I’m 40 yrs old and currently working in Thailand. Been exercising now for about 1-1/5 yrs, dropped 60 lbs to date, and gone from 40% BF to 30% BF, still working to get the BF to 20% or below if I can.
Problem I have now is recovery, I do strength training alternated by intervals and or running 6 days per week, with one day of active recovery (1 hrs fast walk). Seems to take me 4 or 5 days for my legs to recover after a leg strength session or 1 to two days after a interval session which then affects my ability to go hard the next session. My legs hurt and feel heavy when I start, they loosen up a bit but still painful to take off in a sprint. I don’t seem to have the same problem with upper body, its sore for a day or two but well enough to push the next time I train them.
I’ve been reading a lot about supplements for recovery and not sure if they are right for me. Currently I’m taking Alpha Male (on second bottle), multivitamin, lecithin, vitamin C, and green tea tablets.
I cannot get Biotest products here unless I make a trip to the states, the Alpha Male I got when back for a meeting and bought 8 bottles. It looks like the Surge Recovery would be good, but again I can’t get it here in Thailand. They do have Gaspari Halodrol MT, Purple Wraath that I can get here, and I’ve swapped to the ON Hydro Whey and Casien protein powders.
Just looking for some recommendations on what I should do or take to improve my recovery time so I can push hard everyday.
Well a lot of it will also have to do with how hard you train them. If you are trying to train them more frequently, you can limit the volume or intensity(% of 1 rep maximum). I wouldn’t worry too much about some of the supplements you listed, the best will be para workout nutrition and protein like you are already taking. If you can’t get ANACONDA/MAG-10 to drink during your workout, can you get pepto pro? Even drinking your hydro whey or some bcaas during your workout should help recovery.
How’s your overall nutrition?
You getting enough cals per day?
How’s your sleep schedule?
Have you always trained legs? Are you just now hitting them seriously?
Before supps get brought to the table let’s make sure you got the basics down.
I think my nutrician is okay, I’m around 2200 calories per day, eat every 3 hrs a mix of protein and carbs every time. Strenth days I burn about 500-600 calories and typically super set 2 exercises. Duration ia about 1 hr. On cardio days, I burn 700-800 calories and mix intervals with a jog. Prefer to do intervals but legs so stiff can’t do it everytime.
I tried a new diet couple weeks back was about 3000 calories, felt bloated and stuffed all the time, and put on weight.
Sleep is about 7 hrs per night, I know that should be more, but its all I can get now with my schedule of work, exercise and family.
Always trained legs, always been a bit stiff. I have picked up the intensity because I’ve hit a plateau both in strenth and fat loss.
Mixed in some creatine yesterday with pre-work out protien shake, session went pretty good, loads of energy, but it was an upper body work out. Today is interval training, last heavy leg was last Wednesday.
Okay, so, you’re 40, you’re 30%, bodyfat, your legs have always gotten sore, and you’re doing both lifting and intervals. That’s not a recipe for good recovery. Plus, some people just pain get more sore than others, especially with legs.
What days are you lifting with your legs? And when are you doing intervals? It sounds like it may just be too damn much work. Especially if you’re trying to lose fat. It doesn’t take any miracles to go from 30% bodyfat to 20%, just eat less damn food.
Alternately: you’re in Thailand, start testosterone injections.
I tried eating less, lost no weight and couldn’t perform in the gym, got weak and dizzy, this was at about 1500 calories per day.
Leg strength one day a week, Wednesdays. Monday is Chest, Back and Core, Tuesday intervals (12 min jog, 20-30 min interval (Sprints), followed by 10-15 min fast walk), Wednesday legs and core, Thurs intervals, Friday Tri’s Bi’s and core, Saturday Intervals, Sunday active recovery (6K walk).
Taking Alpha Male because thought T levels were low, don’t think I’m ready for testosterone injections.
you already lost 60lbs doin what your doin . i would say keep doin it but instead of running n intervals just fast walk for cardio until you get a bit lighter .use the energy you save from the cardio for the weights and have 2 rest days.
im 43 and it sucks to have to realise that you cant do as much as you like and that you need more rest than you did when you were younger .
Thanks, I think I will lay off the HIIT for awhile and see how it goes. I used to take fish oil but also noticed decrease in libido, don’t know how much that had to do with it or the intense training, taking Alpha Male now seems to have improved that area.
Haven’t tried both the oil and Alpha Male, may give that a try as well to see how it goes. And yes very frustrating not being able to do what I did 20 hrs ago, shame on me though for letting myself get so out of shape, at least I’m on a new track and life style now.
There was a thread about fish oil n drop in libido in the S n N forum i think about 2 months ago . i started with tribulus n up’ed my zinc to 90mg a day when i turned 40 and it helped alot it made me feel about 15 years younger .
I’ve used the Alpha Male myself and been happy with it, but I’ll also note that since I started taking the Mineral Support before bed, I sleep a hell of a lot better, which definitely contributes to recovery.
[quote]traygeeslin wrote:
I tried eating less, lost no weight and couldn’t perform in the gym, got weak and dizzy, this was at about 1500 calories per day.[/quote]
Well, I’m pretty sure you would feel like hell on only 1500 cals a day. Was it practically all protein? (see the Rapid Fat Loss diet threads). But I don’t buy that you weren’t losing any weight. How logn did you try it?
Was about three maybe four weeks I cut it that low, yes a lot of protien shakes, chicken breasts, egg whites, fish and lean steak. I dropped a little maybe about 2 or 3 lbs total overnthe duration not the 2 to 3 per week I’m used to.
No check on the T levels just assumed from the symptoms I read in other threads here.