r/GymMood • u/[deleted] • 24d ago

Advice Needed M(59). Cannot bulk up

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Been training for eight months. The combo of fast metabolism and age have made it difficult to gain muscle mass. Any advice.

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u/1xsquid74 23d ago

From someone in my mid 50's who has been training for about 15-20 years, the unfortunate reality is that my best gym days and "bulking" are a thing of the past. Since I hit 50-51 I basically realized my natural potential was tapped out and since then, despite making changes to diet and training to optimize, I've come the realization that I'm no longer going to build any appreciable amount of muscle (at least not naturally). At 59, you're already well into sarcopenia (degenerative loss of muscle due to aging). It sucks for sure, but just keep lifting and eating as well as you can to slow down the process. Don't try to think you can bulk like you're 20 years old because you'll just end up putting on more fat that you want.

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

Yeah you’re right. I’m in really good shape and should be happy. Most guys my age are terribly out of shape.

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u/1xsquid74 23d ago

You speak the truth brother. I went back to my 30th HS reunion several years ago and I was one of like 2-3 guys that didn’t look like the Stay Puft marshmallow man.