Hi Scott;

The first question is the main reason I have subscribed to the Platinum+ level.

I've been a fan of your YouTube videos for several years and, as an ex-Bostonian, I'm also a big fan of getting "Stahhhhted"  ;-)

I'm a 68 year old ectomorph, who loves skiing and cycling and has been 'lifting' for many years. 

I realize that body type and aerobic sports limit muscle gains.

I'm doing a 4-day push-pull split (similar to your "Push Pull Legs!"  workout) which I do every 2nd day.

So; 3.5 workouts per week on average.

My questions would be; for someone like me; 

  1; which would be the best of your workouts to choose in order to gain muscle?

  2; what specific changes to the frequency and volume would you recommend, for someone my age?

  3; Burns are faster to do when machines are available.

       How would you set them up when you only have barbells and dumbells?

Hey Blair!

Welcome to the site!! always happy to see a fellow Bostonian!!  Sounds like you have already made some incredible progress with your fitness journey and you are looking great!

1. We can easily build muscle with a PPL program, or we can switch to Full Body Evolution and adjust it in such a way where we can inclue the cycling and skiiing and other forms of cardio you enjoy and still build muscle.

2. This is all subject to how strong you are and how hard you have been pushing yourself.  This is something we will have to feel out as you continue to train and eat properly

3. For burns with barbells and dumbbells... for dumbbells bring over multiple sets to your workout station so you ca drop and go.  For barbell.. just have the plates ready on each side.

Now some questions for you!

1. Have you logged into the meal planner yet?  What are your current macros?

Protein:

Carbs:

Fat:

Calories:

2. What equipment do you have at home?  Can you make a list and maybe provide some photos here?

Looking forward to helping you out!!!

Fantastic Scott!!

So glad to get going on this. I would really value your advice.

Can't wait to her what you think    ;-)

I have not looked at the meal planner yet. I'll try to look at it this week.

I have a Biochemistry BSc and have had a keen interest in nutrition since I worked  as a nutrition advisor for Health Canada. 

We have a fairly standard inventory of meals that we stick to on a routine basis. I've never been crazy about food.

I love protein shakes and we grill a lot of salmon, beef, pork & chicken. Made some great chili today ;->

My first meal on a non-workout day is usually a big omelette, on a workout day it's a shake that I start sipping in the last 20-30 minutes of my workout. 

So I am working out fasted.

My workouts happen anywhere between 10 am and 3 pm. (I'm retired)

My Macros;

I mostly follow the guidelines from Martin Berkhan's book; Lean Gains Method

So it's "keto-ish" with intermittent fasting; 16-8 about 4-5 days a week and 20-4 about 2-3 days a week, as required to maintain my target weight. 

I calculate a 7-day rolling average weight on a spreadsheet to smooth out the highs and lows.

I tried strict keto for about 18 months but found that intermittent fasting is far less trouble and the "20-4 day" is the hammer. If you need to lose weight; 20-4 is like a magic wand. 

But I don't do it more than 3 times a week.

The only body measurement I do is waist; it was 33.25" today.

As Jack LaLanne said; 

      "Never mind the fancy schmancy fat % stuff. 

       Just get your waist back to what it was in high school."

To achieve my current weight of 165Lbs, my daily  target was 2100  calories, +/- 200-300 depending on 

whether it was a work-out day (+300) or I was aiming to cut (-200).

Martin Berkhan's Rx is;  50-60% of calories should be protein. 

I have about 170 g protein on a workout day and 150 on a non workout day. Maybe it should be higher?

I drink about 200 ml ( 7 oz ) Vodka per day.

I try to keep carbs fairly low and fill in the cracks with fat 

Try this; we love 1 Tblsp Almond Butter on an oatmeal raisin cookie with 3000 iu vitamin D bid.

     ( Vitamin D is absorbed about 50% better if taken in the presence of fat. 

       Vitamin D is thought to play a role in preventing severe effects of Covid 19 )

           If you're feeling crazy; add 1 Tblsp Haagen Daaz Vanilla Almond Crunch

I started my cutting about 2 years ago when I hit 190 lbs. 

I'm now 165 lb's and I plan to go back up 1/2 lb / month over the next 10 months to slowly go back up to 170

Hope to hear from you soon

Thanks so much for your kind attention

My equipment;

Photo Facing North-West; clockwise from bottom left;

bench with attachments for; preachers, quad extensions, ham curls

squat / bench / chin cage

leg sled for leg press, hack squats & straight leg calf press 

(behind gold-frame mirror) bent leg calf machine

Facing West; clockwise from bottom left;

2 cable pull-up /pull-down machines with bench in between

bench with attachments for; preachers, quad extensions, ham curls

squat / bench / chin cage

Dumbbells, barbells (10 lb, 12 lb & 45 lb Olympic)  multiple associated weight plates

Powerblocks; small medium & large (95 lb each) sets

Facing North-East   

dip station

ab bench

raised bench for seal rows

trap bar 

OK: I tried to log in to the meal planner.

It wants a password 

why? 

I'm already logged in as 'me' to the main site; why would I need another password?

So... then it says; if you know your password and still can't log in and you're using Firefox for windows; go to 'Tools' then go to 'options'

There is no 'Tools' that I can see in Firefox

Now.... often, browser people rearrange their menus and people with websites don't keep up to date, so maybe that's the situation 

Can we assume that Dr. Blair Adams, with a BSc. in nutrition, who dropped 25 lbs over the last 2 years doesn't really need a meal planner?

If you tell me the macros I need; I WILL hit them. I'm kind'a goal oriented ;-)

Hey Dr. Blair!

The login for the meal plan is the same login as the site!  So the same username and password, sorry for the trouble!

Based on your knowledge I wouldn't say you NEED the meal planner... but it is a great tool to log your meals and keep track of both your macronutrients and micronutrients as it logs everything.  Definitely worth looking into!

Now to dig into your info!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"To achieve my current weight of 165Lbs, my daily  target was 2100  calories, 

Workout Days: 2400

Cut Day: 1900

Protein: 150 - 170g

Carbs:

Fat:

I'm now 165 lb's and I plan to go back up 1/2 lb / month over the next 10 months to slowly go back up to 170

GOAL: 170lbs LEAN!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So first things first, let's tackle your macros based on your current stats.  Also, if your current goal is to gain muscle to hit 170lbs I'd like to keep the calories consistent each day and only make adjustments if we notice excessive fat gain, which I doubt.

Also, we should always keep protein the same.  There is no need to lower on "non-workout" days. Especially since we are repairing the damage done from the workouts when "resting".

Age: 68

Height: N/A

Weight: 165lbs

Protein: 170g

Carbs: 200g

Fat: 95g

CALORIES: 2335

Based on your history with intermittent fasting while building muscle, I think we should start with 2,335 calories. I am not sure of your HEIGHT, so if you could let me know that would help.  But even so, based on how active you are this could either be a sweet spot for us... or maybe a TINY bit too low.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for the workout program, I would love to have you on the full body evolution.  I think that would be the best after looking at the equipment you have at home.  I may need to make some adjustments which I can do tomorrow.  Can you look at both of the workouts and let me know if anything jumps at you as something you cannot do?  I can easily switch out exercises.

Also, do you have any injuries or tightness that I need to be aware of? 

Are you stretching / warming-up?

and lastly, thanks for being patient.  I think I had some heat stroke Sunday - Monday.  I was outside cleaning for about 5 - 6 hours and was not drinking enough water.  Still got that Boston Blood and it was not having the heat! haha

Chat soon!

This is GREAT Scott; thank you so much

my height; 5' 10"

Can you look at both of the workouts and let me know if anything jumps at you as something you cannot do?

Exercises I'm wondering about;

  Rack pull; could I use my trap bar, elevated on blocks, instead? My squat cage safeties don't easily go down that far

  BB overhead press; I'll give it a shot, but I've been doing Arnold press since I landed on my left shoulder while skiing

                                      off a wall in the fog.

  T-bar row; I don't have that. Could I continue with the seal rows I've been doing?

Do you have any injuries or tightness that I need to be aware of? 

  Nothing major other than that left shoulder which is improving over time

Are you stretching / warming-up?

  I usually do the activations I learned from Ben Pakulski's MI40 program 

  To warmup ; I like to start my workout with Abs; an idea form Arnold S. He said it's a great way to save time.

                         Also; many people (me?) get de-motivated by the end of a workout and tend to skip abs

                                   (Who would EVER do THAT?!?! ........me? LOL )  

      Warmups during the workout; at least 2 warmup sets every time I start a new body part

                         (3 sets for squats or deads where the weights are heavier)

                        1 warmup set for a second exercise of a body part already worked that day

and lastly, thanks for being patient.  

  No Problem; my wife keeps me very busy, there's always something to weed in the garden, grass to cut, pool to clean

       the honey-dew list is never-ending 

thanks again Scott 

Blair

Thanks for filling me in on your height!  I thought you were about 5'10" and the calories look ok based on that!  Especially if you are seeing / still seeing results.

RACK PULL: Trap Bar with elevated blocks is definitely ok

BB Overhead Press:  If your shoulder still hurts, the Barbell will give more stability than the dumbbells.  Another option could be splitting up the sets. Try to get at least two with the heavy barbell, then switch to Arnold for set three if you are having a hard time.  But I would like you to try it first and let me know how you feel.

T-Bar Row: The Seal Row should be fine.  The main concern is having a movement with palms facing IN while rowing as this will help you 1) Lift the most weight and 2) target more mid back & lower back / midtraps.

Shoulder Injury: Out of Curiosity what have you been doing to REHAB this?  do you need more suggestions for exercises?

Stretching / Warming Up

I am family with Ben, so great job for the warm-ups!  and as for ABS.. yeah man.. I am one of the few people in the world who DOESNT skip! lolol

And lastly for me...

I could use some help around the house too so ask the wife if I can borrow you! haha

I actually just finished my pool about 7 weeks ago and we keep failing the final "grading" inspection for the grass around the pool.  and its the rainy season in Florida so whats happening is that I can't finish the work on my deck until the grading inspection is passed and my deck is limestone so all the rain is growing green algae all over.  So I have to keep power washing the deck until I can seal it which I can't do until we pass!

so in other worlds... super fun.. haha

Let me know once you start the workouts.  If you have any questions about your FORM.. You can record yourself and upload the videos to YouTube and then paste them in here.  

All you do is click the FILM icon above next to the emojis and paste the URL!

Hey Scott; Thanks for the great advice......

I'm trying the overhead barbell press - seems to be OK, but I'll just add the weight gradually.

My shoulder injury was 8 years ago, and then a relapse about 4 years ago when I got to 45 lb DB's on the Arnold press

Right now I'm doing about 8 reps with 45 lbs and just adding weight very gradually.

I bought some of those little 1/2 lb plates you can get on Amazon,

There's a guy in Toronto - Brad Pilon, who wrote that great book; 'Eat Stop Eat'  - who advises increasing weights in 2.5% steps.

That seems to work. It's slow but safe and hey - I'm 68, so it pays to be cautious.

( his other book; "Progressions" is about a system of increasing the total work done in each set in small steps by using different weights and reps derived from the 1 rep maximum formula - have you seen that? )

I have my own ultrasound machine at home ( I used to do TMJ treatment on my patients ) I use that as needed.

I finish my seal row sets with a double drop set of dumbbell rows; I'll be sure to do them with palms facing in; thanks for that.

My wife is addicted to power washing - just loves it, I think she finds it hypnotic.

I can send her down there to do it for you. She was very disappointed that we had to cancel our annual trip for her birthday 

to Seaside in the panhandle. She would love that ;-> 

Where do you live in Florida?

You must miss those Boston winters terribly !

Hey Blair!

Looks like my response here for some reason didn't post!  Very weird!

As long as you are adding the weight gradually with the Barbell Overhead Press we should be ok.  Remember that you have more stability witht he Barbell Press so adding weight there is much safer than the dumbbells.

But still, 8 reps with 45s on the Arnold Press is great!  Having the 1/2lbs weights will help a lot.  Just don't be afraid to push your limits when you feel good.  I personally dont like to work with percentaged.  To me, it can be a"limiting" as you are holding yourelf accountable to a number.  so be carefull!

As for the power washing, your wife would be very proud of my driveway! haha.  Did you know there is a nosel you can buy that does a swirling effect?  I did my entire driveway and side walk and it's SO WHITE now! haha  I had too much fun.  But also got a nice tan doing it...

I am in Orlando Florida.  About 15 - 20 minutes from the Parks and I have to admit I love it down here.  There is always so much to do and we still have a lot of places we want to go see.  Do you guys come down here at all?

Also, any luck getting those videos of your training?  I would really like to make sure your form is 100%.  Aside from preventing injuries, this will help in determining when you can increase your weights or if you are not lifting as heavy as you could because maybe your form is off.

Chat soon!