Hi Kathy:
At some point in our forties, I think we all reach this point. The moment when we finally have to acknowledge that what we used to do no longer has the same result. It just isn't enough any longer and we are forced to accept that we need to change our approach and activities.
See if you can grab hold of the new issue of Oxygen mag. It just hit the newsstands. I just read Robert Kennedy's post and normally, I avoid the man like the plague. I loathe him. But what he wrote today just made sense to me and was stated in his usual no-nonsense style.
Cardio gets your system in good working order. Weights shape and reshape your body. Nutrition and diet are the only thing that change your weight/help with fat loss.
I do not agree with this 100%, but about 70%. Still, I think once you hit your forties, it is truer than ever.
Estrogen levels are falling, our metabolism is slowing and the body wants to store fat. Fact is that as we age we do not need the same amount of calories as we used to, and our bodies are less forgiving than ever before of the alcohol we drink and the crappy food we might indulge in.
So we need to do several things. Really cut down on the crap and make sure that every meal is densely nutritious. Create a calorie deficit to lose pounds. Which means, since cutting calories slows the metabolism, creating more of a demand for energy by the body. Regular cardio sessions, and building muscle, since both of these activities will require calories, after the exercise, to repair the body and heavy weight training burns more calories after the training session than any other form of exercise.
Don't be afraid of heavier weights. They can't bite you! They can help reveal your curves and keep that waist fat tyre at bay! As the previous poster said, you just start tomorrow and keep at it, guided by the principle of progressive overload. You won't be using 20 pounds for bicep curls by next week, but in a few months you can be! I have been stronger this year than I was the previous 2 years, so age need not be a factor. What makes this work is progressive overload, slowly increasing the weights and consistency in your workouts. Write your workouts into your calendar every week so you are not tempted to miss them.
Start with total body workouts 2 or 3 times per week. After 2 months, say, change it up to 2 day splits, perhaps using Cathe's Pyramid workouts. Then, a few months later, change to 3 day splits, using Pure Strength and Gym Styles.
I have found that the best series to build real strength and lean muscle mass is the Slow & Heavy series. I can't rave about it enough. it also serves as a refresher course in good weight lifting form.
Don't forget also to change the type of cardio exercise that you do. If you don't kickbox, do this once per week. Do step another day. Bike or swim another day, etc. Also, change up the intensity of your cardio workouts. If you are casually watching TV while using a cardio machine, or reading the newspaper, chances are you are not working hard enough. Do one workout that is a steady state 45 min thing, but do interval training twice per week. Take yourself up to your anaerobic threshold, push yourself to see what you can really do. Train like this for a while and you will surprise yourself with how strong you can really be.
I never focus on weight. I don't own scales. What I do focus on is maintaining a high degree of fitness. My goal is constantly to increase my strength and lift heavy, more than before, and become a runner, a better runner. If you set yourself this kind of fitness challenge, it is more positive than simply demanding of yourself that you lose a certain amount of weight. Then, as you are busy achieving your goal, you will suddenly look down one day and realize you look different. Your body is leaner and tighter and while you have focused on fitness, the body has taken care of itself.
Good luck with your lifting,
Clare
