Program for busy dad

Rosary45 · 09-30-2009, 09:49 PM

Hello all! I?ve lurked on these forms for a few months and admire the amount of knowledge people have on here about bodybuilding and nutrition in general. I am posting to gather information for a program that fits my life. Let me fill you in on my situation. I?m not fat and not skinny. I am flabby and not in good shape. My goal isn?t to get huge or shredded like a men?s health cover model. Id like to lose weight and a little size would be nice but not necessary. Here is my problem, I?m a family man. It?s a great life but working out and eating right is hard. I have over an hour commute each way to work and when I get home I take care of my infant until my wife gets home. We share dinner together and then I only have about an hour or 2 to myself before I head to bed. I?m looking for ways to incorporate a diet into my life, keeping in mind I have dinner with my wife and she is NOT on the diet. I?m also looking for input on the best way to drop fat. I could probably get 30-45 minutes in a day to work out. Should I focus more on strength training or cardio? I know there are forums that might cover this, but I?m looking for more of a personal answer.

Forgot to add this… I'd prefer not to count calories. I understand it’s probably the best way, but I don't have a lot of time to plan meals out and count. Are there ways around this?

Thanks!

P.S.
Anyone else who is a dad and has a busy life, I?d like to hear how you manage to diet and workout in your busy life.

FunAndSun · 09-30-2009, 11:06 PM

Well, my two cents here...

First off, thanks for being a good dad. Family is the most important thing. Your health will determine the quality of your family life. Living longer, being able to do more active things for your children, being a good example for your children, sex life with your wife, etc. All great reasons for trying to improve your fitness and overall health.

I love the gym. Once people make the time/monetary commitment they usually go, or else they find themselve saying "WTF am I doing wasting my money on this." If time and/or money doesn't leave enough to devote to a gym membership, see if you can invest in an olympic bench, a 45lb barbell, and some weights. You can also purchase some barbells and dumbells, I have a 115lb set that I can do many things at home, I got it from Academy and it was about $100 dollars. A home gym doesn't have to be crazy intricate. It just has to have a few essentials that you can throw in the garage and get to work. If you find that you can make some space, and it's affordable, this may be a good solution for you. Something that will allow you to do bench press, standing military press, some light deadlifts and squats, rows, curls, and maybe a pull up bar to do chin ups and widegrip pull ups. One bench, about 200lbs in weights, and a few dumbells can go a long way. 30-45m weights every other day, cardio on off days, maybe a little in the morning, some push ups and sit ups at night, and you are well on your way on a fitness journey. Another option may be p90x, depending on your goals. I'm more of a fan of hard old school weight lifting, but to each his/her own.

As for the diet, again it'll be specific to each "body," but generally for fat loss we advocate eat less, eat smaller, eat frequently [more to satiate than speed up metabolism] and burn more than you take in. A deficit of 300 calories, and burning 300 calories through exercise can lead to about a lb. a week [give or take.] Counting calories will be the best way to get you there, and if you are serious about fatloss you should really try to start.

As for the wife, perhaps there are things you can do together. A nice walk, or jog. As you become inspired perhaps she will be too. It doesn't have to be a chore, it can be fun. Better physical appearance is something all women wouldn't mind having from their husbands, no matter what they say. You'll be confident, she'll be confident, and bedroom workouts will be better.

I think you can do a lot with only 30-45m a day, but you will have to push yourself. Don't waste a minute.

_OZ_ · 10-01-2009, 02:03 AM

Intermittent fasting sounds like it would fit into your lifestyle. You should look into that. Google Lean Gains and Eat Stop Eat. I follow this plan, eat dinner with my family with normal food and don't count calories. I've maintained this method for 7 months and have lost a lot over 6 inches off my waist.

As for working out, Google and YouTube have lots of free bodyweight routines that are tough and brief. Or you could invest in a inexpensive pair of adjustable dumbbells and develop a brief routine with the workout templates suggested on thus website, see links above for supersite and sidebar workout planner.

Rosary45 · 10-01-2009, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _OZ_

Intermittent fasting sounds like it would fit into your lifestyle. You should look into that. Google Lean Gains and Eat Stop Eat. I follow this plan, eat dinner with my family with normal food and don't count calories. I've maintained this method for 7 months and have lost a lot over 6 inches off my waist.

As for working out, Google and YouTube have lots of free bodyweight routines that are tough and brief. Or you could invest in a inexpensive pair of adjustable dumbbells and develop a brief routine with the workout templates suggested on thus website, see links above for supersite and sidebar workout planner.

Thanks for the replies!

Fasting would most definatly fit my lifestyle! I've tried the 5-6 meals thing in the past and It just doesnt work for me. The good search didn't turn up well. I learned that you fast 2 days a week for 24 hours each time. You also have the the 16/8 split that you can do everyday. Im a bit confused and I was wondering if you could direct me to a better site or even tell me wich you follow and how. That is if you have the time.

Finnegan Bell · 10-01-2009, 07:29 PM

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow...Linear_5x5.htm

Madcow 5x5 program

3 days a week

3 exercises - 45 mins per session. Very simple and effective.

Yawnie · 10-01-2009, 08:15 PM

yea its tough to fit nutrition/exercise into a busy day, my suggestion is possibly to try and wake up a few mins early and try and squeeze some cardio in there, maybe 15 mins if u have a decent amount of lunchbreak? fasting has been suggested, as diet will help the most if u dont have time for workouts. Maybe have a chat with the wife, im sure she would be supportive of your situation, perhaps even getting her to check for low fat versions of the products u currently use. little things will make a difference in the long run, i know u can do it

_OZ_ · 10-02-2009, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosary45

Thanks for the replies!

Fasting would most definatly fit my lifestyle! I've tried the 5-6 meals thing in the past and It just doesnt work for me. The good search didn't turn up well. I learned that you fast 2 days a week for 24 hours each time. You also have the the 16/8 split that you can do everyday. Im a bit confused and I was wondering if you could direct me to a better site or even tell me wich you follow and how. That is if you have the time.

I follow the Eat Stop Eat method which is fasting for 24 hours 1-2 times a week. I eat breakfast and dinner most days but just dinner twice a week. No overeating to compensate, no snacking between meals. Just water. Black coffee/green tea is permitted. This meal timing suits me but you can change it to suit your lifestyle.

I also just ate dinner for a whole month and found this worked too. If you search my profile you'll see links to a thread where I documented my results. My bodyspace has all my progress photos too.

There is a whole thread in the advanced nutrition section of this forum elaborating the Lean Gains method which is the 16/8 split and that one recommends calorie counting whereas ESE does not.

I also lift weights with adjustable dumbbells, a cheap bench with leg ext/curl attachment and a chinnng bar, 2-3 times a week. The calorie deficit from my diet is so effective I don't need to do cardio. I've lost 17kg fat in 7 months and just over 6 inches off my waist this way and retained my muscle mass.

Www.bradpilon.com
www.johnbarban.com
www.leangains.com

Sample bodyweight routine:

1. Chin ups or bodyweight row
2. Press ups with feet inclined
3. Burpees
4. Repeat for circuits

Sample dumbbell routine:

1. Rows
2. Bench presses or floor presses if no bench
3. Lunges
4. Overhead presses
5. Curls
6. One leg calf raises

Taste_Of_Ink · 10-02-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosary45

Hello all! I?ve lurked on these forms for a few months and admire the amount of knowledge people have on here about bodybuilding and nutrition in general. I am posting to gather information for a program that fits my life. Let me fill you in on my situation. I?m not fat and not skinny. I am flabby and not in good shape. My goal isn?t to get huge or shredded like a men?s health cover model. Id like to lose weight and a little size would be nice but not necessary. Here is my problem, I?m a family man. It?s a great life but working out and eating right is hard. I have over an hour commute each way to work and when I get home I take care of my infant until my wife gets home. We share dinner together and then I only have about an hour or 2 to myself before I head to bed. I?m looking for ways to incorporate a diet into my life, keeping in mind I have dinner with my wife and she is NOT on the diet. I?m also looking for input on the best way to drop fat. I could probably get 30-45 minutes in a day to work out. Should I focus more on strength training or cardio? I know there are forums that might cover this, but I?m looking for more of a personal answer.

Forgot to add this? I'd prefer not to count calories. I understand it?s probably the best way, but I don't have a lot of time to plan meals out and count. Are there ways around this?

Thanks!

P.S.
Anyone else who is a dad and has a busy life, I?d like to hear how you manage to diet and workout in your busy life.

I would look into p90x...alot of people have had good results with it and it is 30-45 mins 5-6 days a week if i remember correctly. PM me and i can let you know so cheap ways on getting the program if interested.

calibutcher · 10-02-2009, 04:01 PM

I work full time and take 12 units at a local school so I can understand your busy schedule.

Some good fast food options are Jack in the Box Breakfast jack w no cheese, chicken fajita pita and panda xpress any two entrees that haven't been fried and the mixed veggies instead of rice or chow mein. Ditch the soda, juice and sugar. Drink iced tea and water. I have lost 65 pounds so far by using this "fast food" diet. Avoid fries and sugar like the plague and try to have dinner as early as possible before going to bed. If you drink a low calorie protein shake it will keep you feeling full and prevent your body from robbing your muscles for accessible protein. Throw it in as a 4th meal to increase metabolism.

For your workout, research HIT cardio and some fast paced weight training exercises. Remember Cardio only burns calories while your in the gym, while building muscle will burn calories throughout the day! Long term weight loss comes with increased muscle mass.

Good Luck! I hope this helps.