1st post from a really determined noob...

cpapjack · Apr 30, 2007

Hello everyone. I've been reading alot of posts and there seems to be alot of good advice here.

Ok so here's my deal. I'm 32 (will be 33 in two weeks), 6'2" and weigh approximately 225 lbs. That translates into 28% BMI. I have been working out for the past two months and eating better, but I'm not seeing results as quickly as I'd like to. I actually feel like I'm stuck right now. Here's my routine , which I wake up at 4:30 each morning to do:

Mon - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio

Tues - 30-60 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, whether it's a HIIT program or just running/walking

Wed - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio

Thur - 30-60 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, whether it's a HIIT program or just running/walking

Fri - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio or 60 minutes of cardio and no weights

Sat - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio or 60 minutes of cardio and no weights

Sun - Rest

As far as what I've been eating, I try to stick with this as much as I can:

Breakfast - 8oz. skim milk with 2 scoops of whey protein ( drink this when I'm done with my workout) then I have a banana with approximately 1 - 1.5 tbsp. of Peanut Butter

Lunch - 1-2 Baked Chicken Breasts and a large serving of broccoli grilled with 1-2 tsp. of olive oil and a pinch of garlic salt

Mid-Day Snack - 1 Medium sized apple

Dinner - Varies (nothing more than 1000 calories total)

Sometime during the day I will also have 1-3 servings of lowfat cottage cheese and I drink approximately 112oz. of water, give or take a cup or two. I don't drink diet pop anymore, which i was drinking daily before I started training. Well, that's not 100% true, I may have 1 20oz. bottle per week. Other than that, I don't drink anything with caffeine in it. I may have a little treat once a day also. What I mean by a little treat is a fun size twix bar or something of the like. ( I know I probably shouldn't be doing this, but sweets are my weakness and it's very hard for me to not eat them)

Now my goal is to basically become toned and stronger, not he-man strong, just a respectable strong for my age and size. I'm not looking to bulk up either. Again, I just want to be toned and fit.

I'm open to suggestions to anything I need to change. Lack of money and lack of time is a factor. I have three young children between the ages of 1-5, so the only time I really have to exercise/workout, is very early in the morning before everyone gets up. I will post some pictures later tonight or tomorrow sometime. Thanks and I lokk forward to hearing from everyone.

Wrangell · May 1, 2007

cpapjack said:
Hello everyone. I've been reading alot of posts and there seems to be alot of good advice here.

Ok so here's my deal. I'm 32 (will be 33 in two weeks), 6'2" and weigh approximately 225 lbs. That translates into 28% BMI. I have been working out for the past two months and eating better, but I'm not seeing results as quickly as I'd like to. I actually feel like I'm stuck right now. Here's my routine , which I wake up at 4:30 each morning to do:

What results HAVE you been seeing in 2 months - can you be a bit more specific ?

Kudos on the 4:30 a.m. btw - I used to do that at one time ( for 2+ years ) as well - and it ain't easy !!! But that fact you are willing to do, speaks volumes - very well done !

cpapjack said:
Mon - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio

Tues - 30-60 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, whether it's a HIIT program or just running/walking

Wed - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio

Thur - 30-60 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, whether it's a HIIT program or just running/walking

Fri - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio or 60 minutes of cardio and no weights

Sat - 30-45 minutes of what I think is a full body workout of weights in addition to the 30 minutes of cardio or 60 minutes of cardio and no weights

Sun - Rest

Do you belong to a gym ?

" I think is a full body workout " - you sound like you're not sure if you're doing a FBW or not. Why is that ? What do you usually do for a FBW ? I assume it is all with free-weights- barbells / dumbbells ? Any machines used ? Any part of your body you don't like to train ?

" 30 minutes of cardio " - what is that ? how hard are you breathing when you do this ? what equipment ?

" 60 minutes of cardio " - - what is that ? how hard are you breathing when you do this ? what equipment ?

cpapjack said:
As far as what I've been eating, I try to stick with this as much as I can:

Breakfast - 8oz. skim milk with 2 scoops of whey protein ( drink this when I'm done with my workout) then I have a banana with approximately 1 - 1.5 tbsp. of Peanut Butter

Lunch - 1-2 Baked Chicken Breasts and a large serving of broccoli grilled with 1-2 tsp. of olive oil and a pinch of garlic salt

Mid-Day Snack - 1 Medium sized apple

Dinner - Varies (nothing more than 1000 calories total)

Sometime during the day I will also have 1-3 servings of lowfat cottage cheese and I drink approximately 112oz. of water, give or take a cup or two. I don't drink diet pop anymore, which i was drinking daily before I started training. Well, that's not 100% true, I may have 1 20oz. bottle per week. Other than that, I don't drink anything with caffeine in it. I may have a little treat once a day also. What I mean by a little treat is a fun size twix bar or something of the like. ( I know I probably shouldn't be doing this, but sweets are my weakness and it's very hard for me to not eat them)

Not bad. The diet seems to be well thought out ( nothing wrong with a sweet once in awhile btw

)

Any idea what your daily calorie intake might be ?

cpapjack said:
Now my goal is to basically become toned and stronger, not he-man strong, just a respectable strong for my age and size. I'm not looking to bulk up either. Again, I just want to be toned and fit.

Well, for the " average " guy who is " 6'2" and weighs approximately 225 lbs." your body fat % is likely about 20%+ or so ( it's just an educated guess mind you ). " Healthy normal " is about 15% - so at your present weight you'd want to drop about 15+lbs to get to 15%. With a combo of some frequent cardio exercise, good weight training and diet, you could aim for losing a lb a week - so about 4+ months to be on the safe side.

cpapjack said:
I'm open to suggestions to anything I need to change. Lack of money and lack of time is a factor. I have three young children between the ages of 1-5, so the only time I really have to exercise/workout, is very early in the morning before everyone gets up. I will post some pictures later tonight or tomorrow sometime. Thanks and I lokk forward to hearing from everyone.

Been there...done that. I have 4 kids.......5 years between them.

You certainly seem very disciplined, willing to sacrifice sleep and willing to work hard - you've got a lot going for you right out of the gate..so you have reason to be opitmistic that you can improve even more.

Send along some more info ( see my questions ) and perhaps we can help you tweak things a bit to get some more results.

cpapjack · May 1, 2007

Wrangell said:
What results HAVE you been seeing in 2 months - can you be a bit more specific ?

Kudos on the 4:30 a.m. btw - I used to do that at one time ( for 2+ years ) as well - and it ain't easy !!! But that fact you are willing to do, speaks volumes - very well done !

The only results that I've been seeing is working out is easier, and my legs are starting to take shape. Other than that, not much. I know this will take time, I just thought it'd be a little quicker than this. I guess I just have to be more patient.

Do you belong to a gym ?

I do not belong to a gym, nor do I have any desire or time or money to. Benn there done that years ago, when I had the time and money. I prefer working out in the comfort of my own home.

" I think is a full body workout " - you sound like you're not sure if you're doing a FBW or not. Why is that ? What do you usually do for a FBW ? I assume it is all with free-weights- barbells / dumbbells ? Any machines used ? Any part of your body you don't like to train ?

" 30 minutes of cardio " - what is that ? how hard are you breathing when you do this ? what equipment ?

" 60 minutes of cardio " - - what is that ? how hard are you breathing when you do this ? what equipment ?

I'm not sure because I don't know if what I'm doing is considered a FBW. I do use all free weights. I do squats, bench press, bicep curls, french press, front rows, leg lifts for front and back of legs, standing calf raises, and another exercise that works out the back of my bicep, just not sure what it's called. No machines used, other than the treadmill. I don't mind working any part of my body.

30 minutes of cardio - usually a HIIT session or a low intensity session where I keep my HR around 131.

60 minutes of cardio - run 4 miles at a pace of 4mph, just started this yesterday, or 2 HIIT sessions.

Not bad. The diet seems to be well thought out ( nothing wrong with a sweet once in awhile btw )

Thanks. It still doesn't leave me with a feeling of fullness. Which I really long for, 'cause I love to eat. (do you consider once in a while every day?

)

Any idea what your daily calorie intake might be ?

I'm guessing somewhere in the range of 1800-2200 a day.

Well, for the " average " guy who is " 6'2" and weighs approximately 225 lbs." your body fat % is likely about 20%+ or so ( it's just an educated guess mind you ). " Healthy normal " is about 15% - so at your present weight you'd want to drop about 15+lbs to get to 15%. With a combo of some frequent cardio exercise, good weight training and diet, you could aim for losing a lb a week - so about 4+ months to be on the safe side.

I'm guessing my body fat is around 27 or 28%. Don't know for sure though. Between 12%-15% is my goal. I have not really lost any weight since I started about two months ago, and I'm not really sure why. Maybe 3 or 4 pounds.

Been there...done that. I have 4 kids.......5 years between them.

Good for you. Kids are the best, when they behave and get along.

You certainly seem very disciplined, willing to sacrifice sleep and willing to work hard - you've got a lot going for you right out of the gate..so you have reason to be optimistic that you can improve even more.

Send along some more info ( see my questions ) and perhaps we can help you tweak things a bit to get some more results.

Thanks. Some people think this is just a kick I'm on, but it's not. I've been on kicks before, and of course they fade. But this time is different. I actually look forward to doing it this time and I enjoy it. Whereas before, I didn't. Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it.