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Originally Posted by mcours2006
(Post 18847443)
Four and a half months isn't enough time, especially if you are not consistent with you lifting program. A diet higher in fat will help. It also helps with the absorption of protein.
you could try cutting down on mileage and see if makes a difference. You may be feeling tired just because you're riding too much. |
Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18846553)
Anyway, this is what's on my mind this morning and was hoping to hear from anyone else who may have come to the same or different conclusions. At the end of the day, I'm hoping to improve my quality of life from here on out and keep up with my two young boys (9 and 12) who keep me busy. My doctor says I'm normal so I guess I'll just make due with what I've got for now. I know this might be a sensitive topic for some but would appreciate anyone sharing their experiences if any on this topic.
Just from reading your post, you are probably not eating enough dietary fat. Eating low fat is extremely unhealthy, as your body needs fats to survive. You should be getting AT LEAST 30% of your daily calories from fat. Ideally fats with low amounts of Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (avoid all vegetable oils such as canola, corn, soybean oils). Healthy fat sources include salmon, beef, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, real butter, and macadamia nuts. If you don't eat fish regularly, supplement with fish oil to help achieve omega 3 balance. Also, proper sleep is extremely important for your hormone levels. Do whatever it takes to get adequate rest constantly. If that means less time cycling, then so be it. Do NOT start T replacement therapy, unless you have exhausted all other possible causes of your low performance. You are way too young to be taking steroids. |
Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18846553)
Those looking to size up should keep their rides short and hard.
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Originally Posted by link0
(Post 18847607)
I study nutrition for strength sports and bodybuilding.
Just from reading your post, you are probably not eating enough dietary fat. Eating low fat is extremely unhealthy, as your body needs fats to survive. You should be getting AT LEAST 30% of your daily calories from fat. Ideally fats with low amounts of Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (avoid all vegetable oils such as canola, corn, soybean oils). Healthy fat sources include salmon, beef, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, real butter, and macadamia nuts. If you don't eat fish regularly, supplement with fish oil to help achieve omega 3 balance. Also, proper sleep is extremely important for your hormone levels. Do whatever it takes to get adequate rest constantly. If that means less time cycling, then so be it. Do NOT start T replacement therapy, unless you have exhausted all other possible causes of your low performance. You are way too young to be taking steroids. I think the whole T replacement thing appealed to me because the Bioidentical doctors that push it really make it look like the cure all for us guys heading into middle age. I'm going focus my attention to proper diet and sleep habits for now. I never thought of testosterone replacement as steroids but that is in essence exactly what it is, crazy! |
Originally Posted by pacalolo
(Post 18847681)
That's what she said....how did we get this many responses without someone saying it?
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Lyle McDonald is a good resource for what you're after.
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Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18846553)
Good morning all, I was inspired to ask a few questions to the 41 after reading a thread started today about weight lifting. For background, I'm a mid 40's male, 6'5, 225lbs, and consider myself to be in decent shape for my age compared to just about every other guy I know or see in my age group thanks in part to cycling and watching what I eat. At this point in my life I'm beginning to feel what I believe to be the decline of my muscle mass, energy levels, and other age related declines of a man my age so back in November I decided to start weight lifting to see if that would help get me back to feeling normal again.
I went out and bought a complete home gym system plus free weights to begin a weight lifting program and stuck to it for 4 solid months doing a high weight/low rep routine with little to no improvements in strength or size. I was on a high protein low fat diet, took the full array of supplements, vitamins, and protein shakes timed as recommended by a nutritionist but all I ended up with was sore muscles and a hard time sleeping because of them. So what gives? I remember as a young man working out with some friends and it seemed we could just eat pizza, half ass work out for a while and see results almost immediately. What's changed? I started doing some online research and came to the conclusion that my testosterone levels may be low and made an appointment to see my physician with special instructions to get a full blood panel to see what my levels were. Come to find out I'm normal for my age group so no worries but I still wanted some answers and kept digging which led me to research local Bioidentical Hormone Doctors and see what they have to offer. That opened up a new door to re-evaluate what is considered a normal testosterone level for a particular age group and my "normal" is half that of a 20 year old male and the bottom of normal for an 80 year old male so according to them I'm low and replacement therapy is a viable option for me but there's trade offs with doing it. So it seems Testosterone replacement is a magic shot that will make me feel younger, increase my muscle mass, increase my libido, strengthen my bones, the extra weight around my mid section will just melt away, so why not go out today and get started? The main reason to consider NOT doing it is once you start replacing testosterone by way of injections, creme's, or the patch, your body will see that as a reason to stop producing it naturally and once it stops producing the hormone it doesn't start back up again. So anyone opting for replacement should be prepared to take it for the rest of their life. It's quite costly especially without insurance so I just can't see beginning such a treatment plan unless my levels were completely gone. That leaves me wanting more for myself although reluctant to do anything about it. Here's the kicker, endurance athletes like runners, swimmers, and cyclists tend to have lower T levels because the strain of the endurance activity actually depletes it plus for males turns some of the testosterone into estrogen that creates a whole different array of side effects like man boobs. So logging some long miles on the bike every week is counterproductive to anyone looking to bulk up in the gym or even keep what muscle size they have now and could lead to weaker bones earlier in life than those who don't partake in such activities. Those looking to size up should keep their rides short and hard. Anyway, this is what's on my mind this morning and was hoping to hear from anyone else who may have come to the same or different conclusions. At the end of the day, I'm hoping to improve my quality of life from here on out and keep up with my two young boys (9 and 12) who keep me busy. My doctor says I'm normal so I guess I'll just make due with what I've got for now. I know this might be a sensitive topic for some but would appreciate anyone sharing their experiences if any on this topic. If you can, why not add some running to your routine to strengthen your bones? I lift twice a week mostly upper body and average10-13 hrs cycling. At 5 8' and weighing 165lbs, i'm okay with not wanting to add too much mass muscle but also wanting to get stronger on the bike. |
I don't really get the whole 'gains' thing.
Is this not basically just over-eating in hopes of having bulging muscles? My GF's twenty yr old son was pounding the protein shakes, etc., & he started to look like the dough-boy. |
If my score had been 491, I would not be shooting T.
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Originally Posted by woodcraft
(Post 18847860)
I don't really get the whole 'gains' thing.
Is this not basically just over-eating in hopes of having bulging muscles? My GF's twenty yr old son was pounding the protein shakes, etc., & he started to look like the dough-boy. One of the reasons it's difficult to gain muscle mass when you get older is because of lower T, but even as a 20 y/o, you're doing pretty good if you gained 200-300g of muscle mass in a month. |
Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
(Post 18847869)
If my score had been 491, I would not be shooting T.
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Originally Posted by woodcraft
(Post 18847860)
I don't really get the whole 'gains' thing.
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Originally Posted by TexMac
(Post 18847852)
I'll be your age next year :)
If you can, why not add some running to your routine to strengthen your bones? I lift twice a week mostly upper body and average10-13 hrs cycling. At 5 8' and weighing 165lbs, i'm okay with not wanting to add too much mass muscle but also wanting to get stronger on the bike. |
A Harvard expert shares his thoughts on testosterone-replacement therapy - Harvard Prostate Knowledge - Harvard Health Publications
Check this website that should be credible! Your level is not that low from what I understand--for some who are having problems with the pituitary gland which controls several vital hormones is a must to replace testosterone, thyroxine etc. You will know if it is so low with very achy muscles and joints, no energy, depressed, loss of muscle and bone mass, etc. Go see couple different doctors, particularly an endocrinologist--good luck |
Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18847720)
Good info, thanks! I'm a bit surprised to be honest about the 30% fat daily intake. We do all of our cooking with olive oil here at home and while eating out do my best to make smart choices staying away from the deep fried stuff. Yeah, I do cheat here and there but stay strict for the most part. Love fish, especially salmon and cod but the rest of the family hates it so it doesn't appear on our plates as often as I'd like but also take 720mg of omega 3's daily (2 x 1,200mg pills).
I think the whole T replacement thing appealed to me because the Bioidentical doctors that push it really make it look like the cure all for us guys heading into middle age. I'm going focus my attention to proper diet and sleep habits for now. I never thought of testosterone replacement as steroids but that is in essence exactly what it is, crazy! My personal macros are around 55% fat/15% protein /30% carb for a 2000 calorie day, which is a pretty moderate approach. I'll eat a bit more carbs on cardio days. |
And here I am spending tons of money trying to lower my t levels for a gender change and I could have done the same riding more miles?.... I'll have to talk to my endocrinologist and see what he says
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Originally Posted by link0
(Post 18848453)
30% from fat is the absolute minimum. Most people do very well getting between 40-60% of their daily caloric intake from dietary fat, as long as it's the high quality healthy fats. Quality matters. And of course, try to eliminate processed food and added sugars as much as possible.
My personal macros are around 55% fat/15% protein /30% carb for a 2000 calorie day, which is a pretty moderate approach. I'll eat a bit more carbs on cardio days. |
Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18847720)
Good info, thanks! I'm a bit surprised to be honest about the 30% fat daily intake.
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Originally Posted by Emperor Ryker
(Post 18848711)
Stop spouting bull****. He should eat at least 0.4 g/lb BW (more doesn't hurt), and the percentage is completely irrelevant. All that matters is the absolute intake itself.
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Originally Posted by link0
(Post 18848853)
The percentage refers to macros (macronutrient ratios), which is a commonly used marker in the nutritional world. Percentage of nutrients to lean body mass is extremely important. Optimal absolute intake of macronutrients is obviously different for a 150lb man vs a 250lb man.
Someone already suggested Lyle McDonald above, so read this article of his on why setting up a diet based on macronutrient ratios is a mistake: Diet Percentages: Part 2 : Bodyrecomposition. |
Originally Posted by Emperor Ryker
(Post 18848860)
No one uses percentages anymore, because it's outdated and irrelevant. All that matters is the absolute intake or how it relates to body weight or lean body mass. Protein recommendations are given in g/lb of LBM or BW, and the same goes for fat. Carbs don't really have an optimal intake.
Someone already suggested Lyle McDonald above, so read this article of his on why setting up a diet based on macronutrient ratios is a mistake: Diet Percentages: Part 2 : Bodyrecomposition. |
Originally Posted by link0
(Post 18848865)
It's just math man. Macro ratios are useful for many who find it easier to imagine ratios vs grams. Many others, such as you, prefer using grams. No big deal. You can convert any macro ratio to a gram amount by multiplying. You obviously have to combine macro ratios with total caloric intake to get an absolute amount.
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Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18846627)
I know, right! All I meant was the fact that I ate what you're supposed to eat while building muscle mass, high protien foods like chicken, beans, and a bunch of green veggies and salads. I stayed away from fried foods, desserts, sweets, etc...
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Originally Posted by woodcraft
(Post 18847860)
I don't really get the whole 'gains' thing.
Is this not basically just over-eating in hopes of having bulging muscles? My GF's twenty yr old son was pounding the protein shakes, etc., & he started to look like the dough-boy. |
Originally Posted by dvdslw
(Post 18847898)
By gains I'm talking strictly muscle gains, not just dead weight gains. I was under the impression the one who would consume a weight gainer shake would expect that shake to feed the potential muscle they're looking to build, not get fatter. I also see now that there's a fine balance between too much gainer and not enough depending on the amount of work put in to ones training.
Just curious, what was your routine? I saw you mention 3 sets of 8 to failure but what actual exercises were you doing? Were you training your legs? If not, you really should be. That is where most of your muscle mass is, so if you want to build muscle that is the key. Cycling is good, but it doesn't really provide the same muscle building stimulus that heavy squats do (unless you're doing something like track sprints). Also, training to failure is probably not a good idea. 1. At that point, your form breaks down and you have increased risk of injury. 2. It is much harder to recover from a set to failure than it is from a set where you stop 2 reps short of failure, but the benefits aren't all that different (so essentially the cost/benefit ratio isn't all that good from a recovery perspective). That doesn't mean you don't train hard, just that you don't push every set as hard as you possibly can (just like you don't ride as hard as you can every time on the bike). |
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