Slow progress in gym

[Dowtcha]

I started weight and cardio training in the gym in March. I go three times a week. I'm 59, wasn't very fit. I do feel better, stronger, more supple. But I seem to be very slow in increasing my weights. So I have progressed to bench pressing 27kgs, it seems so little after all this time. I'm just under 12 stone BTW. I'm very diligent about attending, try hard when I'm there. Is it just my age?

Sounds fine to me. March isnt very long. As long as you're looking after your diet properly.

Well, I eat pretty well, I'm a vegetarian. Like my food too much, probsbly a stone over weight, but I can live with that so long as it start at that.

Are you getting plenty protein? That's the biggest pain in the arse when you're training.

Are you progressive loading if you want to increase weight? If you can do 8-12 reps of 27kg you need to increase to 30kg for 4-6 reps and when you can do 8 reps of 30kg increase to 32.5kg and so on.

I do feel better, stronger, more supple

That's fantastic progress which is far more useful than the number on your weights.
Can you feel a difference in your muscle tone?

Are you doing it alone or do you work with a trainer? I know it can be expensive, but I have seen far more progress in the 12 months I've used one than 10+ years of going to the gym.

It might be worth considering even as a one off or a couple of sessions to review your plan & focus on your goals?

Also, yes, protein. Lots of.

Bench press is usually the lowest and slowest weight to progress at for women as our upper body strength is difficult to improve.

How are your other lifts progressing?

Are you following a programme where you gradually increase volume over a few weeks and months?

It sounds like you're doing brilliantly and being consistent, which is what counts.

Thanks everyone. I do small group classes, just 6 per trainer so do get a lot of feed back. I guess I am mostly just trying to age proof myself a bit, so it's not really about the weights, but I just felt I was a bit slow. I am enjoying it though it has taken time to get to that point.

Never mind what other people do. Making progress yourself is what counts. Are you getting advice for the structure and format of workouts? Working in a small group is motivational and supportive if that's available at your gym.

Well done!! I started strength training when I was 50, am now nearly 57.

I made progress faster at first, low-hanging fruit and all but some moves/lifts feel more natural and easier to push forward on than others.

But it does come more slowly for us than young men, say IME. And not on all fronts at once, I find. If you feel good most of the time, are sleeping well, injury-free, enjoying your sessions, eating well, and some lifts are inching forward most of the time, I'd say all good! It is a long game and progress isn't necessarily steady. You've had to learn the techniques as well, remember.

Re bench - how many times a week do you do that? You could maybe do some push ups at home to supplement (using the stairs if you've got them to put your hands on if need be, move down a step as you get stronger).

Upper body is a killer.
I've been strength training for a year and I can now just about do the monkey bars confidently, but a single chin up still eludes me.

I think if we focus on the numbers too much, we lose some of the enjoyment. Maybe seek to celebrate the other gains where you can, especially functional ones - flexibility, improved balance, energy etc. I personally love how connected to my body I feel, I can't explain it but it feels like I really have control & know where I am in it, it's mechanics are smoother somehow 😂

Out of interest, are you restricting your calories at the same time as training? If you're not getting enough calories & protein you won't gain muscle easily at all.

Bravo for making the effort to even start. Sounds like you are making good progress.

TBH you need to focus on the huge positives you are getting so far. Beginners gains are a bit of a missconception tbh. Yes you are lifting more each time but the real focus at the beginning should be form. To be able to concentrate on proper form you need the weight to be pretty manageable rather than gut busting. If your form is improving then the weight will naturally go up.

In order to improve your weights you need to vary your sets. Sets of 3 x 5-6 of slightly higher weight for say 4-8 sessions. Then for the same exercise up the reps to 8-10 and try to maintain as much of the previous weight as possible say for next 4-8 sessions. If you can end this block at the same weight as you were doing for 5-6 reps, there is your progress. Then drop it back down to 5-6 reps but aim to do more than previously. Rinse & repeat.

Another way to progress is drop sets. Find a weight you can do for say reps of 8 for 1 set. Then drop say 2kg off each end and do for another set of 8. Then drop another 2kg off each end and do another set of 8. Aim to progress your start weight up each session.

Learn how to work to RPE (Rate of perceived exhaustion). Its a brilliant way of judging your progress and how ready you are to move on to a higher weight.

Biggest tip. Buy yourself a set of your own macro weights. I have a mirafit set which has 2 x 0.25/0.5/0.75/1kg discs. It means i can easily increase weight most sessions, even if its only 0.25kg per end.