All this recent talk about Maintaining - Physique Update

[tblodg15]

Several of us have recently talked about being in maintenance mode and even more so now with the COVID-19 shutting gym's down. I started lifting seriously at 49 years-old to get in shape and the first year was mostly about weight loss. The 2nd and 3rd year I was focused on building muscle and while lifting 4 days per week I went two full years without missing a single workout and tracked macros for every single meal.

Currently I would not say I am in pure maintenance mode but the last 6 months I have backed way off so I can spend time on another hobby. I am only lifting full body 2 days per week and have not tracked a single calorie over those 6 months since I took my end of cut progress pics in Sept 2019. Besides only lifting 2 days per week I have also taken at least 2 or 3 full weeks off over those 6 months where I had not taken a single day off for 2 years prior to that.

I have not taken any pics the last 6 months until last night. Here is current physique from workout last night at 174 lbs (up 10 lbs from end of cut 6 months ago).


These are little bit different poses but on the left was taken in May 2019 at 175 lbs and the right is last night at 174 lbs. On the left was tracking every meal and lifting 4 days per week and was the strongest I have ever been with benching and squatting more than I did when I lifted back in high school. On the right 6 months of no tracking, several missed workouts, a little higher reps, and mainly focused on just being healthy.


To me the mirror and pics show that I am at least maintaining or maybe still making slight progress. There may or may not be much difference but I am content with where I am at!

I should add that dropping from 4 days per week to 2 days per week my overall volume is not drastically less. I am still doing 6 to 9 sets per week for the compound exercises compared to 8-12 sets per week before. I have cut isolation work in half to 2-4 sets per week and dropped calves completely.

[ElrondHubbard]

It's the lack of calf training that will be your downfall.

How can you live with yourself???

[Cass40]

Are you really only 52?

[grubman]

Still looking great Troy...like me, you look just a tad less “dense”, but I think we both look “healthier” for the break.

[tblodg15]

It's the lack of calf training that will be your downfall.

How can you live with yourself???

LOL! Not necessary for general health or to fight the battle against sarcopenia.

[tblodg15]

Are you really only 52?

Yes 52, so I look a lot older heh? Thanks.

I can only control my fitness, weight, and health which are all in check. I can’t control my hair that is thinning but far from bald. I can’t control my hair going gray but it’s far from completely gray. I can’t control wrinkles or other signs of aging so it is what it is.

[tblodg15]

Still looking great Troy...like me, you look just a tad less “dense”, but I think we both look “healthier” for the break.

Hi Dave, you have a better eye for noticing differences than I do and I bet you are right. My waist is 1/4” larger now at 174 than it was at 175 last May so I have to have a little less LBM.

[Garage Rat]

So you only have three years of training under your belt which means your training age is young so gains should come easier than someone that been say training seriously from their twenties.
Little to no injuries to worry about and not really any peaks reached with muscle development.
I have a couple of friends that started powerlifting in their 50's that have made tremendous gains in the past ten years where as myself gains in strength or size are harder to come by but they do happen.
Keep up the good work!

[Payton1221]

Troy, I think you're in a good place: you look great; you're healthy; and you have plenty of time to pursue other interests.

[MrCarrot]

As always you're looking great. You, Grubman and a few others that post here are an inspiration to me because I'm 10-15 years younger, and so when I'm unhappy with my progress I always think, "If Troy and Grubman can do it then so can I" LOL