❱❱ NOT JUST A PREDESTINED FATE
❱❱ PROLONGING THE JOURNEY
FEATURE
❱❱ NOT JUST A PREDESTINED FATE
There is no reason why bodybuilders should not look to extend their ability to train with weights well into their later years . According to Dr . Nathan Le Brasseur of the Mayo Clinic , exercising with weights can decrease frailty and improve strength levels in older people . Le Brasseur recommends exercising on most days of the week , but a minimum of three times per week is recommended to slow down the gradual process of muscle loss .
In studies , Le Brasseur and his colleagues found that a poor diet and a lack of exercise can actually accelerate the onset of cellular senescence ( senescent cells are cells that contribute to diseases and conditions associated with age ).
" Some of us believe that ageing is just something that happens to all of us and it ' s just a predestined fate , and by the time I turn 65 or 70 or 80 , I will have Alzheimer ' s disease and cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis ,” says Le Brasseur .
He counters that commonly held belief by stating that a healthy diet and exercise can help improve our condition as we age . “ We need to find ways to increase our habitual activity levels to stay healthy and prevent processes that drive ageing and ageingrelated diseases .”
Exercise , in fact , prevents premature senescent cell accumulation and protects against the damaging effects of an unhealthy diet , including deficiencies in physical , heart and metabolic function . “ We think at both a biological level and a clinical level , poor nutrition choices and inactive lifestyles do accelerate ageing .”
When it comes to sarcopenia , exercise has been shown to increase strength , aerobic capacity and muscle protein synthesis , as well as to increase muscle mitochondrial enzyme activity in both young and older people .
Resistance exercise in particular has been shown to decrease frailty and improve muscle strength in very elderly adults . Lower body , abdominal and postural strength are especially critical to maintain strength when you get older . Exercising with some form of resistance is therefore recommended on most days of the week in older individuals , but a minimum of three times per week is recommended to slow muscle loss and prevent sarcopenia .
“ WE THINK AT BOTH A BIOLOGICAL LEVEL AND A CLINICAL LEVEL , POOR NUTRITION CHOICES AND INACTIVE
LIFESTYLES DO ACCELERATE AGEING .”
❱❱ PROLONGING THE JOURNEY
Often a bodybuilder ’ s ability to continue training into their twilight years hinges on the approach they adopted early on in their careers . When we ’ re young we have a more potent hormonal system , which is primed for building muscle , bolstering strength , and accelerating recovery from training , often with a lower risk of injury to joints and soft tissue .
As such , longevity in bodybuilding is not something most younger lifters think about , but it should be if you want a long and successful run in the weights room . Far too often misguided exuberance and a testosterone-fuelled drive to succeed at all costs results in burnout and injuries . How then can you prolong your journey ?
IMPORTANT KEYS TO LONGEVITY ARE :
OUTGROW YOUR EGO When we first start out in the gym we want to do our best and impress everyone around us . We lift weights to get super muscular , strong and large . To achieve this most of us will toil under the maximum amount of weight we can handle , every day of every week for months on end , but somewhere down the line our body eventually gives out under the colossal load . If you don ' t learn to subdue your ego you will end up paying the price in the form of an injury , with wrecked joints and ligaments as you get older . Building a better body takes time and patience , with the right combination of volume and intensity . Don ' t be that guy who is bench pressing with a spotter doing upright rows on the other end of the bar ! Don ' t allow your ego to call the shots !
Always warm-up properly before hitting the weights and cycle your training with heavy and lighter days .
BECOME A FORM “ NAZI ” You can immediately boost longevity in the sport of bodybuilding if you lower the bone-crushing weight you are working with and start focusing on the form you ' re using to execute a lift . Form ( and not poundage ) is king in the weights room . If you lift with good form you reduce the risk of injury , and minimise unnecessary aches and pains . Use poundages that are manageable without having to rely on momentum to complete a movement . Of course , risk comes with the territory , but if you use proper form you limit your chances of injury . Your goal should therefore be to lift as heavy as possible while still staying in control to ensure you make optimal progress in your workouts .
“ FORM ( AND NOT POUNDAGE ) IS KING IN THE WEIGHTS ROOM . IF YOU LIFT WITH GOOD FORM YOU REDUCE THE RISK OF
INJURY , AND MINIMISE UNNECESSARY ACHES AND PAINS . USE POUNDAGES THAT ARE MANAGEABLE WITHOUT HAVING TO
RELY ON MOMENTUM TO COMPLETE A MOVEMENT .”
30 Muscle Evolution