Losing weight and getting fitter
Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum and I'm somewhat nervous about posting here, it's my first time.
I've always been a person who's had weight on me, but at the same time a sort of naturally large build. At the moment I'm 6'3 and I weigh about 98 kg (215 Ibs). I'm 20 years old now and when I was 17 (back in 2005) my cousin got me into weight lifting 3 times a week for the year. I got a lot bigger and stronger and kind of kept that build ever since, but unfortunately I don't think I got "fitter" nor did I really lose body fat.
Every now and then I just end up getting lazy again and not do much exercise-wise. When I'd get into the "mood" to do exercise, I'd be doing weight training and that would be it. I'd do it for a few weeks, and then stop for some reason. As of late I've decided right, I want to exercise and I want to get into better shape. So I'm once again doing my weights except I am combining it with swimming. Here is my plan.
Monday - Weights, followed by half hour swim, five minutes on an Abswing.
Tuesday - Half hour swim, five minutes on an Abswing.
Wednesday - Weights, followed by half hour swim, five minutes on an Abswing.
Thursday - Half hour swim, five minutes on an Abswing.
Friday - Weights, followed by half hour swim, five minutes on an Abswing.
Saturday/Sunday - Nothing.
I heard it's important to give your body rest as it is apparently possible to "over exercise", which is a bad thing, also the Abswing has only been implemented into the plan as of late (tonight, actually, I'm currently in my third week of exercising). As for the weights training, I do the following.
Bench press - 70 kg (154 Ibs) - 12 reps, 3 sets.
Dumbell bicep curls - 20 kg (44 Ibs) - 12 reps, 3 sets.
Dumbell overhead with both hands - 20 kg (44 Ibs) - 18 reps, 3 sets.
Dumbell "shrugs" - 20 kg (44 Ibs) - 12 reps, 3 sets.
Squats with a weights bar - 70 kg (154 Ibs) - 12 reps, 3 sets.
My diet has also changed, I am trying to avoid bad "junk" foods and I've really gotten into salads and stuff recently. Also, every morning I've been having a big ball of cereal of Kellog's All Bran (a cereal high in fiber along with other minerals and whatnot), and I have been taking Nutra-Life's "Active Men's Multi" multi-vitamin tablets.I am sorry for my long post, considering it is also my first, but the main reason I am posting is just to get the thoughts, opinions and even input from others. What do you guys think about this, and how can it be modified or improved if necessary?
As for how I'm going well, I do feel a lot better and I do feel I have more energy and I do feel more active, in a way. Also, people (work mates, family relatives etc) have been asking me if I have been working out or/and losing weight. So I guess that is a good sign :). My main motivation for doing this is to not only get fitter and lose weight but to also be like my dad, physically. When he was my age, he was apparently capable of bench pressing 120.5 kg (265 pounds), I want to reach that level, or somewhere close to it.
Thanks for reading, sorry for my awful long post!
First of all, id like to
First of all, id like to welcome you to My Fit Tribe.com ..
Now about all youre questions.
It looks that you realy take it seriously this time. With youre training, but also youre motivation i see. Well, maybe i can help you a little more on youre way..
I see you train with weights 3 times a week, doing the exact same routine every time? That aint bad, but i would like to change some stuff about youre routine and give you some tips.
First off i see that you are only working out youre chest, biceps, triceps, neck and legs. Why no back excercise? Also, if you plan on loseing some weight i would suggest doing a low volume, full body training when you train with weights.
here is an example routine you could follow:
Bench Press (*1) 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Barbell Bent Over Row (*2) 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Squats (*3) 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Shoulder Press (*4) 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Barbell/dumbell curl 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps
Triceps extension 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps
(*1) Switch between flat and incline every training
(*2) Switch between barbell row and chin ups every training
(*3) Switch between squats and leg press every training
(*4) Switch between Dumbells, machine or bar every training. Also try the version behind the neck with a barbell some times.
In this workout you do every muscle in youre body except for abs, but you already work out those 5 days a week on the abswing..
Try to rest about a minute, maybe a minute half tops between every set, and about 2 minutes between excercises.
You already seem to get youre cardio from swimming, so thats good, also since its 5 times a week.
"Eat Like A Horse, Train like An Animal, Sleep Like A Baby And Grow Like A Weed"
You sound like you are on your way!
Hey,
I like you was nervous about posting on here LOL But there seems to be some very nice folks here that are more than willing to lend a helping hand.
It sounds like you are doing very well and you have it planned out very nice, my advice would be to you to add into the equation is to remember your mental health at the same time.
Sometimes meditation or self hypnosis works very well for me because I have some issues with my self esteem etc. and this would give your body the rest it is also looking for when you go into deep relaxation a few times a day.
Anyways good luck hun and I wish you all the best, keep us posted on how things go.
Mel
If
you really wanna build strength you should look up strength training and as for losing weight follow what you said eat healthy maybe lower your porportions and burn those calories with your workouts
Wow. I'm so sorry, guys! No
Wow. I'm so sorry, guys!
No one replied to my first initial post for quite some time and I guess I just stopped looking. I'm terribly sorry for that!
Um... I guess I am just posting to update on what is going on with me. This will be a long post, I'm sorry.
I weigh quite a bit now and that was somewhat unintentional. When I started doing weights and exercise again I was 98kg (216 Ibs). Maybe two months of home free weights, I received a free membership to one of the local gyms (for six months). My friends had all joined at the gym recently so I went with them, maybe three or four times (tops) a week. I did a lot of weights work (chest, shoulders, biceps, wrists, neck, some back, abs, legs etc) but I didn't do so much cardio work (I rode on a stationary bike for twenty or so minutes).
Within about four months or so total time (home exercises and then the gym), I finally weighed myself and weighed 128kg (282 Ibs). It was strange though - I thought I was losing weight because people were telling me I looked better and I had to wear smaller clothing. People tell me I had gained muscle mass and while I did get bigger and look better, I still had body fat on me. I didn't actually lose much body fat.
In late January I was at a party and there were some issues. Two huge guys came to this party with one of the invited guests and throughout the night stirred up a lot of crap. They broke stuff, threatened people, a girl's leg got cut because of their damages and they both ended up grabbing me and punching me a fair bit when they tried to accuse me of doing something I didn't do (breaking something, I didn't hit them back).
For some time I had been considering taking up a self defense and unfortunately, this was the motivator for it. Within the next few days, I had signed up for my first session of Judo. The work was incredibly intense, somehow I got through it. On my second session though I honestly felt like giving up, but I didn't. I kept going with it.
I have been practicing Judo for the last two months and every session is tiring but at the same time, it's incredible. I honestly cannot believe how much I improved physically and mentally within the past two months. I have lost ten kg (22 Ibs) within eight weeks and now I weigh 118kg (260 Ibs). I'm also eating much better now (lots of fruits, healthy breakfast and lunches, my eating habits have improved greatly) and I really enjoy not only just becoming fitter and stronger, but also learning all the techniques in Judo and the social activity there. I honestly feel as if my body fat or "unnecessary weight" is just, slipping right off. It's great!
I only do Judo twice a week (an hour and a half per session - they are very intense!) but sometimes throughout the week I do calisthenic exercises in my room (push ups, sit ups, squats, calf raises, dips etc) or I may do things like, have a swim or like today a long walk (today I decided to walk home from university, which took me fourty or so minutes of non-stop walking). This Friday I'm thinking about going down to a nearby oval myself and just, having a run.
It might sound incredibly cheesy of me to say this considering I am just a mere white belt in the art, but I honestly believe that Judo is going to change my life. I love it.