I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life

39 y/o
Started lifting in 2014. Lost 45 lbs in 6 months. Lifted steadily up until 2018 or so. I need to get back Into it. I miss the gym, miss having goals. I do have a snappy right shoulder that kinda limits my range of motion . Looking at a 4 day split so I stay motivated but don’t get burned out from over training.

Any recommendations for a solid routine?

Starting Strength, Stronglifts, Greyskull, 5/3/1 beginners, Ivysaur 448

Pick one that you think you'll stick with for a month or two to get your habit back and your strength up, then change it up.

I’d go for a general 3 days a week total body for a few weeks before you start going with a higher intensity and breaking gown to a push, pull, leg, and misc accessory day.

Thanks for the suggestions. At the gym now. Feels weird but I’m realizing how much I miss this place. Gonna use fierce 5 novice routine for a few weeks to get my form and mobility back then go from there. Weighed myself and I’m up to 223lbs. My goal is 195 so got a lot of work to do.

You can cut down to 195 pretty quickly with good diet and exercise. I'm competing with a bunch of coworkers to lose weight. I weighed in at 225.2 on Feb 1 (dressed). Today wearing the same outfit I weighed in at 203.2. I cut out all junk food and have been rowing almost daily.  The weight is seriously falling off. I maintain ketosis and eat between noon and 7pm. I eat a lot leafy greens and meat. My idea of a cheat meal is a French dip made with Franz keto bread or a taco made with a low carb tortilla. I don't trust those "keto" products so I use them like an occasional treat. I'd describe it as really easy, just not fun. When I don't want to work out I just do it anyway. Once I start it isn't so bad and I follow through.

ETA I'm 43 and lazy.

Good job on the progress so far

After the shitty year I had last year I had 0 motivation to do anything besides eat and play PlayStation

Time to push that behind me and focus on weight loss. I’ve done it before, no reason why I can’t do it again. My shoulder is doing pretty good so far too. Tomorrow may be another story though lol

Off day today. Did some stretching to try and relieve lower back soreness. Managed to get back to using MyFitnessPal to track my calories.  Back to the gym tomorrow after work.

Start watching what you eat, as the most weight loss comes from your diet, not exercise.  Then start with some aerobic sessions, 20 min, 3 times per week, to start.  Make sure to stretch afterwards (and don't laugh, but yoga will help, A LOT !).  After about three weeks, when you body gets used to moving and working again, start increasing your aerobic activity and add some weight lifting routines, working up to 5 days a week.  Rest is key, as is what you eat, especially as you get older.  Expand your routine from there, but listen to your body.

Stamina and aerobic ability are important.  You can have muscle on top of muscle, but if you can't stay ahead of the zombies, you're just giving them more to eat !

Give these guys a look for prehab/rehab/warmup/mobility  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyPYQTT20IgzVw92LDvtClw

Man, you've got less of an uphill battle than I had.

I was a shredded, active, weightlifting 25 yr old.  Then I stopped biking, hiking, lifting because of life/reasons.

At 41 I was a fat slob with a 42" waist and out of breath from the act of standing.  I was right around 285lbs.


I started with cardio.  I pushed myself as hard as I could, but I was realistic.


I started strength training with no plan.  It'll get you somewhere, but not where you want to be.

Push/pull/legs is a good start.  I'm on a 12 week program now and I do like it...its a Buff Dudes program which may be less than ideal to some more experienced folks here.  I follow my strength training with 20 minutes on a stair climber @80 stairs/minute avg pace.  Every morning, 5 days a week.

I'm now 42, 200lbs (gained weight after strength training ramped up), 35" waist.


My point is, you're in far better shape than I was.  I'm envious of the gains you'll see.

Congrats on the weightloss so far

Im down 7 lbs but its first week so its just water weight. I started at 233,which is exactly what I was in 2014 when i first started eating better and lifting. Im slowly working on my diet, no more stopping in the mornings and eating donuts or breakfast pizza. Dinners ive been eating instant pot chicken and rice with broccoli . And im getting better at drinking more water. I need to get a sleep study done, just waiting for my dr to give me a referral.

Ive always had an issue with fatigue and head fog due to low thyroid (which I take meds for ) and I probably have sleep apnea. But which the little changes ive started making this week I do feel a little better than before. Im just going to use a 3 day a week Fierce 5 novice routine that I found on bodybuilding.com. Once my body gets used to lifting again Im going to step up to the 4 day a week Upper/lower intermediate routine. ive used it before and its served me well.

Thanks.

Changing your diet doesn't have to be horrible. I never drank sodas, but I cut out any drink that contained calories except for my protein supplement (GNC Wheybolic) and pre-workout.

I try to eat a balanced diet with an emphasis on protein and fiber. I haven't eliminated carbs,  but I count them and keep them very low.  You gotta indulge every once in a while or I get burned out.

I don't eat before 11am and I don't eat after 6pm.  In my unprofessional opinion, it's probably more beneficial to not eat late.

Working out is now something I look forward to.  This new program kicks my ass but I'm liking it.  

Good luck man.  Change your mindset and lifestyle and you'll be killing it soon enough.

Update - woke up this morning and im down 15lbs so far


Started at 233, weighed in this morning at 218. I started a 4 day a week routine yesterday, and doing cardio on days that im up for it. I do feel a bit better overall, still waiting to hear from the sleep apnea clinic though.

Sleep apnea will definitely drain the life out of you.

I've used this plan in the past and it's worked well for me.  Leg day is a bit heavy though.  

https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dougs-4-day-split-workout.html


I have also use Jim stoppanis shortcut to size program.  

https://www.bodybuilding.com/workout-plans/about/jim-stoppanis-12-week-shortcut-to-size#:~:text=Shortcut%20to%20Size%20is%20a,can%20see%20how%20Jim%20trains

Unfortunately it's pay to view now.   Basically it's high reps at lower weight.   Tapering down to low reps high weight.   I did see noticeable size improvement after I completed the 12 weeks.   Even more after the second time through.
The bro science says that it confuses the muscles with varying exercises, reps, and weight.  

46 here, been working out since my 20s.

Switched to a 3x week total body split last year, following an Athlean X program.  I made better progress on that than anytime since my 20s.  There's some research showing the body recovers quickly and you don't necessarily need so many recovery days if you manage volume and that muscle synthesis can be stimulated multiple times a week.

Going on TRT also helped a lot.

I still do a 3x week fully body with 3x week cardio/conditioning and really like it.

I’m 42, I workout 7 days a week, push, pull, legs, repeat, Sunday core and cardio. After lifting for two hours I do twenty minutes of cardio, everyday, no gear at all. Started lifting three and a half year ago and haven’t stopped, I spent 38 years obese and sedentary, went from 303lbs to 190lbs