WHY DO OLDER BODYBUILDERS LOSE LEG SIZE?

[JETHRO TULL]

I SEE PICS IN THE MAGS OF BODYBUILDERS AND IT SEEMS LIKE AS THE FELLAS GET ON UP IN YEAR THE LEGS GET SMALLER AND SMALLER. IS IT DUE TO INJURIES? IS IT DUE TO LACK OF MOTIVATION? IS IT JUST SOME THING THAT HAPPENS TO OLD MEN? HAHAHA..........

 

[Paul Bunyan]

It's probably due to injuries. BB'er style squats can take a toll on the knees and it's probably too painful for them to train legs heavy.

PB

 

[amenselah]

also is the catabolic wasting of old age..look at old men. most of them have no thigh muscle..

this is why a good HRT program will benefit older men...
a little Test. with GH will improve quality of life and stop muscle wasting...

 

[xcelbeyond]

Well - I resemble that remark

My legs are still as large (or small, whatever your opinion is) as they've ever been.

Last weekend, I was in the big town of Baker City (makes Montana look like a Metropolis - LOL), working out at the local gym. Of course these older local guys working out there felt the need to tell "ME" how they USED TO BE - LOL. One guy was about 7 years older than me, literally no legs, but very lean and muscular - larger arms and upper body. We later spoke and he recently had MAJOR back injury problems, couldn't squat anymore, and said his legs atrophied (which was VERY obvious).

This other guy, about my age, maybe a few years younger, comes up to me and starts telling me about the MAX lifts he USED TO DO. This guy was about 5'7" and 170#, with a large chest and VERY lean - looked like a bicycle rider (from clothes he was wearing - LOL). He said he WAS a powerlifter and weighed about 220 at that time. He also had a back injury that kept him away from the gym for a couple o' years.

If you were to watch me squat, most of you would probably say I'm "cheating" - not going deep enough. I only go down to parrallel, if that. I KNOW WAY TOO MANY BODYBUILDERS THAT CAN'T DO SQUATS 'CAUSE THEY RUINED THEIR KNEES FROM "DEEP" SQUATS - which ain't gonna happen to this smart ol' bird!

xcel

 

[Dad]

Go Xcel!

I, too, am shall we say, a later 40's trainee. I cut the squats maybe 3-4" inches short of meet-lagal parallel, as Xcel does.

My legs are just as big as they were 20 years ago in my competitive powerlifting days, and though I don't use heavy, single rep max weights, anymore, I'm actually stronger on the reps, and can do more weight for more reps on the leg press than I did then.

NOT boasting, just pointing out that I don't think age, per se, is the culprit in older guys havein samller legs.

Oh ,and Xcel, I used to be able to...LOL!

 

[Queefer]

When a man becomes 40 to 50 something, their legs atrophy because they lean on their walkers too much.

 

[amenselah]

When a man becomes 40 to 50 something, their legs atrophy because they lean on their walkers too much.

 

[JETHRO TULL]

WELL....THAT'S GOOD NEWS!

I DON'T WANT TO RESIGN MYSELF TO HAVING NONEXISTANT LEGS AS I GROW OLDER!

 

[MikeS]

My legs are not not great, but I squat every week since the beginning of time! And at 45YO they are, no doubt, better than ever. Probably (delts too) my most improved bodypart over the last 2yrs. Plus this Wednesday, I (smith machine) squatted a best 500x4. Luckly my legs have been pretty much injury free, for sure that helps a ton.

 

[j18extreme]

RONNIE DOESNT SEEM TO HAVE THAT PROBLEM ,OR COMIER

 

[JETHRO TULL]

MIKE...THAT'S SOME GOOD WEIGHT, BROTHER!

KEEP IT UP! I WISH YOU YEARS OF INJURY FREE LIFTING!

J18EXTREME.....YEAH, BUT MANY GUYS THAT OLD AND OLDER DO SEEM TO HAVE LAGGING LEGS.

PAUL> I WONDERED ABOUT THE INJURIES....MY HIPS TEND TO GET SORE ETC.....

EXCEL...GOOD TIP ON INJURY PREVENTION.

AMENSELAH....I PLAN ON THE TEST AND GH ROUTE, LOW DOSE..I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT! <THE GH>

QUEEFER....YEAH, THAT'S FUNNY.....HOPE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO US!

DAD...I AM GLAD TO HEAR IT....I USED TO POWER LIFT AS WELL....I HATE THAT SMALL LEG BIG UPPER BODY THING THAT HAPPENS TO SOME FELLAS. I WAS THINKING MAYBE THEY JUST GET TOO LAZY TO SQUAT.

 

[edge250]

my dad will be 60 in july and is going to destroy his class at the masters nationals 7 weeks away in pittsburgh. i to have noticed that his thighs have started to loose alittle size as his age increases. he has no injuries and still push's awesome weights and is geared up but for some reason thats where its starts to show?

 

[DamageInc]

What still gets me is that Excel says he squats 350 for 20 reps....No offense bro but when I look at your pic I can't see that. Maybe you have muscle fiber type to do high reps but not heavy weights. If i posted a pic like that my legs would more than double yours and I don't squat 350 for 20 reps (although I think doing over 10 reps is cardio ) I can push 5 plates for 6 but if I tried 350 for 20 I would probably pass out. LOL But I don't consider it a squat unless I go deep. 10 years and my knees have no problems. Only thing that fucks my knees up is 'hack' squats.

 

[xcelbeyond]

What still gets me is that Excel says he squats 350 for 20 reps....No offense bro but when I look at your pic I can't see that. Maybe you have muscle fiber type to do high reps but not heavy weights. If i posted a pic like that my legs would more than double yours and I don't squat 350 for 20 reps (although I think doing over 10 reps is cardio ) I can push 5 plates for 6 but if I tried 350 for 20 I would probably pass out. LOL But I don't consider it a squat unless I go deep. 10 years and my knees have no problems. Only thing that fucks my knees up is 'hack' squats.

Yea - I got real shitty genetics regarding a lot of different muscle "shape." My quads are tapped at 26" which is as big or bigger than they've ever been - they just don't have a "sweep."

In high school, I was the strongest, scrawniest, little kid. As a senior, I only weighed 150 but was very strong. I pushed the seated leg press machine to the closest setting, then had the 2 biggest guys in gym class stand on the weight stack - then do 10 reps. NOBODY would believe it until they saw it. I got the chance to workout with feelnfit, of this board, when I was visiting his part of the country. He can elaborate on my form and size of legs.

I used to race motorcycles off road/cross country and did some pretty crazy leg exercises for leg endurance. I'd do lunges the length of the football field then again, no rest, for three lengths.

Over time, I've figured out that weight is really a relative thing. We can easily make an amount of weight a "mental" barrier. I look at the amount I did (say on bench press) I did 5 years ago and if I'd have thought I could ever do that amount 10 years ago, it was just a dream. I look at the amount I do today and think back 5 years ago and think if I could ever do that amount of weight.

At my age, I could really care less what people think about me - LOL. I still get a kick out of people's faces when I tell them my age, esp if I'm in shorts and a tank. Just makes it all worth it to me.

I don't remember how old you are DamageInc but I know I'm preachin' to the choir here. Working with heavy weights is 90% "mental." I don't know how long you've been doing heavy "deep" squats. IMHO it's just an accident waiting to happen - I've seen it WAY TOO MANY times. I plan on doin' this shit into my 70's and beyond.

xcel

 

[xcelbeyond]

There's a REALLY good thread that gets into "range-of-motion" in this thread! http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=6073

xcel

 

[DamageInc]

I'd do lunges the length of the football field then again, no rest, for three lengths.

Bro, thats awesome. I am just the opposite. Same thing on any other muscle. I can't do a lot of reps for shit but can work up the entire dumbell rack. Is there anybody else who has damaged their knees on hack squats? I sarted adding those to my leg routine not too long ago consistently and after a month felt sharp pain right above my right side knee cap. Took a month off and its aback to normal. Never had that with squats.

 

[Queefer]

Regarding Xcel, Damage wrote, "If i posted a pic like that my legs would more than double yours". Let's see a pic! Like Phil says, put up or shut up!

 

[MikeS]

Hell doing legs for reps is NOT cardio. Its the ultimate in pain!
I leg press pretty heavy for 40rep sets. It absolutely kills me. Squats are unberable.
I must say the master of high rep parallel (no way you are going bottom-deep with 20-40rep sets) is Johnny Bravo. Seen 405x40.
My intestines would fall out of my ass and my stomach would blast out of my mouth if I tried that.

I'll bet Xcel isnt doing rockbottom 315x20 too. Doesnt have to! But if he is going parallel or close its a great lift. Dont believe me? You try it! I only do rock bottom squats once a month.

And the only time my knees ever hurt was about 4-6wks into a training time when I was doing deep hacks every week.

 

[BigBoyJ]

The answer is very simple, Jethro. As people get older, they also get wiser. With wisdom comes the realization that training legs sucks. And there you have it, the answer to a baffling question.

I think that in general, just years of wearing down the cartiladge in the knees and hips makes it impossible to use the same intensity as when you were younger. Of course, not everyone loses leg size when they get older. I used to work for a Dr. who was a former Mr. Texas. In his early 60's he still had tree trunk legs. If you're joints stay in good shape, I think you can maintain leg mass all the way to the grave. Once your dead though, atrophy is inevitable.

 

[Dave_19]

hmm ive never thought about that, but I have noticed it now that I think about it.