I'm looking for a good work out routine?

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Well, I'm 20 years old. I'm a male. 5'6'' and 168 pounds. (I have a little bit of stomach fat)

I'm looking for some way to lose weight yet gain muscle at the same time. I usually stay away from the gym and just go for runs because I feel like if I start lifting weights i'll gain weight and I need to stay under 170 pounds due to my current occupation (Marine Corps.) I'm more concerned about losing the stomach fat but it would also be nice to build some upper body strength at the same time. I'm looking for a good workout out regime to start following to help me with this. I'm usually more of a cardio person so i'd want something that would incorporate that. Also, what would be some applicable supplements I could take to help me see desired results from what i'm trying to do? I was looking at the top 50 best rated supplements but I have no idea which one would be the best for me.

Replies

  • Ladyaggie23
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    Actually if you do weight lifting followed by cardio you will be replacing the fat with lean muscle. But lift weights 3 times a week and do cardio 3-4 times a week after weight lifting. Lean muscle weights less than fat.
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
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    Actually if you do weight lifting followed by cardio you will be replacing the fat with lean muscle. But lift weights 3 times a week and do cardio 3-4 times a week after weight lifting. Lean muscle weights less than fat.

    You don't replace fat with muscle and you don't get muscle that isn't lean.


    (***EXCEPT IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES OR WITH PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS***)

    You cannot build muscle and lose fat at the same time. You either gain muscle and fat or lose fat and muscle, not both.

    You cannot spot reduce, your stomach will go at the same time as the rest.

    Strength training will help you retain what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Strength training in a deficit is highly recommended. Use cardio to increase your caloric deficit but aim for no more than a loss of 2lb of fat a week. You are at a fairly low weight so I wouldn't recommend more than a 1lb per week loss (500 calorie deficit per day)

    To build your upper body strength you will generally have to be in a caloric surplus whilst strength training. Aim for anywhere between 1-12 reps on exercises. Lower reps tend to build more strength and mid-higher reps usually focuses more on building muscle. For compounds it's recommended to keep the reps lower (1-8) and then use isolation exercises to make sure you tear down as much fibers as possible, using slightly higher reps (6-12)

    Routine:

    There are hundreds upon hundreds of routines out there for bodybuilding, powerlifting, olympic lifting etc. Personally I mix strength training and bodybuilding because I enjoy both. Each day I'll focus on one of the "4 major lifts" which are Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press and Overhead Press followed by isolation exercises targeting the muscles involved in the major lifts. For example if I'm working legs, I'll always do calf raises and hamstring extensions with it.

    My current split is:

    Monday: Legs (Squats)
    Tuesday: Upper Body (Bench Press)
    Wednesday: Rest
    Thursday: Legs (Squats)
    Friday: Push (Standing Overhead Press)
    Saturday: Pull (Deadlift)
    Sunday: Rest

    Do some research and find a split that looks reasonable and adjust it to your own needs. Most people would recommend a strength training program to get you started.

    Supplements:

    Creatine is probably the number 1 supplement for weight training. Cheap and effective.

    Vitamins and fish oils: Helps with joint and overall health.

    It would be recommended for you to intake at least 130-140g of protein, preferably between 160g and 180g though. If you struggle to hit this you should probably using a supplement to help you with that, for example whey protein.

    (***All of this is my general knowledge, correct me if I'm wrong***)
  • JayDavila
    JayDavila Posts: 146 Member
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    You cannot build muscle and lose fat at the same time. You either gain muscle and fat or lose fat and muscle, not both.

    You cannot spot reduce, your stomach will go at the same time as the rest.

    Strength training will help you retain what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Strength training in a deficit is highly recommended. Use cardio to increase your caloric deficit but aim for no more than 2lb of fat a week. You are at a fairly low weight so I wouldn't recommend more than 1lb per week (500 calorie deficit per day)

    To build your upper body strength you will generally have to be in a caloric surplus whilst strength training. Aim for anywhere between 1-12 reps on exercises. Lower reps tend to build more strength and mid-higher reps usually focuses more on building muscle. For compounds it's recommended to keep the reps lower (1-8) and then use isolation exercises to make sure you tear down as much fibers as possible, using slightly higher reps (6-12)

    Supplements:

    Creatine is probably the number 1 supplement for weight training. Cheap and effective.

    Vitamins and fish oils: Helps with joint and overall health.

    It would be recommended for you to intake at least 130-140g of protein, preferably between 160g and 180g though. If you struggle to hit this you should probably using a supplement to help you with that, for example whey protein.

    (***All of this is my general knowledge, correct me if I'm wrong***)

    I can attest to this being correct., I am currently at your same stats and I was struggling not too long ago trying to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time. Maintain a proper diet and hit the weights heavy and youll see results. I switch up on days to do high and low reps as mentioned below. Seems to be working out well. Give it a shot!