# WHY does getting back in shape after 40 SUCK so hard



## ttug (May 14, 2004)

After a health hiatus, I have started back to training on the bike. The "break" was 2 years.

GOOD NEWS: My leg strength, not bad, decent.

BAD NEWS: My aerobic capacity is gone.

At 38, I could do a century a weekend, I was in decent shape, but recovery is a pain in the balls. Is this expected after 40?


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

It sucks because you are getting old  I know because I'm 40 also :cryin: 

However, it's not that hard to get back into shape, if you were there before. The general consensus is the older you get the more you need to focus on "*Quality" training* and *"Quality" rest*...rest becomes more important to gains sometimes than the actual workouts.

I'm still able to drop the weight pretty quickly, but lost more FTP this winter than in years past, probably due to less intervals, but it was more than expected.

Keep at it and you will find once you hit a point, it will come back faster...it just takes a little while to jump start the system again


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Dude, you've had 2 years off, you're effectively a couch potato. Patience.


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## stunzeed (Jul 27, 2007)

I just turned 40 and the issue I am seeing this round of getting ack into shape is just always being sore. I am not hitting it too hard but 5 days a week with 2 rest and it seems with my new age its become harder to recover


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## mcjerry (Aug 2, 2005)

Your body is preparing you for 50, and if you're lucky, 60....... Welcome back.


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## cyclesport45 (Dec 10, 2007)

Creakyknees said:


> Dude, you've had 2 years off, you're effectively a couch potato. Patience.


Exactly that, like it or not. And, don't take two years off again! :thumbsup:


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## Sonomasnap (Feb 10, 2010)

I am 50, train like a mofo, and yes it is hard but not because of my age, it is hard because I kick my ass when I train. I train 6 days a week all year long unless I am racing one of the 50-60 races I do a year and that is number of races not age of racers. HTFU.


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## SlowMover (Jun 6, 2010)

Is your endurance not coming along or no snap?

I have found as I age I can go all day, but my ability to handle the big power needs for accelerations has dropped off. So, my focus is a lot of shorter stuff with LARGE doses of intensity. 

In short, my workouts are shorter, but much tougher. I'm only doing 1 long ride every other weekend or 4ish hours and it's more than enough for this 'ol dawg. 

Hope it comes back for ya!


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*getting there*



SlowMover said:


> Is your endurance not coming along or no snap?
> 
> I have found as I age I can go all day, but my ability to handle the big power needs for accelerations has dropped off. So, my focus is a lot of shorter stuff with LARGE doses of intensity.
> 
> ...


I can push a larger ratio for longer, which is OK, BUT, when I spin, smaller ratio, it starts to suck like a milking machine.

I do however have more energy towards the end of the workout which is a good sign AND spionning is starting to get easier on the recovery side.

However, its overall recovery that really sucks. I am TIIIIRED the next day and thats fine. For now its 4 to 5 days a week at 45 minutes to an hour 

I am getting there and it will be a WHIIIILE before I am hitting on almost all cyclindetrs again, I just know that recovery AINT what it used to be


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Stop whining, kid.

"Old" at 40. Sheesh.


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## theBreeze (Jan 7, 2002)

JCavilia said:


> Stop whining, kid.
> 
> "Old" at 40. Sheesh.



My thoughts too. I started serious riding at 40.

But make this a lesson learned. It only get harder to regain fitness as you age. I second the quality comment. Intensity is important but quality recovery is too.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

You need to rebuild a base.
The older you get, the longer it takes.
After 50, you don't dare take more then a few weeks off.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

ttug said:


> After a health hiatus, I have started back to training on the bike. The "break" was 2 years.
> 
> GOOD NEWS: My leg strength, not bad, decent.
> 
> ...


I'm 45 and I feel your pain. Each spring it seems a bit harder to get back into prime shape and it hurts more afterwards. Keep at it though--I have to think that keeping active is better than resigning yourself to the couch. If you have joint pains consider taking a Glucosamine supplement. They help me some.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*good news*



Bocephus Jones II said:


> I'm 45 and I feel your pain. Each spring it seems a bit harder to get back into prime shape and it hurts more afterwards. Keep at it though--I have to think that keeping active is better than resigning yourself to the couch. If you have joint pains consider taking a Glucosamine supplement. They help me some.


No joint pain, just a whole bunch of muscles telling me what a prick I am


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## DesnaePhoto (Jun 11, 2009)

Your diet will also make a HUGE difference. Esp after time as a couch potato. 

Heck, I just turned 40, trained all winter, and STILL find plenty of suckage in a workout.


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## tbgtbg (Mar 13, 2009)

At 55, having worked out and maintained my high school weight for all these years, the big transition for me was at 45 yrs old. Exercise that year went from easy/enjoyable to just plain work. Still, my cycling speed has not yet suffered too much (though I'm not great), swimming is OK, but running is just to hard on the body, and that's what I enjoyed and did the most when younger. As others said, diet does help and recovery takes longer. Also, core exercises are a must.


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

You should try it after 60.


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

I started back on the bike at 39 (now 41). Lost a bunch of weight, feel better and generally more focused. Weight comes back on in a flash if I stop, and getting to a point where I don't feel like I'm going to puke on every hill takes longer and longer with any kind of layoff.


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## malanb (Oct 26, 2009)

.. 40 years is not old at old!!! I know a lot of 40ish and 50ish that are beasts. and more if you trained for a long time. your are just out of shape.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

malanb said:


> .. 40 years is not old at old!!! I know a lot of 40ish and 50ish that are beasts. and more if you trained for a long time. your are just out of shape.


That said...there are certain realities to getting older. I certainly don't recover near as fast as I used to.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*yup*



Bocephus Jones II said:


> That said...there are certain realities to getting older. I certainly don't recover near as fast as I used to.


My strength is comng back faster, but its the aerobic capacity/recovery thing thats the ball buster

I am however, liking it. My body remembers things, and then it says, now your gonna pay.........It beats the crap out of not doing it for certain


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

I wouldn't imagine getting in shape at any age after a two year break would be a picnic.

I'm 45 and I think my cardio is probably better than ever. However I wasn't into cycling or any endurance sport prior to 40 so that would figure. 

Anyway there's a reason I'm cycling and not playing any of the contact sports I used to play. Even though my fitness is on par if not better than back then because of cycling my ability to use that fitness is much more limited. yeah I probably have the wind for the level of hockey I played into my 30's but if I ever tried another real hockey game I'd be layed out in the fetal position waiting for a stretcher one shift into the game.

oh well. I'm greatful for cycling though because golf sucks.


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## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

Common rule of thumb after an injury is, however long you were off the bike, that's how long it's gonna take you to get back to where you were before the injury. Doubt it'll take you two years. Just be patient with yourself, keep riding. I've been off the bike 2 months now, expect _at least _one more month, so I'll need a dose of my own medicine...I don't _do_'patience'!


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## durielk (Jan 8, 2011)

Ahhhh, just pack it in, you can watch golf on the tele & take long naps........HTFU


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

durielk said:


> Ahhhh, just pack it in, you can watch golf on the tele & take long naps........HTFU


... just as he was beginning to take that nap you had to shout in his ear *HTFU*


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## [email protected] (Aug 11, 2008)

Rule 5: Harden the F**K Up!


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## Sonomasnap (Feb 10, 2010)

What he said.

Start Kicking Ass.

Do the work.

I am 50 and have only been racing for 2 years.

Here was my workout last night.

http://tpks.ws/APPW


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## bmxhacksaw (Mar 26, 2008)

I turn 50 in August. I slacked off from Thanksgiving to the New Year and put on 15 lbs. The good news is that last year I started the New Year at 203 and this New Year I was only 185. I was 175 this morning. Hoping to get to 165 by late April/March. I weighed 155 in the Marine Corps 30 years ago.

I think that because I was as strong as I have ever been last season it seems that the fitness fall off over the winter is really big and it's been a struggle to get back going again but I'm doing it. I recently saw Armstrong say that since he's gotten older he can't be off the bike for more than three days in a row. No more two weeks off like a lot of the younger pros do. I'm gonna have to quit slacking in the holiday season because it's too much work to get it back.


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## Gall (Feb 6, 2004)

I think it sucks so bad because you should of stayed in shape in your teens, twentys and thirties.

I was once told by a very fit 50 some, that the shape and health you are in at age 40 is an indicator on how you are going to live the rest of your life out. I am not sure what that means yet cause I am only 39....

Keep at it and move the body!

Gall

(EDIT: Sorry I didnt comprehend your reason for your off time... This working nightshift clouds my mind. Do keep at it your history of being fit will allow you to become fit again a lot easier and quicker)


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## SantaCruzn (Jan 19, 2011)

As we age, we no longer have the margin of stupidity the young take for granted.

The good news: you and others like you can continue to improve.

The not-so-good news: everything you do from this point must be spot on. This includes your training, diet, lifestyle choices. 

If you think you have all the answers, then I'm sorry to say that you've grown older but not wiser. Seek the advice of experts in respective fields. 

Another thing about growing older: you have less time to squander on outdated information, pseudo-science, and absurd training methodologies. The last one is a pet-peeve of mine. The other week, I saw a master's racer doing deadlifts on a smith machine. The co-owner of the gym politely asked him about it and he spewed out some half-baked logic that literally made me nauseous. I won't go into details other than saying that anyone who deadlifts on a smith machine is about as well informed as a rider who puts his rear wheel on the front and the front wheel on the back.

This is just one example of mistakes you can no longer afford to make. You don't have the time to waste and your body lacks the resilience it had in your teens and twenties.

Andy


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## Griff (Sep 2, 2004)

I am 49 and have taken off the last several years as well. I look forward to following this thread. I feel creaky not fluid and smooth and have lost a ton of strength and endurance and gained a big belly, It is like I am starting from ground zero. But, I am determined to get back in shape and keep it there.

Good luck to you guys and keep at it. You will get there.

Griff


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## shackleton (Jan 15, 2011)

I'm 47 and this year will be my first season of cyclocross.The last 15 years i've been involved in ultrarunning.The toughest individuals i've raced against have been in there 50's to early 60's.i feel as older athletes we have the advantage of so many years of dealing with the suffering training and races dish out.Even the fact we've been through so much more in daily life... toughening us on many levels. just my 2 cents.

scott


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## Snpiperpilot (Feb 13, 2011)

ttug said:


> After a health hiatus, I have started back to training on the bike. The "break" was 2 years.
> 
> GOOD NEWS: My leg strength, not bad, decent.
> 
> ...


Quichert*****en.... I came back to cycling after 24 years at age 50 2.5 years ago. It still is hard. You're old but it will get better. I got better and I'm way the hell older than you....

The good news is that if you have the legs, the aerobic part comes back pretty quick. Me, I got old, really fat, and had to lose all that weight and gain the legs while working on the aerobic part. Legs still aren't where I want but the lungs are fine.


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## Bridgey (Mar 26, 2003)

I am 40. Had about 20yrs off. Was 125kg's. Down to 96 now after 8mths racing. Still not as fast as when I was 75kgs and 20yrs old, but I am sprinting faster so am winning more races than when I was 20. Didn't know I could sprint when I was 20. Not sure on what the difference is. Perhaps I use to burn my matchs breaking away from too far out. 

Looking forward to racing for the rest of my life. Regardless if I get faster or slower.


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## Oasisbill (Jan 15, 2011)

This is very simplistic, but when you age your metabolism slows down, you become considerably less flexible, and muscle recovery is slower. The answer to these things are to eat less (and right), stretch more, and sleep more. Also HTFU...


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Look around you...next time you are anywhere where there are normal others your age. How'd you like to feel like THEM?

that has to really suck...


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*dont care about that*



Gnarly 928 said:


> Look around you...next time you are anywhere where there are normal others your age. How'd you like to feel like THEM?
> 
> that has to really suck...



I care about being in shape and not shaking without restarint, I could give a toss how the other guy look or feels about how I look. My 2 year break was due to Parkinsons. I got my fill plenty and fast about how people think about others and their appearance. Wanna look, take a ****ing picture.

I never cared about what other guys looked like, I cared about being faster and stronger, now, I just want to ride and be as strong as I can be. I learned ALOt about being patient.

I hit a strength goal in training which was great. I can now just start basic aerobic stuff and actually have energy at the end of the work out.

The diet thing, is cool, I like veggies, , but my weakness is cheese...GOOD cheese.


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## durielk (Jan 8, 2011)

Cheese, ahhhh, about the worst thing you could eat. Why do you think you like it so much? Fat! oh & don't forget it is made from puss infected animal excretions.


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## ttug (May 14, 2004)

*ahhhhh yes*



durielk said:


> Cheese, ahhhh, about the worst thing you could eat. Why do you think you like it so much? Fat! oh & don't forget it is made from puss infected animal excretions.




mmmmm infected animal excretions mmmmmmmm


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## ColoRoadie (Aug 5, 2010)

Aged, smoked Gouda.....I don't care if they make it from cow jizz....I can't give up the Gouda. Sure, it makes riding behind me a bit....um...let's call it aromatic, but some things are worth making others suffer. Know what I mean?


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## Oasisbill (Jan 15, 2011)

ColoRoadie said:


> Aged, smoked Gouda.....I don't care if they make it from cow jizz....I can't give up the Gouda. Sure, it makes riding behind me a bit....um...let's call it aromatic, but some things are worth making others suffer. Know what I mean?


You could use it as a tactic...


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

JCavilia said:


> Stop whining, kid.
> 
> "Old" at 40. Sheesh.


Ain't that the truth. I was 40 when my wife had our first kid. 40 isn't old.


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## BeepBeepZipTang (Oct 8, 2009)

40 is the new 20.

Lance is a Poser, this guy is my idol:
96-year-old claims to be world

Its just a number.


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## YamaDan (Aug 28, 2012)

After 40, if it stops hurting, you died.


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

I started riding again at 48 after a much longer layoff than you're talking about. I was 5-9 and about 235, with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, basically rotting at my desk. It took a year and a half to get back to something like where I wanted to be. There's no rushing it--you're body will adjust to the new demands on it but you have to give it time. I would advise against working out on consecutive days at first, reduce the carbs/fat ratio of your diet, eat lots of fruits and green vegetables for your carb load, and listen to your body. Resting and recovery are good. 

Now, I'm at 175, with a resting pulse of 55, my meds are way down from what they were, and I'm in the process of shaving off another ten pounds which should not be very difficult. Every time I pick up a big bag of dog food or water softener salt, I think "Jesus, I used to carry this everywhere I went." I ride about 225 miles a week, usually a century or race and a middle distance ride every weekend with interval and recovery rides during the week. Tonight I'm going out with a bunch of other old farts for a 24+ mph, 40 mile hammerfest. There is a whole group of youngsters in the area who make it their mission to try to tag team us on the weekend club races, and it doesn't always work. The old guys can deal the pain, too. You just have to be patient.


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## surfinguru (Jun 17, 2004)

So many similar stories. I surfed darn near every day from the time I was 16 until 36. 20 years of working that aerobic machine. I got tired of the crowed lineups and the d*ck attitude so I went for a bike ride. Wow, everyone was so cool and helpful AND I could pretty much ride when I wanted to. 

I went full on into mountain biking (downhill) and even won a Nationals title. Then came the injuries. Way too many to list. Time off the bike, time missed from work along with the responsibility of having a family kind of put the risk taking into perspective. During all that time, I dabbled in road biking and just treated it like a cross training exercise. I was good fun, but lacking in the adrenaline dump side of things.

Fast forward to a heavily increased work schedule and a very aching body and I became the epitome of the couch potato. The weight started piling on and for the first time in my life I was tipping the scales around 190. (I'm 6'0 and have always been 160-165 without fail.) Didn't like the way things were going or how I was looking.

So this summer, I went out and replaced my old roadbike with a new Tarmac with the intention of straightening my sh*t out. The first month pretty much sucked. Legs screaming, back aching, sore neck, blah blah blah. Now I'm getting in a minimum 100 miles a week and just cracked 1000 miles yesterday since I started back on the bike. My neck doesn't hurt any more, I've learned to manage the back through chiropractic, massage, stretching and core strengthening. Yes, it does take longer to recover, but I'm back down to fighting weight. I'm feeling better and reveling in getting back to prior fitness. Overall I'm really stoked on how quickly the legs have come back and really floored that I hadn't really lost much aerobic capacity.

Life is pretty short and I want to keep riding for as long as I can!


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

At 60, I find I can't remember if it used to be easier.


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

looigi said:


> At 60, I find I can't remember if it used to be easier.


You're in the sweet spot of life!


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## loona (Sep 28, 2012)

takes a few minutes to go through his introduction and waiver talk. 
but after listening to this program. 
you may look at everything a little differently.
very deep "deep" discussion, but informative.
Dr Jerry Tennant on Healing is Voltage & Fulvic Acid Minerals (Eye Health) - YouTube


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

I'm in your boat as well. 41 year old. Raced for 7 years, but I took the last 3 years completely off the bike. My first 20 mile ride was torture, and I was racing the Masters 1/2/3s when I quit. After a little over 3 months, I can now do 150 miles on the weekend and feel ok about it. 

After so much time off, building a base again is the most important start. For me, that means lots and lots of Zone2 climbing. At the start, those climbs had me in Zone4, but now I can manage to spin up the same climbs in 2. On Saturday, that was 90 miles and 8,800 ft of climbing. 

I am going to wait until December to start throwing in the real intervals. As of now, I have one hard/short day, and that's theshold hill reps on Tuesdays. This gives me body plenty of time for recovery. 

I really do think that limiting your hard efforts, but making sure that they are really hard is key.


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## loona (Sep 28, 2012)

loona said:


> takes a few minutes to go through his introduction and waiver talk.
> but after listening to this program.
> you may look at everything a little differently.
> very deep "deep" discussion, but informative.
> Dr Jerry Tennant on Healing is Voltage & Fulvic Acid Minerals (Eye Health) - YouTube


-------------------------------------------

this link below has some + and - voltage related info within it's story 
but it's main focus is not actually on topic with this thread .
just thought i would share 

Kangen Water Used to Treat Diabetes in Hospitals in Japan - YouTube


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## pete2528ca (Jun 17, 2011)

Typing this while on a machine at the gym right now. Feel a heart attack coming on.
View attachment 267283


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