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I don't waste my time viewing you tube presentations that turn out to erroneous 90% of the time, but here's the actual science to be considered:
Building muscle is actually a healing process. The strenuous muscle activity tears them down, then they "heal" in thicker during the rest period. This is analogous to developing callouses on your hands. This is why you don't exercise the same muscles two days in a row, or why overly enthusiastic teenagers fail to make rapid gains (because they over-work and then repeat too soon).
As we age, there is no reason that we can't continue to force muscle hypertrophy by weight bearing exercise, BUT-- we heal more slowly as we age so give it more time between sessions....and secondly a CAVEAT-- there s nothing we can do about the toll aging takes on our ligaments and their attachments to bone. Agressive, heavy lifting can more easily lead to tendon rupture for us older guys. .... Many of us might think we-re still only 24, but we're not.
Maybe the first question the OP should be asking is "Why bother?" Just maintaining adequate strength, flexibility and mobility in our later years should be our goal....Who ya trying to impress at this point?
I don't waste my time viewing you tube presentations that turn out to erroneous 90% of the time, but here's the actual science to be considered:
Building muscle is actually a healing process. The strenuous muscle activity tears them down, then they "heal" in thicker during the rest period. This is analogous to developing callouses on your hands. This is why you don't exercise the same muscles two days in a row, or why overly enthusiastic teenagers fail to make rapid gains (because they over-work and then repeat too soon).
As we age, there is no reason that we can't continue to force muscle hypertrophy by weight bearing exercise, BUT-- we heal more slowly as we age so give it more time between sessions....and secondly a CAVEAT-- there s nothing we can do about the toll aging takes on our ligaments and their attachments to bone. Agressive, heavy lifting can more easily lead to tendon rupture for us older guys. .... Many of us might think we-re still only 24, but we're not.
Maybe the first question the OP should be asking is "Why bother?" Just maintaining adequate strength, flexibility and mobility in our later years should be our goal....Who ya trying to impress at this point?
This is kind of true but you're ignoring the hormonal aspect of muscle building as well. If it was just a matter of healing, women and men could put on the same amounts of muscle. We know that is not true, that certain hormones privilege the growth of muscle over other tissue, and perhaps even break down muscle.
I'm not sure how much muscle a 70 year old can put on. Maybe some if they're untrained. But at the very least they will blunt muscle loss (as we age) which makes strength bearing activities vital to those who are aging.
You bring up a good point about hormonal influences. It appears that it's exposure to testosterone in fetal stages that determines whether muscle becomes the stronger male form or remains the weaker female form. Paradoxically, castration after birth allows male muscle to get even bigger-- cf- steers, capons, eunuchs and anabolic steroids (they work by chemical castration). Older men have lower testosterone levels, so theoretically they should be able to bulk up with less work (?).
It's that fetal exposure to testosterone that should make us form a separate competition class for men who instst they are women...and while we're at it, how about a separate class for men who instst they are Napoleon? But I digress....
You bring up a good point about hormonal influences. It appears that it's exposure to testosterone in fetal stages that determines whether muscle becomes the stronger male form or remains the weaker female form. Paradoxically, castration after birth allows male muscle to get even bigger-- cf- steers, capons, eunuchs and anabolic steroids (they work by chemical castration). Older men have lower testosterone levels, so theoretically they should be able to bulk up with less work (?).
It's that fetal exposure to testosterone that should make us form a separate competition class for men who instst they are women...and while we're at it, how about a separate class for men who instst they are Napoleon? But I digress....
It's during puberty that most children begin acquiring secondary sexual characteristics. And this is where boys/men tend to rapidly acquire muscle mass.
I don't waste my time viewing you tube presentations that turn out to erroneous 90% of the time, but here's the actual science to be considered:
Building muscle is actually a healing process. The strenuous muscle activity tears them down, then they "heal" in thicker during the rest period. This is analogous to developing callouses on your hands. This is why you don't exercise the same muscles two days in a row, or why overly enthusiastic teenagers fail to make rapid gains (because they over-work and then repeat too soon).
As we age, there is no reason that we can't continue to force muscle hypertrophy by weight bearing exercise, BUT-- we heal more slowly as we age so give it more time between sessions....and secondly a CAVEAT-- there s nothing we can do about the toll aging takes on our ligaments and their attachments to bone. Agressive, heavy lifting can more easily lead to tendon rupture for us older guys. .... Many of us might think we-re still only 24, but we're not.
Maybe the first question the OP should be asking is "Why bother?" Just maintaining adequate strength, flexibility and mobility in our later years should be our goal....Who ya trying to impress at this point?
Ha, NO!!!. My personal goal is to keep increasing in strength to become as strong as is possible for me. None of this 'maintaining adequate strength.' That may be fine for you, but never for me.
If you choose to dismiss the video without even watching it, that's your choice. But it has good information.
Give yourself more recovery time between work out sessions, and be careful with heavy weights so you don't blow out tendons &ligaments. They don't get stronger with exercise, but weaken with age no matter what you do.,.and we all lose height with age, even without punishing ourselves with heavy lifting.
I don't understand your motivation....Sophia Loren is not beautiful, but she's beautiful for an 85 year old. Big difference. ..and Joe DiMaggio retired after only 15 years in The Show. Why? "Because I can't be Joe DiMaggio anymore," he explained.
Give yourself more recovery time between work out sessions, and be careful with heavy weights so you don't blow out tendons &ligaments. They don't get stronger with exercise, but weaken with age no matter what you do.,.and we all lose height with age, even without punishing ourselves with heavy lifting.
I don't understand your motivation....Sophia Loren is not beautiful, but she's beautiful for an 85 year old. Big difference. ..and Joe DiMaggio retired after only 15 years in The Show. Why? "Because I can't be Joe DiMaggio anymore," he explained.
I've been training all my life. I know what I'm doing. And I do not believe that your tendons and ligaments get weaker with age despite anything you do. Tendons don't adapt as quickly as muscle, but they do adapt.
You don't need to understand my motivation. It's enough that I understand it.
I don't waste my time viewing you tube presentations that turn out to erroneous 90% of the time, but here's the actual science to be considered:
Building muscle is actually a healing process. The strenuous muscle activity tears them down, then they "heal" in thicker during the rest period. This is analogous to developing callouses on your hands. This is why you don't exercise the same muscles two days in a row, or why overly enthusiastic teenagers fail to make rapid gains (because they over-work and then repeat too soon).
As we age, there is no reason that we can't continue to force muscle hypertrophy by weight bearing exercise, BUT-- we heal more slowly as we age so give it more time between sessions....and secondly a CAVEAT-- there s nothing we can do about the toll aging takes on our ligaments and their attachments to bone. Agressive, heavy lifting can more easily lead to tendon rupture for us older guys. .... Many of us might think we-re still only 24, but we're not.
Maybe the first question the OP should be asking is "Why bother?" Just maintaining adequate strength, flexibility and mobility in our later years should be our goal....Who ya trying to impress at this point?
People do date over 60 you know. . .
We are also allowed to develop new hobbies and interests at any time of life. The fact that my friends are dying off is giving me some motivation and extra free time as well.
I bet David Goggins will still build muscle at 70 . . .
Last edited by ihatetodust; 04-01-2024 at 03:59 PM..
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