Lifting at age 40 and beyond

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  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
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    at 53 I am lifting 2-3 times a week, nothing too heavy yet and being really careful with form. So far it appears to be working. I never go up a weight until I feel confident to do so and them am very careful. Still on baby weights ie 7kg dumbells for tricep kickbacks and chest presses and flys and 12.5kg barbells for deadlifts and combos. Steady as I am terrified of doing my back in. I am really trying to concentrate on form and making sure I am putting weight on heels and not toes, that way I protect my knees. Having some sessions with a trainer has been very helpful, she even comes and spots me on my non-trainer days. I hope this helps
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
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    51 and been at this on and off for 25 years.

    Gone are the days of going at my body with abandon. I spend a hell of a lot more time stretching than I ever used to and everything revolves around injury avoidance.
    Can't stress that enough. Avoiding injury is far more important that any specific gains you may be going for. Recovery time just keeps increasing and it's easy to imagine an injury keeping you on the sidelines for long enough to really impact your long term health.

    You can still be a beast, you just have to be a whole lot more thoughtful about it.

    Definitely this! Maybe we should start an over-40s weight lifting group!
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
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    Morning, no it is not just you. I am 49 and have been lifting my whole life, I had to have shoulder surgery 3 years ago because of wear & tear from weightlifting. I have to watch my form also, I tend to pinch a nerve in my back, which sucks ,, I use to powerlift heavy weights, now I stick with 20lbs dumbells and such..I still lift and do cardio5-6 days a wek so I am lucky for that Some things about getting older suck, but I look at it this way, not everybody gets to grow older, so I am happy to be able to do so..
  • msleanlegs
    msleanlegs Posts: 188 Member
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    You are so not alone. For the past couple of years I've been trying to get back into heavier lifting, but every time after I train with the oly bar my back and hips get out of whack and a headache starts. When I was younger lifting 2 or 3 times that wasn't a problem. Now it looks like I'm resigned to training with 10 lb dumbbells at the very most.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I don't think it's necessary to limit yourself to super light weights, at least not till you're a lot older than me.
    You've just got to be very slow, careful and deliberate about gaining strength.

    I'm working around a shoulder issue currently, but I'm still increasing my weights where I can.
  • mylittletribe
    mylittletribe Posts: 84
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    I'm 44 and really never lifted, except for some legwork back in my teens when I was recovering from a serious skiing injury. Honestly, I don't think it worked well, and I'll get to that in a minute :)

    I lift heavy, three times a week, using New Rules for Lifting for Women. I'm only on stage 1, but I FEEL differences and I'm loving it. I always follow up weights with cardio, not necessarily HIIT because my fat *kitten* just doesn't run (yet) I know I can, but I'm a pear, and until I invest in some compression shorts or something, yeah... not happening. Instead I walk VERY BRISKLY 3.5mph or more, at a steep incline on the treadmill for 7 minutes, then level out and drop it down to 2.7 for 3. Repeat until run out of time and need to go to work. That follow up routine on the treadmill has been the magic elixir to keep me from feeling too fatigued. I still have the usual soreness, later in the day, and especially the following day, but nothing unusual.

    Back to that injury. I'm realizing that I don't think I full recovered, or maybe it's permanent damage, but I cannot cycle fast or use the elliptical for more than 15ish minutes otherwise I'm in immense pain, (right thigh,) it's an INTENSE burning, and not the good kind. The injury was pretty severe, shredded my right knee and thigh in a pretty bad fall and spent the following 12 weeks in a cast from hip to toe--no surgery, just imobilization for all that time, with some physical therapy during and after. I definitely have strength differences between my two legs, and I'm probably going to seek a trainer for help with evening that out. In the meantime, suggestions anyone?

    Anyway, I don't have anything to compare my strength training to because I've never done it before. All I know is that I love it, and I definitely feel a difference.
  • LisaInUP
    LisaInUP Posts: 63 Member
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    53 and lifted for toning off and on for 5-ish years. Getting really serious about being consistant since it makes my motorcycling much easier and safer.

    Slow and steady and listening to my body!
  • Madux1818
    Madux1818 Posts: 307 Member
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    I don't think it's necessary to limit yourself to super light weights, at least not till you're a lot older than me.
    You've just got to be very slow, careful and deliberate about gaining strength.

    I'm working around a shoulder issue currently, but I'm still increasing my weights where I can.



    Thank you for saying this, I started Strong Lifts in March and progress in terms of lifting heavier is very slow going especially overhead lifts!
  • TinaDay1114
    TinaDay1114 Posts: 1,328 Member
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    The thing I've noticed more now is that when I push myself hard, things happen that would have not happened in my 20s, pain, injury, and recovery time-wise. It is more likely that I will over-do it and pay a bigger price. My motto these days is no more excuses, but as my dear husband pointed out, some things are not excuses. So, I am working on finding the balance between challenging and too much. It's a work in progress. :grumble:

    I started lifting heavy at CrossFit about 9 months ago, and hit a wall where my age (compression of the discs) and underlying scoliosis caught up with me -- it wasn't poor form, it wasn't (necessarily) overdoing anything, because I progressed slowly w/ a concentration on form. BUT, I am realizing two things about my 40's -- 1. I'm like ^^^ THIS lady -- I'm competitive, even with myself, so I push through, and maybe that's not so good anymore. And 2. Maybe there are certain limitations -- that "if you just push hard enough and work hard enough you can do ANYTHING" mantra may not be entirely true. Sometimes structures don't support certain things, at least at the level you'd like to reach. (I hate even TYPING that, because it frustrates me).

    I think at this age I have the DRIVE to go the distance, and no fear (unlike my 20's / 30's, where I wasn't sure how far to go). But maybe that 40+ fearlessness is conflicting with my 40+ body. :grumble: :grumble: My sports ortho said, "You're not an Olympic athlete...so you don't have to train like one." And of course my first reaction was "WHY THE HECK NOT?!?!" So I'm trying for balance. And I SUCK at balance.

    Not helpful, but I do hear ya -- I'm in that quandry, too.
  • juliegrey1
    juliegrey1 Posts: 202 Member
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    I'm a few Days off 45 and I cant lift for my life,well I can if they are lightish weights,to be honest Im terrified of them,I can swim for an hour walk as long as I like uphill,cycle for hours,but just could not hack the weights,I left one gym cos the instructor was constantly on at me as to how I could look with some effort,Im not lazy just dont feel compelled to do this!
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I'm a few Days off 45 and I cant lift for my life,well I can if they are lightish weights,to be honest Im terrified of them,I can swim for an hour walk as long as I like uphill,cycle for hours,but just could not hack the weights,I left one gym cos the instructor was constantly on at me as to how I could look with some effort,Im not lazy just dont feel compelled to do this!

    No one says you have to lift.

    There are a great many benefits though and you are deciding to do without them.
  • KudzuRose
    KudzuRose Posts: 2 Member
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    I am nearly 70, so you would say I'm definitely over 40, I didn't start working out until my 50s so I can't compare myself to then. I lift 2 or 3 days most weeks and walk 3 to 5 miles several days a week. With all of that, I have flabby arms and a muffin top. Really, compared to most women my age I look and feel fantastic. Don't expect to be 20 again. Just be the best you can be at this point in your life. When I was 40 and complained about getting old, my now late husband would tell me that in 20 years I would look back at that age and lament how good I looked, felt, could perform. He was right. Celebrate who you are!
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I am nearly 70, so you would say I'm definitely over 40, I didn't start working out until my 50s so I can't compare myself to then. I lift 2 or 3 days most weeks and walk 3 to 5 miles several days a week. With all of that, I have flabby arms and a muffin top. Really, compared to most women my age I look and feel fantastic. Don't expect to be 20 again. Just be the best you can be at this point in your life. When I was 40 and complained about getting old, my now late husband would tell me that in 20 years I would look back at that age and lament how good I looked, felt, could perform. He was right. Celebrate who you are!

    Or, as my late mother used to say, "The only thing worse than getting old is the alternative."
  • keepongoingnmw
    keepongoingnmw Posts: 371 Member
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    I am nearly 70, so you would say I'm definitely over 40, I didn't start working out until my 50s so I can't compare myself to then. I lift 2 or 3 days most weeks and walk 3 to 5 miles several days a week. With all of that, I have flabby arms and a muffin top. Really, compared to most women my age I look and feel fantastic. Don't expect to be 20 again. Just be the best you can be at this point in your life. When I was 40 and complained about getting old, my now late husband would tell me that in 20 years I would look back at that age and lament how good I looked, felt, could perform. He was right. Celebrate who you are!
    This warms my heart. My mom is in her late seventies and never took good care of herself. It is very sad to watch her falling apart.
  • Renee4joy
    Renee4joy Posts: 36 Member
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    I am one who agree with you I am 43 and I work out very intense. I do battle fatigue. all i can do is try to sleep as much as I can...its sad but true!..lol
  • NavyWifeTwinMom
    NavyWifeTwinMom Posts: 98 Member
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    Well, I turned 40 one month ago, and threw my back out for the first time ever last week...apparently things did change! LOL. I lift as heavy as I can doing workouts in my home, and I try to keep my form as correct as possible as well as realizing that there is no one to help out if I hurt myself. So I'm all about form and honoring what my body is telling me before it becomes an injury. I think that's all anyone can do at any age.
  • 714rah714
    714rah714 Posts: 759 Member
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    I just have to work around the aches and pains, just the fun part of getting older that no one talks about. Well they do, but I wasn't listening, hard of hearing, as well.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
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    Wow, it really is just me then? LOL

    You are so not alone. I'm 61 and working my way through New Rules of Lifting for Women 2/5 of the way through Stage 6. I LOVE lifting! I don't even care if there are no physical changes (there are loads) I just enjoy the workout. I haven't done anything at all for the previous 10+ years except a short walk to and from work occassionally and I sit at a desk 80% of my day. I LOATHE cardio (although I recently discovered spinning which strangely is fun to me!), and never could consistently keep up a program. When I started NROL4W I could only do bodyweight squats lunges deadlifts and 3#DBs on OHP. I'm squatting 85 DL 150 and OHP 20.

    My shoirt term goals are to squat my weight, DL 1.5 my weight, OHP 75#, and do 5 pullups!

    Yes I do battle fatigue but I sleep crappy even with all the workouts.I broke my ankle last year and yes have some balance issues but there's a lot you can do to improve that. Practice standing on one foot for as long as possible, change feet. When that beomes easier, add weights. You can improve your balance!

    Never give up!
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    I'm 44 and don't see 40 an age to be of any concern or limitations. I lift twice a week and train in Karate twice a week, I started karate in October 2012.

    I used to have debilitating lower back pain. When I gave birth to my 2nd baby the back pain was worse than the contractions, it felt like my back was breaking, horrendous pain. I couldn't lift anything remotely heavy, my husband wouldn't even let me carry the groceries.

    After my 3rd baby I found mfp and starting working out like I never have done before in my life. The results of all my efforts are barely any back trouble, and then nothing compared to what it used to be like. I am so pleased I have managed to help myself and am fitter now than I have been in my whole life.

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