Starting weight training again at 44 ?

[J4CKO]

Used to do weights in my twenties and recently have been feeling really flabby in my top half, legs are ok due to walking and cycling, I am kind of the reverse of when I used to do weights and used to "miss leg day" and had weedy legs but a fairly good top half !

So, I have a cabin in the garden which has enough room for a bench and was thinking I would do half an hour or so every other day rather than sitting on here, not to get "hench" just to tone up.

So, any suggestions as to how to approach it and what do I need in terms of equipment, not anticipating lifting a lot of weight,

Bench
Dumbells
Bar
Tricep bar

[J4CKO]

Yeah, have measured it, the man shed is 10ft by 15ft, so plenty of room, was just thinking of seeing what is local on Gumtree/Ebay and getting some cheap stuff, then if I dont use it, stick it back on Ebay, Gumtree, if I do perhaps replace it with some better stuff.

[J4CKO]

chris watton said:

I started again last May at the age of 47, after realising what a fattie I had become. Haven't looked back since!

My advice would be to get a cage and at least a 6'6" bar and weights, if you think you'll stick at it (I wasted money on a silly workbench and 5' bars when I first started, then stand-alone squat stands, and then what I use now, the cage with spotters and good quality bench, which I think is essential if you have the space and train alone)

ETA - I also anticipated not lifting a lot of weight......

Edited by chris watton on Monday 20th April 15:07

Back when I was mid twenties I could bench press 100 kilos, reckon I will struggle with half that now ! not after doing loads of weight as would prob just end up hurting myself getting carried away, been there.

I want to just do little and often, have the shed set up with a big telly and a mini pc to feed music/video to it, its well lit and there will be enough space, plan is to take the hound out for a walk for half and hour and then come back and nip in and do 20/30 mins of weights, rather than do 2 hours and then never bother again. If I get back into it there is a pretty decent gym at the local leisure centre and a half decent one at work, its funny, I am currently avoiding it but I remember when I used to go I would get really grumpy if I couldnt go and used to contrive ways to get an hour in.

[J4CKO]

ch427 said:

If you have the room to keep it set up thats a bonus, i always struggled to motivate myself to train in my garage as i had my car in there too.

Need to remove a table from the cabin, its handy but there are two other work surfaces, that will provide plenty of space as its a full size pine kitchen table.

[J4CKO]

Cheers, made a start rejigging the man cave last night in readiness, am selling a spare bike that will pay for the weights.

Will do a bit more tonight and look out for some kit with a view to going and getting something this week so I can get started.

Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 21st April 10:13

Aiming to use the area on the right and remove the table.

Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 21st April 10:13

[J4CKO]

I can only work with what I have space wise, it is enough space for what I want to do for now, I suppose I could do some kind of extension to the shed but not sure how the wife would like that, already a bit of a shanty town from the back of it (looks lovely from the front). I will do what I can at home and can always go to the local leisure centre for stuff I cant do at home.

Anyway, been clearing the crap and re-arranging the shed and I have won a load of gym gear on Ebay for 56 quid.

Bench
Incline bench
100 kilos of metal weights plus a few plastic ones
Bar
barbell
Exercise bike
Rower
load of other stuff

The ad was terrible so I think I got a bargain, exercise bike and rower will get fettled and stuck back on Ebay, I could go out and buy new stuff but I like a bargain and am hoping this will cost me nothing, I like to show the kids that throwing money at stuff in a rush is not always the way to go.

My eldest is keen, he goes to the gym anyway so likes the idea of being able to do some at home.

[J4CKO]

LordGrover said:

That's a great bargain! Well done.

We shall see when I pick it up tonight.

[J4CKO]

Have booked tomorrow off to get it set up, go to the tip with the rubbish its displaced.

Will get some photos when its installed.

Shed floor should be ok as it is fairly thick floorboards with carpet over, which in turn is on timber bearers on top of slabs, sand and hardcore, will place it so the weight is over the bearers, should be ok but will keep my eyes open for any issues, it wotn be seeign that much weight (apart from me) to start with.

[J4CKO]

Well, picked the stuff up and it is as described, the bars are the solid type as opposed to the hollow ones, fair few disks, the exercise bike, the rower, benches etc, all left in the MPV as celebrated with a dirty Chinese meal, am off tomorrow so will clear the car and then fill it again for the tip and get all set up, then will start lifting some weights.

Guy at work is donating 30 kilos of steel disks as well so will have plenty.

[J4CKO]

Well, I am utterly knackered.

Clearing out the sheds, fixing the broken bits, unloading the car, loading the car and sorting out all the weights gear has done for me, 11 hours of fannying about today, managed 6 reps of about 45 kilos to try the bench out.

Got the bike working as the seller had been trying to run it off a 12v adaptor when it should be 6v, the rower wasnt working as the batteries were melting the battery carrier, cut it off and installed a spare and it fired up so both will go on Ebay and hopefully get my money back. The disc weights have all been sprayed Satin black as were all dusty and scuffed, look like new, the 10 kilo weights alone would have cost more than the whole purchase.

[J4CKO]

Hoofy said:

chris watton said:

Coming down the stairs was just as challenging, I had to come down (or rather slide down) sat on my backside!

You must have pushed even harder than I did on my first session.

Oooh Matron !

[J4CKO]

Ok, am set up now,

[J4CKO]

Took it very easy, did a bit on Friday and am now pretty sore, doing any more for a couple of days isnt an option but it is a good feeling.

[J4CKO]

Update, am going in and doing half an hour every other night, starting to enjoy it again, get some music on and preferably something that is annoying me and lift some weights, not going for massive weight but am trying to introduce different exercises.

Need some additional weights so I have a few options and dont have to swap weights round.

Feel a bit better, it certainly lifts your mood afterwards.

[J4CKO]

So I started again mid April, I just weighted myself for the first time in god knows how long, the heaviest I have ever been was 17 Stone 2 and I dont feel as fat as then, pants arent as tight, belt has come in a notch but I weight a scarcely credible 17 st 11.

Even allowing for the fact I weighed myself in the middle of the day which I normally don't do (normally 1st thing), either I had got a lot heavier before I started than I thought or I have put some muscle on, would it really be possible to add say 3 or 4 pounds of muscle in the last 7 weeks ?

Am eating pretty sensibly, alternatively cycling one day (14 miles) and lifting for an hour the other days.

Was kind of hoping to stay the same or lose a bit, will be 20 stone at this rate but have to say I feel pretty good.


I think I need some scales that do body fat percentage, any recommendations ?

[J4CKO]

chris watton said:

J4CKO said:

So I started again mid April, I just weighted myself for the first time in god knows how long, the heaviest I have ever been was 17 Stone 2 and I dont feel as fat as then, pants arent as tight, belt has come in a notch but I weight a scarcely credible 17 st 11.

Even allowing for the fact I weighed myself in the middle of the day which I normally don't do (normally 1st thing), either I had got a lot heavier before I started than I thought or I have put some muscle on, would it really be possible to add say 3 or 4 pounds of muscle in the last 7 weeks ?

Am eating pretty sensibly, alternatively cycling one day (14 miles) and lifting for an hour the other days.

Was kind of hoping to stay the same or lose a bit, will be 20 stone at this rate but have to say I feel pretty good.


I think I need some scales that do body fat percentage, any recommendations ?

It does take time, in my case it was 6 months before seeing real discernible change, and that was with a strict 1200 calories per day (after the first couple of months) and, for the first three months training three times per week, followed by 4 times per week.

Cutting out bread and especially sugar from my diet helped a lot, I think.

1200 calories a day, jesus, how do you not faint ? Basic body functions, BMR is 2000 calories for an average size bloke, dont you lose muscle at that level of calorie intake ?

I got the scales, body fat is 31 percent, and muscle 34, not sure how accurate that is but it fits in with what I thought it would be, got a fair amount of both !

Aiming for 20 percent body fat, so need to lose like 2 stone which again, isnt a surprise.

Am hoping the scales keep me on track.

[J4CKO]

Hoofy said:

J4CKO said:

BMR is 2000 calories for an average size bloke

No, it bloody well isn't! That's roughly your apparent total requirements according to the NHS etc if you're a female. No wonder you're overweight.

No, thats beer, anyway, I am not female.

It says to maintain basic bodily functions if I do nothing else, I need 2238 calories, so with activity it is somewhere between 2500 and 3500.

I dont actually look all that fat, but I think its got skewed what looks fat, it isnt that I am not, it is that there are so many properly big people about, in the seventies I would look a lot fatter, you see old photos and everyone looks skinny compared to now.

So, 11 am and I have had my porridge, will do an hour or so training later, guess I need to raise my game to see the muscle figure go up and the fat figure go down, I know its mainly about how you feel but seeing the numbers helps quantify progress, want to get to 20 percent BF.

[J4CKO]

Hoofy said:

J4CKO said:

No, thats beer, anyway, I am not female.

It says to maintain basic bodily functions if I do nothing else, I need 2238 calories, so with activity it is somewhere between 2500 and 3500.

I dont actually look all that fat, but I think its got skewed what looks fat, it isnt that I am not, it is that there are so many properly big people about, in the seventies I would look a lot fatter, you see old photos and everyone looks skinny compared to now.

So, 11 am and I have had my porridge, will do an hour or so training later, guess I need to raise my game to see the muscle figure go up and the fat figure go down, I know its mainly about how you feel but seeing the numbers helps quantify progress, want to get to 20 percent BF.

I wasn't actually suggesting you were fat. I was just teasing based on your assumption that your BMR was 2000. Use a BMR calculator.

Hoofy, cheers, but I am under no illusions, I weigh nearly 250 pounds

[J4CKO]

dave_s13 said:

Hoofy said:

£56 is a bargain!!

If it's a full size 20kg oly bar then yes it's is. The 5ft thinner ones are dogst.

There's a lot to be said for joining a gym and getting some instruction first I reckon. Anyone can lift a weight but doing it properly is very technical.

I remember stuff from going years ago but I think I need to go to the local one and get some tips.

I think I have put a few pounds of muscle on since starting as have never been this heavy but dont feel as fat.

Need to work harder on the diet though, Porridge this morning, then three scrambled eggs and a round of toast for lunch, so only probably 900 or so cals so far.

I need to cut beer and takeaways out completely until I get down to a sensible weight.

[J4CKO]

Good to hear your story and success.

I am very on it at the moment, no cheating this week, the missus has had sweets out the last two nights, not bothered, I got some dark chocolate as that usually cures any cravings for sweet stuff after tea, last week I was having a few, not bothered the last few days, Porridge for breakfast, sandwich and a few nuts for lunch, yoghurt and a Banana before riding home.

So, 14 miles on the bike and 40 mins on the weights later on, skipped Squats as knee felt a bit sore.

Got a family meal tomorrow at a steak place, will be on the diet cokes, not beer.

We have finally agreed on a holiday destination, looks like two weeks in a nice place in Egypt so having to get my shirt off is a motivator, now I know I am not going to be David Gandy by then but I am not trying to be, just dont want to feel like a fat blob, there will be plenty of those.

I reckon I can make a big difference between now and then, have already made a start, going to cycle most days to work, and try to do some weights every day, and perhaps a bit of swimming.


Going to pick somewhere with a decent gym, I tend to get bored on holiday whilst the wife will sit and marinade, my eldest is training these days (he is out in the shed now lifting) so we can do that, bit of Scuba, swimming and then try and mitigate any eating and drinking I may do, then business as usual when I get back.


I wonder if I can get to 20 percent BF from 30 in seven weeks, prob not, 25 maybe. Calorie wise, have had less than 2000 by my reckoning today, probably quite a bit less.

Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 16th June 23:14