re: Need some help from the workout/nutrition gurus

quote:

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I wouldn't go below 2,000 calories even when cutting weight.

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He's older and sedentary. He may need to go below that. 1500 calories is, imo, not enough, but I don't know this guy. My minimum is 1800, but I don't want to cut weight really.

Problem you're facing, oleyeller, is that you are eating too little to make significant strides in muscle gain, which means that you are simply getting skinnier, causing your arms to become more defined, but you to not lose as much fat as you would like, particularly around the midsection. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to shed fat (typically).

Eating more calories, particularly carbs, on heavy lifting days gives you more energy to push through your workout. If you are not failing or near failure on each set, you need to up the weight. I would run, do sprint intervals, or do bodyweight HIIT exercises on two days you are resting now. Then give yourself one full day of rest and stretching. Maybe relaxing yoga.


My plan, if I were you, would be

Monday - Legs (minimum 1800 calories - 40-40-20)
Tuesday - Shoulders (same)
Wednesday - Sprint intervals for 15-20 minutes (minimum 1500 calories - 50-30-20)
Thursday - Bicep/back (minimum 1800 calories - 40-40-20)
Friday - Chest/tricep (same)
Saturday - HIIT for 20-30 minutes (minimum 1500 calories 50-30-20)
Sunday - Full rest and stretch (same)


ETA: that caloric intake may still be too low, just fyi.