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.

Formerly known as Sneaku I MISS MY BABY!!! '00 Blk CSVT #1087/2150 built 12/23/99