HELP! NEED EXPERT ADVICE ON BEGINNER WORKOUT PROGRAM

_Bellatron_
_Bellatron_ Posts: 9
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm looking for some advice on whether I am working out too much. I would prefer to hear from people who have lost a lot of weight and kept it off. I don't mean to offend anyone by that, I just have that goal and want to hear from people who have already achieved that in their own life.

I Gained 50lbs in the last 2 years (so I wasn't ALWAYS overweight). I have a gym membership and I am there Monday-Friday.

I READ that beginners should start with approximately 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise followed by 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions on a low weight 35-50lbs. and that this should be done 3x per week, one day on, one day off.

Is it possible that this doesn't work for everyone? Because I was doing this for months and my heart rate barely went up, I was NOT breaking a sweat at all and I saw no results. So I decided to listen to my body and make it more challenging.

Now I am going to the gym everyday, Remember, I weigh over 200lbs and want to get down to 150lbs
The weight I workout with is always between 30-50lbs, and my routine looks like

Monday Upper body- tricep dips 3x 12 repetitions, chest press 3x 12 repetitions 30lbs, Lateral pulldown 30lbs, 3x12 reps, Shoulder press Machine, bicep curls using 12lbs dumbbell 3x12 reps. Then I walk for 5 minutes and go on a stationary bike for 10 minutes, then I go swimming for 40 minutes.

Tuesday I would focus on treadmill for 30 minutes, incline. Then swimming.

Wednesday I do Lower body, squats, kickbacks, hamstring curls, Quadricep extension, same reps and weight as above. Then swimming for 40 minutes.

So I have asked the trainers at my gym and they say different things, contradicting each other. Some say Cardio everyday for 30-60 minutes is absolutely fantastic, start at 30minutes then work your way up, while others say only 3x a week for all fitness levels.... In all honesty, some of these trainers can't even get in shape themselves. So it's hard to take advice from some of them (no offense).

Since I have a lot to lose I thought it was ok to workout Monday-Friday, rotating upper body, and lower body with some cardiovascular everyday. I always take Saturdays and Sundays off -not completely because I go for runs and bike rides with friends. Anyway, some of the trainers in better shape have told me that my routine is fine, saying that at the beginning you work out very hard, then harder to avoid plateau, then just maintain.

I understand that different people have different opinions, but at this point I am just confused. I do like this more challenging routine because I actually lost 3 lbs in the last week and I noticed my stomach isn't as bloated looking.

What do you think? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • halleymw
    halleymw Posts: 246 Member
    Weight loss is done in the kitchen. You workout to get in shape, keep from losing muscle mass, and give yourself a little more calories that you can eat. If you are not losing weight, you need to re-evaluate your caloric intake. I lost 80 pounds last year (well, over about 16 months). This is what I did (starting out a couch potato}
    Started out with cardio daily at 20 minutes a day. Gradually increased the cardio until I was up to an hour a day. After I could do an hour a day, I switched over to doing an hour of cardio one day, and then started doing High Intensitiy Interval Training the next. I started out slow, and gradually went up to a 30 sec fast 30 sec slow x 8, with a 5 minute warmup and cooldown.
    As I was so out of shape, I started out using the weight machines. I pretty much did a circuit of them all. After I got in a little better shape, I switched over to the Stronglifts 5x5 program. I did this on my non HIIT cardio days, before cardio.
    I used Scoobys calorie calculator to figure out my macros. I mostly concentrated on the calorie goal, later on when the weights got a little heavy I paid more attention to the protein.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    If your heart rate does not go up, it means you are not exerting yourself enough. As you get in shape, the same amount of exertion will be easier, so your heart rate will not go up like it used to. I found a Polar heart rate monitor very helpful to ensure I was reaching my goal heart rate. If the heart rate is not fast enough, you either need to increase the incline, speed or resistance depending on what machine you are on.

    Good luck!
    Mike
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    I'm looking for some advice on whether I am working out too much. I would prefer to hear from people who have lost a lot of weight and kept it off. I don't mean to offend anyone by that, I just have that goal and want to hear from people who have already achieved that in their own life.

    I Gained 50lbs in the last 2 years (so I wasn't ALWAYS overweight). I have a gym membership and I am there Monday-Friday.

    I READ that beginners should start with approximately 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise followed by 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions on a low weight 35-50lbs. and that this should be done 3x per week, one day on, one day off.

    Is it possible that this doesn't work for everyone? Because I was doing this for months and my heart rate barely went up, I was NOT breaking a sweat at all and I saw no results. So I decided to listen to my body and make it more challenging.

    Now I am going to the gym everyday, Remember, I weigh over 200lbs and want to get down to 150lbs
    The weight I workout with is always between 30-50lbs, and my routine looks like

    Monday Upper body- tricep dips 3x 12 repetitions, chest press 3x 12 repetitions 30lbs, Lateral pulldown 30lbs, 3x12 reps, Shoulder press Machine, bicep curls using 12lbs dumbbell 3x12 reps. Then I walk for 5 minutes and go on a stationary bike for 10 minutes, then I go swimming for 40 minutes.

    Tuesday I would focus on treadmill for 30 minutes, incline. Then swimming.

    Wednesday I do Lower body, squats, kickbacks, hamstring curls, Quadricep extension, same reps and weight as above. Then swimming for 40 minutes.

    So I have asked the trainers at my gym and they say different things, contradicting each other. Some say Cardio everyday for 30-60 minutes is absolutely fantastic, start at 30minutes then work your way up, while others say only 3x a week for all fitness levels.... In all honesty, some of these trainers can't even get in shape themselves. So it's hard to take advice from some of them (no offense).

    Since I have a lot to lose I thought it was ok to workout Monday-Friday, rotating upper body, and lower body with some cardiovascular everyday. I always take Saturdays and Sundays off -not completely because I go for runs and bike rides with friends. Anyway, some of the trainers in better shape have told me that my routine is fine, saying that at the beginning you work out very hard, then harder to avoid plateau, then just maintain.

    I understand that different people have different opinions, but at this point I am just confused. I do like this more challenging routine because I actually lost 3 lbs in the last week and I noticed my stomach isn't as bloated looking.

    What do you think? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

    you should start keeping track of the weight that you lift and log your progress. you will want to lift heavy (heavy for you that it is, there is no pre determined weight) and you'll want to keep your reps in the 5 to 8 rep range. Also look for a program like strong lifts or starting strength. After a while, if the weight gets too easy, up the weight
  • mrmidiman
    mrmidiman Posts: 1
    Mike is absolutely correct that weight loss happens in the kitchen. I think you could simplify your approach to working out, though. Some great advice I received as I was beginning my weight loss journey was to do "something physical" everyday, whether this involved taking a walk, playing a sport, or working out.

    As for your workouts, if you've not already teamed up with a personal trainer, I'd highly recommend it so that you can make sure you're doing your lifts with proper form and with enough weight to be sure that you're using enough resistance. To get the most bang for your workout buck, try to incorporate exercises that incorporate multiple muscle groups in addition to the larger muscles.

    Some excellent exercises to include are: Turkish Getups, Kettlebell Swings, Dead-lifts, Squats, Pushups, Pull-ups, Planks. For cardio, I really love working out with Battle Ropes as well as taking Martial Arts classes.

    Don't forget to get in your 10,000 steps per day and keep track of them by using a FitBit or other similar tracking device.

    Also, mix things up by incorporating lifestyle activities into your routine such as biking, hiking, tennis, or any other physical activity you enjoy.

    Whatever you do, be sure to find workout routines that you enjoy. Otherwise, it will be difficult to stick with it.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • _Bellatron_
    _Bellatron_ Posts: 9
    Weight loss is done in the kitchen.

    Mike, your entire post was helpful. Yeah I agree with you for the most part, but working out also does result in weight loss. When you workout, you gain muscle, and muscle burns calories which attributes to weight loss. So yeah most of it is eating, but if your body has a lot of fat on it (as oppose to muscle), fewer calories would be burned throughout the day.

    You have awesome points Mike and I will take your advice. Thank you for your post, I appreciate it more than you know.

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