Looking for some advice. Many questions follow.

Age 40, 5'10", 205 +- 3lbs.
My background
I started P90X a little over a year ago. I did that for about 5 months before switching to Insanity for a month before having pain in my metatarsals from all the friggin jumping. So I went back to strength training which I hadn't really done in 15 years. I have lost about 2-3 percent of my body fast over the last year. I float around 22% currently.

I train around my children and life schedule. This usually gets me into the gym about 4-5 days out of the week. My routine has been Chest and Back, Legs and Shoulders and Tris and BIs. I do the P90X Ab dvd every other day. This cycle I have been doing has been 3-5 sets at 5 reps. I'll be switching to a 10-12 rep cycle tomorrow for the next 8 weeks. I am hoping the higher reps will trim a little weight before spring. And I'll run more as the days get longer and warmer.

My diet usually is high protein meal replacement for breakfast, then a small protein snack, normal lunch, protein snack again, workout from around 6-7-30 followed by a protein shack and then maybe a dinner later if I am still hungry. I am ok with my weight as long as I am not gaining weight, I don't want to risk what muscle I have. I plan to use cardio to burn the fat off.

A little long winded but I didn't want anyone to think I was just here find a link to some test and leave. I am big into researching anything before I jump in.

My supplement trials:
I tried Andosterone from Primordial Performance and I can't say I got anything other than a nasty taste in my mouth. I take creatine before my workout but some days it gives me that shats so bad I lay off for a few days.

I know my metabolism has totally dropped out since I was 21 and could eat everything and not get fat. Now the few times I have cut back on calories it made very little difference. I used to think beer was to blame but since New years eve I have only drank at the Super Bowl and a bachelor party. I used to kick back a couple several times a week and 6-12 on a Saturday. So much for that myth, to an extent that is.

I'd like to find something that would give me a little bit of my youthful energy back along with gains in mass. My strength has increased a little but my workout partner who is a few years younger is going to pass me soon. Not that I care it is more of the fact that I know his body is still creating hormones at a higher level than mine.

Thoughts?

Welcome! Have you had any blood work done lately? I bet you would like to look into HRT.
If you have any blood work to post, please go ahead and post them.

Also....while you are at it, please check out the Hormone Replacement Therapy Forum. It is much more active and you might get more responses there too.

Meantime. hang and read and learn.

ENJOY!

Your diet is soooo important. I just moved to Delaware 3 months ago and started lifting with my MOM (50yr old woman). She has been in the gym for years lifting getting little results. First of all shes a vegetarian and she wasn't eating enough protein. but it sounds to me like you arn't eating enough real food. I put her on the "ZONE diet" (barry sears google it) and in the last 10 weeks she has lost like 5% bodyfat (we measure together every monday with Navy method, tape measure) I have lost 8%ish in the same peroid ( I just started lifting again after a few years off) Also what are you doing in the gym? What kind of exercises, rep range? How much do you sleep? How much do you rest between workouts? Are you familiar with olympic lifts? Power Endurance training? It's the only kind of lifting my body responds to, and your age isn't an excuse not to deadlift,squat,exc because my 50 year old mother has put 100 pounds on her deadlift since we started. Her body is changing like it's no one business. She is the lowest her bodyfat has ever been and she is just amazed with the results. Post your diet up, what kind of exercises you are doing aswell, reps/sets aswell. Believe it or not diet is EVERYTHING on how you look, yes you need to back it up with proper exercise but as long as you are lifting weight and pushing it regardless of what you are doing the body is willing to change with the correct fuel mixture.