Some help getting started?

Hi there, new here and to forum posting in general, so, don't hate me too much. I'd like to get started on the fitness level, primarily, with this. I'm in college, so cheap and effective are where I'd like to be. Additionally, nutrition is... Well, honestly I like me some food, but beyond that I can't afford expensive "health food" type of things. So, I was just wondering if I could get some general start up tips on cutting off a few pounds and building up some good muscle (not necessarily a lot of it, though). Thanks!

Cheap and effective it is: http://www.therlsh.net/t10623-17-week-program  

Welcome to the land of misfit toys.


Stay true. Stay free. Stay safe.

--John

Cut out all processed sugars (candy, ice cream, etc.) and other junk food. Drink more water and eat thermogenic foods such as apples, which burn more calories when you eat them than they return

Nutrition wise you want to stick to a high protein diet; meats and egg yokes are what I typically use if I'm not chowing down on MRE's that have "war fighter reccomended, warfighter approved" stamped on it in big stencil block letters, and just taking a couple multi vitamins and sticking to a workout plan will whip you into good shape. Don't try losing weight with foods until you've tried running six miles with a forty five pound pack every other day; you'll loose a ton of wait just doing the program, while at the same time packing on muscle and most of all significantly boosting your muscular endurance, enabling you to not just go harder, but go harder for longer; who's stronger for example, a man who can lift 100 pounds one ten times or the one who can bench ten pounds a hundred times? Power isn't everything; too much of it will wear you out; as I think you forshadowed in "not too much muscle mass". With the program you'll look sorta like those scrawney spartacus gladiators in the pit; ripped but also lean and not "muscle bound".

Thanks, folks! John, definitely gonna need to tailor that program to my specific preferences-For example, it's been more than a year since I've ran a single mile right off the bat, let alone 2 at once. Other than that, it seems like something I could do, and succeed at. I've got some experience with these types of workouts, but it's been a while since I've really committed to anything. Gauge, thanks for the food tips. I'll definitely work to cut down on the bad things, and I'll pick up some apples to next time I'm out!

Use a calorie calculator like this one: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Calculate your caloric needs based on your info and activity level, eat more veggies, high-protein (fish is the best calorie to protein ratio to be honest) diet. You'd be surprised how much steamed veggies will fill you up, while leaving you some wiggle room to eat something you really want to eat. Eating a bit less is hard at first, but after a week or so, you won't even notice, and the weight will just fall off.

Obviously, the more exercise you do, the more you will burn. It is also important not to cut TOO much in calories, because if you cut too much your body goes into survival mode and eats away at muscle mass to conserve energy while trying to hold on to as much fat as possible...slow change is easier to maintain and safer for your health and sanity. Many people g through "bulks" and "cuts" every few months...bulk periods you eat more calories, gain some fat, and work on building muscle mass/strength...during a cut you eat less and lose fat to look leaner and more toned/defined. During cuts you also lose a bit of strength, and the high-protein foods will help offset your strength losses.

John's plan is excellent, and I'm currently doing my own version of it.

You got any weights?

I think a curl bar and 150lbs of weight would do niceley. i only got 86 which includes the bar :(other than bench presses, squats and deadlifts, its plenty.

When doing excercises you want to have full control of your posture, dont just throught the weight or let it drop, it defeats the purpose of working out.
Also, there are 2 different types of excercises, endurance and strength. Strength is usually more weight, less reps and endurance is alot of weight with less weight. Strength is exactly that, it makes you strong for your size, endurance makes you go to distance, and they both compliment each other so do both if you can.


Strength training routine 12x10x8x6x4 10 second rest between reps, give it a 4 minute rest and do it again, then do the double set again for round 2, which is at the end of all your other excerises. This routine gave me muscles aches for 3 days when i first started.
Super strength routine 3x3x3 or 8x5x3, this is done of corse with alot of weight to where you really cant do more than 10 reps, reps usuallly have 30-60 second do this twice or 3 times a day.

You will notice that when you do strength training it completley drains your muscles strength so even after an hour of rest you might not be able to do another complete set, which is ok. As for endurance, you could do 50 reps, take a 5 minute rest and do it again, well i can, because thats what i mainly train .

endurance routine 30x30x30 take a good 1-2min break in between reps or pair 2 excercises that dont overlap muscles, like squats and curls, deadlifts and shoulders, rows and obliques, pushups and swimkicks, standing rows and back shoulderpress.

you gotta mess around with the weights to find what weight is good for you on each excercise, start little and go upwards, for endurance if you get a nice burn around 20 but can go into 30, you got a nice weight for that excercise. for strength, if you cant do more than 12 reps, thats good a good weight.

I also do my super endurance of just one excercise where ill do 50-80 reps.

Some simple excercises

Push ups, pull ups, and dips, they are free and dont undersestimate them. there is this small chick at the gym and she squated 3x her body weight which is world class lifting capabilities, i watched her coach every day and picked up on the routines, weights and reps and the such.

Push ups, do them on your first 2 knuckles if possible, this strengthens your forearm muscle better and forces you to balance on less ground which increases overall strength of the muscles involved in pushups. use a milk crate to elevate your feet so there is more weight on your arms.

Squats and dead lifts, start off at 50 lbs, dont rush it by flinging the weight up and dropping it down, raise up slowly, lock into place to where you have control of your posture, then lower back down. going slow is actually hard because your putting the strain on your muscles for a longer period of time, which in turn burns more fat and builds more endurance. Keep your knees from wobbling, this will actually help build muscles that no one knows the names to because they are neglated .the reason for starting at low weight is to work all the small muscles youd prolly miss because they are too weak if you started at 150lbs, which im sure you could do a few reps of, but in the end, starting low and working your way up is the way to go, it builds endurance and proper stabalizing muscles. Do these 2 excercises slow and steady because they also work out your hamstrings and alot of other leg muscles which u wont be able to hit unless you have a machine. Also, when doing squats, you can do a wide stance where your knees point outwards a little or have your knees more pointing forwards, both excercises hit dirrent muscles so its best to do them both.

rows - put the curl bar infront of you, bend down to pik it up, keep your knees bent a little, brace your back and sturdy your entire body, bring the weight up until your elbows are all the way back. Do this with just the bar so you know the full range of motion your going for. 30-40lbs is a good weight to start at.

standing rows - if your standing up with curl bar in your hands, simply lift the curl bar to your chin. you wanna be able to get the bar

shoulder presses - this one is simple, bring the bar up to your chest, elbows pointed downwards and lift towards the ceiling.

shoulder presses can also be done behind the head, this works your traps a bit more

curls - curls..

reverse curls - palms facing downwards, best to do with with lower weight than normal curls because your not using your entire biceps, your using more of your forearm.

standing Oblique crunches - hold the weight in one hand and bend towards the opposite way. Keep control of your posture, dont just thrust the weight up.

deltoid flaps - if you cant get any dumbells you can do this with 10lbs, maybe 15 tho i think 20lb would be too big. Put your finger throught the middle for stability. Hold th weights down by your side and lift them to above your head, kinda like jumping jacks without the leg movement. you also do this excercise raising your hands infront of you rather than to the side.

swim kicks! - lay on your back, feet an inch off the ground, raise them alternating like your swimming to about a 45 degree angle. this is gonna work some groin muscles and lower back ones too.

jumpin jacks - do 500 and youll feel the burn, also, if you aint got anywhere to run or a treamdill, this is a great cardo workout.

knee highs - basiclly jogging in place while lifting your knees up to your waist. goo for cardio.

have fun.

PS- if you can, make or buy a steamer...will save you plenty of counting/measuring, and is just a leaner, healthier way to cook your food.

Some good food choices:
Egg (steamed/boiled): 78 calories, 6g protein
Banana: 105 calories, 3g fiber, 1.3g protein
Grapes: 62 calories per cup, .8g fiber
Peanut Butter: 180 calories per 2 tbsp, 2g fiber, 7g protein
Baby carrots: 4 calories each
Onion: 44 calories ea, 2g fiber, 1.2g protein
Sweet potato: 114 calories per cup, 4g fiber, 2.1g protein
Potato: 163 calories ea, 4.7g fiber, 4.3g protein
Tomato: 22 calories ea, 1.5g fiber, 1.1g protein
Yogurt: 110-140 calories per cup, 10g protein
Milk: 150 calories, 8g protein
Whole wheat bread: 50 calories per slice, 2g fiber, 4g protein
Asparagus: 3-6 calories ea
G. smith apple: 80 calories, 5g fiber
Broccoli: 15 calories per 1/2cup, 1g fiber, 1.2g protein
Tilapia: 97 calories, 21g protein
Oatmeal: 150 calories per 1/2cup, 4g fiber, 5g protein
Breakfast sausage (my brand): 180 calories per 3 links, 7g protein
Chicken nuggets (my brand): 200 calories per 5 nuggets, 1g fiber, 7g protein

(to build/maintain muscle mass during bulks and cuts, it is recommended you get .6g-.8g of protein per pound of body weight per day, so, for example: I weigh 200lbs, so I should be eating around 140g protein per day...looking at this list, it seems obvious your best source for protein should be fish)

Of course, the less fatty calories are easier to burn off and will cause you less setbacks. Don't have white bread, cause it has 0 nutritional value. The biggest things I'd suggest eating are fish, yogurt, veggies, fruits, and whole grain foods. Mix up the fruits and veggies often, or you'll get sick of having the same ones fast. Measure your condiments, cooking oils/fats, etc., or just don't use them at all. A lot of people don't like peanut butter as a protein source because it has tons of calories, much of it from fat, but one serving of peanut butter a day isn't bad at all, in my opinion. As long as you count the calories while making sure you're getting enough nutrients, and stick to your exercise routine you will lose weight.

The trick to not being hungry all the time is to fill your stomach with low-calorie but nutritious foods like fruits and veggies (more veggies than fruits). Having things like this with each meal will help you to feel fuller for longer, and get you enough nutrients so you won't have to buy any extra supplements.

Scooby1961 on youtube has some great workout videos with sample workouts, tips for posture/form (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, as adamm[] said), and ways to be active without access to a gym or having to buy equipment.
https://www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961?feature=watch

Again, thanks so much for all of your help. I'm gonna be starting the routine next week, with some slight modifications of my own to fit my schedule/needs. As far as the food goes, the list is great, and I think that I'm gonna start with the little changes first (g smith apples over chips for snacks, for example) and cutting down on how MUCH I eat before I dive too deep into calorie counting and such. Some days, I'm just too busy to necessarily be picky about what i get to eat, ya know? But seriously, this will be great reference for me over the next couple weeks as I start to get back in shape.

Spending your day feeling hungry is going to lower your motivation, and make your workouts twice as hard, cause your body is going to be screaming for food.

If you count the calories, you'll see that even on my list, 2 tbsp of peanut butter (180 calories, 7g protein) has more calories than 5 cups of broccoli (150 calories, 12g protein), and good luck eating 5 cups of broccoli LOL. The trick to being able to eat as much as you want and still lose weight with a simple routine for exercise, is to eat as much as you want, but eat MORE of the low-calorie/high-nutrient foods.

Also give yourself "courses" with your meals, and drink lots of water. Ex: before sitting down to have your meal, have a full glass of water and chew on some servings of carrots or broccoli, wait 10 minutes, then start on your main course....this gives your brain more time to calculate how much you have already eaten, and means you will be less likely to overeat while the brain finishes processing the information to send the "I'm full" signal. Also, many foods are not packaged into single serving portions, so it is kind of important, in my opinion, to keep track and count what you're eating.

You'll still feel hungry after 5 chicken nuggets, but you probably won't after a few servings of veggies, and you'll leave more wiggle room for yourself for a tastier meal later on in the day or something. If I find myself with some extra calories to eat at the end of a day, I like to treat myself to something a little tastier than what I spent the day eating.

Also, drinking only water will save you a lot of calories at the end of the day. For concerns with calcium/vit D, you can get these from yogurt, cheese, and some veggies (google for better lists than mine), which are all more satisfying in your stomach than milk. Real fruits can replace juices, which often have added sugars and artificial flavors which will dull your taste buds over time.

I'm sure I've repeated myself a few times, my apologies. I cannot stress the importance of the veggies enough, though.

Good luck!

Hey, my friends make fun of me because I hate fruits and love veggies so much, so being told that veggies are gonna be what I want sounds good to me hahaha and thanks, it's always good to have someone who knows more than I do on these things. Like I said, I'm just jumping into this so I don't know what is gonna be best for me. I'll definitely be taking your list to heart (as much as I can). I know that one of my big problems is the rush to eat, and that was the "I'm full" signal issue you mentioned.

Yeah, I'm pretty new to this too, no worries. I was welcomed by this community like an old friend, so I'm glad to help another newcomer.

It definitely seems like a good place to be. I'm just glad to have found a community that shares similar beliefs, at the end of the day

You may be interested in trying out the Nutri Bullet; it's some kind of blender (but they say it isn't, due to the technological differences I guess) that grinds the food on a molecular level, releasing much more of the nutrients within it that chewing just can't accomplish. Unless you chewed it for hours but man, who has the time? XD

What is a good alternative to pull ups? I have no place/equipment to do them.

You have no access to bleachers? Trees? Soccer goals? Playground?
https://youtu.be/wSglftsQgoc

I mean, I could go hike in the woods and find a tree, but it'd be far more efficient if I could get a good weight lifting exercise or something that achieves similar results and not have to go so far out of my way.

Get some five gallon buckets of water and a dowel rod that's the right length for a barbel. You can get these at most industrial supply stores. Find a bench and start pumping out reps. May not feel too heavy at first, but remember, it's not how much you can lift it's how much you can lift it.

If your over eighteen sign of for a seasonf of forestry next summer. It's a great psychological and physical workout. Lots of good training opertunities as well.

If you prefer a gymnasium but value portability:  https://www.buychairgym.com/

Counting calories is for supermodels and housewives. Eat a high protein meal every four hours.
Be strong and fit by doing the basics-
Hard running- distance/ speed.
Tab- carry a weighted backpack (start light) and pull on a pair of boots, then walk.
resistance- lift heavy between 5-7 reps. Stick to compound lifts.
press ups- there is a reason every army in the world do them, get down on your belt buckle and crank them out.
Finally, sleep. Loads of sleep.
Best of luck.

My preference is for bodyweight exercises. I've put aside the weight training, as I never really stuck to it and found that the primate in me enjoys climbing about on the power tower.

-Rook

Eat Gerber!! XD

Nah just kidding, just jog in place that'll help.

To become a wildland firefighter one must endure what is called the Pack Test. You have to go three miles with a sixty pound bag of water strapped to your back (called a fedco) in under forty five minutes. Harder than it sounds. Helluva workout.