body fat -vs- muscle

Options
2»

Replies

  • akillilea0812
    akillilea0812 Posts: 115
    Options
    You can track your body fat percentage and tracking food and exercise might keep you more accountable but there are definitely better tools out there. Try joining some forums on muscle and fitness or bodybuilding.com

    Good luck!! :)
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    Options
    It's possible, doesn't look good, and isn't particularly healthy, but strength training, nutritent partitioning, and more protein, along with strict calorie control can get you there.
    What exactly doesn't look good and isn't particularly healthy?
    Since that is the first post ever made on that account I suspect it might be a troll. It could be someone who is sincerely a *kitten* that just happens to be new but I think that is less likely.

    There is nothing unattractive or unhealthy about someone who has a low body fat percentage and a high muscle mass.
  • doubglass
    doubglass Posts: 314 Member
    Options
    At your age that is hard to do without a lot of unhealthy chemistry (hormones and steroids).
    As you age and testosterone levels fall it is a lot harder to bulk up. What you are talking about is the kind of shape elite athletes hit in the 20s 30s. I would rethink your goals. Look at your body type, increase your cardio and try to get as fit as possible. You can get stronger pretty easily, you can increase your endurance pretty easily but you are going to have a hard time bulking up as you age. I'm in my 60s and just can't add bulk no matter what I do. I didn't start weight training until my mid 40s and could never bulk up.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Options
    At your age that is hard to do without a lot of unhealthy chemistry (hormones and steroids).
    As you age and testosterone levels fall it is a lot harder to bulk up. What you are talking about is the kind of shape elite athletes hit in the 20s 30s. I would rethink your goals. Look at your body type, increase your cardio and try to get as fit as possible. You can get stronger pretty easily, you can increase your endurance pretty easily but you are going to have a hard time bulking up as you age. I'm in my 60s and just can't add bulk no matter what I do. I didn't start weight training until my mid 40s and could never bulk up.

    ^^^^This is the answer. I'm only 47 and am very realistic about how much muscle I can add. I am at 185 and 14% BF and want to go to 185 @ 10% BF. Tried the "recomp" thing for a while now and it isn't working. So I'm going to cut to 180 and then bulk to 190 and probably just be happy with whatever LBM I have at that point and cut back down to whatever I feel good at. Maybe 12% BF.

    But at 54, you're probably hosed. Unless you have been blessed with freakishly awesome genetics, it will be VERY difficult to add any muscle mass. And since you are starting with so little, I would venture to guess that you are not genetically blessed.

    Tom

Categories