I was careful to say "older". They are "older" than me. As I age, 65 seems younger and younger to me!

Will definitely defer to the wisdom of others on this, I'm sure BBB will have some imput on this though. I always find it hard to take advice from those with a vested interest (GNC sales person). Your trainer's advice will depend on how much you trust him/her, but would seem a more reliable source to me. When messing with that kind of thing, I think it's better to be under than over, you can always add to it if you see no/insufficient results. I've not spent much time searching for "reliable" sources of info online when it comes to supplements, it seems like they're always pushing things that are beyond what I'm actually looking for or willing to spend money on.

The whey protein powder I use includes BCAAs in its formulation. It looks like 5 gms per scoop.

Overall, I don't go in for a lot of other supplementation. To 'burn fat and not lose muscle' I go for strength training (whether bodyweight, kettlebells, clubbells, sandbags, suspension equipment). Fire up the muscle.
Recovery is built into my overall program and session design.

HG, thanks for your post. Do you take one scoop per day (5,000mg) then?

I don't really do any supplementation currently other than a multivitamin and a B complex vitamin. The BCAA's have been recommended to me, therefore I was curious about other people's input. Yes, I will be doing both cardio and strength training and working closely with my trainer (degrees in nutrition and kinesiology) and my doctor. But sometimes it helps to hear other people's opinions and advice. Thanks!

Good thinking. I totally agree on not overly trusting the GNC salesperson comment - he has a vested interest in me buying more/more expensive stuff. The trainer has no real vested interest in me buying anything but his services, which I've already done, and with his background, education/degrees, and glowing reviews, I do trust him somewhat more. I'm just wary of trusting any one source for information ("beware the man of one book"). Thanks for your post!

No, I probably use about 1 scoop every 3 or 4 days. If I'm having yogurt or ricotta cheese for breakfast, I will add a scoop of protein powder and a couple of spoons of chia seeds. Or I'll use it if I'm making a smoothie. But not every day.

OK, I'm late to the party here but I will chime in anyway (shocking I know).
On ibuprofen, it no miracle drug, but I have never found it to block hypertrophy, at least not for me. It will not eliminate soreness, but it takes the edge off of joint soreness. Again this is for me. I havent run a study, but after 40 years of beating myself up...well, it works for me.
On the BCAA's, yes they work. Now having said that, I will say this, they work within certain limitations.
First, not all brands are created equal. You tend to get what you pay for. Cheap capsuls will probably have everything that they claim to have, but are suspended in a less digestible medium so most of it remains undigested and you just have expensive poop. I have had better luck with USP labs micronized BCAA's.
Also, there is a limit as to how much your body can absorb. So just cramming as much down as you can is a waste of money (I like HG's idea).
Third, unless you are training like a competitive bodybuilder, you are not going to get as much out of it.
I would go with HG's combo, add some creatine and finsh with glutamine and lysine.
Supps are a great tool used correctly, but will never replace getting as much nutrient as possible from real food.
All of that is nothing more than my opinion. If your trainer has degrees in nutrition and kinesiology, I will assume he knows what he is saying about your particlar situation.

I took a couple days off from "pushing up" but came back today with sets of 12, 20, 20 and 20. I needed that rest, and my shoulder, though sore when I woke up because I slept on it, felt great throughout.

I take very little ibuprofen or anything else, actually. However, after having read a little, it seems that certain supplements may help me. I'm going to do some research and am considering a personal trainer to see what I can do to keep active. I am seeing results and feeling them as well. I don't want to do this wrong and ruin it.

Pup,

Until your shoulder is 100%, I'd really, really recommend that you do fewer reps and more sets to make your numbers.

HG,

I'd been doing sets of 12 only and plan to do that on and off as well, and I had planned on that today but got carried away. I, too, think I'll be better off just doing the minimum and doing it in 5 sets, perhaps even dividing it up between morning and early evening.

Honestly, I'm not that concerned with making the numbers anymore. I figure that'll take care of itself as I continue to improve overall. I am looking to either join a gym with a personal trainer or just start trying to diversify my workouts at home (Total Gym, etc). I could probably use the advice of a personal trainer, though. One of our former branch managers is now a personal trainer, so I thought I might give him a shout.

Personal trainers are always a good option when first starting out. If you just jump into things, odds are you'll see little improvement or hurt yourself rather than see a strong improvement. If you can get a few meetings lined up then just go off on your own, I think it will do you a lot of good. It will certainly help you focus on things that won't further strain your shoulder or knees, but instead help them out.

Pup, the challengbe is about success, not numbers. You have been successful and will continue to be. A good personal trainer is a valuable asset. They can educate and steer you in the right directions and they are great for accountability! Hang in there buddy!

Pup,

That's cool. I just hated to see you torture your shoulder...

That's why I'm really no longer worried about numbers. I missed two days, so in my mind, the "challenge" is over. Now, I want it to be about continuing in the right direction, however that is best accomplished.

I never weight trained while wrestling. It wasn't mandatory and I didn't want to move up in weight class, so I pretty much focused on cardio (I could run forever), and that was great in High School. In college, I was out-muscled tremendously. I won my share of matches using leverage rather than strength, but I suffered a lot of injuries that I now know were preventable with weight training.

Now it's about getting that protection there and getting this 40 year old body in better condition. I want to be around awhile.

Some of my parts will be around for LONG time. Man made stuff doesn't rot very fast.

Thanks so much for all your advice and motivating words, everyone!

I had session #2 (cardio & beginning of weight training - arms) with the personal trainer last night and I went out and bought the BCAA's ("Optimum Nutrition" brand, powder, instantized, in a 3:1:1 ratio, 5g per scoop). Trainer says 1/2 scoop about 3 times per week after each weight training workout (approx. every other day) mixed with my protein shake and eating a banana at the same time. The 50 serving container cost me $30.00 at GNC and will last me approximately 5 or 6 months (trainer intends to up the dosage later, building up to a full scoop). So very little cost for a lot of good things for my body. I bought the unflavored kind and didn't taste it at all in my protein shake (chocolate flavored!).

Weight Watchers meeting tonight after work to weigh in, then I'll go to the gym on my own tonight for 40 minutes of cardio. Session #3 with trainer (cardio & more weight training - legs) tomorrow.

I am feeling so motivated, and I feel like I can do this this time around. I've started and quit the fitness thing so many times before, but this time I want this for my health.

My biggest motivating factor is the loss of my cousin (3 weeks older than me) who died in January of a sudden massive heart attack, leaving behind a lot of shocked and sad relatives. I'm just now finally able to type about it without crying. He was overweight and had high blood pressure but otherwise was in seemingly excellent health. I am overweight and my blood pressure is just starting to be a little high, as is my cholesterol. I want to live (and enjoy!) a good long healthy life, and don't want my parents to bury a child or my nieces/nephews to lose their favorite, coolest aunt! So, it's time to take better care of myself.

I'm sorry for your loss BS. But you have a strong motivation there. Fitness is a lifetime event. It is what you do and how you think. You are moving in the right direction by making it a part of you your daily process.
I am often asked (about getting fit), how long will this take?
The answer is the rest of your life! But the good news is, that's exactly how much time you have.

When I'm asked that, I respond with "Fit for what?" It's good to have a goal or a vision of what you want to be able to do.

Echo BB3's comments, BS. I'm very sorry as well.

I have a 2 1/2 yr old that I can't keep up with. It hurts my back to pick him up sometimes. I have a 10 yr old that wants to wrestle around and play rough when he comes to visit. I have a 17 yr old girl who does the same. My motivation comes from the physical pain I endure whenever any of this happens. I want it to stop so I can be the father I want to always be.

I agree as well, BurntSienna, and I'm so sorry for your loss. Everytime you reach a new goal you've set for yourself, you are paying homage to your cousin. He would be so proud that you have taken a loss and turned it into something positive in yourself. And we'll all be here to help if that motivation ever fails you!

I have faith that you will succeed, BurntSienna.

Thanks, Bankbb1! I definitely want to commit to lifelong fitness. Doing both weight loss and beginning a fitness regimen all at once feels VERY regimented and restrictive, especially compared to what I was eating before.

Example: I attended a niece's birthday party on Sunday. Old me would have eaten all the appetizery things things in sight - fried cheese sticks, cream cheese dip with chips and pretzels, then I would have had a big slice of birthday cake plus a cupcake with a glass of milk... plus two glasses of wine and maybe a glass of soda before the party was over. New me ate 6 whole wheat crackers with one tablespoon of Sabra hummus, lots of baby carrots and celery, a clementine cutie, one 4-oz. glass of red wine, and water. And my trainer said I did a good job resisting all the stuff I shouldn't be eating, but also said, "Did you really need 6 crackers? How about 4 or 5 next time?" Argh! Seriously, dude? He is TOUGH!

I'm limiting to 1200 - 1400 daily kcals for a month, then I will "earn" more calories if he sees me working hard and committing to 5 or 6 working out days every week, keeping my daily fat under 40g and my daily protein over 90g. Nobody said this was going to be easy.

Thanks so much, Pup, manimal, and Hrothgar. You guys are awesome and very encouraging - I appreciate it!

It is a lifestyle change, that is for sure! It's the only way to see improvement and lasting success though. You're doing a great job, and if it was easy, everyone would be doing it! Motivation and knowing the right things to do are the toughest parts, but you're tackling the problem head-on and will see great results I'm sure!

You did so great!!! You will find a couple of things as you go along.
1. It will become easier to make those healthy choices.
2. You will want bad calories less often.
Your trainer has you in a fat loss, muscle building mode physically and in a teaching mode mentally. As this becomes your lifestyle, you will naturally make those choices more often on your own. You will discover that you only want to eat rich and fattening foods on a rare ocassion because you don't get the energy from them that you do the healthier choices.
You are on your way!!