[MetalManCPA]

I have a word of advice: regardless of my routine or anybody elses, just remember that no two people are alike, thus, just taking somebody's advice and running with it without you personlizing it for yourself is probably not the best way to go. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

Everything stated below works for me personally. It maynot work for you, but it will give you an idea along with everybody elses suggestions.

The most important thing about an exercise/diet routine is to have the discipline to keep with it. You state you are ready, thus I will assume you can find it in yourself to keep the discipline.

I have my workout equipment at home (I have the room, you may not). In my mind, the drudgery of having to go to a gym didn't work for me. Plus, spending $$ every month as rent also didn't work for me. I have three critical pieces of equipment in my workout room. My #1 piece which I have been working out on for the better part of 20 years is my Nordic Track cross country ski machine. Great aerobic workout. I also have a Trimline treadmill for when I need a little less strenuous aerobic workout on an "off" feeling day. I just upgraded my single stack weight machine to a Hoist V5, an awesome piece of equipment. These all come at a cost - Nordic Track was $600, Hoist V5 was $2,500, and the treadmill was $1,600. I also have a elliptical machine that someone was giving away for free. I also enjoy it as a change.

My routine is as follows, and does require discipline.

I wake up around 5 - 5:30 and go to my basement for the first half of my workout routine. I have a four day rolling routine. Day #1 is on the Hoist V5 doing chest/arms. Day#2 is Abs & legs (Hoist V5 and a situp routine), Day#3 on the Hoist V5 for Back & Shoulders, and Day#4 just abs. Then the four day cycle begins again.

When I get home after work, it's a 40-minute aerobic workout, usually on the Nordic Track. I may spend 20 minutes on one machine and move to another for variety. Since I'm 47 years old, I felt it important to keep at a target heart rate, so I purchased a heart rate monitor. On a weekend day I sometimes substitue the basement aerobic workout with a one to one and a half hour bike ride which takes me around 17-25 miles.

With this routine I feel I have trained my metabolism so I don't necessarily have to be on a strict diet. I most definately watch what I eat. For me, I generally look at fat and calories. I don't feel I need to look at carbs etc. like some specific diets do. In short, eat smart and healthy.

When I started working out 20 years ago (27 years old) my weight had spiked to 185. Now, 26 years of being married, my wieght ranges from 5-10 pouinds over my marriage wieght of 155. I am 5' 10.5", and my current weight around 160 works for me.

 

[WhatMACHI]

Also, just a random thought. If you are having trouble keeping motivated, bring a mate or two with you. At the moment i have 3-4 friends who come we me to the gym now and then which makes it less grueling if your there alone. If your friends are slacking off, then the motivation they can give you to push a couple more reps, or run that 10 minutes longer is great.

Get a dedicated gym bag. A cheap backpack that you can pack your towel, change of clothes, a chocolate bar/snack/sandwich (well...i do this since im trying to bulk up, maybe put in a muesli bar if your are trying to get fitter hehe), a water bottle, an mp3 player if you plan to run or use a bike there. These are just a few things u can kit up with.

Every time i need to go to the gym i just grab my bag (which is always kept with clean clothes every time i come back from the gym) and fill up some water. And also, if u ever walk around the house and see your bag you think "mmmm i havent been to the gym yet, maybe i should go" etc etc

Working on WHAT you should do at the gym should be easy, with plenty of knowledgeable people around. The thing you need to build is MOTIVATION to keep up with your workouts several times a week, for many many weeks.

 

[Homeless]

I working out going the opposite route. I leaning out first running or using the elliptical machine 4 or 5 days a week for about 40 minutes a day. I was lifting weights before but stopped going to the gym for a while and put on some weight. hmmm...I haven't weighed myself for a while, but I'm 6'2 and about 225-230 pounds

 

[Squeek]

I cut and pasted my first 8 week training program. Use it well, and you will see results.

8 Week Workout Program
Program #1

Monday – Shoulders and Legs
Warm up - 10 minutes on Rowing Machine

Dumbbell Reverse Flies 3*10
Military Press 4*10/8/8/6
Dumbbell Shrugs 4*10/8/8/6
Dumbbell Raises 3*10/8/6
Leg Press 4*10/8/8/6
Smith Machine Squats 3*10/8/6
Calf Raises 3*10/8/6



Wednesday – Back and Biceps
Warm up – 10 minutes on Rowing Machine

Dead lifts 2*8
Bent over rows 3*8
Lat Pull Downs 3*8
Back hyper extensions 3*12
Seated dumbbell Curls 3*12/10/8
Upright Barbell Curls (drop sets)

Cool down – 15-30 Minutes on recumbent bike

Friday – Chest and Triceps

Warm up and stretch

Bar or Dumbbell Bench Press – 4*10/8/8/6
Dumbbell flies – 2*8
Cable Crossover – 2*10/8
Inclined Bench Press – 3*10/8/6
Cable Pushdowns – 3*10/8/6
Dumbbell Kickbacks – 3*/10/8/6
Overhead triceps extension (rope) 3*10/8/6

Cool down – 15-30 Minutes on recumbent bike

 

[only500made]

check out bodybuiling.com forums instead of asking audiophiles here.

just a warning though: comparing headfi members to bb.com forum members is like comparing a kitten to a lion (attitude wise), so be prepared to get grilled

. their search button as well is as helpful as heafi's.

 

[Vicomte]

Quote:

Originally Posted by only500made /img/forum/go_quote.gif check out bodybuiling.com forums instead of asking audiophiles here. just a warning though: comparing headfi members to bb.com forum members is like comparing a kitten to a lion (attitude wise), so be prepared to get grilled . their search button as well is as helpful as heafi's.

Must be all the 'roids and creatine...

 

[only500made]

it's plain male ego. trust me.

 

[FallenAngel]

I'm not sure why nobody has suggested natural exercises yet.

I do about an hour and a half 3 days per week.

45 minutes of groundwork which starts off with stretching like you're waking up in the morning, just lie down and stretch how you would in the morning, it feels the most natural and you get a great stretch. Then some tension exercises - just stress every part of your body, one muscle group at a time for 5 seconds (but keep the rest relaxed) and release. Work your way through the entire body (arms, chest & stomach, back and butt, legs) in 5 minutes and you're good to go.

I do a simple routine that covers the entire body every day, but not way too intensive. I'm not trying to get "big" like some guys at the gym, but I'm somewhat stronger than guys much "bigger"

It's all about tendon/joint strength if you want to actually use that strength for anything, not the size of the muscle. Sure, I can't bench 200 lbs, but I'll bench 150 lbs and then I'll be up a climbing wall in 30 seconds.

Starting off with a push-up position, on the knuckles, stand straight for 5 minutes, then stand in the push-up position with arms at 45 degree angles for 30 seconds, then all the way down without touching the floor for 30 seconds. Then 5 slooooow pushups, like 30 seconds down, 30 seconds up. That's it for arms and chest for me.

Next abs, obliques and lower back. Lie flat on the floor, legs held down by a friend or hooked under something, 50 times raise upper body, then hold for 40 seconds after the exercise. Then do upper body raises with legs straight, then do leg raises on the ground, legs going all the way back over your head with your butt off the ground. That's it for core.

Now on to legs, here it's simple, just squats, but slooow. Keep back straight, 30 seconds on the way down, 30 seconds on the way up. Do about 5 of these and you'll be begging for mommy.

That concludes the groundwork, lets run. 45 minutes running, keep a steady pace of around 8-10 km/h and unless absolutely impossible, run outside! I can't stand the treadmill, it's too easy, and completely unnatural. If you have to be inside, run circles around an indoor soccer field or basketball court and concentrate on breathing.

Personally I like running through parks because there are usually lots of hills and turns to keep you interested, but sometimes it's nice to change it up with running on a soccer field because it feels differently on grass.

Main thing to remember is that NOBODY taxes their cardiovascular system enough to run out of breath and get tired, your body will give out long before that happens, you only run out of breath when you don't breathe properly. BREATHE and never stop breathing during any exercise.

 

[Libertad]

What I've done to improve strength in push ups is to do them as slow as possible

.This build more muscle and endurance than it does speed and depending on witch variant of the push up you do you will effect different muscle groups. Try looking on the web for different variants of the push up and pay attention to which muscles are affected by them and give them a try. Trust me by reading this it sounds silly but if you try it you will feel the burn. And as always stretch before and after exercise (sadly most people don't do this and end up injuring them selfs)

.

To start always try the open hand push ups then if you feel up to it do them on your knuckles. Over time doing push ups on the floor will become to easy

. At that point you may try handstand push ups or elevate you legs like on a chair. The one arm push ups i only recommend if you have very good balance as this is the number one problem when attempting them. However the most over looked component of any exercise is motivation! Every person has the potential in them to change you just need to keep you goal in the back of your mind and stick to it. I myself find motivation thought what else music and here on head fi there is no explanation needed for that

. So just keep it up and you'll loss the pounds in no time and remember buddy we support you.

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Libertad /img/forum/go_quote.gif to do them as slow as possible

True with EVERY exercise! Never make it a jerky motion, smooth and slooow! You'll get much better results and work all the stabilizer muscles that you miss by doing regular "gym" exercises with weights.

 

[ken36]

1-Always get up from the table a little bit hungry.
2-Eat lots of meat.
3-Cut out sugar.
4-Workout 30 minutes a day.
5-When and if you get down to 160, PM me.

 

[Vicomte]

I almost forgot...you're going to need 'Eye of the Tiger'.

 

[DanG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SysteX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Please don't do this. ^ Instead, do this. You don't want to work out opposing muscles on the same day. You're chance of injury skyrockets and you reduce the usefulness of the training for the "second" muscle in the set--if you do biceps and triceps on the same day, the triceps workout will be both dangerous and much less efficient than if you hadn't worked out your biceps on the same day. In this same vein, make sure to always work out opposing muscles, just not on the same day. If you want to do a bunch of chest exercises, that's fine. Just make sure to work out your back too.

All I know is that it worked great for me. It was far more effective than my original workouts which were like the ones you suggested. I never got injured, I never got hurt, and I never felt anything but great after working out. And, like I said, I got amazing results that only took between one and two months.

If you're worried about injury, you shouldn't be lifting weights at all, as I pointed out. Bodyweight-only exercising is something you can do your whole life without fear of joint injury.

 

[meat01]

Lots of good information here. Another thing you can try with push ups is varying positions to work different muscles. Arms close together, arms spread apart farther. Legs on a chair (I know it was already mentioned.)

Pull ups are another good exercise without weights that will work all kinds of muscles.

Running is a great way to lose weight, but you may have a lot of pain at first. Proper shoes are important. Don't worry about speed, just see how long you can go.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeek /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is no magic formula for gaining lean muscle. Eat right (including plenty of protein), drink plenty of water, lift heavy and get lots of rest. Supplement with whey protein. It's fast, easy and gets you the protein you need and would not otherwise take in. They are great for the times when your body is most likely to be starving for protein. In the morning, right after a work out and right before bed to carry you through the night. *** while helpful, it is a "supplement" not a meal replacement. You still need to eat meat and regular meals! *** There is waaaay too much to know to really offer you much help. Research on the web for diet plans and workout routines. I can offer a few tips though... Only train each muscle group hard once a week. A 3 or 4 day split would be ideal. Mix up your routine after 6-8 weeks to avoid plateau. You will need to go to a gym to have access to the kind of weight you will need to lift. Concentrate on compound exercises. Nutrition and rest are responsible for your gains. I cannot stress this enough. You can lift all day, but if your body is cannibalizing its own muscles because you did not feed it enough, there will be no gains. Muscle is built when you are resting. Your workout tears it up, and it is repaired to be stronger while you rest. If you don't rest enough or overtrain, this does not take place. The saying "no pain, no gain" has never been more applicable. It will hurt. Oh yes, there will be pain. It gets easier though as your body adjusts to your new lifestyle. Most important...listen to your body. Go to muscleandstrenth.com and bodybuilding.com for great communities and all of the info you need to get started.

a lot of your info is misguided, minus the listen to your body line. I am actually a CPT.. No pain no gain will lead to injury.. You need to tell your client the difference between the 'good pain' from the 'bad pain'. Good pain is a slight burn in the muscle being worked. Bad pain, is sharp pain, which gets more severe after every rep, & can also hender mobility & proper Range of motion. & since the author is sedetary any type of activity will stimulate muscle growth.. Working out two times a week will do wonders for a few months, until his body can adjust to the stimuli.

Protein is over rated, mis used, & abused, just like 99% of sups they sell..Think snake oil.. In head fi terms..Cables that make a Night & day difference in your audio system. 12%-15% of his daily caloric intake will suffice in order to build & maintain Lean Muscle mass.