Should I see significant improvements after 5 months of training?

@swindon Indeed. I was suggesting that perhaps doing exercises that target these muscle groups could help with toning them up as part of an overreaching strategy.
 
@swindon It's a marathon, not a sprint. At 58, I finally settled on two upper and two lower workouts spaced EOD. 4 in 8 and that has been the most effective routine for me in the last 40 years. Hypertrophy focused, 10 minutes of HITT per day and cutting out added sugar has been key. Keep keeping on.
 
@swindon I’ve been in a weight training program for 4 months now in addition to doing circuit training classes that I’ve done since April. If you don’t want to add a specific cardio program to your weekly plan, perhaps adjust your weight training style.

We never lift to failure.. we use the RPE scale (perceived exertion) and try not to go over 8/10. We do lots of sets doing 6,8 or 10 reps at a 6 or 7 /10 RPE. The results have been good and it brings a cardio / stamina benefit to the lifting sessions.

CrossFit may be another avenue since it seems to really align resistance training with cardio in one session.

No matter what, keep going and think long term!
 
@tiger2727 CrossFit is a little risky for me from an injury standpoint but maybe some modification of it. Bad back, shoulder impingement, poor flexibility, etc. I like strength and size so keep most of my weight training anaerobic. However, want to lose to those damn love handles. My world would open up if I did. I could wear form fitting clothes and show off my muscle gains.
 
@swindon 1) Count calories

2) Cut crappy carbs, because carbs also = water retention

3) Cheese and Slim Jims? Nope.

4) Welcome to 52, might want to adjust your expectations slightly

5) CONGRATULATIONS ON FIFTEEN POUNDS!
 
@swindon Losing that last bit of stubborn fat around the midrif is really hard. Its not called stubborn for nothing.

It takes real commitment and knowledge. I have done it at 56, and the key is lifestyle. If you live and train and eat according to your (good) habits, the will come off. It takes time, but it works.

Consistency is key. So consistently train to spend more than you consume, or vice versa, consume less than you train.

Movement is key and diet is key. I recently read something that makes absolute sense. It goes like this: to sustain or maintain a healthy diet it has to be food that you like to eat, in order for it to become a habit a natural to keep it up.

Take the 3 or 4 ingredients you love to eat from each of the 6 food-groups. These are high protein, fat, starch, vegetable, fruit, dairy.

This should be what makes up your daily diet. These are the foods you like to eat and it will be easy to stick to them naturally.

To loose those love handles will mean you consistently will have to create a caloric deficit between what you eat and what you burn. Which will mean keeping some kind of record to see which old habits you have to change to new ones.

After some time and a lot of patience, it will become habit, and part of your routine. This consistency an new lifestyle will keep the fat off for the rest of your life.
 
@swindon I recommend intermittent fasting and long walks. Weight loss is 90% diet, hitting the gym is great of course. The 1g/lbs of protein is a little excessive so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.
 
@swindon What has always worked best for me is to focus on one goal at a time. Starting out (when getting back on track), I always attack the fat first and get hyper focused on only that. This means tons of cardio and VERT strict diet. Weights are an after thought....I will do them once a week or so just to change it up but I am not focused on building muscle since it is next to impossible to cut fat while building muscle (the two are not compatible). Once the fat is completely off or close to being completely off, ONLY then will I worry about building muscle. This is when I put cardio on the back burner (once a week or so) and focus on weights, while increasing calories. This has always worked wonders for me because your not working against yourself. Muscle building happens in the presence of excess calories and weight lifting. Weight loss happens in the presence of a calorie deficit. Don't fight that reality.
 
@swindon Have some labs done. Specifically Thyroid and testosterone levels. If your numbers are low all the working out in the world won’t help hit your goal.
 
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