wire154

A few years ago I was very much into reading about dietary research and optimum strategies for eating. I tried paleo a bit, and then went vegan. Both worked very well for the way I felt, but it was most likely that they each forced me to cook for myself and only eat real food (grandma, cavemen, and Bill Clinton's doctor approved). Over time laziness kicks in, though, but I never really strayed too much into procssed foods, and I have done well in keeping out most dairy and bread. I eat a lot of Japanese when I can, as they have the longest life span on the planet, last I checked. The only soy I really eat regularly is natto. I picked up some tofu recently just to try to add some protein, but it's not somethng I have a lot of. I thought the hormonal stuff had been debunked? I'll have to look into this again. I hear you about alcohol, and definitely remember the constant flow of beer into my mouth when I visited Berlin. NY is pretty bad that way too. Social contact and drinking are the same thing, mostly. I don't drink quite as often as I used to, but when I do, it's not moderate.

Thanks. That's a lot of meat! I went years without eating any animal products (well, occasionally cheated), but I have been incorporating a couple of eggs each day, and have steak a couple of times a week now. I also have been eating tofu with tons of vegetables and a plant-based shake a few times a day (sorry). I've never been big on sweets or carbs in general, except for rice. Bread, almost never. Sometimes potatoes. Way too much alcohol.

Thanks so much, again. I met with the trainer again yesterday, and discussed changing the order of the upper body exercises to put the bench press first, as the shoulder routine was tiring out my arms too quickly. I'll try this out tomorrow and focus on the bench press and rows. Yesterday we did lower body, including goblet squats and lunges. It hurts! I've been drinking a couple of plant-based protein shakes per day (Vega One) and have been also eating eggs and tracking the meals I cook at home. It's impossible to track accurately when I go out, but I usually try to stick to a steak or something simple like that. The protein thing is weird. I'm 170lbs, so I'm supposed to get around 140g of protein. That is really an insane amount! Even with eggs and the shakes, I would need to eat a really big steak everyday, which isn't going to happen. I eat a lot of veggies and track them, but still come up short on the protein. Any suggestions?

Thanks! I definitely do squats every time I go to the gym (like this morning). I'll try to incorporate some barbell squats as well, but to be honest, I am a little intimidated by being under a bar like that. I'll work up to it. I'm finding that, even after resting all weekend, my arms give out really fast, and I really wasn't lifting super heavy weight today. Is it normal to feel weaker each time in the beginning?

Turboseize - thank you so much for taking the time to write such a helpful response. I met with a trainer for a free startup session last week, and he's got me on free weights only, like you said. Mostly dumbbells (front and side lateral raises, bent over reverse flies, bench press, that twisty core thing), but curls and rows with barbells. If my arms want to give out (oh they did), just do a drop set. I described the 5x5 strategy, and he recommended I start doing more exercises with lighter weights and higher reps for now (like you said). I see the point - I'm starting from zero, and I got much more sore following his routine than I did with my adapted 5x5. He's also got my doing basic bodyweight core exercises. No cardio outside of a 10 minutes before and after on the treadmill. I'm interested to learn the best lower body exercises, so I can alternate days. The trainer did not have me do any squats, so I figure that is a good place to start. I can do goblet squats with good form, and can handle about 40lbs for maybe 7-10 reps (I lost count). What else is good?

Thanks! Tomorrow I should rest, according to the 5x5 idea, but I can't stand sitting idle (well, I can quite easily, but I don't want to let myself), so I'll probably do some cardio unless there is a good reason not to.

I went through a dumbbell version of the 5x5 today - goblet squats, bench press, and one arm rows. I challenged myself a bit with the heaviest weights I could handle (I'm walking a little funny now), but the whole thing was over in less than 20 minutes. Is that ok? Is there another exercise I can do after that will not interfere or overwork the muscles I hit with the pseudo-5x5? It feels a little strange to walk out of the gym after that short a time. Ok to do some cardio after, or should that be a separate day?

More great information! Thanks. The 5x5 looks interesting. Is it possible to substitute dumbbells? The rack at the gym is usually taken, but the dumbbell area is pretty spacious.

Wow! My vegan crepe is actually in there. 577 calories. Very impressive.

Thanks so much! A lot of great information here. Let me follow up on a couple of points: Diet - I can tell you exactly what I've eaten this week, as everyday has been the same. Strawberries and green tea for breakfast. (then workout two of the last three days). Vegan burrito crepe (takeout) for lunch (it's reasonable sized and made from potato starch with avocado, black beans, and coconut-based cheese/bacon) and coffee for lunch. Dinner, big kale salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, pepper, oil/vinegar. That's it. I had a single can of Guinness after dinner last night, and have been snacking on raw almonds. I think this is probably a fairly low calorie count, but there is no way to know how many that crepe (or any takeout, really) contains. Since I am lifting, I should probably add some more protein, right? A vegan powder maybe? I'm not totally vegan, but I keep my meat consumption sporadic and high quality. I'll be having a steak tomorrow night. I want to make sure I am feeding the busted muscles what they need after lifting. Lower body/cardio: Can I combine these? My legs are so sore, I cannot stand up or sit down without a audible grunt, and that is just from Monday's stair machine/inclined treadmill workout. I spent about 3 minutes on the arc trainer as well before declaring it pure evil. Do I need lower body lifting exercises as well? What about abs? I've read conflicting things about targeting them directly, or just letting them get worked as stabilizers. My gym has an upright crunch machine, but I haven't touched it yet.

Thanks for all of the input so far! Just got back from my third visit to the gym, and it was the first time I mostly skipped the cardio (save a short treadmill warmup and cool down) and started using free weights. I feel strange that my workout was so short, but my arms and shoulders said no more after a few dumbbell reps of seated overhead presses, incline chest presses, flat chest presses, reverse seated fly, lateral raises, and basic curls. I also did some work on the tricep machine as well (it's oddly satisfying). Should I have gone to a lower weight to build up, or did I do the right thing in using a weight with which I could only get 4-5 reps? Also, I couldn't go yesterday because my legs and shoulders were so sore, I felt a rest was in order (i know, I've barely scratched the surface). Is there a good remedy for really sore muscles?

Yeah, I lose quite a bit when I visit Japan, even though I eat (and drink) like a maniac. Non-stop walking. I live in NY, so I do stay fairly active day to day, but too many indoor responsibilities.

Thanks! I'm a big fan of giant kale/avocado salads, but that is the extent of my cooking ability and level of interest :). I'm mostly veggie with the occasional steak or yakitori night, and eat a good deal of reasonable healthy takeout (veggie/hummus platters, vegan crepes, occasionally indian). I don't touch bread or desserts very often at all, but I do eat rice. I figure if the Japanese are all skinny and live forever, we've got to have it wrong about rice! Any recommendations for filling lazy person food that is good for losing weight?

I will have to Google all of things and see if my gym has them! I'm not opposed to moving to free weights right away - I just didn't want to get ahead of myself. My gym has a full range of bar/dumbbells and benches. Any particular exercises you'd recommend? Any reason to prefer barbells over dumbbells or vice versa? Thanks!!!

Well, maybe the title is a little exaggerated. I've got a gut, but still the svelte skinny shoulders and arms of a young preteen girl. Makes getting jackets fitted an embarrassing process. So I finally joined a gym last week, and to my shock and disappointment, did not get totally ripped after one workout. I guess I'll be needing a more detailed plan. Here's what I've got: -I'm 40, naturally skinny (used to be around 130lbs in college, eating whatever I want in massive quantities. I'm 6ft tall), but have aged into a weird long pear. Looking to be a V shape again. -I've got NO muscles. None. -I can workout Mon-Thurs only. -I dislike cardio. I'll do it if I have to, but running on a machine makes me feel like a sad hamster. -I'd like to build my upper body while reducing my middle, to enhance the non-pearness. Not going for total bodybuilder status, just hot (-ish) thin guy who doesn't look his age. So here are some naive beginner questions: -I've read you should rest a day between workouts, but how hard and fast is that? If I try to work different areas on consecutive days, BUT there is some overlap, is this really terrible? -How long should I spend using weight machines before I move to free weights? My understanding is that free weights are better since they involve more muscles, but I am initially worried about my lower back as I am building up strength. I'm prone to pain back there, but nothing TOO serious. Also, I find the machines kinda fun. -What is a good upper body weight exercise that burns a lot of fat? I'm going to have many more questions, as this is all new to me. Just wanted to get the ball rolling. Thanks!