Tips For Muscle Builders Over 35
What do I mean by ‘older’? It is one of those subjective terms that could mean anything but in this case I really mean the over 35′s. I’m also aiming this at people who are bodybuilding for the first time or returning to it after a long lay-off somewhere beyond their mid 30′s, so if you have been training throughout then this probably is not relevant to you.
If you have any doubts at all about your general health or fitness then it’s a good idea to see your doctor before you start. There will most likely be no problems at all but it’s better to be on the safe side and make sure. The doc will probably test your blood pressure and such and then actively encourage you to start taking regular exercise anyway.
In my own situation I trained for 6 years between the ages of 18 and 24, took a 20 year break and got back into it a year and a half ago, now in my 40′s. That’s just so you know where I’m coming from!
The first big difference I became aware of is that it takes longer to recover from workouts now that it did when I was in my 20′s. As a hard gainer that’s probably no bad thing as it helps to prevent me from overtraining but I have found that I need at least a day longer for any given muscle group to recover than I used to. I find training each body part once a week (or maybe 3 times a fortnight) on a split system is enough.
If you’ve never trained before then the same advice applies as it does to any new starter. Learn how to do the exercises properly first and begin with an all-body workout three times a week.
If, like me, you’re resuming after a long layoff then one of the things you’ll have to do is set realistic expectations. I could squat 450lbs, deadlift 400lbs and bench press 300lbs 20 years ago whereas now I struggle with half that weight. But I believe there’s no reason why I shouldn’t get close to my old lifts because progress does come, even for the older trainer.
Don’t use your age as an excuse though. Progress make be a bit slower and recovery may take longer but there’s still a lot that can be achieved.
One thing you may need to watch out for is changes in your metabolism. Some people find that they start to retain weight as they get older even though they could get away with eating anything in their younger days.
There are advantages of course. When you get a little bit older you’re more likely to have a steady approach and be less affected by peer pressure. You’re unlikely to try lifing weights that are too heavy just for bragging rights and your training will be all the better as a result.
Have fun though – that’s the most important thing. Take care too if you’re training on your own – you need to make sure you’re safe and might consider using something like a Body Solid Smith Machine to make sure you don’t risk injury.
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