Workout

[soupdragon]

Hi Steve, thanks for the advice, sorry, that I'm not quoting your reply, but I can't work out the system on the forum. so to answer your questions,
1) yes I will be doing cardio in the same sessions, as I work 3-4 days a week from 0730 to 2100 and that doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else on those days. I will be doing the cardio after my gym session although I hope to start cycling to the gym(about 8 miles round trip) when my stamina improve.
2) the trainer suggested splitting up the routine if I get to the gym less than 3 times.
3) there is a lack of weight training equipment at this gym, there are dumb bells benches and a few machines, but I could add one of them to the mix if necessary. Is it possible to do any pulling exercise with the dumb bells.
4) I have done pilates in the past (in a proper pilates studio) so am familiar with how to approach exercises in the proper position. I also have a pair of MBTs which I find helpful for maintaining proper posture, and I often wear them and find them a benefit. y
5) trainer suggested using the ball for squats as he felt that would help keep me from further injuring my back, as it would allow better alignment.
6) I am still gathering information on diet, and haven't yet formulated a proper plan. At present, I am following weight watchers points plan, and admit to eating a lot of convenience foods, so I know that that will have to change. So any advice on protein, carb fat ratios would be appreciated. I have joined fitday which will track my diet for me. I have worked out my calories in 2 ways, first using fit day, which allows me 2400 cals a day, and secondly by using BMR and the Harris Benidict formula which allows me about 2100 cals a day after taking off about 25% to allow for weight loss. I don't know if its the old style dieting mentality, but that seems like an awful lot of cals to loose weight on, but it would be easier to stick to that number of cals over the next 18 months. By the way, I her that it is your first wedding anniversary today (7/7/08) so congratulations to you both.

 

[Steve]

Hi Steve, thanks for the advice, sorry, that I'm not quoting your reply, but I can't work out the system on the forum. so to answer your questions,

You're welcome and no problem.

1) yes I will be doing cardio in the same sessions, as I work 3-4 days a week from 0730 to 2100 and that doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else on those days. I will be doing the cardio after my gym session although I hope to start cycling to the gym(about 8 miles round trip) when my stamina improve.

As of now your main concern should be energy expenditure. Weight training, if thrown into the mix (and I think it should be) should be of higher volume stuff since this, in theory, is what expends more energy. The program outlined is high volume but it's not balanced. So that's a problem.

Preserving muscle really isn't a concern for you at this stage in the game. You're still carrying enough body fat where the loss of muscle isn't probable.

All this means is, as I eluded to above, that you want energy wasting stuff. I'd put an emphasis on things such as cardio and high rep weight training using big exercises that call on multiple joints and muscles.

If you have questions about this, just ask.

2) the trainer suggested splitting up the routine if I get to the gym less than 3 times.

I'd probably split it up regardless. How many days per week do you really think you're going to get in for weight training?

3) there is a lack of weight training equipment at this gym, there are dumb bells benches and a few machines, but I could add one of them to the mix if necessary. Is it possible to do any pulling exercise with the dumb bells.

Do they have a cable machine?

5) trainer suggested using the ball for squats as he felt that would help keep me from further injuring my back, as it would allow better alignment.

If he knows his stuff I suppose you should abide by his instruction. What exactly is wrong with your back? What do the docs say in terms of contraindications?

6) I am still gathering information on diet, and haven't yet formulated a proper plan. At present, I am following weight watchers points plan, and admit to eating a lot of convenience foods, so I know that that will have to change.

What do you consider convenience foods?

Even when you turn to your convenience foods, do you abide by the points you are allotted?

So any advice on protein, carb fat ratios would be appreciated.

My recommendations are pretty straightforward to be honest, in the context of blanket advice.

Before I get into specifics with someone, I like to make sure they have their calories figured out first. That is the driving factor behind all of your goals. For general purposes, maintenance caloric intake is 12-14 calories per pound of body weight in your case. From this, I like to start with a deficit of roughly 20-25%%. This number is very general... the more fat one is carrying, in theory, the greater the deficit they can afford.

I think any diet for the average person, leaving out goal dependencies, should worry about calories first and foremost, then protein requirements, then EFAs (essential fats). Once they are accounted for, it is fair game to toy around with the remaining macronutrients required to fulfill your energy requirements.

For instance, suppose you are 225 lbs. Maintenance would be between 2500-3000 calories with activity factored into that number. We'll call it 2700 here for simplicity's sake... that is the number I will use as the foundation of the creation of my diet.

From there we want to create something like a 25% deficit, which would be 2000ish calories. That's our target.

I like to have 1ish grams of protein for each pound of lean body mass. Most don't know their body fat percentage... do you? If not, you can estimate it to be something like 25-35%. It's tough to judge without seeing you, ya know? There are calculators online that can get you a ballpark but they're certainly not accurate.

225x.3=68

That's 68 lbs of fat, leaving 157 lbs of lean body mass. That might be a little high but that's no harm.

I'd be shooting for 150ish grams of protein in this case.

There are 4 calories in each gram of protein, which equals out to be 600 calories (using the above numbers). Of our original 2000 calorie goal, that leaves us with 1400 left to fill.

My proteins come from chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, pork tenderloin, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, whey protein powder, lean ground beef, top round steak, etc.

I then worry about my fats. I like to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-100 grams as a minimum. Of this, I keep it to the healthy side of things with monounsaturateds (olive oil), certain polyunsaturateds (omega-6/9s, stuff like flax oil, borage oil, etc), and a source of omega-3s (fish oil caps, or a serving of omega-3 rich fish like salmon). Let's say from this, I take in 60 grams of fat. I like to ballpark it so it leads to about 30% of your calories coming from fat. There are 9 calories per gram of fat, giving us a total of 540 calories from fat.

We had 1400 calories left from above and with this fat, we're left with 860.

This is where I add my carbs and I toy around with the other macronutrients too. This is where all the variability comes into play. As an average, I would say 200 grams of carbs is a good number for an active individual. However, certain people have different tolerances or intolerances. It's a matter of toying around until you find what works for you.

In this example, suppose we go with 150 grams of carbs. Each gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, so this would total 600. We would still have 260 calories to fill which I would probably add some more fats and/or protein.

It tends to be very personal and goal dependent from this point forward. If you were going to be doing a lot of frequent cycling, I would load up on carbs, especially close to your workouts/cycles. Active people can benefit from carbs, although there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, there are only essential amino acids and essential fats.

I'm sure this all seems complex but it really isn't. It's just my *general* thought process in most situations.

To reiterate:

1. Determine maintenance calories
2. Determine caloric goal based on maintenance
3. Fill caloric goal with macronutrients, starting with protein first, then fats, then carbs
4. Protein intake should be close to 1 gram per pound of lbm
5. Fats should be around 30% of total calories coming predominantly from the good stuff, for most this will be somewhere around 50-75 grams.
6. From there fill in the rest with carbs and more fat/protein to bring your calories up to the target.

I have joined fitday which will track my diet for me. I have worked out my calories in 2 ways, first using fit day, which allows me 2400 cals a day, and secondly by using BMR and the Harris Benidict formula which allows me about 2100 cals a day after taking off about 25% to allow for weight loss.

I'm replying as I read through this, and you can see that your numbers are very similar to the numbers I used in my example... so good.

I don't know if its the old style dieting mentality, but that seems like an awful lot of cals to loose weight on, but it would be easier to stick to that number of cals over the next 18 months.

Well you didn't get to be 220+ lbs eating low calories. Keep things in perspective. To maintain 225 lbs you have to be eating at least 2500 calories per day... most likely more.

To lose weight you simply need to go below that number of maintenance.

By the way, I her that it is your first wedding anniversary today (7/7/08) so congratulations to you both.

Thanks very much.

 

[soupdragon]

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply. I am not quite sure what you mean by using multiple joints and muscle groups. Is it doing exercises such as using a bar bell and pushing it above your head. What would your recommendations be for me given that
1 There is no cable machine or bar bells available at the gym (it is less state of the art and more state of the cave.)
2 Realistically I will probably be able to get to the gym 3 days a week, anything more would be a bonus. Although I could probably work in some short (30min) cycling sessions sessions after work.
3 My top half is weaker than my bottom half.
4 I have a misplaced rib and 2 herniated discs (one lumbar and one cervical). The docs say that as I have had them for so long, that I know what I can and can't do. I also have hyper-mobile joints which ache if I over stretch them.
One other question for you. I was visiting my friend, and I was discussing weight training with her son who has been working out for some years now. I was discussing the fact that my bottom half was much stronger than my top, and that my muscles seemed to get harder fairly quickly if I worked them. He put this down to the fact that I had been a riding instructor and horse trainer and cycled a lot when I was younger, and that my muscle had "memory". I had not heard this before, have you?
Thanks for the advice about my diet. You explained that very clearly and concisely. I will try that out.

 

[Steve]

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply. I am not quite sure what you mean by using multiple joints and muscle groups. Is it doing exercises such as using a bar bell and pushing it above your head. What would your recommendations be for me given that

Yea, compound exercises require you to bend at multiple joints and utilize multiple muscles to perform the movement.

A dumbbell curl for your biceps would be an isolation movement.

A squat would be a compound movement.

Follow me?

In most any case, compound exercises should comprise the majority of your resistance training.

1 There is no cable machine or bar bells available at the gym (it is less state of the art and more state of the cave.)

In that case you're pretty limited in terms of what you can do for rowing exercises.

You are currently doing DB rows which are fine.

Is this the only gym in your area?

2 Realistically I will probably be able to get to the gym 3 days a week, anything more would be a bonus. Although I could probably work in some short (30min) cycling sessions sessions after work.

All you need in terms of resistance training is 2, maybe 3, full body sessions per week.

Your goal is to maintain muscle while shedding the fat... this doens't take a lot.

In addition to these 2-3 sessions you should fit cardio in as often as you can and let diet (which is by far the biggest, most important piece of the pie in terms of you being successful) take care of the rest.

3 My top half is weaker than my bottom half.

Welcome to the world of being a woman.

4 I have a misplaced rib and 2 herniated discs (one lumbar and one cervical). The docs say that as I have had them for so long, that I know what I can and can't do. I also have hyper-mobile joints which ache if I over stretch them.

The doc left it up to you to decide what you can and can't do?

I'd find a new doc.

One other question for you. I was visiting my friend, and I was discussing weight training with her son who has been working out for some years now. I was discussing the fact that my bottom half was much stronger than my top, and that my muscles seemed to get harder fairly quickly if I worked them. He put this down to the fact that I had been a riding instructor and horse trainer and cycled a lot when I was younger, and that my muscle had "memory". I had not heard this before, have you?

Yea, I hear this sort of stuff quite often.

True, if you've placed your leg muscles under a specific amount of stress and tension, take break, then come back to it... you will get your strength back fast then had you just been starting from scratch.

But this doesn't have anything to do with muscle hardness.

And it doesn't last forever.

Cycling wouldn't overload your muscles in this way either.

I don't think he knows what he's talking about.

 

[megookman]

1) Weight training isn't really good for weight loss, at least not in this context. Diet and cardio take care of providing the caloric expenditure/deficit required to trigger fat loss, right? Weight training, especially given your stats (i.e., you don't have a lot of weight to lose), serves more the function of 'persuading' where the weight comes from.... fat instead of muscle.

Put differently, the caloric deficit coming from diet and cardio triggers weight loss. Weight training in this context makes sure the weight lost is fat, not muscle.

Losing weight is easy.

Losing weight and looking good at the end is a little more complex... hence the importance of weight training.

2) Unfortunately you can't pick and choose where you lose fat from. Your belly and thighs are your problem spots. Remain consistent and eventually you'll tap into those stores.

Thanks Steve!! I just had a BIG "OOOOOOOOH" moment right now

 

[Steve]

You're welcome and glad to hear.

 

[SonofJorEl]

Steve...just want to say that you are freakin' awesome.

I have to admit that I've been "depressed" about losing fat. I've been a weightlifter for a long time, but I simply look "big" rather than "muscular" (if that makes sense ).

I think combining the things I've learned from you today into a total fitness "program" (I know, you don't like that word) will really help me drop much needed fat.

I'm starting at about 240 lbs. at 5' 10"

My goal is 215 lbs or so. More importantly I want to reduce my body fat which is about 25% down to 15%.

Thanks bro!!

 

[Steve]

Anytime man, thanks for showing the appreciation.

 

[naini_k]

pls update video links on 1 st page

 

[Steve]

They were not my videos so that's probably not going to happen. If I find the time, I'll get around to searching out some new vids on youtube.

 

[SyNyStEr14]

They were not my videos so that's probably not going to happen. If I find the time, I'll get around to searching out some new vids on youtube.

That would be awesomely awesome if you could!!

I've had a look through countless videos on there already..kinda tough to find something when you dont know what your looking for!! So many different variations of the same thing!!

Hate to be spoon fed, but Im soooooo lost

Thanks either way

 

[Steve]

You might want to check out the stickies on my forum if you're lost. I put together some great information for building a foundation of weight lifting knowledge.

 

[SyNyStEr14]

You might want to check out the stickies on my forum if you're lost. I put together some great information for building a foundation of weight lifting knowledge.

That would be a good idea

Cheers buddy, I'll head over there now.

 

[naini_k]

thank for replying

 

[starstar1]

hi everybody!

i would like to ask something. i was told before that if you want to lose weight, you should do more repetitions. and if you want to gain weight, heavier dbs are recommended.

i am 40yo, 5'2", 158lbs. i would like to start exercising. i plan to do this:

day 1
bench press
butterfly
pull over
bent over row

day 2 cardio

day 3
shoulder press
front raise
dumbbell lunge

day 4 cardio

day 5
kickback
triceps extension
both arms extension
dumbbell curl

i am eyeing on 10 reps x 2 sets. will this work?

what about the succeeding week. will i increase the weight or increase the reps/set?

i hope somebody can enlighten me.

thank you in advance!

 

[Itislorraine]

hi, i need an opinion on my workout plan

24 hour fitness gym workout:

Strech - 10 minutes
Cardio - 1 hour (such as biking, treadmill, elliptical trainer, stair master, etc)
STRECH STRECH STRECH - 5 minutes
Weight Training - 30 minutes (leg press, shoulder raises, pull down, push up on my knee, etc - it vary since i want to work on different body parts each day)
Cool down? - 30 minutes (Walk on an incline treadmill)
STRECCHHHHH - 10 minutes

outside school workout:

(usually 1 hour)
Doing the P90x (schedule)

OR

(Usually 2 hours)
-30 minute jog up the hill (since i live in a "hilly" area)
-3 mile run
-50 pushups
-100 situps
-50 leg lifts on each leg


Usually i do this 5-6 times a week with resting days (1-2 days) for muscle rest.

 

[witness1]

HI Steve,
My regards to you for being able to help so many ppl.
So here goes....
I am 21 years old . I was 230 pounds last year.Now I am 175 , reduced about 50-55 pounds.
Mainly due to strict dieting and a 2 mile run in 20 mins(took some time to get there) ,absolutely no weight lifting .
But now i feel that my muscle quality has deteriorated drasticslly. I am not as strong as I was . I did weights for some days , felt i was gaining weight, so stopped lifting weights.
Now I want to re-invent my whole schedule to get a lean and muscular body.
i am open to swimming and all gym equipment.(no sports). Can u suggest some schedule so that i dont increase weight and become leaner.
Thank U,

 

[stephenpaul6557]

Thanks for posting a routine. I never really know what exercises to start with an this was very helpful!

 

[TotalGym]

Do you guys usually follow the same routine? I get bored doing the same ones and try to switch them up constantly. But sometimes it is nice to see the improvements when doing the same drills.

 

[anuta]

Looks like a tough workout

Day 2:

Stiff Leg Deadlift - 3 sets of 12 reps (week 6 increase to 4 sets, weeks 7+ increase to 5 sets)

Step-ups - 2 sets of 12 reps (week 6+ increase to 3 sets)

Overhead Press - 3 sets of 12 reps (sets stay constant throughout)

Cable Pulldowns - 3 sets of 12 reps (sets stay constant throughout)

STIFF LEG DEADLIFT



In the video, the guy drops the BB once he is done with the set. You don't do this.

I like to use an alternated grip, which means one hand is pronated while the other is supinated. This simply firms of the grip you have on the bar, less likely for the bar to slip out.

Although it is called "stiff leg," you don't want to keep the knees locked. You want a slight bend in the knees, which is maintained throughout the movement. This takes the stress off of the knees.

You want to keep the natural curvature of the lumber (lower) back. If you find that you are rounding your lower back, drop the weight until you can perfect the movement. You will be able to get "deeper" in the movement as your flexibility improves. For now, the bottom of the movement is just above the point where your lower back wants to round. Full range of motion for the average person usually allows the bar to travel just below their knees.

You want to keep the bar close to your body (hips, thighs, knees, shins).

A huge misconception people have is, you simply bend forward at the hips. They are missing out hugely. As with the squat, you want to initiate this movement with your hips, by sticking your butt back. Pretend there is an imaginary wall behind you that you are trying to push your butt against. You don't want to go so far back with your butt/hips that you lose balance. Just before that point, you can start flexing at the hips, which brings your torso down toward the ground. Descend until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings and glutes OR to the point where your lumber wants to round (as noted above).

To reverse the movement, simple extend your hips and bring your torso back up. I like to overly extend my hips, basically thrusting my pelvis outward and squeezing my glutes at the top of the movement. Follow me?

It is very important to keep your back fixed, as the torso leans forward.

This exercise can be performed with a BB or DBs.

STEP UPS



In the video, the guy is using a box. Many gyms do not have boxes. You can use a bench instead. You can start with a low bench and work your way up to a higher platform as your strength increases. You can also use a BB as in the video, or hold DBs down to your side. I prefer a BB.

You want to keep the shoulders pulled back and the chest up during this exercise.

OVERHEAD PRESS





As you can see from the vids, you can use a BB or DBs with this exercise. You can also do them standing or seated. My personal preference is standing, and I use both BB and DBs. Pick which is most comfortable for you!

If you do these standing, don't lock your knees. Keep a slight bend in the knees throughout the movement.

Don't excessively arch your lower back. If you feel the need to do this, that means you are most likely using too much weight. Push the weight straight overhead.

CABLE PULLDOWNS



As you can see in the vid, there is no excessive swinging of the torso that you so commonly see in the gym. You want to lean back slightly, just enough to let the bar pass in front of your face. Pull the bar down to your upper chest/neck. Don't just pull with your arms, remember, you should be pulling with your lats and upper back as well. I like to pinch my shoulder blades together and bring them down toward the floor while I pull the weight down. I find this hits my back best when I focus on that.


Day 3:

SAME AS DAY 1
__________________________________________________ _______________

OK, so this should be a good start. I probably could have gone into more explanation and description, but there are only so many hours in a day. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post!

As for movement of the exercises, I like a controlled 2-3 second eccentric movement and a controlled, but explosive concentric movement. This means, in the portion of the exercise where you are flexing, shortening, or tightening the muscle.... you should move the bar as quickly as possible while maintaining form and control. Eventually, you will be using a heavy enough weight which will dictate how fast you move the bar during the concentric portion of the exercise. For instance, when I bench press, it may not look as though I am pushing the bar up fast. However, the weight dictates the speed I can use, and it is as fast as my body will allow.

During the eccentric portion, or the portion of the exercise where you are stretching the muscle, you want to really slow down the decent of the weight and control it. 2-3 seconds will do for now. I see so many people, again, I will use the bench press as an example.

They explode up with the weight. Then, they simply let the bar fall back down to their chest, let the weight bounce off their chest, and they explode back up. This is incorrect. Control the weight. These people who don't control the weight are missing out on a majority of the exercise (the eccentric contraction).

This routine will be fine for any "newbs" just starting out in the gym with the goal of fat loss. I left out a lot though. This is strictly the weight training portion of the program. Remember, there is nutrition, which is most important. Plus aerobic exercise and flexibility work.

A quick note on flexibility work. I highly suggest doing dynamic flexibility work before each weight training session and static flexibility after each weight training session. If you don't know what these are, maybe we can have another informational post regarding the subject. I could not include them here as this post is already way too long!

Another quick note on weight training. The goal of any program should be to get stronger. In order to do this, you need progressive overload. Progressive simply means you increase the intensity by altering some variable as time goes on. In its simplest form, you merely increase the weight on the bar as you get stronger. You could also do more work in less time, increase the number of difficult exercises, reduce rest between sets, increase frequency of training, and so on and so forth. Overload simply means pushing your body to do something that it is not used to doing. Put simply, if 100 lbs is heavy for you while bench pressing, you might be able to get 8 reps. As you progress in the routine, you will get stronger. Soon 8 reps of bench using 100 lbs will no longer "overload" your body. Your body has adapted to that weight. So you would have to increase the intensity in order to continue overloading the body. As you can see progression and overload go hand in hand.

Lastly, the beginning of this should be ALL ABOUT learning the movement/exercise. Don't worry about how much weight you are lifting. Simply pick very conservative weights. In most cases, you can use just body weight, or just the bar, or very light DBs. As you get better at the execution, you can start adding weight. But always be conservative. Jumping up too quickly in weight lifted can lead to plateaus long before you should. Gradual progression is the name of the game.

We are starting out with 12 reps per set. This can be customized to your learning curve, but I suggest something "like" the following progression:

Week 1 - 12 reps per set
Week 2 - 12 reps per set
Week 3 - 8-10 reps per set
Week 4 - 8-10 reps per set
Week 5 - 6-8 reps per set
Week 6 - 6-8 reps per set
Week 7 - 4-6 reps per set
Week 8 - 4-6 reps per set

The sets change as the reps change on some of the exercises as you progress from week to week. On others, the sets remain constant. You will see the set progression in paranthesis next to each exercise in the program outline found way up top.

I should also add, this is by no means, set in stone. Varying things to suit you will not destroy the efficacy of the routine! If you want to follow it to a "T", fine. If you are uncomfortable making changes to it, but want to, feel free to ask me before you make the change.

This is just one example of a starting place. There are many.

I think far too many people take my word as the gospel around here. I would much rather you question ANYONE'S words before accepting them as the truth.

I am sure I am leaving out a lot of stuff. Future discussion on the subject may lead to edits of the post, but this is a fine starting point.

Looks tough and a bit time consuming. Do you find that 12 reps and 3 sets are enough? I prefer 12-15 reps and 4 sets with a lower weight as I don't have a lot of arm strength.