age & body building

[allen8864]

ok i am 48 and would like to start body building is it too late to get started and if not what is the best way to do this and not kill myself in doing so ???

[Off Road]

It is NEVER too late to make improvements to yourself. You won't make progress as fast as when you were in your 30s, but that shouldn't stop you. Just get started and keep making progress every day.

As far as what to do when you first start out, just keep it simple. Focus on getting stronger on some basic compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, and rows. There are many basic routines on this forum if you do some digging. It's just too much material to cover in one post. Good luck.

[Rusteee]

I'm 50 and started lifting at 48. With the help of a lot of reading (on this site), I've made good gains. I look and feel better then I ever have. I've gained twenty five pounds and lost an inch+ on my gut. After a lot of trial and error, I'm doing a full body routine ( 90% compound movements) three times per week. That gives me plenty of time for recovery. Start light and be persistent with your training and diet. Diet is as important as training. A couple of months ago, I finally had my T checked out. It was really low. Doc put me on a gel and I've seen an even more dramatic change since then. So, just look around and you'll find a routine that fits you. But, in answer to your question....yes, you can make nice gains at your age. Good luck

[f=ma]

this will probably get a bunch of panties twisted but here is an anecdotal observation i have made:

my gym is filled with guys 50+ that are on HRT with very respectable size and strength while also being very lean. people typically work out to improve appearance or to rehab. more often than not, its to improve appearance. if you have no need to maintain the stigma of natural etc and you have grown children or dont plan to at all, i guess when you get up there.. why not just go on and never come off? i have spoken to a few about it and its all prescribed from their endo to which they were referred by the family doctor etc and has dramatically improved quality of life.

[method115]

this will probably get a bunch of panties twisted but here is an anecdotal observation i have made:

my gym is filled with guys 50+ that are on HRT with very respectable size and strength while also being very lean. people typically work out to improve appearance or to rehab. more often than not, its to improve appearance. if you have no need to maintain the stigma of natural etc and you have grown children or dont plan to at all, i guess when you get up there.. why not just go on and never come off? i have spoken to a few about it and its all prescribed from their endo to which they were referred by the family doctor etc and has dramatically improved quality of life.

I've always thought about doing this as well (when the time comes obviously). I heard it's very expensive though and I've always wondered what happens if you lose your job or something like that? I'm sure coming off it is no picnic. I guess you could buy from online pharmacies at that point though.

[Rusteee]

Panties not twisted. If I have low T (around 200) and Doc wants to give me something, I'd be foolish not do take advantage. I know there are other things involved when on HRT (elevated est., etc...). But, for now, everything is good. I am doing this, not because I want to make muscular gains-although that's happening, but because I want to "feel" normal again. Only time will tell...

by the way, I pay $0 per month. Good insurance and a coupon good for a year.

[WI_Cheeshead]

I'm 47 and I started lifting around February 2012. A long time ago I followed an advanced body building routine for nine years, and then I quit when entering grad school.

Starting out at this age I was more sore for a longer period of time, it took about a month to get back in shape (got a head start on cardio by biking in the winter). I had a little shoulder and elbow pain that has slowly faded away with time (I added glucosamine/chondotroitin, gelatin, and some lab-grade collagen to my supplement intake which seems to have also helped my skin, hair, and nails).

Lifting weights at this age is definitely do-able. Heck, I see 60 year old men & women hitting the weights in the gym all of the time, although they take it pretty easy.

Start out with a basic routine and change it when your body tells you it's ready, then start adding more exercises, maybe add a day of weightlifting to the week, etc.