Question: Hey Matt, Truly inspired by your transformation and your willingness to share your experience. I wish you all the best and all the blessings in your continued journey.
I am 45+ years old. I have always dreamed of a physique like yours since I was 16. I did martial arts intensively since I was a child and during all my teenage years, however my body was never extremely fit or muscular. It wasn’t until in my late 30's that I decided to hit the weights consistently, and even though I gained some muscle, I never got even close to where I wanted to be.
In my early 40's I got married and moved to a new job and new city, had kids and it has been a roller coaster for a guy in his 40's. Now, I am feeling the effects of the age in my energy levels and muscle mass. As I said, I have never been muscular, but I can feel how my energy and muscle are declining while my waistline keeps getting rounder. I am not overweight. I am what you may define as skinny fat.
I am very disappointed in my lack of discipline, and truly concerned because I have little kids that need their father, so for me it is a matter of transforming my life, not just for appearance purposes, but also for my wife and kids that need a husband and a father that can serve them with good quality time for years to come.
I read in your story that you worked out since a young age. That feels like a big challenge to me, because I think guys like you build a great frame over the years, and that you were able to achieve that physique from years of hard work, then you shed the fat off and there it is, a solid muscular physique. I wonder from your perspective, and in all honesty, if you think I could achieve a body like yours, even now being close to 50? Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this. Again, all the best for you.
Answer: Wow! Thank you for such a gut-wrenchingly vulnerable and honest question! You really laid it out there! I want to apologize in advance, because whatever I type next will not be adequate to unravel and deal with the many issues and emotions you have touched upon.
I’ll take the easiest part first. All of the 8 male winners (2011-2018) in the Bodybuilding.com Transformation Challenge have been guys who did exactly like you said! They had years and years of weightlifting experience, then they got fat, and then they got shredded.
I would guess this is true for most transformation contests everywhere. Having muscle under the fat is a HUGE advantage! Most of these contests are run by bodybuilding or fitness sites, so they tend to pick winners who come out looking like bodybuilders or fitness models, and not necessarily the most amazing transformations.
The only exception I can think of was the TV show, The Biggest Loser. Those winners didn’t usually come out looking like bodybuilders, but their transformations were more incredible and impressive if you ask me!
So, the system definitely seems rigged to mostly favor guys who have been weightlifting for years and then got fat for whatever reason. It’s not necessarily intentionally unfair. It’s just that muscle looks good! That’s why there are all these companies and websites dedicated to fitness and bodybuilding. It’s why supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. It’s one of the reasons I love bodybuilding and why I’ve put in all the gym time I have. I want to look like a bodybuilder! I sincerely believe muscle mass is vitally important to health, longevity, and quality of life. But I also just really like looking muscular!
Now, for the really difficult part! Just to reiterate a few things from your excellent question:
I have always dreamed of a physique like yours since I was 16.
I never got even close to where I wanted to be.
I wonder from your perspective, and in all honesty, if you think I could achieve a body like yours, even now being close to 50?
I know it’s only a few sentences, but they bring up some extremely deep, almost existential, issues:
How much of what we are, or can achieve, is genetic vs. our own conscious effort?
What do we do with dreams we fear may never come true?
Should we try, and how hard, to achieve things that seem vain?
How do we make the best of the hand we’ve been dealt in life?
Is it too late to change direction in life?
And for me, your question presents some fine lines to be navigated:
How do I answer honestly without discouraging you?
How do I motivate without misleading you?
I’m going to jump ahead to my desired outcome. I have lots of ideas and I hope to provide you with some useful information, but there is one thing that I want to come from this more than anything else. I want you to try!
I don’t subscribe to Yoda’s philosophy of ‘Do, or do not. There is no try!’ For me, trying is everything! So, I’m going to do my best to provide motivation and helpful practical advice. But regardless of how well I do, I’m begging you to go try!
I can tell you two things with near certainty:
One, if you keep doing what you’re doing, you will look and feel the same, or likely worse, a year from now!
Two, if you change course and consistently lift weights, eat healthy, drink lots of water, take supplements, consume tons of protein, and get good sleep you will NOT look like a bodybuilder a year from now!
But Man! If you chose the second path, you could look totally jacked! Maybe you won’t have your dream physique in a year. But you could feel better and look better regardless of where you end up. And you will be on the only path that could lead to where you wish to be!
We already know for sure the first path leads nowhere. But the second path at least holds the hope, if not the promise, of where you would like to go!
We also know for sure the second option is the path to better health and a longer life. Maybe you never end up looking like a bodybuilder, but you can look jacked, feel better, and live longer! Not bad consolation prizes!
If you really want to look like a bodybuilder, or at least look pretty muscular, you have a tough road ahead of you. It is definitely harder to build muscle in your 40’s and 50’s. But it’s totally doable!
You already have some advantages over many other people. You have a background in martial arts. You have lifted weights before and gained muscle doing it! You aren’t overweight! So you can jump right to muscle building and not worry about losing 40 lbs of fat! These are serious advantages! A big part of strength training is developing the mind-muscle connection, which you have done before in both martial arts and lifting weights.
You would be surprised at just how little extra muscle mass it takes to make a huge difference. You don’t need to add 30 lbs of muscle, or even 20, or even 15!
If you got lean and added 5 lbs of muscle, you would be shocked by how good you looked and felt. And if you added 10 lbs of muscle! Holy cow, you’d be blown away!
The numbers I’m throwing around are a little bit relative. I don’t know anything about you beyond what you wrote in your question. If you’re really tall or unusually skinny, you might need to add a little more muscle. But regardless of where you start, almost anyone at any age can build muscle, get leaner, and feel better!
There is absolutely a genetic component to all this that is beyond our control. You may be what we call a hard-gainer. That is someone who does all the right things, but their muscles don’t respond to strength training like most other people’s do. You have gained muscle before, so that’s a good sign you probably aren’t a hard-gainer.
I know for me, I can’t get my calves to respond like all my other muscles do. I’m not giving up, but it’s pretty obvious there is a genetic hurdle there that makes it harder for me.
Speaking of genetics, I always wanted to be taller and good at sports. I wish my shoulders were broader. I envy people who look muscular in street clothes. Unless my clothes are skin tight, I look like I’ve never stepped foot in a gym in my life. I’ve put in 30 years of work (on and off at times, but still) and my body doesn’t look any different in a dress shirt than when I was 17!
To quote the modern day philosopher, Skee-Lo:
‘I wish I was a little bit taller
I wish I was a baller’
That sums up how I feel. I have never had the body I wished for. I know I never will. However, I’ve learned enough to know I’m way better off reaching for the unattainable and failing than never trying at all. I wouldn’t be where I am, and that totally beats where I started!
You damn well better be ready to try at this point! I’m all out of motivational ammo!
I want to cover some practical stuff next, but I can only do an overview here. There is a learning curve and you will need to do the work to understand these topics more thoroughly.
I invite you to follow up with me. Speaking of which, I tried to email you, but I got the dreaded mailer-daemon response saying it couldn’t be delivered. So, definitely contact me again!
Stuff You Gotta Do to Build Muscle:
Intense Strength Training –
Now, don’t just head to the gym cold turkey and kill yourself with a crazy workout. Go through the motions for a few weeks or a month. Get in the habit of lifting weights. Carve out a time that works for you that you can do faithfully. Get your body used to working out again. Work on proper form so it becomes a habit. There is no hurry. In fact, hurrying is bad.
But at some point, maybe 2, 3, or 4 weeks in, you need to start pushing yourself. Read up on how to stimulate muscle growth. There are a lot of different ways to do it, and they’re all of value. I can’t possibly cover everything here. Here is my article on going to failure.
The takeaway is that building muscle is a conscious, intentional, targeted choice. It doesn’t just happen! You have to make it happen. All the information is at your fingertips. You have to go find it and apply it. It’s not rocket science. With a handful of basic concepts and techniques, you can go a very long way toward your goal.
Consume Absurd Amounts of Protein –
The low end for what I usually recommend is 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. In your case, I would go 1 gram per pound of body weight. It might sound like a lot. However, we are trying to stimulate muscle growth and we’re working against age, declining testosterone, and decreased digestive efficiency among other things. As long as you don’t already have kidney or liver issues, studies have shown high protein diets are not deleterious to your health.
Also, I’m not proposing this high protein diet for the rest of your life. This is a muscle building phase that may last a year or two. Once you have built the muscle mass, it requires less protein to maintain it.
You should have protein with every meal. You should have a protein shake immediately after your workout. You can also have protein during your workout, but that is optional. The after workout protein shake is not optional!
My go-to sources of protein: Whey powder, eggs, salmon (canned and frozen), cod, tilapia, chicken, canned tuna, and beef. Like everything else, all the info you could ever want is in your pocket or on your desk. Google it!
Drink Ridiculous Quantities of Water –
There’s not a lot to say about this one. I don’t know what size you are, so I can’t give you an exact volume. I drink between 1 and 2 gallons of water daily. Much of that is just the water used to make protein shakes and workout shakes, but I also keep a large cup with me at work and I sip water throughout my day.
Take Creatine and Whey Protein –
These are the two best muscle building supplements available.
I take creatine with my first meal and also right after working out. There are dozens of variations out there, but creatine monohydrate power is all you need.
If you can afford it, whey protein isolate is a little better than whey protein concentrate. But the most important thing is that you get some form of whey in you right after strength training. It is also a good way to get a shot of protein in the morning or in between meals.
Reduce Stress and Simplify Your Life –
You’re pretty much on your own with this one. I will say you need to carve out some time for yourself and your workouts. It’s OK to be a little selfish. This is an investment you are making in your future that will pay dividends for you and your family for decades to come.
Get good quality sleep –
Sleep is so important! Google better sleep.
Boost your Testosterone –
I’m not talking about pills like nugenix or stuff like that. Some of them might work, I don’t know. I’ve never tried them.
There are some supplements, like magnesium, zinc, selenium, vitamin D and others that may help boost testosterone. Do some searching and try some things, but don’t put a lot of hope in vitamins and supplements. I take them myself just in case they can help
However, there are concrete things you can do to boost your testosterone.
Many of the things we’ve already covered (strength training, reducing stress, getting good sleep, and a high protein diet) will help boost your testosterone.
Here are some other ideas:
- Intermittent Fasting can help boost testosterone.
- Making sure you get enough fats and oils in your diet can help. Don’t throw away the egg yolks! The building blocks of hormones are fats and oils. Getting an adequate supply can help boost your testosterone.
- Stressing your larger muscles induces more of a testosterone response from your body. So do not neglect your legs! And don’t just do leg extensions and leg curls. Doing compound movements, like squats, dead lifts, and leg presses stimulates a greater testosterone release!
Do All of the Above Over and Over Again -
There is one more critical component that needs to be added to all of the above. You must do all of these things consistently over a substantial period of time! It is difficult, but the payoff is great.
I hope I’ve been helpful. I can’t say with certainly where you’ll end up. I sincerely hope you will give it your best shot, and then keep giving it your best shot for the rest of your life! Don’t ever give up!
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