Well, over the past few years I've had an on-off relationship with the gym, my first time starting to go was probably my most 'sucesfull', and that was back in highschool when one day, after walking up to my 3rd floor class I got totatly winded (after having just bought a pair of 42" waist pants....) and it dawned on me 'This sucks, I need to change this.' -- and hit up the gym. Over the next 4 or so months after that, I dropped from 270 pounds to 230, and from a 42" waist to a 36" -- yeaaay!
I pretty much kept off the weight for a few years, even when not going to the gym. I tended to bounce between 225-235, with my lowest being 218, but now I've creeped back upto 245 and now getting back at the gym, and down to about 238 already.
My main goal is to simply 'be active'. I'm not trying to get ripped, I'm not trying to bulk up, and I'm not aiming to lose loads of weight, at most - I'd like to get back down to about 220. According to the body-mass-whatever, my ideal weight is like 190 which for me - far too lanky. I like having a thicker/bulkier frame - just with some 'firm' ontop of it instead of the jiggling fat I got at the moment.
But, so far my routine is
- Gym : Mon / Weds / Fri --- 30 mins of cardio, followed by weights
Then on the days I dont goto the gym, try and do something 'active' for atleast 30 mins, even if it is as simple as a walk after supper, or going rollerblading for a bit in the afternoon - just something to get up and moving, with no real plans on the weekends (but they tend to involve dancing the night away a few times a month).
Since this is just my 2nd week back at the gym, my weight routine is pretty basic, more or less just getting my body used to working out again, and using 5 machines at the moment : chest press, seated row, abs, lower back extension, leg press. Doing 3 sets of 15 reps, with the weight being set so that by the last 2-3 reps, its starting to take a bit of effort.
I have already increased the weight on a few machines (5th day back at it). I figure I'll keep up this routine untill the end of the month, once thats done I'll start adding in new machines and some free weights.
I'm not going to be going on any type of diet, as well - diets suck. However, I am trying to make some subtle changes to my eating habbits. ie: only eating when hungry, only eating until I am no longer hungry and not eating until I am full, replacing pop with water/juice/etc, going from cream to skim milk in my coffee, and eating more fruit instead of junkfood.
And well, my vege intake is pretty abysmial - so I am trying to get a bit more of that into my diet, all around, no real major changes - but just small/easy to manage ones.
Any suggestions/advice? Like I said, not looking for a drastic weightloss, just shed approx ~20 pounds and more 'firm up' whats there and not looking to really bulk up or slim down too much. But mostly, be active, feel better - any improvement in 'looks' is pure bonus and not really the goal.
But, one thing that I find a bit funny - is how fast you start to 'feel' things. I dont look much different, and probably have only lost like, 1 pound tops since getting back at the gym, but I just feel more 'put together', have a bit more energy, sleeping better, etc -- and its only been a bit under 2 weeks.
|
^^ What hobbitcg said ^^
Compound movements stimulate a far greater amount of muscle fibers than small isolated movements. No one should expect to pick up dumbells and do 80 sets of curls and extensions with weight loss in mind... but sadly, so many people do this!!!
I'd highly recommend that you lift weights and then do cardio, especially if you follow our advice. It's recommended for multiple reasons. For one, your ATP (androgen triphosphate, primary source of explosive energy) will be diminished for absolutely no reason... you don't need to be explosive in the treadmill unless you like pulling muscles and cramping. Again, highly recommended that you do some big compounds and then gentle cardio.
Please remember that even though you are a little heavier, it's pretty damn important to drink a protein shake somewhere in there. Consider the following... you eat, go to the gym and do weights AND cardio. Your primary sources of energy are gone, you've burnt calories and carbs, some fat, but who's to say that you're not going into catabolism? Lots of people make this mistake. I've seen 300lb dudes slim down to 200lbs in a year, but they still look like saggy bags of shit, no offense. There's no muscle!!! You're a monster under that extra skin, so do yourself a favor and make your time and dedication count towards something, regardless of your goals.
When you finish lifting weights, I suggest that you invest in a protein that offers plenty of "BCAAS" - branched chain amino acids. These are literally the building blocks of life. ON 100% Whey is great, cheap, tastes amazing, available at any GNC, Vitamin House and local nutrition store. Drink some of this after your weight session, catch your breath, walk around or make some phone calls, don't bother socializing until you've completed xxx task. Now start slowly hitting up the cardizzle. With free form aminos flowing through your blood, you will already begin the repair phase. No one particularly grows in the gym, but you will not take a step backwards either. You can safely guarantee yourself to shed fat whilst maintaining muscle which is vital regardless of your goals. People think that protein's for monsters, but my grandma drinks this shit, guys.
Remember that lots of protein like Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey is low in fat, low in cholesterol, calories, carbs and high in amino acids and glutamine. Your skeletal muscle's mainly composed of this amino, so it's natural to want to supplement this when loosing weight. In fact, skinny buggers like me NEED to make sure there isn't a deficiency because muscle catabolism's easier to run into. For bigger people, amino acids like lucine, valene, isolucine, histidine and the like are very important for maintaining a healthy immune system, becoming anabolic and losing unwanted fat!! Win-win-win-win-winnn situation.
I'm currently taking "Purple Wraath" which are EAAs (essential amino acids) before, during and after working out to make sure that it's always in my system kind of like a buffer. Products like X-Tend by Gaspari Nutrition are also recommended. EAAs and BCAAs are usually kind of expensive, but very well worth it if you want to safely loose fat without feeling deprived of energy and overall disheveled. I've managed to shed a few lbs in body fat and gain a few in muscle just by training smarter.
Hope this rant helps. I never post anything too linear, just ramble because if I'm on the computer then chances are that I'm stoned... Once again, sure there's some useful tidbits in there lol. Anyone feel free to correct me when I'm wrong, I rarely proof read. mwaha.
-------------------- When the stress burns my brain it's like acid raindrops maryjane is the only thing that makes the pain stop
|
I think the first two responders already gave some good information. Try to focus on the compound movements like squats, dead lifts, chin-ups, dips, and Olympic clean and press if you can. Definitely hit the smaller muscles with isolation exercises too, but there is no need to focus on those for someone, like yourself, who is already big.
Switching up which exercises you use for a certain muscle or group every few weeks or months can help keep things interesting and prevent your body from getting so accustomed to a certain exercise that the returns start to diminish. Some people prefer to rotate every week, every other week, every other workout. It will depend on what your routine is like and what your preference is. Just don't be afraid to mix it up.
Take a protein supplement and a multivitamin. Try to eat more meals through the day too. This can give you a big advantage! You still want to take in less calories than you burn, so they will be smaller meals than if you ate just 3 a day. If you can eat 5 or 6 meals throughout the day, every 2 to 4 hours, it will speed up your metabolism and help you burn the fat naturally.
EDITED BECAUSE MY SPELLING SUX
Edited by HippyInASuit (05/12/06 09:33 PM)
|