Gym program for strong and lean physique

[Anonymous]

Following!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I realize now it’s ridiculous to expect such quick results. I’m just so ready to return to my former physical self, but in a more mature body. I’m no longer dancing and not planning to relive my 17-18% body fat, 19 BMI glory days. But I’d love to see my abs again and feel strong again. I haven’t felt that way in a long time.

You are not alone. The reason so many people give up so quickly on exercise and diets is that they have insanely inaccurate idea of how long it will take to get what they. They think losing 2+lbs a week is normal and that they really will get those "toned" aka visible muscles following the advertised 4, 8 or whatever week program. Seeing muscle required a low percent of body fat, building muscle require lifting heavy and eating enough to actually gain muscle. The % body fat needed to see muscle and abs varies a lot and will depend on where and how you carry the fat that you do have. Genetic can also play a role in muscle definition.

With all that, train for strength. Train to be and feel strong and the other stuff will, eventually, follow.

[Anonymous]

Great advice, PP, thank you!

[Anonymous]

Try bar method. They have a new bar strength series as well that is really good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I just put your stats into a BMR calculator and you are burning between 1900-2000 cals a day with your current activity levels. You are undereating by quite a bit! I would up your calories to your maintenance of 2000 for a couple weeks and see how you feel. Just adding an avocado and a can of lentil soup would get you there, maybe as a post workout meal. Your energy levels should skyrocket.

I honestly would do 10 minutes of light walking and some stretching to warm up the muscles before weights. You never want to deplete yourself before strength training, the goal should be just to increase blood flow to the muscles. I would do longer, more targeted cardio sessions on the off days.

As you age, bone, joint, and core strengthening are really what you're trying to obtain from weights, and machines isolate the muscles too much to truly get you there. YouTube videos and a mirror are all you need to learn proper form. If you start light you will not injure yourself! I would go a bit lighter with weights than whatever you're pushing on the machines so your core and stabilizers have a chance to strengthen and catch up. You can also start with resistance bands if you're squeamish. Just look up the exercises with the word 'banded' in front to see them modified.

I started as a 126 lb weakling who could only handle 3lb dumbbells, and now I can bicep curl 40 lbs with ease. Have the weights light enough for you to do 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise, no more than 2-3 exercises per session. The weights should always feel easy and comfortable to move. No straining or struggling should ever be involved. When you can breezily do 10 reps at that weight, then add 5 lbs to the bar, or however much you can tolerate while being able to again do 8 reps easily and comfortably. Repeat until you reach your goals.

OP and I feel like I should pay you for this advice. Thanks for taking the time to share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I realize now it’s ridiculous to expect such quick results. I’m just so ready to return to my former physical self, but in a more mature body. I’m no longer dancing and not planning to relive my 17-18% body fat, 19 BMI glory days. But I’d love to see my abs again and feel strong again. I haven’t felt that way in a long time.

How old are you and have you had a kid? It is very possible you will never see your abs again (without cosmetic surgery added into the mix). You probably need more calories through protein and don't be afraid of lifting heavy, but only do it every other day so your body can rest and build muscle. Warm up with a 5 minute jog on the treadmill before lifting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I realize now it’s ridiculous to expect such quick results. I’m just so ready to return to my former physical self, but in a more mature body. I’m no longer dancing and not planning to relive my 17-18% body fat, 19 BMI glory days. But I’d love to see my abs again and feel strong again. I haven’t felt that way in a long time.

How old are you and have you had a kid? It is very possible you will never see your abs again (without cosmetic surgery added into the mix). You probably need more calories through protein and don't be afraid of lifting heavy, but only do it every other day so your body can rest and build muscle. Warm up with a 5 minute jog on the treadmill before lifting.

I’m in my mid 50s and I’ve had a kid and a total hysterectomy. I realize this is an uphill battle but an old girl’s gotta dream.

[Anonymous]

OP, I would also check out Michelle Roots on YouTube. She’s a personal trainer that covers topics like progressive overload, protein, compound lifts, accessory lifts, how to structure workouts etc. I found her to be immensely helpful in getting me started. Her advice is free, but I eventually purchased her DB routine to get me started. I figured it was money well spent.

It was awesome. It has maybe 8 weeks of workouts. I followed it pretty closely and now feel very comfortable in the weight room. That was my initial goal - not total weight loss, but just getting over that mental hump. I couldn’t recommend her videos more.

Also something I wish I had realized years back: While barre and the ilk are fun (also a former dancer), they just don’t give you the bang for your buck efficiency that a good squat-deadlift-hip thrust-Bulgarian split squat workout will for lower body day. Not even close.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried solidcore? I have seen major improvements to my long and lean physique.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would also check out Michelle Roots on YouTube. She’s a personal trainer that covers topics like progressive overload, protein, compound lifts, accessory lifts, how to structure workouts etc. I found her to be immensely helpful in getting me started. Her advice is free, but I eventually purchased her DB routine to get me started. I figured it was money well spent.

It was awesome. It has maybe 8 weeks of workouts. I followed it pretty closely and now feel very comfortable in the weight room. That was my initial goal - not total weight loss, but just getting over that mental hump. I couldn’t recommend her videos more.

Also something I wish I had realized years back: While barre and the ilk are fun (also a former dancer), they just don’t give you the bang for your buck efficiency that a good squat-deadlift-hip thrust-Bulgarian split squat workout will for lower body day. Not even close.

NP - the bolded is absolutely true. I do (and love) solidcore, but it's not the same as barbell lifting. That said, it and similar workouts also don't stress the joints and pelvic floor the way barbell lifting can. That's not nothing, especially with aging. Absolutely keep up with heavy lifting if it's what you love (or just what you prefer, for the sake of efficiency, logistics, etc.), but you need to be exacting about form and progression.

[Anonymous]

Could you go back to dancing? I take 2 ballet classes a week and 2 barbell classes a week. I am maintaining flexibility and strength. I also did barre classes during the summer (when my kids are home so want to keep workouts short and effective).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could you go back to dancing? I take 2 ballet classes a week and 2 barbell classes a week. I am maintaining flexibility and strength. I also did barre classes during the summer (when my kids are home so want to keep workouts short and effective).

I’d love to go back to dancing but it won’t be fun until I regain some semblance of my old self. That’s my goal though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I just put your stats into a BMR calculator and you are burning between 1900-2000 cals a day with your current activity levels. You are undereating by quite a bit! I would up your calories to your maintenance of 2000 for a couple weeks and see how you feel. Just adding an avocado and a can of lentil soup would get you there, maybe as a post workout meal. Your energy levels should skyrocket.

I honestly would do 10 minutes of light walking and some stretching to warm up the muscles before weights. You never want to deplete yourself before strength training, the goal should be just to increase blood flow to the muscles. I would do longer, more targeted cardio sessions on the off days.

As you age, bone, joint, and core strengthening are really what you're trying to obtain from weights, and machines isolate the muscles too much to truly get you there. YouTube videos and a mirror are all you need to learn proper form. If you start light you will not injure yourself! I would go a bit lighter with weights than whatever you're pushing on the machines so your core and stabilizers have a chance to strengthen and catch up. You can also start with resistance bands if you're squeamish. Just look up the exercises with the word 'banded' in front to see them modified.

I started as a 126 lb weakling who could only handle 3lb dumbbells, and now I can bicep curl 40 lbs with ease. Have the weights light enough for you to do 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise, no more than 2-3 exercises per session. The weights should always feel easy and comfortable to move. No straining or struggling should ever be involved. When you can breezily do 10 reps at that weight, then add 5 lbs to the bar, or however much you can tolerate while being able to again do 8 reps easily and comfortably. Repeat until you reach your goals.

NP. Whoa that's amazing! How long did it take you to go to 40 lb bicep curls??
I have been doing a free weights routine for about 18 months but I'm still on 12 lb bicep curls and find them challenging. I am doing 4-5 times a week at least 30 min each session. I just haven't seen that progression where I feel like I can easily add another 5 lb.

You are probably training too frequently to give the muscles time to heal, grow, and recover. If your muscles are stressed and tired you cannot gain strength. If you try switching to doing arms only once or twice a week, and only doing a maximum of 3 sets per session, you will start to see strength gains. I also encourage you to examine your diet to see if you're getting enough protein and adequate calories. 1 gram per kg of body weight is needed to repair muscles. Lean tissue consumes a surprising amount of calories, so it is very likely you could be undereating for your activity level.

If you google a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator and input your height, weight, and activity level, it will give you a number of calories to consume that may seem surprisingly high, but with strength training will only cause you to feel energized and grow your lean tissue without adding fat. I think the hardest hurdle for women getting into this is giving yourself permission to eat. Unless you eat over your BMR, you're not going to gain fat, even if the calculator says you can consume 2400 calories a day.

Another NP who has been doing weight training for years and I have never gotten anywhere close to 40 pound bicep curls. For a brief period I got to 20.

[Anonymous]

Loving TRX

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I just put your stats into a BMR calculator and you are burning between 1900-2000 cals a day with your current activity levels. You are undereating by quite a bit! I would up your calories to your maintenance of 2000 for a couple weeks and see how you feel. Just adding an avocado and a can of lentil soup would get you there, maybe as a post workout meal. Your energy levels should skyrocket.

I honestly would do 10 minutes of light walking and some stretching to warm up the muscles before weights. You never want to deplete yourself before strength training, the goal should be just to increase blood flow to the muscles. I would do longer, more targeted cardio sessions on the off days.

As you age, bone, joint, and core strengthening are really what you're trying to obtain from weights, and machines isolate the muscles too much to truly get you there. YouTube videos and a mirror are all you need to learn proper form. If you start light you will not injure yourself! I would go a bit lighter with weights than whatever you're pushing on the machines so your core and stabilizers have a chance to strengthen and catch up. You can also start with resistance bands if you're squeamish. Just look up the exercises with the word 'banded' in front to see them modified.

I started as a 126 lb weakling who could only handle 3lb dumbbells, and now I can bicep curl 40 lbs with ease. Have the weights light enough for you to do 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise, no more than 2-3 exercises per session. The weights should always feel easy and comfortable to move. No straining or struggling should ever be involved. When you can breezily do 10 reps at that weight, then add 5 lbs to the bar, or however much you can tolerate while being able to again do 8 reps easily and comfortably. Repeat until you reach your goals.

NP. Whoa that's amazing! How long did it take you to go to 40 lb bicep curls??
I have been doing a free weights routine for about 18 months but I'm still on 12 lb bicep curls and find them challenging. I am doing 4-5 times a week at least 30 min each session. I just haven't seen that progression where I feel like I can easily add another 5 lb.

You are probably training too frequently to give the muscles time to heal, grow, and recover. If your muscles are stressed and tired you cannot gain strength. If you try switching to doing arms only once or twice a week, and only doing a maximum of 3 sets per session, you will start to see strength gains. I also encourage you to examine your diet to see if you're getting enough protein and adequate calories. 1 gram per kg of body weight is needed to repair muscles. Lean tissue consumes a surprising amount of calories, so it is very likely you could be undereating for your activity level.

If you google a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator and input your height, weight, and activity level, it will give you a number of calories to consume that may seem surprisingly high, but with strength training will only cause you to feel energized and grow your lean tissue without adding fat. I think the hardest hurdle for women getting into this is giving yourself permission to eat. Unless you eat over your BMR, you're not going to gain fat, even if the calculator says you can consume 2400 calories a day.

I’m confused by this. Do you mean TDEE not BMR? You need to eat above your BMR.