Over 40s bodybuilding?

Over 40s bodybuilding?

If Like me the passage of time is hot on your heels and you are trying to slow it down to the best of your ability in your 40, 50s and even in your 60s then take one look at the competitive scene of body building right now! 

Athletes are competing at a higher standard than ever before despite grey haired ( if you have any left) father time chasing you down the treadmill. Take one look at Steve Johnson (pictured below in one of our latest American football shirts )! Mild manner Steve runs Tops Fitness and Rehabilitation in Wakefield and Steve continues to run a gym business alongside his business partner as well as help a team of high level competitive athletes throughout prep. And we all know how hard that is! Grown men crying every time they eat one two many rice cakes or get they perma tan wrong ( kidding guys) Steve also fights crime throughout the night and helps save stranded kittens from trees for elderly ladies. 

Don’t tell him I said this, but the man is a machine 55 years of age, well thats what he tells us and still out lifting and out gunning the majority of the planet! How does he do it ???

The science behind resistance training suggests lifting with weights is vital to keep up with the young guns! 

Improved brain function, health, metabolism, blood sugar control and overall decreased risk of mortality are just some of the headline benefits. 

Lift weights and save your life??

Sounds like bollox doesn’t it? But you know what maybe just maybe, there is something in this.

I often see articles online that will state that after 40 everything just goes down hill with the onset of muscle wastage as we approach middle age and our test levels begin to run for the hills only to be replaced with a large amount of oestrogen and we all start baking and lighting scented candles to get settled for the soaps for a good cry. 

BULLSHIT ! I have seen too many athletes of a certain age make outstanding gains in muscle tissue and lose a tonne of fat equal to or sometimes better than the young guns!

Something is happening to us older boys lately! 

Personal trainers often come across athletes who have come a little late to the party and at the tender age of 40 plus want to transform their physique into a god like creature capable of slaying the odd lion and stealing away the odd wench! However, goals such as strength, mobility, and health also become increasingly important, and this needs to be taken into account when devising muscle building fat reducing programs. Not only do they want to look good, but they also want to feel less than the slob they currently feel throughout the day caused by a poor diet and zero or little physical activity. 

Whether a complete beginner or advanced athlete here are ten tips that can help a man of over 40 years of age:

1. Always warm up and stretch Under guidance, with correct stretching techniques you can really make a difference to your ability in the gym. With incorrect form you can really fuck things up and end up like Albert Steptoe. 
2. Learn the basics, Always learn to complete the basic lifts and always do this under the guidance of a professional. When we say a professional we mean someone who has been genuinely studying exercise performance for a number of years, not 16 year old Bart who did a two weeks course at the local 24 hour gym!
3. Keep training varied, variety is the spice of life. Rotating through various exercises helps keep injury at bay and prevents any injuries. 
4. Stay injury free, those little injuries you may have felt at an earlier age from football on a Sunday afternoon that you masked with a few pints down the local after the game, can take a lot longer to heal from as you get older. 
5. Increase time under tension, Again under guidance begin to experiment with rep ranges, pauses, slow eccentrics, controlled rep tempos etc. Reduce stress on joints and creating a greater muscle building stimulus. 
6. Stability. Once the basic have been studied then UNDER GUIDANCE ( I think you get the idea now) begin to use a little isometrics, unilateral work and slow tempo to help bring up stability. Absolutely nothing worse than completing the perfect squat to only trip up and fall over 21 year old Brittany as she performs her glute bridge. 
7. Cardio! Not just for the last few weeks of a diet!  Get your lazy ass on that treadmill. Even better get outside and get some fresh air old boy. A good brisk walk can do the world of good for your heart as well as your fat levels. 
8. Stay consistent, it’s so easy to come home after a long day darn t pit to flake out on the settee with your wipet and fall asleep. Stay consistent and don’t miss too many sessions in the gym. You want to make changes you better start changing your habits. 
9. Enjoy it! Socialise with the other members of the gym, chat to the old timers like yourself. You may find that many of them are not quite as miserable as they look and some of them can actually smile despite the weight of the world on their shoulders and the weight of years of foster on their gut. 
10. Rope others in on the madness. It’s far easier to train alongside like minded elderly than train alone. A training partner comes in handy when you need someone to help you up or down the stairs on leg day, or even hold your walking aid for you.