Training Advice Wanted...

MarkyMark22

Hi All,

I'm a 21 Year old Male who could do with some advice in regards to training/diet...

all my life i've been fairly active,up until i was 18 i played at the highest level of junior football in the country,so i had a fairly decent level of aerobic fitness,however,i've always been slightly overweight,I'm quite stocky/broad..

im 5 foot 10 and weigh about 12 Stone 10 Pounds,up until a couple of years ago my general knowledge about dieting/nutrition etc was non existent,coming from a working class area after sports it was the norm to drink a fizzy drink or have a chocolate bar etc....

I've been going to the gym on and off for a few years now with little to know result around the waist region,sometimes i'd notice fat loss around my face/neck region and some slight improvement in my chest region..

The goals id like to achieve would be to slim down and reduce size rather then be built like a machine (no offense to anyone who is built this way,just not what i want)

I'm fairly weak/fragile for my size,i gave up football due to bad aches and pains after every session,as i said,my aerobic fitness/stamina and speed were second to none and everyone would be amazed at how much i could run for,this however could have been down to adrenaline/strength of mind/determination also....

i got personal training for about 10 sessions or so a couple of years back,i felt i was maybe thrown in at the deep end a little as i felt unable to lift some of the weights and do some of the exercises required to improve,i would have preferred to go slowly and gradually build up to certain weights etc...

I'm just wondering what type of program me i should be attempting in order to trim down completely? should i be doing solely cardio? or solely weights? or a blend of both?

my diet is fairly good,

im a vegetarian,mainly eat fruit and veg everyday,i do admit i eat a small amount of snack foods everyday,a couple of biscuits or maybe a bar of chocolate here and there...but nothing over the top

i've been taking/trying out some supplements for the last month or so...

Multi-vitamins + iron
Omega 3 + 6
Green Tea Supplement
Co-Enzyme Q10
Amino Acids
CLA Tablets
L-Carnitine
and Whey Protein Powder ...


The odd day i may take a thermogenic fat burner but i try and avoid it as it can make me a bit too jittery sometimes!


is there anything else i should be taking or anything of the above i shouldn't?

again id just like to trim down completely my upper body,mainly my waist/stomach region....

any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

thelastwaltz

Would you be interested in going back to play football again if you can overcome some of the issues you have been having with soreness and pains after a session and if your strength could be improved?

I am pretty certain you can achieve your goals with some moderatey intense weight training combined with sessions of anaerobic and aerobic training coupled with a sensible diet( which will probably mean cutting down the sugary snacks such as biscuits or chocolate bars to maybe once a week until you are comfortable with your weight and the type of training you are doing - although I would still recommend keeping the junk food intake to a minimum if you want to reach your goals)

What is your experience with weight training and have you got a gym membership?

dekbhoy

ask an instructor in the gym to do you out a programme, they love doing things like that.
You need to work harder in gym and avoid snacking between meals for a while , diet is absolutely vital.

MarkyMark22

i don't think id be interested in going back to play football,maybe with my friends once a week,but not a high level football team.

i have a gym membership,i usually do about 3-4 spin classes a day and have just started doing body pump classes also...

i have moderate experience with weight training,i try to avoid lifting anything to heavy due to little niggles and aches i've felt...

i don't want to bulk out as i already have a stocky physique,i would rather trim down and tone up.....

Kadongy

Not a good idea to have no knowledge of nutrition if you are vegetarian tbh. It's easy enough to be deficient in certain nutrients.
Lack of protein in your diet could explain poor strength. Protein in grains and nuts is not complete enough to be that useful unless you combine it with proteing from pulses (lentils, beans etc). Soy and dairy and especially eggs are good protein sources in themselves though.

MarkyMark22

i never said i have no knowledge of nutrition....