I need help setting up a training plan for my dad (he has lots of issues).

[Kenny537]

Hi, I'm looking for any tips/advice on modifications of his training or even his diet. His goal is to lose fat.
His lifestyle was highly stressful due to working 12 hrs 7 days a week for the last 7 years, but we sold our store last week so he's just sitting around most of the day now and this is the perfect time to try and get him to change his bad habits.
I know most beginners can???t go wrong with a full body workout focused on compound movements 3-4x a week, but given his issues, I need advice on how to modify this. Particularly because of his asthma and the leg pain.

Stats:
Age:51, weight:170 lb (he???s got a big belly now), lacto-ovo vegetarian.

Conditions:
1. moderate to severe persistent asthma
2. hypertension (stage 1)
3. dyslipidemia
4. coronary artery disease
5. gastroesophageal reflux disease ("acidity")
6. hypovitaminosis D
7. leg/nerve pain: unknown etiology
- possibly due to meralgia paresthetica
- unlikely due to pinching of nerve from spinal stenosis

Medications/Supplements:

Asthma
- Dulera inhaler 400/10mcg 2 puffs twice daily
- Prednisone 10mg once daily
- Singulair 10mg once daily
- Albuterol inhaler as needed for emergencies, up to 6 times daily
Nerve pain at legs
- Gabapentin 100mg twice daily
Blood pressure
- Nifedipine 30mg once daily
- Aspirin 81mg once daily
Cholesterol
- Simvastatin 20mg once daily
- Tricor 140mg once daily
- Fish oil 1200mg twice daily
Reflux (acidity)
- Prilosec 20mg once daily
Other
- Vitamin D
- Calcium

Training:
Right now he has just started going to the gym and doing the typical newbie garbage (ab machine, bicep curls, maybe another ab machine, and whatever else he's feeling like doing at the moment)
I'm going to have him start with the same beginner workout I started with last year, and given his condition, it will be at a super low intensity/volume, and then maybe 20 minutes of light walking on the treadmill. But I'm concerned that he won't be able to do a lot of the exercises, particularly the lower body exercises like the goblet squat/dumbbell RDLs. Would isolation exercises be better for his lower body?

Diet:
His diet has always been high carb, moderate fat, low protein (vegetarian indian food and junk food)
Also I highly doubt he's getting even half of his daily required protein so I'm going to be on him for increasing that along with his veggies, and also tracking his calories (setting up a 20% deficit)
For his supplements, I'm going to increase the fish oil to 10g, and also add in magnesium, zinc, vit c, a multi, and creatine.

 

[Gissurjon]

Look, I am not qualified to give advice to anybody with medical issues but I will say this, props for caring and actually doing something and most of his issues can be results of unhealthy living which is a positive thing if you are succesful in changing his ways. Good luck.

 

[bjg]

important: keep it simple for him and short if you make it too hard or too complicated for him he will be discouraged. Set up for him easy and simple goals and little by little he will add more to it.
- so no more than 45-55 mns a workout.
- 10 mns treadmill walking before workout, 15 mns after, lifting should take 20-30 mns if you do a split routine. 6-8 sets per muscle (8 for chest, legs , back, 6 for arms and shoulders)
1-abs: seems he likes abs so let him do it
2- legs: strong legs are always helpful so leg extensions, definitely no squat for his case + calves (but sitting down)
3- chest : bench press or dumbell press + dumbell flies or pec machine
4- back pull downs (excellent for him)
5- Triceps: close grip bench + triceps pull down
6-biceps: preacher curl , dumbell curls
7 shoulders: dumbel press (no military press unless with a machine), lateral raises.
3 days work out is fine for him
he can do chest/ triceps one day,then back /biceps, then legs/ shoulders, abs whenever he wants

 

[fufu]

I'd find a very good personal trainer who cross-refers with a physician and who understands pathology.

I admire all the time you spent to make your post, but no one is qualified to give safe advice for your dad over the internet.

 

[Andariego]

I'd find a very good personal trainer who cross-refers with a physician and who understands pathology.

I admire all the time you spent to make your post, but no one is qualified to give safe advice for your dad over the internet.

^this....hello everyone my first post. This is the best advice you will get on this subject. Your dad appears to have far too many underlying health issues to be messing around with bodybuilding routines. High blood pressure, heart disease etc etc. You want to help him not kill him. I'm 55 and was very unhealthy in my 40s. It took me about two years of light exercize (body weight, jogging, p90x, running, cycling) and proper eating habits to lose 60 lbs. and to safely start lifting. With a distressed cardio/vascular system weight lifting will probably be a waste of time at his age. He needs a healthy engine first.

 

[bjg]

sure he needs the advice of a doctor but a light workout with no big lifts and straining his body and some walking is not gonna hurt anybody.

 

[davidjohnston]

Not qualified to give advice, however I think I'd be looking to bodyweight exercises, compound ones, to build up general functional fitness and strength.

So maybe something like press ups, mountain climbers, plank, reverse crunch to start off with, see how those go. Maybe 20 seconds each, no rest in between each but as slow or fast as he can go. Then rest for 90 seconds - try for 10 sets? Could build the difficulty once he gets fitter, but still with bodyweight?

Being in the gym, and trying to get fitter and healthier is a great start - I'd say that with all those things wrong, he would have to be careful, and possibly consult his medical practitioner regularly at first.