Best method to get my body in shape.

[frozt]

So lately the past few months I've been doing my best to research body building and what it takes to get the body you want. I understand it is most importantly diet. I have access a bench and free weights in my house, as well as the necessary food and supplements. I'm 5'9 -5 ' 10 170 pounds. I'd like to cut my body fat and tone my body. What would be the best way to achieve this goal? Alot of people say cutting then bulking. Would the best way be to cardio and only cardio until my body fat % is low and then begin bulking. Or cardio three times a week along with weight lifting three times a week. I can workout up to 6 times a week. Also any tips with diet are appreciated. Sorry if I left anything out .

 

[wwswimming]

one of the main things is to find something you like, so that
you keep coming back for more. whether it's weights,
walking, running, yoga, swimming, hockey, basketball league,
whatever.

 

[programmer]

I'd focus mainly on aerobic exercise, then diet and some light anaerobic workouts (e.g. push-ups/pull-ups/sit-ups, free-weights, bowflex). Like wwswmming says, do something you LIKE. Personally, I love bike riding and time permitting will cover 10-30 miles on a ride if I can (except that it is friggin' 19 degrees here today!). Walking is ok for me, but I can't stand jogging/running (too painful on the old joints). A team sport is great to force you along. I like soccer.

As far as diet-- the more aerobic you can do, and for longer, the less strict you have to be in your diet, IMO. But definitely cut the obvious fats (bacon, sausage, pepperoni) and starches (breads, pizzas, white rice, refined flours). Stick with whole grain breads, but not much (look for "stone ground" whole wheat), avoid all cheese except cottage cheese, and EAT LOTS OF FRUIT AND VEGGIES. -- as much as you want!! Seriously, all the fruit and veggies you like.

Also, don't drink soda at all, regular or diet, or any diet drinks. Diet drinks (tea, etc.) may have no calories but I believe it can still mess up your bodies insulin levels, plus its full of chemicals you should just avoid anyway. Stick with WATER, and drink LOTS OF WATER, throughout each day. Tap water is fine, or you can "spring" for more expensive stuff (I like Deer Park--Costco has it in bulk). Avoid too much beer or wine, though one drink now and then is fine (assuming you are of age).

Generally avoid anything with caffeine and certainly anything with high-fructose corn syrup.

Avoid anything fried.

Avoid fast food restaurants, except maybe garden salads with a bottle of water. Most places now have some pretty decent salad choices, but be careful with the dressings. Some are loaded with fat, some are not. Personally I find balsamic vinegar a great salad dressing, with maybe a touch of olive oil.

Now..... if I could only stick with my own advice, I'd be in better shape too!

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: frozt
So lately the past few months I've been doing my best to research body building and what it takes to get the body you want. I understand it is most importantly diet. I have access a bench and free weights in my house, as well as the necessary food and supplements. I'm 5'9 -5 ' 10 170 pounds. I'd like to cut my body fat and tone my body. What would be the best way to achieve this goal? Alot of people say cutting then bulking. Would the best way be to cardio and only cardio until my body fat % is low and then begin bulking. Or cardio three times a week along with weight lifting three times a week. I can workout up to 6 times a week. Also any tips with diet are appreciated. Sorry if I left anything out .

You are correct that diet should be your #1 priority. You loose weight through being in a caloric deficit (burning more calories than you are consuming). Assuming your currently eating at your maintenance level, you need to either burn more calories or consume less. To loose a pound a week you should be eating 500 calories under maintenance. How you want to achieve this is up to you. I would suggest signing up for an account at fitday to track what you are currently eating and then begin to decrease your calories slowly, until you're loosing 1-2 lbs/wk.

I would also recommend you add some resistance training. When you're eating in a caloric deficit you want to loose fat while retaining as much muscle as possible. You also probably already know from your research that muscle burns more calories than fat. Resistance training will in no way hinder you on a cut. Cutting vs. bulking is really all about consuming less vs. more calories than you are burning.

 

[spamsk8r]

Originally posted by: programmer
I'd focus mainly on aerobic exercise, then diet and some light anaerobic workouts (e.g. push-ups/pull-ups/sit-ups, free-weights, bowflex). Like wwswmming says, do something you LIKE. Personally, I love bike riding and time permitting will cover 10-30 miles on a ride if I can (except that it is friggin' 19 degrees here today!). Walking is ok for me, but I can't stand jogging/running (too painful on the old joints). A team sport is great to force you along. I like soccer.

As far as diet-- the more aerobic you can do, and for longer, the less strict you have to be in your diet, IMO. But definitely cut the obvious fats (bacon, sausage, pepperoni) and starches (breads, pizzas, white rice, refined flours). Stick with whole grain breads, but not much (look for "stone ground" whole wheat), avoid all cheese except cottage cheese, and EAT LOTS OF FRUIT AND VEGGIES. -- as much as you want!! Seriously, all the fruit and veggies you like.

Also, don't drink soda at all, regular or diet, or any diet drinks. Diet drinks (tea, etc.) may have no calories but I believe it can still mess up your bodies insulin levels, plus its full of chemicals you should just avoid anyway. Stick with WATER, and drink LOTS OF WATER, throughout each day. Tap water is fine, or you can "spring" for more expensive stuff (I like Deer Park--Costco has it in bulk). Avoid too much beer or wine, though one drink now and then is fine (assuming you are of age).

Generally avoid anything with caffeine and certainly anything with high-fructose corn syrup.

Avoid anything fried.

Avoid fast food restaurants, except maybe garden salads with a bottle of water. Most places now have some pretty decent salad choices, but be careful with the dressings. Some are loaded with fat, some are not. Personally I find balsamic vinegar a great salad dressing, with maybe a touch of olive oil.

Now..... if I could only stick with my own advice, I'd be in better shape too!

I would disagree with focusing on cardio. To effectively produce a change in body composition you need both cardio and weight training. I do 4 days a week, 30 minutes cardio and 45-60 minutes of weight training. I have lost 12 pounds of fat with nearly no loss of muscle. You do not want to lose muscle, and if you don't lift weights while doing a lot of cardio you can do just that.

The diet advice is sound, however. Starches: bad. Sugar: bad. Fried foods: bad. Caffeine: okay if your body tolerates it. Diet soda: okay, but in moderation I say. Water: your new buddy. Try eating more than 3 meals a day. I've found this to be the most effective weapon in the fight against hunger and cravings. Never wait until you're hungry to eat, always eat before you get hungry. Think of eating as a tool not to fulfill hunger, but to keep hunger away completely. That way you won't overeat, and you won't get cravings for bad stuff. You're not particularly overweight as it is, so just eat clean, lift hard, and get some good cardio in and you'll see changes pretty quick, I would say.

 

[Czar]

Lifting weights to add muscle weight does alot more for burning fat than cardio. Adding muscle makes you burn more calories per day. If you do alot of cardio your body sheds the fat, which is good but also your muscles. Saw this in some fitness magazine.

 

[Gravity]

Join a gym, take the spin class 3 days per week. two days per week work your legs with heavy weights. The other day, work your upper body. The spin will get you in shape and the leg workout is for your largest muscle group and will inspire the body to burn fat and demand more calories.

Younger next year is a book that might help.

Best,

Gravity

 

[TheNinja]

Lift weights and do cardio. People might mention "bulking" and "cutting", but in all honesty if you haven't lifted much in the past you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Once you hit a plateau of sorts then you might want to "bulk" and "cut" but I would recommend doing what is called a "recomp". Resistance training with weights is critical though. If you just do cardio you'll end up as a skinny fat guy....basically a thin person with no muscle mass so you'll still look flabby and weak.

Diet is pretty much common sense. Stay away from sugars and junk food. Eat enough protein and fruits and vegetables.

That's enough to get you going for 6 months. Don't get too concerned about the perfect diet or the perfect workout routine for now. Just get in there and do it. Once you've been in the game for a year or two then you could look at more serious things.