Age and Recovery?

[Wrath of Foamy]

I'm near the strongest that I've ever been, but the weight is piling on and the injuries are mounting.

I'm going to change my ways when the move is complete. Stop the machines, hit the punch bag, swimming pool, kettlebells and dip and pull up bars.-

 

[Brampton_Boy]

Currently 40, using 400mg of NPP per week (no test).

I train 5-6 days per week, but primarily full body circuits. I can't say that training itself is what causes poor recovery, but the cumulative impact of training heavy for 20 years basically means I am in pain and feel like shit 24/7.

I made ALOT of mistakes though - training through injuries, abusing steroids, consistently training for 1rm etc.

Advice for younger guys, don't live to make your lifts better, lift to make your life better.

 

[Jesus X]

You heal slower past age 35 which is something I found out from my ortho doctor when I broke my clavicle it took me in total a year to calsify the bone when you break it as a teen or child it takes half the time.

 

[I Am Legion]

Less is more when you hit 50. Recovery is every bit as important as the training. I cut my workouts to 30-45 minutes tops. 3 days then a cardio day. Take 1 day totally off when needed. This is the first time in my life I am no longer increasing weights, but decreasing them. Started a year ago. My shoulder was wearing out and without a spotter, just couldn't get 80lb dbs on an incline up by myself anymore. Now I do strict form, and pauses with 60-65's. No difference in muscle. Legs I can only do 1x per week because they do take long to recover.

 

[Long Dark Blues]

Yes. I'm 42. It is really hard to recover properly between workouts, especially a hard night of jiu-jitsu. Exacerbated by the fact that I'm on a diet and at a caloric deficit 6 out of 7 days per week.

 

[colorles]

This is a question for the guys in their late 30s and up.

Do you guys feel a big difference in how well you recover from workouts? This is obviously the first time I've been this old and I am a bit surprised at how wrecked I feel compared to how I used to feel after workouts - that were more intense - I used to do in my early 30s.

I'd figure my recovery would get worse with age just as I can't drink and party like I used to, but didn't think it would happen so fast. At 31-33 I felt like I was in my physical prime and not even ten years later, I feel wrecked after doing half of what I used to do.

Physical prime is not "31-33"; physical prime is generally between the ages of 16-24 for most human beings. And yes, the decline of late 30s from early 30s is noticeable; but so too is the decline from, say, early 20s to late 20s.

The only people that tend to say things like "my physical prime is in my early thirties" are people that were never in any kind of shape in their teens and early twenties and then just started going to the gym or something in their late twenties. But, strictly athletically speaking, the physical prime is 16-24 (note: this can be extended somewhat with PED usage; but that is not the natural prime).

 

[cmw43]

I'm 38 and train BJJ, run and lift weights.

I used to run long distance but now I keep it to just 5 or 6km and all on softer woodland trails so it's easier on the joints and try not to run much downhill.

Weights wise I mostly just do HIIT workouts with dumbbells now.

Still seem to recover okay from BJJ although once in a while my lower back will bother me so I just rest it until I'm feeling good again.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Shit I need a recovery day after having sex.

Pretty soon I'll probably need a recovery day after jacking off

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Turn 38 in may and no. But I never stopped being active.

You must have gotten out of shape.

 

[pugilistico]

Shit I need a recovery day after having sex.

Pretty soon I'll probably need a recovery day after jacking off

I haven't gotten there yet but I don't feel motivated by sex anymore. I don't care enough to make any effort to get laid unless the girl is particularly special. I like this change.

Turn 38 in may and no. But I never stopped being active.

You must have gotten out of shape.

I did stop working out for a few months because of a disk injury last year but I also been back in the gym for a few months and I slowly built up to my current intensity so I thought my body would have adjusted to it by now. This is the most beat up I've felt after workouts in a long time and I don't think my workouts were that intense. I'm a bit older than you so it might hit you suddenly.

 

[GSP_37]

I used to walk for like an hour and next day feet muscles, legs would be sore. I read compression sleeves help prevent the soreness and pro athletes use that type of shirt/pants. I now don't really have super sore feet and muscles from walking an hour and suspect circulation was bad before and less bad now.

 

[Contempt]

I honestly never noticed any difference between working out in my teens all the way up to about 42-43. The only difference I noticed is that my reflexes were slower than in my youth.

I always take a day off between weights/cardio these days.

In the last couple of years... ALL the injuries

 

[Meatspin]

Yep, my left knee is very not happy with me.

 

[ssBaldy]

This is a question for the guys in their late 30s and up.

Do you guys feel a big difference in how well you recover from workouts? This is obviously the first time I've been this old and I am a bit surprised at how wrecked I feel compared to how I used to feel after workouts - that were more intense - I used to do in my early 30s.

I'd figure my recovery would get worse with age just as I can't drink and party like I used to, but didn't think it would happen so fast. At 31-33 I felt like I was in my physical prime and not even ten years later, I feel wrecked after doing half of what I used to do.

35, can still train everyday if it's a split.
However recovery in 20's was a bit better, sure.
What's your training volume?

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

This is a question for the guys in their late 30s and up.

Do you guys feel a big difference in how well you recover from workouts? This is obviously the first time I've been this old and I am a bit surprised at how wrecked I feel compared to how I used to feel after workouts - that were more intense - I used to do in my early 30s.

I'd figure my recovery would get worse with age just as I can't drink and party like I used to, but didn't think it would happen so fast. At 31-33 I felt like I was in my physical prime and not even ten years later, I feel wrecked after doing half of what I used to do.

No i feel like i recover quite well at 44. But it‘s relative, i rarely train 2 days in a row. I also sleep a lot.

Alcohol though? Terrible recovery.

 

[pugilistico]

35, can still train everyday if it's a split.
However recovery in 20's was a bit better, sure.
What's your training volume?

Because of my injury, I do almost no lowerbody exercises. So I just bench, pull ups, lat pull downs, rows, OHP, etc. I'll do 7-9 working sets for pushing and pulling each every other day. Add a few lateral raises, face pulls, etc. I've been adding more grip strength exercises recently. It's not much at all compared to what I used to do.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I mean there will obviously be some decline but its a combination of lifestyle and genetics. For me, no I didnt feel that huge drop off at all. In my early 40's now and while I did have some back issues a few years ago, I find my power and overall strength and various other attributes are increasing as I keep training. I am focussing on this rather than on the slight decline in cardio and slightly slower recovery.
Maybe I am an exception then, but I am not feeling that and don't expect to be feeling much of it until my mid -late 50's that is my perspective.

That said, apart from competing in Judo when I was younger I never engaged in concussive sparring or limb destroying activities. So while in my 20's everyone here was like "you dont spar you can't fight" and all that type of shit, now as they hobble along with knee problems and others and have moved on to softer past times for the most part, I still train regularly and am getting better and stronger. I'm glad I had the long range vision from early on.

Well you ve been doing kata and finger strikes on the bean bag with your ponytail so of course you have less mileage than dudes who have been sparring for 30 years.

 

[pugilistico]

No i feel like i recover quite well at 44. But it‘s relative, i rarely train 2 days in a row. I also sleep a lot.

Alcohol though? Terrible recovery.

I've almost entirely quit drinking now. Just isn't fun like it used to be.

 

[ssBaldy]

Because of my injury, I do almost no lowerbody exercises. So I just bench, pull ups, lat pull downs, rows, OHP, etc. I'll do 7-9 working sets for pushing and pulling each every other day. Add a few lateral raises, face pulls, etc. I've been adding more grip strength exercises recently. It's not much at all compared to what I used to do.

What if you do push one day and pull the other day? One rest day in between is not a lot for larger muscle groups. You can still train your shoulders and grip every day, those muscles recover so much faster.

 

[Sonny Qc]

Started boxing again last year after a 15yrs hiatus.

When I started sparring again, it was fucking brutal.
You feel a good punch to the face for a week ffs.
At 19, you're right back the next morning.