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Zander1983
New member
When do lifts generally start going backwards, given that you're still training well and hard, as you age...?
Bodybuilding/ powerlifting, which is the aging process more kind too?
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BigBadBootyDaddy29
New member
I think staying serious about any type of physical activity helps to keep a person young. Like Spatts said, there is a whole host of powerlifters in their golden years. Also, look at some of bodybuilding's greats from the past like Lee Haney, Robby Robinson, Dave Draper, Bill Pearl, Lee Apperson, I could go on and on and on. I think anybody who continues to push themselves, and who still trains with an intensity and fury not too far off from their competitive days, is gonna do well in the battle against age.
Personally, I am just a kid, I'm 24. My best years are way in front of me. But, I look at some of my friends, especially guys who I used to play ball with. 2 years after college, they stopped training, got fat, or got skinny and weak, just generally stopped caring. I see guys I went to high school with who stopped playing ball after high school and they went to hell in a hand basket weighted down by a brick. These are young guys, my age, who say "My knees hurt", "My back hurts", "I'm too old for that shit" (love that one). They act like old men, like at 24, their best years are behind them. I'll tell you what, if everybody physically peaked at age 19, we'd have one weak world. After college, I stayed intense, if you saw me train, you'd think I made my living off of it, I never backed off. I plan to take advantage of the next years of my life, my true prime. I want to get together with my friends when we're senior citezens while they're shitting themselves, I want to be the Bill Pearl or the Reg Park, the senior citizen who still trains like a beast, who still has 20" guns, who still has "it".
I think no matter what type of athlete you are, as long as you keep up your training at an elite level, you'll stay young.
Personally, I am just a kid, I'm 24. My best years are way in front of me. But, I look at some of my friends, especially guys who I used to play ball with. 2 years after college, they stopped training, got fat, or got skinny and weak, just generally stopped caring. I see guys I went to high school with who stopped playing ball after high school and they went to hell in a hand basket weighted down by a brick. These are young guys, my age, who say "My knees hurt", "My back hurts", "I'm too old for that shit" (love that one). They act like old men, like at 24, their best years are behind them. I'll tell you what, if everybody physically peaked at age 19, we'd have one weak world. After college, I stayed intense, if you saw me train, you'd think I made my living off of it, I never backed off. I plan to take advantage of the next years of my life, my true prime. I want to get together with my friends when we're senior citezens while they're shitting themselves, I want to be the Bill Pearl or the Reg Park, the senior citizen who still trains like a beast, who still has 20" guns, who still has "it".
I think no matter what type of athlete you are, as long as you keep up your training at an elite level, you'll stay young.
circusgirl
New member
lots of folks lift in the masters categories here in Scotland. Dunno about BBing, haven't been to any comps.
solarclimax
New member
"Just because you haven't heard about them doesn't mean they don't exist. " <---- likes this
There's no cut and shut answer to this question, depends on the individual.
For example a body builder and a power lifter. if the bodybuilder takes a shit load of juice not knowing what they're doing and not eating very well, they might not live long. Where as a powerlifter who does know what they're doing and eats good, plus all the other variables, like good sleep, recovery, mental health so on etc. Then the power lifter has more chance of living longer. And the same can be reversed so that the BB would live longer etc. You can do lots of things and live long if you take care of yourself.
1 thing that does stand out to me though is the heavier guys i think have more chance of dying sooner from age related diseases than the lighter guys.
There's no cut and shut answer to this question, depends on the individual.
For example a body builder and a power lifter. if the bodybuilder takes a shit load of juice not knowing what they're doing and not eating very well, they might not live long. Where as a powerlifter who does know what they're doing and eats good, plus all the other variables, like good sleep, recovery, mental health so on etc. Then the power lifter has more chance of living longer. And the same can be reversed so that the BB would live longer etc. You can do lots of things and live long if you take care of yourself.
1 thing that does stand out to me though is the heavier guys i think have more chance of dying sooner from age related diseases than the lighter guys.
satanismymotor
New member
It is a very interesting question. My knees use to hurt a bit when I was a 130 lbs when I was 19. I started doing sqauts when I started working out when I was 19. I have always lifted heavy. (looking pretty just aint my thing.) After about 6 months of doing sqauts, my knees quit hurting. Now I am 200 lbs, 28 and its almost 10 years later and my knees still feel great. I attribute this to squats. I think with proper form and control they are great for your knees. On the other hand I have blown out my shoulder trying to lift as heavy as possible doing dumbell shoulder press. I will have to live with this injury for the rest of my lift. That probably wouldn't have happened if I would have been doing light weight for a million reps. I cant say the risk for people that bodybuild would be but I would say there is a greater risk for injury when you are always lifting as much as you can possibly do. I don't necessarily believe the you will wear out your joints any faster though.
Sportbike Bob
New member
Both depend on what level you are on. Pro BBers don't last long due to their crazy cycles and the extreme mass they hold is a constant strain on thier cardio system. Honestly if it were not for their God like genes they would prob rarely make it past 40. Same thing goes for some elite PLers. Unnatural mass will kill you early in life. Humans were not ment to be 300 plus lbs.
I feel pretty good about being a PLer though. I have seen some really old guys at meets 70 plus puttin up weight my bros can't put up! If I can be in half the shape they are in at that age I will be really happy.
I feel pretty good about being a PLer though. I have seen some really old guys at meets 70 plus puttin up weight my bros can't put up! If I can be in half the shape they are in at that age I will be really happy.
Sportbike Bob
New member
Not to mention what happens to the BBer when they have to come off all that gear. Look at poor Arnold. That man fell apart!
porky little keg
New member
Yep. His name's Sonny. Check any federation, they all have Sub masters and masters numbers and regular competitors. Just because you haven't heard about them doesn't mean they don't exist.
...and this is just one small meet in Oklahoma! Jim Gorrell's dad (who is standing right behind Sonny in the grey Tee-shirt) competes too, and he and I were neck and neck through my first meet, with a total well over 1000, and he's in the masters.
You guys need to google Ernie Frantz....
Half of his team now is over or around 50 and still strong as hell.
He is 76 this year and still squatting over 500
Did his best lifting over 50 years old
