Cardio and W/O Plan Advice

Alright so I’ve been going at the weight’s and cardio for a while now and I have noticced some awesome change’s. I have lost between 15-20 pounds and was loveing it but now I can’t seem to loose ANY WEIGHT any more. I do about 40 minute’s of cardio (Eliptical, I know you guys are going to say GET ON THE TREAD MILL and stuff but honestly it’s way to hard on my knee’s).

I go pretty hard I’d say I go around 70% hard when I’m on the machine. But now I am starting to wonder if that machine is crap for loosing weight? What is the best way to shed fat? I also am not seeing any kind of changes in my chest anymore (muscle growth). I am starting to have a f****** meltdown about all of this, I am so motivatted to change my lifestyle, (eatting habbits and health) but I am just so damn confussed by everything.

no matter what I can’t find a good work out plan for me, I want to get bigger but loose my fat (still have quite a bit to loose) and damnit I am so f****** sick of eatting lean ground beef. I need help guy’s, this is honestly a plea for some idea’s on cardio, a good workout to fit my needs and damnit I need some new food’s!!!

Please guys help me on this one, I have been reading so much but to be honest all it is doing is confusing me.

Thanks in advance,

Carl

There are several fat burning programs on this site. Browse the sticky beginner threads. Pick a program that you think you can do, and STICK TO IT. Don’t give up after a week or two. Stay with it and work hard and you’ll get results if your diet is in order.

Sick of lean beef? Tough. You need to eat it along with chicken, tuna, eggs, and any other lean protein source. Get a fruit and/or vegetable with every meal, and save the starchy carbs for post workout only.

Make sure to eat as soon as you get up, and eat a small snack before bed, such as cottage cheese or plain yogurt. Eat 5-6 meals per day, each containing a protein source, fruit or vegetable, and a fat source such as almonds, walnuts, olive oil, and real cheese.

The key is consistency. If you stick to the training plan you picked out and eat healthy meals using rules listed here, you will get leaner and feel better at the same time.

Ok, here are some articles for you.

Refined Physique Transformation
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1615551

War Room Strategies to Maximize Fat Loss
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1499282

How To Stimulate Maximal Fat Loss
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1609169&cr=supplements

In the last year and half I’ve lost around 100lbs. Every twenty pounds or so I stopped losing weight for a while. I was very upset about it just like you. All I can say is stick to it and stop looking at the scale so much.

thank you for the replies, I have read the links posted and they are pretty understandable but it’s now the diet that I am wonderring about, what kind of food’s do I EAT?

Honestly that is the hardest (and the most important) part of everything, every one says eat low carbs and shit like that but does any one have a site of some thing that can give me like 500 recipes to make. I don’t know what food to eat? Also in the second link I don’t understand this part, I am so new at this I don’t know what type of excercise’s fit into these description’s…

The approach I recommend is a derivative of Bob Gajda’s Peripheral Heart Action training (PHA), which is an early form of circuit training that Gajda used to win the 1966 Mr. America bodybuilding title.

You’ll perform two or three different circuits of 5 exercises per day, each circuit being performed three times. There’s no rest between the exercises within the same circuit and you can rest for 1-2 minutes once all three sets of a circuit have been completed.

CIRCUIT A (12-15 reps per set)

A1. Horizontal pushing exercise
A2. Quads-dominant exercise
A3. Horizontal pulling exercise
A4. Hamstrings-dominant exercise
A5. Abdominal exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

CIRCUIT B (15-20 reps per set)

B1. Vertical pushing exercise
B2. Quads-dominant exercise
B3. Vertical pulling exercise
B4. Hamstrings-dominant exercise
B5. Abdominal exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

CIRCUIT C �?? OPTIONAL (15-20 reps per set)

C1. Biceps exercise
C2. Calves exercise
C3. Triceps exercise
C4. Abdominal exercise
C5. Shoulder isolation exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

The lactate-inducing sessions are performed twice a week; they should not be performed before a heavy lifting session to avoid a decrease in performance. Limit strength is something that cannot be trained efficiently in a fatigued state. So far a weekly schedule would look like this:

I am so lost about everything still that I am just getting frustrated, I don’t know where to start and what to eat, please someone try to help me and clarify these things.

Thanks,
Carl.

I think you should read this.

http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=640350

To begin, try the 7 habits for nutrition, and pick one of the beginner programs. There is also a video library of any exercises you may have questions about.

I have read the link’s and thank you for the advice, I am going to go with the T-Dawg Diet 2.0. On that page there is a link to make a food log but it doesn’t work so I am wonderring if you guys know how to make or get one of those online? Once again I am asking for idea’s for food though, I know what type’s of food’s are good to eat to follow this diet but do you guys have some ideas of how to cook the food so it’s not so boreing?

Also Crystal Light is perfectly fine right since there is really nothing in it? Same question about Splenda, like I know the oatmeal shouldn’t be eatten with sugar since that completely defeats the purpose so I want to know if I can use Splenda to give it some taste?

Please some one give me some idea’s that they have from knowledge. What I mean by that is that I can read as many articles as possible but I want to know what other people eat and such.

Thank’s a lot and I know I’ll have a few more question’s in minute’s.

[quote]carltmac wrote:

The approach I recommend is a derivative of Bob Gajda’s Peripheral Heart Action training (PHA), which is an early form of circuit training that Gajda used to win the 1966 Mr. America bodybuilding title.

You’ll perform two or three different circuits of 5 exercises per day, each circuit being performed three times. There’s no rest between the exercises within the same circuit and you can rest for 1-2 minutes once all three sets of a circuit have been completed.

CIRCUIT A (12-15 reps per set)

A1. Horizontal pushing exercise
A2. Quads-dominant exercise
A3. Horizontal pulling exercise
A4. Hamstrings-dominant exercise
A5. Abdominal exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

CIRCUIT B (15-20 reps per set)

B1. Vertical pushing exercise
B2. Quads-dominant exercise
B3. Vertical pulling exercise
B4. Hamstrings-dominant exercise
B5. Abdominal exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

CIRCUIT C �?? OPTIONAL (15-20 reps per set)

C1. Biceps exercise
C2. Calves exercise
C3. Triceps exercise
C4. Abdominal exercise
C5. Shoulder isolation exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

The lactate-inducing sessions are performed twice a week; they should not be performed before a heavy lifting session to avoid a decrease in performance. Limit strength is something that cannot be trained efficiently in a fatigued state. So far a weekly schedule would look like this:

I am so lost about everything still that I am just getting frustrated, I don’t know where to start and what to eat, please someone try to help me and clarify these things.

Thanks,
Carl.[/quote]

Hey Carl,

Looks like that is Christian Thibaudeau’s Destroying Fat Program, with the Lactate Inducing workouts. I’m on that program right now, it’s working great.

Some examples of the exercises:

Horizontal Push - Flat Bench Press, Incline Press, Decline Bench Press (you are lying down and pushing the weights up away from you)

Horizontal Pull - Bent Over Barbell Row, Bent Over Dumbbell Row (you are leaning forward slightly and pulling the weights up toward you)

Vertical Push - Shoulder Press, Military Press (you are standing up and pushing the weights up)

Vertical Pull - Lat Pulldowns, Pullups, Chinups (you are pulling the weight down towards you)

You can look up these exercises on here by using the search button or checking out exrx.net

This is what my routine looks like:

Circuit 1

Bench Press
Leg Press (squats hurt my knees really bad, so I avoid them)
Bent Over BB Row
Romanian Deadlift
Crunches

Rest 120 seconds

Circuit 2

DB Shoulder Press
Leg Extension
Lat Pulldowns
Leg Curl
DB Side Bends

Rest 120 Seconds

Circuit 3 (this is an optional circuit: usually, I’m too gassed from the first 2 circuits, I don’t do this one yet)

DB Hammer Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Triceps Pushdown (with rope)
Sit Ups
DB Shoulder Press

Hope this helps.

[quote]carltmac wrote:
I have read the link’s and thank you for the advice, I am going to go with the T-Dawg Diet 2.0. On that page there is a link to make a food log but it doesn’t work so I am wonderring if you guys know how to make or get one of those online? Once again I am asking for idea’s for food though, I know what type’s of food’s are good to eat to follow this diet but do you guys have some ideas of how to cook the food so it’s not so boreing?

Also Crystal Light is perfectly fine right since there is really nothing in it? Same question about Splenda, like I know the oatmeal shouldn’t be eatten with sugar since that completely defeats the purpose so I want to know if I can use Splenda to give it some taste?

Please some one give me some idea’s that they have from knowledge. What I mean by that is that I can read as many articles as possible but I want to know what other people eat and such.

Thank’s a lot and I know I’ll have a few more question’s in minute’s.[/quote]

Fitday.com is an online log that should help you. As far as food, try these threads.

Recipes With Photos
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1498939&pageNo=0

T-Recipes #1
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1082842

[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
carltmac wrote:

The approach I recommend is a derivative of Bob Gajda’s Peripheral Heart Action training (PHA), which is an early form of circuit training that Gajda used to win the 1966 Mr. America bodybuilding title.

You’ll perform two or three different circuits of 5 exercises per day, each circuit being performed three times. There’s no rest between the exercises within the same circuit and you can rest for 1-2 minutes once all three sets of a circuit have been completed.

CIRCUIT A (12-15 reps per set)

A1. Horizontal pushing exercise
A2. Quads-dominant exercise
A3. Horizontal pulling exercise
A4. Hamstrings-dominant exercise
A5. Abdominal exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

CIRCUIT B (15-20 reps per set)

B1. Vertical pushing exercise
B2. Quads-dominant exercise
B3. Vertical pulling exercise
B4. Hamstrings-dominant exercise
B5. Abdominal exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

CIRCUIT C �?? OPTIONAL (15-20 reps per set)

C1. Biceps exercise
C2. Calves exercise
C3. Triceps exercise
C4. Abdominal exercise
C5. Shoulder isolation exercise

No rest between exercises within the circuit (or as little as possible). Perform the circuit three times.

The lactate-inducing sessions are performed twice a week; they should not be performed before a heavy lifting session to avoid a decrease in performance. Limit strength is something that cannot be trained efficiently in a fatigued state. So far a weekly schedule would look like this:

I am so lost about everything still that I am just getting frustrated, I don’t know where to start and what to eat, please someone try to help me and clarify these things.

Thanks,
Carl.

Hey Carl,

Looks like that is Christian Thibaudeau’s Destroying Fat Program, with the Lactate Inducing workouts. I’m on that program right now, it’s working great.

Some examples of the exercises:

Horizontal Push - Flat Bench Press, Incline Press, Decline Bench Press (you are lying down and pushing the weights up away from you)

Horizontal Pull - Bent Over Barbell Row, Bent Over Dumbbell Row (you are leaning forward slightly and pulling the weights up toward you)

Vertical Push - Shoulder Press, Military Press (you are standing up and pushing the weights up)

Vertical Pull - Lat Pulldowns, Pullups, Chinups (you are pulling the weight down towards you)

You can look up these exercises on here by using the search button or checking out exrx.net

This is what my routine looks like:

Circuit 1

Bench Press
Leg Press (squats hurt my knees really bad, so I avoid them)
Bent Over BB Row
Romanian Deadlift
Crunches

Rest 120 seconds

Circuit 2

DB Shoulder Press
Leg Extension
Lat Pulldowns
Leg Curl
DB Side Bends

Rest 120 Seconds

Circuit 3 (this is an optional circuit: usually, I’m too gassed from the first 2 circuits, I don’t do this one yet)

DB Hammer Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Triceps Pushdown (with rope)
Sit Ups
DB Shoulder Press

Hope this helps.[/quote]

Holy shit man thank’s, honestly that helped a lot, the only question I have left right now is what do you mean by rest 120 second’s? Like do I rest between each of those excercise’s for 120 second’s or between the circuit’s?

Also how the hell am I suppossed to be so quick between each excercise, like if I have the squat set up I can’t have 5 other thing’s set up waiting for me? Or do I do my set’s of squat’s and then move on to the next one?

EDIT: The fitday.com website works I guess but shouldn’t I bring a log with me that I write down the excercise’s and weight’s and stuff? Also for foods like is there a way to make a little book thing that I write down what I ate so I don’t have to come to my computer every time I eat to type what I ate?

Alright, I just went grocery shopping and I am cooking some chicken breasts. I am going to follow the T-Dawg Diet 2.0 and my buddy just sent me a work out plan that he think’s will be good, can you guy’s please review it and tell me what to change and what is good, thank you once again.

Work Out

Off Days: Monday & Friday

Tuesday Chest/Biceps
Dumbbell butterfly�??s Flat Bench 5 sets 10 reps
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press 4 set go heavy 6-8 reps
Incline Straight Bar Press 5 sets 6-8 go heavy
Butterfly�??s Cable Machine 4 sets 12-15 reps
Preacher curls 5 sets 12 reps
Dumbbell alternating curls 12 reps in each hand

Wednesday Back/Shoulders
Close grip Pull downs 5 sets 12 reps
Chin ups 4 sets 4 reps
Bent over rows 4 sets 12 reps
Military Press Dumbbell 4 sets 6-8 reps go heavy
Lateral Dumbbell raises 5 sets 12 reps in each hand
Shoulder Shrugs 5 sets 12 reps

Thursdays Legs/Bicep
Leg extensions 5 sets 15 reps
Leg curls 5 sets 15 reps
Stiff leg dead lifts 4 sets 15 reps go light don�??t hurt your self
21�??s 3 sets 21 reps, 7 each way(half up and down, all the way up and down)

Saturday Shoulders/Tricep
Military Press Dumbbell 4 sets 6-8 reps go heavy
Lateral Dumbbell raises 5 sets 12 reps in each hand
Shoulder Shrugs 5 sets 12 reps
Tricep over head extension 4 sets 12 reps
Tricep push down with rope 4 sets 12 reps
Skull crushers 5 sets 12 reps

Sunday Chest/back
Dumbbell butterfly�??s 5 sets 12 reps
Flat bench 5 sets 6-8 reps go heavy
Incline Straight Bar Press 5 sets 6-8 reps go heavy
Bent over rows 4 sets 12 reps
Chin ups 4 sets 4 reps
Close grip pull down 5 sets 12 reps

Abs to be done every morning and off days 20 leg raises 20 crunches 20 sit up�??s 20 push ups

[quote]carltmac wrote:
tmoney1 wrote:
carltmac wrote:

Holy shit man thank’s, honestly that helped a lot, the only question I have left right now is what do you mean by rest 120 second’s? Like do I rest between each of those excercise’s for 120 second’s or between the circuit’s?

Also how the hell am I suppossed to be so quick between each excercise, like if I have the squat set up I can’t have 5 other thing’s set up waiting for me? Or do I do my set’s of squat’s and then move on to the next one?

[/quote]

You do each circuit three times in a row, then rest 120 seconds before you move on to circuit 2.

For example, the exercises would be: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, rest 120 seconds, then move to circuit 2. Don’t be afraid to use light weights: the key to the circuit is to complete the circuit, not to use really heavy weights and gasp for air between reps. I usually use 25% of my 1 rep max for the exercises. It won’t feel very heavy at first, but on the third round of the circuit, you’re feeling it.

Yeah, using different equipment so fast can be tricky, depending on the way your gym is laid out, and if someone jumps on it while you are on another station/machine.

For Circuit 1 (Bench Press, Leg Press, Bent Over BB Row, Romanian Deadlift, Crunches), I just took a flat bench over next to the leg press machine, grabbed a pair of dumbbells, and did dumbbell bench press instead of barbell, did leg press, afterwards, took those same dumbbells and did bent over dumbbell row and romanian deadlifts, and finished by doing crunches on the floor next to the bench.

This allowed me to move quickly between my exercises, without using too much equipment, and without having to walk back and forth between equipment.

You have to get creative sometimes, and maximize your workout in minimum space.

Where there is a will way, there’s a way.

Good luck.

did you have time to review the work out plan that my buddy sent me?

[quote]carltmac wrote:
did you have time to review the work out plan that my buddy sent me?[/quote]

Oh yeah, sorry. It seems high in volume to me, but I’m not as knowledgeable as some members here, but that’s just an educated guess.

Diet will be your main tool in losing weight. I’m losing weight, and learned that you can’t out train a crappy weight. It has to be dialed in.

As for programs, there are hundreds of programs on here that are suited for your needs, as well as the programs that Brant_Drake gave you links to as well.

I finished Chad Waterbury’s 10x3 For Fat Loss plan, and lost 22 pounds in 4 weeks on the plan, but cleaning up my diet was what helped me the most.

thank’s for answerring again man, you’ve honestly been so help full. I have another question though haha, how doe’s this sound for what I have eatten today…

I woke up at 12 noon and made 2/3 cup of oatmeal (Splenda to sweeten it up) and 3 eggs

at around 2:30- 3:00 I had a can of tuna with low what ever mayo

at around 6 I had a steak and a apple (I was at work so I couldn’t make a salad or anything)

at around 11 when I got off of work I had a little but of mixxed nut’s

o ya and I went to the grocery store to get the mixxed nut’s and the only mixxed nut’s I could find were in bulk (there we no sticker’s saying how many calories or anything like that on it) so I am wonderring if I have the right kind? It seems to just be random peanuts and raisons?

Also should I have a few protein shakes even on the days that I am not working out?

Thank you so much for your time man.

EDIT: is this the program that you were useing

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=795366

if it is, this is the same thing as the other program right, like you have to have all of the differrent lifts set up right? Also I know what a deadlift is but what is a pull down (I can’t do chin up’s yet) and what is a Barbell Front or Hack Squats? Thank’s.

[quote]carltmac wrote:
thank’s for answerring again man, you’ve honestly been so help full. I have another question though haha, how doe’s this sound for what I have eatten today…

I woke up at 12 noon and made 2/3 cup of oatmeal (Splenda to sweeten it up) and 3 eggs

at around 2:30- 3:00 I had a can of tuna with low what ever mayo

at around 6 I had a steak and a apple (I was at work so I couldn’t make a salad or anything)

at around 11 when I got off of work I had a little but of mixxed nut’s

o ya and I went to the grocery store to get the mixxed nut’s and the only mixxed nut’s I could find were in bulk (there we no sticker’s saying how many calories or anything like that on it) so I am wonderring if I have the right kind? It seems to just be random peanuts and raisons?

Also should I have a few protein shakes even on the days that I am not working out?

Thank you so much for your time man.

EDIT: is this the program that you were using

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=795366

if it is, this is the same thing as the other program right, like you have to have all of the different lifts set up right? Also I know what a deadlift is but what is a pull down (I can’t do chin up’s yet) and what is a Barbell Front or Hack Squats? Thank’s.[/quote]

You’re off to a good start on the food, you just need to eat more. You have good food choices though. I would try to eat something at around 8-9pm as well, if you can. And yeah, you can definitely have protein shakes even on off days. I do just that, and most people on here do.

Basically you try to eat 5-6 small meals a day. Three meals of food, and 2-3 protein shakes in between. 8-9pm would have been a perfect time to have a shake. If you have a fridge at work, make it and take it to work with you.

That’s odd the nuts didn’t have any nutritional information on them. In that case, I wouldn’t trust them, because you don’t know what’s in them. And no problem in buying the bulk can of nuts. You’re gonna eat them anyways, saves you trips to the grocery store. Also, get more healthy fats (olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc.)

Yes, that is the program I used. It was a great program for me (and I became a much better jump rope skipper in the process lol). On the 10x3, you don’t have to have all the exercises set up. You do 10 reps of one exercise before you move to the next exercise.

As for exercise descriptions, this is the best website to view:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/PowerExercises.html

This gives you explanations of pretty much every exercise you need to know.

PM me if you have any further questions.