r/fitness40plus

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41f 5’9 about 162 lbs

I still have more goals and progress to make but I thought I would share my progress this far…

Over the last year I’ve lost almost 40 lbs from a combination of strength, some cardio, and lots of walking. I’ve tried to be more intentional about my food choices, and I am also about to celebrate 4 years alcohol free. 🎉 I am a mom of 2 and constantly on the go, but I started with small changes and just added onto them. But by far the biggest change in my body has been the result of strength training. Yesterday I went out of my comfort zone to a CrossFit class which was quite the experience. I’m a long time lurker and just started posting. Finally feeling confident enough to do so. Thanks for all the tips!

I started out by walking 10k steps daily and tracking my food. I didn’t change my eating habits; I literally just tracked everything and walked as much as possible. And upped my water intake. After a few weeks of that and understanding my calorie intake (which was eye opening), I started prioritizing protein.
I don’t drink so that wasn’t a hurdle but I suspect it would have been if I did. I started adding in strength 3 x week. Over time I felt more confident adding on heavier weights and noticed I was getting stronger and clothes fitting better. I continued to walk 10k steps daily and do my best to hit 3 x week strength at least. Sometimes it was more sometimes less. The hardest part was falling off the band wagon and the willpower to stop from staying off.

I know all of this sounds super simple but simple is what got me through weight gained from babies, depression, marital challenges, cross country moves and more.

In June of 2026 I decided to make a change. Not sure if it was being tired of the look of my belly, the feeling it was starting to hang over, the pain when bending to the shoes or something else completely. But i started. I cut soda, reduced my food intake, started a walking program that was supposed to go 60 days. During that time I took a vacation. But sense then I have now lost, according to my scale, 30 pounds. I feel I hit a wall. I am loosing the motivation. I feel I want to go back to my old eating habits. Anyone out there has to work through this as well. Any advice or hints to help push through or keep me focused. I am hoping to loose 70 more lbs.

I just reached a new weight loss goal. I'm at 184.9, down from 260 at my heaviest. It's been a long journey, and I'm definitely seeing changes, especially when I look at pictures of how I used to be. I'm also taking it one day at a time. Some days, like today, when I see how much I still need to lose, it can be depressing a bit. It wont last long, but sucks in the moment. For those that have also gone through this, or still do, do you have any advice?

Just curious if when you're over 40 it's necessary and how easy it is to build more muscle or is it easier to just try and maintain, or maybe clean bulk.

Has anyone done it and how has the journey been?

What are some good replacement exercises for deadlifts? They seem to be in every routine I see. I just think need to change it up. I think I am ok with RDLs and they are already incorporated into my workouts.

Are weighted chin ups amazing for biceps and growth of the biceps?

After more than 20 years of training, my answer would be: being obsessed with moving more and more weight.

When I was younger, I associated progress with more weight, machines and personal records. Today, I'm much more equipment-agnostic.

Machines, barbells, dumbbells, rings, resistance bands, calisthenics or even improvised equipment…I don't really care. There are no sacred cows in training. What matters are effective movement patterns.

Muscle doesn't know whether you're doing a bench press, ring push-ups or a machine press. It doesn't know whether you're using barbells, dumbbells, plates, resistance bands, kettlebells, TRX, Olympic rings or your own bodyweight.

It only responds to Mechanical Tension, Progressive Overload, and, additionally, Metabolic Stress (the pump) and Stretch-Mediated Hypertrophy.

What I'm looking for is the stimulus I need, not proof of how much weight I can move.

Today I'd rather manipulate ROM, leverage, unilateral loading, stability, pre-tension my resistance bands as much as possible, manipulate Time Under Tension, and play with proximity to failure before automatically adding more weight.

I'm 45 and turning 46 in November. After more than two decades of training, my goal is no longer simply to lift more. I want to remain strong, aesthetic, mobile and athletic, and keep training for many decades without getting injured.

Less ego. Less dogma. More stimulus.

I'm not in love with any particular exercise or piece of equipment.

I'm in love with the stimulus.

What about you? What is something you used to consider “training properly” that you no longer do today?

44m. I always seem to have add when it comes to weight loss…which way I should stick with.

I love running, but have a hard time sticking to it with job schedule and being overweight (6’3” 350#)

I can continue to run, or focus more on strength training and other forms of cardio (rucking, walking, elliptical)…just looking g for some overall guidance.

For strength training I would do more kettlebell style training (2 45# bells).

Thanks everyone.

I can't seem to get my right side to be as strong as my left. It's weird. I'm right-handed, so figured my right bicep would be stronger, but nope.

What's the best way to get both sides to be equal? Lift heavier on the weaker and lighter on the stronger? Is that a thing?