I'll be sixty years old in may. Also I am 6.1 and I weigh 221 lbs which is not all muscles. When I go on a diet and I do aerobics and so on I become a smaller size of my bigger size. I find that I cannot loose the belly fat. What has made this problem worse is that after pounding my shoulder for about 20 years with bench press my left shoulder aches after I do chest work. If I do dumbell press 80lbs 6reps the pain is not immediate. The next day I feel pain on the outside of the shoulder the trap and around my shoulder blade. I am thinking that I should do some yoga class. I would appreciate your help.

quote:

Originally posted by Rab:
I'll be sixty years old in may. Also I am 6.1 and I weigh 221 lbs which is not all muscles. When I go on a diet and I do aerobics and so on I become a smaller size of my bigger size. I find that I cannot loose the belly fat. What has made this problem worse is that after pounding my shoulder for about 20 years with bench press my left shoulder aches after I do chest work. If I do dumbell press 80lbs 6reps the pain is not immediate. The next day I feel pain on the outside of the shoulder the trap and around my shoulder blade. I am thinking that I should do some yoga class. I would appreciate your help.

To give more accurate suggestions, you'd have to list your diet which gave you these less than desirable results. IE foods, calories, macronutrient breakdown, and also the amount of cardio you were doing. Any medical issues would have to be addressed as well. Further, if you are not doing any rotator cuff exercises, I would start now.

I would immediately drop the flat BB bench press if you have not done so already. I wasn't too clear on the 80lbs for 6 reps. Is this a shoulder press? Or flat DB bench press? Are the 6 reps failure or close to? My advice would be to lower the weight and do higher reps with the compound movement. Another possibility is to pre exhaust the bodypart first with iso movements (fly's, laterals, pec deck, plate raises, etc) before using the compound exercise.

I am approaching 50 years of age, and although I am still competing, personal goals and priorities have changed somewhat. Now, one of my main concerns is remaining healthy and minimizing injury. Heck, I want to enjoy my retirement years, lol. Competition is solely for fun nowadays.

Thanks Aram. The belly fat is an on going problem. When I trained with Vince Gironda in CA I had this belly fat even though I was on a strict diet. When I told Vince He blamed my posture. I disagreed with Vince; My posture is good. It is just belly fat. When I go on Beverley diet the same thing happens: I become a smaller size of my larger size and the belly fat remains and the rest of my body remains smooth. I'll stay away from bench press. The exercise is incline dumbell press. i have no medical problem.

Well I'll be the last one to dispute Vince, but we still don't know anything about your diet. Additionally, if you have ever gone thru a bodyfat test, certain areas hold more adipose tissue than others. This is genetics. You may hold most of your fat in your belly. This can be improved thru nutrition. So, again....we ask for your diet; including macro's, calories, and foods.

Aram, My diet is not the best at the moment. I guess that I have given up hope. Vince had told me to stick for awhile to meat, salad, water amino acid and liver caps. My muscles at that time got flat. I also followed Beberly diet for 2 months and I lost weight but the belly area did not go down much. Now i eat for breakfast 1/2 cup oatmeal 4egg whites. As for lunch chicken curry +rice or broiled chicken and potatoes something sweet for a snack and for dinner chicken again with another sweet snack. I hope that it is true that diet can help me to get rid of my belly fat. My waist measures now about 42 inches.

Yup, the diet is going to be the most important factor in an exercise/fitness plan. If you are a competitor, its going to equate to around 85% diet. Rab, you need a functional eating plan and the determination to remain consistant with it on a daily basis. A 50-20-30 scheme would work very well for you and it would minimize, if not entirely eliminate, any cheat foods you may be indulging in and sabatoging your progress.

I also would not obssess over belly fat. The body will naturally recomp when employing a sensible eating plan with lifting and cardio.

I would make sure you are getting enough healthy fats like olive oil, fish oil, canola oil, and nuts.

A good start would be eliminating any sugary carbs and replace them with the complex variety, or lean proteins and fats.

Sometimes it takes a while, but good nutrition on a day in, day out basis is the key to achieving any fitness goal... I learned the hard way. Trust me.

Aram, out of all the advice I have gotten you seem to know what you are talking about. I would like to stay away from meat. Do you think thast i could build or maintain without meat? Also, could you give me a guideline diet and how much aerobics should I do a day? On most days I walk my German Shepherd dog for 35 to 50 minutes. Also I do about 45 minutes on the elyptical machine.

Make sure you are not overdoing the aerobics. Your metabolism will stagnate if you overdo the cardio. I am also assuming you are training the largest muscle groups in your body - legs, back, glutes. Very important.

Try this out for the next 4-6 weeks:

Meal 1: 5 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 fish oil caps.

Meal 2: 6 oz chicken or fish, 6 oz sweet potato, 1 cup green beans or broccoli.

Meal 3: 2 scoops UMP in water, 2 fish oil caps.

Meal 4: 6 oz chicken or fish, 3-4 cups salad veggies (cuc's, romaine, onion, green pepper, tomato) 2 tbls extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.

Meal 5: 8 egg whites, 1 tbls amond butter or 16 almonds, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 fish oil caps.

I'd also suggest 3 Ultra 40's and 3 Mass Amino's with each meal.

Drink plenty of fresh, cold water throughout the day and make water your ONLY beverage.

For your training, lift heavy but safely (we already discussed the shoulder issue) and try to reduce rest times between sets every week. Work hard, but don't overtrain. Three days of lifting per week would be just fine, along with three days of 30 minutes of cardio on rest days from lifting. Walking your dog is also very good

Be consistant with the diet, no cheats, and you should start seeing some good results.

Thanks Aram, this is great. I'll stick to this diet as rigidly as possible. As for my legs I'lldo goblet squat, Leg press and calf work. And for chest, I'll do flyes, incline press on machine. My back I'll work on hammer machines.On all these exercises I'lldo 3to 4 sets and pyrmid the weights. I'll do 8to 15 reps. Is this ok with you and thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by Rab:
Thanks Aram, this is great. I'll stick to this diet as rigidly as possible. As for my legs I'lldo goblet squat, Leg press and calf work. And for chest, I'll do flyes, incline press on machine. My back I'll work on hammer machines.On all these exercises I'lldo 3to 4 sets and pyrmid the weights. I'll do 8to 15 reps. Is this ok with you and thanks again.

Looks good. Remember that the diet is going to be the key. This diet is very easy to do, and if you need to make adjustments either way (up or down) small changes every now and then with caloric/macronutrient shifts should keep things progressing. Good luck and have fun!

Aram, I have stuck to the diet for awhile and then when things went haywire I splurged.From your experience as a competitor-who at times faced pressure- how you stayed on course and did not turn to comfort food?

It boils down to how bad you want it. Personally, whenever I am faced with adversity, doubt, apprehension, stress and chaos beyond my control (while in the middle of contest prep or not) my will to succeed is stronger than anyones. Whether this is true or not, it is reality to me.

Champions aren't made in the gym or the kitchen. Champions are made from something deep inside them. They have to have the skill and the will, but the will must be stronger than the skill.

I busted my **** and worked and sacrificed too much in my life to achieve pro natural status. If I had deviated from my routine, I would never have gotten there. I have average genetics and am just an average bodybuilder, but my will is over the top.

That's how I did it, and how I still do it.

Thanks, Aram. I am trying to well up that will within me. It seems when I was younger it was easier to will my way to a great body.

Aram, I am sticking rigidly to the diet. What do you think about the following workout: Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Goblet Squat 2x10 reps. Barbell Front Squat, 4x12 reps. Walking Lunge, 4x10 steps on each side. Hammer row machine 4x10 reps. Barbell overhead press, 4x12 reps. Dip Machine leaning forward to hit chest 4x10reps. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: 30minutes Aerobics and yoga.

Rab, make sure you are getting sufficient rest. If you feel tired and lethargic, or experience any overtraining syndromes don't hesitate to take extra rest days from training and cardio.

Do the exerrcises you like, and ones where you can progress on. With your current setup, I would probably include a vertical pulling movement and possibly Incline DB presses, as well.

Hi Aram I sense that I get hungry in between meals. I do not want to splurge. Do you think that I should take a table spoon of peanut butter before every meal. And if so what kind of peanut butter do you recommend?

Hi Aram, you have been of tremendous help to me. Since I find it difficult to loose weight I went to my doctor. She had blood work done on me and told me that I was prediabetic or suffer from insulin resistance. She said that this was the reason that I find it difficult to loose weight. She prescribed a drug, Metaformin for me and said that I should go on a insulin resistance diet. Would you or anyone on the Board suggest a diet that would not only help me with insulin resistance but would also enhance my bodybuilding quest. A diet free of protein drinks.

Thanks,

Rab

quote:

Originally posted by Aram:

I have average genetics and am just an average bodybuilder, but my will is over the top.

That's how I did it, and how I still do it.

WAY to modest Aram. There is NOTHING average about you! Deeply separated muscle groups? Nice structure? SUPER THIN SKIN? A racing metabolism just aching to put on muscle? Vascularity where there shouldn't be any??? IRON WILL! LOL! Like I said, nothing average about Aram.

I don't know ANYBODY ELSE who can START their contest prep at 4% bodyfat!! That is insane. You are an inspiration!

Hi Rab....

The diet that aram posted will still work, just cut back the carb servings a bit and protein ounces for each meal, so you can replace them for the shake meal. Still stick with the 50/20/30, it will work...I use it, I'm insulin resistant, it keeps my blood sugars very steady throughout the day, which is key for me. It was good you went to the dr., make sure you have a good talking relationship, like I do with mine, cause that has gotten me to understand more about it, my dr. is awesomely patient about that, and do as much research as possible.

Also, something that has worked for me, which I don't share with anyone....but, I will...being insulin resistant...SOMETIMES, I keep my meals protein+green veggies+small salad(olive oil)...and I do add/have one carb-up meal once per day. Now, I don't advise this, but being that this is all individual, you need to use trial and error for yourself...but it works for me very well...and the carbs are still low glycemic carbs, I just hold off till the carb-up meal. I ONLY do that when my glucose levels are off/to high, and I want to give myself time to burn up more glycogen that is stored.

Also, what do you mean by aerobics? That must be done right, low intensity treadmill(early morning/empty stomach) to be affective for fat-loss...or, it would be time wasted, you'll still look the same. And, for lifting, you need to widen your choices, hit more angles, change things up more, free-weights, machines, hammer strenght, posing, I'd like to see more variety, that would help...and, it would hit your abs from all different angles.

Good luck in your quest.

Chang,

What do you mean by one carbup meal a day and what do you usually have for that meal? Also does widen my workout mean to change exercises for a body part every workout? Has this diet help you to become shreded?

Thanks, Rab