Fitness Tips Exchange for the Over 30 Crowd

I arrived in Taiwan two and a half years ago in top condition (189cm/92 kg/12% body fat), thanks to a regular routine of weight lifting, running, and hiking.

I’ve bulked up a bit over the course of this time, and am now working on slimming down to my svelter self. I don’t look slobbish; I’ve just put on some 10 kg. Most of it is not muscle tissue, though some of it is thanks to heavy weight lifting for the past few years.

I’ve put together a fitness program, and want to see what other fitness enthusiasts out there think about it.

Note: Prior to the start of my program ten days ago, I’d done nothing for eight weeks (colds and holidays).

I’ve split the program into three phases:

Phase 1: 2 weeks of nothing but running (I’m in the middle of week 2), to increase overall fitness and get the metabolism jump-started. I’m up to 5 km per run now.
Phase 2: 6 weeks of slowly incorporating weights into my routine, with a focus on high reps, low weight. I’ll maintain the cardio at about 3 hours a week of solid running (30-40 minutes per run), with a weekend hike of 5-10km.
Phase 3: I’m going for a shock approach. My reasoning is that the last 5kg is very difficult to lose because the body become too efficient at performing the same old exercise. I’ve found a pool I can swim laps in, and plan to buy a bicycle (thanks MT). I’m also going to change my weight routine to larger weights at lower reps.

Diet changes include eating five small meals a day, drinking a ton of water (at least 6 bottles each day), and cutting out sweets after 5pm. I’m a light smoker and drink 2-3 Coca-colas a day. There’s no giving either of these things up.

Anything I’m missing? What do those in a similar situation have to offer?

No poking fun at us more mature folks who have to work our asses off to keep in shape by you skinny 20 somethings. Just wait until your 30th birthday–you’ll take one smell of your birthday cake and gain 5kg!

  • you also need enough sleep and rest between workout days.

  • also, it would help to know what is your specific goal? just losing waistline? gain definition? lose weight in general? get big muscles?

  • try also to incorporate walking into your daily life. to and from office, restaurant, grocery store etc. with all your amorous activity, you should be expending plenty of calories eh. lol.

  • most people don’t really have to change their diet all that much, just eat smaller portions. don’t get stuffed, try finishing meals a little hungry. your stomach should shrink pretty fast. in turn, you may not feel as hungry (unless you eat because youre depressed)

  • also don’t forget your flexibility. stretching both to warm up/down as well as maintain flexb. getting older, and it will be harder.

  • also don’t eat after 9pm is a good rule of thumb for digestion purposes. i guess unless you don’t keep normal hours. which wouldnt be great in the first place.

  • the coke as im sure you know is all sugar. can you cut that down maybe 1 can?

  • changing your regimen for shock is good, but that shouldnt be needed until months from now.

  • try switching up exercises with supersets, dropsets, pyramid sets. or try hitting the muscle from different angles eg working the upper bicep, the middle, and the lower with slightly different exercise or angle.
    try also varying between free weights, cable, and machine. each has adv/dis. eg. free weights force you to build the smaller stabilizing muscles cf. cables provide constant force etc.

  • some ppl body-build to look good and big, but they neglect to put it all together. i have a friend who looks big and cut, but he can’t throw a softball if his life depended on it. so try to incorporate exercises that work out the entire body together forcing the parts to coordinate. eg like the clean and press (u need correct technique of course).

  • if you work out one area, dont forget the counterarea, otherwise you could get injured easier.

  • eat something right after workout that has protein like banana or yoghurt and keep hydrated.

good luck and have fun.

I think it is important to also have some stretching exercises. For me Aikido three times a week (I hope to get up to daily) really improves flexibility. Yoga or Tai Chi would also be very good.

If you’re over 30 and haven’t run for awhile, I would take care to avoid shin splints. They are extremely painful and trip-up a fitness plan in a hurry.

You get them if you fail to stretch the calf muscles and if you start off the running program too vigoriously. Or at least I got them the last time I tried running again.

I’m 36 and started running after a two year break. Never had these in my twenties.

When I feel like I have been gaining weight, I don’t really diet but I do cut down on Cokes, alcohol, etc. I would also find little ways to cut calories, like switching to skim milk, going for a turkey instead of balony sandwich, not using mayonnaise, that kind of stuff. Mixed drinks, oily Chinese vegetables and packaged cookies/crackers can really pack in the calories. Can you handle two diet Cokes instead of regular Cokes?

The running is a great idea. I have heard that swimming is not that great for burning fat, but I am certainly not a medical expert. Have you thought about a spinning class? I would keep incorporating aerobics several times a week.

Nothing made me gain more weight than quitting smoking. It has taken a year to start to get back into any sort of shape I was before I quit. It has been hell weight wise, but on the other hand I have seen my fitness levels improve by a big leap. I am amazed by how much longer I can run than before, even if my jeans are a little tighter than before.

Lost 8 kilos in three months on a version of the Atkins diet, which basically involved small portions of meat and fats, cutting out rice, noodles and bread completely, and kept in beer and gin. I even ate lots of fruit and veg, which you’re not supposed to in the Atkins induction period. I initially lost 12 kilos but have now stabilised out at 8 kilos less than where I started from, so that was fine for my target - I dropped a dress size and got into the frock I wanted to wear for New Year’s Eve! :sunglasses:

You have to exercise 2-3 times a week to start burning fat rather than carbs, but it’s all really about metabolism and finding the right diet for your body and your lifestyle, particularly in your 30s.

My Taiwanese lover didn’t lose a pound on the Atkins - he gets fat on things like cheese and dairy; i get fat from too many carbs. His pre-Christmas diet was a crash diet of boiled veggies (ugh!), lean meat, no fats or sugars, lots of pot noodles and a hula-hoop for thirty mins every night - lost 15 kilos over the three month period, the bastard!

My advice to anyone in their 30s would be try a basic Atkins for a fortnight along with increased exercise - if it’s gonna work for you, you’ll lose a kilo a week. If you don’t like it, or you don’t see instant weight loss and increased energy, find another fad regime as I’ve read that if you don’t lose weight in the first few weeks, you have the “wrong” metabolism for Atkins. It’s also IMPOSSIBLE to do if you’re vegetarian!

Anyone know if those amphetamine weight-loss pills are still available here? :wink:

Howdy, Magnolia,
Where have you been?
Are you talking about those silver bullets from Germany they used to have here? I never tried them, but they really worked for my friend.
I am curious about Atkins. Does it keep off the pounds in the long term? Or do you do it just when you need to lose some weight?

Although I’ve always kept fit and trim with plenty of swimming and walking (and in the old days, biking), I only started running when I joined a gym last summer. Now, in month seven, I’m averaging 10 km a day without much difficulty – and so far, touch wood, I haven’t suffered any injuries or adverse consequences from it.

My current regime consists of 30~60 minutes of swimming (breaststroke at a fairly gentle pace), those 10 km. on the running machine, varying in speed between 12.5 and 16 kph (the latter being the top speed of those pathetic machines), interspersed with brisk walking, and 20 minutes (or more if time permits) working a small pair of 8 kg. dumbbells while lying on my bed listening to music. That combination works quite effectively for me. I don’t need to moderate my diet at all (though it’s always been predominantly healthy) and can keep my body mass index at a tad over 21 and my aging carcass as well-conditioned as a chap in his 40s can reasonably expect.

[quote=“Doug McKenzie”] also, it would help to know what is your specific goal? just losing waistline? gain definition? lose weight in general? get big muscles?

  • try also to incorporate walking into your daily life. to and from office, restaurant, grocery store etc. with all your amorous activity, you should be expending plenty of calories eh. lol.

  • most people don’t really have to change their diet all that much, just eat smaller portions. don’t get stuffed, try finishing meals a little hungry. your stomach should shrink pretty fast. in turn, you may not feel as hungry (unless you eat because youre depressed)

  • also don’t forget your flexibility. stretching both to warm up/down as well as maintain flexb. getting older, and it will be harder.

  • also don’t eat after 9pm is a good rule of thumb for digestion purposes. I guess unless you don’t keep normal hours. which wouldnt be great in the first place.

  • the coke as I’m sure you know is all sugar. can you cut that down maybe 1 can?

  • changing your regimen for shock is good, but that shouldnt be needed until months from now.

  • try switching up exercises with supersets, dropsets, pyramid sets. or try hitting the muscle from different angles eg working the upper bicep, the middle, and the lower with slightly different exercise or angle.
    try also varying between free weights, cable, and machine. each has adv/dis. eg. free weights force you to build the smaller stabilizing muscles cf. cables provide constant force etc.

  • some ppl body-build to look good and big, but they neglect to put it all together. I have a friend who looks big and cut, but he can’t throw a softball if his life depended on it. so try to incorporate exercises that work out the entire body together forcing the parts to coordinate. eg like the clean and press (u need correct technique of course).

  • if you work out one area, dont forget the counterarea, otherwise you could get injured easier.

  • eat something right after workout that has protein like banana or yoghurt and keep hydrated.

good luck and have fun.[/quote]

Excellent advice, Doug!

My flexibility is still good, and I do a lot of stretching before I work out (and a little afterward). I should cut to diet cokes, and will probably do so when I get to the point where I’m making little progress. Same with smoking, though I’m hesitant to do that now as it will probably cause a weight gain, and I enjoy smoking too damned much.

Eating after 9pm is tough to avoid. I teach for three hours each night, which is quite a marathon, given all of the energy I put out. I need a grilled chicken salad, or a tuna sandwich at night our I’ll go to sleep with hunger pangs. Night time is also date or see friends time, and a beer or two puts a nice cap on a long day, though I do generally avoid snacking on junk later in the day. I keep the portions I eat small, and eat five times a day.

My goals are simply less fat, greater endurance, and a leaner overall look. You’ve seen me several times, so you now that I’m never going to be a thin man. My bone structure is just too big for that, and I don’t think I’d look good or feel healthy as a tall, thin man.

My weightlifting regime is designed to hit all of the muscle groups in a week, to acheive balance in my muscularity. I can still shoot a mean game of hoops, and can play softball with no trouble or injury, so I must being doing something right with the weightlifting.

One of the difficulties with all of this is that my body seems to keep changing as I get older. I’ve gotten increasingly more muscular and stronger (sort of like Barry Bonds in baseball–he was thin as a youngster and bulked way up once he hit 30), but I haven’t been able to keep my abdomen from expanding as well. Seems to be a change in metabolism. My body just wants to be bigger than it was when I was 21 and weighed 85kg. I work my stomach all of the time, and am actually very solid there. I just want to cut back the layer of fat between the sixpack and the skin, so that my stomach looks flat like it did a few years ago.

I don’t believe in diets. I think healthy eating combined with good rest and regular exercise is the best way to stay healthy.

I’ll keep you guys posted, and let me know how you’re doing. If you want to hit the gym with me sometime, send me a pm. I go most mornings, and sometimes in the afternoons.

T.

[quote=“Flicka”]Howdy, Magnolia,
Where have you been?
Are you talking about those silver bullets from Germany they used to have here? I never tried them, but they really worked for my friend.
I am curious about Atkins. Does it keep off the pounds in the long term? Or do you do it just when you need to lose some weight?[/quote]

Hi sweetie! Been in Aus - hence the pre-Christmas drive to look GORGEOUS! But I needn’t have worried - most young Aussie guys are super fit but then it’s beer-guts all round after 30 - felt like I was home in England, but it was sunny! :sunglasses:

My friend tried those pills too a little while back. They work but are really bad for your liver, I heard. Same goes for those “Witch Soup” Chinese diet powders - me and the bf tried them last Spring and you REALLY don’t wanna be more than three yards from a bathroom! He got terrible stomach cramps too, so AVOID AVOID!

That’s what led me to Atkins - I LOVE meat and cheese and it seemed too good to be true - it’s a bit difficult avoiding rice and noodles in Taiwan but it worked for me for a couple of months. I’ve been off it since just before Christmas and the weight hasn’t come back - yet! I think it’s something to try just to lose the first five kilos, say, and then just exercise more and watch what you eat. At least I won’t be eating meat pies every day now I’m back in Taiwan!

And Tomas, I didn’t believe in diets before I tried Atkins and, honestly, I’m not gonna say it’ll work for everyone, but losing that first bit of weight round the middle gave my ab regimen the kick-start it needed. Not only has my gut started to firm up, but I’ve got the top two of my six-pack back! I presume if you’re on a diet that forces you to burn fat rather than carbs, it might be easier to lose that layer of fat between the six-pack and the skin. But again, everyone’s metabolism is different.

And just to say I completely agree with Doug Mackenize about not eating after 9pm - a pint of Guinness is a meal in itself and will keep those late-night hunger pangs at bay! :wink:

I tried Science Diet. Their stuff tastes like dog food.

when i was around 10, i watched Bachelor Party with Tom Hanks (and of course the Whitesnake Lady, Tawnie something)

there’s a scene where the brother eats cat food and says it tastes like lasagna. they lied!

Perhaps he was thinking of Taiwanese bentuhua lasagna. :wink:

I’ve managed to cut back on the junk food hugely int he last 6 months or so. I figured, you gotta do it slowly. First cut out one thing (eg that choclate bar you always grab in the break at your evening class). Wait a week or so before cutting out another etc etc. Cutting everyothing all at once can be too much and you just can’t handle it.

A lot of junk food eating is just habit. Break the habit, and don’t start new ones. Find substitutes if necessary. Soemthing else ot do int hat break or even something else to eat, like a piece of fruit or a cup of tea instead.

Tomas, I think you have to cut the cokes. To 0 is easier than to 1, because if you cut them altogether you lose the craving. I managed to completely cut out my 3 or so soft drinks a day. Drink water or green tea instead.

Apparently for losing weight you should run, cycle, or exercycle at a pulse rate of 75% of 200 minus your age for men (I think that’s right, I just know that it’s around 130 for me). Not much slower or faster than that. You need to do that for 40 mins (apparently 40 makes allt he difference over 30) 5 times a week. I’ve started.

Don’t skip the warm-up and warm-down when you work out.

Cycling is great if you live near the riverside. For me, one of the probs with exercise is that I find it so damn boring. Cycling must be one of the most interesting forms of exercise you can do here.

Wallcharts are good. Mark your workouts and other exercise on each day.

No food after 9PM is a great idea, which I hadn’t thought of. Doh! 3 minutes to late for a snack.

Brian

Not much to offer, I’m afraid, but how about some ideas for me for toning up the middle after childbirth? And what can one do with all that loose skin besides tuck it into your jeans?

If your Mandarin listening comprehension is up to par, I recommend Body Challenge that’s been showing on Discovery channel. (Beats me why it’s dubbed in Chinese :unamused: ) Six overweight contestants (mostly over 30) compete to lose weight and improve their diet and lifestyle. You’ll get some great tips on how to exercise and what to eat.

good point. while not necessary, but greatly enhances your method and organization and probably improves your progress, i highly suggest keeping a log and taking it with you to the gym, recording after bike rides, logging in meals and such.

My sister has lost about 50lbs. after giving birth in June. She said 45 minutes on a treadmill for five days a week did the trick for her.

High repetition one-legged squats, push-ups (all variations–wide arm, diamond, Hindu, etc), pull-ups, (all variations, including one-armed, except behind the neck unless you’ve never had shoulder problems), jump rope, standard sit-ups, not the kind where you pull your head up with your hands.

There are lots of exercises outside of the gym which can be extremely effective. In general, such workouts take a little more drive. The one-legged squats are particularly draining, but I guarantee they will eat up the fat and will leave you feeling sore in places where you haven’t felt sore since the gym became part of your life.

For me, I helps when I stop smoking and drinking, feels good too. Next step, I’m going to try some of the great techniques listed throught this thread.

Thanks folks, this thread is excellent.

Chou