Training Advice

[ShinerBockDownSouth]

At one point in my life I was fit and had no problem participating in activities that I love. I was a 3 sport athlete in high school and was never a big fellow. When I was married in 99 I was 6'2" 220, today I am 6'2" 280 (31) years old. My wife and I took our honeymoon in Breckinridge and I tore my acl withon the first 30 minutes on the slopes(my physical fitness had something to do with that). I put off surgery for 2 years and it was difficult to stay active. Now,

I NEED YOUR HELP...

I want my little girl to be proud of her dad, and I want to be able to do all the things she is going to want to do

I would like the board to advise on a workout routine(weight training & aerobics), I need details(have not been actively in gym since 95), also advise on diet and supplements.

What I will give... MANY THANKS, weekly updates and posted pictures and training log, diet log, etc.

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[Guinness5.0]

Some general points:

This process will NOT be complicated if done properly. It'll be simple but difficult, especially at first. You'll need to address how you got fat in the first place - meaning your diet. Clean it up and cut back a bit but don't go nuts with it. Don't strive for some magical, mystical ratio of protein/fats/carbs with some intricate timetable that requires the discipline of a monk. Just eat cleaner and eat less. Use the K.I.S.S. theory for now (Keep It Simple, Stupid )

In terms of exercise, I'd advise a simple 3x/week weight program with some cardio at the end. Start kinda slow so you don't incapacitate yourself with soreness, and gradually build. This will be a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself a bit. That's not to say you won';t be working hard, but starting out way too gung ho is not productive and is not likely to foster positive feelings toward the gym. Done properly, this is very, very fun

These intial changes should work quite quickly and will be as painless as possible. Once the weight starts to come off, you'll eventually experience plateaus. This endeavor, like any ohter, depends on your knowledge and dedication. Putting it on autopilot won't work. So learn all you can and be very leary of things that sound to good to be true - they probably are. My advce would be to view supps as absolute garbage, because the vast majority are. Your energies would be best served by learning about training and diet (in that order, IMHO). There are very few supps that are worth the bottle they come in, so keep that idea on the backburner.

Just some general suggestions for your journey. I'm sure others will chime in as well.

 

[BiggT]

Simple progression as far as the weightroom. Are you limited in what you can do by your injury? My best friend tore his ACL, had surgery and rehabbed and he is better than before, so I will assume you're good to go, but if not, then let me know where you're at and what you can and can't do.

Are you comfortable with full, ass to the grass squats, and deadlifts? Can you do the olympic lifts?

Basically, what you want is a balance of core lifts. Something for the shoulder girdle (flat or incline bench or overhead presses). A squat (back or front). and a Pull (deadlift or row or an olympic lift). Pick a constant as far as sets/reps so that you have a way to guage progress. Add a little weight to the bar each time. What you are doing is gradually increasing your workload. Over time you can do things like add sets, exercises, and workouts so that you build wide as well as high in terms of work capacity.

That is it in a nutshell. Look up the "Madcow 5x5 thread" here, visit the website too and read and digest as much as you can. You don't need to do that setup, but use the common sense to get a good grasp of progressive training.

Cardio....depending on your goals. If you want muscle and functional strength, 3 times a week, a half hour of incline walking should be good for heart health.

With diet, at 6' 2" and 280, you're a big dude, and I imagine big framed and broad. DON'T follow some sissy diet of tuna and broccoli that gives you something like 1500 cals a day. Eat nutritiously dense foods, but you're a big guy, don't be afraid to eat. Just make a smart choice whenever hungry. Pick a complex carb over a simple one, don't drink sugar, at Wendy's ge ta baked potatoe instead of fries, at the deli during lunch get baked lays instead of regular ones, get your sandwich on whole wheat instead of a hard rool, simple stuff like that, don't make 'diet' a stressful part of your life. A little common sense goes a long way. You're a big, young guy, when you start training right, your body will recomp nicely.

 

[BiggT]

I want to endorse what Guiness said about supplements. They really are a gay waste of money that could be spent at the store, at a steakhouse, or at a sushi bar. Hell, take your wife and daughter out to eat instead of wasting money on crap like Glutamine and creatine.

Start a journal too and get pics up if you can. Shoot for a goal, keep it performance or appearance related and don't stress bodweight.

So many people stop being active after high school, and the irony is at 31, you're more physically mature and developed and primed that you were back then. I'm gonna be 27 in June, I graduated from high school in '97 and mst of my friends stopped working out in June of '97, lol.....they talk of high school as their physical peak, and I just laugh at them.

 

[bignate73]

when you were in the gym, what did you like doing?

what is your athletic background? skiing was mentioned, any other sports of interest?

what physical limitations do you have? are there things you can't do?

what does your day look like for eating? access to kitchen, on the run etc.

this will help so that everyone can be realistic in the program design.

 

[Protobuilder]

You're in good hands, from the advice above. I'll just point out one thing -- if you haven't done much activity in awhile (especially resistance-type work (e.g., weights, heavy labor)), start out slowly. Basically, your muscles will probably start off stronger than the connective tissues (e.g., weak ligaments & tendons will lead to injury if you jump into heavy activity). So, IMO, you'll want to spend several weeks kind of doing general, lighter conditioning stuff to get your supportive tissues ready for heavier work.

 

[ShinerBockDownSouth]

I use to love snow skiing... current weight causes problems. I also enjoy golfing, softball, and basketball. Everything has become more difficult because of my weight. How did I get this way? Poor eating habits and little-no activity. I will have to prepare my food and take with me to the office. I feel like I've lost a part of my life that I enjoyed and I want it back. Thanks again for your responses.