Is It Too Late for Me?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Long time reader first time poster.

I have a pretty general question, but something that angers me constantly.

I’m 29 years old, will be 30 in January. Have a little baby girl, and about to transition into a job that will be ~50 hours a week. The only time I have to work out is early in the morning, and at 4:00am I am constantly convincing myself I’m too tired and should lay back down. I spend the rest of the day cursing myself for not getting up and working out.

I pissed away my best training years by constantly jumping programs back and forth, and having a garbage nutrition plan. College was spent eating fast food and pizza, and the previous 6 years have just been a mess of no-carb/high-carb/carb cycling/etc.

My problem is that if I don’t see immediate results (which is NOT the right mindset obviously) I automatically assume it’s not working and I need to change.

I’ve read through a ton of the main threads on the site, and also read plenty of articles. My main area of concern is that the majority of these articles are aimed towards the 16-20 year old kids that can put on muscle by walking by the weight rack.

Is it too late for me? I weigh 170lbs, ~6’0", and look scrawny as hell. I’ve never had abs, and have always had a nice little layer of belly fat to keep those away. So I don’t even get the benefit of looking scrawny!

And so of course with beach weather coming up, even as I type this I’m not sure if I should just committ for the next 3-5 years to gaining mass and worry about a beach body later, or do I do something like the “destroying fat” program on here to try and lose that belly fat and worry about size in the winter?

On top of it all I’m worried that at 29-30 years old it’s going to take even longer (if possible) to gain size and look like any of the regulars on here.

I think it’s obviously to see I’m confused just by how this post is all over the place. I am wondering if it’s just too late in my life to put on a good amount of size but also remain lean enough to look good. My ideal look would be a bodybuilder look, not a powerlifter look.

2

[quote]ForeverNewbie wrote:
Is it too late for me? I weigh 170lbs, ~6’0", at 29-30 years old [/quote]
You might as well lay down and die.

I’m total kidding old man. Set goals for yourself to help stay committed. You also don’t need to bulk, just go to the gym and lift with intensity and consistency. Eat healthy and you will naturally lose fat and gain muscle.

3

Work hard enough and its never too late

4

[quote]ForeverNewbie wrote:
The only time I have to work out is early in the morning[/quote]
That’s fine. You can get decent results, especially as a beginner, training three days a week if it’s well-designed. Plenty of guys reach their goals while dealing with a crazy schedule. It’s about prioritizing, setting long, mid, and short-term goals, and choosing the right plan.

Do you recognize that this statement ^^^

And this statement ^^^ are contradictory?

You’re mindfucking yourself: Talking yourself out of training, being frustrated because you didn’t train, and then hoping to see fast results. You’ve got to get your mind right.

I’m 32. I could sit around saying I pissed away my best years as a sexual dynamo because I didn’t have a threesome with twin red-headed midgets. But I don’t.

They’re really not. I think you might be reading them through a different set of glasses, so to speak.

“Skinny fat” is the unofficial term for this awesome look. And by “awesome”, I mean unfortunate, but fixable.

For nutrition, focus on the basic foods discussed here:

For training, again, starting off with consistency in the basics is fine for what we want to do. This is a solid plan that uses relatively-brief training sessions:

I’m absolutely convinced that the classic “bulk and cut” phases of training are a whole different animal for the over-30 crowd who are usually just realizing that their hummingbird-esque teenage metabolisms are long, long gone. The number of former athlete-current fat dudes I saw at my 10-year high school reunion confirmed this for me.

That’s not at all saying we can’t build muscle and drop fat. But, to repeat myself, we need to use the right plan.

As a beginner, you’ll see muscle gains and some fat loss simply by lifting consistently week after week, eating enough protein, and not being over-eager by increasing calories too much, too soon.

Cry me a river, Nancy.

:wink:

Really though, it’s not about “catching up” to someone who’s been lifting consistently for 5, 10, or 15 years. It’s about you turning you into a better version of you. (Yeesh, sorry for that disgusting Stuart Smalley impression.)

It is not too late, but you have to approach the plan intelligently.

Jay Cutler is a bodybuilder, so is Greg Plitt. Mike Miller is a powerlifter, so is Kirk Karwoski. (Google Image search them if you don’t know)

“A bodybuilder look” is not an exact goal, though I get what you mean. “Weighing 185, squatting 225, and overhead pressing 155 by August 31.” is a goal. Or even “Completing 15 workouts by May 31” is a goal.

5

damn chris that was an awesome post. Good lad

6

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
“A bodybuilder look” is not an exact goal, though I get what you mean. “Weighing 185, squatting 225, and overhead pressing 155 by August 31.” is a goal. Or even “Completing 15 workouts by May 31” is a goal.[/quote]

This is something that always confused me. Maybe someone can clear it up for me. My goal IS to look awesome. You’re probably saying that it’s better to break it down, but I’m not sure how that translates.

If I OHP 155, will I look awesome? I don’t know. I know some strong dudes who don’t look awesome. I also know some weaker dudes who look totally awesome.

Furthermore, when you get advice from knowledgeable people about the path to looking awesome you are told that a big chunk of time goes into achieving the opposite. Eat like crazy and gain tons of weight (and strength).

In terms of age, 30 seems waaaaay too young to complain about being over the hill. Noticeable hormonal decline doesn’t kick in until 40. Now, over 40, has anyone started fat and developed a six-pac (naturally)? I haven’t met any.

I’m very determined and consistent but I do like to complain ;D

7

[quote]qsar wrote:

If I OHP 155, will I look awesome? I don’t know. I know some strong dudes who don’t look awesome. I also know some weaker dudes who look totally awesome.[/quote]
Looking awesome is more a function of being lean than being strong. Of course, a lean + strong is going to look more awesome than a weak + lean.

I can strict press 155x5 and I look decidedly not awesome. I’m shooting for bodyweight by the end of the year.

This goes back to the strong + awesome thing. You have to put in the fork time to get the muscle. Then you diet to bring out the awesomeness.

The difficulty in achieving a six-pack really doesn’t change that much. It’s the awesome slabs of muscle that get really hard to gain and/or maintain. A good endocrinologist can help.

[quote]I do like to complain ;D
[/quote]
Nuh-uh

8

To clarify. People always ask, what’s your goal? Strength? Size? I say that I really don’t care about any of that. I just want to look awesome. Then people say, “that’s not a goal”. I say, why not? I’ll do whatever takes me there, whether it’s lifting heavier, doing p90x, crossfit, the 300 workout, ballet, I don’t care: tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Then you get a bunch of “you have to find your own path” kind of think. blah!

9

just get started! you’re not going look awesome without putting your balls to the grindstone.

example: do 5/3/1 + hill sprints 3 times a week. Cycle Carbs (use search function)

there are loads of combinations of stuff which will get you where you want to be. And, yes, it may be an idea to start with P90x to get into the habit of training a shred some fat before the summer. (muscle confusion is a myth though)

And Chris C is the Jesus of newbs

10

[quote]qsar wrote:
To clarify. People always ask, what’s your goal? Strength? Size? I say that I really don’t care about any of that. I just want to look awesome. Then people say, “that’s not a goal”. I say, why not? I’ll do whatever takes me there, whether it’s lifting heavier, doing p90x, crossfit, the 300 workout, ballet, I don’t care: tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Then you get a bunch of “you have to find your own path” kind of think. blah![/quote]

I wouldn’t call that a goal, either. It can’t be quantified. You also can’t bump up the goal once you get there.

looking awesome is the idea. You need to set goals that will get you there.

11

29 ? Yeah, I wish I was that young again.

At 43 years old and 73" and 173# @ 12% bodyfat I started a westside program (detail oriented and anal retentive) on Halloween of 2010 with the following lifts S: 265 B:135! yeah fucking pathetic and D: 335.

My goals by Halloween 2012 Squat 405 Bench 275 and Deadlift 515. Currently: S 375 B 235 D 455. I set goals

and are on my way to achieving them. Once hit I will set new ones.

The other goal was to quit being a fucking stick “skinny fat” figure.

I am now 203# with the same 12% bodyfat.

Write or paint your specific goals on the wall and get after them. It is your life so build the life YOU want to live…

Sorry to get aggro, IF you want something bad enough you will find a way to fullfill it, goodluck

12

If you want to look awsome a simple bodypart split will probably serve you well.

Pick a couple of excercises that works for you for each bodypart and hit them hard once or twice a week for a
year, you ought to be more awsome after a year of that, but perhaps not so awsome you want, well then you give it another year. For diet high protein and moderate carbs will probably be a place to start.

Example of a bodypart split:

Day 1: chest and triceps.
flat bench with BB or DB: 3 x 8-12.
incline bench with BB or DB: 3 x 8-12.
tate press: 3 x 8-12.
diamond push ups: 3 x max reps.

Day 2: lats and upperback.
DB or BB rows: 3 x 8-12.
chins: 3 x max reps or a total of 30-50reps.
wide grip rows: 3 x 8-12.
Shrugs: 3 x 8-12.

Day 4: Legs.
Squat: 3 x 8-12.
DB lunges: 3 x 8-12.
RDL: 3 x 8-12.
legcurls: 3 x 8-12.

Day 5: shoulders and biceps.
Militarypress with BB or DB: 3 x 8-12.
side raises: 3 x 10-15.
rear raises: 3 x 10-15.
bicep curls with BB or DB: 3 x 8-12.

Day 3,6 and 7 is off days.

You can do abs every session, it can be 3 x max reps with sit ups or leg raises.

This is just a example of how you can do it, the most important thing is doing something on a regular basis, that trumphs doing nothing every time.

13

OP, I didn’t start making real progress until last year at the age of 29. I was 169# 15% bf at 5’9", now I’m 197# about 21-22% bf. my lifts increased as follows from last June:

incline bench - 185x3 to 225x3
bench - 155x6 to 275x1 easy single, 300x1 just short of lockout
squat - 265 fail 1/2 rom box squat to 275x1 just short of parallel squat
ohp - 125x8 push press to 175x1 seated press
deadlift - 265x8 to 405x1

progress can be made even at our age. it just takes hard work, dedication, and sensible training.

14

OP - it isn’t too late.

I’ll be 30 in October and I only started exercising seriously 3 years ago. And even then, my exercise was programmed poorly, I constantly chopped and changed, my diet went up and down.

Mid last year I discovered Wendler’s 5/3/1 program and I haven’t missed a training session since. Find a proven program and stick with it. Follow something like “The Simple Diet” as described on this forum. Eat as much as you want, but only eat healthy foods.

My lifts have gone from
Deadlift 120kg/264lb x 1 to 205kg/451lb x 1
Squat 90kg/200lb x 1 shallow to 132.5kg/293lb x 8 deep
Press 40kg/88lb x 1 to 70kg/154lb x 1
Close Grip Bench (my bench sucks haha) 60kg/132lb x 1 to 105kg/231lb x 1

Bodyweight from 70kg/154lb to 90kg/200lb while staying at approximately 12% bodyfat throughout.

These aren’t superhuman gains by any means, but these were achieved despite my poor initial approach and despite being a borderline alcoholic until mid last year. Even this level of success has been amazing for my confidence and happiness, and I find it leaching into other areas of my life and making me a better person in general. I look forward to lifting and living long into my grey pubes years.

I feel for you with the limited time and motivation, but if you WANT something, you have to TAKE it. It’s not just going to come to you. Don’t let negativity beat you down and stop you from succeeding. Ease yourself into it if you have to - set simple goals like completing 2 full body workouts every week for 3 months and not eating fast or processed food for 6 days. Whatever, just be consistent, and be positive.

By the age of 30 you will have realised that time flies by. Start your lifting career today and 6 months will fly by before you know it. Spend those 6 months training and eating smart, and you will see great results. Take a photo of yourself today and put it away in a drawer for 6 months. Complete your workouts and dietary goals and have a look at it in a year’s time. You will get results, trust me.

I also struggled and continue to struggle with regret for not starting earlier or smarter, but you can’t just dwell on shit like that. You need to spend your time moving forward, not looking backward. Make sure you don’t look back in 6 month’s time and regret not following all the advice in this thread. Go make it work for you.

15

[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:
OP, I didn’t start making real progress until last year at the age of 29. I was 169# 15% bf at 5’9", now I’m 197# about 21-22% bf. my lifts increased as follows from last June:[/quote]

Yup. I started making good progress at 30, going from 170 @15% to 200 @ 17% within a year IIRC. Made it up to 225 over the following couple of years, and now I’m down to 200 @11.5% (according to 3-site skinfold, I’ve always had a lot of visceral fat).

It may be too late to ever look like Jay Cutler, but it’s never too late to work your ass off and feel (and look) awesome for it. Everyday life is so much easier when you’re strong and conditioned.

16

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

I’m absolutely convinced that the classic “bulk and cut” phases of training are a whole different animal for the over-30 crowd who are usually just realizing that their hummingbird-esque teenage metabolisms are long, long gone.[/quote]

please could you give some advices about this ?
I’m this +30 years old man, actually trying to bulk :wink:

Thanks !
Mathieu

17

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]ForeverNewbie wrote:
The only time I have to work out is early in the morning[/quote]
That’s fine. You can get decent results, especially as a beginner, training three days a week if it’s well-designed. Plenty of guys reach their goals while dealing with a crazy schedule. It’s about prioritizing, setting long, mid, and short-term goals, and choosing the right plan.

Do you recognize that this statement ^^^

And this statement ^^^ are contradictory?

You’re mindfucking yourself: Talking yourself out of training, being frustrated because you didn’t train, and then hoping to see fast results. You’ve got to get your mind right.

I’m 32. I could sit around saying I pissed away my best years as a sexual dynamo because I didn’t have a threesome with twin red-headed midgets. But I don’t.

They’re really not. I think you might be reading them through a different set of glasses, so to speak.

“Skinny fat” is the unofficial term for this awesome look. And by “awesome”, I mean unfortunate, but fixable.

For nutrition, focus on the basic foods discussed here:

For training, again, starting off with consistency in the basics is fine for what we want to do. This is a solid plan that uses relatively-brief training sessions:

I’m absolutely convinced that the classic “bulk and cut” phases of training are a whole different animal for the over-30 crowd who are usually just realizing that their hummingbird-esque teenage metabolisms are long, long gone. The number of former athlete-current fat dudes I saw at my 10-year high school reunion confirmed this for me.

That’s not at all saying we can’t build muscle and drop fat. But, to repeat myself, we need to use the right plan.

As a beginner, you’ll see muscle gains and some fat loss simply by lifting consistently week after week, eating enough protein, and not being over-eager by increasing calories too much, too soon.

Cry me a river, Nancy.

:wink:

Really though, it’s not about “catching up” to someone who’s been lifting consistently for 5, 10, or 15 years. It’s about you turning you into a better version of you. (Yeesh, sorry for that disgusting Stuart Smalley impression.)

It is not too late, but you have to approach the plan intelligently.

Jay Cutler is a bodybuilder, so is Greg Plitt. Mike Miller is a powerlifter, so is Kirk Karwoski. (Google Image search them if you don’t know)

“A bodybuilder look” is not an exact goal, though I get what you mean. “Weighing 185, squatting 225, and overhead pressing 155 by August 31.” is a goal. Or even “Completing 15 workouts by May 31” is a goal.[/quote]

Great Post.

18

To be honest, it’s never too late.

One comment I noticed stood out: you need immediate results.

My advice to you is to do a basic strength program for 2 years. Nothing is as immediate as lifting 5 pounds more than last week. Starting Strength, Madcow, 5/3/1, etc. All good for you.

When you’ve gotten a good idea of how your body works, you can switch over to a “hypertrophy” focus. But keep in mind, “progress” in this area is much harder to measure. Growth is slower than the continental drift and only visible over time due to its gradual nature.

You can “measure” your waist, chest, biceps, but these will vary from day to day based on many factors. As you get more advanced, you will even have days when you can lift LESS than last time. You’ll have to focus always, on the long-term trend. In other words, you will have to drop your perspective of “immediate results”.

So what I’m saying is that your real issue is a mental one. Mature up, lift consistently and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

I did 90% cardio 10% lifting from 2007-2009. I did a year bodybuilding splits at 29. I started powerlifting workouts at 30. I’m doing OK.

19

This thread is making my testicles shrink.

My advice? Stop being a bitch OP.

20

[quote]qsar wrote:
If I OHP 155, will I look awesome? I don’t know. I know some strong dudes who don’t look awesome. I also know some weaker dudes who look totally awesome.[/quote]
I didn’t say the OP would look awesome when he’s able to press 155. I told him to gain 15 pounds of bodyweight while squatting more 1.25xBW and overhead pressing almost BW, in the next four months. That will get him closer to his goals. But no, just being able to overhead press 155 will not guarantee awesomeness. We agree on that.

“I’m going on vacation.”

“Where 'ya going?”

“Um, Asia. I’ll know exactly where I’m going once I get there.”

How much sense does that make, really?

Like Jay said, “looking awesome” is the long, long, long term plan. As in, “before I drop dead, I’m going to spend most of my years in a state of awesomeness.” But without a concrete plan that uses short and mid-term plans to get there, you’re definitely not going to find the most effective way there. Why waste time when you don’t really have to?

Goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. That’s how crap gets done efficiently and effectively.

And I really don’t want to hear a cop-out like, “Goals are for pussies who settle. I don’t set an exact goal because I’m never finished improving.” Yeah, okay. Matt Kroc choosing the date of his first bodybuilding competition was a bad idea; Cosgrove made a mistake by making his post-cancer goal “add one push-up per day for the first month.”

Specific goals encourage progress. End of story.