Critique my workout/diet

frag420

Hi Folks,

So I finally joined a gym a few weeks ago and I am loving it. I have implimented a few changes in my diet too. Gradual changes such as introducing more veg, fruit, water etc and cutting out some but not all of the crap. So I was wondering if someone could take a look at my workout I have been doing for the last few weeks and tell me is there anything else I could be doing and what dietary changes I require.

To start with I am male, 6'4 and about 16 stone.

My workout is as follows...........3 sets of 12 reps of the following machines.
Chest Press @ 45 lbs
Lat pulldown @ 45 lbs
Leg Extension @ 55 lbs
Leg Curl @ 55 lbs
Shoulder Press @ 45 lbs
Seated Low row @ 55 lbs
Ab Curl @ 55 lbs

I always do 30 mins on the bike before the weights as I am to believe its good for getting the blood flowing. I am open to correction on this. I have been doing this workout min 3 max 5 times per week with the odd spinning class thrown in although that has me in ribbons so thinking of building strenght in legs first aswell as cardio before going back to spinning in a week or two.

As for diet I have the following.........

Breaky......apple, two slices brown bread with peanut butter, coffee (1 sug/mlk) and a pint of water. This is usually when I get into the office.

Mid Morning...... Apple and 1-2 pints of water

Lunch.............this can varie from a brown bread sandwich (chicken,bacon and tomato relish) to soup (veg, morrocan chicken etc) usually tesco finest or equivelent.

Mid afternoon...........coffee, 1-2 pints of water. Sometimes have an apple.

Dinner.........(after gym) meat(chicken, minced beef, steak) + veg(usually sweet potatoe, some parsnip and broccoli all roasted with some spices). I sometimes have stirfry with noodles or fajitas. Either of these would have half red, green pepper & onion aswell as 1-2 chilli peppers.

If I am a bit peckish later on I would have an apple & sultana GoAhead biscuit with a cuppa or maybe some brown toast with jam.

Now I do have the occasional slip up esp if I forget to leave chicken or beef out to defrost and I end up either grilling some bacon for a sambo or getting a bag of chips on way home from work. Also at weekend I can have maybe 6 pints of beer on a night out. Usally only one night out though. Due to the nature of my work there are however impromptu nights out, dinners etc and clients reg send in treats such as cupcakes, beer, pizza etc. I usually have one but its a rare occasion.

So my goals are to lose a bit of weight maybe 1-2 stone and to tone and add some muscle definition but no point looking good if I aint healthy so I want to balance both.

So are there any changes you good folks think I could make to my workout or diet? I understand protein is very important but the usual ways of getting protein (cottage cheese, eggs etc) I dont like. Although I will make oatmeal pancakes with eggs. Just dont eat them as eggs if ya get me. Would protein shakes be much use to me?


I know its a long post but wanted to get it all out there as finally doing something about it and I want to get it right so any and all advice is very much appreciated,

frAg

marathonic

With regards to your workout, you'll want to switch from machine weights to free weights at some point - and sooner rather than later because, like me and a lot of others, I view my time spent on machine weights before switching to free weights as wasted effort. Although it's not totally wasted, free weights will allow you to reach your goals quicker. The excercises you should be looking at are squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows, chinups and dips.

You also want to be raising the weights lifted every session until you can't raise anymore, then drop back by, for example, 10% and repeat.

With regards to diet, protein is the most important thing for most people (as Irish diets are typically concentrated around carbs and lacking in protein). You need to get 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight - so you need to be aiming for around 225 grams of protein per day. In order to hit this target, you really need to be having a good protein source with EVERY meal.


Breaky...... replace the water with milk and add in eggs - boiled, scrambled, poached, omelletes (any way you like really)

Mid Morning...... add a protein source here. Possibly some cottage cheese (which, surprisingly, is nice mixed with peanut butter) or a chicken fillet or something.

Lunch.............try removing the brown bread, doubling up on the meat and having salad or vegetables with it - I find the microwaveable steamed bags of veg handy for work.

Mid afternoon...........replace the water with milk and another protein source - maybe beef jerky or a tin of tuna.

Dinner......... Dinner seems fine.


If you track your food via Fitday.com for a couple of weeks, you'll have a good idea of whether you're hitting your target protein levels whilst maintaining a daily calorie deficit of about 500 (to lose the weight). If you find it difficult to hit the protein requirements, you could consider adding protein shakes.

frag420

Cheers for the prompt reply.

As for adding more protein i dont eat cottage cheese as cannot stomach cheese at all. As for eggs unless they are part of a recipe such as in a pancake I cant stomach them either. While I used to drink a lot of milk with meals it does make me bloated so have been trying to drink less esp when eating. I would rather get the extrta protein in the form of a solid food if at all possible. As you can see I am a rahter fussy eater but thats just how I am. Until a few yrs ago I never ait any veg but I am progressing nicely introducing more veg to diet. Last night was my first time roasting brocoli. it was ok, will take some getting used to.

As for the workout I do intend to move to free weights but I want to built up some strenght first before taking that step. IL look at adding half a weight to my workout this evening and see how I fair out.

Again thanks for the advice.

Anymore is always welcome........

frAg

Lago

frag420 wrote: »

Cheers for the prompt reply.

As for adding more protein i dont eat cottage cheese as cannot stomach cheese at all. As for eggs unless they are part of a recipe such as in a pancake I cant stomach them either. While I used to drink a lot of milk with meals it does make me bloated so have been trying to drink less esp when eating. I would rather get the extrta protein in the form of a solid food if at all possible. As you can see I am a rahter fussy eater but thats just how I am. Until a few yrs ago I never ait any veg but I am progressing nicely introducing more veg to diet. Last night was my first time roasting brocoli. it was ok, will take some getting used to.

As for the workout I do intend to move to free weights but I want to built up some strenght first before taking that step. IL look at adding half a weight to my workout this evening and see how I fair out.

Again thanks for the advice.

Anymore is always welcome........

frAg

I, for one, would say that the water is fine. Can't see any point in changing it for milk. Yes, milk will provide more protein, but getting into the habit of having milk with your meals makes it very hard to lose fat. Especially if it's whole milk, at the very least drink skimmed milk. But I still think there are far better ways of getting protein for less calories. Not to mention that water is very important anyway.

For mid-morning, I'd say the apple is fine but, to get your protein up, maybe have a yogurt (check the nutritional details though) or nuts

BlueIsland

frag420 wrote: »

Cheers for the prompt reply.

As for adding more protein i dont eat cottage cheese as cannot stomach cheese at all. As for eggs unless they are part of a recipe such as in a pancake I cant stomach them either. While I used to drink a lot of milk with meals it does make me bloated so have been trying to drink less esp when eating. I would rather get the extrta protein in the form of a solid food if at all possible. As you can see I am a rahter fussy eater but thats just how I am. Until a few yrs ago I never ait any veg but I am progressing nicely introducing more veg to diet. Last night was my first time roasting brocoli. it was ok, will take some getting used to.

As for the workout I do intend to move to free weights but I want to built up some strenght first before taking that step. IL look at adding half a weight to my workout this evening and see how I fair out.

Again thanks for the advice.

Anymore is always welcome........

frAg

Calling a spade a spade chief you are making some usual excuses! Fussy eater is a common misnomer for I like eating crap!!! Someone mentions what you need to do and you say oh I can't eat that I'm a fussy eater! All a person can do is tell you what you need to do , not what you want to hear!! Pretty sure you can eat chicken, steak, eggs ( adjust).. Get your protein in! You are 6 foot 4 inches and 16 Stone ( you are a good sized guy) forget building up a strength base with machines- they are awful and teach you habits that will prevent you reaching eventual strength goals, not help them!! Google starting strength, get somebody to go through the form in your gym with you for the exercises and you will come on in leaps and bounds quickly!

frag420

I appreciate what your saying but there are just some foods I cannot stomach namely cheese of any kind, butter, mayo, humus type stuff etc. I used to be a lot worse with the only veg I ate we're beans and potato wherebye I eat different veg now. I eat a good bit of chicken, lean beef, turkey etc.

As for the exercise part il talk to someone in my gym about starting weight and get some pointers.

Thanks

TheStickyBandit

If you're 6ft4 and 16 stone, you should definitly be lifting heavier for starters and swap to free weights as aforementioned.

Adding 2lr of low fat milk a day is a great idea along with another 2lr of water a day should keep you hydrated and it will also supress hunger pangs!

Look up wokout videos on http://www.bodybuilding.com/ for correct techniques etc.

Protein shakes would help you as you say you're fussy! Get some CLA's (as they're relitavly cheap) as well, as they help to shift unwanted fats too!

frag420

TheStickyBandit wrote: »

If you're 6ft4 and 16 stone, you should definitly be lifting heavier for starters and swap to free weights as aforementioned.

Adding 2lr of low fat milk a day is a great idea along with another 2lr of water a day should keep you hydrated and it will also supress hunger pangs!

Look up wokout videos on http://www.bodybuilding.com/ for correct techniques etc.

Protein shakes would help you as you say you're fussy! Get some CLA's (as they're relitavly cheap) as well, as they help to shift unwanted fats too!

I hear what your saying. I guess as I have just started I did not want to overdo it straight away and just ease into it. I will look into the free weights this week.

Can you recommend some good value protein shakes??

As for that last part..........what is a CLA??

Thanks

BlueIsland

frag420 wrote: »

I hear what your saying. I guess as I have just started I did not want to overdo it straight away and just ease into it. I will look into the free weights this week.

Can you recommend some good value protein shakes??

As for that last part..........what is a CLA??

Thanks

IMO nothing you should be worrying or thinking about right now!! Get lot of protein from natural food sources and you be on good track!

nice_guy80

I would introduce a good static stretching routine and mobility exercises, along with a medicine ball warm up instead of using the bike.
then do 5/10 minutes of focussed core work before hitting the weights properly

frag420

That has reminded me......................any good stretching advice? I am not the most flexible and would like to over time be able to touch my toes if ya get me. I guess growing up it was a sign of fitness if one could stretch and touch their toes.

cheers

woggie

I second (or is it third or fourth at this stage ) comments re: protein ...but if you really can't stomach eggs why dont you get your protein from meat/fish? Kippers for breakfast anyone?
I know a lot of people think meat for brekkie sounds mad, but the same people usually don't think twice about a fry! Having chicken for brekkie may seem crazy but it's no different to having it any other time of day. Try steaming a few breasts in the evening and popping them in the fridge - you can munch on it in the morning on your way to work and i guarantee if you have some salad with it you will be full til lunchtime!

Also, forget about those go-ahead bars, they're full of sugar, and I bet those 'occasional' slip ups tend to happen a lot more freqently than you estimate!

For me tis all about planning. I spend 30 mins in the evening prepping some raw veg (carrot sticks/peppers/celery) and store it in tupperware in the fridge and then i've no excuse when munches arrive! Similarily i steam some chicken/turkey fillets for conveniance. Tins of fish are good to add to a bag of salad leaves and some peppers. If i've dying for a cheat meal I tell myself i MUST drink a full pint of water (slowly) first, sometimes (unfortunetly not all the time) the craving is gone by the time i finish it!

best of luck

frag420

Cheers.
Like I mentioned earlier I cant stomack eggs in there natural form but I would through two into a pancake mix with some blended oats, cinnamon, flax seed and a small bit of milk. def stems the hunger. Small bit of lemon juice on top as they can be a bit dry and happy days.

As for the slip ups..................they do happen. I am aware of that and I try to put an extra few % in the gym to combat that but I am slowly working on banishing them. Its all in the mind at the end of the day.

Any other suggestion for snacking apart from raw veg as I am just a new veg recruit and not at the raw stage just yet, one day I hope!! I saw homemade protein bars on another thread here recently, would they be good as a snack/trweat??
I drink loads of water too. usually have a two litre bottle beside me when chilling in the eve after the gym and have several glasses throughout the day while at work.

thanks again

nice_guy80

frag420 wrote: »

That has reminded me......................any good stretching advice? I am not the most flexible and would like to over time be able to touch my toes if ya get me. I guess growing up it was a sign of fitness if one could stretch and touch their toes.

cheers

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/stretching-exercises

http://www.gaahandball.ie/images/gaahandball/fmp.pdf

woggie

you could check out this post

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=75863133

for making your own healthy protein bars, i've made them myself and are not too bad - one thing to be wary of - they are HIGH in calories so you wouldn't want to be munching away with no concern! same goes for the nuts and seeds ...a handful is not the same as a fistful

TheStickyBandit

CLA - Conjugated linoleic acids, they help with the breakdown of fats in the body. Whoever said they are unnecessary is a moron as it is all part of a bigger picture!

As regards protein shakes I personally will only use either of the following brands as they seem to have the least ammount of fillers in them, basically you pay for what you get!

Ultimate Nutrition - ISOSensation
Optimun Nutrition - 100% Whey
BSN - Syntha 6 (this has more carbs than the others, but it tastes great)
MuscleTech - Nitro Tech
Gaspari Nutrition - MyoFusion

frag420

Thanks for your reply...............

So where does one find these conjugated linoleic acids you speak of?

Regarding the protein bars mentioned earlier.............As i am also trying to lose weight as well as tone up and as they are full of calories I would think they are not a good idea or am I wrong? Is there a low fat version?


Thanks again everyone,

TheStickyBandit

frag420 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply...............

So where does one find these conjugated linoleic acids you speak of?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/catalog/search-results.jsp?q=CLA&output=xml_no_dtd&client=wwwbodybuilding&proxystylesheet=wwwbodybuilding&getfields=description&filter=0&site=store

frag420

Are these safe to take?

I was always under the impression that Fat Burners were a con and the only way was through a good diet and excercise?

BlueIsland

TheStickyBandit wrote: »

CLA - Conjugated linoleic acids, they help with the breakdown of fats in the body. Whoever said they are unnecessary is a moron as it is all part of a bigger picture!

As regards protein shakes I personally will only use either of the following brands as they seem to have the least ammount of fillers in them, basically you pay for what you get!

Ultimate Nutrition - ISOSensation
Optimun Nutrition - 100% Whey
BSN - Syntha 6 (this has more carbs than the others, but it tastes great)
MuscleTech - Nitro Tech
Gaspari Nutrition - MyoFusion

I am the one who said they are unnecessary!!!! He can reach his goals by tightening up on his diet and improving his training routine!!! He does not need to overcomplicate with advice like this. and less of the moron stuff buddy!

marathonic

frag420 wrote: »

Are these safe to take?

I was always under the impression that Fat Burners were a con and the only way was through a good diet and excercise?

Don't bother the fat burners. In my opinion, they are a placebo. I've a friend who took them and swore by them but it says on the instructions that they are only effective together with a calorie controlled diet and excercise. They then excercise and fix their diet and attribute weight loss to the fat burners (which, in my opinion, is stupid).

Just clean up your diet, add in excercise and make sure to get enough protein. Don't overcomplicate things. If you're bothering with supplements, only take Whey Protein to begin with and get it from one of the bulk suppliers such as www.myprotein.com or www.bulkpowders.com.

PM me if you want a discount code for myProtein.

BlueIsland

frag420 wrote: »

Are these safe to take?

I was always under the impression that Fat Burners were a con and the only way was through a good diet and excercise?

This (in bold). Check out the stickies. Up your protein, hit the free weights and you will see improvements.

marathonic

Look at it this way: fat loss is SIMPLE maths:

1lb of fat = 3500 calories.
500 calorie daily deficit = 1lb of fat loss per week
500 additional calories worth of excercise = An additional 1lb of fat loss per week


Fat burner companies waffle on about appetite suppresants, thermogenics and the likes but, at the end of the day, all you need is the simple maths and a good diet.

BlueIsland

marathonic wrote: »

Look at it this way: fat loss is SIMPLE maths:

1lb of fat = 3500 calories.
500 calorie daily deficit = 1lb of fat loss per week
500 additional calories worth of excercise = An additional 1lb of fat loss per week


Fat burner companies waffle on about appetite suppresants, thermogenics and the likes but, at the end of the day, all you need is the simple maths and a good diet.

All cals not created equal.........CAN OF WORMS!

frag420

marathonic wrote: »

Look at it this way: fat loss is SIMPLE maths:

1lb of fat = 3500 calories.
500 calorie daily deficit = 1lb of fat loss per week
500 additional calories worth of excercise = An additional 1lb of fat loss per week


Fat burner companies waffle on about appetite suppresants, thermogenics and the likes but, at the end of the day, all you need is the simple maths and a good diet.

So hypothetically speaking if I was not to change my diet but hit the gym and burn of 500 cals per day then I would still see an improvment? Not that I intend to do it this way but just curious.

thanks

TheStickyBandit

BlueIsland wrote: »

I am the one who said they are unnecessary!!!! He can reach his goals by tightening up on his diet and improving his training routine!!! He does not need to overcomplicate with advice like this. and less of the moron stuff buddy!

That's a typical naysayer approach. I didn't say he shouild substitute CLA's for improving his diet. Coupling the two are very effective along with the earlier advice I'd given the OP.

frag420 wrote: »

Are these safe to take?

I was always under the impression that Fat Burners were a con and the only way was through a good diet and excercise?

Yes they are safe to take! They're just like Cod Liver oil or equivelent vitamin tablets. They're not fat burners! I don't recommend fat burners.

Gummy Panda

CLA is a load of bollix