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Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

nytimes.com

141–150 of 334 posts

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much are you eating? I used to have similar troubles with recovery until I realized that I just wasn’t eating nearly enough to train at the volume I was. For me, adding two cups of Greek yogurt and a protein shake every day (so roughly 500 calories and 50 grams of protein over what I was eating before) made an enormous difference.

I am eating 90 grams of protein @ 190 lbs body-weight with a pretty low fat %.

More anecdata: I aim for 125g per day, 1800 calory target, at 138 lbs/5’ 5” and can lift strong every day. I usually take a “rest” week (calisthenics and 3-7 miles of walking) every other month when I travel somewhere.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#142
post #80

I can't recommend StrongLifts enough. https://stronglifts.com I'm up to squatting 130kg now and feeling great!

I've used StrongLifts for 2+ years and second the recommendation. HOWEVER. Because it's just an app with videos, it's really up to you to learn proper form and execute it each time. Additionally, the app doesn't know your limitations, so take your pain seriously. I hurt my knees squatting a couple years ago, and recently hurt my lower back deadlifting. It sucks, and I'm crossing my fingers that there's no permanent d…

Sounds like you might need to stretch your hamstrings. Hamstring flexibility is key to form in both squats and deadlifts. In particular, the hamstring must lengthen as you bend your knees in the squat, and it must lengthen as you bend over in the deadlift or you round your back, which is probably where the injury came from. Google "third world squat" for a good test of your flexibility. Most people have very tight hamstrings from sitting all day for most of their lives.

I'd pay for yearly clinics for compound lifts, especially if I could learn better form and better stretching techniques.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#143

I can't recommend StrongLifts enough. https://stronglifts.com I'm up to squatting 130kg now and feeling great!

The problem with this training is the need to go to a gym or to build one at home. Can't do the latter and loathe going the gym. However, I do enjoy group classes. I tried cross-fit but I found that the competitiveness and exercising against a running clock is not for me (also considering that I'm usually the oldest - 48 though I don't look like it) Then I heard about kettlebell training and that seems to be exactly…

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Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#144

I can't recommend StrongLifts enough. https://stronglifts.com I'm up to squatting 130kg now and feeling great!

I enjoy doing the (recently updated) recommended routine from https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness -- being able to to it at home (with very little equipment) or outside at a nice calisthenics park is a major perk.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you consider adding to the discussion by presenting meta-studies showing meat is not carcinogenic?

That's not how things work. A study can only prove something was not carcinogenic during the study. It cannot prove it's not carcinogenic [period]. The other way around works: if a study shows something was carcinogenic during the study, it proved it's carcinogenic [period]. All of this assumes properly conducted studies. On the other hand studies proved UV rays are carcinogenic [0]. Assuming knowing meat is carcinog…

That's quite the comparison, considering one of those is practically impossible to do and would have a lot of negative consequences in other areas.

Whereas the other is doable (as evidenced by the existence of vegans) AND has a lot of other positive consequences (environmental, moral).

Most definitions of veganism include something like "reduce suffering as far as possible and practicable". It's not absolute.

Of course, another objection to your comparison is that it suggests if we cannot remove ALL bad things, we ought not to do anything.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#146
post #128
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, 3.3g/kg is really high, and I don't see how you could get there without living on shakes. From that examine.com article: Eating more than 2.6 g/kg (1.18 g/lb) is probably not going to lead to greater muscle gains, but it can minimize fat gains when “bulking” — i.e., when eating above maintenance in order to gain (muscle) weight. There doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence for the kidney thing as long as you don'…

IMO while protein is needed for muscle building, recommendations like 3.3g/kg (I've even seen recommendations of 4.4g/kg) come from a "more is always better" mentality, along with a pop culture obsession with protein. Personally, a simple flat 100g seems both a reasonable & attainable goal for most regular people building muscle without requiring exceptional diets (here I fall back on naturalism- I cannot believe tha…

I don't think it's that, it's more this:

Since higher protein intakes seem to have no negative effects in healthy people, one may want to err toward the higher amounts.

I haven't seen anything over 3.3g/kg recommended anywhere, and most people seem to recommend 1.4-2g/kg as a good baseline amount. The ISSN recommends this (see here: http://stevenlow.org/issn-position-statements-protein-and-ex...), however the ISSN does recommend higher amounts when losing weight:

Higher protein intakes (2.3–3.1 g/kg/d) may be needed to maximize the retention of lean body mass in resistance-trained subjects during hypocaloric periods.

Of course, none of this is required to get fit - you don't need to do the optimal thing to get a basic result. But you'll definitely gain lean mass faster if you do follow this. Those recommendations for weight gain (say 2g/kg with a caloric surplus) is easy to achieve with no supplementation and normal food, at least for an omnivore - vegans may have to work harder to get there.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#147
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people have no idea I'm 41, and instead think I'm in my 30s. Balding and grey hair show I'm not in my 20s ;) My 'secret' is I workout every single day . I might do heavy weight training, sled pushing, surfing, or a spin class. It doesn't matter as long as I do something physically challenging. I also follow an 80/20 rule on eating paleo-ish. Mainly I try to avoid processed foods, but I'll still eat a pizza or go…

Do you have children? I used to run or cycle at least 5 days a week but since my daughter was born (and stopped being an infant) it is a struggle to keep a regular exercise regimen. I try to run with her in a jogging stroller when I can but this is much more susceptible to foul weather than when I could just adjust my own clothing.

Kids make exercise during the week a struggle.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much are you eating? I used to have similar troubles with recovery until I realized that I just wasn’t eating nearly enough to train at the volume I was. For me, adding two cups of Greek yogurt and a protein shake every day (so roughly 500 calories and 50 grams of protein over what I was eating before) made an enormous difference.

I am eating 90 grams of protein @ 190 lbs body-weight with a pretty low fat %.

Way too low. Try doubling it (not kidding). If you’re worried about calories, reduce your carbs.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The patterns on the 40 and 70 year old triathlete match far too well. I'm calling bullshit. The "70 year old triathlete" scan is just further up the leg of the 40 year old.

You find it surprising that two different humans have the same muscles in the same locations? Have you ever noticed that chicken wings also have the same meat in the same spot across two different wings?

This is too stupid to answer to, but have you noticed Yao Ming and Britney Spears do not look the same? Good.

Now have you noticed carbon atoms are strikingly similar? Good, almost there.

Somewhere in-between these two views unique features emerge. Tell me where on the scale of atom to human the quads are? There is plenty in these pictures that is unique in the two persons depicted.

There is no need to lie to make a good argument for exercise. This image belong on your grandmothers Facebook page at best.

Re: Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age

#150
post #33
post #14

I always like to show this picture as an example. https://i.imgur.com/ZcDedfo.jpg I don't have an original source but it shows a MRI leg scan comparison between a 40yo triathlete, a sedentary 70yo and a 70yo triathlete. The picture tells the story...

Most people have no idea I'm 41, and instead think I'm in my 30s. Balding and grey hair show I'm not in my 20s ;) My 'secret' is I workout every single day . I might do heavy weight training, sled pushing, surfing, or a spin class. It doesn't matter as long as I do something physically challenging. I also follow an 80/20 rule on eating paleo-ish. Mainly I try to avoid processed foods, but I'll still eat a pizza or go…

Some folks are able to lift heavy weights frequently, and that's awesome. I'm jealous. But here's a comment directed at people who've tried that and hurt themselves.

For years I tried to lift heavy. Big compound barbell lifts. In my early 20s it was OK, but by 30 I started hurting myself. I always warmed up fully, but kept tearing things. I tried eating more, eating better, more recovery, everything I could think of.

Finally I gave up on doing 1 rep max lifts, or even 3-5 reps 90% 1RM. Now I do very high repetition workouts. I'm talking warm up sets at 20-30 reps, "work" sets at 10-20, with a minimum of 5 sets, with limited rest between. I focus on every rep - focus on feeling the muscle contract, and focus on thinking about moving blood to the contracted muscle. I try to go to failure every set but the first.

Sounds goofy, but it's been a game changer for me. I don't hurt myself, and I look much bigger/better than ever before. I'm not sure if I'm really "stronger" since I don't lift heavy anymore - but I've added pounds of muscle so I wager I am.

Point is - a lot of folks get huge mileage out of lifting heavy. I wish I was one of them. For those of use who, for whatever reason, don't have the body type to handle it. High rep workouts are the next best thing!

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