Age, goals and realistic expectations.

[thx9000]

I am 31y/o and over the past year and a half I’ve gone from something like 226lbs and 23% b/f to about 200 and 8% b/f, give or take a pound or two…

Most of this has been done “naturally.” I did use a few fat burners, early on, but always saw the fat comeback after quitting them so I decided that wasn’t the way to go. Likewise, I tried prohormoes for a few weeks, but decided that I probably wasn’t ready to commit to something that might not work and might only be a temporary fix to a long-term goal. Work first, then (if I can’t get any further) consider other options before changing the approach...

I’m still getting somewhere, but now I am wondering how much further I can get at my age. I mean, I’m not old but I’m sure not 18 anymore. Going from 10% to 8% really wasn’t that tough. Maintaining 8% b/f is no problem. I still get gradually stronger, etc. I want to get to about 6% b/f and maintain it. I also want to continue to put on lean mass and grow stronger. I assume I can keep getting stronger, but what about the bodyfat part? Doesn’t this get more and more difficult as you age?

 

[Hangfire]

Yes, mangement of bodyfat does get more difficult with age, but not at 31. I am 45 and am struggling with it, but I believe that I can achieve my goals. There was some really good advice in another thread up there--don't think about genetics, just do the work!

This is all hindsight, mind you, but I seem to recall that at 31 I was still quite a hardass and was capable of maintaining size, strength, and low bodyfat well into my late thirties. The only thing that changed was that I got lazy and fat. Trying to turn that around now, and while it is physically challenging, the hardest part is overcoming the mental hurdles. But the work is never as hard as I was afraid it was going to be, and is always more satisfying than I thought it would be. You have many good years waiting for you, just never give up.

 

[wrlord]

You want to maintain 6% bodyfat??? Year-round?? You're not gonna have to worry about getting old, ace.