downsizing the workout

[elpato]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have been doing fairly intense workouts for severla years. Now, being 40, I can feel that my body is changing and I need more recovery, perhaps lessen each workout. What I worry about is weight gain. My workouts are tough. I have an appetite to match even though I eat pretty clean. What happens if I decrease my workout time by 30 minutes, or reduce how many days I workout, and my appetite does not change.

I had a friend who was a competitive swimmer. when she was training, she worked hard and she ate a lot. when she was out of trianing, she would put on 20-30 pounds becuase she still ate like she was in-training. I worry about that, but I also know I can no longer so the long tough workouts I have been for the last 4 years.

What do you suggest for me in this transition?

 

[kathryn]

My workouts are tough. I have an appetite to match even though I eat pretty clean.

I think you may have struck on a bit of the answer here. When you decrease the intensity and/or frecuency of the workouts, your appetite should diminish some (TRUE appetite, that is, not appetite that comes from habit).

As a 51-year old, I find that recovery is extremely important (and even Martina Navritalova has stated that she needed more recovery time as she reached the 40+ mark...it didn't negatively affect her sports performance).

I don't know what you're doing now, but something like Gym Styles, each once a week (with the leg workout between the two upper body workouts, to give the upper body more recovery time) is one way to handle weight work. Add in some cardio, and you've got a rotation.