[NASA Test Pilot]

This may not be the most pleasant topic, but as men we are often called upon to observe uncomfortable facts in life and we must face them as that is part of our nature. Admittedly, I approach this topic with a selfish motive as it is a part of life that I believe I am approaching (physically) and I want to understand and hopefully be able to apply means of halting its movement (for a time) or perhaps push it back; maybe it is just a modification of frame and a changing of strategies. In the end, time waits for no man.

I want to be able to distinguish between approaching the male wall and hitting the male wall as well as discuss how the two interface with one another. There could be physical walls, mental walls (some may hit the wall when they think that they have done enough and they begin to become complacent or they need to put forth more effort now when it was easier in the past) and emotional walls (lack of purpose). Perhaps it is just a speed bump or a series of speed bumps.

-------------------

It could have been that I hit the wall in my late 20´s when my body was at its physical peak in terms of absolute velocity in my sport and every moment since then has been a slow motion push against this wall, or perhaps it is defined in other ways. As I have approached what I think is the (physical) wall, here is what I have observed. At about 45-46 years of age I noticed not being able to see the small depth numbers on some of my nautical charts. I picked up a pair of 1.25 reading glass and used them on occasion until about 49. At 49 I used the 1.25 regularly and purchased a pair of 1.5 for the future. In my early 50´s I used the 1.25 and occasionally the 1.5 reading glasses. I remain at this point today. My workout intensity and absolute number of meters swam has decreased. I was able to continue intense swim training at up to 20,000 meters per day (with two a days) in my late 40´s, but at about 48-49 years I was unable to maintain this combined level of endurance and intensity. The quality of my dietary regime was/is top notch and my vitamin and mineral levels were squared away. Endocrine disruptors were a minimal (I like peanuts) or non-existent. I concurred with the coaching staff to reduce my workload by 10% to 18,000 meters per day. My body fat was/is normally between 4.5-6% depending on the training meso-cycle (within the macro-cycle (season)). I continued to train and compete with younger high level athletes based on external measures such as time and velocity, not adjusting for age (what changes is the relative distance between me and them as I age).

This 10% reduction worked like a charm until last year when I made a further 10% reduction and reduced the number of workouts per week by one; which again worked very well. I have never been injured other than normal shoulder pain in almost five decades of training (started at age 6) and the limitations were not ones of the body, but of the mind. On two occasions about 12 and 18 months ago, I strained tendons (in my upper back and shoulder, not due to lack of flexibility or hydration) during high intensity sprinting as my mind is more than capable of handling the workload and pain, but the limitation is (has been) becoming my body (so I just back off). I may try a few tablespoons of collagen as well. Next time when I reach these points regularly, I will consider making a further 10% reduction (like before) as well as decrease the number of weekly workouts by one and probably make sure that I have an additional full day of rest in the weekly (micro) cycle. I will also look at insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β).

I have tight skin with no wrinkles (very small crows feet around the eyes), and I do not have many grey hairs, but there were a few in my late 40´s and a few more in my early 50´s. It is a good thing that my hair is short and the sun blondes out my surfer hair and I appear youthful. My testosterone levels are slightly less in my early 50´s than in my late 40´s, but still very high. My hair has thinned slightly in the last year. My absolute speed in the water is decreasing about 2-3% every 5 years (since my late 20´s) and this is parallel with the intensity of the sprinting in my workouts. The problem with most research with older men is that much of the research is flawed to include no baseline for the men to include when they were younger; as they begin competing in mostly endurance (only) sports as mature adults. A better study with male 100m sprinters (running) is Marko T. Korhonen, Antti Mero, and Harri Suominen, 2003; but there is no baseline for these athletes compared to their running at younger ages and the practical usefulness is minimal.

I do not take naps except the part of the season with more intense sprint training (this has always been normal) and I am not sleeping more or less at night. I have less relative external stress in my life due to retirement. The above listed information shows me that I am approaching the wall (or maybe I have hit it and am pushing back), so what I personally want to know is: is/are there (a) demarcation(s) between approaching the wall and hitting the wall? Is there some type of relative wall and perhaps is it a continual process with progressive markings on the side of the road that you see in hindsight that shows degradation of performance? Then based on these markers, (how) can we (I) decrease the rate of change of the degradation, or perhaps halt it and/or reverse it? The areas would cover physical elements such as activity, diet, hormones, rest, sleep, as well as cognitive elements (especially game and frame) and affective states (abundance, etc.) Social status could be referenced as well in terms of power and wealth. My question is physical now as I do not appear to be sensing a cognitive or an affective wall; but I am open to the possibility that there is a relation and/or progression. I do not know and that is why I am putting this out.

Some of the key characteristics that I have found as it relates to performance as I age are an optimistic outlook on life, the ability to engage in social and physical activity, and having goals. It does not seem that it is any one of these things that is as most important, but rather the combination of these things that makes the difference.

There are traits that centenarians (those over 100 years old) share and they are anecdotal. They include things like having an optimistic outlook, keeping the mind active and continuously learning, they are resilient particularly being able to handle a loss (most of their friends and children have passed) and having a spiritual outlook. They are rarely depressed, do not smoke or drink very much, they are physically and mentally active, are often independent past 90. Medical research generally points to genes, healthy lifestyle and upbeat personality as the most important. Here is a peer reviewed study on Super-centenarians (110-119 years old) that has other links which have even more links.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2895458/

I attempt to live a healthy, stress free and active lifestyle. I have goals each day, each week, each month, each year, within 5 years and within 10 years, as well as lifetime goals. Some of my lifetime goals are stretched but I believe that as long as men are breathing, we must push and stretch out limits. Examples of my lifetime goals include being healthy at 100, I want to be able to swim at 104 (I started swimming at age 4), I want to competing at age 106 (I started competing at age 6).

Here are a few of the things that I have examined as we move back to performance.

DHEA(-S) especially as it relates to inflammation as inflammation is the driver of most disease. The cell-signaling molecule nitric oxide within the delicate lining of blood vessels by activating an enzyme called endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Nitric oxide is a pivotal regulator of blood flow via its ability to stimulate blood vessel dilation. Aromatase converts testosterone to estrogen, further depleting free testosterone levels and increasing estrogen levels.

Obesity and associated hyper-insulinemia suppress the action of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the testis, which can significantly reduce circulating testosterone levels (Mah and Wittert 2010), even in men under the age of 40 (Goncharov et al 2009). In addition, increased belly fat mass has been correlated with increased aromatase levels (Kalyani and Dobs 2007).

The (vicious) circle of low testosterone and obesity has been described as the hypogonadal/obesity cycle. In this cycle a low testosterone level results in increased abdominal fat, which in turn leads to increased aromatase activity. This enhances the conversion of testosterone to estrogens, which further reduces testosterone and increases the tendency toward abdominal fat (Cohen 1999, Tishova and Kalinchenko 2009).

Most testosterone circulating in the bloodstream is bound to either sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (60%) or albumin (38%). Only a small fraction (2%) is unbound, or “free”. (Morales et al 2010).

Aging men experience both an increase in aromatase activity and an elevation in SHBG production. The net result is an increase in the ratio of estrogen to testosterone and a decrease in total and free testosterone levels (Lapauw et al 2008).

The liver is responsible for removing excess estrogen and SHBG, and any decrease in liver function could exacerbate hormonal imbalances and compromise healthy testosterone levels. Thus it is important that aging men also strive for optimal liver function.

A major issue that I see in the research in aging male athletes (or males in general) is insufficient free testosterone, i.e., less than 20 - 25 pg/mL of serum. When accompanied by excess estradiol (over 30 pg/mL of serum), this can signal excess aromatase enzyme activity. This is based on studies from study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), especially Ewa et al 2009.

These are all downstream from genetic potential including testosterone level and estrogen level to which you are exposed in the womb. By this I mean that even if you have perfect downstream processes (diet, activity, sleep, liver functioning, etc.), there is a genetic limit (which may be low) and if you want to augment this limit and perhaps artificially raise it you need to think biochemically.

The exact cause of the age-related reduction in testosterone levels is not known (as far as I know); it is probably the result of a combination of factors, including:

•Increasing body fat (especially belly fat, and therefore increasing aromatase activity).
•Oxidative damage to tissues responsible for the production of testosterone
•Reduction in testicular testosterone synthesis.
•Declining levels of precursor molecules, such as DHEA.
•Nutritional status and liver function.

As it relates to Aromatase and SHBG there are studies on
Chrysin - (Walle et al 2001), (Srinivasan et al 2007)
Quercetin - (Eng et al 2002)
Nettle root - (Anon 2007, Chrubasik et al 2007; Lopatkin 2005; Safarinejad 2005)
Fish oil - (Nagata et al 2000)
Protein - (Longcope et al 2000)

There is a lot more, but others may bring details forward and things may also be on other threads. Testosterone replacement threads here:

thread-28966.html
thread-44354.html

A study examining the role of antioxidants in male hormone imbalance in aging men noted that antioxidant supplements (including vitamins A and E, zinc and selenium) all supported testosterone production (He et al 2005). There have been studies with Zinc as they relate to male reproduction (Ali et al 2005; Netter et al 1981). There is also a thread related to zinc and another with supplements.

thread-15255.html
thread-51236.html


I am considering something like human growth hormone treatment to see if there is a change that is similar to a relatively earlier stage (in terms of my workload without injury or needing increased recovery). Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is a small protein that is made by the pituitary gland and secreted into the bloodstream. hGH production is controlled by a complex set of hormones produced in the hypothalamus of the brain and in the intestinal tract and pancreas. The pituitary puts out hGH in bursts; levels rise following exercise, trauma, and sleep. Under normal conditions, more hGH is produced at night than during the day.

Signs of low hGH might be

•Grayer, thinning or more fragile hair.
•Dry, non-elastic skin.
•An acceleration of wrinkles or the appearance of damaged skin
•Brittle nails.
•Dark Circles around the eyes.
•A change in body composition and even shape.

If others have experience with this and the general protocols (with the realization that there is no one size fits all type of protocol), it would be helpful. An example might be

1)Initial work-up: History, Vitamin battery, blood work, Lipid battery, Liver function test and Chemistry, Inflammation/methylation battery, Oxidative stress markers, Serology, Urinalysis, Heavy metal battery.
2)Pre-treatment hormonal analysis: Hormone study: estradiol, IGF-I, DHEA(S), cortisol (± ACTH, hGH, Free T4, LH).
3)Treatments: You must not eat food 90 minute before or after your HGH administration; hGH should not be administered at least 6 hours before you are going to bed for the day (administering hGH in close proximity to your bed time will elevate your IGF-1 levels to the point to where your body will not produce its own growth hormone (GH) because it will recognize that your levels are significantly elevated already, thus restricting additional production); hGH should be injected subcutaneously, hGH should not be administered on a 7-day protocol cycle. Unless you are suffering from an acute production deficiency of GH, where your pituitary is simply not producing any GH at all, your hGH protocol should include 2 or more days a week where there is no hGH administration in order to allow the pituitary to function normally, avoiding atrophy and future glandular issues. Dosage is generally a function of height and weight. I am curious to know how often people use hGH (per year) and for how long.
4)Post-treatment hormonal analysis:


There also exists a direct relationship between hGH and testosterone in men such that, if a man is low in hGH, it is very likely to have a negative impact on his Testosterone production. I may also consider Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in the future as a progressive step when my testosterone levels decrease more than one standard deviation from my baseline.

I am of the opinion, based on lifelong experience as an athlete, that quantity and quality of rest and sleep is pivotal in relation to the type of training throughout a normal season or macro-cycle as activities varies depending on the phase of training (meso-cycle) in relation to a competition (taper) and maximum genetic potential. How much rest is necessary with age is not known to me in detail except anecdotally with my experience as well as my father and grandfathers. I do not know in great detail other than more recovery is needed in general to reduce the probability of injuries and recovery from inflammation, as well as the time (of day/night) when you recover in relation to your workout. There are also differences in the degradation of power and/vs. endurance as you age. The research on aging athletes is minimal and I have asked friends as many are coaches at the national and Olympic levels. There is decent research on peak performance in general, but not as it relates to aging. There is some aging performance research related to myelin, flexibility and peak torque measurements.

I provide all of the above as an example and I am not unhappy or disappointed as I am well above the norm for performance in my age category. I just want to know more as I am the type of man that likes to push my limits (I even got paid to do it). I know what I perceive as my boundaries are not my boundaries, but I do, in fact, have them.


Here are more examples of performance research in addition to those cited in my post:

1.Hirofumi T, Douglas R. (2008) Endurance exercise performance in Masters athletes: age-associated changes and underlying physiological. The Journal of Physiology, Vol 586.1, 55-63
2.Jeremiah P, Christopher A, Dale C, Paul L, Daryl P. (2008) Physiological Characteristics of Masters-Level Cyclists. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Vol 22 No. 5, 1434-1440.
3.Pollock M, Foster C, Knapp J, Rod L, Schmidt D. (1987) Effect of age and training on aerobic capacity and body composition of master athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol 62, 725-731.
4.Andrew W, Francesca A, Mark S, Bret G, Vonda W. (2011) Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in masters athletes. The Physician and Sportsmedicine. Vol 39, No. 3, 172-178.

[captain_shane]

My dad's almost 60 and looks amazing. Yeah he can't do the same things physically that he could in his younger days, but that's expected. The female wall is clearly at 30-35 since very few women ever look very good after that, let alone 60+.

I think the wall approaches around 60, but even then you have suave mofo's like

73 year old Ian McShane:


62 year old Pierce Brosnan:


85 year old Clint Eastwood:


We can still look good as hell later on in life, just make sure you aren't fat and you've got a good chance.

[DrCotard]

My dad is in his late 50s/early 60s and he looks very good. At his age, he doesn't have wrinkles, only a few expression lines that give him a rugged masculine look.

Julio Iglesias has hit the male wall, but he looks good despite he's 72 years old.

   

[PartManPartMonkey]

NASA: You are simply better than everyone on this forum. What else is there to say?

[Foolsgo1d]

I want to know what percentage of men who are avid gym goers and concious about their appearance, will appear in cancer wards for perusing that golden skin look and the organ transplant list from gear use within the next 10-15 years.

Still blows my mind this sociopathic metrosexual disease is going to make the lives of many men an absolute train wreck.

[Saweeep]

I know I am now past my physical peak at 34.

It depresses me because it is very notable from a personal peak, I believe, at 28-32; I can "feel" it.

I dread to think what it's gonna feel like in a few more years. I'm resigned to getting on the TRT-juice in the not too distant future.

[eatthishomie]

As I said in my second post on this forum, the male wall can happen as early as 24 if you eat like shit, don't lift, are constantly stressed out, fap all the time, sleep like shit, etc.

Taking care of yourself will hold the male wall off for a while.

[Teutatis]

(03-24-2016 08:20 PM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

I know I am now past my physical peak at 34.

It depresses me because it is very notable from a personal peak, I believe, at 28-32; I can "feel" it.

I dread to think what it's gonna feel like in a few more years. I'm resigned to getting on the TRT-juice in the not too distant future.

I'm 38 and my physical peak was definitely between 28 and 32 as well, after that I could feel the difference, in strength, recovery, endurance, and injuries. I still look young though, I can pass for 28, 29 and I'm in very good shape but it's not the same.

Still, I'm far from needing TRT just yet, I have an 8 or 6 pack depending on the day, I can still do everything I used to, just not with as much weight or intensity and with more injuries that take longer to heal, but I still have a big sex drive, no erection problems, etc. I'll probably do TRT after I have kids and I'm in my 50s, IF I actually need it. My father is in his 60s and his T levels are still great so I have good genes. I never smoked, drank, did drugs and I eat healthy, so that helps a lot.

Keeping your mental drive to achieve more, to keep learning, to build businesses, to travel, to see new things is also part of keeping yourself from becoming an annoying old fart I believe.

Still, we are all going to die eventually

[The Beast1]

I physically peaked at 23. I noticed I lost some vitality. Mind you I wasn't working out or eating right. I was just tall and skinny.

Ever since working out and eating right i've been only able to recapture that essence of energy I had as a teen. It's a shame because now I get the impression i wasted my youthful energy when i could have been lifting.

The male wall is dependent on whether you eat right and work out. Men can look good up until they die if they keep active and healthy. What active is as age progresses is obviously different, however it's a big part of it.

Throw in a round of TRT and you'll look younger again too. I hope there's a renaissance in this field of study in the future once we destroy these men hobbling libtards in government.

NTP if that's your definition of "hitting the wall" then not only have I hit it, i've been in decline ever since. You must be a god amongst retirees!

[Mentavious]

As far as my athletic peak goes, it ended at 24ish.

I'm still in my 20s but I'm getting stronger everyday. It's just my flexibility and athletic prowess will never be better.

[H1N1]

I am too young to have anything valuable to add on the topic itself.

NTP your OP was wonderful, and you're a fantastic example to all of us younger members of the quality of life it is possible to maintain as we age. More generally, the whole tone of your posting (recently particularly - I especially enjoyed your post about your friend in the Hero thread) is uplifting and seems to me to show a wonderful mind fully engaged with an endlessly interesting world.

[NewMeta]

(03-25-2016 06:35 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

I physically peaked at 23. I noticed I lost some vitality. Mind you I wasn't working out or eating right. I was just tall and skinny.

Ever since working out and eating right i've been only able to recapture that essence of energy I had as a teen. It's a shame because now I get the impression i wasted my youthful energy when i could have been lifting.

The male wall is dependent on whether you eat right and work out. Men can look good up until they die if they keep active and healthy. What active is as age progresses is obviously different, however it's a big part of it.

Throw in a round of TRT and you'll look younger again too. I hope there's a renaissance in this field of study in the future once we destroy these men hobbling libtards in government.

NTP if that's your definition of "hitting the wall" then not only have I hit it, i've been in decline ever since. You must be a god amongst retirees!

I think you echo my experience exactly. Nobody believes me when I say that my training is suffering due to getting older, I am afterall only 25. Yes my strength is increasing and probably will continue to due so till my early 30s but my energy is certainly not what it used to be. I started at 21 which is quite late to the party, and like you I regret pissing my youth away on stuff like video games and TV.

It really is sad that I could be beyond sick at something by now had I started early on in my life. There are some days where I am brimming with energy but they are few and far between now compared to just a couple of years ago, instead a constant feeling of lethargy takes its place, time waits for no man.

[Saweeep]

(03-25-2016 10:55 AM)NewMeta Wrote:  

(03-25-2016 06:35 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

I physically peaked at 23. I noticed I lost some vitality. Mind you I wasn't working out or eating right. I was just tall and skinny.

Ever since working out and eating right i've been only able to recapture that essence of energy I had as a teen. It's a shame because now I get the impression i wasted my youthful energy when i could have been lifting.

The male wall is dependent on whether you eat right and work out. Men can look good up until they die if they keep active and healthy. What active is as age progresses is obviously different, however it's a big part of it.

Throw in a round of TRT and you'll look younger again too. I hope there's a renaissance in this field of study in the future once we destroy these men hobbling libtards in government.

NTP if that's your definition of "hitting the wall" then not only have I hit it, i've been in decline ever since. You must be a god amongst retirees!

I think you echo my experience exactly. Nobody believes me when I say that my training is suffering due to getting older, I am afterall only 25. Yes my strength is increasing and probably will continue to due so till my early 30s but my energy is certainly not what it used to be. I started at 21 which is quite late to the party, and like you I regret pissing my youth away on stuff like video games and TV.

It really is sad that I could be beyond sick at something by now had I started early on in my life. There are some days where I am brimming with energy but they are few and far between now compared to just a couple of years ago, instead a constant feeling of lethargy takes its place, time waits for no man.

You know what they say:

"Youth is wasted on the young"

They're right.

[NASA Test Pilot]

It is great that men of various ages are posting. I think that putting in mile markers and road signs (at many ages and stages of life) will help us individually and as a group of men (regardless of age) as we each approach the various curves in life. This is part of the spirit of the post.

I am also aware that we each have fathers and grandfathers whose experiences can be a profound influence (they were for me) and these can be shared with others. I do not have the answers, only my experiences and my guess is that many others are like me and want to know more and make the application to improve their lives.

I am also wondering about the relationship between physical peak and approach the wall. They may be very distinct where approaching the wall is a signal of an acceleration of decline that indicates a relative increase in the rate of change rather than an absolute decline from peak performance.

[JacksonRev]

I peaked at 22.

Years of lifting, football, rugby, drinking and Muay Thai took their toll by then. Too many injuries, so when I got married, I got fat.

After the divorce, I've gone in and out of shape since then, and been a whole lot stronger for years, but I'll never have that energy and vitality. It was definitely illuminated when I was in the military, training 18-19 year olds. Mofo's are quick, like I used to be.

Now, with testosterone supplements, I still feel good in my mid 30's, but I'll never have what I had.

[TheOllam]

Father time has an undefeated winning streak.

Modify your workout.

"Less is More": If you've mastered your body, by the time you are mid 30's and above you should know how to fine tune a work-out into a 45 minute routine (Or Less!).

Also you are very tight on diet and drinking a hell of a lot less if at all.

Sure we'd all love to keep our peak level, but in today's world, think about the long game. If you keep weight under control and look good enough with a shirt off, your wisdom game will still carry chicks for years.

[SlickyBoy]

Great post; I can relate (late forties, here).

Obviously from a physical standpoint, for most guys the wall gets closer with each passing year starting on or about the early 30s. But appearance definitely isn't everything the way it is for women, who as everyone knows, smash head first into it, like it or not, about the same time male SMVs have yet to reach their peaks.

I recently got the phone number of a young hottie I met spontaneously without even trying - she's less than half my age and digs older guys. Fact is I didn't even want her number, but took the opportunity to practice the number-close just to stay sharp. A day or two later of me not giving a shit, she's sending me topless text messages. Wall? What wall?

With most of my hair, no beer gut and not being a boring guy, that maybe helps too. I never lie about my age, make good use of location, opportunity and conversation techniques we've all learned here and other places. A guy can do plenty to postpone or at least ease the approach of the wall - exercise, dress, decorum, approach - all of these and more. But it takes self awareness. If you're a fat, no-job slob by 30 and stay that way, don't wake up at 50 or 60 and bitch about the wall - you brought yourself there.

[eatthishomie]

Less is more in general with workouts I'm finding. When I went from a 5 day bro split to a 3 day push pull leg split my lifts went up, I broke longstanding plateaus, and built some quality muscle.

[Kieran]

I'm 32 and definitely notice the difference. I was 27 when I first struggled to get a hard on after a heavy drinking session. That's around the same time my hangovers started getting much worse both physically and mentally - I could go out on a work night and make it through the day on an hours sleep early twenties, whereas now I have 2-3 day hangovers with horrible heart palpitations and anxiety, and where I can hardly get out of bed the first day let alone go to work.

In the gym I started getting injuries more frequently as I approached 30 - lower back and shoulders mainly. Even with pretty textbook technique. Strength-wise the weights I was moving early twenties seem a world away. I was heavier at the time though to be fair. Can't tolerate anything like the volume of training I could back then either.

Mentally, memory isn't what it was, and learning new skills doesn't come as easy as it once did.

Luckily for me I still look very young for my age due to having a kind of baby face and being very lean. Most people assume I'm early twenties.

When I think about aging I sometimes get a feeling of urgency to get out there and live life to the fullest, and to achieve something notable. But then with age comes a kind of cynicism as well and I kind of just think fuck it, and carry on as usual.

[Saweeep]

(03-25-2016 03:07 PM)Kieran Wrote:  

When I think about aging I sometimes get a feeling of urgency to get out there and live life to the fullest, and to achieve something notable. But then with age comes a kind of cynicism as well and I just think meh, and carry on as usual.

I've been having this conversation with myself all day...I still have no idea what I want to do with my life!

[Floridian1]

Try fasting. It is a natural way to boost HGH.

thread-4922....ht=fasting

[Sidney Crosby]

Male wall victim hit hard at 68.

[NewMeta]

(03-25-2016 03:10 PM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

(03-25-2016 03:07 PM)Kieran Wrote:  

When I think about aging I sometimes get a feeling of urgency to get out there and live life to the fullest, and to achieve something notable. But then with age comes a kind of cynicism as well and I just think meh, and carry on as usual.

I've been having this conversation with myself all day...I still have no idea what I want to do with my life!

I'd have an idea if I had a time machine, would want to be sick at either gymnastics or olympic weightlifting and attempt to make it to the olympics. Impossible goal now though, only realistic one is to compete in powerlifting where you peak in your early 30's, which I've been passively preparing for (at least squat and bench, I can't quite cope with deadlift in my routine anymore).

And there in lies the problem, I figure out how to live my life to the fullest when it is already too late. I need to have a son and live my life vicariously through him and make him the olympic athlete I wouldve wanted to be

[Fortis]

Did I read that incorrectly, or did you say that you stay between 4.5% to 6% body fat, swim 18,000 meters a day at 49 years old?

[xxMarco]

Interesting read. I'm turning 29 this year and I'm starting to experience more joint pain and hangovers that keep me in bed. I've also noticed I don't have motivation to approach women as much as I used to. Could be low testosterone.

Otherwise I'm in the best shape I've ever been. I hope I have a few more years left before toning down my workouts.