Female client 5 months, great gains but can’t get BF% down.
44 y/o female, not overweight; came to me to get ‘fit’. She is a very disciplined clean eater and works with me 3 hrs a week with workouts on her own at home 2 days (mostly cardio). While she’s made tremendous progress with strength and muscle tone, I can’t seem to get the BF% down. She’s at 24.5% and wants to shave a few points off and then there is those stubborn ‘love handles’.
We’re strength training (progressive and supersets), cardio intervals and HIIT sessions, all of which she loves. She’s a nurse anesthetist, so snacking during the day is pretty much impossible due to her surgery schedules.
I am thinking that her protein/caloric intake is insufficient or perhaps we are over training? Welcome your thoughts.
Hi Lynn,
Upon first review of your post, my first thought would be her diet. However, there are too many questions that need answers before giving you an educated guess. Given that her BF% is already within a normal range, it will be even harder for her to drop those few extra points. I always want to dig a little deeper with clients to find out “why that number?” because although she may eventually reach her goals, it may require extreme dedication and a change in her lifestyle that will be hard for her to maintain. So, my questions to think about would be:
–What was her starting BF%and what is her goal BF%?
–Does she journal her food intake to know exactly what her daily intake and nutrient makeup are?
–On strength training days, is she lifting heavy enough to fatigue or fail within 12 or so reps?
–She is 44, so she could have changes in her hormones going on as well that play a role
–Sounds like you are mixing up her workouts, although you listed possible overtraining. Does she show any signs? I would limit the HIIT training sessions to 2x or maybe 3x per week.
–Along with this, is she getting enough rest and recovery? If not, this could inhibit any loss.
So I realize I have not actually answered your question, but I would dig a little deeper since it could be many factors for your client.
Good luck and hope these questions help.
Christine