Newbie in search of advice...

[Cobra 427]

I've been lurking for a few days, and I see what great advice is given to newbies. So that's why I'm posting. This is probably a lengthy post, but I figure that it’s probably better to give more info than less.

I'm a 43 year old male, and until 6 months ago I never exercised. Watching my father's health decline has been an eye opening experience and a huge motivator for me to get off my butt and change my life for the benefit of my wife, my kids and me. So, in January, I embarked on a new journey and feel better now than I have ever felt in my life. However, I think it's time that I get some experienced opinions and advice. Please note that I visited my primary care physician a few months ago, and not only has my health improved (cholesterol & tri's down and under control without medication, bp down, weight down), but he's given me the "green light" to proceed with any physical activity that I choose. The only medication I'm on is Prilosect for excessive stomach acid. Since January, I've lost 30lbs (about 5lbs per month), and my body fat was measured 2 months ago at 22%.

Currently, I'm 6" and 175lbs. I would consider my body style to be thin - my arms are thin, my legs are thin, my neck is thin; I've got small hands and feet, however on top of my thin body style is years of fat from inactivity and laziness. I'm proud that I've gone from 205 to 175; my pants are really baggy (34" waist blue jeans used to be tight; now I wear 32" jeans comfortably), and my male breasts have decreased a bit in size, however I still see the following areas of my body that I'd like to improve (in priority order):

1. My belly & love handles - I understand it's the last area to show significant improvement, and I have seen improvement.

2. My chest - even with my exercise routine, I see little change. I'd like to grow my pecs, while at the same time decrease my male breasts (the later is pain point of a lifetime of embarrassment, which I believe is a result of being over weight for my body style and excessive marijuana smoking as an adolescent).

3. My arms - even with my exercise routine they have grown little. I feel stronger, and I see some definition, but nothing significant.

Ideally, I'm happy at 175lbs, however I would like to exchange my fat pounds for muscle pounds ;-). I feel like I've plateau’d a bit, so, I'm looking for some advice on changes to my diet and exercise routine in order to improve the three areas I listed above.

My daily routine of diet and exercise looks like this. Please note that I follow this routine Monday thru Friday; on weekends I’m less strict on myself, however I pay attention not to intake junk (except Friday night pizza). I drink about 100oz of water each day. A couple of times per week I may sneak in an Atkin’s breakfast bar. I do find myself to be hungry more often than I’d like, but I have a very sedentary job, and I’m proud of my results so far, so I “suck it”.

6:00 - wake up

6:30 - protein drink (100 cal, 6g carbs, 17g pro)

7:00 - commuter sized coffee

8:00 - banana

9:30 - 1 cup Atkin's Cereal with 1/2 cup non-fat 1/2&1/2 (90 cal, 12g carbs, 13g pro)

11:30 - 1 cup low fat cottage cheese with about 8 pineapple chunks. Sometimes I add a small salad or a bit of last night’s left over dinner.

11:45 - take vitamin & mineral supplements: Nature Made's Maximum Pack, 1000mg Flaxseed, 1200mg Fish Oil, and 10mg Lycopene.

15:00 - Exercise (see below)

16:30 - 1/2 protein drink (50 cal, 3g carbs, 8g pro)

17:00 - snack on 1 cup trail mix

19:00 - light dinner (small portion of chicken breast, turkey or fish, along with green veggie + 1 glass of wine every other day).

22:30 - lights out


Exercise Routines

I follow two routines, alternating daily. Due to work issues and holidays/vacations, etc… I exercise probably 4 days per week on average. I stretch my legs first, I use free weights except for 2 exercises on the machine, I rest for less than 1 minute between reps, and I try hard to concentrate on form.

Routine #1

1. Cardio – cycle for 25 to 35 minutes (breathing thru my mouth, sweating like a pig ;-)
2. Incline sit-ups (25 reps, 15 reps, 10 reps)
3. Bench press 95lbs (12 reps, 10reps, 8 reps)
4. Dumb-bell flies 20lbs (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)
5. Dumb-bell curls 20lbs (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)
6. Tricep pull down (machine) 50lbs (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)

Routine #2

1. Cardio – cycle for 25 to 35 minutes (breathing thru my mouth, sweating like a pig ;-)
2. Incline sit-ups (25 reps, 15 reps, 10 reps)
3. Military press 27 ½ lbs (dumb-bells) (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)
4. Lat pull down (machine) 110lbs (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)
5. Dumb-bell wrist curls down 15lbs (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)
6. Dumb-bell wrist curls up 32 ½ lbs (15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps)

I had a third routine to exercise my legs, however I’ve found that the cycling has really built up my legs to the point where I feel unbalanced (my legs are growing faster than my arms and chest/back). So, a month ago I cut out leg weight training and at the same time increased my cardio time on the cycle by an average of 10 minutes.

I had an exercise partner, however for various reasons he has not been able to join me. So, I’ve been pretty much exercising alone in the gym at work. Occasionally there are a couple of people playing ping-pong, but most of the time I’m alone in the gym. For this reason, I have not pushed myself hard on the bench press, for example, because for the past couple of months I don’t have spotter (much less anyone else who could rescue me if I found myself in trouble). At least the gym is free, and my boss is ok with my time there (he knows where to find me).

Also, I just purchased a heart rate monitor (Polar F11), ‘cause I’m concerned about how close I’m getting to my max heart rate on the cycle, and I want to get a better measurement of calories burned. It should arrive by this time next week.

I feel like I've plateau’d a bit, so, I'm looking for some advice on changes to my diet and exercise routine in order to improve the three areas I listed above.

Thanks,
Randy R…

[JaeBeam]

Welcome to the boards! I'm new to this game as well. Do a search on '5X5'.

Its a plan that will have you lifting heavier weights, but for fewer reps. I think you are ready to change up your routine to try and break thru your plateau.

good luck, and keep up the good work.

[joed]

Welcome Cobra. You've been lifting for 6 months & doing pretty good. Do you feel like your tendons & ligaments are ready for heavier weights?

[ChocoChick]

Welcome to the site!

There are several people here who have workout journals you might want to look at to see how you can improve your own workouts. These include GameDayDog, Jaguar, Elzool, and others who I am no doubt forgetting at the moment.

One thing you want to avoid is doing so much cardio before your weight lifting. You don't want to burn your muscle glycogen during cardio -- save it for your workout. Otherwise, your body has nothing to fuel your lifting except -- you guessed it -- your own muscle. So you will see better gains by reversing things so that you lift first, then do cardio. Warming up is best achieved by doing a light set (or even 2 light sets) of the exercise you are getting ready to do. You only need warm up once per muscle group, i.e., if you do warm up sets for flat bench press you don't also need to warm up on incline bench.

Ok, now onto your diet.

6:00 - wake up

6:30 - protein drink (100 cal, 6g carbs, 17g pro)

How about a real meal here? Maybe some eggs (1 whole egg for every 3 whites) and oatmeal.

7:00 - commuter sized coffee

ok

8:00 - banana

This meal should get moved to ~ 9am and definitely should consist of some real food (a banana by itself does not count as real food). Probably if you ate a real meal at 6:30 rather than the fast digesting protein shake, you would not need this snack at 8am.

9:30 - 1 cup Atkin's Cereal with 1/2 cup non-fat 1/2&1/2 (90 cal, 12g carbs, 13g pro)

See above. I have no idea what Atkin's Cereal is but I am generally suspicious of anything with a label on it (with the exception of protein powder). Another meal of protein+carb+fat should go here.

11:30 - 1 cup low fat cottage cheese with about 8 pineapple chunks. Sometimes I add a small salad or a bit of last night’s left over dinner.

This is an ok snack. Berries with the cottage cheese would be better but pineapple is ok as long as it is fresh pineapple. What would last night's dinner be?

11:45 - take vitamin & mineral supplements: Nature Made's Maximum Pack, 1000mg Flaxseed, 1200mg Fish Oil, and 10mg Lycopene.

ok - you can put flax in your oatmeal, too.

15:00 - Exercise (see below)

Eek! Where is your pre-workout meal? You need fuel for your workout. This is the time for protein, complex carbs and some fat. How about some salmon, brown rice and veggies?

16:30 - 1/2 protein drink (50 cal, 3g carbs, 8g pro)

Have the whole shake plus a high GI carb (lots of folks add dextrose to their shake). This is one time when you want an insulin spike because you want to hep rush nutritents to your muscles. Also, you should have this meal immediately after your workout - don't wait.

17:00 - snack on 1 cup trail mix

Ditch this. Add real food to your meal at 16:30 instead (more protein and simple carbs, no fat) so that you can get through until dinner.

19:00 - light dinner (small portion of chicken breast, turkey or fish, along with green veggie + 1 glass of wine every other day).

I'd add a complex carb here, seeing as you workout late in the day. No need for the portion to be especially small, either. And the wine is not helping you at all. I'd limit this to once a week, max.

22:30 - lights out

How about some cottage cheese and walnuts at around 2200? Look in Fitbyfifty'sthread for an explanation of why or just trust me that it's a good way to end your day.

[Cobra 427]

Thanks dbflgirl, this is exactly the kind of advice I'm seeking.

Where can I find information about how much Pro+carb+fat I should be consuming, both at each meal and total for the day?

Thanks again,
Randy R...

[kimsquit]

welcome to the forum!

Feel free to post a photo or two - those before and after shots are often an inspiration to others

Lots of folks here use a website called fitday.com to rein in and plan out their diet

For building muscle, you want to try to get in at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. Protein should be approximately 40% of your total diet. Carbs & healthy fats should be about 30% each.


Lots of folks who've shed adipose fat are leery about deliberately eating healthy fat - but it's an important aspect of your diet.

[Cobra 427]

JaeBeam & joed,

Yes, thanks, I need to mix things up a bit - it's getting a bit monotonous.

Thanks,
Randy R...

[Cobra 427]

Kimsquit,

Thanks the lead to fitday.com - I'll check it out...

My eyes got as big as sauces when I read, "at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight" - Did I read this right? For me, this would be 175g of pro a day???? Wow! At first glance, this seems like a lot.

Posting pics is a big step for me. Acknowledging in writing about myself (and my self image) personally already was a big step for me. Let's take things one step at a time, however I do appreciate your request.

Thanks,
Randy R...

[kimsquit]

Randy,

not to scare you, but I weigh the same as you and take in an average of 380 grams of protein a day

[ChocoChick]

My eyes got as big as sauces when I read, "at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight" - Did I read this right? For me, this would be 175g of pro a day???? Wow! At first glance, this seems like a lot.

You read it right. Here's a link to a calculator that will help you estimate (yes, estimate - you will have to experiment a little to see what your body needs) your caloric requirements: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa64.htm

And here's a thread debunking nutrition myths: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=492749

And finally, although this is in the women's section, read this thread and look specifically for the posts from BuffedWildCat. She gives spot-on advice about both nutrition and working out, along with lists of foods you should try to incorporate: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=290201

As for macro ratios... you can experiment here, too. Some people like a 40p/40c/20f split. Others prefer 40/30/30, or 50/30/20, or 35/45/20, etc. But the guideline to get 1g protein per pound of bodyweight (or 1.5 g per pound of lean mass) is pretty solid. Now you'll understand GameDayDog's signature!

[ChocoChick]

Once you figure out how many calories you want to eat and in what ratio, you want to pretty much split things up evenly across your meals. So, let's say you determine you should be eating 3000 calories over 6 meals (I am just making up 3000 calories). Ideally, you want 6 meals of ~ 500 calories each, not 2 meals of 100 calories each followed by one of 1300 calories, etc. And you want to keep your macros roughly consistent, too. So if you're eating on a 40/30/30 split, keep this same split in your meals (excepting pwo, when you don't want fat).

The reason for this is to avoid spikes and drops in insulin levels throughout the day. You want to keep your car at a steady 60mph, not 10mph and then revving up to 75mph and then dropping back to 10mph again. You will get better gas mileage (aka nutrient usage, fat burning, etc.) at a steady 60mph.

[elzool]

The only thing I can add is to make certain you listen to these folks here. The singular knowledge of some individuals is amazing and as a group it's unbelievable what direction they can get you moving in.

[Bad_Vibes]

There are a lot of programs, diets, exercises, supplements, ect... to find out about after hours of reading on this board. So you can do that with a search and just browsing.

Bottom line is you are no where near a plateau. Your body is capable of a whole lot more than you probably realize. If you want your pecs, arms, and legs to become muscular you must pay your dues. That means years of consistent exercise pushing your muscles, eating a generous portion of protein, resting your muscles appropriately(don't get impatient and overtrain) with appropriate amounts of carbs and getting decent amount of sleep.

It's taken me years to get anywhere near a point that I'm satisfied with. I also have naturally small arms and that's been the most frustrating for me. But even after doing this for 15 years just over the last few months I've made adjustments that have added a 1/2 inch to them. So you are at the very beginning of a long rewarding journey.

[jaguarr]

Welcome, Cobra! Sounds like you've done some good prep work with your full body workouts to get yourself ready for working out. Yep. You read that right. I'd take a look at the diets, supplements and various workout splits that folks are using around here (dfblgirl through out a few names of people who keep threads you might poke through. I'd add Mr. Someday, Hibiscus09, kimsquit, GSCampbell, jtroster, A.FreeRadical, and jsttryn to that by no means comprehensive list) and see if any of them resonate with your goals, your lifestyle (and this IS a lifestyle, make no mistake), available time, and your available workout facilities and equipment. Don't be afraid to steal little bits from everybody and create your own and bounce it back at everyone to see if it makes fundamental sense. Everyone is different and certain things work well for some and don't for others. So read up, experiment, construct a new diet, supplementation and split for yourself that will help you reach your goals, and then get your ass in the gym!

Cheers,
jag

[GameDayDog]

What more can I say... ??? ... Allow me to reintroduce myself..

I'm the infamous GameDayDog... and with great posts lyke that from DBFLGyrl (and you wonder why she's in Thee Alphaz???) ... if you follow it.. u'll be on the ryght path... 90% of thys is done in the kitchen...

Peace..~G

[ChocoChick]

What more can I say... ??? ...

Looks to me like he needs help with his routine

[Cobra 427]

Looks to me like he needs help with his routine

Agreed and thanks...

I've got more reading to do, and I need to figure out a much better form/schedule/content of "fuel intake". I created a login on Fitday.com yesterday evening and entered what I ate yesterday - let's just say, I've got my homework to do to create a fuel plan that gives me what I need and meets my lifestyle - I figure that this is a balancing act (like what Jag wrote). And I fully understand that changes like this won't happen over night. However, I take this seriously and I have quite a bit of support around me, yet what has been lacking in my support is concrete direction. I feel I'm getting that direction here, and this is exactly what I need. Thanks!

I took your advice yesterday about my routine being "upside down" and did my lifting first, then sit-ups, then cardio, and I felt much better at the end - not as drained. I like JaeBeam's suggestion of "5x5" - I haven't read it yet, but I assume it means 5 sets of 5 reps. I'll try this today with a 10% increase in weight, across the board.

Thank you all very much.

Have a good weekend,
Randy R...

[GameDayDog]

Welcome 2 da Alphaz... (Everyone Over 6' & Very Special Ladies of the Over 35 forum) ...

Well.. Jag said your routine was a warm-up ... He's absolutely correct... I'm not gonna mention the 5x5 routine... Other than thys... if you want pure strength, lyke a powerlyfter... people suggest using 1 to 6 reps... If you want muscle growth & strength we suggest using 8 - 10 reps... There are those that say - if you want muscle endurance use anythyng over 10 reps... (I say muscle endurance is equal to wasting your time in the gym..) ...

Here's a nyce, fundamentally sound exercyse routine for you... It groups Chest & Triceps... Back & Biceps, ... and Legs... ... We'll focus on training the large muscle groups and then finish off with some isolation exercyses... Since you hit the gym 4 days a week, I'll even throw in a clean up day...

Before each workout - it's important that you warm-up ... elevate your heartrate, get the blood pumping and warming your entire body up... So hop on an exercyse bike or treadmill for 5 or so minutes... Your goal isn't to break into a heavy sweat or to breathe hard... Also, at the end of each workout, you can feel free to throw in some ab work...

Back & Biceps...

1. Bent Over Rows
2. Shrugs
3. Lat Pulldowns or Weighted Pullups
4. Seated Rows
5. Rear Delt Rows
6. 45 Degree Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curls
7. Reverse Grip Preacher Curls

Chest & Triceps...

1. 30 Degree Incline Dumbbell Press
2. Flat Dumbbell Press
3. Military Press
4. 30 Degree Incline Flies
5. Weighted Dips or Tricep Pressdowns
6. Lying Syde Dumbbell Laterals

Legs

1. Leg Extensions
2. Squats
3. Leg Presses
4. Calf Presses - done on the leg press machine
5. Leg Curls

Clean-Up Day...

You can use thys day to do any ab exercyses or extra cardio that you desyre or you can take the day off & consider it a rest day...

About the routine... fyrst of all, I want you to get a timer or a stopwatch... Then I'll give you an example of how thys routine works... Your goal is 3 sets of 8... only one exercyse gets a warmup... For maximum results - we keep the rest periods between 1:30 & 2:00 minutes... as a result a sample workout will look lyke thys...

1. Bent Over Rows - 50/8 (1:00), 50/8 (1:00), 75/8 (2:00), 75/8 (2:00), 75/8 (2:00)
2. Shrugs - 75/8 (2:00), 75/8 (2:00), 75/8 (2:00)
3. Lat Pulldowns - 95/8 (2:00), 95/8 (2:00), 95/8 (2:00)
4. Seated Rows - 65/8 (2:00), 65/8 (2:00), 65/8 (2:00)
5. Rear Delt Rows - 50/8 (1:30), 50/8 (1:30), 50/8 (1:30)
6. 45 Degree Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curls - 45/8 (2:00), 45/6 (2:00), 45/5 (2:00)
7. Reverse Grip Preacher Curls - 40/8 (2:00), 40/8 (2:00) 40/5 (2:00)...

You see... Only the bent over rows get a warm-up... and you get 1 minute between them... I also suggest a minute between ab exercyses... I also have to point out that thys routine is full of personal bests.. You see, after you get 3 sets of 8, you raise the weight... so bent over rows go up to 80 pounds next workout.. etc.. etc.. With exercyses #6 & #7 - I show what your reps will probably look lyke once you find the ryght amount of weight to use for thys routine... Even tho your reps go down, do not decrease the weight... Each workout, you'll get stronger & aim for one more rep.. eventually you will get 3 sets of 8 and you'll raise the weight...

All of the weights above were used as an example.. you have to fynd out what weights are good for you to use... Also, for calves & abs, I suggest a rep range of 15 - 20...

If you want to lose additional bodyfat, feel free to do some cardio after your weights... but consume a protein shake after your cardio.. Your body will need it... Combine thys routine with DBFLGyrl's diet and you'll be amazed at your results.. Then come back here thanking and praising us... Just because everyone else hates when folks do that...

I'm sure you can fynd all of the above exercyses on thys websyte... if you need help with a specific one, just ask... I'll be back..

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

Peace..~G
Providing Concrete Direction...

[Cobra 427]

Thanks GameDayDog,

I appreciate your time and direction. The link to the exercise movies really helps, as most of the exercise names are new to me. I think I may have to bring a laptop with me to the gym to view the movies, then perform the exercise.

Yes, I have a stop watch and clipboard that I bring to the gym - I used to use them when I open-tracked my Cobra replica. Nothing like re-cycling tools from one sport to another.

Have a great weekend,
Randy R...

[Lilac66]

Welcome to the board, Cobra

I can't give you any advice, because I'm a totally green newbie.As you can see, there are many knowledgable, helpful folks here who can help you though.

I just wanted to say kudos to you for taking your health seriously for not only yourself, but your wife and kids, too.That's the best gift you can give them-yourself