Andy Black
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I heard that whatever muscle we build in our natural growth years are what we keep for life.This is so underrated. I would definitely tell younger people to build as much muscle during teens to 30’s.
As a 50+ person, I now struggle to build muscle and maintain bone density. It’s so much harder to gain muscle now. It’s not that you can’t workout hard. But your recovery and actual increase is so much slower.
It’s a balance of working out and resting and trying not to get injured in the process.
So build your muscles naturally when you can. Your back will thank you when you are 50. Oh and build those legs, they are the first to go and hardest to keep. That’s why older people have trouble getting up, but you never see them have trouble moving their arms around!
I did sprint training aged 16-18 and in my 50s my legs are still strong/muscled.
I started upper body weights at 18 and when I don't go to the gym my upper body shrinks back to skinny. It comes back fast after a couple of months training though, so there's that.
Agreed that the recovery is what makes it harder as you get older. Your muscles ache for days rather than just the next day, and you pick up annoying little niggles and strains that would be gone a day or two later when younger. I've had a calf strain and a strain in my bicep for months. I keep thinking they should be gone by now but I'll have to go to the physio.
As my gran used to say: "Youth is wasted on the young."
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