HELP PLEASE! I would really appreciate it! :)

Z

zskb15

New member
Hey everyone! I'll start off by telling you about myself and my goals...

I am currently 206 lbs and have a desire weight of 180-185. I would like to reach this in a month! I'm sure there will be a lot of people telling me its impossible...I'm 22, 5"11 and pretty athletic. I do have some belly fat obviously. I tore my ACL and I'm almost back to 100% so there are no limitations in my workouts.

Although my desired weight is 185, my real goal is to look good. If I'm 200 lbs and have washboard abs and nice arm/chest muscles thats fine. My leg muscles are good and strong! (soccer player)

Pretty much I'm asking for your help to get me buff and look "sexy" where I get some oohs and ahhs in a month or less...I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

What workouts should I do? Should I take supplements? Should I lift? lift and run? sprints or long distance? What is the fastest way to look good within a month!! Thank you! I look forward to hearing from you! :)
 
My suggestion (and I'm sure you'll get varying advice) is to try metabolic resistance training. It's made a huge difference to me in my workouts - but, that's my personal experience.

It's basically circuit training - you do some resistance moves (like push-ups, lunges w/bicep curls) then w/little rest you do some old fashioned cardio (running in place, jumping jacks, mountain climbers) again then with little rest between, repeat the circuit. Plyometrics are also involved in the advanced moves - jumping lunges, jump squats and 180s to name a few.

There are endless types of exercises you can do. The point is to do complex moves using body weight or free weights incorporated to make the exercise more complex and use multiple muscle groups - then do a burst of cardio to get your heart rate up. Your "recovery" time is when you do the resistance part again.

There are different types of videos out there that incorporate this type of plan - from P90X, Jillian's 30 Day Shred, Insanity...etc It's all similar in concept - just varying in intensity and duration.

Let's see what others have to say.... :)
 
Circuit training is not going to get you buff. :) Sorry, but that's the truth.

Two things will get you the look you want: Eating right (in other words, your diet in the sense of "what you eat" rather than in the sense of "going on a") and lifting weights.

However, 20 lbs lost in a month? When you're already pretty close to a healthy weight? Probably not doable. I'm not trying to be a buzzkill or anything ... but it's just not a reasonable goal. That doesn't mean you shouldn't work towards the look you want - just don't set yourself up for disappointment by being unreasonable. Too many people set unrealistic goals and when they don't make them, they give up and claim their plan "failed". It didn't fail - it's just not instant gratification.

So .. that said.

Eating: Eat healthy foods, lots of fruit and veg, get about 1g of protein per pound of lean body weight (for you, probably around 150g of protein per day), make sure the carbs you eat are complex carbs, and limit white carbs (processed flour, sugars, etc.). Drink lots of water. I'd suggest around 2000 calories per day for you - maybe a little more depending on how much working out you do.

Working out: READ the sticky in the exercise area called The Conceptual Side of Weightlifting - written by Steve. In fact read everything in the exercise area written by Steve. There's more good information there on getting that fit, cut, healthy look and building muscle and strength.

Combining weight lifting (serious real weight lifting, not fooling around "toning") with eating right will get you some serious results pretty quickly.
 
I missed the whole buff part - I saw abs, nice chest and looking sexy. So, so much for that. :)

Agree - circuit training won't get you buff.

It'll get you lean, but not buff. My bad.
 
In addition to what is said above by Kara, the best way to do this is to write down or use a spreadsheet to keep track of everything you eat. I mean everything. Even a squirt of ketchup. When you know how much fuel you put into the "tank" you will see immediately stuff that you won't eat anymore just to drop the belly fat.

It really works.
 
Completely agree about the tracking. I used an online tool for a few months, but got frustrated at how it lagged sometimes or the food portion measurement wasn't what I needed. So I created my own Excel sheet that has all kinds of look-ups and formulas. It makes it VERY easy for me and I love using it.

I use it every day, log every meal and snack. It helps me plan my day and keeps me on goal.

You'll find that once you do this, that you'll love making your own food b/c you're responsible for measuring and knowing what you eat. Going out becomes a pain b/c it's really hard to know what portion you're getting and what they use to cook.
 
Depending on how assertive you are:

I ask waitress or waiters any details I need to be able to figure out as exact as possible the calories in the food I eat. I tell them what I need to know and sometimes, they will actually know how many calories are in their dishes.

This will change for the better over time. I am in a cafe now and they have actually figured out how many calories are in each bowl of their chicken-andouille gumbo soup that I am eating at this very moment.

Just ask. I do
 
I try to do my research in advance - look up menus online, see if they have any caloric information or portion details. Livestrong and Dailyplate (are they the same now? hmmm...) are good resources for this kind of information too.

Whenever I get anything grilled I have learned to ask that they not use butter - and sometimes I get some confused looks. I had one ask me - "So, no grease??" This is especially true for the veggies - I was so disappointed once when I forgot to specify. They were glistening with buttery goodness. :)

I haven't gotten as far as asking for portion sizes or caloric content - but, like I said I try to avoid going out. Not only for ease or cost, but I also try to eat organically whenever possible. I want to avoid meats/veggies that have been treated with hormones or chemicals...and in restaurants you can never be sure. So, I know I'm a little "overboard" on how strict I am, but I know with my personality....it's how I have to be. I know my approach isn't for everyone (as I've been chastized on these boards for my very specific advice).

But I agree with you - asking questions and using all the resources of the internet to research your dining out options make it a lot easier to gauge what you're eating when not at home.
 
Hey GeminiGirl,

You are amazing. As you wrote me I was just finishing a big homemade waffle cone with homemade pistachio ice cream from this cafe. I had to type with one hand.

Frank
 
Amazing?? Me? No....you being able to enjoy that delicious sounding ice cream is what is truly amazing!! **sigh** I can't remember the last time I had ice cream! Haha!

I even buy organic ice cream sandwiches, but I don't eat them. I only have so many calories to play with and 160 for an ice cream sandwich usually doesn't make the cut.

Heck - I even buy organic WINE!! :D I enjoy a glass maybe 2x a week....if I'm lucky. MMmmm.....
 
Sexy exercises

As for some of the best exercises for that "look'n good build" I recomend learning and building up to the kind of stuff you see in Marine Boot camp.

Things like chin ups, push ups and other body weight movements build killer sexy bodies that look just as tough as they perform.

As for the abs I would keep it simple, some hanging leg raises. Hang from a bar or use a device that lets you're legs hang in the air and bring them up towards your chest. They are possibly the easiest technique that can really deliver the goods!
 
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