The other day, I was horsing around with my 5-year-old son. We were wrestling for a bit, and when the fun was over, I noticed my nose was bleeding. He must have scratched me by accident—no big deal. It healed, but it took a full week before the mark was completely gone.
If my son had been the one scratched instead, the scab would have disappeared in just a few days.
Muscle recovery works in a similar way. Whether it’s a cut from shaving or a micro-tear from weight training, your body heals at a certain rate—and the younger you are, the faster that rate will be.
It’s been said that old age begins at 27. If you’re older than that, your recovery ability starts to slow down. Don’t believe me? Try this simple test:
Take someone half your age and either have a kid scratch both of you (or, if you’re feeling bold, do like they did in Jackass and give each other a paper cut). Then, monitor how long it takes both of you to heal fully. That will give you a rough idea of how long your muscles take to recover after a workout. Of course, the deeper the cut—or the more intense the training—the longer the recovery, but you get the point.
Without a doubt, age influences training frequency and should be taken into account when designing a program. In Mass Explosion, for example, I introduce several 3-day training splits, each suited for different lifestyles and recovery rates:
The 3-in-5 Approach (Day 1, Day 2, Off, Day 3, Off)
- Ideal for those in their late teens or early twenties.
- Still in school, working part-time.
- Getting plenty of sleep, eating well.
- Living at home with fewer responsibilities.
The 3-in-6 Approach (Day 1, Off, Day 2, Off, Day 3, Off)
- Ideal for those in their thirties.
- Have a family and work full-time.
- Aim for eight hours of sleep but usually get six.
- Eat four meals a day but occasionally skip breakfast.
The 3-in-7 Approach (Day 1, Off, Day 2, Off, Day 3, Off, Off)
- Ideal for those in their mid-forties and beyond.
- Run their own business, often work late.
- Survive on two or three meals a day with plenty of coffee.
- Struggle to squeeze in three hours of training per week.
To optimize your training frequency with the Mass Explosion system, pick the approach that best describes your lifestyle and recovery ability.
Take-Home Message
Many variables influence recovery rate—age is one of them. As you get older, give yourself more time to recover between workouts.
Mass Explosion: Blast Through Your Training Plateaus
A new muscle-building system developed by John Paul Catanzaro, author of The Elite Trainer.
Mass Explosion is a comprehensive guide to the art and science of building muscle. This book is filled with the latest, most up-to-date information available.
Learn how to build massive amounts of muscle, naturally. You can obtain “drug-like” effects without the drugs with the right system!
Face it, anyone can increase their size and strength after a few weeks of training, but can they keep getting results after months or years at it?
Sadly, for most people, the answer is no!
