Workout questions plus overall goal question

[slackerinabox]

I'm starting to take my health pretty seriously (9 month old daughters can do that to you), and I'm specifically not looking for any quick fixes. I have a gym membership and go as often as possible, put would like some suggestions for home based workouts (my wife is going back to school and I need to watch the baby most nights, and mornings are a wash).

My goal is a little tricky. I started at 280lbs and I'm around 265 now (6' tall) - weight loss is obviously a necessity. I've always thought that cardio should be my #1 objective but people keep on telling me that, based on my build (wide shoulders, thin legs, big gut - more football player less santa) I should be aiming to muscle up and let my muscles do the calorie burning for me... Any truth to that? In fact, my tenant (a very good guy) took me to the gym and trained me under his hardcore routine - just 20 minutes of cardio and nearly THREE HOURS of weight training. I was a mess all week after, obviously, but wonder if this ratio (well, not that extreme - assume 20min/1 hour as the norm) is what I should be doing...

Back to working at home, I picked up some resistance bands and a workout video that incorporates them in a circuit routine. Any other suggestions? Should I take my tenants advice and focus more on weights or the traditional advice of more cardio? I'd hate to spend money on needless equipment but is a simple exercise bike a good idea as well? Thought of a treadmill/elliptical and I don't have the floor space or the budget for a good quality one.

 

[slackerinabox]

I should mention problem areas - I have fairly muscular legs and arms but my gut is a HUGE problem, and most of my fat is locked up in my rotund belly. I also have man boobs and would eventually like to wear A shirts and not look like I'm wearing a training bra.. I really am too honest on here, aren't I?

 

[Saint Nick]

Spreadsheet below will help you with some preliminary data. I already entered some info for you. Didn't enter your age. I guessed your body fat percentage.

1) Calculate your BMR and your TDEE.
2) Track every single thing you eat. Try to get most of your calories from WHOLE FOODS.
3) Eat a little below your TDEE (start off eating at 10% below). Get a gram of protein per pound of body weight to ensure you maintain muscle mass, what little you probably have.

Once you are able to get yourself into a regime where you are tracking EVERYTHING YOU EAT and AT A CALORIC DEFICIT, begin a strength program such as Starting Strength or Strong Lifts 5x5. I wouldn't start a weight program until you've at least been dedicated enough to your diet for three or four weeks, but that is an opinion. Losing weight and building muscle requires a lot of lifestyle changes, and adding in a new diet and weight lifting will kill motivation fast. And, you don't need to lift weights for three hours in order to build muscle. I spend 45min - 1hr in the gym every other day on Strong Lifts 5x5.

Also keep in mind that eating out once in a while won't kill you as long as MOST OF YOUR FOODS COME FROM WHOLE FOODS.

Download this spreadsheet. Only change values in the orange boxes.

Read this thread.

 

[Zivic]

you need to watch the cardio. Too much will slow or all but inhibit muscle growth. it will also make you hungry which will lead to the likely hood of you eating more.

that said, overall calorie deficit is needed for weight loss and cardio can be a key ingredient in that. I feel that diet is the best place to start for weight loss. If you eat like crap, no amount of working out (cardio or weights) will really get you to your goals.

As far as the trainer goes, 40-60 minutes of weight training is PLENTY in a day. you do not need to train for 3 hrs. 20 minutes of cardio should get you going in the right direction, just try to keep it as far away from your lifting as possible in the day

 

[blackdogdeek]

here's a bunch of crossfit workouts that don't require any equipment (except maybe 2 chairs for dips). exclude any that require running if you don't have a treadmill or are required to be at home with the baby. each one should take somewhere between 20 minutes to an hour. unless otherwise noted (eg - AMRAP) try to finish the workout as quickly as possible and time yourself. AMRAP = as many rounds as possible. google tabata and burpees. if there is any exercise you can't perform (eg - pushup, dip) then scale it to something you can do (eg - pushup on knees, dip with feet on a chair behind you). if you owned a pullup bar or jump rope there would be many more workouts you could do.

good luck!

• 10 air squats, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 dips, 10 rounds.
• AMRAP in 20 minutes, 20 walking lunges, 20 situps, 20 pushups, 20 squats
• 100, 200, or 300 air squats for time.
• 21-15-9 reps of situps, pushups, and airsquats.
• 100 air squats, 50 pushups, and a 1 mile run.
• 10 minutes of running, perform 20 air squats every minute.
• 400 meter run, 20 burpees, 4 rounds.
• 10 pushups, 10 squats, 200 meter run, 7 rounds.
• 400 meter sprints 6x's.
• 100 burpees.
• 800 meter run, 30 squats, and 30 pushups, 5 rounds.
• 1 mile run, 100 pushups, 200 situps, 300 squats, 1 mile run.
• 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 push-up, burpee.
• Run 5k.
• Run 10 k.
• Run 15k.
• Tabata push-ups, sit-ups, squats, burpees.
• 10 x 100 meter sprints.
• 100 pushups, 100 air squats, 100 sit-ups.
• 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, 50 squats 5 rounds for time
• 5 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, 15 squats. each minute on the minute for 20 minutes.
• 5 push-ups, 15 sit-ups, 30 squats. as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.
• Maximum number of push-ups in 30 seconds then the maximum number of
squats in 30 seconds. 5 Rounds.
• 50 Sit ups, 25 tuck jumps, 40 push ups, 25 vertical jumps, 30 squats, 25 burpees
• 10 Broad Jump Burpees each minute for 10 minutes
• Tabata sprints on the treadmill. 8 sets of 20 seconds on 10 off at an incline of 12.
Rest two minutes then Tabata sprints on the treadmill 8 sets of 20 seconds on 10
off at an incline of 8. Rest two minutes. Repeat at an incline of 6 (same cycle)
and then rest two minutes and at an incline of 2.

 

[Saint Nick]

I hate to be that guy, but those Crossfit workouts look bunk. He really needs to focus on diet before doing any sort of workout.

 

[slackerinabox]

Spreadsheet below will help you with some preliminary data. I already entered some info for you. Didn't enter your age. I guessed your body fat percentage.

1) Calculate your BMR and your TDEE.
2) Track every single thing you eat. Try to get most of your calories from WHOLE FOODS.
3) Eat a little below your TDEE (start off eating at 10% below). Get a gram of protein per pound of body weight to ensure you maintain muscle mass, what little you probably have.

Once you are able to get yourself into a regime where you are tracking EVERYTHING YOU EAT and AT A CALORIC DEFICIT, begin a strength program such as Starting Strength or Strong Lifts 5x5. I wouldn't start a weight program until you've at least been dedicated enough to your diet for three or four weeks, but that is an opinion. Losing weight and building muscle requires a lot of lifestyle changes, and adding in a new diet and weight lifting will kill motivation fast. And, you don't need to lift weights for three hours in order to build muscle. I spend 45min - 1hr in the gym every other day on Strong Lifts 5x5.

Also keep in mind that eating out once in a while won't kill you as long as MOST OF YOUR FOODS COME FROM WHOLE FOODS.

Download this spreadsheet. Only change values in the orange boxes.

Read this thread.

Wonderful post - will dissect it and the spreadsheet is much appreciated. You mentioned diet being a major factor and, without giving myself too much credit (since, you know, I'm still fat), I've done a good job cutting out everything 'fake,' including hfcs, white flour, and am introducing a high protein, low fat, low g.i. diet as part of a way of life not a quick fix. I'm guilty of loving red meat so I have to really focus on reducing quantity and focusing on fish/chicken/and the occasional low fat cut of steak. Have had very positive results so far, though the grocery budget's higher than I'm used to!

Do you guys recommend actually counting calories? I've found that too stressful in the past but if it's an important part of the weight loss equation then I'm sure there's an app for that.

 

[repoman0]

Don't be too afraid of fats! A healthy diet actually requires a good percentage of calories from fat, maybe 40%+. The key is to limit overall calorie intake, and fats get a bad rep because they're calorie dense and people end up overeating.

Now you got me wanting a giant cut of steak..

 

[rga]

Don't be too afraid of fats! A healthy diet actually requires a good percentage of calories from fat, maybe 40%+. The key is to limit overall calorie intake, and fats get a bad rep because they're calorie dense and people end up overeating.

Now you got me wanting a giant cut of steak..

This. I've lost 80 pounds on a high fat high protein low carb diet. I've been on a ketogenic diet for a while now and I'm eating between 1200-1500 calories per day just in fat. I'm still losing weight.

 

[slackerinabox]

This. I've lost 80 pounds on a high fat high protein low carb diet. I've been on a ketogenic diet for a while now and I'm eating between 1200-1500 calories per day just in fat. I'm still losing weight.

Oh, I've seen people do this and I know it's successful for some, I'm just not one of them. I low carbed and my tricky, addictive personality made me do it in the worst way possible - steak, bacon, bunless bacon cheese burgers... And then I'd somehow justify a slice of cheese cake. I think a balanced, perhaps almost flavorless collection of wholesome, natural is best with me. But point taken - I need to have a measured amount of extra fat. Speaking of beef (in careful moderation) - what's your favorite cut with a healthy, reasonable mix of fat/protein/cholesterol. Filet mignon seemed like my obvious choice but I find it flavorless. I could make the sacrifice, of course - I'll be eating tofu occasionally too. Good taste got me where I am today!

 

[rga]

Oh, I've seen people do this and I know it's successful for some, I'm just not one of them. I low carbed and my tricky, addictive personality made me do it in the worst way possible - steak, bacon, bunless bacon cheese burgers... And then I'd somehow justify a slice of cheese cake. I think a balanced, perhaps almost flavorless collection of wholesome, natural is best with me. But point taken - I need to have a measured amount of extra fat. Speaking of beef (in careful moderation) - what's your favorite cut with a healthy, reasonable mix of fat/protein/cholesterol. Filet mignon seemed like my obvious choice but I find it flavorless. I could make the sacrifice, of course - I'll be eating tofu occasionally too. Good taste got me where I am today!

I eat 150g of extra lean ground beef, shaped into a patty and seasoned with thyme and black pepper, fried in extra virgin olive oil, every day. I was considering eating beef tenderloin instead, but the extra lean ground beef is a little bit fattier.

Most of my fat comes from eggs, salmon, sardines, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans.

 

[Saint Nick]

I can't stress how important it is to count your calories. It's just something to incorporate into the routine. You'll always know where you're at throughout the day, and it will make fat loss just so much more efficient.

Once you get six months or so worth of counting calories, you'll get better at guestimating and can not stress so much on counting calories.

 

[blackdogdeek]

I hate to be that guy, but those Crossfit workouts look bunk. He really needs to focus on diet before doing any sort of workout.

i was focusing on his question about working out at home.

 

[Saint Nick]

So freedomsbeat, if you're still with us, you should focus on eating between 2500 - 2700 calories per day, and get around 200g of protein. Stick to this for two weeks and then weigh yourself. If your weight has not moved, then decrease your caloric intake, maybe in the 2200 - 2500 range. If you're still not LOSING BODY FAT at that point, you should probably talk to the doc.