Am I doing too much? Too Little? More rest days needed?

[pronobis]

I am a 50F and I have been going to the gym for about 2 years but I have taken it seriously the last 6 months. I have lost 16kg (35pd) and want to lose maybe another 3-4kg. I am at a stall now weight wise (I am 5ft 9in/175cm and weight is 150pd/69kg) and while I am reasonably toned for my age I would like to get a bit more toned.

My usual weekly routine is this

Monday - Ensure 10k steps

Tuesday - 1 hour strength + 40 mins treadmill at 7% incline moderate pace (cant talk but not breathless)

Wednesday - Ensure 10 k steps

Thursday - 1 hour strength + 40 mins treadmill at 7% incline moderate pace (cant talk but not breathless)

Friday - Ensure 10k steps

Sat - 1 hour strength + 40 mins treadmill at 7% incline moderate pace (cant talk but not breathless)

Sun - 1 hour strength + 40 mins treadmill at 7% incline moderate pace (cant talk but not breathless)

I up my weights as I find I am not struggling on the last couple reps.

I haven't had more than a day off in between for months

At the moment I think I have pulled a pec muscle (sore hurts to breathe) but I am almost scared to have a rest in case I undo all my hard work.

I was thinking to just do cardio for a week to give my muscle a chance to heal a bit and at least stop being sore.

Not sure what I can do to rid myself of the last few kgs.

This is the most consistent I have been in my life and all my bloodwork etc has come down into the perfect windows which is great as some were needing help.

ANy tips for someone who is still a beginner on how to manage my training load and ways to stay fit when nursing an injury

 

[dch]

@pronobis You should probably make one of those days a rest day.

If you want to lose weight faster you can increase the deficit by a little bit and see if it starts working.

Resting for a full week or two to heal the pec will just lose you some strength, temporarily. All muscles should remain

 

[kepha23]

@pronobis The 3 days you get your 10k steps in is, effectively, a rest day. Maybe slow down on the treadmill steps for a bit, kee up the strength training as that will help aid weightloss and toning. You'll get to a point where weightloss does stall, try not to concern yourself with the scales and look at how your body us responding. The weight is just a number, nothing more.

 

[turnerfamily00]

@pronobis Well done on being the most consistent you have ever been

You will not undo your training by taking a week off - the training is the stimulus to build your muscles but they rebuild in the recovery (When you are not in the gym)

A lot of people take dealoads every 4 - 12 weeks. This is either:

- A week off the gym completely

- A week lifting at 50% in the gym (some love this because it keeps the routine)

You could give one of those a try?

In my experience people come back feeling stronger after scheduling these in.

When you get back in focus on a rep range. If you can up the weights and arent struggling doing something like 6-10 could help you get closer to technical failure.

For example:

Chest Press:

Set 1: 10kg 10 Reps (To easy)

Set 2: 12.5kg 8 reps (cant quite make the 10 but thats ok)

The next week you look to do 9 reps with the 12.5kg.

I think its great that you do the low intensity steps 3 times a week so you dont put too much stress on your body on those days. I would class this as a rest day.

 

[pronobis]

@turnerfamily00 Thanks so much. Yes I count them as rest days but just try to keep movement going.

Today I just went and did an hour of cardio and more core exercises and leg work so as not to strain my sore chest muscle.

Really appreciate the feedback

 

[mayacruz1708]

@pronobis Taking a week off won't undo any of your work.

In fact, it may help. Many people have a break or cycle in a "deload" week (lifting light weights & taking it reasonably easy). It gives the muscles time to recover and grow, ready for the next cycle of lifting.

Also, a rest may let you realise if you are doing a bit too much.

If you have plateaued with fat loss, you may need to reduce the calories a little more - your body gets used to the reduced calories and makes up for this by expending less energy with things like less fidgeting etc. Subconscious things.

Alternatively, can also try a short diet break. The idea being that your body will get used to the maintenance calories again (which should be lower than when you started) and therefore the dieting weeks have an ever so slightly increased fat burn. (I don't think there's much difference but for some people this may work better).

 

[cafreeman89]

@pronobis Maybe up your calories, if your body is not getting enough it will start to store fat as the body believes it is at risk.

 

[marfamu]

@pronobis You need rest days. Your muscles retain water when you work out.

 

[roguemouser]

@pronobis Never mind a day, take a week off. It'll have next to zero effect on your gains (in fact it'll most likely be hugely beneficial).

At the very least, take a deload week. This should be planned into your program every roughly 6-10 weeks anyway (though this will vary depending on the individual).

Your body needs to recover.

 

[jeangenie]

@pronobis I would prioritize nutrition and make sure to get in sufficient protein for lean muscle mass retention and growth. 1 gram per pound of goal body weight. Ex 160 grams for 160lbs