Starting all over again

testing_times

Guys,
Quick one for ya.
Last year I started the getting fit & losing weight process. After a while I was hitting the gym 4-5 times a week for about 2 hours a time - bulked up and lost the guts of 1.5 -2 stone. Still had a good bit of work to do but was fairly happy with the results.
I changed my diet so I was eating what I thought was the healthy option as much as possible which wasn't a big sacrifice at all, lucky that I actually enjoy all veg etc.

Due to starting a new job last August I haven't been able to do any exercise, working crazy hour 6-7 days a week so completely wrecked every evening an no energy for the gym.
Things have calmed down so I have alot more time to get back into the gym and correct my diet.

Question.
As I haven't done anything, an I mean no exercise at all, since August would I be better off doing a cardio session in the morning and some weights in the evening or start slow and do mix of cardio & weight mon, wed, fri, sun until I get back into the swing of things?

diet wise
Breakfast: 2 weetabix & granola. Full fat milk ( I have a think for full milk)
Lunch: Something in the canteen - meat and veg - stay away from the gravey or a sambo (brownbread, butter, chicken, lettuce & cheese)
Dinner: Oven baked chicken or fish, brown rice or pasta and mixed veg or Salad(Below)
Snack: Salted peanuts small amount, fruit - bannana, apples mango, raw carrots

Anything wrong with the above?

Also I made a salad this evening, must admit it was the business - anything wrong with the below.
Lettuce, mixed peppers, grated carrot, small bit of chesse, cashew Nuts, oven baked chicken breast seasoned with black peper, very very small bit of spicy pepper dressing - sometimes add brown pasta.

The above is lovely but want to make sure its a health option before I start scoffing on it in the evenings.

age: 30
Height: 5'11
Weight: 14.5 Stone
Goal - Regain fitness and lose about 2 stone and tone up in all the right places.

Please critique / enhance the above.

testing_times

I got 99 problems and a reply is one?

Gaz

The diet looks fine ... nothing at all wrong with that salad. You should probably go for unsalted raw nuts like almonds though, but over all your diet looks good. Maybe mix the breakfast up a bit ... eggs or porridge being the better option.

With regard to getting back into the gym ... just go. Obviously you wont be lifting quite what you where, so drop the weight a bit and build your strenght back up. A good weights session followed by 15-20mins HIIT , say 4 times a week would be ideal.
2 Hours in the gym is mental, no wonder you didnt have the time. I can get a good workout done in about an hour.

Good Luck.

testing_times

Cheers Gaz,
I should of stated that the Cashew nuts are unsalted. I get enough salt from the Salted peanuts, my one vice I guess.

Good call on the eggs in the morning, I def have time to boil up a couple first thing.

The reason for the 2 hours in the gym was because I have nothing else for doing. I took some time off work last year to focus on a few projects and to generally get fit.
Even if I had all the time in the world world would 2 hours be to much, I mean would it almost be counter productive?
Good advice on the weights, I cant lift nearly as much as I could so will take that slow and build up over the next couple of weeks.

Cheers lad.

Gaz

You will be surprised how quickly your strenght comes back , you could probably even expect some "newbie" type gains.

If you enjoy the 2 hours then go for it, but generally I believe a good workout should take less than an hour. Perhaps your rests between sets are too long ?

Also make sure your weights program is decent, no point messing about with endless bicep curls and the like, they have their place but only after you have done some decent compound lifting.

testing_times

Cheers Gaz,
My rest periods are normal I think - my typcial workout was something like this.
10 mins or 2500metres on rower
Straight to weight machines - not sure of the actual names but sholders 3 sets of 10,12,14, 12, 10 reps - increase weight - repeat - increase weight - repeat (35,40,45kg)
Move onto another sholder pull (above head) do the same set as above.
Bicep curl on machine same set as above with less weight
Tricep pull - same weight as bicep
Chest machine - Same program as sholders and similar weight.
Leg push - again about 4 different sets of 15 reps at increased weight
Core curl - weight restricted stomach curl/press.

Move onto free weight area- bench press, squats, dumb-bell for triceps, back and sholder again. Aprox 30-40 mins here

Another set of the machine weights.
25 mins on a bike - internal setting - high low high low.

Finish with 25-30 mins on tred mill.

Other days I would mix the sequence of the above.

Apologies for not knowing the name of the machines as I know that would give a better picture of what I was doing.

Rest in between sets would be 1-2 mins max - never felt like I need any more than that.

Gaz

You might be over doing it a little , personally I aim for about 6 exercises with 3 sets each, 10 reps on each. (less reps more weight when trying to build muscle)

But thats just me, you clearly had progress in that past with this approach so no need to change things till you start hitting plataeus.

testing_times

Good call - well I wont be able to do the above for a while so think this time round I will take it easier and seek the advice from the guys in the guys. I think I was getting a general work out rather than targeting the areas I wanted to focus on.
The good things I guess is I have seen results from putting in the effort in the past so know its just down to myself to get things sorted.

As I have don't no exercise in the past 6 months would I essentially be back to square 1, I mean if it took me 4 months to get fit last year will it take the same this time around of would I still have regained a bit of a base?