Torpedo Posted April 6, 2011 Posted April 6, 2011 Hey everyone, For sometime now, I've been wanting to start to shape-up but really lack either "equipment" or monetary means to go to a gym . This because I started to get into a couch-potato mode for a good time now (bout a year) and now I got a belly that I don't feel confortable with, also what was little of my muscular mass waned to the point of flabby I began with taking out whats going bad in my life, stopped smoking and eating straight by following a strict and healthy diet (not those weird "don't eat" diets), All four meals of the day are always followed up, from breakfast till dinner, I've stricken myself red meat once a week, white meat 2-3 a week and fish and vegs all the way. I'm currently 1,86 cms (6"1'?)and weighting about 90 kgs (198 lbs?) So anyone as any advice/tips on an exercise plan to do in a daily routine?
tman666 Posted April 6, 2011 Posted April 6, 2011 First of all, congratulations on making the choice to stop smoking and taking steps to improve yourself! Getting "in shape" is a relative term. There are many different facets to athletic ability, which at higher levels, begin to diverge from one another. Therefore, at some point, training specificity becomes necessary. However, for the beginner looking to lose fat, look better, and become more generally "functional", there are some general rules to follow: 1) Eat more protein: get in at least 1 gram of protein per your desired lean body mass per day. For example, since you're 6'1'', and 198 lbs, you'd probably want to shoot for around at least 180-200 grams of protein per day. 2) Eat protein with every meal: Protein creates more heat within the body as it's broken down than any other nutrient, which translates into a higher Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). The higher the TEF, the more calories you burn. 3) Limit fat intake. Fats are essential for good health, but they are also very easy to over-consume because of their caloric density. 1 gram of fat has 9 calories, while 1 gram of protein has 4 calories. 1 gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories as well. Fat is best ingested during times that you are planning on being mostly sedentary. Remember, you do need fats. Just be aware of their caloric load. 4) Time carbohydrate intake to early in the morning and right around workouts. Carbohydrate intake (as well as protein intake, to some extent) causes insulin to spike within the body. Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for "deciding" where the energy from the carbs you just ate goes. Carbs are broken down into glucose, which is then stored as glycogen in your muscles or your liver. After a period of fasting (i.e., first thing in the morning) your liver glycogen stores are mostly depleted: the energy has a place to be stored. After a hard workout, your muscle glycogen is depleted: again the energy has a place to be stored. When you eat carbs while being sedentary and fed, your muscles and liver are already "fueled up". As a result, carb intake during these times is much more likely to result in fat gain. The energy has to go somewhere, right? 5) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol has approximately 7 calories per gram. It's very easy to rack up "empty" calories with excessive alcohol intake. However, this doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it in moderation, as long as you take it into account within the context of your diet. Lowering fat and carbohydrate intake to account for the alcohol calories helps with that. 6) Pick foods that are filling. This biggest problem for people who are "dieting" is satiety, or how well your hunger is satisfied. If you're hungry, grumpy, shaky, and feeling like crap all of the time because of your diet, how long will you be able to maintain that lifestyle? The answer is, for most people, not very long. A diet high in fibrous vegetables and protein can help. Fats tend to be satiating (remember the caloric load though). Potatoes, both sweet and white, are very satiating. You'll have to play around with it a little bit to figure out what helps you stay away from being hungry all of the time. 7) The body is a thermodynamic system. This is what is boils down to: the body can be considered a "closed" thermodynamic system. Since energy cannot be created nor destroyed, energy into the system must equal energy out of the system to achieve a state of equilibrium. What this means, practically, is that you must be in a caloric deficit, i.e. taking in less calories than your body is using over time in order to lose weight. Would suggest keeping a food log, at least for a month or two, to track how much you're eating and compare it to how your weight loss (or weight gain) goals are going. If they're not going the direction you want them to, you'll know where to adjust. Keep in mind that if you're wanting to lose weight, shaving calories from your carb and fat intake is what you want, not protein. Keep your protein constant. This will help with the TEF factor, as well as help you preserve muscle mass. 8) Get plenty of sleep. Drink plenty of water. 9) Be active every day, even if it's just a long walk. 10) Progressive resistance training. While you did state that you don't have equipment or the funds to join a gym, this doesn't bar you from being able to join in the fun of resistance training. There are many different "at home" things you can do. Bodyweight exercises such as push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, mountain climbers, burpees, in-place high-knees, and all of their variations are things that you can do in an 8' x 8' space. Pull up bars are easy to make cheaply. A favorite of mine (which is ideally done with two people, for safety) is car pushes. Go out to an empty parking lot and push your car around. Having someone behind the wheel is a good idea though (I almost pushed my car into a dumpster once. Never doing that without a steering partner again...). In essence, there are many different ways a person can train hard without going to a gym and lifting weights in a traditional sense. The important things are that you're pushing yourself, you're structuring your workouts to be balanced (i.e. hitting all of the major muscle groups over the course of a week or so), and that you are consistent. In the end, there are no magical diets or workout programs. Hard work + diet proper for your goals + time = results.
USCGAviator Posted April 13, 2011 Posted April 13, 2011 tman made alot of good points on eating well. I'm not interested in joining a gym and would rather work out at home. I do 400-500 push-ups 4 days a week along with the insanity ab workouts 2 to 3 days a week. I run 3 miles every wed and I gotta tell ya.....I'M a STUD It's important to find a routine that works for you. Exercising and eating well as a way of life will guarantee results and keep you feeling great. Good luck on your journey!
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