Question for you gym rats

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dsiomtw

New member
Mar 12, 2007
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End of the rainbow
I used to work out pretty regularly, but then I hurt my back and got real busy with work and stopped for about a year. I'm still in relatively decent shape since I eat pretty well and I play a lot of tennis, but I'm ready to start working out again.

I'm currently about 10-15 lbs overweight. Should I focus on "cutting" and losing the flab first, or just jump right back into the weight training?

I'm the epitome of a hard gainer/ectomorph if it matters ...
 


Take it from a person who stops and starts pretty regularly, I find it best (for my ego) to focus on cardio first to loose the pounds, that way when you start tightening up your muscles, you will look a lot more defined because your muscles are not covered by a layer of fat.
 
You'll burn a lot more fat quicker by boosting your resting metabolic rate. Cardio doesn't do that. Intense weight training does. Cardio on the rest days.
 
Grindstone said:
You'll burn a lot more fat quicker by boosting your resting metabolic rate. Cardio doesn't do that. Intense weight training does.
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Are you sure on this? I've always heard cardio is always best for weight loss and burning fat. Weight training certainly burns calories, but its more in bursts, whereas cardio keeps the heart rate at a higher elevation for a longer duration or something...
 
The best I think it would be to get started on both. Cardio and Weights. If you have time, you can do the following. I lost 20 pounds in 4 months with this.

Day 1. Upper Body and Abs 35-45 min
Day 2. Cardio 20 Min. High intensity on empty stomach
Day 3. Lower Body and Abs 35-45 min
Day 4. Cardio 20 Min. High Innetsity on empty stomach
Day 5. Upper Body 35-45 mins
Day 6. Cardio 60 minutes Low Intensity.
Day 7. Rest
 
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Roundabout said:
Are you sure on this? I've always heard cardio is always best for weight loss and burning fat. Weight training certainly burns calories, but its more in bursts, whereas cardio keeps the heart rate at a higher elevation for a longer duration or something...
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Weight training and high intensity cardio will elevate your RESTING metabolic rate when you aren't working out, which is when you burn the most fat.
 
just adjust ur diet for that gain, u will gain muscle using wieghts, and prob will make u hungrier since ur burning calories and then u end up eating way more than u do, if u want to loose 10 or 15 adjust ur diet, if u want to change the way u look (muscle tone) diet and wieghts......but most ppl that end up doing wieght training to loose wieght end up gaining cuz there caloric uptake increases more than burned....yes its true wieght training does increase ur resting metabolic just not usually enough to burn without dieting....90 percent of wieght control and look of ur body can be controlled with simple diet.............so

lets make it simple... i will just say i dont know u but most americans drink soft drinks and eat fast food and "synthetic foods" like shit in a grocery store that comes in a box or bag.... anyway cut out all softdrinks and fast food if u eat/drink them....in the avg person that is about on avg 18 lbs u can loos right there. no shit, been doing this for ppl for years as well as tested many things on myself and colleuges......later
 
you're only 10-15 lbs over weight. If you were 30 or more i'd recommend cardio + weight training with a higher focus on cardio first. The best way to lose fat is to grow muscle.

The reality is, muscle and only muscle is what burns fat cells. Your liver and stomach and shit doesn't do anything for fat loss. Your heart is the strongest muscle and along with moving blood throughout the system its the muscle that burns the most fat. So if you want to get rid of the flab quickly put on some muscle and it'll go away on its own with probably very little need for cardio especially for only 10-15lbs.

Likewise I wouldn't recommend you do cardio first. The harsh truth to muscle building is, you need fat to build muscle and you need muscle to burn fat. That's why bodybuilders pack on like 30 lbs of fat during the off season then quickly and easily cut it when the season is back on. They just can't gain as quickly without it. So if you cut all the fat first before you start weight training you'll be starving your muscles and they won't grow nearly as quick. So you'll be in for a lot longer of a haul getting ripped. I'd recommend you start with strict weight training and use up that fuel growing the muscles. The fat will shed off naturally and just as quick as cardio alone and you'll have a lot easier of a time gaining the muscle. Then if you get to a point where you're reaching a plateu with your weight lifting and still got some beer belly to drop do some hard cardio for a few weeks, it'll get you out of the slump and it'll be just as effective on the fat as if you were doing cardio the whole time.

I just did my first cut after i reached 6 months in the gym. It was extremely fast and easy. I was only 20 lbs over weight and I dropped it within 2 weeks and cut even further after that for another two weeks dropping another 5. Now I'm back on the mass gain cycle so for the last 2 months and the next 4 months i'm eating in the range of 3500-4000 calories a day. I'm already starting to see some big muscle gain results and putting up a lot heavier weights at the gym. Then when those 6 months are done the weight training will probably compensate for a lot of the fat but i'll probably be 10-20 lbs over weight at which time i'll do another 4 weeks of cutting and it'll all be gone but i'll have new muscle mass to replace it. Each time you cycle it gets easier and easier. I used to do it back in college when i went from 140lbs with no muscle to around 175 solid and no fat. Then i got lazy and in the real world and just restarted the process almost 8 months ago. It's a real struggle at first, but since you said you already used to be fit that makes a big difference in making it easy the second time around.
 
Grindstone said:
You'll burn a lot more fat quicker by boosting your resting metabolic rate. Cardio doesn't do that. Intense weight training does. Cardio on the rest days.
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^^^^ This. Straight up Fact.

To those that are not understanding this, Cardio trains your body to use calories more efficiently. So, if dropping some weight is your goal you need to do very little or even no cardio during the weight loss phase. Just hit the weights and train the large muscles like the Gluttes, Thighs, and Back for the most bang for the buck. This way you are burning the most calories possible 24/7.

If you are looking for endurance and efficiency then Cardio is what you want to be doing. Then you need to do Interval Cardio Training to really optimize your Cardio-Pulminary efficiencey.

A note to those that are busy and can no longer do 3 hour workouts of heavy weight training 4 days a week. Some studies have found that just doing ONE SET of say Flys or Presses for example, instead of 4 to 6 sets will still yield 80% of the max results you get from the 4 to 6 sets. I've found that this is true and now my workouts are just a little over an hour and I'm still getting good results.
 
Pay money for the gym? Don't bother, do this:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWL7FDki1gQ]YouTube - 24 Hour Ghetto Workout[/ame]
 
DeliGuy pretty much said it. (and a couple others).

Resistance training will increase your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Your BMR is equivalent to your metabolism. More muscle requires more energy to sustain itself, which means the more calories your body consumes. When you build a lot of muscle, you increase the amount of calories your body needs per day to operate (BMR). This is why resistance training helps burn fat over time.

It also helps to watch your diet when you want to lose fat / cut up. Eat every 3 hours, smaller portioned meals, primarily protein, carb up in the morning, avoid carbs later, etc.. and you'll be good.

Just don't eat shit all day, workout often and intensely, and you'll be good.
 
My plan is a very healthy diet coupled with cardio everyday weights 3 times a week. I don't set time limits, I just let my body tell me how far I should go.

The exercise, for me, is more of a stress relief. So I just relax and enjoy the process and don't worry about the result.
 
dreamache said:
DeliGuy pretty much said it. (and a couple others).



Eat every 3 hours, smaller portioned meals, primarily protein, carb up in the morning, avoid carbs later, etc.. and you'll be good.

Just don't eat shit all day, workout often and intensely, and you'll be good.
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Great info, I feel that the eating every 3 hours is very important to retraining a busy body that only gets like 2 regular sized meals a day to keep the furnace burning the incoming calories instead of storing them.

Back when I started to eat every 3 hours it was damn hard. I was not hungry and had to force myself to eat. I started by just fixing a regular sized meal and only eating half of it. Then I would eat the other half 3 hours later. After about two weeks of this I was able to manage my portion size quite easily and eating every 3 (to 4 hours. I still slip sometimes.) became easier and natural.

I also found that too many starches, no matter what the source, actually made me kind of sleepy. But proteins, Dark green veggies and fruits actually seemed to energize me throughout the day.

My guilty sweet treat pleasure is a table spoon of unprocessed all natural honey. No more pastries, chocolate, or ice-cream and I have no desire for them anymore either.
 
get the colon cleanse system. Its only 19.99 with a rebill that you can't get rid of.


on a serious not - it depends on your body type. If you do nothing and force yourself on a strict diet you will see results .. 10-15lbs is nothing.

I fluctuate 5-8lbs regularly.

If I were you I would

1.) DIET / chicken veggies all day long / gallon of water + daily (depending on your weight)
2.) 3 days lift / 2 days cardio

I've noticed when I'm feeling lazy I take "classes" they are kickboxing, but it allows you to just "do" and not have to motivate yourself. If you are a busy web person, classes will save you. All you have to do is show up, the work out is then just a routine.

Also - buy some beef jerky already
 
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Quick tip for anyone wanting to get into running regularly. When you go running don't just go to do it, make sure you do it right.

If you follow four rules you'll make massive gains on your runs extremely quickly:
1) Drink water the whole time you run, not in breaks (i use a camel pack).

2) Only take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. No short breaths under any circumstances even while taking a walking break. Force yourself to breath right.

3) take a walk break anytime you need one, BUT each time you need to take a walk break pick out a landmark ahead or on the treadmill and don't walk until you pass the landmark. Then never take a walk break for more then 30 seconds, even if you're still winded.

4) If you get a cramp run through it. Never baby it. If you baby it, blood will rush to it and it will not only ruin your run but it'll hurt 10 times more then if you just ran for a bit more and let it work itself out.

If you do those four things no matter what shape you're in you'll be able to run forever within only a few times running and things will get very easy. Not only am I a smoker but before i started running in july i didn't run once for at least 7 years prior. By my third week I was able to run 6 miles in a single hour and although my legs will be tired my lungs and heart aren't even phased. Now I don't even know how far I can run, I just go till my playlist on my mp3 player runs out. So it definitely works. You just gotta stick with the plan and go.
 
Deli - so you smoke, and run/jog? You don't find the smoking gets in the way and decreases energy?
 
Roundabout said:
Deli - so you smoke, and run/jog? You don't find the smoking gets in the way and decreases energy?
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I smoked for a long time and have been running since I was about 15 and I never had an issue with it. After I quit smoking didn't see any major difference in performance.

If you look at some pro soccer players many smoke and drink alot and are in awesome shape.

I'm not saying its the best thing to do, and if you are a 3 pack a day smoker and want to start a running routine you will no doubt have a very difficult time.
 
BeerHat said:
if you are a 3 pack a day smoker and want to start a running routine you will no doubt have a very difficult time.
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I had an Italian guy from New York in my unit in the Marine Corps. who smoked 3 to 5 packs a day. (Seriously.) He lead every morning run and was on the cross country track team. I never saw this guy out of breath and he did his 3 mile runs under 17 minutes every time.

I guess he was a freak or something. lol
 
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