Tips getting back into shape.

J

jaden_tristan

0
I'm a 17 year old male. I used to be in pretty good shape; mostly due to free weight training my cousin motivated me to do. I had high endurance, pretty good strength, decent figure. About a year ago I moved across country to live with some friends due to some unresolved family issues.

I've put on a little bit of weight, as I am around 5'7 ( short ) and weight about 140 - 145. I'm very unhappy with the way I turned out as when i look at myself, I no longer see the slim stomach, toned arms and chest. I now see love handles, my once semi-firm chest is starting to get flabby, and the tone and tightness in my arms is completely gone. I no longer have access to any free weights, and do not have the money to join a gym. The 2 closest YMCA buildings are both under renovation. I can't use their facilities.

I was wondering, any tips on how to approach getting back on track with such a lack of resources? My body is VERY important to me and I'm just very unhappy with myself. Thanks

-Andrew
 
Without access to weights and machines, you might want to focus on bodyweight exercises; squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, etc.The king of bodyweight exercises IMO is the burpee.Read this article:

Disregard the boxing aspect if you are just concerned with fitness, just alternate a set of burpees with 30 seconds of rest.These will get you into killer shape.
If you have the means, hill or stair sprints are great for conditioning and fat loss.They can be pretty intense, so if you are new to that type of training, start slow and gradually build yourself up.
You can also make your own equipment:

I have made several medicine balls ranging in weight from 5ibs to 24ibs.Each one has cost me less than 10 dollars to make and there is a ton of exercises you can do with a medicine ball.

You have some options.Look around and see what you can apply.
 
Thanks very much Ballast. Some great info there that I hadn't even considered! I kno everyone has their own routine ( excuse spelling, has been a LONG night) , and some show progress faster than others. Also , progress varies from person to person and their lifestyle, but could you possibly give me ANY kind of time frame before i start to notice results maybe. I'm a very antagonistic person.. I would LOVE to see results in like 2 or 3 days, as I am sure we all would :D but I know that won't happen. If not , still, thank you so much Ballast :)
 
Glad I could offer the links, guys.

Jaden-Predicting when one would see results from any form of training is pretty difficult in my opinion.I have no formal education in physical training.No degrees in physiology or kinesiology, just 16 years of experience based largely on trial and error.

Keeping that in mind, my best guess is that if you worked diligently at a well-rounded training program, kept a healthy diet, and allowed your body adequate rest, you would probably see and feel noticeable results within four weeks time.The fact that you have prior experience with physical training and very recently you were, in your words, in pretty good shape, means that you should be able to pick it up again fairly quickly.Your body will "remember" the physical training you were accustomed to and it should adapt quicker than an untrained individual.

Just make sure that you use quality movements and train with INTENSITY.For your body to improve in any physical endeavor, be it lifting a heavier weight or running a faster mile or doing more push-ups, you must overcompensate it.Work harder than it is accustomed to and your body should adapt and thus improve it's capabilities.

Also, in regards to recovery, don't go overboard with too much exercise.Keep it short and intense.IMO, one of the simplest yet most effective bodyweight routines is to alternate sets of pull-ups with sets of burpees.Set an alarm clock or timer for 12 minutes and going back and forth between the two exercises, see how many total reps you can bang out in that twelve minute period.Even though this routine only consists of two exercises, it is well balanced because the burpees, because they basically combine a push-up with a squat jump, hit all the extensor joints of the body (ankle, knee, hip, elbow) and the accompanying muscle groups, while the pull-ups hit many of the pulling muscles.I've put on quite a bit of muscle with just these two exercises several times in the past.In my experience, they are two of the best exercises out there.In addition, when performed at a rapid pace, the burpees are great for conditioning purposes.

Basically, work hard but work smart, and you should see results fairly quickly.Good luck.
 
I am about 3 weeks into my diet and exercise program and I can definately see results. I believe I will have no problem reaching my goals by the time its hot enough to go shirtless. :cool:
 
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