BahamaMan’s BodyBlog

            For the record: I’m 43, married with 2 young kids, live in southern Illinois, and have a pretty regular 9-5 office job making pretty regular money.  I had a spinal fusion when I was 17 and was diagnosed with degenerative disk disease a couple of years ago.  I tend toward an endomorph body-type and I have narrow shoulders, a thick waist, and naturally small calves.  I was into bodybuilding as a teenager but then didn’t lift seriously again until about three years ago.   I attempt at least four short workouts a week in my very modest home gym, often while entertaining one or both of my kids.  I eat a solidly clean diet with exceptions made for cheesecake, onion rings, and a couple other “cheat” foods.  Whey protein and BCAAs are my only supplements.

            And…I’m in pretty good shape if I do say so myself.

            My point:  If you are a 30 or 40 something you can totally get into “Are you a bodybuilder?” shape.  You can do it and you don’t have to; be in your 20’s, single, a personal trainer, a genetic freak, or affluent.  You can get totally buff and you don’t have to; join a fancy gym, buy and consume silly supplements, quit your job, get a divorce, not have back problems.  At 40 plus you can pimp out your bod and you don’t have to; move to/live in California, spend ten hours a week working out, have a naturally athletic physique, not have a job where you sit on your butt most of the day.  You can totally become a mini-Arnold and you don’t have to; take steroids, workout for 10 years before you see major results, not have young kids.  At 40 plus you can still get a six-pack…

            I’ve probably made my point, huh? 

            Let me just add that there’s no reason that you can’t get into “totally buff” shape at 50 either.  Hell, there’s a growing body of research evidence that men in their 80’s still add muscle when they engage in progressive resistance weight training. 

            So, if you hate the condition you’re in but have rationalized it for any of the reasons I’ve listed above, stop making excuses and start working out.  If you’ve gotten back into “decent shape for a guy my age with my responsibilities”, don’t settle for decent shape.  Set your sites higher! 

            Now, everyone huddle up and let’s howl “Age is just a number! on three.

            One, two, three…