the cool body I want in the time remaining to me...

I need a mental/ attitude boost. Some hope.

Thanks.

I'm in my mid-60s, do 3-day a week full body. That means 2 one-day rest periods, and one 2-day rest period. A bit of fatigue builds up during the week, so recovery is not 100% between sessions. But then the two days allows me to catch up on recovery, and I'm almost fully recovered by the time the cycle starts again.

You take that through a 9-12 week run, accumulate a bit more fatigue and gains, and then do a reset, allowing yourself to recover the rest of the way as you start out again at lower stress levels but higher capacity.

If I can do it, and I am NOT genetically gifted, by a long shot, there's no reason why you can't.

You also need to keep your dietary and sleep habits under control. That's a big part of the fatigue equation.


Growth slows as you age and as you train, that's just a fact of life. Would you rather have somewhat less than the physique you aspire to, but a reason to keep pursuing it and a nice foundation of strength and health and vigor, or would you rather have a total disaster of an idle, shapeless body that doesn't keep you healthy and won't allow you to do most of the things you want to do?


You aren't too old to train, dude, you're too old to NOT train.

[NearlyBigAngus]

I love the way bodybuilding makes me feel, but because I'm in my late 40's, it seems that my larger muscles need 4-5 days to recover, which limits my growth.

I'm afraid I'll never be able to achieve the cool body I want in the time remaining to me...

I need a mental/ attitude boost. Some hope.

Thanks.

I've left it to my late 40's to start in this game too - so what? I'm working on being a physically better version of myself with the aim of being fitter and stronger than I was in my 20's by the time I hit my 50's.

Yes - it's true to say I'll probably never be the muscle monster I see in my minds eye when I'm working out... but by working out I'm becoming a better version of me and that's all that really matters. I've got my body fat down and am no longer obese, my blood pressure is back into the normal/ideal range and my overall health is much better (frequency of illness etc) which are all positives.

Roll on middle age - I'm ready for you.

[weiss1967]

...because I'm in my late 40's...need 4-5 days to recover...I'm afraid I'll never be able to achieve the cool body I want in the time remaining to me...

soo... Is it 4 or is it 5 days? Those are two different numbers. "time remaining" - what is your projection? Lets calculate. "time remaining" divided by.. ahh sheisse we don't know is it 4 or is it 5.

[OldFartTom]

... I'm in my late 40's... ... in the time remaining to me...

Now I'm curmudgeonly beyond my years, but you beat me hands down.

[Natty1980]

You're in good company here
It actually depends on the intensity you put in your workouts. If you destroy yourself, then it's normal to need more days of rest.
As for the years to come, there is a user of this forum (EDIT: Grubman, thanks MrCarrot for reminding me) who started lifting at 40 and in 6-7 years has achieved impressive results.
And if you like BB for how it makes you feel (as I do), just lift and pump regardless of your potential of growth.

[MrCarrot]

I'm approaching 40 and I feel the same, why did I waste all of my early and mid thirties not building muscle :-(

However there is a member here called Grubman who I think is 10 years or so older than me and has a physique 10x better than me so I know there is still hope.

I have always felt that I need 4-5 days for a muscle group to recover (even when I was younger) however I now realise I was probably doing far too many sets. I now do a lot less with the intention of working the same muscle group again in 2-3 days time. It's difficult because if I only do 2 exercises for chest I feel like I'm slacking, but I remind myself if I go on to do 3, 4, 5+ exercises there is no way I'll be training chest again in 2 days time. I believe studies have shown that for naturals, frequency is more important than volume.

[IronCharles]

I need a mental/ attitude boost. Some hope.

You have to want it bad enough. If you're relying on outside help for motivation, you've already lost the battle.




See that rocking chair over there? Assume your rightful place..... fulfill your destiny.

[Jdizzlean]

just echoing stuff already said.

you have to be your own motivation, i routinely work out w/ the same 5-10 people, but i'm alone in a sea of headphones and people on their damn phones. i also feel like i'm not putting in the work if i'm not doing max sets/reps, but that leads to the "i destroyed myself" and a 4-5 day recovery period. i probably need to do what capt elrond does and figure out a 3/week full body, but i haven't yet. in fact, PM'ing him now...

beyond that, i need to get my sleep under control, 6 hours feels like exhaustion, 8 feels like to much, and it's never the same night to night

[drkstar00]

Thank you SO much guys. There's hope.