When did you realise you're old?
Me it was yesterday. I've been training regularly since the begining of the year in preparation for the 2004 Mundial (July) and my coach and I worked out a periodised training plan towards that goal.
I've come to the realisation that I need more rest/recovery now than I did, say, 4 years ago (I'm going on 32 now). While fighting with one of the other guys during yesterdays BJJ session all I could think of was "thank God that tomorrow is my rest day"... needless to say it wasn't a pretty affair.
Any suggestions or cheats any of you "old" guys have for dealing with the aging process.
BTW on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy last night they recommended VitE cream for the eyes... so I've got all the beauty advice I need thanks ;-)
Ever heard of Randy Couture?
What do you eat?
Randy who? Yeah, but I don't understand the connection unless he is like a fossil with a secret.
What I eat: primarily low Gi foods till about mid-afternoon (lots of beans, potatoes etc) & plenty of fruit. A couple of diary-based protein serves to keep the Nitrogen balance in check. Often a hi Gi 'spike' prior to training and followed by a large real-meal within an hour following training.
I could probably improve the quality of my first meal's macro-profile and become more rigious around the pre-training meal... well there is one change going forward (I hadn't really thought too much about fuel as of late).
I'm just saying -- You're not old.. and shit, neither is he. He's got some years on you and he's in the best shape of his life.
Whatever problem you may be having now can be fixed.. You seem to have a grasp on good diet. What does the rest of your schedule look like? Sleep, work, stress, lifting, etc. etc.. How are those things different than 4 years ago?
Can't say I have some secret for you because I'm only 22, but there is a way to work through it..
Oh, and those spikes before training never helped me at all.. you may want to try killing that.
Try a steak and cheese or something 90 mins before.. Many people feel better with protein & fat before training..
I didn't realise I was old until after I injured my
back in a woodcutting accident at age 61. Up until
then I was climbing mountains, rock climbing, mountain
biking and holding my own while sparring with guys a
lot younger and heavier than I was. After I bacame
mobile again and starting trying to do stuff I found
out that all the fun stuff reinjures my back again.
That is when I started feeling old, when I realised
that I will never do that stuff again to any extent.
As for dealing with the aging process, get and stay on
a schedule of regular meals and sleep times, slant
your workouts more toward aerobic and muscular
endurance than size and strength. Fine tune your
techniques. Do this stuff because you enjoy it not to
prove anything. You don't have to win, you already
did.
Grandpab
I'm not quite ready to admit feeling 'old' (I'm 30) But I do distinctly recall the moment I realized that I'm not as young as I used to be when it took me three times as long to get over a hangover than it used to.
I think we care to much about age and aging because we all age in certain ways yet we can get better and better even when we get older.
When I was 16 or 18 I could train crazy, not very smart, brutal and every day. We had bruises, etc. but we just train and train.
Now I´am 26 and I feel I could not (and want not) train like 8 years ago BUT today I´am ten times better as a fighter and athlete then I was then.
Even with 26 an age where you are in your prime you couldn´t go as crazy as when you are 18 so what? Does that mean you are not as good as when you where 18? Of course not.
I think you just have to train smarter and have a good diet and lifestyle. And with training time experience comes and you get better.
Look at Randy, Lennox Lewis, Rickson, Jack LaLanne, etc. they are all in great shape in their late thirtees or fourties, or even with 88 like Jack.:-)
Take care
Björn
www.FighterFitnessForum.com
Take care
Björn
I hope with every ounce of my being that I can even be a shadow of what Randy is at 40, but for the time being... it hurts every time I get done working out, in many places- I'm getting old at 22. It sucks.
ttt
nowaydo - that was the best thing I've read in a long time.
When I pulled a muscle stretching and was my first clue, but hell, I am 42. Good news about getting older, I still think about sex all the time
i realised i'm old when i looked at the IBJJ divisions and went down down the list, past the masters into seniors I... for people born between 1966 and 1970...
Age is over rated, circumstances however has it's effects.
Here mom is probably hot too. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :)
I realized I was old when I thought all the high schoolers dressed stupid and I thought their music sucked
GrandpaB, that was a really cool post, thanks for sharing that!
Nice thread with difference perspectives.
I'm pretty young at 20 but I train smart now and do things properly and now what to do. When I started at 15 I did not really know what I was doing.
I warm up and stretch properly for whatever sports I am doing. The OL, Gymnastics and Tennis and occasional rock climbing should be good for me. Work a nice range in everything.
I'm interested in when I start to feel old and moan about things :P. I hope it is welll in to my 40's or even later lol. But only time will tell. I have a few guys that complain about age when they are 26-28 but they have trained hard for many many years. Some Champions at the top level, so I guess he took more of a battering then most guys.
Koing
TTT good thread.
Dutch Law
I'm 36. At 32 I noticed I was putting on weight, despite no changes to my diet or workout plan.
Changing my diet helped. So did changing my cardio from running 2x a week to swimming 3x a week.
Core strengthening has become more important. So has increased strength training.
Mark
lol this year at 24.. :-(