Help with training routine to lose weight! Help!

[wirral_09]

hey guys/girls

i'll try to spare you the long story, so here goes. i'm 20yrs old, 5"7 180lbs. and for the first time am actually taking working out properly seriously. i used to keep fit by only playing sports like soccer and competitive swimming but that finished when i left high school 2 years ago.
so as you can imagine i am pretty out of shape at the moment and trying to get back into it. my main goal is to lose weight through burning fat before possibly bulking up muscle in the future.

do you guys/girls have any tips or suggestions as to what i should do to achieve this? anything would be appreciated.

thank you!

[Italianangel]

I would look at beginning a weight training program, at home or a gym.
Have you ever weight trained or do you do it now and if so what is your present trainng regime and diet plan?
Linda

[zayyaz]

Strength Training Versus Aerobic Exercise

"Contrary to what many people think, strength training is as important, maybe more important to successful fat loss than aerobic exercise. The reason lies in the amount of calories that are burned when you aren't exercising. Depending on the intensity and your weight, an aerobic workout (walking, cycling, stair stepping) will burn approximately 300 calories per hour. If the exercise is strenuous enough (which is unlikely in the beginning exerciser) the RMR [resting metabolic rate] will be elevated temporarily up to a few hours afterwards. Compare this to strength training which elevates the RMR permanently. The RMR accounts for 60 to 75 percent of your daily calorie expenditure, so even a modest increase will help burn off more fat.

One study (Campbell 1994) found that a three-month basic strength-training program resulted in the subjects gaining three pound of muscle and losing four pounds of fat, while eating 370 more calories per day (a 15 percent calorie increase). Remember, aerobic exercise generally doesn't increase muscle tissue. In fact, excessive amount of aerobic exercise combined with a low-calorie diet can cause the loss of some muscle tissue. This is not to say that overweight individuals shouldn't do aerobic exercise--it offers many health benefits and is a part of a weight loss program. It's just that aerobic exercise by itself may not be the best solution for permanent weight (fat) loss.

Don't think that you need to workout in a gym for two hours to strength train. Significant gains can be made with a consistent 30-minute workout performed 2 -3 times per week."

Deborah L. Mullen, C.S.C.S
Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Simple Fitness Solutions
San Luis Obispo, CA

Strength Training for Weight Loss Success

[sleepyles]

I would say watch what you eat. In order to lose weight, you would have to burn more calories than you consume. Diet is key, also a lot of cardio. If you haven't worked out in awhile. I would suggest doing cardio 20 - 30 mins a day 3-5 times a week. Also do some moderate weight lifting to tone or build muscle. When doing weight lifting do a lot of reps (12-20) with light/ medium weight if your ultimate goal is to lose weight, and not bulk up right now. Also remember that the lose of 1-2 lbs per week is the most healthiest way, it also gives time for your skin to tighten up. If you lose weight too fast, your skin will be lose and flabby.

But I think Italianangel has hit the head, if you can provide more info, it would help others come up with a base plan to assist you with your goals.

Good luck, and remember "mind over matter", you must have the "mental will" to do what is necessary to acheive your goals.

[wirral_09]

well ive been going to the gym around 3-4 times a week.. basically trying to work in gym sessions around my studies at uni. my routine, which was planned by one of the trainers at my uni gym is.

warm up - 5min cycling. low resistance
weights - leg extention
chest press
leg curl
shoulder press
lat pull down
all weights exercises: 2 sets, 5 reps. the weight was unspecified.
cardio - 30-45 mins. 1min high intensity, 1:30 med-low intensity repeated.

as for eating.. i either skip breakfast or lunch because of my class schedule. im not quite sure what to be eating at the moment but im eating as little carbohydrates as possible and trying to avoid fatty foods as well.

thanks so much for the help you guys i really appreciate it. i'm trying to lose weight ASAP.. kinda getting tired of the fat jokes..

[gettingfit]

Get this book and read every single page. It's going to help you.

The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean ...
By David Zinczenko, Ted Spiker

[Weiser_Cain]

Start counting calories
Eat smaller meals preferably six times a day(Not full sized meals!)
Lift weights
Do some cardio, I like treadmills but if you still have access to a pool...
Stay active all day (do 20 quick push-ups and or sit-ups before 'lunch' if you're out if you can)

[sleepyles]

Well when I was big, and I had enough, this was the average day for me diet and exercise wise.

Diet:
Breakfast (6:00am) - 1 cup of oatmeal sometimes mixed fresh fruit
mid-morning (9:30am)- 1 bannana or Protien shake
Lunch (12:00) - small salad with 1 can of tuna
mid-afternoon (3:00pm) - 1/4 cup cottage cheese and veggies (carrots, brocoli) or Protien shake
Dinner (6:00pm) - 1 grilled Chicken breast and tonnes of green veggies
Late night snack (no later than 8:00pm) - Protien shake or 1/2 cups almonds
Also the only thing I really drank was water, I cut out all sodas, and fruit juices, except protien shakes. I also cut down my overall sodium intake.

Exercises (5 days a week):
Morning - 20 minutes of cardio (moderate)
Evening - weights (3-4 exercises per body part - did 2 body parts per day), moderate weight, and 10-15 reps (last 5 reps is where you should feel some sort of burn in the muscles). After weights another 20 minutes of cardio (HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training)

I liked doing cardio at the end of weight training, as weights made me feel a little tired, so the cardio I did last in the evenings.

To the above, I gave myself one cheat day in terms of diet and excerise which was Sundays, but remember you can cheat on the diet, but do not over indulge.

From what you said, it sounded like you skipped breakfast and lunch. I would try to eat those meals, as those meals provide you with the "fuel" for the day, as well as you would tend to burn those calories during the day as you consume them. One thing I might suggest is try not eating late at night, and don't over indulge in the evenings, as when you sleep you won't burn as much calories as you would during the day. If possible try not to eat after 8pm or 9pm depending on what time you go to bed.

Remember bad habits are hard to break but once you break them, you will realize and question "why did I do all of that before?".

Also I would tend not to restrict your carb intake too much, but instead what worked for me was intake my carbs in the morning, and restrict them in the afternoon, as during the day I would burn them off calorie wise.

Good luck and I hope this helps. If you are just starting to work out again, take it slow and don't jump in too fast or else you will injure yourself. Remember the weight didn't take long to put on, but to come off it takes time. Just stick to your guns.

[bouncer]

Sleepyles hit the nail on the head. Weight training can be very aerobic. Moderate weight and higher reps will not only burn calories but your glycogen stores as well. That's why it's great to do some aerobics (HITT is great) right after the workout. That way you are digging right in to your body's fat stores from the beginning.

An alternate to straight sets and reps is circuit training. I like it fast paced, going immediately from one exercise to another. You can really get your heart rate and breathing elevated this way, and burn mad calories and glycogen before you do direct cardio.

[pliny_2001]

Welcome, and good points all - I made some notations in red below.

Originally Posted by wirral_09

warm up - 5min cycling. low resistance good
Stretch after your warm-up
weights - leg extention Leg extensions are worthless. If you can stand up from a chair, then do squats. If you can do 30 squats without any weight, start doing them with just the bar. If you can do that, then add on weight - I'd stay in the 2 sets of 10-15 rep range
chest press Good - I'd recommend dumbells
leg curl Essentially worthless on a machine - either do them with a stability ball or do "good mornings" or "romanian deadlifts" (google can tell you how)
shoulder press Fine
lat pull down If you can do even a single pull-up, do that instead
all weights exercises: 2 sets, 5 reps. the weight was unspecified. 5 rep work is insanity for someone getting into shape. Keep it around 10.
cardio - 30-45 mins. 1min high intensity, 1:30 med-low intensity repeated. Good

as for eating.. i either skip breakfast or lunch because of my class schedule. im not quite sure what to be eating at the moment but im eating as little carbohydrates as possible and trying to avoid fatty foods as well. 1. Skipping breakfast is the single biggest dietary mistake you can make, other than stabbing yourself with a sharpened carrot. 2. Carbs and fat are actually good for you, as in "necessary." PROCESSED carbs and fat should be skipped at all costs.

thanks so much for the help you guys i really appreciate it. i'm trying to lose weight ASAP.. kinda getting tired of the fat jokes..2 pounds of weight loss a week - all it takes is commitment (and it's all diet, btw - the exercise make you look and feel better, but your waistline's determined in the kitchen