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Starting out

rware91

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 16, 2009
144
0
33
Spring, Texas
Back in highschool, I weight trained 5 days a week and did cardio 6 days a week. I was in the best shape of my life. I was 6'00 and 205 pounds. Now i have found myself completely lazy. I do not feel like doing anything. I go to work and school and the rest of the time im sitting on the couch. I watched myself reach the 225 then 250 and now 275 pound mark. i can not take it anymore. I have to do something about it. What would one suggest for me to do to shed the pounds, start feeling better, and stick with the program. It seems like unless i dive head first into it, I will quit.
Does someone on here have a workout plan for a fatass trying to get back into shape?
I appreciate all the help.
Thanks
Ryan Ware
 
Re: Starting out

Start with 3 days a week... Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Full body work out with light weight and 12 to 15 reps. If you can do all the exercises with machines, even better. This workout breaks the ice and gets you started slowly. Too much too soon and you'll quit. Use the workout for 3 weeks and don't do any cardio. You didn't put on the weight in a few days and your not going to loose it in a week. Eating properly is key of course... Here's the workout.

Chest- 3 sets, machine press 12-15 reps
*90 seconds rest between each set *
Back- 3 sets, seated cable row 12-15 reps
Same rest as before
Shoulders- 3sets, machine shoulder press 12-15 reps
Same rest
Quads- 3 sets, machine leg press 12-15 reps
Same rest
Hamstrings- 3 sets, machine leg curl 12-15 reps
Same rest
Triceps- 3 sets, cable push downs 12-15 reps
Same rest
Biceps- 3 sets, machine preacher curl 12-15 reps
Rest
Calves- 3 sets, smith machine calf raises 12-15 reps
Rest
Abs- 3 sets, medicine ball crunches 15-20 reps

Weight should never force you to failure, should do all reps by yourself. No cardio. This will get you into the routine of working out and will slowly get your muscles going.

Hope this helps, its how I got in shape after putting on over 70lbs.
 
Re: Starting out

Had a coworker in a similar situation to yours. He had success with the cp25k program (couch potato to 5k). I think it was an app on his iphone if im not mistaken. It started out at a low level of intensity and built up over a couple months. He has had good results for a guy that hadn't worked out in years.
 
Re: Starting out

nutrition is the biggest factor in Weightloss for people just getting started or just getting back into it.

take a few days and wright down EVERYTHING you eat in a normal day , don't change anything cause you are keeping track , after you get a base line on what your diet is start making changes to it.
The key is not "going on a diet" but make a life style change , don't make huge drastic changes because you are less likely to stick with it , just tweak what you are doing now and after a month make another tweak and so on
1) try to cut out the refined sugars like soft drinks , candy , most canned fruit and replace them with water , crystal light , green tea and a couple diet drinks if that's a big part of you daily routine , if you eat alot of carbs from bread and pasta try to cut those portions in half at first , add a piece of fruit instead. Try to eat a little less refined food (canned/prepackd)
2) Move more , even if it's just walking a mile after work or during lunch. If its at all possible wake up 30 min early , do a few crunches , a few pushups , a few body squats anything to get your heart rate up BEFORE you eat breakfast , doesn't have to be a workout , just 15 min of somthing then some light stretching
3) THE HARD PART !! take a series of pics of yourself in your underwear , front arms at your side relaxed , back and side the same way , do this in the same light with the same camera every other week. It'll be hard for you to see your progress cause you see yourself every day but the pics will give you a much better time line
4) Easy back into weight training , start light basically just going through the motions , don't push to failure or even till your strain just do a couple sets of each body part eavery other day , just let your body get the feel of somthing new

Again the key is don't make big drastic changes at first , make it easy , if you go from eating crappy food to chicken and salad you will hate it and if you dive in balls deep into a hard workout routine you are gonna be sore and miserable
don't punish yourself !!
 
Re: Starting out

Tag
I'm in the same boat brotha
Two weeks ago I found myself back up to 278 pounds. I have been 300 before and over the course of about a year I got down to 220. Four years later I'm pretty much right back where I started.

For me weight watchers worked in the past and thats what I'm going to try again. I don't go to the meeting or anything I just use there points and stay under a set amount ever day. There are tons of weight watcher receipts on line and in books that tell you exactly how many points they are.
just a thought
Travis
 
Re: Starting out

I hit a little on this on the "P90X" thread but order the Power 90 workout, around $70 on amazon for the whole setup. It's basically the program P90X was based off of but way easier on your body. It comes with a nutrition guide that will help you on what kind of foods to eat. I was in your exact spot about a year and a half ago, 6'5" and 305 pounds of jello. After doing power 90 I was down to 255 and feeling great, YMMV. I was never the athletic type in school so I wasn't use to training hard and this program work good for me and got me where I wanted to push myself. Since finishing Power 90 work has gotten crazy and I started making excuses so I have gained some back but I just started P90X to cure that. If you wanting to do P90X and feel you aren't fit enough then Power 90 is a great beginner to the program, being use to some of the moves already has helped me a lot. My only advise would be to not go full blast right out of the gate, you will end up really sore or hurting yourself and then you won't want to continue so take it easy and work into it. For me the first week is the hardest, making yourself workout and follow the routine but after that I'm hooked and ready to go. Good luck to you.
 
Re: Starting out

A good read to back up any concerns you might have regarding a low carb diet:

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-Abo...=why+we+get+fat

51Ni96jsZzL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
 
Re: Starting out

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rware91</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Does someone on here have a workout plan for a fatass trying to get back into shape?
I appreciate all the help.
Thanks
Ryan Ware </div></div>
Can you explain more about what your actual specific goal is? Looking "better" is not very measurable. I've found that people who can put a specific number on a goal are more apt to stick with a program when the going gets tough. So an example might be... run a sub 5 sec 40 or Deadlift 500 or Snatch my BW.

The easiest motivator for changing your body is competition... are there any sports you could see yourself playing again? I think no matter what sport you choose everyone can benefit from a solid strength based program that includes only 5 lifts: Squat, Deadlift, Press, Bench Press, and Power Clean. Get your linear progression in these lifts over the next 3-4 months and then start a sport. These are all performed in the 3 sets of 5 rep range to build a strength base. You can add sport specific assistance exercises as needed... For example, If bodybuilding is your chosen sport you would up the rep range once your linear progression is complete and you are strong. Get strong and powerful first and losing fat is a lot easier.

All of my goals are performance and competition based and if they change the way I look then I consider it a positive side effect.
 
Re: Starting out

And here is how I would prioritize a physical lifestyle change... there are three main elements Training, Sleeping, and Eating. If you try to change all of them in the first week, you will fail unless you have the stubborn will of a Donkey. Just focus on never missing a workout in the beginning... when that is easy move on to getting enough sleep 8-10.5 hours depending on your own personal needs... when you have both of those consistent, then progress to a diet that you understand. The Zone is a great diet but I could never get into weighing my food... modified Paleo was more my style, it's simple and it works.

Good luck!
 
Re: Starting out

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WhiskeyWebber</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can you explain more about what your actual specific goal is? Looking "better" is not very measurable. I've found that people who can put a specific number on a goal are more apt to stick with a program when the going gets tough. </div></div>

Brilliant advice!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WhiskeyWebber</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> everyone can benefit from a solid strength based program that includes only 5 lifts: Squat, Deadlift, Press, Bench Press, and Power Clean. Get your linear progression in these lifts over the next 3-4 months and then start a sport. These are all performed in the 3 sets of 5 rep range to build a strength base. </div></div>

Interesting advice. I'll send you a PM.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WhiskeyWebber</div><div class="ubbcode-body">And here is how I would prioritize a physical lifestyle change... there are three main elements Training, Sleeping, and Eating. If you try to change all of them in the first week, you will fail unless you have the stubborn will of a Donkey. Just focus on never missing a workout in the beginning... when that is easy move on to getting enough sleep 8-10.5 hours depending on your own personal needs... when you have both of those consistent, then progress to a diet that you understand. </div></div>

Also brillant advice.
 
Re: Starting out

I would like to get back under 225. The most important thing right now for me is to get back to a healthy weight where i feel better. I am always tired no matter how much sleep i get.
so as of now my two goals are:
1. Get under 225
2. become a healthier individual.
thanks
 
Re: Starting out

"I watched myself reach the 225 then 250 and now 275 pound mark. i can not take it anymore. I have to do something about it."

I'm in the same exact boat. I finally got sick of it last week and vowed to change my diet. I work crazy hours and can't find a consistent time to go to the gym so I started a little cardio at home on my Lemmond bike. This Sunday and Monday I finally went to the gym and way overdid it. Now I look like a big ass T-rex that can barely open the door. This pain sucks, but I'm motivated to get back at it ASAP.

On a side note, if anyone in the DFW area wants to play racquet ball or tennis, please PM me. I always do better with a sport rather than mindless pain. Sorry to thread jack.