how old were you when your body started showing the wear and tear of training?

[Frackal]

GH and glucosamine

 

[beefybull]

herb as in :havoc:

Thats exactly what he means. Blaze on!

 

[beefybull]

Guys, you have got to be doing something wrong. I'm 43 and I'm in great shape.

I studied dance for a while in college. The first thing they teach you in dance is how to dance for a lifetime (i.e., how to have a dance career that avoids slowly developing injuries.) It's a philosophy that thinks 30 years ahead.

I've lifted my entire life with the idea that I want to NOT cause little, unnoticable, slowly building injuries.

It doesn't have to happen.

If you guys are wrecked in your 20s... you are doing it wrong. Period.

Any particular tips, tricks, or wisdom to teach us from your experiences? How did dance help you directly, etc.?

I've luckily never suffered any horribly major injuries while lifting. I did make 2 girls I know cry once when I got buried on my 10th rep at 610.

 

[DealsMorte]

training and sports have taken their toll... i ache a lot now.. my shoulders hurt so much i wake up in the middle of the night... my torn leg tendon was healing and i went bowling... BAD IDEA!!!! my arthritic ankle aches daily.... i'm 29!!! what happens when i'm 40 or 50????

Least you don't have a bad knee

 

[SofaGeorge]

Any particular tips, tricks, or wisdom to teach us from your experiences? How did dance help you directly, etc.?

I jumped into dance easily because I had been a long time martial arts student as a kid. I started studying various karate styles at 12... moved into kung fu forms by 15. At 20, I moved to Colorado where there were NO good martial arts schools... and I wanted to maintain my leg speed and control and improve on it... hence I started working with two dance troupes. Believe it or not... any kicking style is only about an inch away from ballet in practice.

The concept in ballet, jazz dance, contact, etc... that translates to weightlifitng is "form." You use correct form, don't bounce, etc... so that you don't cause small unnoticable long term damage.

The concept is simple... think ahead 30 years. Are you lifting in such a way that you aren't hurting yourself longterm?

I worked out with a lot of the old guys from the '30s, '40s, and '50s from Muscle Beach. A lot of them still go to Gold's... and some of them are still in great shape.

 

[fistfullofsteel]

18

 

[mylife]

without reading other replies i'd say stretching. at least 30 minutes a day.

 

[casavant]

Started training hard at 16, started feeling it in my shoulders and elbows at 20, knees at 21. I've had lower abdominal tenderness that comes and goes since I was 18.

 

[gwl9dta4]

SofaGeorge is right on. I VERY QUICKLY learned (at 23) that lifting heavy IS NOT the key to being in shape. This happened when i got the first signs or joint problems. Since then i have done a couple of cycles of Deca and healed completly. Since the healing, and it has been i few years (i'm 27) i feel just fine. No pain anywhere, it's great. That thing is to eat healthy, lift in perfect form and do not overload yourself with weight. Also remeber to stretch and stay flexible.

I have friends who are fucked. One dude at 28 can pull his arm in and out of the shoulder socket on both sides. Yes the years of HEAVY presses have taken their toll on his shoulder joints. And for what? So that you can be seen using 120lbs DB instead of 80lb db?

 

[Lestat]

I'm 25 and my body is getting better and better.. I've always been very athletic.. played many sports... running, basketball, football, etc.. and I am better at everything (except running) now then I was 5 years ago.

Brian