44 years old and Looking to gain Muscle! Any advice?

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VegnStrong
VegnStrong Posts: 27 Member
in Introduce Yourself
So my goal is to gain muscle and lose some weight as well. Not sure if losing the weight should be first or if i can do both.
Any advice would be very much appreciated.

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  • ellie0213
    ellie0213 Posts: 562 Member
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    Nice goal! I've been working on both and it's going great. Add me and we encourage each other.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,932 Member
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    If you've never weight trained then start now. Eat at a modest calorie deficit consistent with your goals and get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean mass. When you get to your goal weight then reassess and see if you're happy with how you look. If you are then go to maintenance and keep training with the same weight, or focus on strength training. If you are not happy, then start focusing on a modest bulk and work a hypertrophy or mixed strength/hypertrophy program.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Pick a resistance training program and stick to it.

    The path you chose makes more sense in context - I chose the slow grind of very limited restriction and exercise rather than cut and bulk because of family food habits and regional traditions - large cuts in food would have been too socially restrictive for me. For others, cut and bulk makes sense.

    If you have forty-fifty pounds to lose a larger deficit (for up to 1.5-2 lbs a week) can make sense while starting resistance training. It takes a while for your body to adjust and for you to learn to do it properly so it's reasonable to start both. It will effectively be a cut only at first.


    Suggested reading:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
  • webbeyes
    webbeyes Posts: 105 Member
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    Part of the challenge with the lose weight/gain muscle is the often time, you will gain a pound of fat for every pound of muscle. You'll need to do a healthy mix of cardio + resistance training ... heavy on the cardio. As noted above, the slight calorie deficit and higher protein intake are vital.

    One of the things that will continue to be a challenge: abs. The stomach is the first place we look in the mirror when it comes to losing weight. It's also the hardest damned place to lose fat. Unlike biceps and quads where the muscle is obvious, your gut is going to hide whatever fantastic abs you're building underneath.

    Don't let that discourage you.

    Instead, pay attention to the successes: increased arms, legs; better flexibility and endurance; incremental weight loss.

    Slow and steady wins the race.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Agree with most of the above posts.

    Slight caloric deficit.
    Hit your macros
    start a resistance program
    some cardio (LISS is what I do)
    and be patient, give it time
  • LauraFouhse
    LauraFouhse Posts: 115
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    I hired a trainer to help me with this. For about 10 months we alternated between 'fat burn' and 'muscle build' phases. Each lasting about 6 weeks. During fat burn there was more cardio. I was using weights but higher reps, quicker movement and less weight. This, along with jumping jacks, burpees, fast steps, mountain climbers etc burned the fat. During the muscle build I would lift heavier, slower and less reps of each of the main compound lifts plus a few other ones. I'd do some core as well.

    Now I am pretty much at goal body fat % and so we are focusing more on the strength training.

    During this whole time I have been consistently losing weight and gaining lean muscle. My diet hasn't really changed much between each phase but I've been eating at about 1800 calories (I'm 45, 5'6" and 140lb). I've been working hard at eating sufficient protein as well.

    Now that I'm more focused on strength, my caloric intake has increased and I'm doing less cardio.
  • JLuckett05
    JLuckett05 Posts: 12
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    I would suggest that you start your lifting regimen first and get used to it for a few weeks. ( a trainer is not a bad idea, to learn proper form, etc. ) Then maybe start to change your diet to more healthy foods, by dropping sugary crap and adding vegetables and lean meats in. After you get used to working out and eating a healthier diet, then reassess and see what you want to do from there.

    Changing one thing at a time, and getting into a groove, before changing other variables is simpler and, I think, easier to accomplish than trying to do it all at once.

    And as previously mentioned 'patience' is a virtue here.
  • VegnStrong
    VegnStrong Posts: 27 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your advice. Feeling excited, i know it will take alot of work and dedication. :)
  • digistyle
    digistyle Posts: 40 Member
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    I'm doing both, at the same time. I hit the weights 3-4 per week and do cardio 3-5 times per week. In 18 months I've lost a shirt size and three pants sizes.

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