Starting my journey to lose weight and get active-with pictures(updated daily)

Dude,
You DO need to lose weight, not for the whole muscle beach theme but damn you're marching to the beat of a heart attack, son. That said, good luck to you. I truly hope you reach the goals that you have set for yourself in order to increase your confidence by decreasing your belt line.
 
I think you're doing a great thing man, and wish you luck. I know how it is to struggle with weight.

However, a couple of things I wanted to add -

1) someone said dont lift because you dont want to put on muscle. Thats utter BS and I think you know this. Lift, and lift hard, because every pound of muscle you put on will be burning that much more fat. Just be careful because initially you will probably gain weight from lifting and you will be frustrated. However the weight will start coming off and will come off faster and more regularly than had you just done cardio.

2) If you really want to do bjj or muay thai, I say just go for it. A lot of people say they want to wait until they are in shape to start. I thought that way too. Really, nothing is going to get you in shape for bjj other than bjj. Plus, its a lot more fun than going to the gym. I was in the worst shape of my life when I started bjj, but managed to lose about 55 lbs in 6 months or so.

3) Be patient. Stick with any given plan for at least a month to 40 days. If you still dont see results, thats when its time to change it up. But just because something isnt miraculously quick dont give up on it.

4) nutrasystem is crap bc basically, from what I understand its just a low calorie plan but everything in it is processed heavily. It is also unsustainable. What you want to focus on is not short term, but developing lifelong eating habits that will keep the weight off. I appreciate that you already bought it, but try to incorporate your own foods into your program. Maybe do nutrasystem meals when you dont have time to cook but make your own meals and get in the habit of knowing what you're eating. Also, that way the nutrasystem will last much longer and you'll get more out of your money.

5) take fish oil.

6) read number 5.


as for #1, i realized that already and I dont really care for the number, its more for the results. For nutrisystem, the only give you the main meal, but you are suposed to eat veggies for nearly every meal, and you have a wide v ariety of choices. I feel its a good transition tool, because it promoted 6 meals per day and cuts it into smaller portions. Thanks for the comment and hopefully most of the people posting will check in once in awhile to check out my progress.
 
Dude,
You DO need to lose weight, not for the whole muscle beach theme but damn you're marching to the beat of a heart attack, son. That said, good luck to you. I truly hope you reach the goals that you have set for yourself in order to increase your confidence by decreasing your belt line.

I am well aware I gotta lose weight, and I think your misinterperting my desire to do so, just for materialistic purposes. Although it has something to do with it, I also want to be more fit, and more healthy. I thank you for your suport, and hopefully you check back in a little while to check my progress.
 
Good luck Will. Here is my advice, plain and simple.

1) Watch your diet. Eat healthy meals 5-6 times a day. If you can't eat whole foods throughout the day, supplement a couple meals with meal replacment shakes. You want to train your body to getting used to being fed every couple of hours so your ****bolism speeds up and your body doesn't store fat.
2) Create a schedule to work out and stick to it. Try and vary your scedule every once in awhile. Cardio, weight training, Muay Thai, BJJ...it's all good.
3) If possible, work out with a trainer, a partner or with a class. You'll find much more motivation to push yourself amongst peers.
 
1) someone said dont lift because you dont want to put on muscle. Thats utter BS and I think you know this. Lift, and lift hard, because every pound of muscle you put on will be burning that much more fat. Just be careful because initially you will probably gain weight from lifting and you will be frustrated. However the weight will start coming off and will come off faster and more regularly than had you just done cardio.

Oh yeh? I'll read up on that. Man I've heard this from so many people (friends/ppl at school, whatever) - just goes to show it's best to figure things out for yourself. Sorry for the misinformation, there! I just had the mindset that, as he'll be on "portioned for weight loss" Nutrisystem, that he wouldn't be getting near enough protein/calories to build adequate muscle tissue.
 
Oh yeh? I'll read up on that. Man I've heard this from so many people (friends/ppl at school, whatever) - just goes to show it's best to figure things out for yourself. Sorry for the misinformation, there! I just had the mindset that, as he'll be on "portioned for weight loss" Nutrisystem, that he wouldn't be getting near enough protein/calories to build adequate muscle tissue.

Overall, lifting is way better than just straight cardio to lose weight. A combination is best, but if you have to choose one, and you want to do it healthily and are not in a rush, lifting > cardio.
 
day 1
arms(light/high reps)

triceps

bench dip sets/2 reps/12,12 weight/bodyweight
tricep press down sets/3 reps/15,12,15 weight/35,35,35
-superset-
overhead cable tricep extensions sets/3 reps/12,15,12 weight/35,35,35
incline french press sets/4 reps/30,25,20,12 weight/25,30,35,50

biceps

barbell buddy curl sets/2 reps/55,55 weight/45 lb, 30 lb
one arm cable curls sets/4 reps/20,16,14,12 weight/20,30,30,40
one arm preacher machine curls sets/4 reps/30,15,15, weight/25,30,25


cardio-HIIT
10 minutes on cross trainer
Level 10
0-1:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
1:30-2:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
2:00-3:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
3:30-4:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
4:00-5:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
5:30-6:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
6:00-7:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
7:30-8:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
level 4-cool down
8:00-10:00 on a speed of 25-35 rpm

notes
training went well, and met my expectations. I did the weight-training portion of my workout fairly well, but I could definatly feel the lactic acid build up in my arms, because it has been awhile since I worked out, let alone that many reps. The cardio is what got me. My sweater was soaked and I was breathing heavy after every interval. I definatly wanted to quit more than once, but I kept my goal in mind and stuck through it.
 
at your weight, just dieting is gonna have you lose more weight than exercise.

you should post your diet.

of course you should do both, but just know this...

you can't outrace a shitty diet with exercise. maybe if you are 16 you got a shot, at 25+, forget about it.
 
at your weight, just dieting is gonna have you lose more weight than exercise.

you should post your diet.

of course you should do both, but just know this...

you can't outrace a shitty diet with exercise. maybe if you are 16 you got a shot, at 25+, forget about it.

yeah ill try to post my diet later on in the day
 
day 1
arms(light/high reps)

triceps

bench dip sets/2 reps/12,12 weight/bodyweight
tricep press down sets/3 reps/15,12,15 weight/35,35,35
-superset-
overhead cable tricep extensions sets/3 reps/12,15,12 weight/35,35,35
incline french press sets/4 reps/30,25,20,12 weight/25,30,35,50

biceps

barbell buddy curl sets/2 reps/55,55 weight/45 lb, 30 lb
one arm cable curls sets/4 reps/20,16,14,12 weight/20,30,30,40
one arm preacher machine curls sets/4 reps/30,15,15, weight/25,30,25


cardio-HIIT
10 minutes on cross trainer
Level 10
0-1:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
1:30-2:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
2:00-3:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
3:30-4:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
4:00-5:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
5:30-6:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
6:00-7:30 on a speed of 30-40 rpm
7:30-8:00 on a speed of 90-100 rpm
level 4-cool down
8:00-10:00 on a speed of 25-35 rpm

notes
training went well, and met my expectations. I did the weight-training portion of my workout fairly well, but I could definatly feel the lactic acid build up in my arms, because it has been awhile since I worked out, let alone that many reps. The cardio is what got me. My sweater was soaked and I was breathing heavy after every interval. I definatly wanted to quit more than once, but I kept my goal in mind and stuck through it.


Hey man, I hope you dont take this the wrong way but STOP DOING ARMS.

Its utterly useless for your goals. And to have a whole lifting day dedicated (read: wasted) to arms is just useless.

I would recommend going to S & P but there are some assholes in there that might piss you off. Read the stickies and FAQs there, and stick to exercises which do large muscle groups.

you will work your arms much more and much better doing bench presses and pullups (even if you can't do a pullup now use the pulldown machine and try to do even one pullup at a time with a little jump until you can do it).

Do a lot of squats and deadlifts, and dont do any arms workouts. If your goal is to lose weight then trust me thats what you should do.

Arms is solely for "sculpting." You can't possibly need to sculpt your arms right now, now offense. Anywya, if your goal is weight loss and added strength, working out your whole body as opposed to tiny muscle groups (like arms or calves) is just a waste of time.

Do the Bill Starr 5 x5 or the two day, push pull split. Stick with the program for like 12 weeks at least before you change it up. Good luck.
 
Hey man, I hope you dont take this the wrong way but STOP DOING ARMS.

Its utterly useless for your goals. And to have a whole lifting day dedicated (read: wasted) to arms is just useless.

I would recommend going to S & P but there are some assholes in there that might piss you off. Read the stickies and FAQs there, and stick to exercises which do large muscle groups.

you will work your arms much more and much better doing bench presses and pullups (even if you can't do a pullup now use the pulldown machine and try to do even one pullup at a time with a little jump until you can do it).

Do a lot of squats and deadlifts, and dont do any arms workouts. If your goal is to lose weight then trust me thats what you should do.

Arms is solely for "sculpting." You can't possibly need to sculpt your arms right now, now offense. Anywya, if your goal is weight loss and added strength, working out your whole body as opposed to tiny muscle groups (like arms or calves) is just a waste of time.

Do the Bill Starr 5 x5 or the two day, push pull split. Stick with the program for like 12 weeks at least before you change it up. Good luck.


thanks for the tip, but im gonna stick with this program for a little bit longer and see how the results are, because I don't want to switch up the plan i have just yet. You yourself say I should stick with the same program. I will see how my results are after 4 weeks, and if they do not meet my standards ill switch it up. I dont really want to do the 5X5, because I do not want to plateau early, hence why i created the program i did. I want to shock my muscle and keep them improving, regardless of what body part.
 
if your goal is weightloss

than working arms is pretty much useless

why? biceps are a tiny muscle, you are not gonna increase much muscle mass by working your arms, meaning your resting ****bolic rate isn't gonna go up much.

big muscles are gonna raise your ****bolism, like your butt, quads, hams.

curls dont burn much calories as an exercise, nor does it provide any big gains in muscle mass that will increase your bodies ****bolism

henceforth, its a waste for what you want to achieve.

achieve strength, and gains in big muscle mass, worry about sculpting it later when you achieved your weightloss goals.
 
haha i just repeated what anaconda said.. i should've read his whole post rather than just, dont work arms. but yeah, a whole day dedicated to arms is a waste.
 
thanks for the tip, but im gonna stick with this program for a little bit longer and see how the results are, because I don't want to switch up the plan i have just yet. You yourself say I should stick with the same program. I will see how my results are after 4 weeks, and if they do not meet my standards ill switch it up. I dont really want to do the 5X5, because I do not want to plateau early, hence why i created the program i did. I want to shock my muscle and keep them improving, regardless of what body part.

Then you are making a mistake. Stick to compound exercises. Stop what you are doing now and start the 5x5 or Mark Rippetoe's starting strength.
 
So pretty much everyone thinks arms is a waste of time? haha well I'll see how it goes.
 
So pretty much everyone thinks arms is a waste of time? haha well I'll see how it goes.

To fully concentrate on your arms in your workout schedule? yes. You can work them out with other exercises. OHP's to mention one. I guess you can do curls or whatever but I would save it after my workout. Maybe do a set or 2.
 
To fully concentrate on your arms in your workout schedule? yes. You can work them out with other exercises. OHP's to mention one. I guess you can do curls or whatever but I would save it after my workout. Maybe do a set or 2.

ok, ill try to change up my schedule, so there is really no benefits to working out arms by itself?
 
ok, ill try to change up my schedule, so there is really no benefits to working out arms by itself?

Now you're catching on. Seriously I, along with many others here, used to work out like that. It is a waste. Your body was meant to work as a unit, and isolating a muscle is working against your body's natural design. If you're a professional bodybuilder, looking to fine-tune the shape of your arms then do isolation. If you're a regular human, looking to gain functional strength and size, build arm strength with deadlifts, pull-ups, bench press, OHP, clean/jerk, snatch, etc, etc. I cringe when I think of all the time and effort I wasted in the gym doing a 5-day split, working one bodypart per day.
 
stay the course man and that is where you will see the results. Don't burn yourself out and try to kill yourself in the beginning just do something that works for you and don't cut corners. Make sure you set a goal and just keep doing the grind. A whole lot of babysteps will still go a long distance don't try going at it in the beginning doing leaps and bounds.
 
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