Bodybuilding After 30

I am 45. I’ve wanted to compete in bodybuilding for as long as I can remember. I’m finally going to do it because I am not getting any younger, and I love bodybuilding.

~ John Holmes, Future Competitor

The “lost years” – the years you have spent doing for everyone else. You have been a provider, spouse, parent, life coach, or little league coach, but what have you done for yourself lately? Are you still an athlete at heart? Have you been seeking something to fill a churning void?

After 30, the light comes on. You understand yourself; you’re at peace with most things in life, but you may also realize there are some things you have not done. If embers glowing down deep inside you are telling you to challenge yourself, you should sign up for a bodybuilding competition.

I hope you will be inspired by the many, many men and women who have taken the plunge after 30.

Do Something For Yourself!

I reached a point in my life where I was working to please everyone else, and I finally wanted to do something for myself. I wanted my body to reflect the strong and confident woman I was becoming, and I wanted to be a part of a motivational and inspirational community.

~Amy Kathryn, 31, NFF Pro Figure, Musclemania Pro Physique

Always serving others is a great quality, but it you never do for yourself that’s a shame. You only get one short life to fulfill your dreams and become who you want to be. Let your family and friends support you for a change. Show your true strength, mental and physical.

Attain The Dream Body You Always Wanted

Of all the things I wanted to be or accomplish it was to create the body I wanted since I was a little girl, the body of a bodybuilder. I have this one life, so if I didn’t do it before, now seems like a good time if any was left.

~ Tanya Youngblood, 42, WNBF, NFF, DFAC Pro Figure, Pro Physique and Pro Bodybuilder

You flip through magazines and watch TV where you see empowering men and women who look amazing well into their 50s and 60s. Maybe you have wished you could look the same, and you want to achieve your dream body. You still can. The process of becoming a bodybuilder will reveal a body that you have no idea is in there.

It’s Good For The Mind & Body

I’m 32. I decided to compete after 30 because I need a constant goal to strive for, and bodybuilding deep down is my passion. If I didn’t spend time trying to improve my body for the stage I would get depressed and probably get as big and as lazy as an orangutan.

~ Joe Wiest, NPC Nationally Qualified Bodybuilder

When you bodybuild, you constantly focus on bettering yourself. It’s truly you versus you. Every day you achieve small goals while working toward an ultimate goal. If you already spend hours in the gym because you love your body, it’s even more awesome to have a day to showcase that you’ve achieved the goals you have strived for.

Be Rewarded For Your Discipline

I love the discipline, living a healthy lifestyle, the competition, being on stage, and the rewards. I also love competing because my family, clients and friends can come support me, and they can see first-hand my before and after look.

~ Patrice Arnold-Himstreet, 42, WNBF, IFPA, NGA, DFAC Pro Figure

The reward, it’s not the trophy. The reward comes from the emotions you feel the day you confidently walk out on the stage after months of training and discipline. Your body, you will not recognize it. You will unleash your inner bad-ass, and you will fully understand how amazing the human body is after you have unveiled its true potential. All the work has come from you and you alone.

There’s More To Life Than Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat

What Will You Be Able To Say You’ve Done In This Lifetime? Don’t Let Any More Time Pass

Although I initially lacked the confidence to step on stage, I realized that I wasn’t getting any younger and feedback I received, positive or negative, would only help, so I decided to take the plunge. It has changed my life for the better.

~William Addison, 31, NFF Professional Heavyweight Bodybuilder

Once you finally get on stage, you may be hooked! The lifestyle, good habits, the struggle, it all makes it worthwhile in the end. You might start to wonder why you didn’t start earlier. There’s so much to love about the sport. Get started now!

You Can Still Be An Athlete

I had reached a point and decided I had to either keep getting fat or get back in shape. As an ex college athlete I was always looked at as an athlete. I came across another bodybuilder, got more information about what it takes, mentally prepared myself for the early cardio, changed my diet, and began.

~ Epi Segura, 36, NPC and NSL Nationally Qualified Men’s Physique

Were you a high school and/or college athlete? Remember how game day felt? It’s the same with bodybuilding except you don’t rely on a team. It’s an individual sport that shows you that you’ve still got what it takes. Your body is capable and athletic way past 30. You don’t have to live in your past, you still have your future.

Challenge Yourself – Be A Role Model

I decided to compete because I wanted to challenge my 30-year-old motherly self. When I was in my 20s it was so much easier to eat whatever and work out once or twice a week and be “in shape.” But, I did it, and I feel like a different person because of it.

~Sue Ellen Smith, 32, NPC Bikini Competitor

How do you want your children to view you and see their future after becoming a parent? They should see you chasing dreams, accomplishing things, and see that life has so much to offer. A role model leads by example. Show everyone around you that you still aspire to accomplish more.

Set Goals and Smash Them

Bodybuilding gives me goals and purpose for maintaining my physical health and it allows me to try help influence others in a fitness lifestyle by setting an example.

~Tom Podwika, 43, NFF Men’s Physique and Bodybuilding Competitor, Military Officer

Setting and achieving goals is good for your mental health. Luckily, bodybuilding is also good for your physical health. People around you notice your hard work, and you may be inspiring them without even knowing it. Set a goal to become a bodybuilder, and smash it. It just feels good!

Conclusion

No matter where you are starting from, bodybuilding is something that anyone can do, 30, 40, 50, 60, even 70-year-olds compete. It just takes an internal drive to be better every day. You will exercise great willpower and discipline, and you work harder than you’ve ever worked, but you can do anything you set your sights on. See you on that stage!