I've got 32 weight-lifting sessions to go, can I make a difference?

[riceiswhite]

I'm 42yo male in average shape, not scrawny - somewhat bloated 5'10" 200lbs. I lift weights off and on but only have weights at my home. (I'm an expat who has retired to east asia and there's not a gym for many miles).

For various health related reasons (and ehm.. a trip to Ibiza) I'd like to focus on conditioning my body over the next 2 months. If I work out every other day I have 32 sessions to go.

Currently I feel I'm doing a half-assed job.. Would humbly appreciate any advice.

Equipment:
- Bench
- Cap hex barbell set to 50lbs
- long bar, curl bar, tricep bar and free weights
- pool and floor equipment

Typically I do 3 sets of 10 reps at 20lbs with the barbells for curls, side curls and backhand curls
Then some overhead work, benchpress (nothing to be proud of - 70lbs) 3 sets of 10
40 min of elliptical each morning (20 HIT, 20 fat burn)

I feel good and pumped after the workout but gains diminishes quickly, not really seeing much improvement in terms of 1) adding more weight 2) looking better. When I'm done my muscles burn a bit the next day - but never crippling.

Not sure if I can make much change in 60 days, but would like to start a full lifestyle upgrade (met with a dietitian online).. So - is it worth it? Do you think there's much chance I can improve my body shape in 32 workouts?

Goals:
- Improve posture
- Improve size of triceps, biceps, shoulders, legs and calfs
- Improve overall shape
- Help with the man boobs I see coming on.. doh.

I have as much time to devote to this as there are hours in the day, just want to focus on health for two months.

A few quick thoughts:
- Maybe focus on upper body one day, followed by lower body the next day?
- Maybe need to increase the weight and lower the reps?
- Maybe need a better range of lifting exercises
- What should I eat right after I workout - eggs, chicken, protein?

Will be happy to post before / after photos (if you don't beat me up too much)

The ONE caveat is that I have some neurological issues (migraines and MAV) - when I lift too much weight I get dizzy and have some issues. So I tend to do better lifting heavy but not straining WAY too much - and doing 20 min sessions a few times during the day rather than just one long routine..

Thanks for anything you can add!

[shaneinga]

With your medical issues people are probably not going to recommend much.

I will say that consistency trumps about everything.

Keep showing up, keep putting the work in.

Are you training ideally? No.

Typically most people with your lifting stats get directed to the Over 35 beginners thread that is stickied at the the top of this page.

It would be worth reading through anyway.

Dietitian, that is up to you. I have found that I really didn't need a dietitian as much as I needed to start paying attention to what I was eating and the amounts I was eating.

A simple calorie tracking app like myfitnesspal is a good thing to use to help you keep up with your daily eats. Get a food scale, so you are actually weighing and tracking your portion sizes.

You can learn everything you need on this site. I would start in nutrition and read the stickies there. Best of all, learning it here won't cost you a thing.

I would forget about the 32 training sessions and the 60 day time limit. If you need a goal, that is fine, but start thinking long term.

Good luck.

[riceiswhite]

With your medical issues people are probably not going to recommend much.

Good luck.

Thanks. My med issues really aren't that bad - I'm prone to migraines and I find if I try to lift crazy heavy weights I get a headache / dizzy - basically. So I stick to more manageable weights. For instance - doing curls on dumbell I can do 20 - 30 okay, but if I try 35 - just too much.

I DID find the sticky! It's great - thanks. That's where I should have started, didn't realize how much info is already on here and that I made a very common - cliche thread / intro about myself.

Least I'm part of someones club.

Thanks again.

[dazlittle]

In all honesty you are not going to build much muscle in two months, but get your diet nailed along with solid consistent workouts and you will see enough change that you don't want to stop.

Its addictive.

[lunchbreak]

So - is it worth it? Do you think there's much chance I can improve my body shape in 32 workouts?

Its always worth it. In 2 months you could lose 16-18lb of flab if you sort your diet. That should go some ways to improving the body shape.

[EjnarKolinkar]

I'm 42yo male in average shape, not scrawny - somewhat bloated 5'10" 200lbs. I lift weights off and on but only have weights at my home.

Main thing will be to try and be more consistent with training. Supporting that with nutrition appropriate to your goals will lead to long term success. I'd just set out to not miss training and lose a pound a week. Should be pretty doable, and if you get into that habit, it may serve you well after the vacation to continuing to improve your strength and appearance.

Most people who spend weeks before a vacation on a crash diet have not so great results, have a tough time getting in good training, and wind up spending their vacation focused on eating instead of having fun. YMMV OP good luck.

[boathead]

of course you can make a difference. with your limited equipment, you might need to think outside the box a bit.....personally do all the curls you want, if it keeps you excited, but quite frankly little gains, muscle or fat-wise, will happen. not gonna lie, i've recently started doing some arm workout, but it is meh.

and so, two exercises you should be doing: standing overhead press, and front squats. don't need a power rack for these exercises. i don't have a rack at home, just a barbell and some weights, and i practice some light weight olympic lifts in my garage. you could try that stuff as well. oh yeah, do some pullups. alot of em.

goblet squats are good too if equipment is limited.

of course, knock off the twinkies. do they have twinkies there?

[riceiswhite]

Thanks for the advice. Seriously.

In the past I focused on long bouts of cardio and fat burn (up to 3hr a day). I saw fat loss (once I managed - 27 pounds in 53 days) (gained 15 of them back in the next 12 months) - but I'd burn out after a few weeks (or get mild injuries). Plus I found I'd over-eat, snack (always starving for calories) and get depressed. Then I found the quote "you can't outrun your fork."

Really resonated with me, just watching what you stick into your pie hole can 'reduce' so much more effectively than trying to run a marathon on your elliptical - and it's sustainable.

After your advice and reading the forum for the last half day I've set up a 'proper' dumbbell routine:
M, W, F: Curl, Hammer, reverse hand, forearm, shoulder press, bench press, tricep kick, kneeling pull, lat raise, two arm tricep, shoulder shrug.

T, Th, Sa: goblet squat, dumbbell squat, lunge, toe raise

Just did my first workout, took a little over an hour - tried to do 3 sets of 10 reps to failure. When it was too easy I marked the spreadsheet to up the weights next workout. When too heavy marked to decrease. Felt great - all muscles are quivering.

Will stick the regular cardio routine of 20min HIT and 20 - 30 min fat burn. daily (except sun)

That's really all I can think to do - try to make lifestyle change and develop some better patterns. Main focus is to show up everyday and be consistent. I took some photos earlier, so I'll report back in in 60 days.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

[riceiswhite]

of course, knock off the twinkies. do they have twinkies there?

Got a HORRIBLE sweet-tooth. No twinkies but I used to order my snacks from the states and ship them over. Cheeze-its, Little Debbies, Heath bars, Twizzlers, and Zapps chips were the worst.. (sigh)

I cut that crap out.

But yeah, there's still lots of junk food around, esp tempting after a barhop. Cut out beer too - and if I drink I stick to Bombay and soda.

I can get whatever equipment I need, I was looking at the Lifefitness full home gym, I just never had much luck with that stuff - I always preferred dumbbells and barbells.

I think I need to stick to working on consistency for the next two months with what I have before I start adding any more equip..