Motivation & Help Getting Fit

[fallenangel]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking around the JUB forums for a little while now, and decided it was past time to chuck up my first post

I've finally decided to start exercising in order to get fit and bulk up a bit for Christmas. I've recently overcome a couple health problems and put on some much needed weight, about 15kgs/33lbs, I've gained some much needed energy and I think it's about time I did something with it. Im currently standing at 6'3" and about 85kgs (after the weight gain).

While in school I used to swim several nights a week, and played beach volleyball occasionally, but I was far from the fittest person on the planet, and never actually lifted weights or anything like that.

Now I don't have access to any exercise equipment at the moment, but I will be signing up to a local gym and swim center in the next couple of weeks, so I was just wondering if you guys could list a couple of exercises that I could do on my own that would help kick-start my lazy ass and get me going in the right direction.

I'm planning on getting up early in the mornings before I start work and going out for a 25-30min jog to help start off with a couple of days a week, I just need help with the rest. I also plan on hiring a personal trainer for a while after I start going to the gym in order to help me out more, but any extra help I get from you guys would be much appreciated.

Thanks for the help and I'll keep you posted every couple of days just to let you know how I'm going, as like I said before, I need all the help and motivation I can get!

 

[KaraBulut]

You're already doing the things that we would recommend-

1. Joining a gym
2. Hiring a certified trainer

Other things that I would recommend for a tall, slender guy:

1. Work on core strength first. Don't focus on any particular body part at first- focus on strengthening muscles in your legs and around your spine. Tall guys have a tendency toward joint and back problems. They tend to develop arms and shoulders easily but have to work hard on leg muscle strength. Swmming and overall strengthening exercises will get you started.
2. Eat. Eat. Eat. Keep a food diary to get an idea of your protein and overall calorie intake. You will have to work harder at adding bulk solely because a pound of muscle looks a lot smaller on a 6'3" frame that it would on a 5'8" frame.
3. Get a plan. Guys waste a lot of time at the gym either doing nothing or doing endless bench presses. Make a plan each week. Know what you are going to do at the gym before you get there.
4. Take measurements and make pictures of yourself. The camera and a tape measure will show the changes that make not be obvious to you.

 

[Rex]

Sounds to me like you already know what to do. Staying committed can be tough sometimes but a good way to motivate yourself is to take pictures and over time, take more for comparison so you can see what results you've made.

 

[fallenangel]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've already started by slowly changing my diet - I used to eat whatever I could get my hands on really. Tomorrow is my starting day, so lets see how I go, and I'll probably be joining the gym in the next week or so, once I get all my bills outta the way.

A couple of quick questions though. This is going to sound really stupid, but how exactly do I go about calculating my calorie intake for the day? Also, would incorporating a protein supplement (such as a shake) into my diet help in any way?

Wish me luck

Oh, and Kara, you have no idea how right you are in regards to taller people having joint and back problems! I already have a slight problem with my lower back, but hopefully all the strengthening exercises will help stamp those into non-existence.

 

[KaraBulut]

There's several online sites that offer calorie counters.

This is one that was recommended by another JUBer:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

 

[codeerror]

Hi fallenangel!
Cool to see another tall guy wanting to get fit.

As karabulut() already pointed out you've done pretty much just by deciding to get in shape. Hiring a PT is great too!

Good luck, and keep us updated!

 

[fallenangel]

Hmmm time for my first update. Progress has been a bit slow. I'm one of those people that find it hard to get motivated, but once I start I have no problems continuing.

Diet-wise it's improving, I've been drinking a lot more water than I used to, eating a lot more than as well (and not just random junk either )

Joining the gym this week, and I can't wait! I just found out that one of my friends goes there as well, so he's going to take me down on Saturday, show me around and get me started, so yay for automatic gym buddy !!! Depending on how I go I might not even need to hire a PT seeing as they include one for the first couple of visits when I sign up (another bonus)!

Going to try and get up early tomorrow and start running, but I'll see how that goes, I'm not really a morning person (as I usually tend to hit snooze over and over if I don't have something really important to do [like go to work]). Guess I need to get out of that mind-frame and start doing something about it

Anyway, enough rambling, I could go on for ever and ever, which is something you guys will most likely find out (I don't shut up... ever, I even talk in my sleep )

Thanks for all your help so far and I'll keep you posted on how I'm going!

 

[fallenangel]

OK, time for another update.

I signed up to the gym on monday, had my first session there, where they took me through, assessed my fitness level (which is horrid I must say ), then set up my program for the first month and took me through all the exercises.

To start off with I'm going to the gym 3 days a week, but will slowly be including extra time in group fitness sessions as well. Starting next week I'll be adding Yoga, then the week after it's Swimming and after that a resistance training session as well, so I'll be slowly increasing my workouts from 3 to 6 days a week.

Just one quick question before I go, I tend to go the gym in the evenings, so when would be the best time to eat, either before or after I go to the gym?

I really don't know why I didn't start this sooner, because I'm already enjoying it and I'm starting to feel better already

 

[Garawr]

Well... it really depends on what you've eaten that day. To put it simply, your body absorbs more after having worked out than it does before hand - meaning if you eat crap food after a workout, it'll go to your thighs easier.

Most folks say not to eat at least an hour after working out in your target heart rate because your body doesn't go back to "resting" heart rate for that amount of time, meaning you're still burning calories and the like for that time after you've stopped working out.

If you're absolutely starving after a workout and can't wait that long, then by all means eat. Protein is essential and does great things for your body. It's good to hear that you're working on your diet, because that's half the battle right there.

I personally eat about 30-45 minutes before going to the gym, foods (like chicken) that have high protein and carbohydrates.

How long are your sessions? Don't push yourself too hard at once. Stick to the plan they set for a month - maybe even two. It takes time to build up strength and bulk up, you're not going to get instant results like some folks want you to believe, lol.

And going back to your earlier post about incorporating a protein shake... it honestly depends on your diet. Your diet is the most important thing in getting fit.

Any more questions, let me know. I'm not an expert, but I've done research on this sort of thing and I frequent the gym at least 4-5 times a week. Be happy to chat with ya about it!

 

[jockboy01]

Just one quick question before I go, I tend to go the gym in the evenings, so when would be the best time to eat, either before or after I go to the gym?

This question is timeless. Long story short... I don't think it matters. Everybody is different. I eat before I go. Otherwise I get light headed and feel horrible. Further, I'm not hungry right after a work out generally. Some people I know are the complete opposite... they can't eat before or they feel nauseous. I don't think there is a right answer here really. Try both and see which feels better.

I'm so proud of you for getting started!! Glad it is feeling good already. That may fade for a bit, but stick with it. It's so hard to get back in shape but you'll get there.

 

[fallenangel]

At the moment my sessions go for about an hour to an hour and a half. There's about 30-45mins of cardio, then weights, back exercises, crunches and then stretches at the end. I'm only going 3 days a week to start with, but I'll be building it up to the full program slowly, adding in a new session each week.

Btw, thanks Kara for suggesting myfitnesspal, I've been playing around with it now for a couple of days, just keeping an eye on my calorie/protein intakes, it helps a lot

I'm so proud of you for getting started!! Glad it is feeling good already. That may fade for a bit, but stick with it. It's so hard to get back in shape but you'll get there.

Thanks for that jockboy, the extra support was something I was really looking for when I joined up and posted for the first time, helps keep me motivated and on focus

Look forward to posting another update in a couple of days time!

 

[codeerror]

Any news?

 

[fallenangel]

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates in the last what... 2 weeks, I guess I've been a little side-tracked with Uni re-applications and all that happening lately.

I've been hitting the gym regularly without any real problems whatsoever. A couple of the exercises are starting to get a bit too easy, so I'm upping those a little (cardio especially is a pushover now ).

The only... problem I suppose you could say, I'm having is that my weight really isn't moving anywhere, but I suppose I just need to eat a bit more than I already am. Keeping a food diary is helping heaps too.

Anyway, I gotta go, sleep is needed. I promise I'll post in a couple of days time

 

[fallenangel]

Mmmkay, I know its been a long time since I posted last, and I'm sorry. I tend to get a bit distracted easily and forget to do things.

Anyway, thats the old me, incoming "NEW ME!"

I've been going to the gym for a month now, and had my re-evaluation done tonight and had a new program set up for me. Good news is my fitness level itself has gone from one extreme to the other. My Heart Rate has dropped to a more suitable level and my endurance is better than it was before.

I haven't had a proper look at my new program yet, as it starts on Saturday, but the focus is shifting from a basic layout to cover core strength and help improve my fitness to one more focused on strength training (increasing muscle mass etc.)

It's extremely surprising to see how much I'm actually enjoying myself now that I've been hitting up the gym (even after only a month ). All the extra energy and self-confidence are a god-send, I really don't know how I got along before.

Anyway, before I kill you all with a massive wall of text, I'd better shut up . I'll hit you all up on Saturday after I start my new program (with a more organised post I swear )

'Till then

 

[fallenangel]

Well I just got back from the gym after starting my new program, so I thought I'd better update you guys on what's going on.

Current Weight: 86kg (189lb)

It's shifted from core strength and increasing my fitness level, and is starting to focus more on increasing my upper-body strength, with a couple of leg and core exercises included as well. I've been taken off most of the machines and have started using free weights instead. *insert mental blank here... I forgot what I was writing *

Quickly before I go, I've noticed that my weight really hasn't moved anywhere in the month that I've been going to the gym, so I was just wondering if there was anything specific I should be looking for in my diet? I've cut out all the junk food, and I've started eating a lot more bread, fruit and pasta. I've always been an avid lover of meat, so that really hasn't been any problems finding room for that

Anyway, I feel totally exhausted, but in a good way (if that makes any sense), so I'm off to have a shower and find something to eat. I'll post again in a week just to let you know how the transition is going (and I might chuck up a couple of pictures if I can work up the confidence to!)

 

[KaraBulut]

Quickly before I go, I've noticed that my weight really hasn't moved anywhere in the month that I've been going to the gym, so I was just wondering if there was anything specific I should be looking for in my diet? I've cut out all the junk food, and I've started eating a lot more bread, fruit and pasta. I've always been an avid lover of meat, so that really hasn't been any problems finding room for that

In these fitness threads, I recommend that guys starting a new workout program take pictures and use a tape measure to get their measurements. There's a reason that I do that and it has to do with the way that we all tend to focus on the scales and we miss the progress that we're making.

There's two problems with using the scale to measure workout progress:

1. Weight is mostly water. It varies greatly- even over the course of a day as you consume food and liquids. People obsess over a few pounds and it really doesn't represent was is going on with their body.
2. A pound of fat occupies about 2x as much space as a pound of muscle. So, it's possible that if you have added muscle and lost fat, your weight may not have changed. You'll look smaller but the scales won't show that.

If you're wanting to get lean, the scales aren't necessarily going to represent the progress that you're making. There are three things to track your progress:

1. Take pictures periodically of your body. You'll see the changes in the pictures side-by-side before you see it in the mirror.
2. Take measurements of your arms, legs, chest, waist and butt. Use these to gauge your progress (everthing should get bigger while your waist gets smaller).
3. Ask your gym if they can do a body fat percentage measurement on you. These vary in accuracy but it will give you an idea of where your problem areas are and it will also reveal when you're losing fat from your body.

 

[BowtieGuy]

Pictures are a good idea, but taken daily wouldn't help much. Maybe once a month?