pvsinger_kfox said:
Ok, I'm trying to change my lifestyle to get in better shape. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to put this...i'm still new here.
Welcome!
Congratulations on making the decision to change your lifestyle into a healthy one!
Right now I am about 6'2" 225lbs....I work out from time to time, but I never made an official routine..... I don't want to be huge. I just want to be tone with a little muscle build. Round 190-200 weight range. That's about the weight my doctor suggested for my build. Can anyone suggest a good workout routine?
Ok - well, you will not get big without trying to get big! So don't worry about that!
But in terms of exercise - because you are starting from nothing it is better to start with SMALL changes and build up. It will be enough for you at first and it will also help you stick to it
An upper lower split is not a bad idea. But if three days a week is a bit much (or if you have never really done weights before) then you could start with 2 full body workouts/week.
I DON'T suggest you start with HIIT - not only are you not going to be fit enough to do it (so it is not going to offer you significant results) but you will probably not enjoy it (too hard, too much, too quickly). A simpler cardio routine would be a better start.
So, you could try something simple like:
Monday - full body workout
Tuesday - cardio workout
Wed - REST
Thursday - Full body workouts
Friday - Cardio workout
Saturday - REST
Sunday - REST
For your full body workouts, your best bet is to go for compound movements. These are movements where you move lots of muscles at the one time and they will offer you the best results in terms of stimulating your metabolism and stimulating your muscle mass to respond.
An example of a very simple workout could be something like:
Day 1:
Squats
(+/- Stiff Legged deadlifts or leg curls)
Bench press
BB row
Overhead DB press
WG Lateral pull down
Day 2:
Deadlifts
(+/- some lunges)
Incline DB press
Assisted pull ups
WG (assisted) dips
t-bar row
Short and effective - and it can give you a very good start.
For your cardio - start with the two sessions a week. 30 minutes at a moderate intensity (so you are puffing). If you are good with that, add on another day (on saturday or sunday). You can also slowly increase the time from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Once you get a base fitness, then think about sprints or other things.
You can also just increase your daily activities (walk as much as you can, take the stairs etc etc). This can also make a huge impact.
The biggest problem I have is my diet. I need some good tips on what to eat for breakfast, lunch, etc. What's best to eat and whats best to avoid? I would appreciate any help.
Ok - once again, simple changes are more effective than trying to change everything at once.
Try to start frequent meals. 4-5 meals a day is probably a good start.That doesn't mean a 'normal sized meal' so you need to watch your portion sizes.
Each meal should have some protein, some carbs (fibrous and starchy/sugar) and some healthy fats. The protein, fiber and healthy fats are especially important as they will help stabilize your blood glucose/insulin levels and will increase the satiety of the meal both of which will cause you to not get so hungry (and therefore stop snacks).
With the protein, trying to get a good amount of complete protein (mainly animal products, although tofu/soy is also a complete protein) in each meal is also a good target.
Try to change what you eat - so keep things focused on NATURAL foods. Basically, this means - the less processing the better (grow it, pick it, hunt it/fish and it is usually ok).
Your diet should focus around things like:
Vegetables - the more the better. Especially things like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts, cabbage... But everything like celery, cucumber, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, sweet peppers, sprouts, green beans, chinese greens, etc etc...
Fruit - 1-2 servings the day is a really healthy way to get many vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. They are also an excellent source of fiber, water and are relatively calorie light. Things like berries, apples, pears are excellent but all fruit is fine. Try to stay away from juices and dried fruit. These are much more calorie dense and also lack some of the benefits of your whole fruit.
Legumes - These are an excellent source of carbohydrates. They are packed with fiber and have a good dose of protein along with some vitamins and minerals as well. Things like kidney beans, lentils, chick-peas.
Whole Grains - These are good too, but are higher in carbs/calories so watch your portions. Pearl barley, whole or rolled oats, oat bran, barley bran, rye groats, buckwheat and quinoa are all great options. Wholegrain products like sprouted bread is also fine (watch your portion sizes and make sure they do not have any funny ingredients).
Fat-free dairy - These are a great source of proteins and carbohydrates and are a very healthy option in weight loss. Dairy has actually been linked to improving lean mass and decreasing fat mass when dieting!! So eat up. Things like skim milk, sf yoghurt and 1% cottage cheese.
Other lean animal proteins - Things like seafood (all seafood is great - salmon even more so as it offers a source of omega-3 fatty acids), poultry (skinless chicken breast, lean turkey breast), Game meats (buffalo, deer, ostrich), eggs/egg-whites.
Healthy fats, nuts and seeds (especially linseeds and walnuts) are very healthy and you need to make sure you get a good amount of fats in your day. Linseeds and walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fats whilst other fats such as avocado and olive oil offer your best source of monounsaturated fats.
Try to limit processed foods such as packaged or pre-prepared meals/snacks (eg: 'frozen meals', pizza, most fast-foods, snack bars) or things like bagels, muffins, cookies, candy and cereals. They are basically 'empty' calories (they are often high in things like saturated fats and high fructose corn syrup which are very unhealthy for you). They also often leave you hungry soon after eating them - which means you are more likely to snack. Plus, they miss many of the healthy nutrients found in natural foods (water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients).
Start to include LOTS of water in your diet and limit soda/pop and take-away drinks (like milkshakes). These are loaded with calories. Things like green tea, crystal light or diet kool-aid are also good options.
So an example of a diet would be something like:
Breakfast - bowl of oats with some blueberries and cottage cheese with some scrambled egg/egg whites.
Mid-morning - Can of chick-peas mixed with a can of tuna and some steamed vegetables topped with some avocado, lemon juice, low-salt soy sauce and black pepper
Lunch - Brown rice with some grilled chicken breast and a large salad (lettuce, tomato, mushroom, sprouts, peppers, baby spinach etc) topped with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a tub of FF yoghurt.
After your workout:
A banana
Whey protein
Skim milk
Or, if you don't workout something like:
FF yoghurt
1% cottage cheese
Apple
some walnuts or peanut butter
Some celery sticks
Dinner - Some steamed salmon, a little sweet potato and lots of steamed vegetables
You probably do not need to calculate 'calorie intake' or anything like that at the moment... But it would be a good idea if you started to make note of your portion sizes and start to monitor your intake. Once you have made the basic changes you can then go on to modifying your diet for better gains later down the track.
When you want to start calculating your requirements you can also check out the Thread "Guide to..." at the top of the page... It is an excellent start!
