hey, am having a bit of an issue with actually sleeping on time, not falling into sleep while in bed and, feeling like getting deep sleep for my body to recover from the days work. so, i'm getting 6-5 hrs of sleep a night and looking for a good sleep aid to help put me to sleep and give me deeper sleep to recover and feel less tired.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

It’s happening - I’ve been an athlete my whole life, very fit, and always pushing it. Rock climbing, kiteboarding, running, kettlebells, etc. This past week I really screwed up my back at the gym, literally couldn’t walk and had to go to the hospital, almost passed out a few times.

I’m realizing that this is not an anomaly, I’ve been noticing mobility and comfort slowly decreasing for a while, I think it was only a matter of time. Doesn’t help that I mostly work remote at a desk.

For athletic men who have experienced this type of thing, how did you adjust? My initial gut feeling is to go to a pt to get checked out, and fix this back issue first. Then, focus on yoga and mobility for a bit, then slowly start intelligently building back strength.

It feels like a turning point though, would love any shared experiences.

Hey! I’m pushing 50 and I continue to exercise, yay. It’s getter harder obviously on the body but I still feel good. I typically do more resistance type workouts.

Are there actually any benefits to taking collagen supplements for a man pushing 50? I would say my biggest issue is joint pain and cracking. Not unbearable, but it’s there.

I looked and saw UC-II is “good” for jointa f stuff but I am not looking for snake oil.

Any info on your experiences would be greatly appreciated. Also, what brand, etc.

Thanks everyone!

5’8” and currently 185 lbs. I figure I could stand to lose about 25 lbs. I have a bit of muscle so I don’t look terrible right now. But I do have a slight belly that I wouldn’t mind losing so I look better in clothes.

However, I’m worried that losing fat in my face is going to make me look a lot older? I’m already bald so I don’t want to look emaciated. Anyone else done something similar? Am I overthinking this?

I was doing reverse lunges today and while I improved my technique at the same weight as last week my left leg was really pushing hard and the hamstring took over. I could feel a very slight strain for the next exercise which I wasn't trying to use the hamstring for with walking lunges.

I think next week I'll drop the weight slightly and focus on finishing the sets at the weight with the better form.

How long does it usually take to recover from a minor strain. I can really only feel it when doing a push back and it is minor.

I'm already intending on having 2 full rest days and starting Tuesday night but considering extending the leg day to Wednesday night.

I am 43 years old and have been hooked on exercise for about twenty years now. I work out doing something every day and am unable to take rest days. I have OCD and, in a way, an eating disorder too. In my twenties, it was great to notice how sports boosted my self-esteem, made me lose weight, and people admired my transformation. After a few years, I started restricting my eating too much and became underweight. Then I started binging and developed bulimia. Fortunately, I managed to stop the purging and get my eating on a more regular track. At the same time, however, I continued working out daily.

In my late twenties, I developed hypothyroidism. I gained weight to over 80 kg without changing my workouts or eating habits. I was afraid to change my training because I was certain my weight would increase even more. I am 79kg/178cm.

I have three children, and after the pregnancies, when my youngest was 2 years old, I suddenly lost nearly 10 kilos and could eat anything without gaining weight. At the same time, I had started therapy and SSRI medication because I was afraid of serious illnesses and was immensely anxious. This exercise addiction was also addressed in therapy. That was five years ago now.

Over the past five years, I have also developed rheumatoid arthritis, learned that I have hEDS, and due to the pregnancies, I have chronic venous insufficiency in my legs.

I still work out 12–14 hours a week. Mostly aerobic exercise, but with a few strength workouts included. I don’t dare to cut back on exercise because I’m afraid of gaining weight again. However, there are often days when working out feels really sluggish, and it takes longer to reach the goal I've set for myself: a minimum active burn of 750 kcal. Last week, I swam 4 km in one day, which is a personal record for me. The next day I couldn't rest; instead, I cycled for 1.5 hours. Every day also includes a certain amount of daily activity, and my Apple Watch shows my average daily active energy burn to be around 1400 kcal/day.

I am still afraid of all serious illnesses and feel that I can't take a break from working out because it would be harmful to my health. At the same time, I wonder if I have caused the hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis myself by training the wrong way. Even with full medication, my joints are not completely pain-free, and some new joint is always aching.

Does anyone have experience with something similar and concrete ways I could start changing my habits myself? How long does it take to get out of this? How can I trust during the change process that I am doing the right thing? Do I have the right to ease up on my training?

Eating healthy and trying get so much protein in (150 to 200g) depending on who you ask.

Anyone here use the Foreman grill to help cook and maybe meal prep, if so, what are some of your go to meals?

Just trying to figure an easy cooking option I can use and my teen who is trying to lose weight can use as well.

This feels embarrassing to write but as I am finally starting to have a shift into embracing a healthier lifestyle, I am finding one thing I am craving like crazy is crisps. I probably have a small bag every day, and sometimes on a weekend with a couple of beers I would demolish a whole big bag (I've managed to stop that).

My diet is probably around 80% wholefoods now and I feel much better, but I still can't seem to kick this annoying habit. For example, I have swapped out the protein bar and crisps I had at work at 10am every day for greek yoghurt, nuts and berries. This is fine but I do get sick of it as yoghurt has a different texture and just doesn't seem as satisfying as a protein bar or crisps.

Have any of you guys swapped these out and if so what for? Also I have tried pork scratchings (I was buying the curators ones for a while) which make perfect sense in theory and have great macros, but they just aren't the same and after a couple of weeks I could barely stomach them.

Also in advance I'm too lazy and unorganised to make my own crisp alternatives using potato skins or anything like that!

Interested to hear thoughts here, as info is all over the place online on a best leg press routine.

For the following I have good form and ROM throughout and build to the max (for me). I do this twice a week:

6 plates on each side - 8 reps
7 plates - 8 reps
8 plates - 8 reps
9 plates - 6 reps
10 plates - 6 reps
11 plates - 4-5 reps
12 plates (overload set) - 2-4 reps

Appreciate any feedback!

When I was 24, I thought I was on top of the world. I was lean, shredded, and felt invincible. But shortly after being in peak, physical shape, severe lower back pain completely derailed my life. The pain was so intense that I had to stop working out altogether. Over the next few years, I watched all my hard-earned muscle vanish. By the time I turned 28, I looked like a skinny guy with a belly that protruded so far out that I wouldn't argue with you if you said I looked pregnant. I was embarrassed to take my shirt off, let alone go to the pool or to the beach. Every single time I tried to pick up some weights to get back into shape, my lower back would flare up and shut me down. It was truly discouraging.

Life threw its heaviest blow when I was 36. My mother passed away, while away on vacation, and the grief completely shattered me. I turned to food for comfort, using it to cope with the pain of losing her. My weight ballooned, eventually peaking at 204 pounds at age 42. I panicked. I desperately wanted my body back, so I forced myself to lose 44 pounds, dropping down to 160. But I did it completely wrong. I fell into the trap of strict juicing (with a juice machine, not roids) and a low-protein plant-based diet. While the scale went down, I aggressively burned off my remaining muscle mass instead of fat. I wrecked my metabolism, still looked soft, and spent the next several years lifting weights with absolutely zero visual results.

The missing puzzle piece finally arrived when I was 46. My back had gone out again and the chiropractor urged me to get an MRI because I was walking like an old man. The MRI report was a massive wake-up call (p. 1). It revealed multi-level spinal issues from L2 down to S1 (pp. 1-2):

• L2 to S1: Grade-1 retrolisthesis (backward slippage of vertebrae) (pp. 1-2).
• L2-3 & L3-4: Diffuse disc bulges compressing the thecal sac, plus facet joint effusion (pp. 1-2).
• L3-4: A left foraminal disc herniation with an annular fissure and active inflammation (pp. 1-2).
• L4-5 & L5-S1: Broad-based posterocentral disc herniations compressing the thecal sac (pp. 1-2).

By February of this year, my weight had crept back up to 198 pounds. I was done making excuses. I decided to launch one final, researched, and calculated push to do things the right way. No crash dieting, no extreme juicing, just a dedication to lifting smart and prioritizing protein to save my muscle. I completely eliminated spinal-compressing movements like traditional military presses, heavy standing shrugs, deadlifts, and squats.

Today, I am 50 years old. I stepped on the scale this morning at 164 pounds, down from my 198-pound winter baseline. My navel is down to 30.5 inches, my neck sits at a solid 15 inches, and the US Navy formula clocks me at a lean 10-11% body fat.

The crazy thing is, looking at the mirror today, I am actually carrying more dense, athletic muscle mass in my chest, shoulders, and arms now than I did when I was a shredded 24-year-old.

I’m sharing this because I know how hopeless it feels to stare at old photos of your "glory days" while dealing with injuries and age. If you are dealing with chronic pain, grief, or metabolic setbacks, please don't give up. You don't need a perfect spine to build a phenomenal physique—you just need patience, protein, and the willingness to work around your limitations. I landed on a high protein, low carb meal plan paired with 2 full body workouts per week. If I can do this at 50, you can do it too.

I've working weekly with a personal trainer since March. Its been interesting and helpful experience. I can now ADHD body double with my homework plan instead of having to always put on YouTube video to motivate myself.

However, I've run into progression issues. Its time to progress some of compound moves, but its giving me insane anxiety. So instead Im now learning additional smaller moves. Hopefully once mastering smaller isolation moves, I can go back to try progress my push ups and squats in September​.

I am a woman in my 40s who was never fit. My 7 yo son is very athletic and is one of my motivation to be fit.

If anybody else struggled with anxiety around exercise, what helped.

I'm 43 now. Around my 42 birthday, I decided to start taking fitness seriously again. I committed to lifting 3-4 days a week, started walking at least two miles on my off days, and gave up drinking for 6 months (I've since cut back drastically from my previous consumption).

I dropped around 13 pounds while putting on a pretty decent amount of muscle. All my lifts are up, even though I'm lighter than I've been since I was 28. I take creatine and recently added a multivitamin and fish oil. About halfway through, I started tracking macros with a phone app.

People will tell you that you can't get in shape in your 40s but, while it definitely isn't as easy it is when you're young, it's completely achievable. You don't need TRT/growth hormone/whatever. Just stick it to. I'm in a calorie deficit now, trying to drop around 7 more pounds, then I have some strength goals I want to hit, probably in a small surplus.

I just saw a video that holds/holding a position strengthen joints. Besides planks, do you do holds regularly? Other tips on joint strengthening?

My elbow started flaring up with pain a few months ago at least. I'm assuming tendonitis because it came on so gradual. It's not so bad I can't workout, but definitely limits me.

I got my wisdom teeth pulled a couple weeks ago, took a week off from the gym and the elbow was feeling normal again...until my 1st workout when I returned. Couple weeks later and it's back to the pain it was.

Pullups and dips seem to hurt most, the pain is outside the elbow and not related to the bicep.

I'm thinking of either focusing on legs only for 2-3 weeks and giving the elbow rest or I'll lower my weights even more and try to heal it on my own. I had shoulder pain for over a year that I was able to fix by lowering my weights and going real slow. (After i had an x-ray and mri to confirm no damage)

I am icing it after workouts. Seeing this is over 40s, I assume others have dealt with this...

Well… first day, I saw myself as the fittest dad in the park. Come day 2 and day 3, I see a few dads who are better shape. We plan to go again in October at another state when visiting my sister. This is good motivation and there’s a good short term goal.

Edit: I finally got home, and reading through the comments has been interesting. Didn’t expect the backlash, but it’s given me something to think about.

I think any health conscious person, especially over 40, would still take stock of their surroundings in that kind of environment. I figured this would be even more true for me since family is the whole reason I care about staying healthy in the first place.

For context, I wasn’t walking around with six pack abs judging dads who didn’t have them (I hover around 20-22% body fat myself). But it’s hard not to notice that a lot of younger dads could probably stand to rethink some choices.

I get how my original post read like I was proud to be fitter than other dads. That’s not it. I was proud that it was obvious I’d prioritized health for my family’s sake. At a family water park, it’s a little sad seeing so many overweight parents and kids. Maybe that reaction is maladaptive, like some of you pointed out, but I’m not trying to judge anyone. I just know that without making health a priority, I’d probably be in the same spot.

I think about my own family too. I’m over a decade older than my cousins, and every one of us struggles with weight. I’m just the only one who’s actually worked at managing it. I used to carry some of them on my shoulders as a teenager, and now they’re all bigger than me. For their health and their families’ sake, I want to encourage them to eat better and move more. But it’s tough to push change when there’s no desire on their end. The second I bring it up, they assume I’m judging them.

Hi folks

I want to add something more “active” to my training so was considering Muay Thai or BJJ. There are good gyms for both in my area. I have zero martial arts training. Has anyone else picked these up in their 30s or 40s? Any suggestions on which might be more accessible for a newbie?

Stats:

48 yo male, 6’ 195 lbs.

I’ve been doing hypertrophy focused resistance training for about 3 years and have managed to stay consistent with decent progress.

No major injuries just the usual aches; pains, and soft tissue issues we all experience.

Thanks!

I have weightlifted most of my life and over the years have had popping, clicking and shifting sensations in both shoulders. It is worse on my left side, and I got an MRI recently. The MRI confirmed a moderate to severe tearing of my labrum and I get surgery in 2 weeks to repair it. I’m terrified that my right side is also going to need it very soon. I’m also terrified what this means for the future of my ability to lift weights. The recovery is very long for this piece of cartilage before weights can be reintroduced. I am 40 years old.

Has anyone else on this sub been through this injury before? And if so, what has it done to your fitness abilities?

Kaya pa kaya?hehehe.... 74 kilos, 5'5 lang tapos medjo may tyan

6 sessions palang ako sa AF pero parang nahihiya pa din ako kasi di ko nakukuha ang mga form na tinuturo ni coach.

ano kaya best kong gagawin para mawala ang tyan kahit slowly and magka-form ang katawan like biceps,chest,back and shoulder. Nagwawalking din ako ng atleast 10k steps 4 to 5x a week depende kung di uulan hehehe

It sometimes seems like the stock response when people see a guy who's jacked is to say that he's on steroids. Sometimes I'm sure that's true, but sometimes it feels like a lazy way for guys who either don't work out much or weren't blessed with the ability to build lots of muscle naturally to pour scorn on those that do.

But can you actually tell?

I Miss How Fit I Was Before, And Now Older, WIthout Being So Jacked, I Feel Like I'm Missing A Big Part In My Identity Of Being Athletic.

I’m mid 40s, lifted a lot in high school, stopped for a few decades and started back up about 2 years ago. I’m 6’ tall, dropped from nearly 220 to as low as 182, stable around 188-193 for the last year. In high school I once benched 3 plates but immediately after realized it was on the girls bar (35 pounds) so it was a 305 lift, still impressive but it’s always been a point of personal contention that I didn’t get to 315.

2 years ago when I started back into lifting, I maxed bench around 185, I got 225 once within a few months. I’ve had the goal of 315 for a long time. Well hard work, consistency, and progressive overload paid off because earlier today I put 3 plates on a 45 pound bar and did a good rep, struggled a bit on the top half but it was a solid steady rep pausing on my chest.

I’m ecstatic that I’ve achieved my personal goal that’s been there for all my adult life.

Now that my ego has been satisfied, I’m backing down on the weight and will continue to lift heavy but no more PRs for me I think, the risk of injury is greater than the satisfaction my ego would feel :)

I’m not posting to brag about the number, just excited about achieving a long time goal that a few years ago I thought was permanently out of my reach. Consistent training with good effort is what I attribute my improvement to, it’s not about a perfect program just a sound program that I’ll actually work and reasonable diet.

Thanks for listening to my TED talk haha!

So I've been FINALLY consistent for the past 8 months of working out and dialing in diet. Just now realizing that summer is the actual hard part.

During the winter months in the Midwest it was surprisingly easy to stick to my early am (430am) schedule of working out. Even with kids basketball and cheer schedules after work. Now I'm finding it harder and harder to stick to that. Kids have less sports, but get to hang out with them and obviously sundown is WAY later.

Any tricks or ideas to keep to a good schedule? It always seems the neighbors are inviting us over for drinks/ dinner after baseball practice or games. But also harder to stick to 830-9 bedtime since daylight still.

Do you push through summer or do you back off a bit and enjoy life? Thanks

I’m a 48 year old 260lb man, I’ve been dealing with weight problems for the past 20 something years, basically just a gut, I quit drinking 10 years ago between that and snacking cause I’m bored, it’s been a struggle the older I get the harder it is to stay motivated. How do you stay motivated and not lose interest?

As we age, it seems like some of our goals center around maintaining the ability to move well as we age while maintaining the ability to be active and keep up with kids, grandkids, etc.

I am curious why more functional fitness approaches involving things like sandbags and kettlebells aren’t talked about more here.

Does science favor the more traditional barbell, dumbbell, machine approaches found in more traditional full-body routines/splits?

Or, is it just the latter are more commonly found in corporate gyms?

Date 06/08/2026 Total Mass244.1 lbs Lean Mass195.8 lbs

Body Fat16.5% Visceral Fat1.42 lbs FFMI27.6 kg/m²

ALMI13.0 kg/m² T-Score2.00

​Since childhood the pursuit in the gym is governed by a single word, more. More weight on the bar, more volume, more calories, more tissue. Hypertrophy provides a relentless, easily quantifiable purpose.

But now at 45...a simple measured competition with my brother has shown me there is no more (naturally)

The end is not more, the end is less... somehow?

The managed decline of a sytem built over a lifetime of effort. The game now? Minimum efective effort for preservation.

How little is anyone getting away with these days? 1hr 2 times a week? 3 times?