How to lose the dad bod at 43?

Stepb1

Hi everyone, i've used MFP for al long time but never posted before.

I'm 5'11 185lbs and work out 3 times a week full upper body exercises, i wants to add legs but i struggle for time and not sure yet how to fit this in. Been doing this for 4 weeks now thinking i go to push pull legs routine. I do train with intensity and dont have anything left after each exercise. I eat approx 2000 cals at the moment with the hope i will lose my belly and love handles plus all the other excess fat from to many nights sat in front of the tv eats crisps and drinking beer. Before this I was eating 1700 cals and doing weights 3-4 times a week but after 6 months i had very little energy and seemed to lose more muscle than fat. I'm frustrated because i dont feel like i'm getting anywhere, so reaching out for some help advice on where i should be starting.
Thanks for reading
Ste

nossmf

Not sure how long you've been lifting, nor what your routine is for "full upper body" but somebody with under a year of lifting experience is likely better doing a full-body routine each day, with only a single exercise per body part using 2-4 sets. If you have been lifting for at least a year you can try doing PPL so you can do more exercises per part, but with a time crunch and fatigue I think you'll get better results by doing full-body each day. If you want to keep a variety of exercises, just break them up over the week. For example:

Chest:
Monday - bench press 3x8
Wednesday - DB fly's 4x10
Friday - pushups 3xAMRAP (as many reps as possible)

Your full-body routine should include:
Horizontal push
Vertical push
Horizontal pull
Vertical pull
Hip hinge
Quad work
Hamstring work

If you do one exercise per each of the above, you can usually get done in about an hour, less if you double your volume between rests (i.e. do a set of chest, immediately do a set of back, then rest before your next set).

jimmydr5

Am trying for HIIT or running or walking if tired. You can join my group if you want a team mate or accountability.
Consistency, Persistent and patience is what I think everyone needs. 👍
Intermittent fasting + cal tracking + workout definitely helps if regular.

Stepb1

Hi and thanks for the advice.
I work out at home so a bit limited on what i can do but do have a multigym and bench.

My current routine is
Bench press 4x12
machine flys 3x12
cable row or bent over row 4x15
lat pull down 3x12
dumbell shoulder press 3x12
tricep push down 4x14
eze bar curl 4x15

Can switch to one exercise per muscle group and mix in leg exercises as you have suggested. Is lifting heavier and lower reps better, i have thought about doing this but not put it into practice yet.

briscogun

It's my understanding that if you are eating in a deficit you will lose some lean muscle mass as well as fat. Weight training will help to preserve muscle mass to a point, but its a tricky wire to walk between losing fat and gaining muscle.

There is a thread about body recomposition that explains it way better than I can, but in short, you eat at a very slight deficit (maybe 250 calories a day) and work out with weights to build muscle. It is a VERY slow process, but that sounds lie what you are trying to achieve?

A lot of people focus on the weight loss portion of the equation first, THEN focus on the working out so you can eat at maintenance and build muscle.

@nossmf has some great advice about doing a full body workout. Do that 3 days a week and you should be golden. You don't have to do a ton of exercises for your legs, you can do a squat (any version), a deadlift (any version), maybe some calf raises and be good. When you are staring out this is a great way to go. There are tons of full body workouts available online.

Good luck! The Dad Bod Struggle is real! I'm there with you!

Stepb1

Thanks for the info l, i dont think i want to do a recomp, i think i want to do a cut and then bulk, but to be honest i'm not sure if i would successfully be able to eat enough healthy calories to bulk, i guess thats something to work out when i get to that stage.

cdahl383

For legs, based on the equipment you have available, you could just do some simple bodyweight squats or hold a couple dumbbells or a weight plate and squat. You could also do some walking lunges. Just starting out, using your bodyweight might be challenging enough. I know the first time I did those my legs were sore for a week haha!

I'm 5'11" as well, but I'm at 228lbs currently. If you're at 185lbs you're probably in pretty good shape already. What is your target body weight or bodyfat percentage?

By no means am I an expert, but if you're in a calorie deficit and trying to gain strength, I would focus on keeping your protein intake high. Shoot for 30-35% protein. I try to do 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs. It seems to help me with gaining strength while losing weight.

I hear you on the excess fat from sitting around watching TV and snacking. That's me as well haha! I seem to go in phases where I get in shape and get in a good routine, then fall off the wagon for a while and gain a little weight back, then get back on track again. It's not easy when you're busy with work, family, kids, things around the house, hobbies, etc. Sounds like you're on the right track and putting in some solid effort though. Just keep at it.

Sometimes the scale isn't the best way to measure progress either. I've had weeks where I lost 0lbs, but I was able to drop a belt loop on my pants. Honestly, I'd rather lose inches off my waist than weight on the scale, but sometimes it gets frustrating when the scale doesn't budge when you put in so much work each week. Don't let the scale ruin your mindset.

ninerbuff

Unless you're extremely thin, 185 at 5'11 is actually not really overweight.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

rimcdave

I agree with ninerbuff that 5'11 185 is not overweight. Maybe you just need to cut 5 pounds to get rid of the beergut and love handles.

If you live near a big city or a university get a BodPod measurement. It will cost you $50 but it will give you precise body composition measurements. Have a second measurement done after your journey to see how much lean muscle you gained and body fat lost.

I agree with everyone that you cannot grow your legs and loose weight at the same time.

Stepb1

Thanks for all the input, I don't consider myself too overweight but i do want to drop some waist sizes. My bodyfat is around 23% based on what the digial scales tell me, which i know isnt perfect. My target is to be around 18%.

I've played around with my workout routine and added in some weighted squats (Monday) and RDLs (Friday), wowser i couldnt walk properly for 3 days after my the squats 😆 and i was only holding 12kg. I wasnt too bad this week tho, so hopefully i can build up.

My macros are protein 30 fat 30 carbs 40. Altho i do struggle to eat that much protein. Aiming for around 1900-2000 calories at the moment.

It feels like the only thing i need to really do differently is actually stick at it and not give up.