59 year old Male looking for a new workout routine.

[guffman44]

I'm 59 and have been working out with weights since I was 41. I'm 6'4" and about 230 pounds. I look pretty good, except for the bit of fat around my waist. I've quit drinking alcohol and have been trying to clean up my diet (I have sugar cravings that are almost overpowering) to shed the fat, though it's been there so long, I don't know if it will ever really go away.

When I lift for strength, I gain muscle, but also fat. So my goal is to get more lean and muscular (defined). I know diet is most of that. But if I could find a workout that would assist with the muscle part, that would be great. My leanest body part is my arms, which I have some trouble putting muscle on.

I started to look through workout routines on this site, but there are so many that my A.D.D. mind gets confused. Can someone point me in the right direction to a workout that might work for someone in my age group. I would really like to keep this workout under 1 hour in duration, as I workout before work in the morning.

If I'm too vague as to what I want, please let me know. Thank you.

[OldFartTom]

The last 18 years (wow, good job!), is that standard pump and fluff gym training, strength training, powerlifting, fitness training, or what?

Have you followed any structured programs before? (If so how did it go and what did/didn't you like).

[guffman44]

The last 18 years (wow, good job!), is that standard pump and fluff gym training, strength training, powerlifting, fitness training, or what?

Have you followed any structured programs before? (If so how did it go and what did/didn't you like).

I had worked out off and on before that, but never stuck with it more than 3-4 months at a time, with big gaps in between. I hadn't worked out in 3 years before finally getting serious at 41. I started out with a trainer for 3 free sessions, just doing the basics on machines. Then after I felt comfortable doing some lifting, I started doing the Bill Phillips Body for Life lifting program, though not so much on the diet part. I saw gains. Then I got interested in strength training and at 46 years old, I was able to do a 315 pound bench press. Unfortunately, I weighed 265 pounds because of all the food and protein shakes I ate to get strong. So I not only built muscle, but gained fat also. So I backed off on the strength training. Since then, I've went back and forth between strength and just preserving what I had. When I train strong, I gain unwanted weight also. I was at 270 pounds, and was doing 285 pound bench presses in 2015. However, I didn't like the way I looked and was in a 38, and sometimes a 40 inch waist pant. So I dropped it and now wear a 36, and sometimes a 34 waist pant. However, I feel like I could look more chiseled. I'm currently doing 2 upper body workouts and 2 lower body workouts a week. Been doing that for the last month. Before that, I was doing days dedicated to chest, shoulders, back, arms, and legs.

My biggest challenge is diet. It has improved, but I'm not a fan of most veggies, and can only eat certain fruits because anything with a strong citrus bothers my stomach (hiatal hernia). I adore sweets. I can't drink coffee because of unwanted side effects, so I have a Pepsi in the morning to get going. All of that being said, I have cut down on sweets that eat, and I have quit drinking alcohol completely for the first time since I was 18. I feel I have made progress.

So I'm doing better with the diet. Now I need a changed workout plan that may allow me to build some muscle and get rid of some fat with a better diet. Thanks.

[Garage Rat]

You already said it and know what you need to do as far as diet goes.
You need to be consistent,discipline and eat in a slight calorie deficit to get things going.
Take pictures front and back day one then every couple weeks after that and keep doing this.
A simple way to gauge progress.
Compare them for progress analysis.
You need to write or record every single thing you eat and record macros and calorie to be precise and be able to change things up.
Keep protein at at least one gran per pound of BW.
Other macros could be equal in calories.
Believe me if you want to change your look you need to this.
Sugar cravings will go away if you can stay on course for six weeks or so but it won't be easy.
Another option if your not discipline enough is you need to be accountable to yourself or someone a trainer or something like weight watchers where you are weight weekly.
You necessarily have to eat green type veggies but you need to make sure you have enough fiber like yams,quinoa,beans,ect.

Weight training you need to stick to one program and follow it through.
Most can be 8-12 weeks.
I would also keep a training journal to know exactly weight ,sets,and reps as well as progress.
I can't say one program is better than another but strength and bodybuilding programs can be quite different.
So if you goal is just to gain muscle and lose fat then go with it make it happen.
Work fast with short rest periods.
You will have to drop the weight you use but you will be increasing the intensity through the shorter rest periods.
By the way I'm a year older than you and know the older you get things get more challenging but don't give up keep pushing forward toward your goal.
Good luck.

[ryanhitsthegym]

It all depends on what type of workout you prefer. In my humble opinion, I prefer circuit style training. I recently found this training program that's great for guys 50+

Squats 1x12 reps - no rest
Bench Press 1x12 reps - no rest
Deadlifts 1x12 reps - no rest
Overhead press 1x12 reps - no rest
Bent over row 1x12 reps- no rest

Take a 60 seconds rest and repeat the circuit.

[OldFartTom]

Eating strong gave you too much weight, not training strong.

This oldish threads been bumped..
If near a month later you are still consistently training it, and your diet is going straight and narrow hopefully the first results should be starting to show?

How's your progress? You still winning?

[Junsuiakai]

It all depends on what type of workout you prefer. In my humble opinion, I prefer circuit style training. I recently found this training program that's great for guys 50+

Squats 1x12 reps - no rest
Bench Press 1x12 reps - no rest
Deadlifts 1x12 reps - no rest
Overhead press 1x12 reps - no rest
Bent over row 1x12 reps- no rest

Take a 60 seconds rest and repeat the circuit.

That sounds absolutely terrible!