new here, need advice!

[Peter182]

I am a 21 year old male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and I weigh 170 lbs. To put it plainly, I am just not happy with my body. I feel as if I have really let myself go and have had it, I am now willing to do whatever it takes to change and get into shape. Here is the workout routine, I have put together and plan on keeping, but I am not noticing any results so far. I have been sticking to it very strictly for the last 3 weeks.

Monday - Legs
4 sets of squats
4 sets of leg press
4 sets of calf raises
4 sets of lunges
20 minutes of high intensity stationary bike.

Tuesday - Chest / Abs
4 sets incline press machine
4 sets flat dumbbell press
4 sets flat dumbbell flies
4 sets dumbbell pullovers
4 sets push-ups
4 sets ab machine
4 sets hanging leg lifts
4 sets oblique machine
4 sets front planks
4 sets mountain climbers
4 sets side planks
4 sets crunches
20 minutes of high intensity stationary bike.

Wednesday - REST

Thursday - BACK
4 sets lat pulldown
4 sets row machine
4 sets lower back extension
4 sets side raises
20 minutes high intensity stationary bike

Friday - Shoulders / Arms / Abs
4 sets shoulder barbell press
4 sets side raises
4 sets barbell curls
4 sets reverse curls
4 sets tricep extension
4 sets tricep pulldowns
4 sets ab machine
4 sets hanging leg lifts
4 sets oblique machine
4 sets front planks
4 sets mountain climbers
4 sets side planks
4 sets crunches
20 minutes high intensity stationary bike

Saturday - REST

Sunday - REST

I eat a strict 2000 calories per day. To be as detailed as possible, I will use an example of everything I ate yesterday.

8:00 am 1 cup of cheerios, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 banana, 8 oz. glass of trop 50 (50% less sugar and cal) orange juice
10:00 am 2 tbsp. reduced fat peanut butter, carrots
12:00 pm 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 4 slices of turkey, low sodium v8
2:00 pm Protein shake
4:00 pm Fiber plus bar, apple
6:00 pm Grilled chicken, 1/2 of a green bell pepper
8:00 pm Fat free yogurt, grapes, blackberries, strawberries
10:00 pm Protein shake

I apoligize for the length of this post. I am just horribly discouraged at this point and do not know where else to turn. I am seeing absolutely no results after 3 weeks. Any advice / criticism is welcome. Thank you in advance for your time!

 

[Steve]

Hello and welcome to the community.

You never come out and say what exactly your goals are... so what are they? Are you looking to lose fat, gain muscle, etc?

I can tell you now that your weight lifting routine needs a lot of work. The each body part once per day approach is very suboptimal. We'll get into that more once you tell us what you're hoping to accomplish.

 

[Peter182]

My goals are pretty much to have a lean body. I am not looking to have a huge build, I would like to burn fat mainly. I was thinking of trying 160 as my first goal, and then deciding where to go from there. I would like to burn as much fat as possible and have a bit of muscle as well thank you for the reply steve!

 

[Steve]

Okay, then your routine is definitely off course.

Also, I was just discussing workout splits elsewhere on the net and had this to say to someone... it applies here too:

I mean, you could simply work on straight linear progression where you increase weight every week until that stops working. I used to do this but now my strength levels are to a point where doing this leads to a beat up body.

If you're past the point of the linear shit working, you need to work in some sort of 'periodization' to allow for adequate recovery and progression.

Regardless of how I set things up:

* Each body part is hit at least twice per week

* More often than not, the 2+ times said body part is hit is done so using varying volume and intensity

* I'll generally deload (take a back off week) every 4-8 weeks depending on the programming at the time and how I'm feeling

* Volume generally falls in the neighborhood of 40-50 reps per large bodypart and 20-30 reps per smaller shit at the frequency I mention above

I could pump out a few more foundational factors but there's really no point in muddying the waters. With the above in mind, the possibilities of what can be done are near endless.

A model that fits very nicely into what I mentioned above is the upper/lower split that looks like:

Day 1: Upper (heavy horizontal, light vertical)
Day 2: Lower (heavy pulling, light pushing)
Day 3: Upper (heavy veritcal, light horizontal)
Day 4: Lower (heavy pushing, light pulling)

Heavy might be 3-6 sets of 3-6 reps
Light might be 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps

Horizontal would be pushing and pulling movements that use the horizontal plane such as bench press and rows.

Vertical would be pushing and pulling movements that uset he vertical plane sucah as overhead presses and pullups.

Don't get too hung up on the terminology... it's just a nifty way of making sure you bring balance to the body through your programming.

Those links and this blurb should give you a lot of insight. It might prompt a good number of questions too, which is great.

Monday - Legs
4 sets of squats
4 sets of leg press
4 sets of calf raises
4 sets of lunges
20 minutes of high intensity stationary bike.

Tuesday - Chest / Abs
4 sets incline press machine
4 sets flat dumbbell press
4 sets flat dumbbell flies
4 sets dumbbell pullovers
4 sets push-ups
4 sets ab machine
4 sets hanging leg lifts
4 sets oblique machine
4 sets front planks
4 sets mountain climbers
4 sets side planks
4 sets crunches
20 minutes of high intensity stationary bike.

Wednesday - REST

Thursday - BACK
4 sets lat pulldown
4 sets row machine
4 sets lower back extension
4 sets side raises
20 minutes high intensity stationary bike

Friday - Shoulders / Arms / Abs
4 sets shoulder barbell press
4 sets side raises
4 sets barbell curls
4 sets reverse curls
4 sets tricep extension
4 sets tricep pulldowns
4 sets ab machine
4 sets hanging leg lifts
4 sets oblique machine
4 sets front planks
4 sets mountain climbers
4 sets side planks
4 sets crunches
20 minutes high intensity stationary bike

Saturday - REST

Sunday - REST

You should be able to see what's wrong with your program based on the info I provided you above. Needless to say, the volume is way to high for each body part and there's not enough frequency per body part.

What do you consider high intensity on the stationary bike. Are you doing true HIIT?

I eat a strict 2000 calories per day.

Are you actually using a food scale. If not, you can't put a lot of faith in that 2000 calorie figure. It's most likely a bit higher than that. Mind you, if it's actually 2000, that puts you at roughly 12 calories per pound. That's the max you might be able to eat for fat loss. Assuming it's actually a bit higher than 2000, you can see where your problem is.

I tend to start people at 12 calories per pound. The lowest I typically go is 8 calories per pound. But if after a number of weeks 12 isn't working, I most definitely drop it down to 10.

8:00 am 1 cup of cheerios, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 banana, 8 oz. glass of trop 50 (50% less sugar and cal) orange juice
10:00 am 2 tbsp. reduced fat peanut butter, carrots
12:00 pm 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 4 slices of turkey, low sodium v8
2:00 pm Protein shake
4:00 pm Fiber plus bar, apple
6:00 pm Grilled chicken, 1/2 of a green bell pepper
8:00 pm Fat free yogurt, grapes, blackberries, strawberries
10:00 pm Protein shake

Any idea the macronutrient breakdown you're working with here? If not, I suggest using something like .

I apoligize for the length of this post. I am just horribly discouraged at this point and do not know where else to turn. I am seeing absolutely no results after 3 weeks. Any advice / criticism is welcome. Thank you in advance for your time!

I think it's really important to realize there's no point in getting frustrated here. This is what happens. You try. If things aren't working, you troubleshoot your plan and try again. This is very much a touch & feel process that will forever require an active role which will involve a lot of tweaking.

Also, really changing your body takes years. So there's really no sense in getting terribly frustrated over 3 weeks.

 

[Peter182]

Thank you Steve. Those links provide a lot of information that I am going to look over very thoroughly I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

As far as my "high intensity" stationary bike, what I have been doing is: a 2 minute warm up that was just a slow east ride at level 5 resistance. After that I do 16 minutes of "high intensity" which I did at level 10 resistance. I would rise at 120 RPMs for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds (slow ride at about 70 RPMs) and repeat this for the 16 minutes. The last 2 minutes I have been doing a cooldown (slow east ride at resistance 3-4). After reading the HIIT stickys on this forum, I realize I do not think I have been doing it correctly. Although it was a hard workout IMO, I was not going as hard as I could go during the "high intensity" portion.

For my diet, I have not been using a food scale. I was only using the nutritional information provided with each food, is that a bad/ inaccurate way to do it? If this "2000" has not been working, should I go to 1700? (which would be the 10 cal per pound)

I do not know the macronutrient breakdown of this diet plan, nor do I have the slightest idea what you are talking about lol I messed with the fitday a little bit, seems a little tricky since some of the foods were not on there, but I will give it my best shot. But what exactly am I looking for in this? As far as certain nutrients.

I am trying my best not to get frustrated, and I keep telling myself "it has only been 3 weeks." I have always been the kind of person to get discouraged when I don't see results, it makes me feel like all this hard work and sacrifice is for literally nothing.

Steve thanks again for all of your help. I really do have the motivation and initiative to make this happen, I just don't have the know-how.

P.S. I also wanted to switch the stationary bike out with doing some sprints. What are your thoughts on that?

 

[Steve]

Thank you Steve. Those links provide a lot of information that I am going to look over very thoroughly I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

You're quite welcome. It's a lot of info to digest but it's not terribly intense so don't let it overwhelm you. And if you have questions, speak up.

As far as my "high intensity" stationary bike, what I have been doing is: a 2 minute warm up that was just a slow east ride at level 5 resistance. After that I do 16 minutes of "high intensity" which I did at level 10 resistance. I would rise at 120 RPMs for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds (slow ride at about 70 RPMs) and repeat this for the 16 minutes. The last 2 minutes I have been doing a cooldown (slow east ride at resistance 3-4). After reading the HIIT stickys on this forum, I realize I do not think I have been doing it correctly. Although it was a hard workout IMO, I was not going as hard as I could go during the "high intensity" portion.

Good, b/c too much high intensity stuff isn't a good idea while dieting. While in a caloric deficit, recoverability diminishes. With that in mind, so regular cardio mixed with some high intensity stuff is most likely wise.

For my diet, I have not been using a food scale. I was only using the nutritional information provided with each food, is that a bad/ inaccurate way to do it?

Bad?

Nah.

There's really nothing "good" or "bad" at play here. It's a matter of what works for you. Some don't even count calories. They simply eat balanced meals that are full of nutritious, calorically sparse foods. If they're not losing, they simple reduce portions systematically. I bring that up just as an example to show that there's no one right way of going about this.

In your case, without using a food scale and when dealing with foods that aren't always precise in terms of calories and macros, estimates tend to be more "off" than usual.

If this "2000" has not been working, should I go to 1700? (which would be the 10 cal per pound)

If you'd like to try dropping things down to 10 calories per pound, I think it would be a good idea.

I do not know the macronutrient breakdown of this diet plan, nor do I have the slightest idea what you are talking about lol I messed with the fitday a little bit, seems a little tricky since some of the foods were not on there, but I will give it my best shot. But what exactly am I looking for in this? As far as certain nutrients.

I was simply curious how many grams of protein, fats and carbs you were eating. It's more important to get your calories in check first so don't take on too much here.

I am trying my best not to get frustrated, and I keep telling myself "it has only been 3 weeks." I have always been the kind of person to get discouraged when I don't see results, it makes me feel like all this hard work and sacrifice is for literally nothing.

Well managing expectations is a huge variable you need to get under control. Three weeks isn't enough time to judge a "plan" even if the plan is great. The body changes very slowly.

In addition, make sure you're using as many metrics as possible to measure "progress." The scale sucks. Sure, use it, but also take advantage of a soft measuring tape and pictures at a minimum.

Steve thanks again for all of your help. I really do have the motivation and initiative to make this happen, I just don't have the know-how.

Not a problem at all. Don't lose that fire. You don't fail at something until you stop trying. Trying stuff and learning what DOESN'T work is the name of the game. Learn from your missteps and focus on moving forward. There are going to be points on this journey where your body stands still.

It's not something you should sweat. Again, manage your expectations.

P.S. I also wanted to switch the stationary bike out with doing some sprints. What are your thoughts on that?

Just watch the high intensity stuff given what I said above about recoverability while dieting.

 

[Peter182]

Alright steve, I finally got around to reading all of the information you provided me. You were right! Reading through that stuff definitely showed me what I was doing wrong. It all made a lot of sense and was pretty easy to follow I am going to try a different path from here on out and see how that goes. My weightlifting routine definitely was all jacked up haha. I am going to start with the "split" type of routine that you talked about. Also, I went and did some actual HIIT sprinting today. It was a hard workout, but felt good I am going to do that as my cardio, as well as take 1 or 2 days to just do some normal cardio like jogging. I will definitely report back with the progress Thank you so much for all the help!

 

[Steve]

Great Peter... sounds good! Let us know how things go.

 

[Peter182]

Will do When I decided to start getting into shape about 6 weeks ago, I weighed 176 lbs. So far I am down to 167 lbs, and things are starting to look up I will let you know how the new routines are working! I have a work out schedule I am confident with using the advice you gave me. Thanks again!