53 and will start to try and gain

donjtomasco

I am on my diet till April 29th (doing the Gold's Gym Challenge). I am 5'9", started at 217 on Jan 01, and am currently at 187, and project to be at 183 by the 29th. I am an ex tennis player and my college playing weight was bw 160-170, body fat was at a lowest with lots of weights and tons of cardio. So, I really question my ideal weight being bw 150 to 160. I don't have a big frame.

I think my best looking and feeling good weight is 180-185. My goal is to over lose weight then build back up with my weight training.

I currently work my upper body with weights and machines on one day, lower body the other, then work in some treadmill and continue to get lots of cardio from intense tennis playing several times a week.

Are there any recommendations that you pro's have for me achieving my goal of adding back weight in muscle to around 185? I see no reason why I can't get to 175 or 170 or whatever weight is the best starting weight for a plan like this.

Or is it best to hire a personal trainer to work with?

Thanks. I am trying to wrap my head around coming up with a plan to start on May 1 after this 4 months of weight loss. I don't want to be a body builder or have a beach body. I want to be strong and fit and make weight training a big part of my fitness plan from here on, in my "life #2" or second half of life.

suruda

I think (I'm not a pro lifter like others on here) that you should celebrate your accomplishments so far by hiring a trainer. Even a few sessions with you clearly outlining your goals will be helpful. Then every few months you could hire one for another session for a progress check. At least in my gym it works that way!

donjtomasco

Great idea suruda. I actually just emailed my guy at Gold's to bill me for an hour to come up with a plan. I think I will take your suggestion. What I WON'T do this time is get talked into stupid stuff (for me) like getting into a class with 20 and 30 somethings who are throwing around kettle bells and twisting themselves into pretzels. Injuries take so much longer to heal from as we get older and I really want to err on the side of safety this time. Thanks for your comment.

sijomial

I would just caution that in your 50's your ideal weight may not be the same as the ideal weight when you were younger.
I'm the same height and picked 175lbs as my goal weight simply based on my favourite weight in my 20's & 30's.

But after a while maintaining there I realised 175lbs was too heavy (fat!) for me in my 50's and reduced to 164lbs in a series of small steps.

Currently I'm cutting to 161lbs ahead of some big cycling challenges which will take me to a weight I would have considered too skinny 20 or 30 years ago.

suruda

I think that's a great plan...err on the side of good form, working smarter. I think you will see results faster!

donjtomasco

Well I feel better being on the heavier side, not lighter, that is for sure.

Chieflrg

If you are not interested in building muscle but are interested in building your strength, there is no reason you couldn't start now. You can build strength when eating at a deficit.

Stronglifts 5x5 & Starting strength are two very good programs to begin with.

Personal trainer isn't a bad idea, though I've seen quite a bit that shovel bad advice.

jim180155

sijomial wrote: »

I would just caution that in your 50's your ideal weight may not be the same as the ideal weight when you were younger.
I'm the same height and picked 175lbs as my goal weight simply based on my favourite weight in my 20's & 30's.

But after a while maintaining there I realised 175lbs was too heavy (fat!) for me in my 50's and reduced to 164lbs in a series of small steps.

Currently I'm cutting to 161lbs ahead of some big cycling challenges which will take me to a weight I would have considered too skinny 20 or 30 years ago.

I was thinking along the same lines. We lose muscle mass as we age. I'm 61 yrs old, and 170 lbs at this age was nothing like 170 lbs in my thirties. I'm now down to 147, about 14% bodyfat, headed to maybe 140 lbs or 10 to 12% bodyfat. Then I'll start bulking, hoping that the muscle comes a lot faster than the fat.

OP, instead of or along with weight goals, you probably ought to be measuring your bodyfat percentage. Weight alone doesn't mean much, especially when your long term goal is to bulk back up after losing most of your fat. A general rule of thumb is to cut until you're down around 10% to 12%, then bulk until you hit 15% to 17%, cut again back down to 10% or 12%, and continue cycling until you're happy with your strength and appearance, at which point you can just maintain. From what I've read, your hormones give an assist when you're in the 10% to 17% range, making it easier to add muscle rather than fat when you're bulking.

Also, again considering your goals, you may want to add in another day or three of weight lifting. You're already getting more than enough cardio. If pressed for time, steal time from your current cardio routine.

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