Working out in your 30s

[SkinnyPete]

I’ve been working out on and off since my early twenties, with limited success. I don’t push myself hard enough, and I don’t maintain a clean caloric surplus diet with enough protein.

I also think I have a genetic predisposition to not build muscle. Despite a healthy frame of 6’2 and 175lb, I have always been behind my peers in strength, exercise or sport.

Excuses aside, I’ve noticed how I’m probably one of the older people in my gym (33). I’ve also heard and read compliments about how someone is “in great shape, for their age”, only to realise they are 35.

It’s got me wondering, is gaining muscle and keeping in shape tangibly harder in your 30s than in your 20s? If it is, what's different and what can be done to minimise the difference?

I’d be interested in knowing from the more physically talented amongst you, what your experiences were as you got older.

[SkinnyPete]

Some interesting replies here, so thanks for sharing.

I've done some further reading since, and apparently the drop in testosterone isn't all that significant. So the comments and articles I see floating about in Men's Health magazines shouldn't be taken too seriously.

MC Bodge said:

SkinnyPete said:

I've been working out on and off since my early twenties, with limited success. I don't push myself hard enough, and I don't maintain a clean caloric surplus diet with enough protein.

What is it that you are aiming to do?

And if you are telling us that know that you are not training as you think you should, why are you surprised if you are not achieving it?

If it were easy as clicking my fingers, then I'd have the physique of an olympic swimmer.

Unfortunately, the reality is somewhat different, and I just don't have the appetite to consistently consume a surplus of calories.

Still, my diet is very healthy, and my gym routine is consistent. Even if I rarely go harder than eight tenths, I tell myself a bad workout is better than no workout.

Last year was crap for gyms, but I tried a 5x5 style routine. I could lift a lot more weight compared to doing my usual ten reps, but it probably took me even further away from my goal of hypertrophy.

Here is part of my workout log; the weight doesn't include the bar, and the app doesn't include the rest of my exercises (ignore deadlift too).

Progress felt reasonable, but I didn't notice any change in the mirror (i.e. I still looked like a skinny sucked up marathon runner).



I'll be going back to the gym when they re-open next week, so I'm happy to listen to any advice people may have (beyond the obvious eat more and lift heavier!).

[SkinnyPete]

MC Bodge said:

We are all different shapes and have internal differences. Very few of us will look like a Men Health model without a lot of effort.

Maybe you should try to change your goals? You may find that you enjoy doing different physical activities more, which makes it easier to work hard at them. Strength training may assist you in those activities and form follows function and all that.

I cycle fairly frequently, between 10 and 50 miles. I also wakeboard, which uses more muscles than it looks.

The gym helps with the latter, but I can't say it makes me a better cyclist.

[SkinnyPete]

So I thought it was worth updating this thread.

I've been going to the gym fairly consistently since they re-opened, and I've been using the Stronglifts 5x5 app. I've made the most progress I've ever made in all the time I've been working out.

I'm about 6kg heavier now than when I started, and sure some of that will be fat because I've been eating well, but looking in the mirror I see definite improvements. I'm also lifting the heaviest I've ever lifted, and it's quite funny that I notice it's now easier to lift everyday items too.

I'm excited to see what progress I can make over the coming months, but I'm conscious increasing the weight every gym session will plateau as things are getting heavier.