Getting in shape

[Brandwin]

Okay, I want to head back to the gym, thing is...I really don't know where to start. I guess I could go and put in a good 45 mins to an hour three to four days a week. Im not sure how I should do everything though. So I do cardio first and then lift, lift and then do cardio? Whats something good to eat after I workout, what are good protein shakes? What should I eat less of and eat more of? I do drink a lot of water and hardly any soda and I try to eat quite a bit of fruit. My weakness is defiantly fast food though. Is it better to work out in the morning or night? Basically im looking for any tips and advice you can give and any examples of workout routines.


Thanks

[Scottdau]

Re: Getting in shape

Okay, I want to head back to the gym, thing is...I really don't know where to start. I guess I could go and put in a good 45 mins to an hour three to four days a week. Im not sure how I should do everything though. So I do cardio first and then lift, lift and then do cardio? Whats something good to eat after I workout, what are good protein shakes? What should I eat less of and eat more of? I do drink a lot of water and hardly any soda and I try to eat quite a bit of fruit. My weakness is defiantly fast food though. Is it better to work out in the morning or night? Basically im looking for any tips and advice you can give and any examples of workout routines.


Thanks

I would stretch, then lift then do cardio, but that is what I do I am sure the experts on here lol would disagree. Eat peanut butter or drink a protein shake after you are done, or a protein bar. Like I said before you can ask for advice all you want, but you really have to find what works for you. If you want to put muscle on eat 5 to 6 times a day. And eat pretty good size meals too. I am sure some would disagree, but it is eaiser to turn muscle into fat then it is to just gain muscle. Then once you do that you tone down, but again this is just my opinion, some will think different. It worked for me. I used to be 150 and then I ate a lot and got to 200 and then tone down from that weight, now I weigh a pretty soild 190 and bench over 300, so I am please! lol Hope that helps a little.

[Shaver]

Re: Getting in shape

Make sure you stretch before and after and drink lots of water. My own personal method and it has been quite succesful lately (I've lost just under 50 pounds and 7 inches off my waist) is that I do light cardio first... then do whatever weights I am doing... then end with my harder cardio. I try to do that at least 3 days a week and, if possible, throw something else in 1 day a week like swimming, spin, or basketball.

[23]

Re: Getting in shape

Dook, first of all, are you trying to gain muscle, or lose weight?

[Brandwin]

Re: Getting in shape

Dook, first of all, are you trying to gain muscle, or lose weight?

Both. I want to gain muscle but lose my fat. Im like 5'6" 150 give or take, but most of my fat is my stomach. So, I want to lose that fat and gain muscle.

[23]

Re: Getting in shape

You'd probably be better off losing the fat first Dook.

Cardio is your best friend. Do alot of it, as much as you can within a week, maybe 5 days... and you're going to have to change your diet bro.

Get alot more fruits and veggies in there and stop eating so much fast food man. Clay says drink alot of water. He's not lying. Drink alot of water as well.

[Scottdau]

Re: Getting in shape

Both. I want to gain muscle but lose my fat. Im like 5'6" 150 give or take, but most of my fat is my stomach. So, I want to lose that fat and gain muscle.

Eat 5 times a day. And eat healthy, Not big meals but little snacks. And do a lot of cardio and some lifting. If you are trying to get a flater stomach cardio workouts will work. Like Jogging or stair master, or bike riding. Anything that will burn fat will work. Being that you are 5'6'' you are at a good size, I would not reconmend losing to much weight. You don't want to be weighing less then a girl lol.

[Brandwin]

Re: Getting in shape

So, you suggest do a ton of cardio and maybe just light weights? How much cardio do you recommend? Certain excercises? Does it really matter if I go in the morning or at night?What about protein shakes etc? Should I hold off on that until I start trying to gain muscle?

[Brandwin]

Re: Getting in shape

Eat 5 times a day. And eat healthy, Not big meals but little snacks. And do a lot of cardio and some lifting. If you are trying to get a flater stomach cardio workouts will work. Like Jogging or stair master, or bike riding. Anything that will burn fat will work. Being that you are 5'6'' you are at a good size, I would not reconmend losing to much weight. You don't want to be weighing less then a girl lol.

LOL yeah I dont want to start looking like Paris Hilton or something. I want to get a flater stomach and then gain more muscle mass. I want to get more weight, but because of muscle, not fat. If that makes sense

What type of foods do you suggest?

[Shaver]

Re: Getting in shape

I disagree with the heavy cardio and light to no weights. You need muscle to burn fat. If you only do cardio, you'll lose both. Muscle is the most natural fat burner around. Lift, just don't lift to add mass.

Also, don't be a slave to the scale. Muscle weighs more than twice what fat weighs. Strive to be healthy and for good body image, not for a number on the scale.

Most importantly, don't skip meals. You have to eat to lose weight the right way and get in proper shape. If you don't take in enough good calories, your body will go into starvation mode and start to actually store fat.

Drink water. Make good choices with food. Exercise.

[Scottdau]

Re: Getting in shape

I disagree with the heavy cardio and light to no weights. You need muscle to burn fat. If you only do cardio, you'll lose both. Muscle is the most natural fat burner around. Lift, just don't lift to add mass.

Also, don't be a slave to the scale. Muscle weighs more than twice what fat weighs. Strive to be healthy and for good body image, not for a number on the scale.

Most importantly, don't skip meals. You have to eat to lose weight the right way and get in proper shape. If you don't take in enough good calories, your body will go into starvation mode and start to actually store fat.

Drink water. Make good choices with food. Exercise.

Yeah agree with that, but doing a lot of cardio is good. I don't mean that is all he does. I am saying less of lifting and more cardio should be what he does at the gym if he wants to lose his stomach. Unless he wants to gain muscle. I was always told you need to gain fat first then you tone down from there. But that is just what I heard.

[pk500]

Re: Getting in shape

Lay off the fast food immediately. That's steps No. 1 through No. 4.

Sickening amounts of fat and calories in that sh*t. Just looking at this chart makes me sick, and you should train yourself to have the same reaction:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html

One Big Mac has 560 calories and 47 percent of your recommended daily fat content. One Big Mac! A Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is even worse: 730 calories and 62 percent of your daily fat allowance.

Toss in large fries, at 570 calories and 47 percent of your daily fat, and a large Coke at 310 calories, and that Super Size Big Mac Extra Value Meal is stuffing 1,440 calories and 94 percent of your daily fat allowance into your body in one sitting.

That's f*cking gross.

Take care,
PK

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Getting in shape

Fast food is terrible, pk is right, if you want to lose weight an improve overall health and fitness you have to give up the fast food completely, it's not just the amount of calories with fast food but it's type of calories, most of it comes from sugar and fat, and not the good kind of either.

[Brandwin]

Re: Getting in shape

Whats some good foods to eat? Baked chicken, greens, what about baked/boiled potato's but maybe with no butter? Steaks? Im just fishing for tips and idea's. I really want to go forward with this and trying it all is pretty new to me.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Getting in shape

Whats some good foods to eat? Baked chicken, greens, what about baked/boiled potato's but maybe with no butter? Steaks? Im just fishing for tips and idea's. I really want to go forward with this and trying it all is pretty new to me.

It really depends on how hardcore you want to get into it. But Clay was right when he said make good choices. Any kind of fresh produce that you eat raw or don't fry in lots of oil or fat, or top with a mountain of creamy salad dressing. Lean meats like chicken breast, and fish. You pretty much want to cut down on the processed and pre-packaged foods. The best thing I did to improve my overall fitness was to stop buying food that came in buy everything fresh and cook everything myself. Additionally, my wife lost like eight pounds and has really toned up since we started buying fresh foods and cooking all the time. Also if you lilke pasta and have tomato sauce with it, it is best to try and get the more expensive kind with the fresh ingredients, the stuff that comes in cans like Hunts has a ridiculous amount of salt in it. Try to slowly cut down the portions you eat, not that I was overweight at all in the first place but I knew for the future if I kept eating as much as I did I would run into trouble. At first it's a little difficult but you get used to it and you start to feel better when you are eating less at meal time. No processed sugars, or white bread.