This is my first post, so here's a little background. I'm a 24 year old engineer. I am 5'10" and 180lbs. I am currently VERY out of shape, from being lazy. But, in the recent past i've been in pretty good shape, and ran a triathlon last summer. I spend a lot of time working and traveling for work. So, with my schedule, working out can be a challenge.
My main goal is to be in the top physical condition of my life when I turn 25. Because at this point I don't have any physical limitations, and I know that could change in the future. So, I figure now is the time! My target date is my 25th birthday, June 12th 2009. My goal is to have an MMA style physique. Maybe similar to Tito Ortiz. For those of you who are not familiar. Here is a photo:
I want to have low fat content and a decent amount of muscle. What kind of work out and eating schedule do I need to have between now and next June? I want to create a tentative schedule. Once I get an idea, I will post my schedule on here and try to track my progress online.
Please keep in mind, that I can only work out 50% of days, because of my schedule. I plan on working out twice a day WHEN im home. I plan on eating right monday-friday.
I'm not sure you have a realistic idea of what's achievable. the gentleman in you picture has obviously spent years to develop his physique. You cqan still make a significant improvement within a year but you probably won't look anything like the picture.
You say you can only workout 50% of days. That's great. Do a strength workout every second day. You don't need to workout twice a day. Eat right EVERY day, not just monday-friday.
I'm not sure you have a realistic idea of what's achievable. the gentleman in you picture has obviously spent years to develop his physique. You cqan still make a significant improvement within a year but you probably won't look anything like the picture.
You say you can only workout 50% of days. That's great. Do a strength workout every second day. You don't need to workout twice a day. Eat right EVERY day, not just monday-friday.
I was hoping to do a cardio (fat burning) workout in the morning. Then a strength workout in the afternoon (alternating muscle groups each day). This helped me slim down from 175 to 150 in 4 months last year. Very rapid results!! So, I'm thinking if I do something similar with maybe less cardio, then I can achieve success. What do you think?
As far as the eating, I don't know if I can eat right all the time. I've never done this before. I think it would discourage me if I completely gave up all that food that I love so much!
Also, here is an example of my work schedule. I CAN NOT work out when im out of town for work. When im out of town, I work 12-15 hour days, doing physical work sometimes. So, I have no interest in workouts during these times.
Work schedule example:
June 2008 (Home 16 out of 30 days)
HOME (working out) - Jun 1st
TRAVELING (not able to work out) - Jun 2nd through 6th
HOME - Jun 7th & 8th
TRAVELING - Jun 9th - 11th
HOME - Jun 12 - 22nd
TRAVELING - Jun 23rd - 27th
HOME - Jun 28th & 29th
TRAVELING - Jun 30th
It looks like I will have 44 weeks of being home around 50% of the time. This is if i start tomorrow, which is what i plan on. This seems like enough time to make a significant change. Since I'm not quite overweight yet, I think I can get into average shape, in not too long of time. Don't you think 44 weeks is long enough to get close to this muscular/cut condition?
Maybe I could set up a schedule with 4 different 11 week phases? Set 4 sets of goals along my way?
It's not that you CAN'T. you might, but you probably won't achieve Tito Ortiz's level of size and "cutness". The picture you put up won't show up but I know how he looks. Like StuWard said, you can make significant changes within a year. But don't get your hopes up of reaching Ortiz's level of development in a year. As for workouts...your situation immediately got me thinking of Ross Enamait.
It's not that you CAN'T. you might, but you probably won't achieve Tito Ortiz's level of size and "cutness". The picture you put up won't show up but I know how he looks. Like StuWard said, you can make significant changes within a year. But don't get your hopes up of reaching Ortiz's level of development in a year. As for workouts...your situation immediately got me thinking of Ross Enamait.
Hey, if I get 80% of the way there, I will probably be very happy. But I would still like to try to attempt it. I wanna shoot for the stars incase I accidentally get there.
This looks similar to Crossfit. Which, I really enjoy. Very challenging, which makes it fun.
I think later tonight, I will post a tentative workout schedule that I can begin to follow. But I could use some more ideas and suggestions.
I'm guessing you need to add muscle and cut down. Try the above link for ideas on the muscle building. Then maybe add some running or something once or twice a week and watch that diet.
Shooting for the stars is a great idea.... not having a good workout routine and already not planning on eating right everyday is a bad idea. You say you're shooting for the stars but you're already planning to fail.
I mean no disrespect to you at all. I love to hear people that have lofty goals.... but I cringe when they relay their plan.
Trust me 44 weeks is not enough time to get to your goal with the plans you have. I'm not actually sure it's even feasible with your work schedule. I've been trying for damn near 12 years to look somewhat like Ortiz (more or less) and I've yet to do it. I've tried and tried. And I've eaten damn near perfect on a number of routines (made by professionals) and still haven't achieved it. The only thing that was stopping me was me. I didn't want it bad enough to get it. You don't either from what I've read so far.
You need to get a routine made by a professional. You need to get your diet cleaned up. You don't list what your diet is, but from what you've said (ie: eating clean monday thru friday, I don't know if I can eat right all of the time) you're not going to be able to reach your goal level of leaness because you'll constantly be setting yourself back.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a goal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with shooting for it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying as hard as you can, but the point I'm (and others) trying to get across to you is that you shouldn't be dissapointed if you don't reach it. However it sounds as if you'll be happy if you end up with less than your goal which is fine. And for someone who works as much as you do, that may just be the ticket.
In any case, best of luck to you and welcome to the boards.
I started my routine today. After months of nothing, I felt pretty darn sluggish doing my cardio this morning. But, nonetheless I completed my hour of work.
Thank you so far for all the comments.
I would love to work with a professional, but its so expensive. If I could pay like 50 bucks a month, I'd do it. But, I can't go for 250 a month (like a site I linked to from here). That's outrageous to me. I can't afford to pay that much for just advice. That's why I'm hoping that joining these boards is going to be a major help, both with increasing my knowledge and my motivation. I figure if i continue to post my progress on here, some of you will root me on.
I appreciate the honesty that I'm receiving here, but I need more help on the know how.
Here is some information on my diet.
I'm eating probably around 2,000 to 2,200 in calories in 6 meals per day. I'm doing what I did to speed up metabolism last year. These changes are all changes that I'm making as of today.
I eat a lot of fruits and a lot of meat, more of the lean like chicken breasts. I'm pretty much going by the rule of thumb, of staying away from anything white. I'm trying to keep my meals smaller until I get rid of some of the fat. I'm eating protein bars, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and grilling out a bunch! I only drink water, but I drink 6-8 glasses a day.
Here are my questions:
1. Is it possible to have a slice of pizza every once in a while and still be eating healthy? If this is true, I can probably eat somewhat healthy on the weekends without totally bombing my diet and setting myself back.
2. How can I improve on my workout routine? You say i don't have a good routine, but you didn't tell me why it's not good. I'm setting up routines daily. Today's routine is:
Morning: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes eliptical
Afternoon: 15 minutes nonstop circuit - 10rep Burpees / 10rep Pushups / 10Rep Back Extensions... 3 sets of 12 Squats, 3 sets of 12 Leg Extensions, 3 sets of 12 leg curls.
3. How can I keep the money in my wallet and get good advice/help on diet and routine (outside of these forums)? I'm ok with spending a little, but I'm not ok with spending a lot. I can understand spending a lot and having a trainer, but I feel like since I'm not a complete beginner, I don't need to have somebody by my side every step of the way.
I'd like to offer a different perspective if I may...
Nothing wrong with wanting to look like an MMA fighter— I wouldn't mind it myself. However, it's not possible for anyone to guarantee that this possible for you, regardless of how hard you're willing to work. This is because there are genetic factors involved, which are beyond your control. For example, some people have low amounts of fast-twitch fibers, low testosterone, and/or muscle attachment sites that are not amenable to impressive looking muscle development.
But here's the good news— even though it might not be possible to look like an MMA athlete, is absolutely IS possible to BE like an MMA athlete. And after all, isn't that a more worthy goal?
In other words, you could devote your life to hard work, physical training, overcoming adversity on a daily basis, mastering a physical discipline, and learning to delay immediate gratification for long-term growth. This is the life of an athlete, and no matter what your personal potential happens to be, it is entirely within your power to live this lifestyle.
And, as it so happens, the most likely way to end up looking like an athlete is to live as an athlete (hey, it worked for Tito apparently!)
I've written a few articles that further explore this concept if you're interested:
1. Is it possible to have a slice of pizza every once in a while and still be eating healthy? If this is true, I can probably eat somewhat healthy on the weekends without totally bombing my diet and setting myself back.
Sure. Keep under your calories and you lose weight.
It might be hard to figure out the calories in the specific pizza, but do your best. Calorieking.com has a huge database of restaurant pizzas. Check out a bunch to get a feel for what you're eating.
Quote:
2. How can I improve on my workout routine? You say i don't have a good routine, but you didn't tell me why it's not good. I'm setting up routines daily. Today's routine is:
Morning: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes eliptical
Afternoon: 15 minutes nonstop circuit - 10rep Burpees / 10rep Pushups / 10Rep Back Extensions... 3 sets of 12 Squats, 3 sets of 12 Leg Extensions, 3 sets of 12 leg curls.
Leg extensions and leg curls aren't good. A MMA fighter would likely not use machines. It's not the end of the world,
I don't see a weight workout routine in the thread. Sorry if I missed it. You need some weights for the muscle, not just cardio.
Quote:
3. How can I keep the money in my wallet and get good advice/help on diet and routine (outside of these forums)? I'm ok with spending a little, but I'm not ok with spending a lot. I can understand spending a lot and having a trainer, but I feel like since I'm not a complete beginner, I don't need to have somebody by my side every step of the way.
You can by a book or a program by someone and follow it.
That's one route, but at the very least, keep your diet in check and get on a weight routine. Right now, you just need diet and exercise to start losing the fat.
I'd like to offer a different perspective if I may...
Nothing wrong with wanting to look like an MMA fighter— I wouldn't mind it myself. However, it's not possible for anyone to guarantee that this possible for you, regardless of how hard you're willing to work. This is because there are genetic factors involved, which are beyond your control. For example, some people have low amounts of fast-twitch fibers, low testosterone, and/or muscle attachment sites that are not amenable to impressive looking muscle development.
But here's the good news— even though it might not be possible to look like an MMA athlete, is absolutely IS possible to BE like an MMA athlete. And after all, isn't that a more worthy goal?
In other words, you could devote your live to hard work, physical training, overcoming adversity on a daily basis, mastering a physical discipline, and learning to delay immediate gratification for long-term growth. This is the life of an athlete, and no matter what your personal potential happens to be, it is entirely within your power to live this lifestyle.
And, as it so happens, the most likely way to end up looking like an athlete is to live as an athlete (hey, it worked for Tito apparently!)
I've written a few articles that further explore this concept if you're interested:
Nice stuff. Personally it hit home because I exercised for years to do what the OP wants- to look like some famous dude with muscles. It didn't work. In the past few years, as my focus shifted to increasing my numbers in the three powerlifts, I've got a body on the way to what I wanted before, even though that's not the real goal anymore.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
You've gotten great advice in all the posts since I made mine. Use it.
You don't need to hire a professional, that's not what I meant. I meant using a professional's routine. They are free and in abundance on the web.
LostDog made a huge point, there are no weight exercises in your routines. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a place for the exercises you're doing but you need to add compound weight exercises such as deads, bench, dips, squats, rows, etc, etc.
Charles Staley is a giant among men in the fitness industry. Listen to what he says.
You're on the right track, you're asking questions. Make sure you follow up and use the info you get.
Nice stuff. Personally it hit home because I exercised for years to do what the OP wants- to look like some famous dude with muscles. It didn't work. In the past few years, as my focus shifted to increasing my numbers in the three powerlifts, I've got a body on the way to what I wanted before, even though that's not the real goal anymore.
Lemme guess? Brad Pitt right? J/k but it does take me back to the days of "I wanna look like Brad Pitt" from MH.
I travel a lot in my job as well. It's hard to follow a standard program when you have a mixed up schedule. I like to have a tool box full of routines that I can plug and play. If I only have 1 day available to train, I'll do a whole body workout such as squat, bench and chins. If I have 2 days in a row, I'll do an upper/lower split. If I know I'll be home for a couple of weeks, I'll put a little more thought into it to make sure I can take advantage of the opportunity. If I'm on the road, there is still opportunity to do a few bodyweight exercises or a little cardio. I know you said you work long hours when you're away but 20-30 minutes is better than nothing. The main point is to make use of the time you have to your best advantage.
Lemme guess? Brad Pitt right? J/k but it does take me back to the days of "I wanna look like Brad Pitt" from MH.
Guilty.
I actually googled his name + workout when Fight Club came out. It makes me sick to type that right now. I also didn't realize at the time that he probably only weighed about 150 pounds in that movie. I thought he was 'jacked' though.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
I travel a lot in my job as well. It's hard to follow a standard program when you have a mixed up schedule. I like to have a tool box full of routines that I can plug and play. If I only have 1 day available to train, I'll do a whole body workout such as squat, bench and chins. If I have 2 days in a row, I'll do an upper/lower split. If I know I'll be home for a couple of weeks, I'll put a little more thought into it to make sure I can take advantage of the opportunity. If I'm on the road, there is still opportunity to do a few bodyweight exercises or a little cardio. I know you said you work long hours when you're away but 20-30 minutes is better than nothing. The main point is to make use of the time you have to your best advantage.
It's been my experience that when people say right up front that they can not follow certain aspects of what it takes to actually reach their goal, then they don't want to reach that goal bad enough.
I.E. - 'I want to gain weight but I don't want to count calories and forcefeed myself.'
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
I agree. I already worked out this morning at 6am, and am thinking I didn't hit it hard enough and should go do more after work. Damn this website!
Quote:
Originally Posted by minerman
I started my routine today. After months of nothing, I felt pretty darn sluggish doing my cardio this morning. But, nonetheless I completed my hour of work.
That's to be expected. The body remembers and has a surprisingly quick ability to adapt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by minerman
I would love to work with a professional, but its so expensive. If I could pay like 50 bucks a month, I'd do it. But, I can't go for 250 a month (like a site I linked to from here). That's outrageous to me. I can't afford to pay that much for just advice. That's why I'm hoping that joining these boards is going to be a major help, both with increasing my knowledge and my motivation. I figure if i continue to post my progress on here, some of you will root me on.
Some pros are nice, but you can get that here. Many of the authors of various books and programs visit here and answer questions. Buy the book or program and you end up with some decent limited access to pros. And truthfully, most of the time a pro isn't going to change much for someone who still doesn't have their diet right or is missing workouts. What you probably are looking for is someone to help with motivation. The best 'free' way to do this is to find a workout partner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by minerman
I'm eating probably around 2,000 to 2,200 in calories in 6 meals per day. I'm doing what I did to speed up metabolism last year. These changes are all changes that I'm making as of today.
I eat a lot of fruits and a lot of meat, more of the lean like chicken breasts. I'm pretty much going by the rule of thumb, of staying away from anything white. I'm trying to keep my meals smaller until I get rid of some of the fat. I'm eating protein bars, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and grilling out a bunch! I only drink water, but I drink 6-8 glasses a day.
If you want a body like you listed above (which BTW, was a weigh-in and not a weight he would carry all the time) then you need to remove 'probably' from your vocabulary. You need to know how much you're eating and of what. Look at all the Phelps interviews during the Olympics. He knows exactly when he needs to swim, his cool downs, warm ups, food breaks, sleep breaks, etc... If you want to look like a professional athlete (and be like one), then you need to be precise in your training, eating, and sleeping.
Quote:
Originally Posted by minerman
1. Is it possible to have a slice of pizza every once in a while and still be eating healthy? If this is true, I can probably eat somewhat healthy on the weekends without totally bombing my diet and setting myself back.
If you're struggling to eat clean all the time then I would say no. You need to break yourself from eating foods like pizza. It will take some time, but you'll be better off once you do. If you can eat planned, clean meals for an entire month and still want a slice of pizza then try it out. My guess is that you won't really want it at that point b/c you'll be seeing some real transformations. You'll also have changed your tastes somewhat and enjoy 'good' food.
Quote:
Originally Posted by minerman
2. How can I improve on my workout routine? You say i don't have a good routine, but you didn't tell me why it's not good. I'm setting up routines daily. Today's routine is:
Morning: 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes eliptical
Afternoon: 15 minutes nonstop circuit - 10rep Burpees / 10rep Pushups / 10Rep Back Extensions... 3 sets of 12 Squats, 3 sets of 12 Leg Extensions, 3 sets of 12 leg curls.
You seem to have lots of time on your non-travel days. I would pick up a book like New Rules of Lifting (NROL), pick a program and do a workout each day that you aren't traveling. Then you can use your travel days as rest and just sleep anytime you aren't working.
__________________
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
I'd like to offer a different perspective if I may...
Nothing wrong with wanting to look like an MMA fighter— I wouldn't mind it myself. However, it's not possible for anyone to guarantee that this possible for you, regardless of how hard you're willing to work. This is because there are genetic factors involved, which are beyond your control. For example, some people have low amounts of fast-twitch fibers, low testosterone, and/or muscle attachment sites that are not amenable to impressive looking muscle development.
But here's the good news— even though it might not be possible to look like an MMA athlete, is absolutely IS possible to BE like an MMA athlete. And after all, isn't that a more worthy goal?
In other words, you could devote your life to hard work, physical training, overcoming adversity on a daily basis, mastering a physical discipline, and learning to delay immediate gratification for long-term growth. This is the life of an athlete, and no matter what your personal potential happens to be, it is entirely within your power to live this lifestyle.
And, as it so happens, the most likely way to end up looking like an athlete is to live as an athlete (hey, it worked for Tito apparently!)
I've written a few articles that further explore this concept if you're interested:
Wow, I must admit that I've fallen into the exerciser category since I finished playing football in high school (with exception of my few months of training for a triathlon). But, I've gotta tell ya, I'm sick and tired of not getting the results that I've always wanted. I've been considering getting into MMA, since reading this article.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Dog
Sure. Keep under your calories and you lose weight.
It might be hard to figure out the calories in the specific pizza, but do your best. Calorieking.com has a huge database of restaurant pizzas. Check out a bunch to get a feel for what you're eating.
Leg extensions and leg curls aren't good. A MMA fighter would likely not use machines. It's not the end of the world,
I don't see a weight workout routine in the thread. Sorry if I missed it. You need some weights for the muscle, not just cardio.
Hey, Calorieking.com seems AWESOME! This is what i've been looking for, for a long time! Thank you so much.
As for my workout selection. I guess I don't know many good leg exercises, cause i've never really focused on legs before.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastcoastsurfer
+2
If you want a body like you listed above (which BTW, was a weigh-in and not a weight he would carry all the time) then you need to remove 'probably' from your vocabulary. You need to know how much you're eating and of what. Look at all the Phelps interviews during the Olympics. He knows exactly when he needs to swim, his cool downs, warm ups, food breaks, sleep breaks, etc... If you want to look like a professional athlete (and be like one), then you need to be precise in your training, eating, and sleeping.
Any opinion on the best place to get the specifics on all this information for the body type that I'm after?
If you want a body like you listed above (which BTW, was a weigh-in and not a weight he would carry all the time)
That's the kicker for me. 90% of the time Tito doesn't look like that. That's not to say that some MMA fighters don't look good all the time, but others look like turds that never worked out a day.
Advice:
Gain muscle mass = Pick some basic plan, with basic lifts and abuse it. Add weight to the bar now and then. It doesn't matter if you add weight next week or the week after or the week after. In six months lift heavier things than you do today.
If you can work out 3 days a week...work out 3 days a week. If you can do 4 then do 4.
Stop eating like a turd. Discipline. You want a look that only 3% of the population has. That 3% didn't get there by doing it half assed. If you follow the above the BF will *likely* by in large work itself out. After 3 years if you have been adding weight consistently to basic lifts and not eating like a turd then we should re-evaluate the specifics on where you're going wrong.
Any opinion on the best place to get the specifics on all this information for the body type that I'm after?
You're at a great place for that information now. I'll let you in on a little secret though. The path to the body you want isn't a hard one to find. It's taking the path that's hard. It's just the basics. You need 3 things:
1) A work out built around the big lifts (NROL mentioned earlier can give this to you)
2) A feeding plan (lots of information around this site on those)
3) Discipline to follow #1 and #2
See my sig, excellence is a habit not an act.
__________________
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
squat, deadlift, bench, overhead, rows and chins. But some ass at the gym. Don't half ass it. I'll go out on a limb and say that Ortiz didn't build his physique by doing crossfit style workouts. He probably did it with heavy weight training, and bodyweight exercises.
Don't eat like a turd; i.e. eat enough calories where you're gaining muscle. Do more strength training than cardio.
If you're busting ass in the weight room, your heart rate is going to be going for 30min-1hr anyway. If you're 150lbs, you need to eat to get to where you want to go. this doesn't mean burning more calories by doing 1hr of cardio every day. Ortiz probably does lots of cardio b/c he needs to be conditioned for his sport. If you're not an MMA fighter, you need to get the body in the most feasible way possible.
__________________ True Protein 5% off discount code: ZHS099 www.trueprotein.com
I've been considering getting into MMA, since reading this article.
That would really be the best way to look like an MMA fighter--be one. There's probably a team near you. And you'd have the team for questions about training. It's fun, too, even if you don't actually want to fight.
That would really be the best way to look like an MMA fighter--be one. There's probably a team near you. And you'd have the team for questions about training. It's fun, too, even if you don't actually want to fight.
I would second this suggestion. Check out your local area. I know the local one in my area is damn expensive so me and a few friends just end up doing BJJ on the weekends at one of our gyms. I ended up being lucky enough to have a friend who took BJJ for years though.
__________________
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
I found a gym near my house that does competative Crossfitting and Competative BJJ, in the same place. It's a little expensive, but I think I'm just going to go for it. Looks like it will keep me very interested, which is most important. Heck, maybe i'll get close to that body type with a lot of intense crossfitting.
I found a gym near my house that does competative Crossfitting and Competative BJJ, in the same place. It's a little expensive, but I think I'm just going to go for it. Looks like it will keep me very interested, which is most important. Heck, maybe i'll get close to that body type with a lot of intense crossfitting.
MMA style physique
Turd this, turd that..... hahahaha!!! Best advice so far? Don't eat or lift like a turd and you'll do fine. 
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