losing fat and toning up.... on a budget???

[Soverntear]

hey thanks for looking.


So as the title states im kinda broke but want to get back in better shape. I'm 23, 5'9" around 150lbs. I eat decently around 5 times a day trying to balance more fruit/veggys in there which is working out well. also ive cut out allot of processed junk and my overload of carbs that i love so much I'm smoker which iv been cutting back on, working towards quitting in two weeks.

In the last couple weeks I've started jogging doing around 6 blocks everyday take 1 day off a week (this week two because i felt like garbage). I also do sit ups/push ups 3 times a week 3 sets as many as i can do per set. is there more i could be doing? also when should i start increasing my jogging distance/time? would HIIT be a good idea to look in to? would free weights be a good investment at this time (no way i can afford a gym membership right now) thanks again for your time.

 

[Tko-Kid]

definetly need to be doing more muscle building type exercises at 5'9 159 you are probably pretty skinny already.

I was when I was that size and i am barely 5'9" right on the line.


So more running probably not as necessary as pullups, push ups, chair dips, curls if you can get some cheap weights at a garage or something, maybe some bench, and calf raises on the edge of a step or something.

hope this helps.

I have a post in this forum of my progress and I am currently 175lbs in the last pic.

 

[Goldfish]

Uh, back off the running a bit. Daily running is as much a set up for injury as doing resistance training of the same muscles every day. A beginner should run no more than once every 4 days (no, I'm not kidding), then after a couple months you can progress to every third day, and after another month progress to every second day.

Injuries caused by running have a classic tendency to occur right around the third week of training, because for the first 3 weeks of training, the connective tissues of the body are actually getting weaker. Meanwhile, the cardiovascular system is improving, and right around that 3rd week is when the cardiovascular system really seems to kick off. So it's a natural set up for bad things to happen. After 3 weeks, the connective tissues then tend to start returning back to normal, and from about 6 weeks onwards, they gradually improve. Thus in the first 6 weeks or so of running, you should start out conservatively and do little-to-no progressions.

So, while you're busy doing a lot less running than you have been doing, freeweight or bodyweight exercises would be the way to go. I'm generally hesitant to recommend people buy freeweights, because unless you buy a weight set (which can cost into the hundreds), there's not a lot of room for progression. But you may be able to get a good deal, or find some weights that will help you out for a month or two. I'd definitely recommend including squats into your resistance routine, whether you buy weights to accompany or not.