Every other day, I do between 30 minutes-1 hour of cardio(treadmill, bike).
Food Intake: 1500-2000 Calories Daily
So far my progress as been rather good. I started at 307 pounds, and now I'm 295 pounds... a 12 pound weight loss. I just would like to know what you think about my current weight loss plan of action that I've been doing? Do you guys have any reccomendations and such? I'm 15 right now and I have been advised to keep my reps high since I'm not done puberty yet...is this a correct assumption?
Hi Josh - you may want to check out New Rules of Lifting. The two authors make a good case against most machines. They like pull down, and give an OK to rowing machines but really don't like the others. I was persuaded by what they said and dropped my machine workout. (for which I have a fondness, it got me started). Rob
ps. in any case good luck, congrats on losing weight - and a warning, all that weight lifting will start to pack on muscles hence weight!
That routine is incorportates lots of isolation work. (single muscle working in each exercise) These exercises are generally a waste of time as you need to focus on exercises that involve many muscles.
There are many great premade routines that have been tested many times for excellent results with fat loss.
Try this place: http://www.workoutmanuals.com/Workouts-for-fat-loss
Craig's programs are very good a getting results for fat loss. He gives weight training, diet advice and information on the correct and most effective way to perform cardio.
Don't worry too much about putting on too much weight with new muscle as it doesn't happen that quick. Diet is the key.
Hi Josh. First of all welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your progress so far. You found a great resource here and if you ask the right questions you will learn everything you need to know.
I agree with Rob that you may want to take a look at New Rules of Lifting (NROL). For someone starting to lift at a young age it is extremely important to learn proper form. NROL has great descriptions of all the major movements and can teach you a lot. Ideally, you would want to have someone qualified watching you to make absolutely sure you are performing the exercises correctly. Learning the form now will ensure that you remain safe once you progress to heavier weights later on.
If you decide to buy NROL, you will notice like JoshDunn pointed out, there are not very many isolation movements in the workouts. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when starting to lift is focusing on isolation work and neglecting the more important compound movements.
Doing 4 sets of biceps work is not going to do much in terms of fat loss. The same thing can be said for the calf raises, leg extensions and leg curls.
I also want to comment about the last statement that RobL made
Quote:
and a warning, all that weight lifting will start to pack on muscles hence weight!
I have to agree with Josh again here. Putting on muscle will not happen overnight, especially working in the 12-15 rep range and remaining on a reduced calorie diet. One thing to remember is that you should not focus too much on your weight, your goal here is to lose fat, not weight. If you do start to put on muscle, the scale may not appear to be moving in the right direction, but do not get discouraged. A much better measure of your progress is a tape measure and a mirror. Take weekly measurements and use those to keep track of your progress. You should also consider keeping a food diary.
The most important thing as that you are here actively seeking help. Now you have to remain motivated. One of the best motivational tools you can find here is The Training Log. Starting a log is a great way to stay focused and gives other people the opportunity to help improve your routine. In combination with your food log, the experts around here will have all the information they need to help you with any problems you have along the way.
Even 2000 seems very low, as 2200 cals will be your estimted Base Metabolic Rate, which is how many cals you use, AT REST. This is before you take into account any getting up and walking around, exercise, etc.
While this is working now, when you have a lot of fat to lose, you may not be able to sustain it long. Your metabolism may slow very quickly.
How'd you come up with those numbers? Maybe we can help out.
I'm 15 right now and I have been advised to keep my reps high since I'm not done puberty yet...is this a correct assumption?
Josh, Congratulations on your weight loss and getting started. Your current program has gotten you started. Now it's time to move forward to a more effective program.
General guidelines for teens:
Move your body before you add external load.
Focus on movements, not body parts. (squat, dead, lunge, push, pull, twist)
I'd suggest that you read anything you can find by Brian Grasso, even if you are not an athlete. It will serve you well to teach your body to move effectively. Instead of choosing a program based on the bodybuilding concepts of body parts, which will likely introduce imbalance issues over time, choose a program that will teach you how to use your body for any activity, how to simply move well.
Fat loss will result from a dietary caloric deficit. Lean mass preservation will come from a quality lifting program.
Dislike the routine a little actually it could be alot better for sure.
Why not do something like
Legs:
3X10-15 SQUATS
3X10-15 LEG PRESSES
3X10 LEG EXTENSIONS
Back:
Pulldowns 3x15-20
Db rows 3x10-15
Chest:
Barbell Bench press 5x12-15
Cable crossovers 5x12-15
(you should superset the two exercises)
Shoulders:
Barbell shoulder presses 3x12-15
Db side raises 3x12-15
Triceps:
Close Grip bench press (mid range to lockout)3x15
Db extensions 3x15
pushdowns 2x10
Biceps:
Barbell bicep curls 3x15
Db curls 3x15
Abs:
As for abs do them everytime you hit the gym the following superset exercises are good.
Weighted crunches 3x20
leg raises 3x20
Russian twists holding a plate 3x20
crunches 3x20
Rainbows 3x20
leg raises 3x20
I have kept the same layout as you have posted incase this is all you can manage.Its a hard struggle losing weight and its good to see you have took the time to plan your workouts and diet.Diet is the main thing you have to sort out otherwise no training plan will make you lose weight.A 12pound loss is a great start and hopefully you will keep on losing the weight.
A few tips for you basic but effective:
1:Wear a sweatshirt or something that makes you sweat alot while traning this will add to the intensity and is very effective.
2:Walk around between sets even basic walking can burn fat.
3ont drink anything but water when training
4:Try training first thing in the morning on a completly empty stomach,your body will use your fat as an energy source and will burn off you excess fat
5.Walk as much as possible,instead on taking the lift walk the stairs,instead of driving walk instead.
6.Get into the routine of not being lazy and the sooner you do this the sooner you become thin and fit.
I am impressed you have taken an interrest in health and weight loss,not many your age do.Its easy to get distracted by others try and reframe from being around people that will discourage you,good luck my friend.
I completely DO NOT AGREE with 90% of this post. Please Josh Rider take the advice of the above posts.
Demon of mass. Remember we are dealing with a beginner who is trying to loss fat mass.
*Isolation exercises don't work!
*Sweating alot does NOT i'll say that again DOES NOT mean you burn more fat. All you do is increase your body temperature to potentially dangerous levels.
*DO NOT work out on an empty stomach, instead have a good pre-workout snack.
Josh as advised get the NROL (its a great program i've used to drop some extra weight) and/ or anything TT. As Lisa said check BRain Grasso's information for teens try to loss weight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DEMON_OF_MASS
Dislike the routine a little actually it could be alot better for sure.
Why not do something like
Legs:
3X10-15 SQUATS
3X10-15 LEG PRESSES
3X10 LEG EXTENSIONS
Back:
Pulldowns 3x15-20
Db rows 3x10-15
Chest:
Barbell Bench press 5x12-15
Cable crossovers 5x12-15
(you should superset the two exercises)
Shoulders:
Barbell shoulder presses 3x12-15
Db side raises 3x12-15
Triceps:
Close Grip bench press (mid range to lockout)3x15
Db extensions 3x15
pushdowns 2x10
Biceps:
Barbell bicep curls 3x15
Db curls 3x15
Abs:
As for abs do them everytime you hit the gym the following superset exercises are good.
Weighted crunches 3x20
leg raises 3x20
Russian twists holding a plate 3x20
crunches 3x20
Rainbows 3x20
leg raises 3x20
I have kept the same layout as you have posted incase this is all you can manage.Its a hard struggle losing weight and its good to see you have took the time to plan your workouts and diet.Diet is the main thing you have to sort out otherwise no training plan will make you lose weight.A 12pound loss is a great start and hopefully you will keep on losing the weight.
A few tips for you basic but effective:
1:Wear a sweatshirt or something that makes you sweat alot while traning this will add to the intensity and is very effective.
2:Walk around between sets even basic walking can burn fat.
3ont drink anything but water when training
4:Try training first thing in the morning on a completly empty stomach,your body will use your fat as an energy source and will burn off you excess fat
5.Walk as much as possible,instead on taking the lift walk the stairs,instead of driving walk instead.
6.Get into the routine of not being lazy and the sooner you do this the sooner you become thin and fit.
I am impressed you have taken an interrest in health and weight loss,not many your age do.Its easy to get distracted by others try and reframe from being around people that will discourage you,good luck my friend.
Hope i didn't come off as a dick. I just wanted to get Josh Rider off on the right foot. Imagine how great life could have been if we actually knew the right information from the start and didn't read any bodybuilding magazines or anything.
JoshRider, the book New Rules of Lifting is only $13 or so, has a break-in program that is good, three stages of fat loss workouts, three stages of hypertrophy (muscle growth) and three stages of strength training.
Lou Schuler wrote the discourse and Alwyn Consgrove wrote the workouts.
Lou is the Carl Sagen of the fitness world. He knows how to phrase it so anyone can understand.
I agree, I actually thought DOM was joking for a minute. Follow the other advice you got, NROL kicks ass for beginners. And 1500-2000 cals is waaaay too low for someone your size beginning exercise. Yes you want caloric deficit, but cutting too much will slow your metabolism big time, and keep in mind now that you're exercising you're burning more calories. If you keep your cals that low your progress will stall very soon, I'd bump it up to 2500-3000 cals, keep on your lifting and cardio and you'll be fine. In my opinion, the mistake most people do when dieting is eating too little, not too much.
As for your training, like most people said, it's bad. That's way too much volume for one training session first of all, you're wasting you time on isolation work. I also don't like how you're doing one bodypart after another. A better 3-day full body workout would be like this:
a1) Squat or Deadlift Variation
a2) Upper Body Pull (Lat Pull, cable row, BB row, DB row, etc)
b1) One-leg movement (lunge variation, step-up, split squat, etc)
b2) Upper Body Push (Bench Press, Dip, Shoulder Press, etc)
c1) Twisting Abdominal Movement
c2) Flexion Abdominal Movement
Or something like that, concentrate on compound, bang for your buck exercises. The a1) and a2) means you alternate those exercises. And you should vary the reps each workout. Pick up NROL, it will explain all that, you'll thank us! I also think you should utilize bodyweight workouts as well because (and I mean no offense by this) your bodyweight can provide plenty of resistance right now and bodyweight exercises are great for young beginners. Here's a great bw program:
And congratulations on your initial progress and your decision to get into this lifestyle!!
__________________
I do not workout. I TRAIN.
I do not eat. I FEED.
I do not sleep. I RECHARGE.
My greatest fear in this life is the fear of being ordinary.
Thanks for the great advice! I will try to incorporate more "compound" exersizes into my workout but after I do some more reasearch on it and learn the different exersizes. Also, I will take your advise and slightly increase my caloric intake.
Dislike the routine a little actually it could be alot better for sure.
Why not do something like
Legs:
3X10-15 SQUATS
3X10-15 LEG PRESSES
3X10 LEG EXTENSIONS
Back:
Pulldowns 3x15-20
Db rows 3x10-15
Chest:
Barbell Bench press 5x12-15
Cable crossovers 5x12-15
(you should superset the two exercises)
Shoulders:
Barbell shoulder presses 3x12-15
Db side raises 3x12-15
Triceps:
Close Grip bench press (mid range to lockout)3x15
Db extensions 3x15
pushdowns 2x10
Biceps:
Barbell bicep curls 3x15
Db curls 3x15
Abs:
As for abs do them everytime you hit the gym the following superset exercises are good.
Weighted crunches 3x20
leg raises 3x20
Russian twists holding a plate 3x20
crunches 3x20
Rainbows 3x20
leg raises 3x20
I have kept the same layout as you have posted incase this is all you can manage.Its a hard struggle losing weight and its good to see you have took the time to plan your workouts and diet.Diet is the main thing you have to sort out otherwise no training plan will make you lose weight.A 12pound loss is a great start and hopefully you will keep on losing the weight.
A few tips for you basic but effective:
1:Wear a sweatshirt or something that makes you sweat alot while traning this will add to the intensity and is very effective.
2:Walk around between sets even basic walking can burn fat.
3ont drink anything but water when training
4:Try training first thing in the morning on a completly empty stomach,your body will use your fat as an energy source and will burn off you excess fat
5.Walk as much as possible,instead on taking the lift walk the stairs,instead of driving walk instead.
6.Get into the routine of not being lazy and the sooner you do this the sooner you become thin and fit.
I am impressed you have taken an interrest in health and weight loss,not many your age do.Its easy to get distracted by others try and reframe from being around people that will discourage you,good luck my friend.
We are all here for you
Oviously there are better routines then what i have made up i was simply making it a little better.
Its funny but when i was a boxer i used to have to make the weight and i did train on a empty stomach and i did wear hot suits,i made the weight each time.Plus i find it works for most people,many people train this way.
Maybe you all do disagree but atleast i didnt just advise he spend his hard earned on a book,hes only 15 and its hard to come across money at his age.
I have been reading Underground bodyopus and maybe i got carried away with the fat loss plan,its just dans abit mad at times however very effective.
Oh well at least i said what i had to and didnt get any shit for it.I would think any kind of exercise would be good,after all just simple walking burns alot of fat.
As much as i love weights,a good old cardio session in the morning always worked wonders for me,i dont like to read too much on fat loss as it gives me a headache with all the differant methods,just work out how many cals you need and walk,run and do some activity during the day thats all you need.I bought rules of lifting by the way last week still reading it,got it for about $4 dollars on ebay plus $7 dollars p&p to the u.k pretty good huh?second hand of course.
Maybe my extreme methods should be locked up for now.
Every other day, I do between 30 minutes-1 hour of cardio(treadmill, bike).
Food Intake: 1500-2000 Calories Daily
So far my progress as been rather good. I started at 307 pounds, and now I'm 295 pounds... a 12 pound weight loss. I just would like to know what you think about my current weight loss plan of action that I've been doing? Do you guys have any reccomendations and such? I'm 15 right now and I have been advised to keep my reps high since I'm not done puberty yet...is this a correct assumption?
Holy shit!I didnt realise he was doing all this in one day,no wonder all you disagreed with what i said,I thought he was doing a 3 day a week split or something.
I've been pretty much doing this work-out because of its conveniance. The machines, weights, and such are easy to locate and I already know how to do the exersizes, so it has been really conveniance. I may say though, it gets me extremely sweaty and tired out(if that's a good thing). Today is my workout day, so I'll ask one of my gym's personal trainers some questions.
I've been pretty much doing this work-out because of its conveniance. The machines, weights, and such are easy to locate and I already know how to do the exersizes, so it has been really conveniance. I may say though, it gets me extremely sweaty and tired out(if that's a good thing). Today is my workout day, so I'll ask one of my gym's personal trainers some questions.
Josh sometimes the personal trainers in gyms are pretty shitty,we have experts on here and can give you the best possible advice.If you give us your diet plan and when you can train we could prehaps comment on it all and give you the best possible plan?Theres a few guys on here that have came from fat to fit so stick with us.I couldnt actually believe you did all that weights in one workout wow man!Thats way too much.
Please give us more details of your diet and training availability?Then we can make you a top notch plan
I almost never a book in a new field without first getting a library copy first. And per DOM, used books are a great way to go. Here in the US we have Powells in Portland. They have a great web sight, and a number of old warehouses in Portland, super computer system, I often can track down new books weeks after they are out. You can order online, or use the 800 number, and shortly it will be in your mail box. Could not find NROL at the time, but Amazon had a really good price. Rob
You'll want to stick with your core compound movements, squat, deadlift, bench press, bent-over row, shoulder press, and pull-ups. And maybe dips, power cleans, and lunges. Any decent program simply rearranges your core compound movements in different orders and set/reps. You'll probably want to drop your rep range a little, maybe to 8-12, if not lower. Do more sets, rather than adding more isolation.
First of all, congrats on your progress. That is what we want to see from everyone. The routine is not necessarily the best, but I have seen much worse out there. I think one of the most important things is that you are actually in the gym and sticking with a program and experiencing progess. Everything works at some point and time. NROL is a good book so I would recommend it. I personally favor either full body or upper/lower splits and pick the exercises that give you the most bang for your buck so to speak. You could vary the rep ranges to target different muscles qualities ie.. hypertrophy, muscular endurance, strength etc. In other words, just keep it simple. Welcome to the board.
I did a different workout yesterday then usual and I felt it was better then what I had before. I lowered the ammount of sets I did for Triceps and Biceps, I added Dumbell Squats and Straight Leg Deadlifts to replace Leg Press and Leg Curls, and I added a set to my chest exersizes.
Back to the beginning. When I started out I was doing the workouts from Arnold's bodybuilding bible. I'm currently studying exercise physiology and on a quest to help out beginners to the best of my ability find the right information early on.
Ok, say you don't want to spend any money. Try this free workout by Chad Waterbury.
My current exersize routine/progress
ont drink anything but water when training 
Linear Mode
