im 6ft 255lbs 22 year old man
just out of shape. im tired of being this big i really want to slim down.the semester just started this week and i been going to the gym since the start of the week. i was kind of lost though. i didnt have a specific routine. i was also afraid to squat. since i have performed squats in a good solid 2 years.
on Monday i ended up just doing 3x10 bench presses, 3x10 leg presses, 3x5 dumb bell rows, and thats it. I was going to do some dead lifts but i was nervous about that as well cause its been awhile since i did squats or dead lifts.
on Tuesday i legit just jogged 2 miles. ran 1 mile. than walked for a bit. ran another mile after that. i honestly want to increase my endurance cause i have always been a slow runner.
i honestly need a routine to do
my goal is to lose fat and gain some strength. thats why i incorporated some weight lifting.
i can currently bench 90lbs x 10
95x5 i struggle with that
leg press 205x10
i havent tested squat or deadlift.
Have you tried any of the ones on this site? Just pick one and go. I’m not being sarcastic at all.
2 Likes
Pretty much this.
At this stage, the lifting itself really isn’t that important, your progress will be mostly down did what you eat. Lift some heavy stuff in a non-stupid way sometimes, get out of breathe sometimes, then spend the rest of your energy eating appropriately.
Both TrainForPain and dagill2 are right. Anything is going to better than nothing. Find something you think you’d like, and you’ll make progress.
I highly recommend 5/3/1 programs. There’s a few on this site, and Jim Wendler, the creator of 5/3/1, has a website with some info as well. He also has some books that I recently bought and have been very pleased with. So much awesome info and ideas.
What I like about 5/3/1 is that is doesn’t just focus on strength. It’s a balanced program(s). He pushes doing mobility before each workout (check out Joe DeFranco’s Agile 8 routine), emphasizes big lifts for full body strength, and has recommendations for conditioning. For example, 3-5 days a week of easy conditioning (bike riding, walking), and 1-2 days a week of hard conditioning (sprints, hill runs, sled/Prowler work). That’ll help keep you in shape, shed some fat, and keep you healthy and moving well.
Like I said, it’s balanced. Something that most people need. Read his articles, both on here, and on his website. See what he has to say. He’s a genius.
Try this to get on the swing of things…
then something like this when got accustomed to gym/want to crank it up…
https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/waterbury-summer-project
As pretty heavy I would leave running out and stick to bike or elliptical etc for cardio until down about 20lbs
1 Like
Full body routine or push/pull/legs. There are examples on this site and all over google. I would not reommend a bro split if you just want to be in better shape.
It sounds like you’re off to a good start, congrats!
People have made good suggestions thus far. It’s good that you’re willing to/interested in lifting weights. That will go a long way.
For any cardio you do, I would suggest something low-impact, until you’ve lost a little more weight. If you try to do a lot of running right now at your weight/low strength level, you’ll likely wreck your knees before too long. stationary bikes, elipticals, rowing machines, etc are better options.
As others have said, just find a training program that you read that you think to yourself ‘that would be fun’ or ‘I could stick to that.’ Just being committed to a goal and showing up for workouts will go along way at the point where you are now. There are a zillion articles on this site you can sift through. I would literally just read through training programs in the articles section on here until you find on you like. Then just hit the ground running with it! Don’t sweat the small stuff, don’t get bogged down in details. Don’t worry if a program says ‘get 10 reps’ and you only get 8 one day. All that stuff won’t matter in the long-term.
Diet is absolutely key too. I would drop all processed carbs from your diet if you can. And most sugar. no regular sodas, no fruit juices, no junk food. Just eliminating those things goes a long way. Base your eating habits around eating quality meat products and vegetables. White rice is fine as well as a carb source.
6 Likes
t
i used one of the stationary bikes. just used them until the calorie counter on the machine said i lost 200 calories. is that a calorie amount i should aim for?
also the southwood program seems cool but one thing that is kind of bothering me is the power cleans. i have never done a power clean in my life. are there any exercises i can use to replace the power clean?
are you done learning new movements in the gym?
my squats are eh. i was nervous yesterday when i went to the gym with my friend. i haven’t squatted since i was in high school. i will try to perfect my form soon.
i did perform some military presses as well. that exercise was pretty simple to get the hang of.
i did some deadlifts as well. i need to work on my form for that as well.
i think you misunderstood my question.
it sounds like you really don’t really have much experience with any lifts. why is the power clean, specifically, one that you’re opposed to learning? it’s fine if you just don’t want to do them, but I’m trying to understand why. as to the other lifts you mentioned:
you won’t. it takes years to ‘perfect form’, if you even ever perfect it. For most of us, we’re working with ‘good enough to generally avoid injury’ form. Since you’re not particularly comfortable with the movement, I suggest squatting without a barbell for awhile. You can perform Goblet Squats instead. You can find these on youtube. Basically, you hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands at your chest, and squat. I find this variation on the squat to be the best for teaching the motor pattern, and feeling out depth on the squat.
I also suggest spending time at home in your spare time just sitting in a full squat position. Work up to longer and longer times doing this. It will help you tremendously to get comfortable with the bottom of the squat.
good! This is indeed a fairly simple movement. It’s a little more difficult to do while standing, because that involves bracing your core. But overall, it’s not bad.
same as with the squat: we all need work. The key on deadlift, for safety, is to make sure you don’t round the lower portion of your back significantly, and maintaining your torso posture throughout the movement.
If you can, I would highly suggest filming and posting any and all movements you have concerns about. There are people (like me) who have decades of experience behind us who are willing to help you. It’s pretty invaluable support, especially when compared to what you pay for at most commercial gyms, which is generally a 23 year old kid with 2 years of lifting under his belt and a stupid certificate saying he’s allowed to train people, lol.
1 Like
They’re not rocket science, this below is a good guide below. Just doing a bunch of practice sets learning the movement is a good workout in itself, fine to go light and add weight conservatively with them until feel confident…
For cardio I like alternating between HIIT -(basically sprints/preprogrammed hill program etc on the bike) or very low intensity steady state with heart rate at about 50-65% no higher. both for 20-45 mins. Play around and see what you body best responds too
You’re lucky. When I first started lifting a long time ago, the internet wasnt really a thing. Nowadays, you can literally see multiple versions of how to properly execute a lift.
Plus, there nothing worse than 2 young guys who have no knowledge or experience working out together. Its cumulative ignorance. You really need to find someone or something (like the above) to show you the proper form and techniques.
1 Like
