Turning 30 this month...need your help getting in shape!

[APDell]

Seeing as how I am having regrets about some things in my life I was wondering what you all would think about an idea I have. I'll give you a rundown first:



At this point in my life I am in bad shape. I am about 140 lbs and 5 feet 7 inches tall. I am whimpy, scrawny, and frail. And I smoke ciggarettes. Yeah, not the greatest shape ever.


I was wondering if my trusted friends here in the Android Lounge would help give me some motivation to get in shape. Maybe even help me set a goal for myself. I would like to document my progress over the next year to see where I end up. And I want to use my Evo shift to take all the pictures.

I thought I would put some pictures up every two or three months to show my progress. I would like for you all to give me some workout ideas that I can do from home (I don't have time to go to a gym). If there are any athletes here I very much welcome your ideas and opinions.


This is a major challenge for me and I am going to do this regardless of documenting it on the forums. Because I want to be in better shape and quit smoking too; But like I said, I sure could use the extra motivation. And I thought it might be fun to keep track of.

If anybody thinks it would be interesting at all please let me know. If the mods find that this is not a good idea for the forums then I wont do it and you can delete the thread, no hard feelings

Its all in fun. You all might get a good laugh or two along the way as well especially when I put up some "before pictures"...

What say you?

 

[NYCHitman1]

Do you have spare time to purchase some free weights? Perhaps something in the 10-20 lbs range?

 

[chimphappyhour]

Well, I have a degree in Sports Medicine and Human Performance. I also used to teach martial arts and used to spend 35-40 hours in a climbing gym. The best advice I can give you is to look for something that interests you and preferably something with a social component.

Not sure if all educators get this taught to them but we were taught about the concept of gateway drugs. (How alcohol and tobacco can lead to harder and harder stuff.) While I don't exactly completely buy into that theory for drugs necessarily, I find it does work for fitness. The key is just finding an activity that will make you want to keep coming back. If it has a social aspect to it, that's even better. I know you want to do stuff at home but trust me, it will be a lot easier with a little help. It'll be worth it.

There's something out there for everyone. Heck, even in the martial arts world there is a huge variety. Whatever activity you pick, just realize that you'll have to give it time. Your body is going to need to do a lot of changing and adapting.

Once you start getting into whatever it is that you find, at some point you'll hit a plateau. That's where you start diving deeper down the rabbit hole. Next thing you know, you'll be doing all kinds of crazy training you never thought you would catch yourself doing. What's even better is that 30 isn't too late. Heck, stick with whatever you find and you'll find yourself thinking, "I'm in better shape at 3* or 4* than I was at **!" The key is start now and keep at it.

 

[dan330]

everyone is busy... and say.. "I cant find the time.."

but if this is important to you.. you should be able find the time.

yes.. quit smoking is a great first step in the right direction.

then join a gym..
start very small and slow... you are way out of shape.
dont make it to hard at first.. you will only get hurt and quit.

keep up the good work!

 

[APDell]

@NYC: I am going to get some free weights. I'll have to see what I can handle for now.

@Chimphappyhour: Thank you for the good information. I think the local ymca has a gym. I think a couple people from work go there and work out.

@Dan: Thats the thing with me. I always find an excuse not to do it. "Too tired" "too busy" "not enough this" or "not enough that". I need to stick with this.


I have to admit, I feel a bit of pressure now. I'll get the ball rolling here soon. I'll try to find a gym and get schedule down, like you said Chimp, something social

. I have no idea what my body going to do when I suddenly decide to pick weights up...

Off to work, I'll be pondering this while I arbitraily push buttons too look busy...

Thank you all very much. I am a little nervous now...

 

[dan330]

i a member of 24hr fitness..

the best value.. if you have $$ up front..

buy and pay for 3 yrs in advance..$700 or something like that..
i think they throw in 1 yr free....

then after the pre-paid years are done.... you only have to pay $100 per year.
and you can go to any 24hr fitness .. at any time of day or night!

 

[chrlswltrs]

I just turned 30 last month.

Last summer I decided to make some changes. I was 310 pounds. From July 2010 to Dec 2010 I lost 70 pounds and have kept it off so far. One of the things I did was get a calorie counting app on my Droid and used it everytime I ate. There are plenty of eating healthy apps and exercise apps out there, just depends on what exactly you are looking for.

I still have another 60 pounds I want to lose and quit smoking also. I have been going through some things in my personal life lately that have made it difficult, but I am planning on getting back on track soon!

 

[dan330]

I just turned 30 last month.

Last summer I decided to make some changes. I was 310 pounds. From July 2010 to Dec 2010 I lost 70 pounds and have kept it off so far. One of the things I did was get a calorie counting app on my Droid and used it everytime I ate. There are plenty of eating healthy apps and exercise apps out there, just depends on what exactly you are looking for.

I still have another 60 pounds I want to lose and quit smoking also. I have been going through some things in my personal life lately that have made it difficult, but I am planning on getting back on track soon!

good job!

you 2 should keep each other motivated..

both want to be more healthy

 

[OstrichSaK]

Quit smoking.

 

[dan330]

Quit smoking.

cant help it..




i am on fire

 

[Luke Kellett]

Yo APDell,

So turning 30 huh? Well I am just a few months away from being 30 too... And there is no time like the present to get fit, and stay fit!

So I've been into fitness for some time now, 6'1", 200lbs and 13% body fat. I've maintained this level for almost 12 months, with 2-3 training sessions a week. One of which is with a personal trainer, which without I would have never achieved my goals.

So what I would recommend for you is:

• Quit smoking
• Set your goals
• Find a great personal trainer to help achieve these goals, its money worth spending (you're not getting any younger, and your body is worth investing in)
• Eat the right foods
• Excersise at least 3 times a week
• Train with a friend when not with your PT (you'll be 70% more likely to keep at it this way)
• Start learning about fitness, training, health and well being

I think you will get a lot of good free information from my PT's blog http://www.fitnessforever.com.au/ too.

Good luck and I hope you reach your goals!

 

[NYCHitman1]

So I've been into fitness for some time now, 6'1", 200lbs and 13% body fat.

Pshhh! Ain't got nothin on me brotha!

Spoiler

This is a joke

 

[APDell]

Luke, thank you for the encouring words and suggestions. Last night when I went to work I found a partner to go to the gym with. It's actually my trainee so we have the same schedule. I am pretty excited, plust we get a discount throught they ymca and they have great facilities. We are going to also play some basket ball and Tennis wich am pretty excited about.

My wife is being very supportive also. She said she thinks its a good idea for me to get in shape.

Thanks again guys and gals

 

[BigCiX]

APD, im 35 and im in pretty good shape....first of all, i know it's gonna be hard but leave the cancer sticks alone. I'm 5 feet 7 inches also but im at 178 lbs trying to get about another 5 pounds of muscle on. 140 is pretty skinny and if you wanna gain you gotta eat right. First you wanna get yourself some kinda protein mix and start taking that dailey along with a workout routine. At your weight i'd advise you to stay away from any p90x or insanity workouts. That'll cut you up but also make you lose weight.

Whats your goals as far as getting back into shape, ie gaining weight, adding muscle, cardio?

 

[APDell]

APD, im 35 and im in pretty good shape....first of all, i know it's gonna be hard but leave the cancer sticks alone. I'm 5 feet 7 inches also but im at 178 lbs trying to get about another 5 pounds of muscle on. 140 is pretty skinny and if you wanna gain you gotta eat right. First you wanna get yourself some kinda protein mix and start taking that dailey along with a workout routine. At your weight i'd advise you to stay away from any p90x or insanity workouts. That'll cut you up but also make you lose weight.

Whats your goals as far as getting back into shape, ie gaining weight, adding muscle, cardio?

I want to be stronger. Not so much bigger. I was hoping to maybe put on 2-3 pounds in the next year or so. I think that is realistic being that I am skinny and I don't really want to spend so much on shakes and stuff like that.

I need to stop smoking so I can get my cardio up.

All in all, I want to get stronger everywhere. Back, legs upper body. I am not too worried about putting on weight. Not sure if the two go hand in hand though.

I know I need to have realistic goals. I hear about people setting goals too high and not reaching them, and getting frustrated and giving up.

 

[dan330]

they say.. quitting sigs.. you will put on weight...
that alone will make you stronger everywhere..

working out will make sure it is muscle not just fat you are adding. and tone the muscle you have currently.

your goals are very very do-able... the first and hardest step.. is quitting the sigs.

 

[chimphappyhour]

Awesome that you got something started already! The Y will also have other stuff that you can check out too. Are you near a large city or university town? (Don't need to answer that question here, just something I pose to you to give you food for though.) If so, you'll be amazed at what other activities you can find too.

As for the Insanity workouts and P90x, those have always struck me as the exercise bike of the 2000s. (You'll probably find a few dusty copies at garage sales sometime in the near future if you don't already.) I know a few people who have been on those programs and I haven't seen any changes that couldn't be accomplished just as easily other ways.

No need for protein shakes or other supplements, a good diet will do wonders despite what the "fitness" industry will tell you. I can tell you first hand that studies can be very slanted and rearranged. (I was in the control group of a supplement study during uni. They threw my results out because they toasted the results of those on the supplement.)

Height versus weight is another area that can be a little grey. Your height to weight actually isn't all that bad and I think you'll find you can add more than 2-3 pounds in the next year. That's just doing as you have laid out for us so far and eating a normal diet. Keep with it and I think you'll be amazed at what you see in one year versus now.

 

[BigCiX]

I want to be stronger. Not so much bigger. I was hoping to maybe put on 2-3 pounds in the next year or so. I think that is realistic being that I am skinny and I don't really want to spend so much on shakes and stuff like that.

I need to stop smoking so I can get my cardio up.

All in all, I want to get stronger everywhere. Back, legs upper body. I am not too worried about putting on weight. Not sure if the two go hand in hand though.

I know I need to have realistic goals. I hear about people setting goals too high and not reaching them, and getting frustrated and giving up.

you definetly need to start in the gym. Simply routines in the gym could help:

Day one - Chest, Tri's (4 sets)
Day two - Shoulders, Back
Day three - Legs, Bi's

You wanna throw in cardio on the days you don't do legs and make sure you hit abs all the time

Protein will help you gain muscle. 2 or 3 shakes a day will help. Casin protein should be consumed prior before bed time since it's a slow digesting supplement. Also mix up the different types of exercises for each body part. You don't want your body getting used to the same exercise all the time. Start light and gradually work up the weight. Can't get big in one day buddy. Good luck!

 

[chimphappyhour]

Yeah, no really. I've got a degree in this stuff. (And not just some trainer's certificate.) He doesn't need protein shakes. A good diet will do just fine.

 

[APDell]

Awesome that you got something started already! The Y will also have other stuff that you can check out too. Are you near a large city or university town? (Don't need to answer that question here, just something I pose to you to give you food for though.) If so, you'll be amazed at what other activities you can find too.

As for the Insanity workouts and P90x, those have always struck me as the exercise bike of the 2000s. (You'll probably find a few dusty copies at garage sales sometime in the near future if you don't already.) I know a few people who have been on those programs and I haven't seen any changes that couldn't be accomplished just as easily other ways.

No need for protein shakes or other supplements, a good diet will do wonders despite what the "fitness" industry will tell you. I can tell you first hand that studies can be very slanted and rearranged. (I was in the control group of a supplement study during uni. They threw my results out because they toasted the results of those on the supplement.)

Height versus weight is another area that can be a little grey. Your height to weight actually isn't all that bad and I think you'll find you can add more than 2-3 pounds in the next year. That's just doing as you have laid out for us so far and eating a normal diet. Keep with it and I think you'll be amazed at what you see in one year versus now.

THis kind of brings up another question I have. What the heck am I supposed to be eating? Chicken and eggs? I love seafood, is there enough good stuff in there?

 

[APDell]

they say.. quitting sigs.. you will put on weight...
that alone will make you stronger everywhere..

working out will make sure it is muscle not just fat you are adding. and tone the muscle you have currently.

your goals are very very do-able... the first and hardest step.. is quitting the sigs.

So true. I have not had a smoke since 4:30 this morning at work. It is 7:50am and its almost all I am thinking about now.


C'mon APDell...be a man... you can make it to bed without smoking...

 

[dan330]

Wednesday i had a sig.. with a buddy... it has been 6 months since i had one.
it was really good.

i am a social smoker.. only smoke when in a smoking situation. really.

 

[chimphappyhour]

THis kind of brings up another question I have. What the heck am I supposed to be eating? Chicken and eggs? I love seafood, is there enough good stuff in there?

Realistically, you could probably still eat whatever you want. You probably still have a really good metabolism it sounds like. (It'll change in a few years but you might as well enjoy.) That said, yeah, I'd look towards leaner side for a majority of your proteins but I wouldn't totally cast out beef if you really like it. Everything else, just be sensible and balanced. I really do think that you'll be amazed how easily doable your physical goals are without a whole lot of fuss. And that's really want you want. Quitting smoking will probably be the hardest (but also doable) part. Other than the smoking, you're in one of the more enviable dilemmas to be in.

 

[APDell]

Realistically, you could probably still eat whatever you want. You probably still have a really good metabolism it sounds like. (It'll change in a few years but you might as well enjoy.) That said, yeah, I'd look towards leaner side for a majority of your proteins but I wouldn't totally cast out beef if you really like it. Everything else, just be sensible and balanced. I really do think that you'll be amazed how easily doable your physical goals are without a whole lot of fuss. And that's really want you want. Quitting smoking will probably be the hardest (but also doable) part. Other than the smoking, you're in one of the more enviable dilemmas to be in.

Yes, I certainly feel a bit lucky to be able to involuntarily stay skinny at this point of my lfe. If that makes any sense.

I am glad to hear I can eat wahtever I want too! I actually eat a lot of veggies because I like them. I cant have a meal with no veggies. I grew up on an organic farm so its what I am used to. I eat chicken all the time too. Its cheap food I appreciate this information a lot.

I think when I get everything sorted out here in a couple weeks I'll be on my way.

Can't thank you enough for the direction and knowledge.

 

[APDell]

Wednesday i had a sig.. with a buddy... it has been 6 months since i had one.
it was really good.

i am a social smoker.. only smoke when in a smoking situation. really.

I am gonna see if I can push through the night without one.