Any advice for older lifters ?

Hi , This is my first post and I’d like to start with a massive thank you to all involved in creating such an excellent and helpful training resource and for the YouTube content that’s led me here .

My question is do you have any training and dietary advice for an older lifter , 45 , that’s also still quite new to this type of training ?
A lot of what I’ve read and seen so far , certainly in terms of recovery and progression , seems directed at and geared towards much younger lifters .

Many thanks , Jamie

Hey Jamie.

Jordan’s last video was exactly on this topic, it might help you some: https://youtu.be/G7PBtZZcK_M

There is also some information in this Sacramento Q&A: https://youtu.be/0hnGTUhf6H8?t=3m4s

And the classic post regarding nutrition for all ages: To Be A Beast - Barbell Medicine

Apart from this, I don’t think you should focus in anything other than eating right (maybe with more protein than it would seem necessary, at first) and sticking to the program. You are not that old to have special concerns, I think.

Anyway, there are older lifters here that may be more useful than me to answer you!

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Thank you for your reply , I’ll get started on those links

I think that Jordan’s TBAB article is very helpful for nutrition guidance. I was overeating and not eating nearly enough protein until I read it.

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All of the above and make sure you get enough sleep.

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Thanks for all of the replies guys , very helpful. From what I can tell so far I’ve really been messing up my nutrition…

@Jamie_D I’m sorry I just want to clarify… DID YOU JUST IMPLY THAT 45 WAS “OLDER”??? Oy vey, think I am a bit verklempt … I mean really, I even pulled the Yiddish out. You know shit’s getting real when that happens. I think I just had an anxiety attack with everyone saying 45 is older…M.U.S.T… B.R.E.A.T.H.E…thinking over and over in my brain “there’s no place like home…there’s no place like home” . Ok…ok, I think I am back in my happy place in the land full of rainbows and butterflies and where 45 is still young and vibrant!!! I GOT THIS!!

Ok now that the panic is over, don’t forget to log your food, an app like My Fitness Pal (aka…MFP) is highly useful for logging nutrition, tracking macros and just keeping you on track in general. If you want to see trends over time you can also log them into a google sheet to easily get averages over time… I mean if you care that much, just options…Ok, I have to go now and lick my wounds for a bit, hide in a corner and sink into a sea of sadness about being “older”…:stuck_out_tongue:

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Yeah, like Kristara mentioned, you are not old. Don’t nocebo yourself into thinking you are. If you are not familiar with the concept of nocebo give this video from Jordan and Austin a watch as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FXOcnJ1klI. This game is as much mental as it is physical. I think that you are much more capable than you think you are. I’m going to go on record and say that if you eat right, sleep right, and lift right you will be amazed at where you stand a year from now. Luckily, you found yourself in the right place to learn how to do those things. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t get in the best shape of your life at 45 years young.

Yeah, surely. I was the first to reply, but with general information to “older lifters”. I think 45 is too early to have even small concerns about age and training, if you are healthy. Maybe a tad more discipline, and that’s it.

I did not start training until I was almost 60 and have made huge gainzzz in the 1.5 years I’ve been training. You should still be able to kick plenty of ass at 45.

I think what I was trying to say was that at 45 I’m older than I was at 25 and that I can’t recover from training anywhere near as quickly as I used too and what I was after were ways to compensate or make up for this and any other considerations I should make .
You guys have been great and given me loads of advice for things I need to be working on and I’ll be following that .
Is 45 old ? No . Do I feel older than I used too ? No .
Am I going to smash the weights in the gym and up my PB’s and increase my overall strength ?
Damn right I am !

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YES!!! Good for you!!! I love it!!! Love the passion I felt when I read your latest post (I do realize I read it through my own outlook, but you know what, in my head you have some serious passion happening!!)

Jordan and Austin just did a two min tuesday (which was really like 8 min. because it is never just 2 min which is cool)… Anyway they discussed “older lifters” but they were talking way older … check it out:smile: . They often talk about needing higher protein levels in our diet as we get older but honestly I can’t remember at what age this takes effect or how much more, I am sure he (meaning Jordan) has written about it somewhere.

GOOD LUCK!! :smile:

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Just ticked over 48 this March. The way I look at it, I was in an active growth phase 21, so technically I’m 27…

To be sure, I can consume less homebrew and pizza these days before incurring a girth penalty, so that needs tempering, but we’ve truly been sold a line of bullshit with low volume, high intensity approach to training as we age, and I bought into it for years. Memes can be a dangerous thing… Implementing more volume and including a couple of GPP sessions per week has been a breath of fresh air. As has auto-regulating / RPE work sets.

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I am almost 40. Can confirm (as can the wife) I am not old, maybe too young…

Apologises if this is steering slightly off topic - hopefully it’s just an extension of scope - when generally does the older lifter (in line with OPs age) do gainzz stop/really slow down, assuming novice stage is over and they have, say a couple of years lifting under their belt

Or is that too broad a question, without more specifics/less variables?

Yeah, I think it’s a bit more nuanced than that.

But anyway, you have what you have. Doing your best is always the best way ahead.