Strength difference between when you were young compared to middle age.

[Kaladryn]

I've noticed that everyone gets about 10 years of lifting too heavy before their joints and tendons are destroyed.

 

[heavyhitter]

At 38, my maximal strength isn’t as high as it was when I was powerlifting, but I’m also not training that way anymore. But my strength for reps and sets of almost as high as it’s ever been. Only reason it’s down is from covid lockdown and a torn bicep in March. But I’m approaching my previous strength and have actually set some pr’s in things like stiff leg dead’s. And at a muuuuch lower bodyweight than previously. I’m down about 32 pounds from where I normally walk around

 

[heavyhitter]

I've noticed that everyone gets about 10 years of lifting too heavy before their joints and tendons are destroyed.

I find that I require more warmups these days as I approach 40, but besides some creaky knees, ankles that you can hear coming a mile away, and some arthritis in my thumbs I don’t have any joint issues and have never had a serious injury in the gym. Been at this since I was 19

 

[Kaladryn]

I find that I require more warmups these days as I approach 40, but besides some creaky knees, ankles that you can hear coming a mile away, and some arthritis in my thumbs I don’t have any joint issues and have never had a serious injury in the gym. Been at this since I was 19

Those joints that creak and the arthritis is probably most if not all of the cartilage gone in those joints.

 

[heavyhitter]

Those joints that creak and the arthritis is probably most if not all of the cartilage gone in those joints.

Nah it’s just crepitis in my ankles. They’ve done it since I was 16 but they’re much louder now. I have zero ankle pain and very good mobility. My knees don’t give me any issues either other than they just feel cold and stiff on my first couple warm ups. The arthritis in the fingers for sure though. Years of grappling and bjj has given me some pretty gnarly hands

 

[Kaladryn]

Nah it’s just crepitis in my ankles. They’ve done it since I was 16 but they’re much louder now. I have zero ankle pain and very good mobility. My knees don’t give me any issues either other than they just feel cold and stiff on my first couple warm ups. The arthritis in the fingers for sure though. Years of grappling and bjj has given me some pretty gnarly hands

Even my good joints that don't even hurt have most of the cartilage missing on an MRI at this point.

 

[bellicose]

I've noticed that everyone gets about 10 years of lifting too heavy before their joints and tendons are destroyed.

100% what I was going to say. After college football I got a few yrs of powerlifting and strongman before things started to break. I most definitely am stronger now but I can't push to that point anymore because as I recently learned from a horrible pec injury injury could be right around the corner and the risk/benefit ratio doesn't favor going heavy.
I now developed a mind-muscle connection and don't need to go heavy anymore to maintain or grow.

 

[Hammer4]

I just got Doug Brignole's book, physics of resistance exercise. Working through it now but seems like his main point is this-- the muscle doesn't know if you have 500 lbs on your back doing squats or 100 lbs on leg extensions (I made up these numbers), your quads are experiencing the same "load" hence the same hypertrophy in the long run.

Pretty much what Kaladryn was saying earlier but the book gets technical taking each muscle group and exercises for each group one by one. Intersting thread

 

[maldorf]

I just got Doug Brignole's book, physics of resistance exercise. Working through it now but seems like his main point is this-- the muscle doesn't know if you have 500 lbs on your back doing squats or 100 lbs on leg extensions (I made up these numbers), your quads are experiencing the same "load" hence the same hypertrophy in the long run.

Pretty much what Kaladryn was saying earlier but the book gets technical taking each muscle group and exercises for each group one by one. Intersting thread

Well, larger loads are going to recruit more motor units, hence more fibers. If going lighter weight you can eventually work a lot of the same units though if you push to failure, because the motor units you use at first will begin to fatigue and then the nervous system calls on other units that were held in reserve.

 

[Hammer4]

Well, larger loads are going to recruit more motor units, hence more fibers. If going lighter weight you can eventually work a lot of the same units though if you push to failure, because the motor units you use at first will begin to fatigue and then the nervous system calls on other units that were held in reserve.

100% agree with this. As long as we don't equate weight on the bar with load. I defintely don't advocate lifting like a pussy lol.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

I defintely don't advocate lifting like a pussy

This line right here. It shines in this thread like a light in the darkness.

 

[Kaladryn]

Well, larger loads are going to recruit more motor units, hence more fibers. If going lighter weight you can eventually work a lot of the same units though if you push to failure, because the motor units you use at first will begin to fatigue and then the nervous system calls on other units that were held in reserve.

This is very true, but what I'm doing is a little different, I'm talking about the same rep range, the same intensity, the same difficulty, with lighter weight by using form, leverage, technique, etc., that makes it so it "feels" just as heavy. The muscle is firing just as hard with the same number for motor units.

Also, this brings up a good point, I'm after two things in the gym: creating a 'neurological overload' to signal the nervous system to adapt that area and make it stronger (current science), and recruiting all the secondary motor units by fatiguing the primary ones and continuing making that muscle work. Thanks to John Meadows (I've heard of it before but he reinforced its importance for me) I'm also interested in getting a stretch in the muscle while working fully pumped, but that is ultimately probably just further recruiting motor units. Also, I might buy into the "stretching the fascia" theory and Milos' hyperemia theory, but I would never admit that in public.

I actually train just as hard and intensely and probably suffer more than I did when I was younger and much stronger, but yeah the weights are pretty pussy. But that's true for everyone if you are a Becca Swanson fan.

 

[bornonthebayou]

some lifts i am for sure weaker in... I'm way stronger though in some lifts. I find when I train with younger guys, their stabilization muscles are super weak still.. example, if we are incline dumbell pressing and grinding out the hard reps the weight will want to fall back on them verse when I now reach failure the reps mirror the earlier reps but I get pinned, no awkward movements happening in the rotator cuff

 

[maldorf]

This is very true, but what I'm doing is a little different, I'm talking about the same rep range, the same intensity, the same difficulty, with lighter weight by using form, leverage, technique, etc., that makes it so it "feels" just as heavy. The muscle is firing just as hard with the same number for motor units.

Also, this brings up a good point, I'm after two things in the gym: creating a 'neurological overload' to signal the nervous system to adapt that area and make it stronger (current science), and recruiting all the secondary motor units by fatiguing the primary ones and continuing making that muscle work. Thanks to John Meadows (I've heard of it before but he reinforced its importance for me) I'm also interested in getting a stretch in the muscle while working fully pumped, but that is ultimately probably just further recruiting motor units. Also, I might buy into the "stretching the fascia" theory and Milos' hyperemia theory, but I would never admit that in public.

I actually train just as hard and intensely and probably suffer more than I did when I was younger and much stronger, but yeah the weights are pretty pussy. But that's true for everyone if you are a Becca Swanson fan.

It's pretty easy to do of you slow tempo a d the speed of the rep. Also don't lock out the movement, keep constant tension.

I always liked the thinking that as a bodybuilder, you want to make the weight feel as heavy as you can. Don't use momentum like a powerlifter etc.

 

[MasteroniPepperoni]

Light weight , or heavy weight, it's about keeping it as intense as possible(High reps, time under tension, dropsets,supersets) with strict form. I do believe there is some truth about heavy weight building density, though. That's why I think most of the guys who changed their training with age, but still lifted that way have a certain look which they can now maintain.

 

[heavyhitter]

Light weight , or heavy weight, it's about keeping it as intense as possible(High reps, time under tension, dropsets,supersets) with strict form. I do believe there is some truth about heavy weight building density, though. That's why I think most of the guys who changed their training with age, but still lifted that way have a certain look which they can now maintain.

Look at Ben Pollack. You can build size without stupid heavy weights, but Slag heavy iron builds a density you can’t get any other way

 

[MasteroniPepperoni]

Look at Ben Pollack. You can build size without stupid heavy weights, but Slag heavy iron builds a density you can’t get any other way

Totally. You can see the differences among physiques too

 

[beast405]

I'm not nearly as strong now (age 32) as I was in my 20s.
But what's weird is that I look better and more muscular now for sure. I chalk it up to muscle maturity over time.

I’m not quiet considered middle age yet but I was def stronger in my early 20s than I am now. But just like you I look way better and bigger than I was then

 

[mitochondria]

I basically hit my strength platue around 22 after years of hard training and takin lots of shit, now I maybe do a cycle once a year if not every few years. I had came off for a few years and busy, got in gym maybe once or twice a week and strength did eventually drop a bit maybe 30lb on lifts, but got on a cycle and gained it right back in 2 months, but never more strengh or size

 

[T. Johnson]

I was strong as an ox when I was in my late 30's early 40's but man 51 is another realm. I just recently in the last 6 months started trt but it's still harder than it was. I can say however that I look a shitload better now than I did then. Gettin them abs and everything. I still squat 315 for a fairly/depending on the day easy 3 sets of 10 and deadlift 405 for sets of 10 and even bench 315 for a few sets of 5 but that is way weaker than I was.