Out With the Old, In With the New

[oneandonly87]

Hey guys, quick background on me:

23 yrs. old
6 ft. tall
270 lbs.
44 in. waist (tape measured)


Throughout high school I did sports and remained pretty fit. I lost fat, gained muscle, and ended up being pretty strong and decently fit.

Fast forward to the present and I basically let myself go. I still have some mass, but a LOT more fat and my strength is nowhere near where it used to be. I am currently a decently heavy smoker (1/2 pack a day).

My goal is to stick to a strict diet and exercise plan with the ultimate goal of losing fat, gaining muscle, and becoming cut. I know that from 270 lbs., this will be a long ordeal, but I also know that you get in what you put in and dedication is key.

I know that many people strictly argue that you cannot burn fat and gain muscle simultaneously. I believe that at least in the beginning this is achievable because of muscle memory and the extreme change in my activity level. I've done it before and I've seen many others do the same. I will also be attempting to quit smoking because I know it's probably the most damaging avoidable activity for your health. Without getting into an argument about the feasibility of this, these are my goals.

I created a 12 week lifting and cardio plan to start with and we'll see where I am at that point. I have a 3 day split for lifting and will be doing different types of cardio 6x a week. I will be posting bi-weekly pictures and weigh ins and using my measured waist size as progress meters. Additionally, I will be posting daily diet and exercise logs.

I will post my cardio and lifting plan for any critiques/advice and I'll hopefully have a starter "before," picture up tonight if I can find my camera. Any help/insight is greatly appreciated! Thanks guys, and good luck to everybody else out there trying to better themselves!

[oneandonly87]

I did some cardio in the morning before eating anything:

15 Minutes Recumbent Bike Warm Up- Fat Burn Program, LVL 12

Cal: 115

30 Minutes Treadmill 2.70 miles

Cal: 515

Total Calories: 630


The bike was not meant to be very challenging, just a warm up to get the blood flowing and loosen up a bit. As for the treadmill, the whole time wasn't running, but I pushed it pretty hard to where I felt my heart thumping and shortness of breath. I know it's something I need to build with time and I'm not going all out yet, as I want my body to get acclimated to all this new physical stress. That being said, felt very good to be back in the gym sweating my ass off!


This evening I lifted Back/Bis. I did back first and biceps after. By the end of back, my bis were pretty shot and I couldn't do much at all (my bis are very weak to begin with). Grip in my left hand was a problem, particularly on the deadlift. My whole left hand's muscles are very tight and exhausted. Again, something that will improve over time.

Here's what I did:


Monday: Back/Bis

Deadlifts 5 x 8
Bent Over DB Rows 3 x 8
Pulldowns 3 x 8
DB Upright Rows 3 x 8
Shrugs 3 x 8
EZ Curls 4 x 8
DB Curls 3 x 8