48 y.o. F seeking to increase strength and lose 20 lbs in 5 months

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a 52 year old woman and lift 4 times a week. It is so helpful being strong. I would encourage you to try intermittent fasting. Working out on an empty stomach makes my cardio miserable but makes lifting easier and my improvement has gone through the roof! Something about human growth hormones released during the fast according to one book I read (if accurate).But make sure you have your meals planned before the day starts or you will lose control after lifting from the uptick in your metabolism.

Any tips on getting started? (not OP)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for so many helpful and thoughtful suggestions. I’m going to investigate several of them further (CrossFit, macros, intermittent fasting) and in the meantime am starting a super basic in-home routine with dumbbells and doing squats, lunges, planks, burpees, pushups.

Someone asked why I want to do this in 5 months— I’m tired of my fat body and I miss being strong. All summer, the heat has been bothering me a lot, I’m tired all the time, and I haven’t been able to do heavy yard work without a lot of soreness... I want my strong healthy self back. I also have a really active vacation in February that will require me to have some strength and I want to look decent in bathing suit/shorts which is what I’ll be wearing the whole time.

Try this for pushups... https://hundredpushups.com/

squats... https://twohundredsquats.com/
lunges... https://twohundredlunges.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a 52 year old woman and lift 4 times a week. It is so helpful being strong. I would encourage you to try intermittent fasting. Working out on an empty stomach makes my cardio miserable but makes lifting easier and my improvement has gone through the roof! Something about human growth hormones released during the fast according to one book I read (if accurate).But make sure you have your meals planned before the day starts or you will lose control after lifting from the uptick in your metabolism.

Any tips on getting started? (not OP)

I started on the weight machines at a cheap gym. I watched other people first, then read the instructions on the side of the machine, then start at low weights and work up. 2 sets of 10 reps. I never had a trainer. I work my legs one day, then arms and shoulders another, then chest and back the third day. Never the same muscles two days in a row. I have thought about moving up to the free weights but have always managed to not get injured this way so will stick to it. Others insist the machines don't work, but they work for me. I always lift after cardio although others do it differently with success.

[Anonymous]

OP - how do you workout for 20 years and now not know where to begin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - how do you workout for 20 years and now not know where to begin?

OP here. Is this an actual question, or are you just trying to make a snarky comment?

[Anonymous]

43 year old here. I joined a HIIT gym when I couldn’t lose weight a year later, I was a bit stronger, but hadn’t lost any weight.

Once I went keto, the weight came off. I lost 15 pounds in three months. I still go to the gym, but it’s way more fun when you aren’t looking at yourself in the mirror and wondering what you could possibly add to lose a little weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - how do you workout for 20 years and now not know where to begin?

OP here. Is this an actual question, or are you just trying to make a snarky comment?

DP - it doesn't seem snarky to me -- If you once had a routine, why not try it again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - how do you workout for 20 years and now not know where to begin?

OP here. Is this an actual question, or are you just trying to make a snarky comment?

DP - it doesn't seem snarky to me -- If you once had a routine, why not try it again?

I've lost a lot of muscle in my late 40s due to inertia. So from that perspective I am starting a new routine but without the base level of strength I used to have and I want to figure out what's the most effective, quickest way to get that strength back. For example, like I said, right now I can't even stand from a cross-legged position without using my arms to help myself up. I never had these limitations when I was younger. I'm starting from a much lower base than before. It's been almost 10 years since I was in a serious routine. I wanted to see what people would recommend today. Sort of a fresh start for me.

[Anonymous]

Following!! Similar situation!! Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - how do you workout for 20 years and now not know where to begin?

OP here. Is this an actual question, or are you just trying to make a snarky comment?

DP - it doesn't seem snarky to me -- If you once had a routine, why not try it again?

I've lost a lot of muscle in my late 40s due to inertia. So from that perspective I am starting a new routine but without the base level of strength I used to have and I want to figure out what's the most effective, quickest way to get that strength back. For example, like I said, right now I can't even stand from a cross-legged position without using my arms to help myself up. I never had these limitations when I was younger. I'm starting from a much lower base than before. It's been almost 10 years since I was in a serious routine. I wanted to see what people would recommend today. Sort of a fresh start for me.

This helps. I suggest hiring a trainer for a while -- to assess your strength level and get you on a good regime.

[Anonymous]

StrongLifts app

[Anonymous]

There are a ton of great apps out there that can help get you started. I love the Peloton app for their strength workouts. I also like the Nike Training Club app - it has free and premium (paid) workouts available. To lose weight though, you will definitely need to change your eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for so many helpful and thoughtful suggestions. I’m going to investigate several of them further (CrossFit, macros, intermittent fasting) and in the meantime am starting a super basic in-home routine with dumbbells and doing squats, lunges, planks, burpees, pushups.

Someone asked why I want to do this in 5 months— I’m tired of my fat body and I miss being strong. All summer, the heat has been bothering me a lot, I’m tired all the time, and I haven’t been able to do heavy yard work without a lot of soreness... I want my strong healthy self back. I also have a really active vacation in February that will require me to have some strength and I want to look decent in bathing suit/shorts which is what I’ll be wearing the whole time.

Try this for pushups... https://hundredpushups.com/

squats... https://twohundredsquats.com/
lunges... https://twohundredlunges.com/

DP. Do you have advice for upper arms? I would like to tone them.

[Anonymous]

Jillian Michaels DVDs. You can get them at most libraries. A barre class or orangetheory might also be a good place to start--many of them have intro packages or even let you try a class for free.

[Anonymous]

For diet, cutting carbs/ sugar really helps. I didn't have too much weight to lose, but my body was hanging on to those last 5 pounds from pregnancy and no amount of exercise was getting rid of it. I went on Mark Hyman's 10-day detox diet, and lost 6 pounds in 10 days. Now that the detox is over I have resumed a regular diet (brought back the sweeter vegetables such as squash & carrots, lentils, beans, moderate amounts of dairy etc) but just don't feel like eating bread, cereal, pasta, & rice anymore. So I do a smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and just normal food like stir-fries and curries for dinner, but I swap out rice or noodles with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.