Returning Lifter Needs Help

Training Over 35 Lifter
1

Hi all

I used to be an active TNation poster many years ago. I am looking for some advice as I am struggling on my own to get back into the game.

In my early twenties used strength training and a low carb diet, followed by carb cycling to get from 146 KG and around 40% body fat down to 83 KG and under 10% body fat over a couple of years.

I then went onto a more aggressive lifting regime, put on around 12kg in mostly muscle and got to a 2x BW deadlift and was happy with that. I never really went beyond that and didnt really want to.
I kept that weight through most of my late twenties and early thirties.

Since then my weight yoyoed a bit - i would gradually gain weight over a year and then spend a couple of months eating clean and walking a lot to repair back to a reasonable weight again. Rinse and repeat for years.

Now we have had two kids, I stopped training due to lower back pain and im back up to 115kg and around 30% body fat.

My knowledge around training, weight management and diet is outdated and the things I used to do to easily correct my weight gain dont seem to work any more - whether this is through age (now 37) or other factors i dont know.

I have spent the last few weeks moderating my diet - eating a lot of veg and having a huel shake instead of breakfast each morning. My diet is constrained a bit by having to eat with my carb loving wife and two young kids. Over the years they have worn down my reistance to carbs and so i usually have potato, rice or bread with every meal now - which historically didnt do me any favours.I probably eat 'junk 3-4 times a week - a bowl of ice cream, a brownie, a couple of chocolate bars - that sort of thing.

I am walking more than normal and have reintroduced some light kettlebell swing work as i read that is likely to strengthen my back rather than harm it - and i will probably work towards a kettlebell based HIIT or Tabata style regime with around 10-12k steps a day walking at a brisk pace. I cant get into a gym or pool due to covid and steady state cardio beyond walking usually screws my joints and back.

See below a table of a typical week at the moment. According to the Harris Benedict Formula my BMR is 2311 cals and i regard the below as light activity which would make my energy break even being 3178 cals.

I am average 2600 cals a day intake - so in theory i should be losing weight. I am not - its obviously not that simple i know.

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My Goal is to get back down to around 100 KG in a sustainable way without exacerbating my (now dormant) lower back pain.

Anyway - any help would be much appreciated. Specifically:

  1. what about my thinking is out of date based on new knowledge or methods?
  2. Are there particular articles or threads you can point me to that would help?
  3. Is there something about being in my late thirties that changes the rules?
  4. TNation used to have a place you could diarise your progress and get feedback - is that a thing any more? cant find it if it is.

Thanks in advance!

2

Firstly welcome back to the forum, welcome to the over 35’s and well done on making the decision to become a better version of yourself.
Getting into good habits like walking every day and adding in some body weight movements is a great way to get started and will help set up good behavior patterns for future training.
I don’t think your thoughts around calories or dieting are out dated, to be honest i’m older than you so most of my approaches are well out dated !! But what I will say is its not always as easy as some number son a page. If your are getting in your walks and doing a little training and your aren’t losing weight then i think you know the answer. You are either eating the wrong stuff, too much or both.
Being in your late 30’s will be a little different to your 20’s. I think its a little harder to add muscle and also harder to stay lean. But there are plenty of guys on here looking great in their 30’s and 40’s so its not impossible.
Just start a training log, update it and ask questions as you go. Good luck

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3

How do you feel about bikes? Stationary or regular, either way. Good for exercise and easy on joints and the back. Is there something about being in your late thirties that changes the rules? Uh, yes. Being in your late thirties means less HGH production, probably lower tesosterone production (Committed relationships with kids do that to you even before you get old). You are currently in the place where we log our stuff. Bienvenidos.

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