bodybuilding over 50 -need advice

[brooke55]

Newbie here. have been lifting with trainer for 8 months now - work out 4 -5 days a week - Chest, bi's & abs
Legs, abs
Shoulders, calves, abs
Back, tri's
Basically, that's my workout with about 10-15 mi. of running mixed in; mostly split with hills or interval training.
I eat pretty clean every 3 hrs. - 6 meals - 130p-130c-25f -
My upper body and abs are getting cut but my legs are just not happening - lost 1" on thighs but musculature not happening.
Am I being too impatient??? Feel like I have plateaued. HELP! ANY ADVICE OUT THERE???

[EasyEJL]

Well, that's not much detail on your actual training, and your fats are fairly low as well, too low. So fill in more details please

[brooke55]

Day 1 - Chest - 4 sets of 12-15 reps of various exercises
Bi's - 3 sets of 12-15 reps of various exercises
Abs
Day 2 - Rest
Day 3 - Legs - 4 - 5 sets of 12-15 reps (depending on weight used) could be lower or
higher depending on what I'm doing that leg day
Abs
Day 4 - Shoulders - 4-5 sets of 8-15 reps (again depending)
calves - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs
Day 5 - Rest
Day 6 - Back -4 sets of 8-15 reps
Tri's - 4 set of 8-15 reps
Abs
Day 7 - Cardio or just an arms day if I don't do bi's & tri's the other days
- Reps vary if I am lifting to failure or doing drop sets, etc.
- try to run 3-4 days a week about 4 miles each time but try to do either hills or intervals
Have been doing this since Sept. 2010 and work VERY HARD at it including with my nutrition. I like weight I am at but would like to get body fat lower so I look really cut. Legs are not moving very fast at all. Getting a bit discouraged. How's that Any advice to get my legs more muscle?? Tried creatine for only 2 DAYS - made me sick so stopped. Thanks for any advice.

[EasyEJL]

Ok just to be clear

Day 1 - Chest - 4 sets of 12-15 reps of various exercises

Does that mean 4 sets total ? Or 4 sets each of a few exercises? Do to log what you do?

Same with diet, what does that look like, and do you measure/weigh portions to get accurate calories?

[Rosie Chee]

Newbie here. have been lifting with trainer for 8 months now - work out 4 -5 days a week - Chest, bi's & abs
Legs, abs
Shoulders, calves, abs
Back, tri's
Basically, that's my workout with about 10-15 mi. of running mixed in; mostly split with hills or interval training.
I eat pretty clean every 3 hrs. - 6 meals - 130p-130c-25f -
My upper body and abs are getting cut but my legs are just not happening - lost 1" on thighs but musculature not happening.
Am I being too impatient??? Feel like I have plateaued. HELP! ANY ADVICE OUT THERE???

If you're "getting cut", then your nutrition is targeted at FAT LOSS. If you want MUSCLE MASS, then you need to EAT AND TRAIN for muscle mass! You have far from plateaued, since you are still relatively new to training - you may have reached a time in your training where it needs to be adjusted (and it should have been adjusted several times before now anyways), so look at it and change it up to allow for CONTINUAL PROGRESSION, and make sure that your NUTRITION is appropriate for your goals! Your trainer should have explained this to you, as well as done their job properly with you - if they had, you wouldn't be here asking these questions!

More comments below.

Day 1 - Chest - 4 sets of 12-15 reps of various exercises
Bi's - 3 sets of 12-15 reps of various exercises
Abs
Day 2 - Rest
Day 3 - Legs - 4 - 5 sets of 12-15 reps (depending on weight used) could be lower or
higher depending on what I'm doing that leg day
Abs
Day 4 - Shoulders - 4-5 sets of 8-15 reps (again depending)
calves - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs
Day 5 - Rest
Day 6 - Back -4 sets of 8-15 reps
Tri's - 4 set of 8-15 reps
Abs
Day 7 - Cardio or just an arms day if I don't do bi's & tri's the other days
- Reps vary if I am lifting to failure or doing drop sets, etc.
- try to run 3-4 days a week about 4 miles each time but try to do either hills or intervals
Have been doing this since Sept. 2010 and work VERY HARD at it including with my nutrition. I like weight I am at but would like to get body fat lower so I look really cut. Legs are not moving very fast at all. Getting a bit discouraged. How's that Any advice to get my legs more muscle?? Tried creatine for only 2 DAYS - made me sick so stopped. Thanks for any advice.

Whilst losing bodyfat and gaining muscle mass may occur UNintentionally for a newbie to training - simply because their body is new t all of it, as it adjusts - that progress won't last long, and unless you have someone manipulating and adjusting your nutrition to perfection for YOU for a recomp, you're better off choosing one goals or the other: fat loss of muscle gain.

If you've been training like that for the last eight months, then your TRAINING as well as NUTIRITION needs looking at and adjusting. If you're not seeing progress in the way that you want, this is an issue you should be taking to your TRAINER - it is their job to adjust things for you to endure the desired results, so start with that, and if they can't help you, then get another trainer!

If you want gains, then you need to eat enough for them, and no supplement is going to help you gain muscle if you're not eating for it, period! NUTRITION and TRAINING are the two factors that you need to focus on. FOOD, FOOD, and MORE FOOD is going to be IMPORTANT - if you want muscle gains, you needs to EAT for it!

Next to nutrition for mass is training. You have to be training correctly for mass - check out the article How To Maximize Mass Through Weights And Adaptation for an idea of how to train correctly for mass. And although The Essential 8 is in the fat loss section, the same exercises that are best for fat loss are also the best for gaining muscle! You also need to get adequate recovery, since it's in your RECOVERY that you GROW (if you are eating enough).

Creatine is one of the Basic Staples (creatine, multivitamin, good fats, protein, and BCAAs) that you should be using if you are anaerobically or resistance training - you only need to supplement with creatine and a decent multivitamin, since you should be able to get all your good fats, protein, and BCAAs from your nutrition. If you had issues with creatine when you used it, then try another - start out with something like Kre-Alkalyn (capsules) or CreaPure (powder).

I seriously recommend taking these issues to your trainer though, and having them ensure that they design you a training programme (AND nutrition plan - can't forget your nutrition, since that's what is going to make or break your success with gaining muscle mass!) written specifically for YOU for your goals and needs. If they can't or won't, then get another trainer who can and will - or start researching everything for yourself, so that you understand and can do it (your trainer should have been teaching you the ins and outs of everything as you went along, anyways, and if they haven't, then I recommend looking elsewhere).

You now have all the information you need to make a decision and start achieving what you want. What you DO with that information is up to YOU.

~Rosie~

[brooke55]

Thanks Rosie for this great advice. Are you a trainer?? You sound like you should be!

[brooke55]

Just read your Main Page Rosie - sorry about saying you should be a trainer - You are and much more

[Rosie Chee]

Thanks Rosie for this great advice. Are you a trainer?? You sound like you should be!

No worries, lady Yes, I am - check out my website (link in signature) to see what I offer.

Just read your Main Page Rosie - sorry about saying you should be a trainer - You are and much more

All good - thank you for the kind words.

~Rosie~