going back to the gym....any advice would be great

G86

Hi

Ok well heres my story....

I started at the gym at 16, and totally cut out all junk food..sweets choc fried food etc. I went from 11stone to 9and a half in 3mths on cardio alone. I stayed at the gym for 2yrs and stayed around this weight. The at 18 i moved away for college and couldnt afford a gym for 8mths, my eating habits remained healthy but yet i put on the weight again. When I went back to the gym I just couldnt shift it, so i went to a personal trainer for a while but still couldnt get under 11stone.

I was doin serious training for over a year, weights and cardio 5 days a week, this guy was a bodybuilder and had me on a strict diet with protein shakes etc, even tho im a vegetarian,eat absolutely NO junk food or bread and my diets fairly limited as im so picky.
Anyways I was feeling fairly demoralised, so when I got ill 4mths ago I never went back to the gym afterwards. I just didnt see the point working my ass off 2hrs a day with no results. The guy kept tellin me he could see the definition in my arms etc..but all im concerned about is my stomach. I cant understand how I did it in 3mths before and now I just cant!

I'm 5 9' and a typical apple shape so i cant even get away with the whole 'curvy' thing. I've decided now though to go back to the gym cz I used to enjoy it..the thing is it would be great to actually think I have some chance of getting results this time. I've been chatting to a guy who does personal training in the ymca and I'll prob start with him soon, but if any of you have any tips I'd really appreciate it. Its gettin to me big time at the mo.

Thanks for listening to my wee rant!

davyjose

G86 wrote:

Anyways I was feeling fairly demoralised, so when I got ill 4mths ago I never went back to the gym afterwards.

I would say that is your problem. Not the illness, but throwing in the towel. Most 16 yo's are like rakes, but most 26 ... 36 ... 46 yo's aren't. It takes more work. Stick with it, keep putting the muscle on, keep going with the Cardio. Don't give up until you reach your goals, then make new ones, and don't give up until you've reached them, then make new ... well, you see where I'm going

G86

see thats the thing..I was no rake at 16, thats why I started at the gym and lost the weight back then. Im near 21 now and Its just hard when you see no progress at all. I know muscle weights more than fat and you shouldnt go by scales but I really didnt make any progress.

I was motivated, trust me, its only in the last while that I havent been.:(

davyjose

Yes, but it's still much easier to lose at that age. If you were doing weights and keeping fat without putting on muscle, then it's possible that your diet was poor.
But when weight training, NEVER go by the scales. Muscle weighs more than fat, so it's possible your weight remained stationary because you were putting on muscle.

G86

My diet was defo good...the only thing i had a problem with was protein(hence the promax shakes)

Its still healthy, just not as strict as to what time i eat etc.

I guess there really are no answers, no point posting for miracles:(

I know alot of ppl are gona read this and think 'what a waste of a post', cz this is a question thats probably been asked ten times over. And I know the answer is exercise and eat healthily..the thing is its not working!

Anyways headin to bed now, thanks for your help hey. nite

Seraphina

tbh, 5 days a week at 2 hours a session? sounds like a serious case of overtraining to me. your body needs time to recouperate after a good session at the gym, it needs time to rebuild the muscle you tear during a workout. a good nights sleep and least a days rest afterwards.
if you like getting to the gym regularly, try a spit workout, only doing certain body parts on certain days, to give the muscles a rest.

rest is just as important as a good workout.

rubadub

G86 wrote:

I cant understand how I did it in 3mths before and now I just cant!

In your teens your metabolism is far higher since your body is building tissue & bone. By your 30s your calorie intake can be about 75% of what it was in your teens.

How many calories are you eating per day? it really boils down to simple maths, if you burn more calories than you eat then you loose weight. And you should be eating far less calories than you did in your teens.

G86

Thats the frustrating thing I ate more then than i do now! Typical day for me now would be porridge for brekkie, baked potato and beans for lunch and a veggie burger(grilled) and plate of veg(love my veg!) when I get home from work. Thats it!!

When I was training i was taking protein shakes 3times a day aswell in btw meals but Ive cut them out as I wasnt seeing any benefits from them. I really cant eat any less than i do now or il be getting seriously unhealthy.

Dragan

I see too much training, too little food and general confusion.

Read the stickies would be my advice.

G86

you really think i was overtraining? but thats the plan I was given by the trainer. I did different body parts each day so that my muscles were getting a rest. The only thing i found strange was he advised me to stop running and told me to walk for an hour after my weights instead because Id burn more calories that way. He wasnt a big fan of running at all because apparantly it wastes muscle?

I admit since i stopped I havent stuck to the diet he gave me..and it did involve eating more frequently to speed up my metabolism..but it just wasnt working for me so i guess i thought 'whats the use' , yknow? Im going to this new guy next mth so im hoping he'll be good, he seems to know his stuff. Its just a matter of having the money to go!

See once I start something its all or nothing with me, and I really do stick to it. It just gets irritating when you dont see results.

But I'll have a look at the stickys anyway, and thanks for the advice

G86

Heres a copy of the workout I was doing:

Day one chest / shoulder / triceps

incline flies
dumbell press
machine press
pec deck
cable cross over
(tri set )lateral raises
front raises
bent over raises
tricep pushdown
bench dips
abs all lower abs

Aerobics - 60 min

DAY2
legs back and bis
leg extension

(tri set )
swissball squat
walking leg lunges
bench hip raises

(super set )

machine rows
reverse grip machine rows
Dumbbell Curls
precher curls

abs

Aerobics - 60 min

rubadub

Have you calculated how many calories you are eating per day? seems like it could be very low, could be only around 1000kcal depending on your portion sizes.
Porridge, 300kcal
Baked potato, 200kcal
Full tin of beans, 250kcal
Veggie burger, 150kcal
plate of veg, 200kcal

That that is fairly normal portions, larger than what the packets would call a "normal" portion.

And 2 hours in the gym will burn around 1000kcal.

In your routine you are doing dumb-bell curls & preacher curls yet your biceps will have been worked very well the day before.

I lost a lot of fat on about 2000kcal per day 45mins cycling per day and 2-3 full body workouts per week.

G86

I guess its a bit low..but isnt that the point ?less calories in and more calories burnt should equal weight loss shouldnt it?!

The thing is im quite restricted in what I eat, I've always been picky as hell and made up for this in the past by eating lots of pasta and bread.. carbs bascially..but I dont eat pasta or bread anymore on the advise of the guy i went too. I figured the carbs were probably the problem so I cut down alot.

I guess I really need to just book an apt with this new dude and sit down an have a proper chat to see where i go from here

Seraphina

G86 wrote:

I guess its a bit low..but isnt that the point ?less calories in and more calories burnt should equal weight loss shouldnt it?!

yes and no. you do need to eat less calories, but too few calories and your body goes into starvation mode, conserving as much as possible because its not getting enough. you need to work out your recommended daily calories and eat just under that, e.g recommended daily calories 2000 so to lose weight you'd be eating maybe 1800, plus excercising. eating too little and exercising too much will cause muscle wastage and burn very few calories.
5 small meals a day will keep your metabolism ticking over nicely.