After 2 years, finally a regular gym goer!!

[rakas]

Hi all..

As many of you may recognise from my SIG, i have been a member of this forum for some time, though i have never really got into the habbit of Penis Enlargement (discussion for a different thread), however in that 4 year period i have seen a profound change in that on my 17th birthday (2006), i was under twelve stone in weight, but after my 21st birthday (2010), i am now near nineteen stone in weight, which is near a seven stone increase, i am only fortunate that being six foot four in height, i have effectively gone from underweight to overweight, though i am approaching obesity.

The reasons for this are pretty simple, getting a job meant money, which meant that i had takeaways regulaly, and pretty much stopped exercising aside from my breif flirtations with the gym, which like Penis Enlargement, i never took seriously and did more than twice a week.

I am now in a situation where i have pretty much put a lid on my diet and while its not the healthiest, i would call it a more average diet in comparison to most people, however for six weeks, i have being going to the gym consistently four times a week (aiming for six), and so i have opened this thread for peoples opinions in regards to my exercise regime and how it could be inproved.

The main objective being weight loss to under thirteen stone in weight, and the secondary objective is losing the stomach and getting the abs.

While there are days i do not get time for the entire routine, my general routine is as follows..

Exercise bike - 1km at levels 5 (0.5km), 6 (0.4km) and 7 (final 0.1km sprint)
Lateral pulls - 200 at 85lb (100), 100lb (90) and 115lb (final 10)
Leg Presses - 200 at 175lb (100), 190lb (90) and 205lb (final 10)
Ab Crunches - 200 at 110lb (100), 120lb (90) and 130lb (final 10)
Rowing machine - 2km at level 10

Just wondering if people think that this routine will be effective.

 

[Timanfaya]

Hi Rakas,

From my personal experience you have to eat well AND exercise.
I go to the gym twice a week. Recently I've stopped doing weights and concentrated on a new routine, which consists of running for ten minutes at the beginning, rest for two, then run for three. I then repeat this until I've completed one hour. THEN I CAN GO HOME.
I'm just over 6 feet and weigh 84kg. I've got my weight under control, I just have to drink less at the weekend.
Anyway, what you have to do is "burn calories". Keep with the bike, walk and jog. When you get back to 12 stone you can start to think about muscle toning.

Good luck

Timan

 

[DLD]

It sounds like you are becoming serious about all this but don't take on too much too soon. You do not need to be in the gym everyday, 4 times a week is a great routine and it will keep it doable. As long as you are eating within the range you should be and exercising you will drop the weight.

 

[ob2craig]

Well done at getting into a routine! let's hope you keep at it.

I weigh about 80kg (12 1/2 stone) and i'm 5'9" which isnt terrible but i have poor self-esteem so i want to weigh less and recently started shaving my head (due to a very bad receeding hairline at 19) so weight loss is my way of making myself feel better about the hair thing (i dont look too bad bald tbh).

anyway i started on a proper routine about 1 - 1.5 months ago and i started at 13st so im doing good and i feel fitter, my arms have definately gotten bulkier and my stomache looks like its getting flatter.

I'm lucky as i live in a block of flats that has a gym on site and its free but, it's only open 10am-6pm so its not really a hassel to go often (although with it being so close i am tempted just to go back to my flat when i am tired).

I also live really close to shops/takeaways and all of them are within 5 minutes walk so i had to get out of the habit of going to the shop for treats and i now have a diet coke addiction (better than the previous chocolate addiction).

anyway my routine is this:

food: less than 1800 calories a day...not counting what i burn in the gym etc. i try to eat more fruit and veg and high-fiber cereal in a morning but i havent changed my diet that much apart from cutting down on snacks and fast food.

GYM:
20 minutes a day at least and i go about 4 or 5 days a week.
Bike:
Around 10 minutes on level 7 (sometimes 2 or 3 minutes on level 8)
Elliptical cross trainer(i think thats what they are called):
5 minutes on level 7
rowing:
2 minutes (im terrible at this haha)
treadmill:
3+ (2 minutes on 10-11)

I will do more if i can(today i did 12 on the bike) but, i have a minimum of 20 minutes and as time goes on i will begin to raise that minimum.

outside of the gym
I do situps and pressups in my room (minimum of 100 situps and 50 pressups a day but as i go on, i can do more and more). I have some dumbells too and i do what i can on those (i either have one in each hand with 3kg on each side or i put 5kg on each side and just lift one).

i try and walk places instead of getting the bus etc but i dont get out much as i recently dropped out of university and i am looking for a job.

I keep a journal/diary of everything i do and that helps. I look forward to looking back at the beginning in a couple month and seeing how much i could do back then and how much i do a few months down the line. I took a picture of myself near naked and im gonna compare it to how i look in a couple months.

Abs of steel here i come!

 

[Timanfaya]

Watch your back mate. With the extra pounds you could hurt yourself.
Exercise helps, but you'll lose most of your extra pounds out of the gym.
No burgers or chips.

 

[laocoon]

I dont consider myself an expert on fitness and exercise, and I know there are some bodybuilders on this site that can give you good advice, but I did compete in division 1 collegiate sports.
If youre starting out, 2-3 days a week is plenty. any more and your nervous system wont be able to keep up, but then increase the days to 4-5 depending on what you want to achieve.
If you want to build muscle and lose weight, do compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, benchpress, etc., anything that involves more than one muscle group, not isolation exercises
compound exercises speed up metabolism, increase T levels, and simply having muscle burns fat throughout the day

if you just want to lose weight and get more slim, focus more on cardio. I would suggest high intensity interval training. you can find lots of different routines online.
hope this helped, stay motivated and good luck!

 

[Girth Hammer]

I LOVE hearing people discuss there fitness life. If you have questions please make shore to ask.

I will say that you can not spot reduce(Abs,etc.). You need to attack all of your body to create a "bigger engine" so the demand of calories will lesson the demand of your body to store fat. I use to think diet was about 50-60% now Im a firm believer its about 85-90% of losing bodyfat. I got a contest in august and my diet is helping me gain strength while dropping bodyfat.

 

[DLD]

I LOVE hearing people discuss there fitness life. If you have questions please make shore to ask.

I will say that you can not spot reduce(Abs,etc.). You need to attack all of your body to create a "bigger engine" so the demand of calories will lesson the demand of your body to store fat. I use to think diet was about 50-60% now Im a firm believer its about 85-90% of losing bodyfat. I got a contest in august and my diet is helping me gain strength while dropping bodyfat.

Have you posted body pictures yet? Like to see if you have.

 

[Girth Hammer]

I have shown pics to one person here. I have ton of progress pics & hopefully videos soon on a facebook page. But most of them have my goverment name & face shots so I will send them to you in a PM DLD when I get chance to get on my computer.

 

[DLD]

Excellent!

 

[rakas]

Totally forgot about this thread.

Unfortunately i was made unemployed after this thread was created and as a result i had to give up the gym. I also went back to my unhealthy ways reaching 284lb in January, however i did lose 2lb in Feburary. I am now 282lb.

I did go back to the gym during Feburary and have created a different routine as you can see below, i have attached my targets and current lifts also.

Chest Press - Current 130lb - Target 210lb
Shoulder Press - Current 160lb - Target 210lb
Calf Press - Current 190lb - Target 310lb
Leg Press - Current 310lb - Target 310lb (Achieved)
Latteral Pulls - Current 160lb - Target 210lb
Diverging Latteral Pulls - Current 160lb - Target 210lb

I do this three days per week.

One day a week i also do..
2km Exercise Bike - Level 6
2km Rowing Machine - Level 10

Other than increasing my strength, my aim is to drop 87lb to 195lb (13 stone, 13 pounds).

 

[Alex78]

way too much stuff, stick to cardio and small weights and lots of repetitions!

More pounds equals less reps equals quicker acid build up!

Food is 80% of getting weight down if you are out of gym start the bicycle!

 

[rakas]

Very poor year overall really with almost a stone gained (though likely to be my slowest gain in a year since i was 17).

Updated table..

May 2010: -3lb
June 2010: -2lb
July 2010: 0lb
August 2010: +7lb
September 2010: +1lb
October 2010: +4lb
November 2010: +2lb
December 2010: +1lb
January 2011: +10lb
Feburary 2011: -2lb
March 2011: +2lb
April 2011: +1lb
May 2011: +4lb
June 2011: -5lb
July 2011: +5lb
August 2011: +4lb
September: -4lb
October: +5lb
November: +4lb

Total: +34lb
Target Loss - 117lb (181lb)
Current Weight: 298lb

A new peak weight of 298lb.

The good news is that i am -7700 calories to the 10th this month which bodes well for a loss.

 

[REDZULU2003]

Excellent stuff mate. I'm no pro on this and not many are if any in these forums but you do get many wannabe 'gurus' online in the bb forums. Have a read around many of the fitness coaches and athletes incl bodybuilders who weren't juiced to the gills especially the older methods. I have a good build myself now albeit not in training I'm strong as an ox and a solid 196lbs at 5ft 11''. I'm aiming to get some shots on here soon so watch for that one. I suggest you look at VINCE GIRONDA as he is just a wonder that came and went yet his stuff will always be here. MIKE MENTZER is another albeit yes he took juice but he actually is one of a few bodybuilders who knows what he is talking about and does science and philosophy around it all, makes very interesting reading plus he's into HIT training and not the high volume. ARTHUR JONES is another you MUST look on. Master, all three sadly now deceased but you can learn TONS from these guys TONS. JOHN LITTLE and Penis EnlargementTE SISCO are two innovaters on HIT methods as-well.

Dont make the mistake of having to feel the need to incl tons of exercises for each body part, tons of reps and sets and doing it day in day out. Its not needed at all and I have been and done it. Your a clever guy and been to college, uni? so read up on the non-bullshit guys in the field and check up the science on how muscle and strength is built. Studies have even been done and proven that 1 set at high intensity is as effective as 2 or even 3 sets. Do it in the least amount of time with the most effort, that is the best way. Your body does not want to keep churning on and on for hours on end, it wont make you stronger or larger unless you take ''something'' to help with the inroad into the recovery process.

Keep it simple yet effective.

 

[rakas]

Thanks guys.

I did lose 8lb in December although i have likely more than put that back on since (will weigh on Sunday).

Well i certainly need to get my act together and with a new month upon us i shall do just that.

My gym routine will be very simple and three days per week only...

Chest Press - Current 130lb - Target 210lb
Leg Press - Current 310lb - Target 310lb (Achieved)
Diverging Latteral Pulls - Current 160lb - Target 210lb

1km Rowing Machine - Level 10

Since i have not been keeping up at the gym i shall know doubt have to start lower than i was previously lifting however my eventual target is still the same.

I shall up my lifts by 15lb every two weeks along with upping the rowing by 500 meters each two weeks.

Perhaps most differently to before is that i am actually going to attempt to change my diet. I shall still allow myself one pizza, one Chicken Tikka kebab, one full English Breakfast, one Fish and Chips and One Cheese Burger and Chips each month but only one of each per month.

I have calculate by basal metabolic rate rounded to be 2600 calories and after reading around i believe that i should be aiming for the 80-100% range in order to avoid my body losing what muscle it has, thus i shall be eating in the 2100-2600 range each day. My plan is simple in that i shall allow 600 calories per day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

In terms of what i will be eating, here is a list and please feel free to suggest something that can be swapped. Other than Chicken and Fish i am largely wanting it to be fruit and vegetable based...

Weetabix
Milk
Wholemeal/Brown Bread
Tuna
Chicken
Quorn
Cod In Butter Sauce
Mushrooms
Onions
Peas
Beans
Pears
Bananas
Apple
Strawberry
Yougurt