I need help with weight training!

[Wolfen1]

So, I have been working out with weights for a while but without too much focus or information. I'm not really sure what I should do to have a good serious routine. In the other weight thread, it had been suggested that I concentrate more on weight training (I weight about 150, and am 5'11").
Right now I do M,W,F on upper body - pectoral fly, incline press, curls, triceps etc. Tues, thur, Sat I do lower and abs. What should I increase doing? How many should I do in each rep and how many reps should I do for maximum effectiveness? How long should I wait between reps?

Also, I walk at least an hour everyday, pretty hard and fast, or if it is raining do 45 minutes on a n eliptical. Does the amount of cardio you do affect results in weight training? Should I lessen the amount while I am concentrating solely on weight training?

I also have a concern about nutrition. How do I know how much protein I need everyday? What are the best sources of protein that won't pack on too much fat?

Thanks in adavance for answering the questions and giving me advice and help.

 

[maleficent]

the estimate that's been given by the knowledgable one on the forum, is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass -the trick is determining your lean body mass -there are online calculators, but tehy aren't overly accurate - and the body fat scales are even less so - so really -it's just take a portion of your weight...

Best sources of protein are the lean varieties, chicken breasts (skinless), turkey breast (skinless), pork tenderloin, tofu and eggs, even ground sirloin to fill that burger need.. .pretty much anything except 85 percent lean ground chuck...

 

[Trevor M.]

Any good resistance training program consist of movements that recruit multiple joints. These are called "compound movements". They should be the basis of any resistance training program. Other movements, such as bicep curls, thats main use involves a single joint are called "isolated movements" or "accessory movements".

Its important to keep things simple, especially for beginners. Focus on compounds, little to no isolations, and keep the workout short(60minutes or less). For the first few weeks I believe you should keep the rest time to 2-3 minutes. As you become more experienced move to 1 minute rest times.

Always go from largest movement to smallest first. Always weights before "cardio".

For the first few workouts. Ensure your using light enough weight to ENSURE you are using proper form. Don't even try maxing out, going to failure until you have a couple weeks of routine lifting under your belt. You should allow your neuromuscular efficiency to rise first.
Vary your reps and sets. If one week/day you got for 3x8 next time try 5x5 and so on.

Ensure your drinking throughout the day and enough to support your new activity level. Ensure you have your calories intact and your getting enough of all the macros (fat,protein, carbs).

Check the "basic lifts" sticky written by Steve.

protein that won't pack on too much fat?

All macros (explained above) can be stored as fat hence, why the "calorie is the king".

Also, I walk at least an hour everyday, pretty hard and fast, or if it is raining do 45 minutes on a n eliptical. Does the amount of cardio you do affect results in weight training? Should I lessen the amount while I am concentrating solely on weight training?

Depends, whats your overall goals?

 

[beksbks]

As far as protein goes, I think fish beats everything. Extremely high protein for the calories.


Study Shows Cardio before Weights is Beneficial

A recent study from the Human Performance Research Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah examined what happened to ten men who did resistance only, run only, resistance-run, and run-resistance sessions. (‘Resistance-run’ means weights before cardio and vice versa.)

Here’s what they reported:

EPOC, the measure of the afterburn or energy output after you stop exercising was greatest when cardio was done before weight training.
Running after a weights session was physiologically more difficult than doing it before lifting weights. (This has implications for efficiency and possibly safety.)
The researchers recommend “performing aerobic exercise before resistance exercise when combining them into one exercise session”.
This was not a large study, so the results should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, this is in line with my own experience with this training sequence, and also that of some clients.

Other research found that 'running economy' is also impaired after a weights session, another reason why the weights-->cardio sequence is less efficient.

 

[Trevor M.]

Other research found that 'running economy' is also impaired after a weights session, another reason why the weights-->cardio sequence is less efficient.

No duh, regardless of which exercise you perform first the following will generally get the short end of the stick when it comes to exertion level, common sense.

As far as protein goes, I think fish beats everything. Extremely high protein for the calories.

Love fish, I would consider it the "king of meats" when it comes to health benefits. But, protein to calorie ratio "king" would go to egg whites for me.

Now, back to topic. When holding possibly 100+ pounds or more over the body. I prefer the person be in optimal condition. Especially for beginners who's neurological motor function has not yet peaked. Weight lifting is very mental. One has to ensure the trainee is in optimal condition for the CNS to be able to activate all possible muscle fibers.

One last thing

EPOC, the measure of the after burn or energy output after you stop exercising was greatest when cardio was done before weight training.

By what? Seeing how the average individual calorie expenditure doesn't exceed 75 calories due to oxygen debt at the max. Were likely talking a very small and thus negligible amount.

 

[beksbks]

Hey Trevor, no need to be stinky, I just happen to have read several times recently that cardio before weights is beneficial. One cup of egg whites has about the same protein and calories as 4.5 oz of Tilapia. I find a nice Tilapia fillet more appealing. Sorry to intrude.

 

[Trevor M.]

haha, no need to apologize mate! Its all a matter of opinion. No real straight "facts" when it comes to which comes first.

Yeah, tilapia is a great protein food. I love fish, must eat it at least 5-6 days a week.

That "no duh" part came off wrong. My apologies, meant no disrespect by it.

 

[beksbks]

Well thanks, just trying to be helpful. I be a chick by the way.

 

[James2]

easy / cheap sources of protein are cans of tuna or whey protein mix. The tuna you can grab at the grocery store, and the whey protein you can grab at any "vitamin shop". If / When you go looking for whey, don't buy the super expensive stuff. Look for the bulk cheap stuff (read the nutrition label first, calculate how many grams of protein you're getting per dollar and go from there).

Also, I walk at least an hour everyday, pretty hard and fast, or if it is raining do 45 minutes on a n eliptical. Does the amount of cardio you do affect results in weight training? Should I lessen the amount while I am concentrating solely on weight training?

It completely depends. If you are in a caloric deficit, the best you can hope for is to maintain the amount of muscle you have.

As someone above me asked... what are your goals? If you are still cutting, wait till you are done to focus on building muscle. When you are done cutting weight, change your caloric intake to maintenance for a couple of weeks till your body gets used to it, then up your intake a little bit while weight training.