Gym program for strong and lean physique

[Anonymous]

I’m an out of shape former dancer wanting to build strength, support bone health, and maintain flexibility and balance. I just joined a gym and I’m not accustomed to cross training. In my dancing days I did yoga and Pilates, but I’m older now and need weights. I’m aiming for a 60/90-minute gym program for 5-6 days/week.

Right now I’m doing 20-25 minutes of cardio to warm up with 30-35 minutes of circuit weight training (mostly machines) 3 days a week. On alternating days, I take a yoga or Pilates mat class and finish with stretching and/or leg machines if I have time.

I’ve been doing this for three weeks but have t noticed much change except my sleep is way better. How long does it take to notice body composition changes?

Thoughts? Improvements? TIA.

[Anonymous]

It takes quite a while depending on your current weight/body comp/ how much you are lifting. Give it a few months, and possibly more like a year to see a difference. I would also mix in free weights with the machines to help with balance, grip and stability which are big issues for aging adults. It sounds like you have a great program planned out, good luck!

[Anonymous]

Leanness comes from growing muscle tissue, so I would do a more targeted weightlifting regimen that hits all the muscle groups. Free weights can be more effective than machines because you're also recruiting the nearby stabilizing muscles. There are 8 movements that target the whole body if hit weekly- deadlifts, bench press, squats, shoulder press, rows, glute bridges, and weighted core work.

I do 1 day of bench press, shoulder press, and glute bridges, 1 day of rows and deadlifts, and 1 day of squats and resistance band standing crunches. 1 rest day in between each session, sometimes more if needed, low impact cardio daily. As long as you stay under 180 lbs for each of these movements, you'll avoid the bulky weightlifter's body.

Tracking your protein intake (1 gram for every kg of body weight) and NOT eating below your BMR is key to making sure you actually increase your lean tissue instead of tearing up your muscles and not giving them adequate energy to repair and grow. It seems counterintuitive as a woman to be told to eat more, but muscle burns a ton of calories and makes your body look smaller and tighter. Trust the process!

[Anonymous]

Less time doing cardio (you can’t lift as much if your muscles are fatigued) or cardio after weights. And too much cardio is counter productive to building muscle.

More weight lifting as heavy as you can go. You should be out of breath. Eat more protein and fewer calories. Focus on your diet if you want to be lean.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs! OP here. Maybe I’m not getting enough calories. I average 1300-1500 calories daily at 5’8” and 135 pounds. I’m a pretty healthy weight, but I’d like to convert fat to muscle. My composition is 25% fat and my goal is 20%. I try to eat lots of protein and drink water. I don’t drink alcohol or eat dairy. Otherwise, I eat everything. I’m excited about getting strong again.

Is 60 minutes of low intensity cardio too much? I do elliptical, stationary bike, or recumbent bike averaging 110-130 bpm. I thought it was important to warm up muscles before weights. Is that incorrect? Should I switch from three 20-minute sessions to six 10-minute sessions before weights?

I’m scared of free weights because I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m afraid of getting injured. Would a group class or video help? I don’t have money for personal training.

[Anonymous]

I mean 60 minutes of cardio per week, not per session.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Some people will never be lean. I'm one of them. Is your body the lean type without extreme dieting? My legs are huge from years of a competitive sport that builds lower leg muscles. I've found that cycling builds more lean leg muscles.

[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.

This is great, thanks so much. I’ll look for some videos

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people will never be lean. I'm one of them. Is your body the lean type without extreme dieting? My legs are huge from years of a competitive sport that builds lower leg muscles. I've found that cycling builds more lean leg muscles.

I’m pretty lean naturally with a dancer’s build but I’m out of shape now. In the past I’ve been able to shape up quickly but it’s been a steady and swift decline since menopause.

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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 forgot to add it took me a year and a half to go from 3 to 40 lbs for my arms. And honestly I only do arms once a week. I find the whole-body movements I listed upthread do a great job strengthening the arms on their own. I really recommend giving those a go if you haven't already, they will do wonders for your back, core, and knee strength.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an out of shape former dancer wanting to build strength, support bone health, and maintain flexibility and balance. I just joined a gym and I’m not accustomed to cross training. In my dancing days I did yoga and Pilates, but I’m older now and need weights. I’m aiming for a 60/90-minute gym program for 5-6 days/week.

Right now I’m doing 20-25 minutes of cardio to warm up with 30-35 minutes of circuit weight training (mostly machines) 3 days a week. On alternating days, I take a yoga or Pilates mat class and finish with stretching and/or leg machines if I have time.

I’ve been doing this for three weeks but have t noticed much change except my sleep is way better. How long does it take to notice body composition changes?

Thoughts? Improvements? TIA.

A hell of a lot longer than 3 weeks.

How lean ar you? women who see faster results are those who are already very lean.

The women you see online with great lean toned bodies have spent YEARS working to look that way not weeks or even months.

[Anonymous]

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.