Fitness Questions - HELP Please!

[LordZed]

I recently joined the forums and i'm learning a great deal. I have a few fitness/weight training related questions because when it comes to this, i'm unfortunately ignorant.

I'm 22, male, 6'0 tall and 178lbs. I'm not toned and not defined at all. In fact, I have lovehandles and a belly and not a great looking chest either. I haven't been in a gym in 3 years. I'm not overweight and I do look slim however I have lots of body fat.

I recently joined a gym trying to get back into shape. My question to you is this. I want to burn fat as much as possible, get defined/tone up (flat stomach), lose the belly/lovehandles, and at the same time bulk up a little bit and gain muscle mass/strength. I understand this takes time, and I am a patient person. I realize I won't see results overnight and I'm focused and dedicated this time.

What sort of exercises should I be doing at the gym? Should I be taking protein shakes and creatine? If yes, when? What type of foods should I be eating and how should they be prepared?

Thanks in advance!

 

[curgeo]

lordzed, this is really a hard question to ask as it has so many variables that I can't possibly begin to get into them all.

It is really REALLY hard to burn fat and also bulk up at the same time. To gain muscle you need an excess of calories...expecially protein. To cut up and lose your love handles and belly you need to CUT your calories and INCREASE your protein.

Get your nutrition right. Check out the diet forum and they have some good threads on dieting for size and also cutting weight. You will use protein to SUPPLEMENT your diet....meaning in order to add to the solid foods that you should already be eating.

As far as training, check out madcow's 5x5 thread. It is an amazing source of information and about all you need right now to start. Make sure and read all the links and resources that he lists. You can really learn a lot from that thread.

I know I didn't answer your question and what I did...it was vague, but believe me, check out the diet board and the 5x5 thread and that should start you up pretty good. If you have questions after that, please feel free to ask them and I will do what I can to answer them.

 

[anotherbutters]

Good advice from Curgeo there. I would add that you'll probably find it easiest to drop fat and build muscle right now - when you haven't worked out for a while and you've a moderate amount of fat on you. As you lose more fat and build more muscle, it'll become harder to do both at the same time and you'll have to start focussing on one or the other.

For now, a cleaner diet, a good weightlifting program and cardio a couple of times per week ought to make a big difference. madcow's site, for training info (in particular, look at the linear 5x5):

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/table_of_contents_thread.htm

 

[musclefreaks]

it is possible to clean bulk and lose or atleast lower your bf,i have been clean bulkin for a few months and have gain well while still keepin my bf down to 13%.just means a super clean diet.



http://www.musclefreaks.co.uk/

 

[LordZed]

Hey thanks for the information guys, I will definately look into it. Just another question.

I recently bought ISO XP: 45g of Protein and Mega Multi from GNC. When should I be taking the protein shakes / mega multivitamins and how many times daily?

Thanks.

 

[theprofessor]

umm... i'd definately start with the basic compound movements... squats (the most productive exercise bar-none), deadlifts, bench press, military press... these heavy movements will not only build some solid muscular mass, but also burn a LOT of calories.
eat 1-1.5 times your bodyweight in grams of protien (175-240)
make sure you get a good 8 hrs sleep each night if possible.
good luck!

 

[theprofessor]

Hey thanks for the information guys, I will definately look into it. Just another question.

I recently bought ISO XP: 45g of Protein and Mega Multi from GNC. When should I be taking the protein shakes / mega multivitamins and how many times daily?

Thanks.

i take my vitamins in the morning, but I don't think it matters a whole lot, I believe they're time-release...
you can take the protein any time, but it may be convenient right after your workout if you cant get home right away to cook. try to eat every 2hrs, even if theyre just small meals. you have to fuel the fire...

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

You know....I started gaining weight a lot easier when I dropped the shakes. I think that 2hr thing killed me, 'cause I didn't want to ruin my "protein absorbtion rate" or waste any thing. I just eat 4 bigs meals a day now, biggest in the morning tapering off towards the evening. Protein, 2 veggies, starch, dessert, 2 16oz glasses milk. Cheaper than spending all that money on supplements too.