I'm a fat ass - squats and leg press question

Hey all,

I'm horribly overweight, always have been. Have big thighs/ass (probably from sitting at the PC all day for the last decade) and despise cardio.

I do a few minutes here and there (15-30 mins depending how I'm feeling) on a recumbant bike at the gym (only starting to get back into the habit of going to the gym) but don't do much treadmill work as it kills my right shin.


Anyway, I was wondering, I know you can't pick what part of your body you want to gain and lose fat on, and I know diet plays a crucial part, but putting those out of the equations, are doing squats or using a leg press machine any good for losing weight or tightening up on the ould thighs/ass?


I only started doing proper squats yesterday and I'm far away from a strong person (I was doing OK with 20kg, reckon I'd be grand with 30 but any more than that I'd need to build up to over time I'd say). I'm not the most knowledgeable in the world either, so I just thought I'd ask here.





Cheers

Mellor

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyway, I was wondering, I know you can't pick what part of your body you want to gain and lose fat on, and I know diet plays a crucial part, but putting those out of the equations, are doing squats or using a leg press machine any good for losing weight or tightening up on the ould thighs/ass?
)

Seriously,
you said you know you can't spot reduce fat, then in the next question ask if squats can spot reduce fat,
do you know what can't means?

Well I suppose what I'm really looking for is to find out if squatting and such will be of much use or benefit to me.


Cheers for the condescending post, though.

DOC09UNAM

Mellor wrote: »

Seriously,
you said you know you can't spot reduce fat, then in the next question ask if squats can spot reduce fat,
do you know what can't means?

You must have missed this part of his post.

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not the most knowledgeable in the world either, so I just thought I'd ask here.





Cheers

Mate i'd say the best thing you can do is hop on the auld treadmill and get going... start off slow, maybe 9kmh, and jog for a minute, then 6kmh for a minute, and repeat for 3 runs on 9kmh, then do the same for two 10kmh runs.


This will show you where you stand and how fit you are, and your running ability starting out.

DOC09UNAM

DOC09UNAM wrote: »

You must have missed this part of his post.



Mate i'd say the best thing you can do is hop on the auld treadmill and get going... start off slow, maybe 9kmh, and jog for a minute, then 6kmh for a minute, and repeat for 3 runs on 9kmh, then do the same for two 10kmh runs.


This will show you where you stand and how fit you are, and your running ability starting out.

Cheers DOC09UNAM.

I'll chance my arm on the treadmill again. I started that Couch 2 5K program a while ago but only got about three weeks in before I gave up. My right leg/shin was giving me a bit of pain (which is why I usually stick to the bikes) but I'll try again.


So with that in mind, am I just wasting my time with squats and stuff? Are they really only useful if you're on your way to being Brock Lesnar? (in other words, should I just forget about them until such a time comes in my life when I'm relatively fit?).


Thanks again for your reply.

DOC09UNAM

I Wouldn't say give up on them at all, keep going with it if you can, if it makes you sweat, it is good for you, another idea is to swim alot if you can, swimming is great cardio exercise and it's fun too.

and if losing weight is the main goal, HIIT is the way to go, when you have realised how fast you can run and for how long, concentrate on HIIT, running for 30 seconds, jogging for 15, for as long as you can, a ratio of 2:1 is a good number to aim for if you can!!

And about your shins, have you tried getting gait analysis done on your running, as far as I know a few Elverys stores do it for free, just go in and ask about it and they should sort you out!!

Mellor

Squats, and all weight lifting are great for weight loss. Diet is always most important. You wont build muscle without a calorie surplus.

And I wasn't condesending, you asked a question when you already said you knew the answer.
If you had of asked about lifting for weight loss, that would of been perfectly normal.

You should also post your diet.

baaaa

If u have an interest in doing squats etc and clearly not too much in cardio than do them like mad!
They should make physical changes that you approve of and more importantly they should get you interested in lifting in general which can lose just as much if not more weight I think if done a certain way?
Just do them right for gods sake,watch lots of technique on youtube,read experts dissections of individual lifts,start informed and with no ego.

dazed+confused

Mellor wrote: »

Squats, and all weight lifting are great for weight loss. Diet is always most important. You wont build muscle without a calorie surplus.

And I wasn't condesending, you asked a question when you already said you knew the answer.
If you had of asked about lifting for weight loss, that would of been perfectly normal.

You should also post your diet.

You were being condescending and you know it. It's people with an attitude like yours that stop overweight people from going to the gym in the first place.


Keep up the good work mate, I'm with you on not liking the impact of a treadmill, I've always pferred cycling and swimming. Ask the gym staff for advice, they're usually bang on, and there's a least one in every gym that really knows their stuff.

Mellor

dazed+confused wrote: »

You were being condescending and you know it. It's people with an attitude like yours that stop overweight people from going to the gym in the first place.

Oh the irony.

I actually laughed at your sudden conclusion that I have an attitude problem and keep people out the gym. Read any of the diet/weight loss/etc threads, you'll probably find a post from me, most likely with some sort of advice in it.
eg this one, where I said that diet is far more important, and he should post it.
Hopefully he does as it's the easiest and best way to help somebody make positive changes over a forum.

Mellor

Mellor wrote: »

And I wasn't condesending

To be honest, I felt you were, and feel you are now being so to dazed+confused.



I'm not going to bother posting up my diet. I know that the vast majority of what I eat is crap food, but I'm working on it. I wasn't really looking for diet advice, I just know that squats, deadlifts, etc. are supposed to be great moves and wondered if they'd be of much use to me.

I probably phrased my opening post a little assways.

When I do squats, my thighs certainly feel it, so I wasn't sure if I was doing myself any favours or if I was just gonna end up somehow hindering any attempts at weight loss, so pretty much looking for generic information (from real people, Google searching gives far too many contradictory results).



Cheers to everyone who has taken the time to reply. It's appreciated.

Scuba Ste

Deleted User wrote: »

but putting those out of the equations, are doing squats or using a leg press machine any good for losing weight or tightening up on the ould thighs/ass?

Can squats help lose weight? Yes. Can they help tighten up your arse? Yes. I don't see a problem with that.

If you put squats or deads into a circuit you could see some good results. Try something like deadlift, powerclean, OH press 12/8/4 reps. But that's all dependent on your diet not being crap.

Hanley

Are people seriously telling a guy who by his own admission is "horribly overweight" and "despises cardio" to get out running??

Why don't you just save him some time and take a hammer to his knees and shins??

Jesus. Do people even read these threads before throwing out dangerous, blanket recommendations?

ragg

Gotta agree with hanley, I opened this thread and the guy has been abused and told to run, despite already saying that he finds it incredibly sore.

OP, weight lifting with the right diet is THE best way to drop fat.

Pop up a diet and we'll see if we can help

Hanley

This whole thread's a cluster-fcuk.

The OP answered his own question in the first post.

You've someone telling the OP to do something that he's already stated injured him.

And now the OP won't tell us what he's eating.

One questions whether this thread is a question for the sake of a question, or a post because he actually wants to know.

Colm_OReilly

Thanks James,

OP, just start exercises. Yes, squats done correctly are good for you, so keep doing them. Add in some push ups, dips, and if your gym has an assistance machine, pull ups too.

I suggest writing down your daily diet for a week. We've found when our members do it, and nothing else, their eating habits change quite a bit.

Colm

AntiVirus

Another great exercise for you after you've done your squats is rowing. Trying doing a 1000 meter or 2000 meter row and aim to beat your time each week. It's a real killer! Good Luck

Hanley

Hanley wrote: »

One questions whether this thread is a question for the sake of a question, or a post because he actually wants to know.

For the most part, my day consists of scrambled egg and toast to kick off, my dinner usually consists of spuds or chips and some meat (chops, steak, etc.) and vegetables, and I'll usually have chicken fillets done in the oven in the evening. Now and again I'll have pizza or chips, etc. and unfortunately I tend to eat a lot of chocolate and crap in-between.

My diet is abysmal, but I'm aware of that, and as such; I don't really need help with it, if you see what I mean?

I spend too much time bored, so I eat lots of crap around the house.



My intention in this thread was to try and find out if doing squats and the likes are worth my while in my current condition, or if I was just going to wasting time with them.

With a primary fitness goal being to lose weight, I wasn't sure if I should bother with squats or anything. I prefer weights over cardio, and so my theory was that if I could actually drop a bit of weight or just generally get fitter between short period on an exercise bike and sqats/deadlifts/etc. whilst working on my diet in the background, then maybe I'd be more treadmill compatible a little while down the line.

Jimmy Bottlehead

Hey buddy.

It really would be a good idea to ask for help structuring a diet on here... there's so much to it for a newbie, that's kinda overwhelming. Diet is absolutely KEY to either losing or gaining weight - if you try to fudge your way through it, chances are you'll not get the results no matter what you do in the gym, and that's a killer for motivation.

With regards exercise, if your knees ain't up to impact, give Starting Strength a shot. It'll tighten ya up all over, and it's a fun workout to do too. If you wanna do cardio too, maybe stick to the cross trainer or bike 'til the knees are up to it.

Best of luck.

migozarad

OP,for what it's worth:Drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day and eat low-medium GI foods such as porridge and wholegrain foods.Reduce progressively the amount of butter you use,likewise the amount of fat you fry with etc (eliminate completely after a while),lay off the chips (ask yourself which is more important,my long-term health/well-being or a temporary mood booster?Eat more fish&chicken over red meat..eat little&often as opposed to three square meals;eating little& often will boost your metabolisn and by eating low-medium GI foods,you have more stabilised blood sugar (staying fuller for longer),thus reducing your need for a junk-filled snack.
Base your exercise regimen around Barbell Bench Press,Barbell Shoulder Press,Deadlift&Barbell Squat.Finish with HIIT.Ensure exercise doesn't much exceed an hour in duration as the body goes from muscle-building (anabolism) to muscle-breakdown (catabolism) mode after this time unless you're a genetic freak (see ''HANLEY").GOODLUCK OP!

magotch07

lad

i have been there horribly overweight i was 22 stone when i was 20....my first gym routine was all cardio but i didnt like the treadmill so to the trainer gave me bike, x trainer, rower, and stepper machines to work on....15 min on each....the weight fell off for the first few months

i progressed onto weights about a year after that.....one of the above posters mentioned deadlifts and overhead presses these are great compound excercise that work plenty of other muscles than what you think

great thing about the weights is you can see the differences in your body quicker than cardio....but dont leave cardio out

what i would suggest is try and get a balance between cardio and weights...go to a yrainer in your gym ask them to hook you up to a program

its a hard slog and most likely people like me and you will battle with our weight for most of our lives so it requires a big effort....diet is the key though i am struggling with mine at the moment so i know how you feel...

d'Oracle

migozarad wrote: »

OP,for what it's worth:Drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day and eat low-medium GI foods such as porridge and wholegrain foods.Reduce progressively the amount of butter you use,likewise the amount of fat you fry with etc (eliminate completely after a while),lay off the chips (ask yourself which is more important,my long-term health/well-being or a temporary mood booster?Eat more fish&chicken over red meat..eat little&often as opposed to three square meals;eating little& often will boost your metabolisn and by eating low-medium GI foods,you have more stabilised blood sugar (staying fuller for longer),thus reducing your need for a junk-filled snack.
Base your exercise regimen around Barbell Bench Press,Barbell Shoulder Press,Deadlift&Barbell Squat.Finish with HIIT.Ensure exercise doesn't much exceed an hour in duration as the body goes from muscle-building (anabolism) to muscle-breakdown (catabolism) mode after this time unless you're a genetic freak (see ''HANLEY").GOODLUCK OP!

Holycrapreally?

alibaba12

if your shins hurt (like mine) & running really doesnt suit, stick with the bike or better yet buy a bike and go on cycles. If your gym has a cross trainer its easy on the joints too, swimming is also a great way to lose weight.squats etc are great to burn calories as you are using the biggest muscle group in your body. Also when you do get rid of the fat you will have toned legs & bum. are you doing the squats on a machine if so that will take pressure off your joints & shins.good luck with the weightloss

Hanley

Deleted User wrote: »

For the most part, my day consists of scrambled egg and toast to kick off, my dinner usually consists of spuds or chips and some meat (chops, steak, etc.) and vegetables, and I'll usually have chicken fillets done in the oven in the evening. Now and again I'll have pizza or chips, etc. and unfortunately I tend to eat a lot of chocolate and crap in-between.

My diet is abysmal, but I'm aware of that, and as such; I don't really need help with it, if you see what I mean?

Alright... now we're getting somewhere. The fact you admit it's crap, but haven't managed to sort it out yet would suggest you do need help. Luckily you're in the right place!!

My intention in this thread was to try and find out if doing squats and the likes are worth my while in my current condition, or if I was just going to wasting time with them.

They're worth it - anything that gets you exercising, incresing muscle, burning kcals and increasing your metabolism is gonna be worth it.

With a primary fitness goal being to lose weight, I wasn't sure if I should bother with squats or anything. I prefer weights over cardio, and so my theory was that if I could actually drop a bit of weight or just generally get fitter between short period on an exercise bike and sqats/deadlifts/etc. whilst working on my diet in the background, then maybe I'd be more treadmill compatible a little while down the line.

Start lifting and fix your diet, be consistent and you're 90% of the way there. It might take a while, but the incremental improvements will make it worthwhile. It's a long, hard road.

migozarad wrote: »

OP,for what it's worth:Drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day and eat low-medium GI foods such as porridge and wholegrain foods.Reduce progressively the amount of butter you use,likewise the amount of fat you fry with etc (eliminate completely after a while),lay off the chips (ask yourself which is more important,my long-term health/well-being or a temporary mood booster?Eat more fish&chicken over red meat..eat little&often as opposed to three square meals;eating little& often will boost your metabolisn and by eating low-medium GI foods,you have more stabilised blood sugar (staying fuller for longer),thus reducing your need for a junk-filled snack.
Base your exercise regimen around Barbell Bench Press,Barbell Shoulder Press,Deadlift&Barbell Squat.Finish with HIIT.

I'm with you pretty much 100% to here.

Ensure exercise doesn't much exceed an hour in duration as the body goes from muscle-building (anabolism) to muscle-breakdown (catabolism) mode after this time

Starting to disagree...

unless you're a genetic freak (see ''HANLEY").GOODLUCK OP!

Preparing to rant... genetic freak?? You might want to look at my last 3 and a bit years of training in my log... it's all there for anyone to see. Look how hard I worked. Look at the bodyweight I ate myself up to for powerlifting, look at the process of coming down and increasing my work capacity. It's not about being a "genetic freak". It's about busting your ass for 6 years, making the sacrifices other people won't, and reaping the rewards.

maxxie

Hi Mate

id stear clear of anything high impact like running on threadmill.
You would be doing more damage than good. You should stick to seated bike and bit of swimming if ya can.

If I was you I would be looking to do cardio 3 or 4 days a week. A good session should last around an hour.

You should also be doing a weights session 2 to 3 days a week that targets all the major muscle groups.
Squats are great but if I was new to them and my flexibility was poor id be looking to learn the form of the exercise before putting a bar across my back.

Of course good diet is vital. For this to work I think you should research yourself what good and bad fats are, what protein and carbs do! Then I think you would have a better understanding of how to have a healthy diet!

You need the right mentality, from reading some of your posts you seem to give up quite easy! Give yourself some realistic goals, tell friends and family what they are! Then I think you wont give up so easy and there encouragement might keep ya going!

Good luck.

baaaa

If you're looking to improve your general condition before going at the weights you could do a lot worse than sticking a long bag up on a wall and kicking and punching it.
Very good for cardio and movement and and most find it fun as opposed to a chore.

squod

I feel thinner after a bout of thrusters, even at (very) light weight the buggers take a lot out of me.

The despising cardio thing could be helped by watching something goood on TV at the same time. I'm currently puting Jeremy Clarksons thriller onto my phone for my next exercise bike session. 3gp movies for the win!

Thrusters? You mean this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr_1gqoatcs

Or is that something else? (Never heard of thrusters before).


(Edit: Surely they can't be doing it right in the video? It looks like it'll take years off your elbows!?)


Cheers for the insightful and helpful replies everyone. Silly as it may sound, I quite enjoyed the squats I did the other day. Grand exercise (though it's still new to me, i'm sure i'll hate it in a week).

I like weights becuase you're doing something. Either changing position to do a different move or changing the weight on a bar or whatever. I find cardio gets very boring after two or three minutes and it starts to feel like you're spending a lifetime on the machine.

I suppose if I try alternating speeds for different times as suggested in this thread, then it may keep me occupied for a little while. I'll head out to the gym this morning when they open and see what happens.


Being the fat bastard I am, I'm not mad about swimming.

Newport81

Have just started back training myself after years of neglect it is a killer alright great advice on this thread

Mellor

Deleted User wrote: »

For the most part, my day consists of scrambled egg and toast to kick off, my dinner usually consists of spuds or chips and some meat (chops, steak, etc.) and vegetables, and I'll usually have chicken fillets done in the oven in the evening. Now and again I'll have pizza or chips, etc. and unfortunately I tend to eat a lot of chocolate and crap in-between.

My diet is abysmal, but I'm aware of that, and as such; I don't really need help with it, if you see what I mean?

I know we probably got off on the wrong foot, but honestly, knowing that you need to change your diet isn't enough. Sorting this should be task no.1
All the squats, weights, cardio etc advice in the world is pretty much wasting your time if you don't sort what goes in. I wasted 4 months in the gym with a ****e diet, then quit as I wasn't getting the results I wanted.
2 years later, I've gone back and made miles better progress mostly due to diet