A seasoned old timer needs help!

[hoangseo]

Het everybody!

So back a couple years ago, I went from couch potato to quite well trained by working out 6-7 times a week and being extremely strict with my diet (2350 kcal a day of 100% clean food).

This gave me amazing results which can be seen with a quick search through my profile here for those who are interested.

Fast forward 6 months, my life situation changed.

I moved back to a more rural part of the country, and now days I e-bike to and from work daily, 10 miles each direction.

This has caused me to drop the gym out of pure exhaustion, which then lead to me being less restrictive with my nutrition, which of course led to a situation where I lost most of my gains and really dislike my shape. Moderation never worked for me.

Question is, what and how would you do to approach this?

I have now started back on my old nutrition plan, and am trying to lift 5 days a week now. Dropped leg day even though I love training legs because of the cycling.

Even so, when I get to the gym after about 45 mins on the bike I am completely exhausted.

I really hope this is just me being lazy and that I get back into the groove, but right now I feel knackered!

Any advice?

I am 40 and no, I do not own a car, nor do I wish to own one.

What's the best way to approach this?

 

[iamkate]

@hoangseo Think of this as an opportunity.. you now have your cardio squared away.. this is going to take some getting used to as it will be a draw on your energy reserves but your body will adapt.

Don’t expect to do the same intensity or routine that you had been running right out of the gate.

Pick a “beginner” routine that has you in the gym 3 days a week and work back into it.

You got this.. your body will adapt and you will be in better shape than ever in no time.

 

[hoangseo]

@iamkate I really like this way of thinking and hope this is the answer. With a little bit of determination, I can not only get back into shape but even better shape than before.

I do realize my old 6 Day PPL is not feasable anymore, and am already lowering my numbers on all my lifts.

Will try to run this 5 Day Bro Split for a while and see how I feel.

Thanks for the input!

 

[iamkate]

@hoangseo Good luck man… don’t let great be the enemy of good… start with less and work back up… this applies to weight but also number of sessions.

Nothing worse than over committing .. missing some days and feel like you messed up.

Better to start with less for a month or so and by the end of the month you will have so much more motivation to do more.

Good luck brother!

 

[humbleservant46]

@hoangseo If I were in your shoes I'd invest in some kettlebells

 

[debro]

@hoangseo Unless you have a decent home setup with good equipment, you might want to checkout the recommended routine in r/bodyweightfitness. Pushups, squats, burpees, and other calisthenics are probably what you want.

Being that far from a gym is rough. I don’t envy your position.

 

[hoangseo]

@debro Good advice, will definitely check that subreddit out!

It might not have been clear, but I am not that far from a gym. I am rather working outside my own Town and have trouble incorporating my beloved gym during the working week.

Only lifting on Saturdays and Sundays doesn't sound that great.

 

[mikeb34]

@hoangseo Can you shave travel time and distance by training at home?

 

[hoangseo]

@mikeb34 Again, the travel time is from home to work. Gym is close to home either way. Working out from home has never really worked out for me, but I will give it a shot as a last call.

I feel a lot more obligated to lift seriously when I already made the effort to hit the gym!

 

[iamkate]

@hoangseo Think of this as an opportunity.. you now have your cardio squared away.. this is going to take some getting used to as it will be a draw on your energy reserves but your body will adapt.

Don’t expect to do the same intensity or routine that you had been running right out of the gate.

Pick a “beginner” routine that has you in the gym 3 days a week and work back into it.

You got this.. your body will adapt and you will be in better shape than ever in no time.

 

[jjrjr]

@hoangseo My only advice would be to make your resistance training sessions as easy to get to as possible. Another comment suggest body weight fitness, also checkout kettlebells! Two great ways to get the work done at home.

Another thing, sounds like you might be more active overall this time around. Have you adjusted your caloric intake? It may be that you energy balance is actually lower this time and that’s a part of the exhaustion.

 

[ahiah1]

@hoangseo Can you adjust the support of the e-bike? Set it to the strongest level and drive slowly. I go to work by bike, too, and I force myself to drive slowly, not nearly as fast as I could. This way, it can help regeneration, whereas going too hard will ruin regeneration.

Also, did you dial in your biking to your nutrition plan? You probably need a little more energy, esp. carbs. If you tried to eat the same as before, when you did not bike 2x45 min a day, this probably won't work. An hour of easy biking (e-bike) will still burn about 300 kcal, so your 1,5 h of biking need an additional 450 kcal (if you changed nothing else).

Last, if you fixed your energy problem, I would stop skipping leg day. Training with heavy weights needs different muscle fibres than slow cardio (sorry, don't know all of the english words). I noticed that even if my legs feel sore from cardio, it won't affect my strength for heavier weights and vice versa.

 

[montexss]

@hoangseo

1. Aim to eat 1gram of protein per lb. of bodyweight.
2. Avoid refined carbs/grains- do eggs for breakfast instead of a bagel, etc...
3. opt for whole foods like sweet potato and squash as your carb source instead of bread/rice/pasta- less insulinogenic = less blood sugar variability and reduced cravings for junk/sweets.

You get plenty of activity if you are lifting and riding a bike every day- just get diet on point and you will be fine.