45 and need advice for getting started

juleemchicago
juleemchicago Posts: 7 Member
edited November 24 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. Sorry this is long but I need some help getting started with a fitness routine. I have lost weight and exercised in the past, but for some reason this time I'm finding myself very overwhelmed by all the information out there and can't seem to decide where to start with a routine that I can follow that will work. As a result I find that I'm not doing anything (other than cutting calories). I should mention I really hate to exercise but I know I need to and want to incorporate it into my life and not just have it be a temporary thing while I'm trying to lose weight.

Stats
45 year old female, 5'5" 172 lbs. I’m pretty much starting from a sedentary lifestyle other than about 30 minutes of walking per day to and from work. I eat 1200-1300 calories a day during the week, knowing that on the weekend I will probably eat closer to 1400-1600.

Goals
My first priority is to lose about 15-20 lbs. However at the same time I want to gain some muscle definition so once the weight is down I will look better. I tend to carry my weight in my lower body so gaining muscle definition in my legs would be good too to help tighten things up down there lol. I also know I need to improve strength since I am currently super weak and only able to lift low weights. We have a beach vacation planned for late September so I'm using that as my motivation to try to get my butt off the couch so I don't feel like a total slob in a bathing suit.

Equipment
I will work out at home. I have a multi gym/weight machine, various dumbbells, a recumbent bike, a step, an elliptical, and a Pilates machine (yes I have accumulated a lot over the years).

I want to start with exercising 3 times a week until I can form the habit. I was thinking of going with the following routine. I'm trying to start out slow so I don't quit since as I mentioned I hate exercise.

I was thinking of following the The Beginner Weight Training Workout Routine from www.aworkoutroutine.com and also some cardio. For the lifting exercises below I plan to use the multigym to start when there is a comparable exercise.

Workout A
Squats, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2 min rest
Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2 min rest
Rows, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2 min rest
Triceps Press Downs, 1 set of 10-12 reps
Calf Raises, 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps, 1 min rest

Workout B
Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6-8 reps, 2 min rest
Pull-Ups (or Lat Pull-Downs), 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2 min rest
Overhead Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2 min rest
Biceps Curls, 1 set of 10-12 reps
Abs, 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps. 1 min rest

I plan follow the ABA BAB format exercising 3 days a week, and really focus on learning proper form in the beginning. Each day I will start with a 5 min recumbent bike warmup, followed by the above A or B workout. Then on 2 of the days I will do 30 min of cardio like a HIIT routine with the recumbent bike or a step routine.

Does this seem like it is a reasonable place to start to achieve my goals? Any suggestions? Help me not be embarrassed in a bathing suit come September! :)

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Sounds good. Give it a go and tweak as needed.
  • CINDYR776
    CINDYR776 Posts: 71 Member
    I felt very much like you do when I started in June 2017. There is so much info out there! I've been overweight my whole life, and had no clue where to start. I'm a similar age (41), and am mostly sedentary due to my desk job, and I hated exercising when I started. My motivation when I started was a vacation as well! I decided that the fear of not fitting into an airplane seat was enough to get me moving. I had enjoyed doing zumba in the past, and I found a free outdoor class at the local park that I figured I could try and it wouldn't cost me anything if I hated it. I LOVED it. It's now my go-to exercise 3 times a week, and I've lost 45 pounds. My advice would be to find something that you really enjoy doing (dancing, swimming, walking, etc) and start slow to work up endurance. The other thing I learned is that every diet comes down to calories in, calories out. I could eat low-carb, but if I eat an entire pound of bacon I'm going to gain weight. Best of luck to you!!
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Agreed! Looks like a good routine to me. And the muscle definition will come as you lose weight.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i can't comment on your exercise lineup, but just dropping a line to say if you don't have a plan for progression yet, look into that.

    what that means is: as your body adapts and makes you stronger, you should give it something to chase, so keep moving the bar (hur hur. see what i did there?). that can be done either by adding more reps every week, or increasing your weight.

    the rate of progression is not a zone i know how to help with, but whatever amount of increase you settle on, the best idea is to make the AMOUNT you increase by consistent for as long as you can. it's known as linear progression if you want to research suggestions. more seasoned lifters who have pretty much maxed out their latent growth potential often move to periodized or cyclical progressions instead, but that's a different story you don't have to worry about atm.

    good luck and congratulations on your decision.
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