Looking for Gym Advice

[Lockheartilly9799]

Hey there,

So I just started a brand new gym membership at Planet Fitness. I got the Black Card membership and I decided that I'm going to start on Monday. I'll be going out and buying an assortment of yoga pants, sports bras, and some kind of water bottle.

I'm looking for advice on nutrition and execise. Cardio is important to me, so is losing weight, and also bulking up. I'm obese for my size and I'm definitely not in shape. So I'm just looking for some helpful tips of eating, purchasing things to aid me, and whatever else I need to know.

So far, my plan is going every morning Mondays through Fridays and spend my time there 2 or 3 hours a day. Let me know if you have any questions that can help regarding the advice I'm seeking.

 

[Whipwhopper]

Doing circuit training with cardio is probably the best if your main focus is losing weight and gaining tone, more exercises and reps and less weight is the way to go.

For eating, doing meal prep, making your meals ahead of time and then preportioning them is really important and easy once you get in a routine

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

Doing circuit training with cardio is probably the best if your main focus is losing weight and gaining tone, more exercises and reps and less weight is the way to go.

For eating, doing meal prep, making your meals ahead of time and then preportioning them is really important and easy once you get in a routine

Click to shrink...

Is there a good site I can check out that helps me with this? I know I should avoid red meats but I don't know much more than that, honestly.

 

[Whipwhopper]

I'd just research around for specific diets and see what fits best, I don't particularly avoid specific foods but find it more important to portion my meals correctly to not overeat and make sure I have a good balance of foods. Also trying to eat slower, taking 20+ chews for each bite, drinking more water while eating, etc. can make you feel more satisfied off of less.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Hey there,

So I just started a brand new gym membership at Planet Fitness. I got the Black Card membership and I decided that I'm going to start on Monday. I'll be going out and buying an assortment of yoga pants, sports bras, and some kind of water bottle.

I'm looking for advice on nutrition and execise. Cardio is important to me, so is losing weight, and also bulking up. I'm obese for my size and I'm definitely not in shape. So I'm just looking for some helpful tips of eating, purchasing things to aid me, and whatever else I need to know.

So far, my plan is going every morning Mondays through Fridays and spend my time there 2 or 3 hours a day. Let me know if you have any questions that can help regarding the advice I'm seeking.

Click to shrink...

5 days a week for 2 or 3 hours a day is A LOT for a beginner. I'd say just try 3 days a week for an hour or so. You are going to be sore as fuck, trust me. Drink plenty of water. Stretch before and after lifting. Don't try to cut out all the foods you like cold turkey. Anything in moderation is ok, just try to get a good variety of foods with a good amount of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. Avoid processed food as much as you can, but again, don't drive yourself crazy and feel free to indulge every once in a while.

Most importantly, be patient, love yourself, and don't beat yourself up if you miss a day or eat a dessert every now and then.

 

[Deleted member 5876]

Keep these facts in mind:
- Weight loss is primarily achieved in the kitchen and the mind. You burn more calories sleeping a single night then you will with multiple 1 hour gym sessions
- Cardio is great for improving your cardiovascular system. If that's your intent then great
- Any device that monitors your calories burned is vastly exaggerating how many calories you actually burned

If primary goal is weight loss focus cardio on HIIT. Find a treadmill or elliptical or other favorite cardio equipment and see if they have a HIIT program on it. For instance, my elliptical has a thing called "Sprint 8" that has 8 intense 30 second go as hard as you can interleaved with 8 recovery periods where you go slow. HIIT is better for weight loss than steady state cardio.

 

[entremet]

5 days a week for 2 or 3 hours a day is A LOT for a beginner. I'd say just try 3 days a week for an hour or so. You are going to be sore as fuck, trust me. Drink plenty of water. Stretch before and after lifting. Don't try to cut out all the foods you like cold turkey. Anything in moderation is ok, just try to get a good variety of foods with a good amount of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. Avoid processed food as much as you can, but again, don't drive yourself crazy and feel free to indulge every once in a while.

Most importantly, be patient, love yourself, and don't beat yourself up if you miss a day or eat a dessert every now and then.

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Yeah, I would agree.

You will burn yourself out. I like the daily exercise. Builds a good habit. But 2 hours is just too much for a rank beginner.

 

[Violence Jack]

Stretch before and after your workout like your life depended on it. You will prevent injuries

 

[BlackSalad]

get a nutrition app like my fitness pal to track your diet, it is very helpful.

I'd focus on cardio first for weight loss then once you're happy move into strength training exercises. It is really hard to lose weight and bulk up muscle at the same time, very tricky balancing act with diet. Make sure you get solid and consistent sleep for recovery, it'll help with your fitness more than you realize. A heart rate monitor is useful, even if it is in a watch and not the most accurate, it'll at least show your relative trends.

Keep hydrated, not by just drinking large amounts of water a 1-2 times a day but keeping hydrated throughout the entire day. Get a multivitamin and omega-3 supplements into your daily routine.

Be careful with protein powder, a lot of people think that since they're exercising they automatically need it. Not a bad thing but a "protein shake" can easily become a calorie dense monster.

And try not to get discouraged, doing anything is progress, and while results may take a long time, they will come if you keep with it.

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

Keep these facts in mind:
- Weight loss is primarily achieved in the kitchen and the mind. You burn more calories sleeping a single night then you will with multiple 1 hour gym sessions
- Cardio is great for improving your cardiovascular system. If that's your intent then great.

If primary goal is weight loss focus cardio on HIIT. Find a treadmill or elliptical or other favorite cardio equipment and see if they have a HIIT program on it. For instance, my elliptical has a thing called "Sprint 8" that has 8 intense 30 second go as hard as you can interleaved with 8 recovery periods where you go slow. HIIT is better for weight loss than steady state cardio.

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What is HIIT?

One of the reasons why I need improved cardio is because in the future, I'm going to need to be able to last between 10 minutes to 30 minutes running around without taking much breaks and do this multiple times a week. I also have to be able to bulk up at the same time.

 

[Demoncleaner]

I'd advise to try out all the cardio equipment and if they have an area for circuit training give that a go as well. I feel it's best to discover what you enjoy doing and trying to build your workouts around that. It's difficult to maintain exercising long term if you're dreading it before/during/after the workout. Beyond that, allow yourself some setbacks and don't be too hard on yourself when you do. You're making a change in your routine and that doesn't come easy.

 

[Min]

I think doing like 30-45 minutes 3-4 days a week is probably a better routine. maybe break up weight exercises with cardio on the off days. There's no reason to exercise for 2-3 hours a day when you're beginning.

For weight exercises you should be targeting 8-12 reps over 3-4 sets, so adjust to heavier weights if you're doing like 20 reps and feeling fine.

 

[Deleted member 5876]

What is HIIT?

One of the reasons why I need improved cardio is because in the future, I'm going to need to be able to last between 10 minutes to 30 minutes running around without taking much breaks and do this multiple times a week. I also have to be able to bulk up at the same time.

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HIIT is "High Intensity Interval Training".
There are lots of ways to do HIIT from basic: stay on a single machine to complex: mix in weight training with cardio.
HIIT is also something that can be done in 20-30 minutes whereas steady state cardio you typically do for 1 to 2 hours.

 

[Zebesian-X]

Habits can be tough to develop, especially early on, so don't be discouraged if you fall off for a day or two, happens to everyone! I would recommend paying attention to your first couple weeks of working out, and try to identify any barriers you run into.

It can be difficult to develop new habits when you're starting out, but if you can pinpoint what's causing you to stumble then you can adjust to accommodate.

(For example: when I started working out I'd get home from work, sit down on the couch, and lose all motivation to go back out to the gym lol. To fix this I started packing my gym bag in the mornings so that I wouldn't even need to stop at home to be ready, thus removing that barrier to working out)


anyways yeah that's my lil bit of advice, I'm sure there are lots more qualified people on here that could advise you on specifics for nutrition but yeah. Good luck OP :) you got this

 

[trashbandit]

At the start, you should focus on gauging the amount of activity that will be a decent workout without completely draining you. The hardest period of working out/going to a gym is the initial stages where you haven't built a habit of it, so it's important to know when to ease off during a workout so that you can go back within the next day/next two days and build that habit. People have different opinions about what to focus on, but I think focusing on cardio and building endurance is the most realistic and healthy way to start working out. It's takes a while to see results(depending on how overweight you are you might see change sooner rather than later), so focusing on consistent activity is important; when I first started working out I found that going on an elliptical ever day, for at least a half hour with decent resistance, was a great way to really work my heart without the impact and difficulty of running on a treadmill. Key body weight exercises, like pushups and planks, are also great, and adding smalls stretch goals to them(5 more seconds holding a plank, 2 more pushups etc.) is another good way to so steadily build your strength.

On a psychological note: you might feel a little intimidated and embarrassed around other people who are in shape, but just know that practically everyone feels that way in the beginning, and that people are paying less attention to you than you think.

 

[Human Resources]

don't jump into the deep end with your diet right away unless you have an iron will. find a good starting point first -- a diet you know you can follow for a week where you won't cheat and is relatively healthy compared to your usual week, then start tweaking it with cuts and substitutions here and there. before you know it, you're eating clean.

 

[Sqrt]

- Any device that monitors your calories burned is vastly exaggerating how many calories you actually burned

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Do you have any source for this? It would be interesting to see how accurate a fitness band actually is.

 

[Septy]

The best way to lose weight is to just start lifting weights. Don't worry too much about cardio unless you plan of running marathons. Resting muscle burns fat.

 

[JetMan07]

5 days a week for 2 or 3 hours a day is A LOT for a beginner. I'd say just try 3 days a week for an hour or so. You are going to be sore as fuck, trust me. Drink plenty of water. Stretch before and after lifting. Don't try to cut out all the foods you like cold turkey. Anything in moderation is ok, just try to get a good variety of foods with a good amount of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. Avoid processed food as much as you can, but again, don't drive yourself crazy and feel free to indulge every once in a while.

Most importantly, be patient, love yourself, and don't beat yourself up if you miss a day or eat a dessert every now and then.

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This is some good advice right here. Personally I think anything over 1.5 - 2 hours in the gym is overkill.

 

[Christmastree55]

2-3 hours is wayyy too much. Start with 1 hour. Do cardio for 20 mins to warm up, and then a 5x circuit with overhead presses, pushups, and squats. Also, stretch before you go to bed at night.

 

[Quad Lasers]

Weight loss is predominantly diet-based, so make sure you're eating at a caloric deficit. Every weight loss diet more or less accomplishes this, but the most "straight forward" is probably calorie counting with CICO. If you do CICO, get a food scale.

Bulking up means hitting some weights. It's also more effective at a calorie surplus, which is counterintuitive to what you're doing(weight loss). But since you're obese, you'll get plenty of gains even at a deficit if you just make sure you eat plenty of protein(.6 to 1 gram per lb of bodyweight) even at a calorie deficit.

The biggest thing is to make sure that whatever you do, you can stick with it long term. This applies to your diet. This applies to your exercise routines. Don't do or eat anything you're not *broadly* enjoying, or you risk falling off the wagon permanently. It's ok to fuck up here and there, but most people fuck up and then just never return. You need to be building habits and routines that are sustainable and practically put you in autopilot.

And like others said, you can't just jump in the deep end. Changes to your diet and exercise need to come incrementally and be built up. 2-3 hours is fucking nuts, you're not going to get away with that.

 

[TheBaldwin]

In terms of food, one of the most important things is that there is so much healthy food out there but it is important that you like it. Forcing yourself to eat meals everyday that are bland and unenjoyable just because of their helth benefits is not a good way. There's lots of great recipes that are healthy but delicious, you just have to search around.

My mum went on a program called 'slimming world' here in the UK and it worked wonders for her simply because the food they recommended her to eat was actually very nice. Helped her loose 7 or so stone in about a year and thats with no excersise.

In terms of cardio stuff, its kind of the same thing. My main thing is to always set a goal and then every session try and beat that goal. Im mainly into weight stuff, but when i do my rowing (my favourite cardio) I would try and beat my faster time on the rowing machine.

Also as others were saying, yeah 2 hours plus for 5 days is super overboard. Honestly even when it comes to weight training shorter sessions work way better. 40 Mins- 1.5 Hours a session 4-5 times a week will do fine, but make sure you ease yourself into it. Your first session will make you sore and unable to probably do a followup, but just keep pushing after some day of rest.

Also add some weight lifting into your regime. Massively helps lose weight, burns alot more calories, and also gives you a great defined body .

 

[ItchyTasty]

Gaining muscles while at a caloric deficit is totally possible as long as you have energy storage on your body (fat). Strength training is always recommended. Cardio can be harder to do on a diet in my experience since I at least tend to get hungrier. Easier to just "lose" the calories in the kitchen instead of running them off. But if you like the exercise then you should definitely do it since it's healthy for both body and mind.

I would also check out the info on r/loseit on diets and so on. Also this article is a bit mean but is strangely informative on diets.

 

[Cruxist]

One thing that helped me develop a gym habit (pre-covid...) was to reserve a podcast/tv show/whatever exclusively for when I was at the gym. It was a mental trick to get me interested in going because I knew I could watch my show or listen to whatever pod I was on. Tricks like that really helped me keep the habit going.

 

[Bookman]

I used to bodybuild when I was younger. I recently started to go to the gym because a was a tiny bit fat (104 kg on 180 cm) took me 3 moths to get i perfect (well 89 kg) shape and then the gym closed so now I'm depressed.

I had a really easy schedule and would love to help you if you want.

 

[echoshifting]

OP that sounds like a ton of time in the gym for a newbie. You don't want to burn yourself out or injure yourself. 15 hours a week starting from zero is asking for trouble. 45-60 minutes would feel like a lot...I didn't start all that long ago myself and take it from me, you will feel it and see it in just a few weeks if you stick to it and exercise smart. Focus on building the habit, heck even if you only do twenty minutes at a time. Adding time/sets/reps or targeting new areas of your body can be exciting if you build as you go!

- Any device that monitors your calories burned is vastly exaggerating how many calories you actually burned

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I'm a bit skeptical that this is universally true. My fitbit lines up pretty well with what I expect to burn for what I'm doing.

My Schwinn is totally ridiculous though. It gives me credit for 500-600 in 30 minutes on a bike lol.

 

[Cocolina]

Echo that 2 - 3 hours for 5 days a week is overkill, you'll do more harm than good starting like that. Do on-day/off-day and 30 to 45 minutes of exercise to start with. As long as you're sweating and your heartrate is above 130 you're on the right track.

You're more likely to be obese because of your diet than lack of exercise though, and to fix thar you need to sort your diet out. How often are you preparing and cooking your own meals?

 

[Deleted member 35895]

This is an excellent resource which will probably answer everything you want to know and more: https://ss.fitness/#the-basics

 

[Bookman]

I'm old as fuck so it's sort of the mid 80s way of thinking but here goes.
Heavy waits 4-8 repetitions.
3 sets (? I don't know the english word ... exercise?) On every mussel (example biceps)

Maximum one hour at the gym. You can do it in 30-45 minutes if you are in a hurry.

Eat meat.


Day 1: biceps, back
Day 2: triceps, brest
Day 3: leg and shoulders
Day 4 : stay at home. Cry and eat meat.

Repeat for 3 months. Look like an Neanderthal.
Done.

 

[Kaversmed]

This is a simple advice that has worked for me regarding weight loss : count your daily caloric intake! Then make sure your caloric intake is less than what you burn during the day. It's actually really simple - the hard part is being persistent about it.

This will make it abundantly clear to you how much a small snack actually eats up your calorie budget so to speak. This way you will start thinking smarter in regards to your meals and snacks. I always eat the same for breakfast and lunch. That way I can freestyle a bit with dinner and snacks as long as they're not too calorie heavy.

Cardio is a great tool for losing weight, but unless you're not aware about your caloric intake it won't help you in the long "run" (pun intended) - It's simply not sustainable.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

We have a fitness OT in case you're interested. https://www.resetera.com/threads/fitness-ot-a-new-era-begins.727/

 

[Bookman]

So far, my plan is going every morning Mondays through Fridays and spend my time there 2 or 3 hours a day. Let me know if you have any questions that can help regarding the advice I'm seeking.

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That's way to much. Star with 30 minutes a day.
You have to rest, that's when the muscles are building.
Be patient.

Eat meat.

It's super easy

Edit: I'm worrying that my jokes became offensiven so i just wanted to be clear that I'm referring to myself as a Neanderthal and that i understand that it's probably not everyones goal to build so much muscles as fast as possible but I think it's a great way to start and if you would like some tips or just a gym friend I'm there for you.

 

[Idde]

For now I'd avoid running for your type of cardio. It can be really taxing for your joints if you are quite a bit overweight. Best to wait with that after you've lost some weight.

HIIT is great for burning calories but it also freaking sucks. Like, a lot. But perhaps you'll like it :)

As for weightlifting; if this is your first time, I'd start with 15 reps per set for whatever exercise you're doing for about four weeks. To get the muscle tissue used to resistance training, in preparation for future (somewhat) heavier loads.

Also; echoing the people to take it bit more slowly. Everyday for two hours is a huge, huuuuge change, probably more than anyone can make. And probably more than your body can take. Start of with two times per week, and give yourself some time to get used to it. Increase whenever you feel you've got the hang of it.

Also also; you WILL lose motivation. At one point, for some time. It happens to literally everybody, and that's quite okay. The most important part is getting back in the gym after that, without feeling to guilty. Getting back at it is key. Consistency is key.

Good luck, and hopefully have fun!

 

[Deleted member 5876]

I'm a bit skeptical that this is universally true. My fitbit lines up pretty well with what I expect to burn for what I'm doing.

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It depends on device (obviously). But it also depends on the kind of exercise you are doing.
Here is an article discussing Fitbit trackers and depending on the kind of exercise its anywhere from 5% off to 50%.
The inaccuracies can go both ways.. eg. over or under estimations.

Fitbit trackers ‘tell users they’re burning more calories than they actually are’

Fitness trackers may not be as accurate as users think, a study has claimed.

news.yahoo.com

 

[theytookourjobz]

Where should my priorities be to improve my health?

People are bombarded with conflicting and confusing information from multiple sources on health related topics

www.barbellmedicine.com

This is a great read OP. Written by an MD.

 

[fracas]

I've lost just under 80 pounds in a year (332 to 255 now). Just a few tips from me:

-Weight loss comes from what you eat, exercising just makes it a bit faster. Try a TDEE calculator to see what your caloric needs are then go at a deficit every day
-Drink a FUCKTON of water, or another zero-calorie beverage. It helps with your appetite and is good for your overall health. Drink a glass when you wake up and before every meal. Shoot for half your body weight converted to ounces as a daily goal. I drink more than a gallon a day. It sounds intimidating but it's super easy once you're used to it
-You're planning to go way too hard in the gym for a beginner. I'd recommend doing maybe 20-30 mins a day for your first couple weeks, just to get your body settled in. If you go hard in the paint right off the bat, you're gonna be sore and exhausted af and not want to go back. Take it easy, this is a long game and you will 100 percent get there
-I wholeheartedly recommend the elliptical as a great piece of exercise equipment. More physically engaging then chilling on the treadmill while also being easy to zone out on and kill half an hour easy. It's a fantastic leg and arm workout and I use it every time I hit the gym, then cool down with a high-incline walk
-Use healthy but delicious alternatives in your meals. I'm talking margarine, almond milk, powdered peanut butter, yogurt instead of ice cream, fruits instead of regular candy, sugar-free and fat-free condiments, that sort of thing. These are super easy ways to cut serious calories without any signficant effort, and it's not super expensive either
-Don't restrict any foods. It sounds counter-intuitive when dieting but trust me, it's OK to have a cheat meal every now and then (I don't do whole days). As I said, this is all about the long game. If you're eating well 85 percent of the time then you will lose weight, just don't go crazy over and do like 4k cals in a day
-This goes along with the above but don't hate yourself if you backslide. It's all about developing a mindset and routine. There will prolly be days where you eat like garbage and don't work out and that's totally OK. Just get back on the horse the next day or even in a few days after that. You have the rest of your life to figure this out and you can absolutely get there.

I know I'm some rando on a forum but feel free to DM if there's anything I can help with. I've been a big-ass dude my whole life and I just got sick of it and decided to change things, lol.

 

[cheebdragonite]

As a beginner with high body fat percentage, it's very easy to take advantage of newbie gains by going on a caloric deficit (find out your TDEE here and subtract by 500). As long as your program (lifting close to failure, i.e., lifting to point where you can't perform any more reps, and progressive overload, i.e., increasing your sets and reps every workout while writing it down) and diet are on point, you will gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Since you want to bulk up, lose fat, and do cardio, perhaps PPL (Push-Pull-Legs) is a decent program for you. Make sure you get enough nutrients for energy (fruits, veggies, and especially Vitamin D) and protein (0.8 g / lbs, so if you're 200 lbs that's 160 g of protein to take daily). Take a pre-workout (like peanut butter sandwich and banana 1 hour before workout) to ensure you're kicking ass in your workouts. Don't be too restrictive with your diet and have the black and white mentality of "clean" and "dirty" food; you can have healthy eating habits while still being in your calorie range. As well, follow advice from other people here as well. I know you can do it! :)

 

[Mediking]

Slowly build stamina and bring music and water :D

 

[Goda]

If you can track what you eat it'll be the fastest way to weight loss. Going to the gym will help tone and tighten your body but almost all weight loss is what you eat.

You'll probably lose a lot of weight initially and then start to hit a wall for a bit. Just don't get discouraged and continue on with your diet. You'll eventually get to your goal weight if you stick to it long enough.

 

[Tuorom]

Hey there,

So I just started a brand new gym membership at Planet Fitness. I got the Black Card membership and I decided that I'm going to start on Monday. I'll be going out and buying an assortment of yoga pants, sports bras, and some kind of water bottle.

I'm looking for advice on nutrition and execise. Cardio is important to me, so is losing weight, and also bulking up. I'm obese for my size and I'm definitely not in shape. So I'm just looking for some helpful tips of eating, purchasing things to aid me, and whatever else I need to know.

So far, my plan is going every morning Mondays through Fridays and spend my time there 2 or 3 hours a day. Let me know if you have any questions that can help regarding the advice I'm seeking.

Click to shrink...

What's your goal? What do you want to get out of this? (be specific)

 

[Daysean]

5 Days a Week and 3+ Hours gonna be so crazy, noooo
Def aim for 3 Days a Week like other posters have said please

 

[SABO.]

I think 5 days a week is fine.

You don't need to do anything more than an hour though, and on a good day you should be able to smash it out in 30-45 minutes.

I wouldn't worry about bulking up. Focus on losing weight, improving your cardio and building muscle.

A nice way to finish off each gym session is to do a short but intense circuit. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Something like 10 x burpees, 10 x kettle bell squats, 10 x star jumps, 1 minute rest and repeat x 3. You'll improve your cardio really quickly and the endorphins after you catch your breath will have you excited to get back in there tomorrow.

 

[Croc Man]

I went to the gym a few times right before lockdown, great timing. Anyway joining came with a personal trainer giving a quick session and a programme to follow. Might be worth seeing if there's anything similar available to you, made it a hell of a lot less intimidating.

Like others said that many hours a day is too much but if you want something to keep you ticking over in your off days do a short yoga with Adrienne video, it'll compliment the gym work, even better if the gym has yoga classes.

 

[MontlyCure]

I have to agree with everyone saying that 2-3 hours 5x a week will burn you out fast. Remember that your body needs time to recover from your workouts. You also don't want to hurt yourself early on. I went from being completely sedentary to trying to run one night and I ended up hardly able to walk for two weeks due to an inflamed tendon in my knee. Ease into it!

I recently got back into weight lifting (about 4 months ago) and one thing that has kept me focused and motivated is focusing on compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press. Of course, this will depend on the equipment available at your gym, but cutting out the smaller isolation exercises and putting as much effort into these big lifts has really kept me going. I was the heaviest I've ever been before starting up again 4 months ago (240 lbs @ 6ft), and I just weighed myself and I'm right at 230.

Good luck!

 

[kiaaa]

I'd say look into phraks greyskull routine or 531 for beginners for your bulking up.

I've also heard really great things about couch to 5k for running.

For diet, I prefer to track calories (loosely nowadays) and dial them in to my bulking or cutting. It doesn't take long to get a pretty good idea of what you need.

 

[Lockheartilly9799]

Howdy folks, I've looked into all the advice and decided to listen to most of it! Thank you for your help. I start tomorrow. The reason why I want to get in shape and also bulk up is because I want to be a pro wrestler. Anywho, this is my plan for the week:

1. Monday = Arms + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
2. Tuesday = Chest + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
3. Wednesday = Legs + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
4. Thursday = Hips + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
5. Friday = Stomach (total no more than an hour)

I'm willing to be flexible on this for sure. Does anybody have any specific weight-based exercises I should be doing on each day and what alterations should I make?

I'm starting a meal plan that I'll stick to during these 5 days so I can have a cheat meal on Saturday and/or Sunday. Let me know what you think. It's already been prepped:

Removed the table because the formatting was all jacked up. Let me know if anyone wants a pic.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

I've been going to the gym regularly for a good portion of my life and I'm usually gassed around an hour. If I miss a few weeks to a month here or there, I'm usually gassed in like 30-45 min when I get back to it. I feel like it's best to get in, go hard and go home. Don't set a time for how long you need to be there. Just push yourself and your body will tell you when its time to call it quits.

If you want to bulk, don't forget to get proper rest time. Your muscles grow when you're resting, not when you're working them out.

I'm personally liking the push-pull-legs split for lifting heavy with some more cardio intensive and lighter lifting days in between.

So I'll go heavy Mon-wed-fri and do more cardio and calisthenics on Tuesday and Thursday and take weekends off.

Gota hit those fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.

In your plan above you're missing your back. I would suggest doing a push pull legs split.

On push day you do your chest, shoulders and triceps. On pull day you do your back and biceps. On legs you do legs and on the in between days you can target your core

 

[Avitus]

1. Monday = Arms + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
2. Tuesday = Chest + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
3. Wednesday = Legs + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
4. Thursday = Hips + Cardio (total no more than an hour)
5. Friday = Stomach (total no more than an hour)

I'm willing to be flexible on this for sure. Does anybody have any specific weight-based exercises I should be doing on each day and what alterations should I make?

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This is kind of a 'bro' split. I'm not sure why you have hips and stomach (do you mean core?) as their own days, and five consecutive days of up to an hour will get you to over-training city pretty fast, especially as a beginner. I would condense it down to 3 full body days MWF, with cardio (always) after the weights if you want/need it. There are a lot of reasons to do cardio regardless but if your primary goal is to add weight and strength, it should be a secondary concern.

- You should focus mainly on the holy trinity (squats, bench press, deadlifts) with exercises thrown in on machines or with equipment that you enjoy that are available in your gym
- Hit the same muscle at least twice a week, but allow for enough rest between training sessions.
- You should shoot for 40 seconds of tension minimum per set with at least 90 seconds of rest between sets, if not more. Usually this works out to around 8 reps if you are doing 2 up, 2 down.
- Find a circuit that works for you that comes in under an hour with 3 working sets per exercise, ideally. Something that you enjoy doing.
- Try to do your heaviest, most uncomfortable lifts early in the workout.
- When in doubt, drop the weight and increase the reps to compensate if you aren't feeling it or aren't comfortable. Form matters way more than raw numbers.

 

[mnemonicj]

I recommend you always remember that consistency is what really matters.
If you can work out at least 3 times a week, that's better than doing absolutely nothing.
Also, unless you're trying to compete, it's ok if you fall off the consistency. Just remember to get back in it.

 

[rokkerkory]

Hey there,

So I just started a brand new gym membership at Planet Fitness. I got the Black Card membership and I decided that I'm going to start on Monday. I'll be going out and buying an assortment of yoga pants, sports bras, and some kind of water bottle.

I'm looking for advice on nutrition and execise. Cardio is important to me, so is losing weight, and also bulking up. I'm obese for my size and I'm definitely not in shape. So I'm just looking for some helpful tips of eating, purchasing things to aid me, and whatever else I need to know.

So far, my plan is going every morning Mondays through Fridays and spend my time there 2 or 3 hours a day. Let me know if you have any questions that can help regarding the advice I'm seeking.

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check out the OT fitness thread in the OT