By Alisha Rouse Showbusiness Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Published: 22:00 BST, 21 April 2019 | Updated: 22:00 BST, 21 April 2019
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With the temperature rising, we have seen the return of the middle-aged man decked out in lycra trying to cycle or run his way to fitness.
But these weekend warriors might be doing themselves more harm than good, says the celebrity trainer credited with helping David Cameron get rid of his ‘dad bod’.
Matt Roberts says men of a certain age should instead lift weights just three times a week.
The difference a year makes: Matt Roberts has been credited with helping former prime minister David Cameron get in shape. Left: December 2010. Right: November 2011
Matt with David Cameron in 2012. The Tour de France successes of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome has led to a boom in cycling, with over-40s men in lycra – known as Mamils – flooding our roads and parks at the weekends
The personal trainer explains that prolonged endurance workouts age the body and limit its production of testosterone.
He said: ‘Men should be going for heavy lifting three or four days a week.
‘No more than that, because then you’re over-fatiguing and can’t recover quickly enough.
‘It’s important as well to reduce the amount of endurance work you do. We know very prolonged cardio work has a negative effect on producing testosterone.
‘If a guy who’s 45 is doing marathon training, of course you can