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Favre4Ever

The Time Has Come For Change...

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Personally speaking anyway. It's time for me to lose weight and and get in shape.

 

I have been heavier most of my life. But it's never been to the point as to where I feel fatigued all the time, or where I feel like crap just being me. Definitely a change as far as that goes in the last year or so. Just feel really sluggish ALL the time. No stamina to do anything, that kind of thing.

 

Thus, it's time to take charge. :yep:

 

I recently joined a gym but am pretty clueless as to where to start. The gym is not a full out monster kind of thing. It's a small town, regional gym with some nice and varied equipment.

 

I am about 6 foot 2, 280 pounds. Right now I am not looking to get SUPER DUPER rocked out or anything. Baby steps. haha. Definitely just want to slim down at first. Although, if there is a better method, I am open to anything.

 

Also looking to lose the most around my midsection and thighs. Not sure if that is pertinent to the discussion at all.

 

But anyway. I am very clueless in a gym and in the fitness world. I took some weightlifting in HS, but that's been ages and it was mostly used as easy credit.

 

I would look online for information.. but again, no idea where to begin. So if I can get some general information or guidance here, I can take this to the next level.

 

Basically need to know stuff like...

 

How often should I be going and for how long each time. What kind of workouts I should be looking at doing... How often I do those. Just the kind of basic, probably common sense kind of stuff.

 

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I am doing this for myself and would love the input.

 

EDIT:

Also, any information on eating habits.. When, how often... What I should stay away from (as far as foods go)... I am not picky, love fruits and vegetables. Drink TONS AND TONS of water (3-5 liters a day).

Edited by Favre4Ever

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Guest Phailadelphia

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki

 

This is a good place to start for basic lifting routines and proper form/technique.

 

As far as your diet goes...the "eat 6 meals a day to boost metabolism" myth is just that...a myth. What's important is how much you eat, not how often. Based on your height/weight I'd try a healthy diet of around 2200-2400 calories. I've never actually had to watch my diet so maybe someone else can give you better advice in that department aside from the obvious of staying away from saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, etc.

 

Good luck, and I hope you stick with it. Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.

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Get on a treadmill and run for as long as you can and as fast as you can (shoot for at least a mile at a time). You don't need to set the speed to 8 though; maybe set it at 6 or 6.5 at first, and see how long you can go. You'll be surprised how it doesn't take long for you to improve both speed and the length of time you can run for. The good thing about treadmills compared to actual running is you can pace yourself and run at a consistent speed.

 

You want to try to burn 600 calories a day, and if you can get to the gym 5-6 times a week, that's ideal; especially if you really want to see results and shave off fat. Elliptical machines and stairmasters are also very good to use in addition to the treadmill.

 

Focus on cardio before weights. Once you feel more energetic and see some results from the cardio, begin lifting weights which in addition to building muscles, helps trim fat.

 

I'm about 5'6-5'7 and was 145 pounds going into the summer. I shaved about 10 pounds of fat doing the above over the summer. Unfortunately, school has made it more difficult to get to the gym, but I need to get back on that. I definitely felt better but physically and mentally when I was going daily.

 

As for dieting, cut out soda, and drink only water. I began doing this when I got to college. It might seem impossible, but you get used to it. Now I think soda is disgusting, and it only makes me more thirsty. As for eating, limit the junk food as much as you feasibly can, don't stuff yourself, and most importantly: if you're not hungry, don't eat.

Edited by Superbowlbuc

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Great to hear your looking to turn that around man. That's the first (and biggest) step you need to take.

 

If you're looking to slim down the best things you can do are aerobic exercises (eg. jogging, swimming, rowing). If your gym has a rowing machine I highly suggest you do that. Prob my fave thing to do actually. Great cardio workout and also helps tone your abs, arms and thighs. It's probably the best generic workout you can do. It's super tiring though, so I'd only suggest doing 15min blocks to start off with. 15min then take a 5min break, then do another 15min. Doing that 3-4 times a week is a good start.

 

After that you can move onto a basic weight training circuit, which I can tell you more about if you're interested in that.

 

Also don't forget diet plays a HUGE role in weight loss and muscle gain. If you eat a lot of carbs you'll need to start cutting that down, as well as sugary foods. And of course, more protein whenever possible! You gain "muscle" when your body has to repair the tissue that was stressed during the workout, and a good protein intake will optimise that revival process.

 

A lot more stuff I can say here, but I'll leave you with that for now :D

Edited by RANGA

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Guest Phailadelphia

 

 

Focus on cardio before weights. Once you feel more energetic and see some results from the cardio, begin lifting weights which in addition to building muscles, helps trim fat.

 

 

I've never understood this logic. Why not hit the weights immediately? Muscle rebuilding burns calories around the clock and every extra pound of muscle you gain burns what, another 10 calories a day or something like that?

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I've never understood this logic. Why not hit the weights immediately? Muscle rebuilding burns calories around the clock and every extra pound of muscle you gain burns what, another 10 calories a day or something like that?

 

I'm not an exercise guru or anything, so my logic could be completely faulty; just sharing my opinion on something that worked for me.

 

My logic is that if you are weak with your cardio and completely out of shape, you're not going to be very productive with the weights. I feel like lots and lots of cardio in addition to a good diet is most effective for losing excess fat.

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cardio first definitely before lifting weights. thing about lifting weights when you're already big (and wanna slim) is that the muscle builds on top of the fat and you go nowhere. saw a few cases of that with guys in my grade s:

 

slim down first by running 20 minutes about 3 or 4 times a week. each week, push it up by 5 minutes until you get to about 1 hour 3-4 times a week (or by 10 minutes if you think you can).

 

if you wanna lift, it should be lightweights with high reps, to burn calories and not build muscle.

 

tl:dr - cardio first on the treadmills or outside to slim down, and lift lightweights with high reps.

Edited by funnygunny

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.Why not hit the weights immediately?

 

I usually do a warm up of 5-10 minutes on the treadmill/stairmaster/bike to get my heart rate going and to build a sweat before I lift. :yep:

 

I like my cardio after I lift weights, just feels better.

 

There's also empty stomach cardio which you could do immediately when you wake up, but seriously, fuck that. lol

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cardio first definitely before lifting weights. thing about lifting weights when you're already big (and wanna slim) is that the muscle builds on top of the fat and you go nowhere. saw a few cases of that with guys in my grade s:

 

slim down first by running 20 minutes about 3 or 4 times a week. each week, push it up by 5 minutes until you get to about 1 hour 3-4 times a week (or by 10 minutes if you think you can).

 

if you wanna lift, it should be lightweights with high reps, to burn calories and not build muscle.

 

tl:dr - cardio first on the treadmills or outside to slim down, and lift lightweights with high reps.

 

What are you, some kind of woman who only eats lettuce for dinner?

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Guest MikeyDay

Well im seeing these posts and while they sound good they are misleading.

 

u have to eat right when u get up in the morning or wutever ur schedule is. It gets ur metabolism going and energy lift. Now running is a good way to lose weight BUT u cannot do the same thing everyday. Ur body will adapt to it and u will be running for no reason. Well ur progress will slow down quickly and ull be stuck.

 

What i think u should do wut im doing bcuz i went from 24% body fat to 14% in a months time. U have to mix it up in anything u do. Shock result.

 

Lets say u decide to run monday, u run for a hour, thats good and all but the next day put it on a harder setting and run for 30 mins. Then wednesday put it on a very hard setting and run for 15 mins. Now running isnt the only thing u should do, stairclimber machine is wut u need. Again mixing it up is wut keeps ur body from adapting. Lift weights too. U burn alot of calories that way and when u start to get into it, lets say week two ull notice ull eat alot more thruout the day. Thats gunna help u bcuz itll keep ur metabolism going and burning the calories. Its not a myth its fact. Ive been thru 4 trainers, two in reg gyms, one in hs and one for college. I was pose to play football for college but got hurt. I have two homeboys in the NFL and i talk to them on this shit so i think i know wut im saying. Make sure when ur eating u check wut ur consuming tho. If u dieting then u know the nos and yeahs. Drinking two cups of water before a meal will help u eat less for that meal. If u feeling sluggisb , eat some trail mix, fruit , raisans, nuts, cereal they give u energy.

 

My schedule for the gym has kind of changed for the moment but its gunna come back. I go 2 straight days then i take the third day off. Course this is for lifting so for u u could use that third day to run alot. Keep it realistic dont make a schedule u know u wont follow thru. Thats why this 2 straight one off works for me. First day i do biceps, back, and shoulders. Then some ab work, then i run for 20 mins. The next day i do chest triceps, and legs. With some ab workouts. Then run for wutever mins. So its really four parts everyday. And with this schedule u give ur muscles three day rest in between the next workout. Now the mixing it up part ia light days and heavy days and then buildup days. After each time i come back from the day off i change the setting. If i did light last time its heavy this time. And then the build up after that. Keeps ur body guessing n ull get cut and lose weight fast. Remember when u lose fat its all over ur bosy not just one area so ab work will not make u lose atomach fat.

 

Light days - 3 sets 12-15 reps for each muscle u do. This should be like 60-70% of u using ur strength. This is how u get cut.

 

Heavy days - 3 sets 6-8 reps. This should be ur max. Everything u have and pushing urself. If u cant get 8 then at least 6. This builds strentgh.

 

Buildup days - 3 or 4 sets. Now this is diff. On ur first rep u do light. Then u add weight lets say 10 pounds. U do ur second set. Add more weight u do ur third set. Add more weight u do ur fourth set. So u go from light to pretty heavy so ur really using ur muscles. This is really all of the above for getting cut and strentgh but also endurance.

 

Now u should wait 30-45 seconds in between sets. No longer then a min TOPS. Bcuz when u sit there n wait that long ur muscles will get used to the workout and ull lift and not get max results. Its very important to keep track of time. As soon as u finish ur set count to 40 then do it again. This is a common mistake by ppl. Oh and one more thing, make sure ur form is perfect. U get the most of it when ur form is good. Dont worry about how much weight it is, bcuz ull get there eventually.

 

Now if u need super set work outts i can tell u some so u really tear down ur muscles. And i guess ill tell u this as well since ALOT OF PPL dont know it. Besides the fact ur power comes from ur lower body , leg work, overworking ur legs like killin them til ur sore for three days, when u overwork them ue body releases massive tostostrone and thats not how u spell it but fuck it , and that will help get u bigger. Its wut steriods is used for so this is natural. It blows ur muscles up quick. That is if u want some muscle or to be toned. But lifting weights is a must to lose weight effectively and quickly.

Edited by MikeyDay

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What are you, some kind of woman who only eats lettuce for dinner?

 

yep.

 

if he wants to slim down, he shouldn't build muscle over fat. derp.

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Guest Phailadelphia

I usually do a warm up of 5-10 minutes on the treadmill/stairmaster/bike to get my heart rate going and to build a sweat before I lift. :yep:

 

I like my cardio after I lift weights, just feels better.

 

There's also empty stomach cardio which you could do immediately when you wake up, but seriously, fuck that. lol

 

I get that. What SBB is suggesting is not lift weights period. I haven't seen a pic of F4E but 280 sounds like a lot to me, and rapid weight loss without muscle growth/definition = sagging skin.

 

Yeah, if you gain muscle weight while losing fat there may not be as much rapid change on the scale but it's not about that. It's about the measurements. That's my opinion anyway. And muscle builds reeeeal slow so it's not like he's going to gain 1 pound of muscle for every pound of fat he loses.

 

Then again, I work out to get stronger/bigger so I'm probably in the minority here. Most people just want to not be fat.

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Guest Phailadelphia

if you wanna lift, it should be lightweights with high reps, to burn calories and not build muscle.

 

Broscience.

 

If anything, lighter weights with higher reps builds more size. less strength. Low sets, low reps, high weight builds more strength, less size.

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Guest MikeyDay

I get that. What SBB is suggesting is not lift weights period. I haven't seen a pic of F4E but 280 sounds like a lot to me, and rapid weight loss without muscle growth/definition = sagging skin.

 

Yeah, if you gain muscle weight while losing fat there may not be as much rapid change on the scale but it's not about that. It's about the measurements. That's my opinion anyway. And muscle builds reeeeal slow so it's not like he's going to gain 1 pound of muscle for every pound of fat he loses.

 

Then again, I work out to get stronger/bigger so I'm probably in the minority here. Most people just want to not be fat.

 

Good point, its about body fat % and measurements. Dont worry if u gain weight at first , just stick thru with it and ull lose weight , itll be slow but if u noticing u have more energy and ur not fittinf ur clothes bcuz they are a bit baggy u know u doing good.

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Guest Phailadelphia

Good point, its about body fat % and measurements. Dont worry if u gain weight at first , just stick thru with it and ull lose weight , itll be slow but if u noticing u have more energy and ur not fittinf ur clothes bcuz they are a bit baggy u know u doing good.

 

Yezzir. If I'm F4E I hit up the crafting section at WalMart and get a tape measure, take my measurements, then chart monthly progress or something. Arms, chest, waist, legs. It's a much better barometer of progress than the scale.

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Just make sure you make your diet is as an important part of getting fit as working out....

 

And be ABSOLUTELY sure that you use proper form when lifting, J-Dizz....Don't try to be a hero and lift more weight than you think you should be at the expense of form, IMO....You're just gonna most likely hurt yourself....Even if it means that you gotta start out at lower weights than you originally envisioned, get your form down, first and foremost....:yep:

Edited by BLUE

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Guest MikeyDay

Just make sure you make your diet as an important part of getting fit as working out....

 

And be ABSOLUTELY sure that you use proper form when lifting, J-Dizz....Don't try to be a hero and lift more weight than you think you should be at the expense of form, IMO....You're just gonna most likely hurt yourself....Even if it means that you gotta start out at lower weights than you originally envisioned, get your form down, first and foremost....:yep:

 

I did say this in my long post, but since u posted it as well, he can understand the importance of it.

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I did say this in my long post, but since u posted it as well, he can understand the importance of it.

 

I didn't read your post....My attention span is off, tonight....:yep:

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Broscience.

 

If anything, lighter weights with higher reps builds more size. less strength. Low sets, low reps, high weight builds more strength, less size.

 

ActualScience

 

light weights with high reps (say 15) is not enough to break down your muscle fibres which builds muscle. higher reps means your heart gets pumping meaning its a cardio effect resulting in calories and energy being burnt.

 

on the other hand, heavy weights with low reps means greater stress on your muscle fibres, breaking them so they rebuild increasing muscle mass. lift to fatigue.

 

:D

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Guest Phailadelphia

ActualScience

 

light weights with high reps (say 15) is not enough to break down your muscle fibres which builds muscle. higher reps means your heart gets pumping meaning its a cardio effect resulting in calories and energy being burnt.

 

on the other hand, heavy weights with low reps means greater stress on your muscle fibres, breaking them so they rebuild increasing muscle mass. lift to fatigue.

 

:D

 

I guess if the weights are light enough that they don't induce hypertrophy, but you're not going to catch me curling 20 lbs in the gym because I'm afraid to build muscle. Well, not unless I'm wearing a sports bra and booty shorts.

 

Heavy weights with low reps means greater stress on your muscle fibers, yes, but the rebuilding of them does not always lead to size. Eventually, with strength comes size, and with size comes strength. That's unavoidable. But I can tell you from first hand experience doing low rep, high weight squats and deadlifts over the last 3 years my legs are not nearly the size of others squatting similar weight. People are always extremely surprised when I tell them I used to squat 315 and deadlift 365 because my legs aren't that big.

 

My younger brother does real high reps on squats for football but nearly half the weight I do, and his legs are probably a solid inch bigger.

Edited by Phailadelphia

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I know this is going to get picked apart but I don't care.

 

Last year I lost 27lbs using the P90X program. Trimmed down and ripped up. The program comes with a detailed diet and obviously workout program. All it takes is some dumbbells and a $20 pullup bar you can find at any Target. It's called muscle confusion. Doing the same exercises over and over again restricts your muscle development. P90 changes your routine from week to week.

 

Most (if not all) the workout sessions can be found on youtube. And the diet I chose was high in protein and low in carbs. Had to give up having some beers but in the end I was very impressed with the results. If you want the diet cookbook let me know via PM. I still have the books.

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Whoever mentioned cutting out soda ("pop", F4E) is right. That stuff is awful for you. If possible just drink water.

 

Portion size is huge. Lower you calorie intake and you'll see results.

 

I'm no fitness guru but that coupled with daily exercise worked for me to drop about 50 pounds. I would mix it up with different cardio and weight sessions. I'm not a big or strong guy, so the 20lb curls was plenty for me. yea i'm weak.

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I think everyone pretty much hit up on everything. I'm no expert, but...

 

Watch your SUGAR intake. Most people look at calories, carbs and sodium (which is good) but ignore how much sugar is in what they are consuming. Like GA_Eagle said....cut the soda out completely...that means no DIET BS either. Just cutting soda out of your diet alone you'll notice a difference in how you feel etc.

 

WATER WATER WATER.

 

If you drink REAL 100% juice that's great (grapefruit juice is great for you) but even 100% juice has a lot of sugar in it. Cut it with water.

 

But yea everyone here, to me, has given some really good advice/ideas. Socal, when he sees this, I'm sure will eventually give some spot on really good stuff too. IIRC this is what he does for a living or is going to school for it...or both...something to that effect.

 

GL bro...and good for you. :D

 

:yep:

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You may have to wean yourself off of it. I greatly reduced my soda drinking due to dental reasons, but I usually still drink a can a day. Somedays I'm able to avoid it entirely. Also, chocolate milk is basically the best you thing you can drink now. SO DRINK A LOT OF IT.

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I know this is going to get picked apart but I don't care.

 

Last year I lost 27lbs using the P90X program. Trimmed down and ripped up. The program comes with a detailed diet and obviously workout program. All it takes is some dumbbells and a $20 pullup bar you can find at any Target. It's called muscle confusion. Doing the same exercises over and over again restricts your muscle development. P90 changes your routine from week to week.

 

Most (if not all) the workout sessions can be found on youtube. And the diet I chose was high in protein and low in carbs. Had to give up having some beers but in the end I was very impressed with the results. If you want the diet cookbook let me know via PM. I still have the books.

P90X is a pretty advanced program for someone who is out of shape and overweight.

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