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[Chopper]

Hello nerd fitness!

 

          My name is chopper, im 32, I have 4 kids, a full time job, and am a half time engineering student.....so i never sleep! I stumbled on to this site a few weeks ago and after reading a lot of the posts, I decided that my health really is something that i should make a bigger priority. I have 3 boys and a daughter, and a responsibility to show them how to thrive and not just survive. 

          Growing up all the men in my life were all fat...all of them...huge distended bellys and man boobs, so for a while i thought that that was just what you looked like when you got older. Now i see a different way to live, why cant i be fit, why cant i be 40 and still look good with my shirt off damn it! So, being a nerd and having access to the university library i looked up the study's done on the correlation between belly fat and health problems...they are just to great to ignore any longer.

          I was pretty active in high school and would work out with my brother, but that was...too long ago to remember. I know the basics of weight training but i could use some input on increased endurance and flexibility. Any help at all would be really appreciated. 

 

Next time you're in the dirty south, Yall comeon bynah yaheere

 

--Chopper

[JPrev]

Welcome!  Sounds like you've got a good plan and a solid reason to pursue your goal.

 

To become an overall fitter person, I'd watch my nutrition and follow a basic training program.  Losing body fat is all about caloric deficits: you need to eat less than you burn.  It doesn't matter how you set up that equation, whether it be eating less, exercising more, or some combination of the two.  So, start with what you're eating.  Cut your calories responsibly, and you'll be on the road to looking good with your shirt off.

 

As for the training, I'd do a mix of resistance and aerobic work.  Just to recap the basics of resistance training, you want an exercise or two for each of the following:

 

• Pushing (e.g., push ups and presses)
• Pulling (e.g., pull ups and rows)
• Core (e.g., planks and hanging leg raises)
• Legs (e.g., lunges and squats)

 

Do 3 sets of those exercises 2-3 times a week, and you're off to solid start.  For aerobic training, anything will do.  Go for runs, ride a bike, do the elliptical.  If you're pressed for time, you can do a shorter resistance workout and add your cardio on the same day.  I'd try to do cardio 2-3 times a week as well.

 

Remember, working out isn't complicated.  Losing the belly is just about eating less, that's it.  If you have no time for anything else, you'd still get to your goal by eating less.  If you want firmer muscles, use 'em.  If you want more wind, go for a run.  It's all about discipline with the basics!

[Donar]

why cant i be fit, why cant i be 40 and still look good with my shirt off damn it!

 

 

Welcome Chopper.

 

I did exactly this in 2013. Turned 40 and got myself into shape....so most definitely possible.