Do you want to know what the best age to start bodybuilding is?
You may think that this isn’t something that matters very much, or it doesn’t matter at all.
However, choosing the right time in your life to take up bodybuilding can be essential to ensuring that you can achieve results quickly and easily.
The best age to start bodybuilding is any age you’re willing to put in the work, but doing so while you’re still young can give you an advantage over those who start later in life. Find out why here!
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Benefits of starting at an early age
Young people tend to have faster recovery rates than older people. That means your muscles can heal faster from a tough workout, which is great for long-term muscle gain and preservation.
Additionally, young people also tend to have less body fat and build more muscle over a period of time because they’re growing.
Since everyone grows at different rates, it’s hard to know exactly when you reach peak growth potential—but if you start building muscle in your teens or early 20s, you probably won’t be hitting maximum mass until later in life.
This can give younger bodybuilders an advantage during their competitive years because they’ll have much less fat and be much leaner than guys who wait until their 30s to start lifting weights regularly.
You might not hit your full adult height until after you’ve started weightlifting, but that’s okay: The earlier you start building muscle, the longer it will last into old age.
Finally, starting weightlifting before college (or even high school) gives you a head start on learning how to lift properly without risking injury by doing too much too soon.
So basically there are many benefits of starting at an early age so that is why I chose that title for my post as well as my main points.
Benefits of starting in your 20s
Younger lifters will have an easier time gaining muscle in their 20s, primarily because they’re still growing.
In your early 20s, you’ll build muscle faster than you did in your teenage years, and growth hormone levels also peak during these years.
It’s a good idea to take advantage of these benefits while you can—meaning if you want a bigger body, now is when it’s easiest to achieve that goal. By contrast, older lifters will find it difficult to gain size quickly due to muscle loss and slowing growth rates.
If that doesn’t sound so bad, remember: The only way to offset age-related declines is with even more time in the gym or by using supplements such as steroids. And we don’t recommend either approach.
For example, research shows that people who lift weights between ages 40 and 70 are less likely to die from any cause than those who don’t lift weights.
This study found lifting weights could cut your risk of death by up to 45 percent. That’s why most experts agree that strength training should be part of any healthy lifestyle.
Of course, you should always consult with a doctor before starting any exercise program, especially if you have health concerns like heart disease or diabetes.
But once you get clearance from your doctor, getting started is simple: Just choose an activity (we like kettlebell workouts) and start moving!
Benefits of starting at any age
The benefits of starting bodybuilding at any age are all around you.
Whether you are just wanting to add lean muscle mass or you want to compete as a bodybuilder, it is important that you know and accept that there are many benefits to starting your journey at any age.
Regardless of when you start on your path, if bodybuilding is your passion, do not let anyone tell you that it is too late because they do not understand how easy it really is! Here are some of what may be seen as negative aspects of starting later in life but can be an advantage for those who decide to wait until their early 30s or 40s before getting started:
1) You will have more knowledge about nutrition and supplements than most people who begin at a younger age. This knowledge will help you achieve results faster with less effort.
2) You will have more patience and tolerance for hard work since you have likely been working for decades already.
3) You will have more money saved up from previous jobs that can go towards bodybuilding related expenses like supplements, training programs, etc…
This means less financial stress during your transformation process which is always nice! It also means having money available to pay for gym memberships while living paycheck-to-paycheck might make it difficult to get started right away.
When you should NOT start
Some people try to start bodybuilding in their teens, but it is generally not recommended. While some kids have been able to gain muscle and grow from lifting weights at a young age, they were incredibly gifted athletes that also had high growth hormone levels.
In most cases, early strength training has led to injuries and stunted growth. You should wait until you are closer to puberty before starting your journey into bodybuilding, as your hormones will be optimal for muscle building and overall growth in just a few years time.
Stay safe by waiting until then. If you’re not sure if your child should lift weights, consult with a pediatrician or family doctor first. This applies only to bodybuilding; there’s no harm in trying out other forms of exercise like martial arts or sports at an early age.
If anything, these activities teach discipline and focus on goals (both very important skills for later life). Just don’t try to build muscle before you’ve reached puberty.
This also doesn’t apply if you’re a teenager that is already going through puberty. Some teenagers have already started puberty by their 13th birthday and are ready to start lifting weights right away.
Dos and Don’ts before you begin
No matter what age you are, it’s never too late to begin bodybuilding. However, there are a few factors that will help you jump-start your career.
For example, while adults can begin taking anabolic steroids with no side effects whatsoever, teenagers can’t take most steroids without suffering from extreme side effects because their bodies aren’t yet fully developed.
Thus, adults have a slight advantage when starting a bodybuilding career. Additionally, if you’re older than 20 and haven’t begun working out at all, your muscles will be more receptive to weight training and thus more likely to grow.
Therefore, if you’re over 20 years old and want to start bodybuilding for whatever reason, don’t let anything stop you! You’ll be able to see results faster than someone who hasn’t started working out at all and even faster than someone who is younger but has been exercising regularly for years.
To make sure you get off on the right foot: keep reading! How long should I wait between sets? How long you rest between sets depends on how quickly your muscles recover, which is why it varies by person.
The key here is to push yourself hard enough so that each set takes around 30 seconds of rest before moving onto another exercise or muscle group.
If you feel like you need longer or shorter breaks between sets, try different durations until you find one that works best for you (you might also need longer breaks if your heart rate doesn’t drop within 30 seconds).
It’s important not to rush through exercises in order to finish them as quickly as possible; doing so won’t allow your muscles time to recuperate properly and may cause injury or joint pain later on down the road.
FAQs
At what age is it too late to start bodybuilding?
To start bodybuilding at any age, you must have passion, discipline and determination. If these qualities are already a part of your life, then you can start as soon as possible. However, most people need more time to develop these three traits. The secret is not in age or strength but in motivation and desire for self-improvement. People who try bodybuilding at 30 years old do not achieve results like those who started it at 10 years old because when they were 10 years old they had dreams about how strong and muscular they would be when they grew up. Their goals were already written in their minds, so when they started working on them they did not have anything and no one stopping them from achieving what they wanted. So if you want to get good results, start bodybuilding early in your life. But if you want to get great results, start even earlier than that.
Can I start bodybuilding at 15?
I see a lot of questions on bodybuilding forums and other places asking if someone can start bodybuilding at age 15 or 16. If you are wondering whether or not it’s possible for you to start working out now, I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that there really isn’t an optimal age for starting out, but rather a few different things that should be considered before jumping into lifting weights. The good news is that it’s entirely possible—and perhaps even ideal—to begin lifting weights when you’re in your teens and even your early 20s. There are many benefits to getting started earlier, including more time for growth, increased muscle memory and greater strength gains. You’ll also spend less time recovering from injuries or overtraining due to years of accumulated experience.
Do bodybuilders live longer?
Most studies seem to suggest that bodybuilders live longer than those who do not exercise. In a 2013 study of professional competitive bodybuilders, researchers found that bodybuilders had an almost 40% lower risk of death from all causes than non-bodybuilders. Even when adjusting for smoking and other lifestyle factors, researchers found that strength training still had a protective effect. A 2015 study found similar results: When comparing 75-year-old men with high versus low muscle mass, scientists observed that high-muscle mass was associated with a 20% reduced risk of dying over a six year period. Researchers also noted that in addition to living longer, strength training can help improve quality of life in seniors.