Look Great at Any Age

Some men grow old. Others grow stronger. Which will it be for you? The right answer is right here

May 23, 2011

20s: The Age of Impulse

You invest when you have money, right? In your physically flush 20s, invest in your body's future as well.

This decade you're in your physical prime. Peak levels of testosterone and growth hormone course through your body, making it easier to build muscle. And your metabolic furnace burns at max levels, vaporizing calories. Consider the average ages of all-stars in major sports: 25 (ice hockey), 27 (basketball), 28 (football), and 29 (baseball). But it's not just your body that's emboldened. "Your brain is at the peak of its development in fluid intelligence—the speed of responding to new information," says Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Clark University. "Your judgment will peak later." It's no accident that Steve Jobs was 21 when he cofounded Apple, and Bill Gates was 20 when he started Microsoft. "Capitalize on your strengths and establish good nutrition, work, and gym habits," says Jennifer Fournier, R.D., L.D.N., a dietitian at the University of Massachusetts. "Small investments now reap huge rewards later."


Make Smarter Decisions
Taking a calculated risk, like say, accepting a promotion that sends you out of the country for 2 years, can pay off. The key here is calculated. "Before making a risky decision, create lists of what you could gain and what you could lose," says Scott Huettel, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. First try to make your decision based only on the pros, and then do the same with the cons. If you don't come to the same conclusion in each case, ask yourself a tiebreaker question: If your best friend were in the same position, what advice would you give him?

Make Vegetables Irresistible
Men in their 20s tend to base their diets on takeout, processed foods, and fatty protein sources like burgers and wings, says Fournier. "They don't eat enough nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans." Learn to incorporate vegetables into foods you already eat. Here's how: At breakfast, fold two handfuls of arugula into an omelet with a few sprinkles of low-fat shredded cheese. At lunch, spruce up a can of low-sodium chicken or lentil soup by adding a cup of frozen broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking time (so it's not mush). At dinner, saute some onions and zucchini and then add two handfuls of spinach. Add the sauteed vegetables to tomato sauce and spoon it over whole-grain pasta.

Last Longer in Bed
High five: You see the most action in your 20s, according to an Indiana University study. But some men have trouble staying in the game. Use these tips to last longer and have more fun, says Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., M.P.H., MH's relationships advisor. First, use Trojan's Extended Pleasure or Durex's Performax condoms. They contain benzocaine, a topical anesthetic that reduces sensation in your penis. Second, use the stop-start technique (pause just before the ah moment to cool your jets) and sample positions in which the top side of your penis, which is less sensitive than the underside, receives the most stimulation. For instance, try the sidewinder (spooning from behind) and reach around to caress her clitoris to speed up her orgasm.

Be Your Own Doctor
This is the doctorless decade for most guys. In a survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians, less than half of men in their 20s had seen their doctor for a checkup in the 2 years before the survey. So take matters into your own hands: Do a cancer check in the shower by rolling each testicle between your fingertips to feel for abnormal lumps or growths. Then scan your skin for irregular new moles. And ask your barber to examine your scalp for suspicious moles whenever you have your hair cut, says Allan Halpern, M.D., chief of dermatology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Also, take note of the hole you use to fasten your favorite belt. Increased belly fat raises your risk of heart disease and diabetes, regardless of whether you're at normal weight or are overweight.

Must-Do Move: Pullup and Chinup
Eric Cressey, C.S.C.S., recommends 3 sets of 8 pullups in your first workout of the week; use an elastic band if you need assistance. Then do 4 sets of 4 chinups in your last workout, adding weight if it's too easy.

A: Pullup with a band
Secure one end of a large band around the bar. Put your knees through the bottom loop. Grab the bar using an overhand grip, your hands just beyond shoulder width. Pull your chest up to the bar.

B: Weighted chinup
Attach weight plates or a dumbbell to a dipping belt secured around your waist. Grab the bar using a shoulder-width, underhand grip. Pull your chest up to the bar.

The Muscle Rules

Your muscle-building hormones peak in your 20s, says Eric Cressey, C.S.C.S., who trains athletes in Hudson, Massachusetts. So master the exercises that allow you to move the most weight: the squat, deadlift, and bench press.

Lift heavier weights for fewer reps, Cressey says. If you're currently doing 3 sets of 12, work your way down to 5 or 6 sets of 3 or 4 reps for key exercises.

You don't need an "arm day." When you train for strength and size, you won't have the time or energy for redundant arm exercises. Chest and shoulder presses build your triceps, and the "Must-Do Move" (right) will work wonders on your biceps.

30s: Extending Your Peak

"Your 20s was your prelaunch phase," says Lawrence H. Price, M.D., director of research at Butler Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. "Now you're consolidating your adult identity and becoming an expert at what you do." In this decade you'll likely feel great pride (when you buy your first house) and utter frustration (when the little wrecking balls who live with you trash it). You've reached a new level of emotional maturity and hit your stride physically. In fact, many great athletes have their best years in their 30s: Think Jimmie Johnson's five Nascar championships, Tom Brady's two MVP titles, most of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins. With your mind and body in greater unity than ever before, you now have the potential for bigger gains at work, in the gym, and in your personal life.

Harness Your Drive
If your 20s were the Jersey Shore years, your 30s are more like The Apprentice. The stress of this shift can be overwhelming. "Shame over failure is the biggest factor that defeats men at this age," says William Pollack, Ph.D., an associate clinical professor of psychology at Harvard medical school. You should aim for success, but refocus your drive: Businessmen with a lower fear of failure are more likely to concentrate on the number of opportunities they have rather than on the value of any one opportunity, a recent University of Oklahoma study found. If one falls through, you can always find another chance for success. Now pursue it.

Whip Your DNA into Shape
Your hairline isn't the only thing that's receding. Telomeres, the tiny strands of DNA that cap off each chromosome, help preserve your genetic code during cell division, says Eli Puterman, Ph.D., who researches telomeres at the University of California at San Francisco. But each time a cell divides, your telomeres shrink, a condition linked to heart disease, diabetes, and early death. So protect them: People who exercise aerobically at least 75 minutes a week have longer telomeres than slackers do, Puterman's research suggests. Never competed in a triathlon or marathon event? Now is the best time. Most men maintain peak endurance well into their 30s, and your oxygen efficiency, which takes years to develop, may even improve—giving you an edge over younger athletes. Search race events by location at active.com.

Outsmart Flab
Your body can't handle late-night McNugget binges the way it used to. "Muscle, which is more metabolically active than fat, starts to waste away in your 30s," says Katrina Seidman, M.S., R.D., of the Johns Hopkins weight-management center. And so much for fine dining: Nearly half of parents in their 30s let the kids pick the restaurant, a recent Mintel survey found. If you're planning a family night out, peruse the menu online after lunch and figure out your order. "You're not starving and not surrounded by cues to eat, which removes the allure of the burger and fries," says Seidman.

Upgrade Your Moves
By now you've learned the ins and outs of a woman's body—and exactly how to please her. But there's a catch, says Darius Paduch, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. In your 30s, you've either settled into a one-partner rhythm or are grand-slamming like Tiger, which means either bedroom boredom or the risk of STDs may threaten your sexual prime. Stop them both: Read on.

One Partner
Avoid the caveman-sex trap. In a 2010 University of Nevada study, married women blamed their husbands' crude advances, such as groping and grabbing, for their waning desire. Soften your touch with pattes d'araignee, or "spider's legs," where you lightly graze not her skin but the tiny hairs on her body, says sex therapist and former Playmate Victoria Zdrok Wilson, Ph.D., author of The 30-Day Sex Solution. First, focus on her nonsexual spots—arms, neck, and lower back—and then shift to her hot zones.

Multiple Partners
This is risky in more ways than one. "There's the danger of a woman becoming emotionally attached when you're not," says sex therapist Ian Kerner, author of Sex Recharge, "and you're putting yourself at higher risk of STDs." Be upfront about both. "Assess your reason for seeing each person—sex, company, boredom, love—and be honest about it," he says. Meanwhile, protect yourself. To heighten arousal, have your partner slide the condom on while you wrap your thumb and forefinger around the base of your penis.

Improve Your Sleep Quality
You're probably still logging about 7 hours a night, according to a 2010 Frontiers in Neurology study. However, your oxygen desaturation index (ODI)—the number of times your oxygen intake drops during the night—may be rising dangerously with age, the same study reports. A high ODI may be a sign of sleep-disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea. Sleeping on your side might work to keep your throat open, says David Neubauer, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University. If you're still fatigued, see a sleep specialist.

The Muscle Rules

After a decade of full-contact chair sitting, you need a 10-minute warmup, says Jim Smith, C.S.C.S., owner of Diesel Strength and Conditioning. It should include soft-tissue work (foam rolling) as well as moves that foster dynamic mobility (squats, leg swings, and lunges), and muscle activation (hip raises and rotator-cuff exercises).

Take advantage of the metabolic boost that comes with heavy lifting (3 or 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps on key exercises), and cut your rest periods. This will increase your intensity—so make sure you maintain good form.

Your glutes are fickle. They switch off the more you sit at your desk. Activate them with unilateral exercises like lunges and single-leg deadlifts.

40s: The Tipping Point

Career and family take up most of your time. Make sure to carve some out for your body and mind.

The job, house, lawn, kids, dog, Little League team, 401(k), trash, cars, hamsters. Is there anything you're not responsible for? Well, add these to the list: your mind and your body. "In your 40s, various organ systems, including the heart, start to lose ground," says Steven Lamm, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York University. "Poor diet, poor sleep, and elevated stress can accelerate these declines, although if you take care of yourself, you can slow the rate." To do that, he says, embrace your responsibilities and develop a more complete, successful version of yourself. Need inspiration? Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama all became president in their 40s. Here's how to win your own challenges.

Build Sturdy Walls
Stress hormones are linked to visceral fat, heart disease, diabetes, and even early death. In a 22-year study from Denmark, researchers found that stressed-out men were 32 percent more likely to die over the study period than guys who'd figured out how to chill. Walling off your woes stops anxiety from spilling into every aspect of your life, says Tahir Bhatti, M.D., an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego. "Make a list of your physical, emotional, mental, family, and spiritual needs," says Dr. Bhatti. "Make sure you take time to address needs in each area every day." Spin negative thoughts into positives: Is your boss a jerk? Be thankful you have a job. Is your kid yelling at you? Be thankful you have a family.

Protect Your Heart
Heart disease is the number one killer of men in their 40s. Hardworking perfectionists may be especially at risk: A study in the European Heart Journal showed that healthy people ages 39 to 61 who worked 3 or 4 extra hours a day had a 60 percent increased risk of developing heart trouble. Besides cholesterol and blood-pressure screenings, do this pulse test, says John Elefteriades, M.D., chief of cardiac surgery at Yale school of medicine: Place your fingers between the sinewy tendons on top of your foot, and then on your inner ankle, halfway between your ankle bump and Achilles tendon. "If you can't feel a solid pulse in both spots, you may have sclerosis in the arteries of your legs," he says. That means you need to act now to clear bloodflow in your body. The first step: exercise.

Fight Cancer Before It Starts
Cancer is the number three killer of men in their 40s (unintentional injuries are second), the CDC reports. Fend off the deadliest, lung cancer, by not smoking and by having your home checked for radon. And eat broccoli, kale, and other cruciferous vegetables, which contain cancer-fighting glucosinolates. A Johns Hopkins University study found that people who regularly ate cruciferous greens were 43 percent less likely to develop lung cancer. A separate study found that cruciferous vegetables can also cut your risk of prostate cancer.

Flatten Your Belly
In a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, men in their 40s with a 20-year history of either inconsistent or too little exercise grew an inch around their waistlines every 4 years. Visceral fat, which creates a bowling-ball belly, increases risks of heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. And it multiplies. "Abdominal fat is rich in cortisol receptors, which facilitate the process of turning the unburned fat you eat into visceral fat," says George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of nutrition at Harvard medical school. His research suggests that weight training three times a week may be the best way to fight belly fat.

The Muscle Rules

Combine upper-and lower-body moves in supersets, with full rest after each exercise: squat + chest or shoulder press; lunge + chinup or row; deadlift + a core exercise. You'll do more in less time and work your biggest muscles at maximum effectiveness, says Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., coauthor of The New Rules of Lifting for Abs.

Muscle power—to jump, sprint, or hit something hard—declines faster with age than strength or size does. Start doing medicine-ball slams (against a wall or the floor) if you can. If you can't, do at least one exercise in each workout as fast as possible.

If you're doing an arm or leg exercise on a machine, you can keep going even if your form is sloppy. But with a self-limiting exercise—an inverted row, kneeling rotational cable chop, or a Turkish getup, for example—you won't be able to finish a rep if your form is bad. You can push yourself safely and productively without setting yourself up for injury.

50s: The Harvest Years

Congrats, you've made it halfway! Here's how to ensure that your next 50 years are even better than the past 50.

Your have wisdom, time, and money. Why shouldn't your 50s be your best decade ever? "These days, we consider men in their 50s to be young at heart—literally and mentally," says William Pollack, Ph.D., of the Harvard medical school. By some measures, your brain is at its most powerful, exhibiting the best combination of speed and judgment. That's one reason why the average age for an S&P 500 CEO is 56, according to executive search firm Spencer Stuart. Your joints may be wearing down and your muscles weakening, but that just means you need to upgrade the way you exercise. In fact, your 50s are the time to expand—whether it's your workouts, your hobbies, or your social network. Follow our advice, and you'll also notice two things shrinking: your waistline and your list of meds.

Prevent Cancer with Yoga
The number one risk factor for cancer? Age. After you hit the big 5-0, your cancer risk rises exponentially. So have your first colonoscopy at age 50. And add another form of preventive care: yoga. According to a study in the Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, yoga triggers the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps stimulate cell regeneration, kill diseased cells, and protect tissue from agents like toxins and radiation. Yoga may also reduce back pain and soothe stress. Need guidance? Visit MensHealth.com/yoga/get-started-guide.

Lengthen Your Spine
You're not imagining it: You could shrink up to an inch this decade, says James Rudolph, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard medical school. "Think of your vertebrae as Oreo cookies—there's a bone, then the squishy center (the disk), and then another bone," he says. "As those disks lose water over time, your spine compresses." To slow the process, improve your posture: Imagine a string connecting your top and bottom shirt buttons. Hold yourself so the string remains taut all day. (Start with an actual string until you get the hang of it.)

Maintain Your Virility
Don't twist your boxers into a wad. At 55, you have at least 15 years of sex ahead of you, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. "In your 50s, you have a natural dip in testosterone, but it's not dramatic," says Darius Paduch, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. The exception: You may see a more drastic drop in T levels if you have excess body fat, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, he says. Of course, you should control these risk factors. But visit your doctor as well to see if your T needs to be topped off with a prescription.

Cement Your Legacy
"You probably have time to slow down in some areas while speeding up in others," says Pollack. In fact, a recent Stony Brook University study found that worry levels remain elevated through the 40s, but after age 50, a sense of well-being suddenly spikes. With one exception: "It's common to feel as if you've come up short, based on what you thought you'd accomplish," says Price. Look forward instead. "A man in his 50s is a master at something. This is the time to deploy that mastery in the service of someone else," he says. That 25-year-old junior exec? Volunteer to be his mentor. Or teach a class. Sharing your knowledge is how your legacy lives on.

Coordinate Your Medical Team
Your doctors are no longer just watchdogs—they're your biggest allies in your fight for longer life. But that's only if they're communicating with one another. Step 1: Switch to electronic medical records, which can help your primary-care physician and specialists coordinate care. If your doc doesn't offer them, keep your own at google.com/health. Step 2: Follow through. In a recent Partners Healthcare System study, 43 percent of e-record users reported inaccuracies in listed medications, while 54 percent said they took OTC meds that weren't recorded. If your dosage of a drug changes, or you add an OTC supplement, make sure your records are updated.

The Muscle Rules

For every minute you spend lifting, you need to spend a minute preparing to lift, says David Jack, director of Teamworks Fitness. This includes foam rolling and mobility and flexibility exercises.

Every tough weight workout should be preceded and followed by an easier, restorative type of exercise: bicycling, yoga, hiking. This helps your nervous system recharge.

You probably measure your fitness level by your lifting prowess or 10-K time. But Jack says strength and endurance matter only when they're built on a solid foundation of balance, coordination, and flexibility. Isometric balance exercises—like the "Must-Do Move" (right)—train your body in all three areas.

Slow the Clock

Time slows your heartbeat, erodes your brain, dulls your skin, and steals your muscle—if you let it. Fight back with these stay-young strategies.

Your heart beats more slowly and becomes less efficient with age, but these changes generally affect only exercise performance. The greater danger is reduced flow in the pipes (the coronary arteries) that supply your heart with fuel. "Fatty streaks often develop in childhood," says John Elefteriades, M.D., of the Yale school of medicine. As you age, the lining of your arteries deteriorates, making them more prone to inflammation and the buildup of plaque, which restricts bloodflow.

Smooth Your Pipes
According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, high-intensity intervals may prevent declines in the protective lining of your arteries. Do three workouts a week, consisting of four 4-minute intervals of running, cycling, or rowing at 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, with 3 minutes of gentle-paced exercise in between.

Stretch for Your Life
The farther you can reach, the more flexible and healthy your arteries are, an American Journal of Physiology study found. That's why it's essential to add flexibility exercises to your routine.

Starting in your 40s, the prefrontal cortex begins losing its ability to share messages among neurons. Also, myelin, the stuff that boosts conductivity of your wiring, starts to deteriorate, says George Bartzokis, M.D., a professor of neurology at UCLA. But you can reduce age-related declines in everyday functions by engaging in cognitively demanding tasks twice a week for at least an hour, a National Institute on Aging study found. The exercises have to be challenging, at the level of learning a new foreign language.

Save Your Memory
Your hippocampus—the part of your brain that forms and stores memories—shrinks with age. To slow this, work up a sweat for an hour at least 3 days a week. This can increase hippocampal volume and improve spatial memory, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Maintain Processing Speed
White matter, the wiring that connects different parts of the brain, starts to erode in your late 40s. High blood pressure and high cholesterol speed its breakdown. To preserve it, stay fit and eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, says Dr. Bartzokis.

Even if you just tan and don't burn, the sun's ultraviolet rays penetrate your dermis and start breaking down its scaffolding of collagen and elastin; this eventually leads to wrinkles, says Deborah S. Sarnoff, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at New York University. Use a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and contains either a block like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, or the ingredient mexoryl or avobenzone. Apply an SPF 15 moisturizer daily, and slather on SPF 30 before you go outside.

Nourish Your Dermis
At around age 35, your rate of cell renewal slows, making your skin appear dull. To look younger, clean, exfoliate, and moisturize daily, says Dr. Sarnoff. A cleanser, a gentle exfoliant, and a light moisturizer are all most guys need.

Change Your Expression
Habitually making the same facial expressions eventuall imprints fine lines on your face, says Dr. Sarnoff. For instance, chronic squinting overworks the orbicularis oculi muscles around your eyes, causing crow's-feet. That's why sunglasses are critical—they prevent squinting and protect your eyes.

Most men lose 5 to 10 pounds of muscle between ages 30 and 50. "Decreased testosterone and growth hormone precipitate this loss, and inactivity and poor nutrition speed it up," says William Evans, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of geriatrics at Duke University. To stay strong, follow "The Muscle Rules" in our decade guides, and use these nutrition tips to stay strong.

Build with Protein
Eat 1 gram of protein a day for every pound of your target weight, says Alan Aragon, MH's nutrition advisor. "So if you're a soft 200 pounds but want to be a hard 180, eat 180 grams," he says. Consume about a quarter of that in both your pre-and postexercise snack or meal. A chicken breast or two scoops of protein powder deliver about 45 grams of protein.

Preserve with Potassium
Researchers at Tufts University found that people older than 65 who consumed 5,000 milligrams of potassium a day had nearly 4 pounds more muscle than those who took in half that. Your go-to sources: spinach, sweet potatoes, and lima beans; each of these contain close to 1,000 milligrams per cup.

Tags: fitness