Could someone please check my figures!

Hi
I've been on MFP for over a year, started doing loads of cardio (I enjoy it!) and my weight stalled....and my figure too....started weight training and my body transformed...hardly lost any weight but looked 4 times more than it read on the scales..All good, I was happy with it all. THEN I broke my leg 27th December, so I've not been great at logging and had a break (excuse the pun), been playing with it...but could really do with some advise please! Sorry I was so active before so I'd just like some advise!
So I'm walking on crutches, half weight bearing ( I had a large plate put in my leg and broke my fib and tib and hairline break in my ankle bone) I have a boot now and cast is off. I have a desk job 5 days a week. I'm active for an hour/two (as much as I can do) when I get home preparing food/housework/kids etc....I've started the gym and plan from Monday to go 3 times a week, I literally sit at a bench doing upper body dumbbell workouts and 3 machines for back and shoulder for probably 50 mins and then ab work for 10-15 mins. I can walk for up to 10-20 mins a day with my crutches. I'll start swimming as soon as Im allowed
I'm 45, 143 pounds (haven't weighed myself since beginning of December - new scales on route- but dont' feel too much different) and goal weight is 133 pounds. 5ft 5.5 inches (dont' forget the half!)
looking at Scooby workshop it looks like I should be eating a set 1700 cals? Do you think that's right? at only 10% reduction
Would someone mind just looking at that for me please?
Many thanks in advance :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So using that rough 5 level, 3 hrs a week is Lightly Active, and doesn't sound like daily life bumps it up much at all.

    I would suggest, don't waste that much time on ab work, it would be better spent on more full body workouts.
    You can do leg extension and curls to engage the biggest muscles in the body, perhaps they even have that glute machine that doesn't require pushing with leg.
    Don't do any 1 legged stuff except perhaps spin bike for 15 min, don't need unbalanced body.

    And are the workouts lifting style, 2-3 sets and 8-20 reps and rests of 1-3 min?
    Or Circuit style with 15-20 reps, 1 min or less rest, cycle through the lifts 3-4 times?
    You just want the same difficulty with good form (keep it) at the end of 15-20 reps.

    I'd suggest the Circuit right now, it burns more, and since you never did any lifting prior, it's not like you are trying to maintain strength gained from it.
    Circuit will have you seeing some great improvements, will increase TDEE more than straight lifting, meaning with 10% deficit, it's bigger, and you still get to eat more.

    Here's one I've done, now I kept a true lifting day at working weight to maintain my strength, but the metabolic lifting (circuit training) added some great ability too.
    This is using dumbbells actually, so hopefully you can keep the needed weights around your bench, plus maybe couple other machines.
    Overhead press/shoulder press
    Jack-knife situps
    Bent-over row
    Leg curl machine
    Bench press
    Leg extension machine
    Lat pull down machine
    Glute bridge with weight or machine

    4 x 15-20 should take almost an hour, hitting all major muscle groups. Mostly dumbbell except for legs and lat pulldown. Could do assisted pullups too, or the negatives (step up and lower down, as many as you can do up to 15).
  • PennyHarris123
    PennyHarris123 Posts: 159 Member
    Thanks Haybales appreciate this
    So do you think 1700cals sounds about right? I'm getting more and more active at home now and walking about with just one crutch now which is great, moving onwards and upwards.
    I was doing all pro routine for a few months before the accident and had then changed to another full body routine I got from muscle website which I enjoyed. also I did spinning and circuit class.
    My workout I do currently is 3 x 12 sets - 45-60 seconds rest - all seated on a flat bench - I've come down in weights since the accident a bit
    seated shoulder press - 6lb dumbells each arm
    side lateral raises - 4lb
    front raises - 4lb
    dumbbell curls - 6lb
    bent over tricep extenstion - 4lb
    bench press - 8lb
    lat pull down machine
    and a machine that does a fly chest exercise and the reverse of that, don't know what its called
    then x 5 different exercise sets of 3 again
    I've avoided leg exercises as I've only just started weight bearing couple of weeks ago but that's getting better each day

    I'll have a go at the routine do you think that would be better, I'm not sure I'll be able to do the leg curl and extension machine yet? my plate and scar runs down my left front shin and is still sore and I have this bit boot on still...can't imagine putting any weight pressure on it....I'll give the glute bridge a go, not sure i'll be able to add any weights as only just starting to put weight on my leg

    so 4 sets of 15-20 instead of the 3 x 12

    they've just put a pull up bar in the gym so I'll ask an instructor to help with that, I don't think I can do a pull up yet!

    thank you :flowerforyou:
  • PennyHarris123
    PennyHarris123 Posts: 159 Member
    sorry I forgot to add that I finally weighed myself this morning and have lost a pound even after xmas and the accident! I'm 142....nothing to shout about though!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    If Lightly Active is 1700 from 10% deficit - then yes. I'm sure more active at home is just in comparison to being laid up, but you'd normally be even more active.

    So if you have some strength gains you want to keep - you need to at least once a week hit that same weight in a workout. All the others in the week can be circuit style though for easier movement.
    Or accept the fact strength will go down and do all circuit style.

    Ya, I wouldn't waste time on curls and triceps - those muscles are used with every single pull and push workout working bigger muscles at the same time, as well as the iso exercises.

    Very true on the leg machines, if the roller is in the wrong spot for the break healing, forget it. Compressive strength comes well before shear strength, no need applying shear forces to the break yet, yikes no.
    You'll probably be able to do presses before that actually.

    The glute bridge raises should work well, and since only a % of your body weight is on the 1 leg even, that'll be fast to increase weight on it.

    Also, the order of the routine I mentioned starts with generally the weakest muscles first, so they get the best workout before getting tired.
    Also alternating pushing and pulling, so the bi's and tri's are strong enough to allow a good workout.
  • PennyHarris123
    PennyHarris123 Posts: 159 Member
    great thanks Haybales...appreciate your advise...I'm off to the gym today. :flowerforyou:
  • PennyHarris123
    PennyHarris123 Posts: 159 Member
    Just to touch base, I went to the gym yesterday and had a great workout thanks for your advise. Managed to do the bridge raises which for now I did without weights to get my legs used to being moved...slowly slowly....and managed bent over rows which I wasn't sure about because of my boot.
    I'm feeling it today so must of been a good workout.
    And my weights should have been in kgs not lbs!!!
    thanks I'm off to get fit again......:happy: