The only people who say, "It's all downhill after X" are those who were already going downhill the decade before

[kirbyjohn]

@prestonmcghee This is honestly what keeps me going to the gym everyday. My diet may not be perfect, I may miss a workout, and my body may not be ideally what I want. But I know in the long run it will compound and I will be better for it.

One of my favorite things is to see older people in the gym in great shape, it’s a reminder and a goal that it can be done.

 

[sean1240]

@prestonmcghee 33 m here. And I heard from my Dad all the time growing up. "Once you hit 35, 40, you're out of your prime, and everything starts going downhill. You start losing muscle, you don't have as much energy. About the only thing you got that is still going up is..." This was also coming from a man who couldn't even take off his own boots after work. Would sit in his recliner all evening watching TV shows, the news or movies. It got worse with Netflix. He's now in his 60's and has been needing knee replacement in BOTH knees for over a decade. 5' 8" and weighs well over 260 lbs and most of it is fat.

By contrast, my Uncle, whom my Dad always joked and ridiculed for exercising (irregular) and eating healthy, is a bit younger, but weighs about 70 to 80 lbs less. Doesn't have problems with his knees or back. He's an ex-smoke (4 years clean iirc) and in better health than a man who never smoked but just laid around all day.

The point? Exercise trumps a NUMBER of ailments.

 

[ianjones]

@prestonmcghee People were telling me this when I graduated university - just wait until you start working in “the real world”. These were dudes in their mid-late twenties lol.

I’m 31 now and in better shape than ever. It was actually easier for me to get fit when I started my career and living on my own.

All it takes is working out three times a week with good intensity and eating a good diet during the workweek. Weekends I’m able to have one or two meals of whatever I want.

All of this is after I tore BOTH achilles tendons in my early twenties and herniated a disc.

 

[dawn16]

@prestonmcghee I got in way better shape after 30 than from ages 24-29.

 

[gypsyrose78]

@prestonmcghee It’s all downhill after the day you’re born.

 

[dawn16]

@prestonmcghee Fall Apart 50s and Second Wind 60s.

 

[mvelis15]

@prestonmcghee I'm 40. I've been working out consistently since I've been 15 and always pursuing different athletic goals and sports. It is 100% ingrained in my lifestyle.

Once I hit my mid 30s, my metabolism slowed down, it took me longer to recover, I tend to get more tendon and ligament injuries etc. I used to be able to work out hard, eat reasonably well but still splurge and look fantastic. Now I have to be much more measured and disciplined in how I train, what I eat, how I sleep etc.

Theres no replacement for youth (well, maybe trt but I haven't Crossed that bridge yet). I definitely found that, athletically, things have gotten harder the last 7ish years. I'm not as fast, or as strong, despite being more focused and careful with training diet and lifestyle.

If you're peaking athletically over 40 it means you weren't training in your 20s and 30s. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy an athletic life or make gains, and I think the older you get the more important that is, but, I can relate to feeling like things go downhill after a certain age.

 

[bythegraceofgodgoi]

@prestonmcghee Well said. Plenty of 70+yo grandpas in my area still doing workout and sometimes gym too. You decide your own peak.

 

[richardjuarez1234]

@prestonmcghee I mean... I still complain about aches and pains but the aches and pains are from training

 

[jakubb]

@prestonmcghee I heard this a lot about social life and how like "ohhh once you're over 25 you can't stay up past 9pm and you have no friends" and gradually had this realization that everyone who was saying that was introverted af, and when people make statements like this they're overwhelmingly just normalizing their own disposition.

 

[hossana]

@prestonmcghee Misery loves company. They've given up so they think you should too. They'll have a long list of excuses as well.

But you don't need to buy into it. You can live a long happy life with a great degree of fitness through out (relatively speaking).

 

[andmic]

@prestonmcghee I’m glad you said this.

I struggled with poor energy and an out of shape body my whole life. Got my shit together at 31.

And that’s when I went from a BMI of 30 to a BMI of 25.

 

[childs777]

@prestonmcghee Let’s get it! It’s all uphill from here. Seriously I was over 200lbs at 5’5” 4-5ish years ago. Spent some time in a coma a year and a half ago and had to learn how to walk and do daily stuff over. Muscle atrophy is brutal. Here I am 131 lbs worrying about eating enough maintenance calories to keep building muscle while maintaining my desire to exercise 1.5-3 hours a day. Also my abs are starting to show.. never would I have ever imagined I’d be one of those kind of people. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been in all my life. Holy shit what a ride and it hasn’t stopped yet!! Let’s go y’all.

 

[sharry]

@prestonmcghee Thank you for saying this! I've been hearing this shit since I was a teen. I'm 32 and not o ly in the best shape in my life, but I'm staying active trying new things, saying no to things that add no substance to my life. Hell I look younger than I really am because I took care of myself and good genetics.

 

[miho]

@prestonmcghee No, there is validity to that saying. I've been active, running thousands of miles over the years & hitting the gym 3-4 times weekly. I've been doing this since 2011. I'm 34 now & I can safely say that after 30, injuries have increased & healed slower. Sciatica has stopped me from running. Performance for me has dipped noticeably (particularly in my run times). I'm still active but I'm definitely a semblance of my old self. I'm still able to lift weights & knock out some calisthenics as long as they're easy on the lower back. Everyone has different experiences, but to say your max physical potential at 20 is equal to your potential at 40 is a stretch.

 

[prestonmcghee]

@miho Just because YOU have/had issues does not make it the norm. I'm 35 and have absolutely no physical issues whatsoever. The vast majority of people on this planet have little to no issues at my age if they are eating well and stay active. If they don't it's EXTREMELY likely they will have a multitude of health issues.

This same sentiment applies to people twice my age. By nature things no matter what do slow down and change, but it's not the end all be all people act like it is when you hit X age. Like I mentioned about my grandad, hes 85 and can run circles around people half his age and younger.

As for having max physical potential at 40 vs 20, you actually WOULD have a higher physical peak at a later age in most cases because youve had so many years to train to that level when prior you simply havent even been alive long enough for it to be possible.

 

[miho]

@prestonmcghee While I agree that being active does benefit people, I still believe that exercise does get generally more difficult after a certain age. For me, it was 31. I went from running 21 minute 5ks to 23 minute 5ks. I went from no injuries in a year to several injuries in a season. The exercise didn't change, but my age sure did. Sure, on paper I'm still very healthy. But my joints and back are fucked, and it's not from lack of activity. Genetics and age play a huge part in life.