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Here is my situation:

I quit smoking 03-08-2002 after 7 years, pack a day(I'm 23). I am still going strong and rarely think about it. After I quit it seems like my metabolism hit a brick wall. I'm 5'8 and went from 155 to 195 pounds , and people started to ask if I was gaining weight(I was fairly thin before I quit). For the first time I am generally unhappy with how I look.

Tennants of our apartment complex are given a full time membership to a nice fitness club that is not too far away. Up until now I didn't take advantage of it. Shame on me.

Before I join I would like some advice for a beginner. Maybe a workout routine I could do to get started? I am a noob so a list of items I need(clothes, towels etc.) would be helpful as well. I am determined to make changes and get fit. Maybe even get "cut" like my wife's "dream lover" Vin Diesel? If I can quit smoking I can do anything! Feel free to post here or send a PM. Thanks.


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list of items dude?
shorts
old tshirt
deodorant
towel

a very important thing is not to exercise the same muscle groups all the time. It all depends on how often you plan on going. Say you go 2 times a week: Monday, Thursday. Monday concentrate on upper body (bench, curls, etc) and thursday concentrate on lower body...
Sorry if I'm not too specific - I'm sure other guys here will give you additional, more technical advice.

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I'm not a personal trainer but I'll tell you what my routine is. It's helped me cut some fat and build a good upper body.

My metabolism slowed at around your age too, and also coming to the US from Australia exposed me to too much fast food and excesive eating.

First things first, you've got to watch your diet. You can't eat what you want and be fit, regardless of what people tell you. That doesn't mean you can eat anything "tasy" anymore, you just have to eat the bad stuff in moderation.

I was one of those guys that said "Man, all the diet and lite stuff is gross and flavourless", but if you can cook and don't go all out crazy you can still eat good stuff and maintain a healthy bodyfat level.

For example I now only drink 2% milk and eat 2% cheese. Also I try and eat chicken or steak that is low in fat (i.e. cut the fat off before cooking and remove the skin). I also have toned down on my carbohydrate intake, i.e. bread, pasta, rice and sugars.

One of my favourite drinks now is Diet V8 Tropical Blend. It actually taste better than the regular one and also uses Splend as a sweetener which is sugar based so it tastes like sugar and won't put holes in you brain like sacharin.

Moving on to excercise, you'll want to do as many free weights as possible and you MUST do some sort of cardio, there's no way around that. I do 20 minutes of cardio at the end of each workout (which I do 3 times a week). I like the orbitals as running hurts my knees.

My wieght program is this:

Incline Dumbell - 3 sets; 10, 10 and 8 reps (increase wieght with each set)

Dumbell Tricep Extensions - 3 sets; 10, 10 and 10 reps (increase wieght with each set)

Decline Dumbell - 3 sets; 10, 10 and 8 reps (increase wieght with each set)

Situps - 3 sets; 40, 30 and 20 reps, the last set I do with my legs in the air

Dumbell Curls - 3 sets; 10 reps per arm

Frontside Dumbell Lifts - 3 sets; 10 reps per arm

Lateral Dumbell Lifts - 3 sets; 10 reps per arm

Cable Fliers (crossovers) - 3 sets; increase weight with each set

Dips - 3 sets; 15, 15 and 15 reps

Dumbell shoulder press - 3 sets; increase weight with each set

Squats - 3 sets; 10 reps (be careful not to go overboard here) but you need to do them to promote the most testosterone release and also they're you biggest muscles so they burn the most energy.

The only thing you need is shorts a t-shirt and some good supportive running shoes, my preference Nike Air Max.

As for supplemenets I take creatine, a multivitamin, and whey protein. If you want more info then PM me and I'll try as much as I can. Some people will disagree with my routine and my ideas, but it's working for me.



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Well, smoking is the only thing you can do that guarantees weight loss, except for working out.

as far as diet, low carbs (LOW, not no carbs!). And lots of meat. Chicken, turkey, tuna is good...salmon...red meat every once in a while. If you can't live without red meat pick up some buffalo. Less fat than chicken and more protien than beef!

Workout is basically what works for you. I tend to do each muscle group for about a half hour. IE: Chest (bench presses, butterflys, pullovers,pushups)
Next night I'll do shoulders/back
Next night i'll do biceps/triceps

This is just what i'm doing right now to keep "in shape." Cardio is key to losing weight, I haven't had time to run in a long while. That's usually as far as I go in terms of leg workouts too. I'll squat occasionally.

Remember, more reps/lighter weights = toned (ripped)
Heavier weights/less reps = bulky


Originally posted by 2G Sport:
Here is my situation:

I quit smoking 03-08-2002 after 7 years, pack a day(I'm 23). I am still going strong and rarely think about it. After I quit it seems like my metabolism hit a brick wall. I'm 5'8 and went from 155 to 195 pounds , and people started to ask if I was gaining weight(I was fairly thin before I quit). For the first time I am generally unhappy with how I look.

Tennants of our apartment complex are given a full time membership to a nice fitness club that is not too far away. Up until now I didn't take advantage of it. Shame on me.

Before I join I would like some advice for a beginner. Maybe a workout routine I could do to get started? I am a noob so a list of items I need(clothes, towels etc.) would be helpful as well. I am determined to make changes and get fit. Maybe even get "cut" like my wife's "dream lover" Vin Diesel? If I can quit smoking I can do anything! Feel free to post here or send a PM. Thanks.




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All good advice so far, and I'd add that regular cardio will keep your metabolism up.

Re: Weight routines - most trainers will recommend something like this:
Day 1
Legs, Shoulders
Day 2
Chest, Tris
Day 3
Rest
Day 4
Back, Bis
Day 5 Rest

And of course some type of cardio is mandatory a few times per week (doesn't have to be much - 20 min. or so after the weight routine).

After a couple of weeks of eating leaner food, getting regular cardio, and following a weight regimen, you'll feel like a new person.


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First of all, congratulations on quitting. That isn't easy, and, like you said, if you could quit, you can do ANYTHING.


You've got some great advice here, and neither of them are wrong, but, what you have to do is find what's right for YOU.

One of the important things to remember is cardio is great for shedding excess fluid and fat, and, will be especially helpful to your lungs, given the damage you've done to them over time. Just don't overdo it too early. You're more likely to give up if you do.

If you're looking for a Vin Diesel style build, you want low reps, high weight, 3 sets of 8-12 reps, increasing weight each set. This goes for ANY sort of lifting you do. Guaranteed you'll see a difference in a week or two. He's got SOME tone, but, he's also still pretty thick.

This is where diet comes in. Don't load up on carbs, but, don't cut them out. They DO supply energy, and help for cardio. Remember that protein is your friend. If you're looking to build, IIRC the forumla is 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass. Whey protein is better than soy for men, as soy still carries plant estrogen, and over time that can mess with you, or so I've been informed. Just don't fall for all the "as-seen-on-tv miracle forumlas." Stick with the REAL deal.

But, again, find what's comfortable for you. All the advice in the world won't help if you don't feel right with what you're doing. The idea is to be healthy. Best of luck to you, man!


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Originally posted by bishop375:


Official NECEG Fhqwhgads




hahaha nice!
First off congrats on quitting it's not easy I know. I just quit 3 months ago after smoking for about 16 years pack and a half to 2 packs a day. Expect some weight gain as your metabolism slows a bit plus you tend to eat more, even though you may not realize it. Being in the military I have to be very careful with my weight so I have been chewing a lot of gum since I quit to help curb the urge to snack and I have replaced a lot of garbage snack type foods with carrots and fruits as much as I can.

Workout wise I haven't seen anyone mention circuit training. This is a pretty good way to drop a little fat and gain some muscle in one workout. Basically, instead of taking long 1-2 min rests in between sets of exercise you work continually for about 45 mins. A lot of gym are setup for this now. You may see a section of your gym with a bunch of equipment in a circle or lined up. Basically with circuit training you lightly work MANY muscles. Just for sake of an example it might go like this:

You do a set of flat bench 10-15 reps light weight then get RIGHT up and move to the next machine (or station as they are often referred in circuit training)and do some bicep curls high reps low weight. Then you move to the next machine that does military presses working the shoulders and you keep doing this through each station (might be about 6-8 stations) then repeat 2 or 3 times. The benefits of CT is that it keeps your heart rate up for 30-45 mins while still working the muscles. Last time I read up on it I saw some test showing it helping to raise metabolism over time, dropping fat and gaining LEAN (toned) muscle all in one shot.

In the long run you have to find what works for you. Find something that not only benefits you but also keeps you somewhat intersted so you keep doing it CONSITENTLY. Consistency is the key.

One last bit of advice that has always helped me out when working out. You must set goals for yourself and constantly update them as you achieve them If you don't you have no real purpose for going. I do this:

Take a small notebook with you to the gym (umless you can keep track of the stuff in your head) and write down date/time and each exercise you did and how many reps and what weight you did. Also, right when you start going to the gym record your weight, take a tape and tape your chest, stomach,biceps and thighs and record all this. Repeat this process once a month.Also, take a pic of youself. What this does is for starters tell you where you are beginning at so you can set a short term (2-4 months) goal. Also, you see yourself everyday so you don't notice that you have dropped a lot of weight but by doing what I showed above you have QUANTIFYABLE data proving whether or not you are gaining/benefitting from going to the gym. I have myself gotten down after a few months of going to the gym and not noticing any difference then quit going becaose of it when in reality I actually was gaining, people told me so.

Anyway, sorry this turned out so long but i hope this stuff helps.


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Thanks for the advice everyone. Hopefully the staff will be friendly and be able to show me which machines to use, etc. I am really looking forward to doing this...the same way I felt when I quit smoking.


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Stazi pretty much sums it up.. I started seriously working out about 2 months ago, after a 4 year hiatus. Since I had previously injured my wrists, I took it easy for the first month, and worked solely with the machines. I've now started incorporating DBs and barbells into my workout, and have shown amazing results.

For the first month, I was taking Whey twice a day (30 mins before my workout, and right after my workout), along with a multi-vitamin. Now I'm also taking Creatine (with Gatorade) right after my workout, along with my 2nd helping of Whey. My workout schedule got kind of screwed up with some new work hours, so I can't say how good the Creatine is working, but for the 10-days I was on it, I was showing nice gains.

As for cardio, I like the Elliptical. You burn 3x the calories of using the treadmill, and it gives your legs a wicked workout as well.

I work out every other day, and work the same muscle groups in each workout. Some gurus frown on this practice, but it's worked well for me, so I'm content with it. Good luck!

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Originally posted by 2G Sport:
Thanks for the advice everyone. Hopefully the staff will be friendly and be able to show me which machines to use, etc. I am really looking forward to doing this...the same way I felt when I quit smoking.


A great site that has helped me lose 30lbs (so far ) is www.discussfitness.com . They have a very mature message board with ALL the info you'll need to cut the fat.

I just bought a $400 weight system, maybe we all can have a weekly car-meet / workout session at my place .


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