57 Year old wanting to bulk

2

Replies

  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    Better to use a tape measure. Jeans sizes are very unreliable. First, they're cut to sit well below your true waist; and second they're not consistent. I'm reasonably sure that Levi's jeans are at least 2 inches larger than they were 30 years ago for the same waist size on the label.
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    Yes I did today 36 but thank you
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    It's not that your fat intake is too high - it's your calories that are too high.

    As a fellow 57yo would agree with the above posters that bulking is a poor choice. At our age our ability to gain muscle has slowed to a crawl compared to our younger selves and the vast majority of a calorie surplus will end up as fat - unfortunately we still have the same ability to get fat as we did as a youngster!

    If you priority was aesthetics I would say a very small calorie deficit but as you state your goal is to add muscle then eat at maintenance.
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    Johnnyd Thats is a lot of cardio. good work. I am going to start wind sprints a couple days a week
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    sijomial Thanks for the insight. I will work on lowering my calories.
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    GymTennis
    Been thinking about have the ole T checked as well. Getting my calories down seem the be the answer. Thx
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited February 2018
    Deacap wrote: »
    GymTennis
    Been thinking about have the ole T checked as well. Getting my calories down seem the be the answer. Thx

    Don't forget one little thing: TRT isn't something you go on for a while and then go off of. Once you start TRT, you do it for life. Taking exogenous T suppresses endogenous T production, so if you ever quit TRT, your T levels will tank like they've never tanked before.

    I think discussing it in any more depth than that is probably beyond the scope of MFP discussions. TRT is not illicit, but the rabbit hole isn't far from there.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Deacap wrote: »
    Johnnyd Thats is a lot of cardio. good work. I am going to start wind sprints a couple days a week

    Sprinting isn't something some just wants to start doing, especially a 57 year old desk jockey. High risk of injury. Nice article on how to work into sprinting:
    https://ericcressey.com/so-you-want-to-start-sprinting
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    edited February 2018
    AnvilHead
    Yes definitly somehing you just do. Have to weigh the pros and cons. I discussed this with my primary Dr couple years ago and was told the T thing is overrated. It probably still wouldnt hurt to at least have it checked.
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    Packerjohn
    Yes For probably most people I would have to agree. I am not saying I would go full out at the beginning but I am still in realtively good shape. I was doing hill sprints last year 3 days a week for 45 minutes and I did reap some benfits. I also hiked 33 miles in the grand canyon 2 years ago in 2 days with out any training and it wasnt too bad. It was suppose to be a rim 2 rim but the some beers got in the way LOL.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Deacap wrote: »
    GymTennis
    Been thinking about have the ole T checked as well. Getting my calories down seem the be the answer. Thx

    Don't forget one little thing: TRT isn't something you go on for a while and then go off of. Once you start TRT, you do it for life. Taking exogenous T suppresses endogenous T production, so if you ever quit TRT, your T levels will tank like they've never tanked before.

    I think discussing it in any more depth than that is probably beyond the scope of MFP discussions. TRT is not illicit, but the rabbit hole isn't far from there.

    Yes, I would hope you'd see an actual endocrinologist for this rather than some "men's clinic" that makes its money selling boner pills and T scripts. T levels are supposed to be decreasing at our age. If they're clinically low as indicated by standard reference ranges, fine. But don't rush into T therapy just because your levels are low for a 20 year old.
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    ccsernica
    LOL!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    GymTennis wrote: »
    Maintenance calories. Or go see your doctor ask for some testosterone bud, no problem :D

    You don't go to your doctor and ask for some T like you'd ask your mom for extra mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. As mentioned above if one is clinically deficient, it can be life changing. However, it's incredibly stupid to take as an alternative to modifying one's diet, exercising, etc.
  • Deacap
    Deacap Posts: 23 Member
    Packerjohn I agree with you. I dont even take an Aleve unless its obsolutely necessary.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    GymTennis wrote: »
    Maintenance calories. Or go see your doctor ask for some testosterone bud, no problem :D

    You don't go to your doctor and ask for some T like you'd ask your mom for extra mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. As mentioned above if one is clinically deficient, it can be life changing. However, it's incredibly stupid to take as an alternative to modifying one's diet, exercising, etc.

    I think you took his comment too literal.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    fb47 wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    GymTennis wrote: »
    Maintenance calories. Or go see your doctor ask for some testosterone bud, no problem :D

    You don't go to your doctor and ask for some T like you'd ask your mom for extra mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. As mentioned above if one is clinically deficient, it can be life changing. However, it's incredibly stupid to take as an alternative to modifying one's diet, exercising, etc.

    I think you took his comment too literal.

    I may have (and apologize if I did), but as someone else has mentioned, there are all kinds of borderline T-therapy "clinics" out there.
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    I'll give you my experience as a fellow "old guy". I'm 51 and tried a bulk three years ago at 48. I was in good lifting shape and wanted to improve my body fat composition without going lower in weight. I ended up adding about a pound a week for 16 weeks and followed a progressive overload program. The bulk part was a blast. I loved eating those extra calories and loved getting monster strong week over week ( monster strong for me compared to where I was before the bulk).

    My problem was I developed really bad tendonitis in my bicep and shoulder toward the end of the bulk. By the time I started the cut I was both burned out mentally and it was to painful to keep lifting effectively. I ended up taking six months off from exercising to let things heal and mentally re-charge. By the time I went back I was 25 pounds heavier than when I started the bulk and I'd say practilly none of that was muscle after six months of inactivity. I took it off slowly over the next year and worked myself back into shape. At least in my case my body wasn't equipped to handle a bulk at that age.