What advise would you give?

[davete]

Hello all,

Not sure what to do, Im 6'2 and 190lbs with 25% body fat.

I have no experience in weight lifting just on and off doing silly workouts but now im serious about it I need to change my body.

Had a MPFL Reconstruction and my right knee because of knee dislocations, Im lacking in confidence doing squats at the moment. Anyone else had this sort of operation?

Im skinny fat looking, would it be best to add muscle first of lose the fat? I would like to get bigger but i want to get rid of the fat at the same time so im a bit stuck what to do.

Also I have been looking at the Video Trainers on BB, are they any good for a newbie to lifting weights?

Thanks.

[lonecricket]

Get serious with squatting, it can save your knees. Start with a load that only feels challenging to you, not too light and not heavy. Tell me more about your injuries please. What exactly is MPFL Reconstruction?

[davete]

Get serious with squatting, it can save your knees. Start with a load that only feels challenging to you, not too light and not heavy. Tell me more about your injuries please. What exactly is MPFL Reconstruction?

Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction is the replacement of a ligament on the medial side of my knee which has torn or stretched causing the knee cap to dislocate easily.

They took part of a tendon from the front of my leg below the knee, removed the torn ligament replaced it with the tendon by attaching one end by drilling through my knee cap and attaching it, and the other end by drilling and attaching it to the side of knee.

My knee was dislocating once or twice a year for 10 years before the op!

[lonecricket]

Well with that considered, you should definately keep squats light until you feel very safe with your knees.

[AlwaysBeShepard]

Im skinny fat looking, would it be best to add muscle first of lose the fat? I would like to get bigger but i want to get rid of the fat at the same time so im a bit stuck what to do.

I'm new to these forums and generally new to the whole body transformation thing and I wondered the same thing too, but from what I've been told/read on here the general consensus is to cut down to about 10-13% BF and then start bulking. I think I read somewhere that it's easier to put on lean muscle mass if you're at a lower BF% but I'm not sure how reliable that info is.

Not sure what to suggest in terms of your knee and squats, but if you want to lose fat and build muscle I think it's better to focus on cutting the fat first until you're around the 10-13% range and then change up your diet/exercise to start building muscle. I would mostly stick to calorie deficit diet and cardio but do some weight training to keep up your strength and minimize muscle loss.

That's what I've been told anyway and that's what I'm working on at the moment
Good luck and hope someone can help with your knee problem!

[floydd247]

I would agree that you should try to cut some of the fat first. Try to get somewhere around 15% or you won't really be able to see any of the hard earned muscle you put on anyway.

Have you been to a physical therapist or have you had any advice from a medical professional about what to and what not to do with your knee. If not make sure to get advice with a professional that supports weight training and has some experience and knowledge with its risks and benifits.

In the meantime I would suggest starting Stronglifts 5x5. The ebook is free from stronglifts.com and it's a pretty easy read if you skip the testimonials, unless you want to read those for motivation. Start with the empty barbell like recommended by Mehdi, especially on the squat and go from there. That is if you have the clearance from a medical professional if you seek their advice.

You can run this program with a calorie deficit to lose weight at the beginning if you start with the empty barbell because your weights will not yet be damanding. Once the weights begin to become demanding you can choose to eat the excess cals to keep your strength and muscle mass going up or you can choose to just try to maintain your strength while cutting your excess body fat.

[davete]

I had surgery in April and now have finished the phyiso, My strength has gone back to normal and it's safe to do what I like but being careful.

[davete]

Also I have been looking at the Video Trainers on BB, are they any good for a newbie to lifting weights?

[davete]

Would Jim Stoppani's 12-Week Shortcut To Size be OK to start off with?

[floydd247]

Would Jim Stoppani's 12-Week Shortcut To Size be OK to start off with?

They would probably work but I think a strength program would be a better and more time efficient plan.

[CamLeslie]

Does anyone who answered this guy have anything remotely close to a medical background?

Or did you guys just stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

OP see a real doctor, not highschoolers on a forum giving you their "expert" opinion.