Im stronger now than I was in my 20s
- Thread starter PhotonGuy
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I used to lift weights so I know I'm not stronger which is fine. There's very few things in one's daily that requires a person to bench press 200 pounds. However, I have gotten stronger in other areas that actually matter and will become more important as I head towards my 50s. I look at some of my friends and I see a big difference. I probably need to lose 20 lbs.
Kenposcholar
Orange Belt
I'm missing some information. How old are you now? What martial art or arts do you practice? I would love to know some more of your story to provide for my older students.
That's awesome to hear!kuniggety
2nd Black Belt
Males do not peak in strength in their 20s. You will be more "fit", spry, recover from injuries faster, etc but not the strongest. That peaks around age 40 and slowly declines (without the right upkeep) as you move into your 50s, 60s, and beyond.
frank raud
Master of Arts
What parameters are you using to define you are stronger? Lifting more weight than before? Punching harder?
I'm stronger now than when I was an infant.
Wish I was in my twenties still. Been blessed with strength, I worry, kind of, when it starts to wane. Still though, is it not true that the male will still feel stronger as he ages? Then obviously level out at some point when you become upper middle age.
Kenposcholar
Orange Belt
Your statements made me curious on what the current, scientific studies support. Here are two research articles that all show data reporting that muscle strength peaks at approximately 25 years of age and begins declining at around 40< years of age with 25% loss of overall force output by age 65. This is true for men, whereas women are a bit different as they stop experiencing significant loss of muscle after age 40.
Sources:
https://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/52A/5/B267.full.pdf
Strength and muscle mass loss with aging process. Age and strength loss
AGING AND EXERCISE (Summarizes information from other studies)
kuniggety
2nd Black Belt
I think your first article was the most comprehensive (had mean strength of males at ~35 yo). The second was strangely particular and the third was just generalities of the population and not a comparison of strength vs conditioning at various ages. Many strength and body-building researches go along with the first article and what I stated of males maxing in the late 30s. It's entirely dependent on lifestyle. Inactivity can ruin people at any age. At 35 yo I'm much more fit than I was at 20 but I've since figured out what this thing called exercise is. At this age, a man can go from couch to fit in as little as 3 months or even "athletic" in 6.
You have a good point... here's me now and when when I was an infant, or perhaps a toddlerYou are just guessing, unless you actually remember your infant weight training?
SenseiHitman
Orange Belt
No mater the age of the karate man, fitness one of the best weapons he can have...
SenseiHitman
Orange Belt
I'm not stronger now than I was in my 20s( I am 48 ) but close enough...
- Thread Starter
- #14
This Christmas I turn 41. My primary art is a style of Karate somewhat similar to Shotokan although Im not sure I can mention the name on this forum since it does have a vulgar spelling (although that's not how its pronounced). I started it when I was 12. Aside from that my training has been quite scattered in various arts, everything from Muai Thai to Judo to Tae Kwon Do and some other arts as well and I've recently taken up Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Some people say you're over the hill at 25 or 30. The way I see it when you're in the martial arts you're never over the hill.I'm missing some information. How old are you now? What martial art or arts do you practice? I would love to know some more of your story to provide for my older students.
- Thread Starter
- #15
Both those things, also being able to work out longer and do more drills.
What age is "now" for you? I'd be interested in the context of this difference.
This is in line with my own experience. I was probably my strongest at about 32. Life issues reduced my exercise time around then, but I maintained a similar level until my late 30's. An injury at 41 got me into sedentary habits, so I'm significantly less strong now (and more injury prone) than 10 years ago. I have to rehab past my current injuries so I can get back on track and rebuild some to offset the natural loss that's going on.
Those last two are more about conditioning and fitness than strength. Not a dispute, just a clarification of terms.
Okay, first thing, give us the phonetic spelling of the style, or something. Otherwise, I'm going to keep calling it "fuk-kyu" in my head, because that's the first thing that popped in when I read your post, and that sounds like a style Master Ken would teach.
I think I was still stronger at 41 than I was at 25. I was probably fitter, because at 25 I was still suffering from exercise-induced asthma (training my breath control preparing for black belt seemed to all but end that). With the BJJ, I can certainly see where you'd be more fit than 15 years ago. That's some good conditioning there.
- Thread Starter
- #20
Alright the style is called Shi-to Ryu. Hopefully with the dash I can post it here.
The BJJ I just started recently and I like to refer to it as Gracie JJ not BJJ since the school does use the Gracie name. Yes it really does get you in shape although I've done Judo before and that gives you just about as much exercise. Back when I was 25 I lifted weights as I do now and now I can lift more.
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