File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Well, /fit/, I'm a new lurker on this board, and out of shape to boot, but I've been looking to jumping head-first into getting back into shape.

For the last three or four days I've been running/speed-walking for about two miles daily, and have relatively just started lifting lighter barbels, about 50 pounds, 2 sets of 10 reps. I've also been doing 2 sets of 10 push-ups daily, and been doing minimal dips and 20 anti-gravity crunches a day, too. Today I have just started today to jump rope and start minding my eating as well.

My question to you kind sages is thus: amirdoinrite?

I've planned on taking the next two days off for rest, then to get back in full swing. Any tips/dictations?
>> Sambo !hEpdoZ.tHU
Yeah, just remember to keep a log and record everything you do. Get into a particular routine that ensures you'll never miss a workout and don't overdo it and burn yourself out.
>> Anonymous
A log? What for, may I ask?
>> Sambo !hEpdoZ.tHU
Look up General Adaptation Syndrome. What happens is your body learns to cope with the exercise you're doing and you stop making progress. You must increase intensity or volume to keep gaining results.

It's almost a necessity to keep a log and have goals so you know when to move up in weight or run further, etc. It's especially important as you become get to the point where you start needing to use a periodization plan, but you should cross that bridge when you get to it.
>> Anonymous
Aha, thanks for the halp.
>> Sambo !hEpdoZ.tHU
No problem, and good luck. By the way, if you get stuck and need further direction, check out Stronglifts.com/Starting Strength or search Bodybuilding.com for a good split. These programs are very popular and tend to be quite effective.
>> Anonymous
>>171716
BAD IDEA. Seriously, you want a log for the opposite of this. The core principle of working out is, as>>171716stated, progressive overload and general adaption syndrome. You need to shock your body with new things or it will adapt and you will see diminished gains.

As far as your routine goes, I see a couple good and bad things. First, your cardio isn't high enough intensity. If you want to lose fat in any considerable fashion, you need to increase the intensity. Try what they call HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). What you do is hit cardio hard for a period, then slow, and go back and forth. This helps keep your heart rate very high over a longer period than you could maintain if you sprinted without a break. Do it something like 30 seconds sprint, 1 minute jog, etc...

After that, decide what kind of muscle you want to build. Lifting some random weight will do very little if you don't consider your body's strength and your goals. Find a weight that you can only lift one time before you are exhausted and this is your one rep maximum (100%). Conversely, a weight you can only lift 12 times equates to about 70% so you can do the math. 50% and 70% are the magic numbers here. Below 50% of this and you are doing nothing but cardio, there is no worthwhile hypertrophy going on here (muscle tearing). 50%-70% is creating Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy (lean, toned muscle), and 70%-100% created Myofibrillar Hypertrophy (bulked, large muscle). So, if you want to tone, lift in the 50-70 range, if you want size, lift in the 70-100 range.

Next, overtraining. Everyone seems to overtrain when they start out. You should be hitting each muscle so hard that it's sore for the next couple days when you work out. After it's sore, do not touch that muscle until it recovers. The best way around this is to break your week into days like - Shoulders, Back, Chest, Legs, Arms, etc...