Diabetic Father to Coach

[Robert D]

Hi Robert,

My dad may (or may not) be interested in doing some strength training. My mother is really trying to push him to for his health, and it seems he might be agreeable enough to try.

He's about 5'6" and probably 180 without any real prior strength training background.

If I can convince him to start, what kind of diet considerations should I advise him towards if he has Type II diabetes?
Since he cannot consume large amounts of carbohydrates or sugars, what can I recommend for him to keep driving his strength gains? In the event that he actually starts really training?

Since this may be difficult to prescribe without knowing him, one of the considerations that I can think of that would be relevant are that he has a relatively large frame, 180 is not "obese" for him at that height.

Any kind of guidance would be helpful and appreciated

[Robert Santana]

My assumption is that your dad is older. He probably does not need that many carbohydrates as it is but he'll need some around workouts. Beyond the scope of this board for me to advise on Type II diabetes but in general he'll need to keep his protein up and eat some carbs while he trains.