Time to do this

[Sentrosi2121]

Ok, at my last checkup, I weighed about 235lbs. I'm 6'3". So yeah, I'm overweight.

Desired goal is to lose about 30lbs over the next 9 months. I'd like to get that done in a shorter amount of time if it is possible though, as the summer is coming up.

What I have to work with
A workout bench with weights (standard 110lb variety)
4 days off during the week
3 nights of working 13 hour nights (Friday through early Monday morning)

Now here is the kicker. Working overnight shifts on the weekend I'm consuming a lot of liquids. I usually drink in about 64oz of water during the shift and mix in a couple of large coffee's to stave off sleeping. My usual routine is staying up as long as I can on Thursday nights and trying to stay up on Monday for as long as I can so I can get a decent sleep schedule during the week.

With my goals outlined, what would be the most effective way to achieve it? Also I'd like to get some ideas as far as a diet is concerned.

Thank you for your help in advance.

 

[paulxcook]

Is your goal to lose weight, gain strength, or both? you mention that you're overweight (I don't personally think 235 at 6'3" is terrible, but it's not ideal), and you don't say anything about wanting to get stronger, but you also list weights which would imply you're at least interesting in some sort of strength training. Do you also want to do cardio work?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: paulxcook
Is your goal to lose weight, gain strength, or both? you mention that you're overweight (I don't personally think 235 at 6'3" is terrible, but it's not ideal), and you don't say anything about wanting to get stronger, but you also list weights which would imply you're at least interesting in some sort of strength training. Do you also want to do cardio work?

Man, you're thorough Sentrosi, when you answer these questions, the rest of us here on the forums have a better idea of what you're lookin' for Let us know and we'll give you the advice that we can.

 

[Sentrosi2121]

Both would be ideal of course. My desired goal is still to get down to around 200lbs and shed off this excessive body fat. I also have a treadmill so a good 20min run I can do. At least until the days get warmer up here. Once I get down to around 200lbs I'd definitely like to work on my abs and lower back and get some definition in my chest and arms.

I think I've answered what I can.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Sentrosi2121
Both would be ideal of course. My desired goal is still to get down to around 200lbs and shed off this excessive body fat. I also have a treadmill so a good 20min run I can do. At least until the days get warmer up here. Once I get down to around 200lbs I'd definitely like to work on my abs and lower back and get some definition in my chest and arms.

I think I've answered what I can.

Ok, makes sense. Well, what I would suggest is, obviously, doing your cardio on top of your lifting. You should do your lifting before your cardio so you have the most effort for the things that involve heavy weights and such. The lifting will allow you to keep muscle as you lose weight. You'll probably get stronger as you get thinner, but you won't really gain any lean mass.

Hm, you've got your cardio figured out which is great, but I'm trying to think of an optimal lifting program. A lot of people here will suggest Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, but I'm not so sure that's best for someone in this situation. I'd maybe even suggest doing 3 sets of 10 reps of compound movements (deadlifts, squats, military press, bench press, cleans, rows, pullups, etc) to burn more energy. You should try to use a weight that's heavy enough that your body fails on the 9th/10th rep of each set.

As for your setup, I'm not sure if you'll be able to do much leg-work with it. You may want to look into a gym or a squat rack so you can get all that done, but your setup will work for other things. I'd probably buy some more barbell weights, but that's about it. You may even wanna get those dumbbells that allow you to change the weights on them - they give you a fairly wide range of options.

 

[Sentrosi2121]

Wouldn't I burn more fat if I run before I lift? Or would you just suggest a short warmup to get my hear rate up at the targetted BPM, then lift, then do a short cooldown run?

 

[spamsk8r]

Originally posted by: Sentrosi2121
Wouldn't I burn more fat if I run before I lift? Or would you just suggest a short warmup to get my hear rate up at the targetted BPM, then lift, then do a short cooldown run?

To be honest, I've found that it doesn't matter which order you do them in. I used to run before lifting, because after lifting I had no desire to run. It worked fine. The best thing you could do is high intensity lifting sessions (i.e. do weight training in high intensity circuits) so you get both down at the same time. High intensity is the key for losing fat, in my experience.

If you're more concerned with strength, though, you should look into a program like Starting Strength. It's pretty much the gold standard for beginner strength training programs.

 

[LucJoe]

Are you completely out of shape now? Work up your aerobic exercise until you can keep an 80% output up for 45 minutes without problem, then move on to HIIT. I've seen arguments for doing cardio: in the early morning before eating anything, immediately post weight training, or on your off days. Personally I prefer post-workout.

As others have said, keep up the lifting so you hang on to your muscle mass as you drop weight. Don't go crazy with the dieting either, figure out what your maintenance caloric intake is and shoot for 500 less than that daily.

 

[Sentrosi2121]

I haven't worked out seriously since 2001, thus the need for me to do something.
What do you mean by 80% output for 45 min? Do you mean doing cardio for 45 minutes without a problem?

 

[hellod9]

nm