Workout Questions
 

Hi, I'm a first time poster on this particular forum. To fill you in on my history(which may or may not be of any significance), I am an 18 year old male, about 6'1 and I weigh about 165 pounds. I spent the first 15 years of my life severely overweight, peaking at about 230, these days really changed my outlook on life, as it affected both my health and my social life. I spent the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of highschool at a family cottage in North Carolina. I hiked anywhere between 5-16miles a day for an entire month, and felt great about myself. When I returned home, I switched to drinking only water, and started eating smaller rations during meals, opting not to get seconds, or have dessert. I slowly began losing weight, and in the process became obsessed with the whole idea of weight. I would check the scale 5-6 times a day to see how much I weighed, and I feared getting muscle, since it weighed more than fat. It wasn't fat itself I was afraid of, but weight. It hurt me to look down on the scale and see a large number. So as you can imagine I got quite out of shape, not that I was ever in shape in the first place.

Last New Year's, I made the resolution that I would become a vegetarian. It really wasn't a matter of health, but a matter of self-control, to show myself that I can give up something I love. 18 months later, and I have stuck to the vegetarian diet without fault (minus sushi, which I guess some vegetarians eat fish anyways). I started looking at myself more objectively, and saw that I really needed to get in shape. A majority of my friends are in shape, and when I look at myself and feel flab I can't help but feel some kind of insignificance. School caused a lot of stress for me, I got up every morning at 4, and didn't get home until 5 ost days, then I had a few hours of homework, so by the time it got around to working out, I just wanted to crash. But now, school is out, and I have some spare time. I'm starting college this fall, and I hope by that time I will be able to get rid of my excess body fat. Most of this is concentrated around my stomach, and even some on my arms. I have developed my own workout routine, based on the minimal reasources available to me.

-100 Jumping Jacks
-100 Crunches
-15 Pushups (Increase as I'm able to do more)
-100 Crunches
-50 Squats
-100 Crunches
-10 4 counts of leg lifts
-100 Crunches
-Jog for 10 minutes

I have done this for the last 2 days, and while it is hard for me, I manage to get through it. I plan on doing this 5 days a week for the rest of the summer. I am highly motivated, and have no lack of willpower. I eat healthy, and will most likely switch to a vegan diet sometime before the end of the summer. I take vitamins. The only thing I will drink is water, minus the occasional liquor with friends, and an all fruit smoothie once a week. I don't eat fast food, and my restaurant selection is very limited.


Given this information, I have a few questions.

-Is my exercise regiment appropriate given my goal(dropping excess body fat, and transforming it into toned muscle)?

-What kind of results should I expect in the given time frames:
-1 week
-2 week
-1 month
-2 months

Are there any other excercises I can do, that doesn't include weight lifting? (I do not have a bench, and the closest gym is 25 minutes away)

How long before I don't have noticeable "rolls" when I sit down?


This is mainly a self-image thing. I have a good public image, and my appearance has not been questioned. I just want to feel better about myself, knowing that I have done something. I know there are probably numerous advice threads in this forum on a similar subject, but I didn't know if my case was in any way unique from the others. Thanks for any help in advance.

Re: Workout Questions
 

[ QUOTE ]

-Is my exercise regiment appropriate given my goal(dropping excess body fat, and transforming it into toned muscle)?


[/ QUOTE ]

no

Re: Workout Questions
 

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

do this. heavy weight lifting gets you muscle very fast. pushups, etc. not so much.

big problem is going to be your diet. name a muscular vegetarian. exactly. it's going to be very tough getting enough calories and protein as a vegetarian. if you really want to get muscle, i would consider reevaluating being a vegetarian.

actually if going to the gym is really a no-no, consider buying an adjustable kettlebell. good all in one workout device.

Re: Workout Questions
 

I don't really want to be ripped like a body builder, I just want to get rid of the fat and tone my stomach some. Will me not eating meat interfere with this?

Also, thank you for the link. I am reading through it at the moment.

How much would you price an adjustable kettebell at? I have the money to spend, but it seems silly right now since I'll be leaving home in 2 months, and college gyms are free to use.

Ty

Re: Workout Questions
 

You won't get "ripped like a body builder" from lifting weights. A lot of females have this same concern with weight lifting because they don't want to be bulky at all- but its a complete myth. Lifting will get you nice and toned and help you lose fat.

Go spend $20 on 2 dumbells and do curls, bench press, and flys at your house.

Re: Workout Questions
 

What weight "dumbell" should I be looking for? Are these available at Walmart?

Re: Workout Questions
 

Go to an academy or sports store they will have what you want.

Re: Workout Questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
What weight "dumbell" should I be looking for? Are these available at Walmart?

[/ QUOTE ]

You're going to want to do around 10 reps per exercise, so do some curls with them in the store and find out.

Re: Workout Questions
 

btw, where exactly do you live that theres no gym within 25 minutes? Nearly every high school, college, and even most middle schools have weight rooms...usually they'll be open at some times during the summer so their football players and other athletes can work out.....find out when and ask the coach if he minds if you work out there.

Even without a school, its really tough for me to imagine an area with no public gym anywhere close.

Re: Workout Questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
do curls, bench press, and flys at your house.

[/ QUOTE ]
Blasphemy on this board. Find a good bodyweight exercise routine. I've heard good things about these two books though I haven't read them:
http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Warrior-...dp/0938045555/
http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html

Re: Workout Questions
 

imo "eating healthy" and "vegan diet" arent exactly the same thing.

If youre interested in gaining muscle mass you're going to need to up the protein. Lean/Lowfat animal products are great for this. Our bodies can very easily tolerate (and depending on who you talk to demand) diets where lean meat is factored in. By being a vegan or even vegetarian you lose a lot of those benefits (protein especially but other nutrients can also be missing). It is possible to be a vegetarian and consume a balanced diet without serious gaps, but it would require some supplementation and likely a complicated diet with a large variety of foodstuffs. Additionally I would like you to note that many vegetable proteins arent as useful when compared to other protein sources; also some sources like soy may well negatively impact your own natural testosterone levels.

Human beings are omnivores; I will never understand why it is considered fashionable or healthy to function otherwise.

You will have an extremely difficult time gaining lean mass and losing weight without keeping the above in mind. Also, you have not provided much information as to the total calories consumed in your diet (which matters right along with the source of those calories). And finally, checking the scales 5 times a day and worrying about suddenly becoming too bulky.... bad. Weight loss is about long term stable results, not water weight loss, not in day weight fluctuations, not yo yo dieting, but rather establishing a healthy eating and exercise system that works best for your body with respect to your goals. As for "not wanting to look like a bodybuilder"... ok... most guys in a gym or on this forum do not want to look like 350+lbs shaved and oiled up freaks. As per your height, weight, and relative inexperience you seem on track to be "skinny fat" not at all overweight but also with no definable muscle mass. Even hitting the weights hard and resting/eating properly it will take time before you even become reasonably muscular; at which point you can further adjust your routine to maintain that physique or increase muscle mass further down the road as you like.

My big question is... in the face of all of this... why Vegan?

OP, I respect your desire to improve your body and get fit. I'm only trying to suggest that your diet plan and way of thinking are not the best ways to get to where you want to go.

Re: Workout Questions
 

Dude,

He's not vegan. He said he was vegetarian. There's a big difference.

Trust me. I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian for +10 years. You can get plenty of calories. Getting the right calories is the hard part. Whey protein powders and flax oils are going to help in that department.

If you don't think vegetarians can get ripped, check out this thread: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=790345

and I doubt OP event wants to get that toned.

Re: Workout Questions
 

Rearden, before I address your post, I just want to ask you if your name is in reference to Atlas Shrugged?


Now to answer your question, the vegan/vegetarian thing is to show myself I have control. By doing this I improve my internal self-image which was damaged maybe beyond repair, after 15 years of obesity. Self-pride is more important to me than how others view me. So I want to be able to maintain self-respect, while reflecting that externally at the same time, by gaining some muscle mass.

As far as my diet goes, I eat no more than 2000 calories a day. My breakfast consists of a fruit, usually a banana or citrus product, since I live in Florida, generally an orange or a grape. During school, my lunch was typically a peanut butter sandwich, and for a week or so, I had some of those Simply Asia microwaveable lunches. Dinner is generally a pasta or rice, coupled with vegetables. I am sure to eat some kind of bean, atleast 3 times a week. I take a few vitamins, mostly protein/calcium supplements. But one of them is a multivitamin. I have also incorporated seaweed into my doet, due to its high concentration of protein. I do not really eat soy, or any kind of meat substitute. I think the whole idea is silly for someone like me. I am making a voluntary choice not to eat meat, and to chomp down on a boca burger, or eat a piece of soysage, would be pointless. I have had 3 standard 6 month checkups with my doctor since I have become a vegetarian. My health is fine according to him. I realize the importance of maintaining a healthy diet, and the dangers of doing so while abstaining from eating meat. I did my research prior to making the decision, so I'm not just one of those 13 year old girls who sees a PETA video, and thinks it's noble to not eat beef. As far as going vegan goes, it would not be a huge change for me, my diet doesn't contain many dairy products. I never drank milk growing up, I have a strong distaste for chocolate and many other sweets, I seldom use cheese, and I never really used butter/oils on anything before in my life.

As for your statement that I am on track to be skinny fat, this is exactly the kind of thing I am looking to avoid. I would not even being average as far as muscle mass is concerned. When you say that it will take time to build any kind of muscle, what kind of time frame are you referring to?

Thank you very much for your input


And to the person who asked me why the closest gym was so far away. I went to an IB school (it's a special program designed for smarter kids with college in mind) and it was 45 minutes away. To make this drive would both be long and costly. There is a highschool in my town, about 5 minutes away, but I am unfamiliar with anyone there. But I could call and ask, the worst they could say is "no".

Re: Workout Questions
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dude,

He's not vegan. He said he was vegetarian. There's a big difference.

Trust me. I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian for +10 years. You can get plenty of calories. Getting the right calories is the hard part. Whey protein powders and flax oils are going to help in that department.

If you don't think vegetarians can get ripped, check out this thread: http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=790345

and I doubt OP event wants to get that toned.

[/ QUOTE ]

" I eat healthy, and will most likely switch to a vegan diet sometime before the end of the summer."
---OP's post... reading... its a great thing.

arbuthnot,

I listed in my post some of the issues related (certainly not all) to being Vegan and some forms of vegetarianism in general. If you would like to dispute any of those thats just fine. I also do acknowledge that though it is certainly possible to get toned while on such a diet some evidence and simply numbers of adherents to an omnivorious diet (almost all athletes, etc. coupled with the somewhat dubious personal anecdote in that most vegetarians I know are "skinny fat") are there in favor of a balanced and total diet. I, and perhaps other vicious meat eaters in the forum, would be more than willing to debate the suggestion that meat and animal products in general form an easy, healthy, and in some cases needed part of a person's diet.

Re: Workout Questions
 

OP,

I was in a similar situation as you, I changed at 17is though, not 15. You are setting yourself up for failure by thinking like this. dont become a vegetarian please. the real test of wehther you can exercise self control, is if you can eat what you like in moderation. Eat meat, lift heavy, and find a good diet you can stick too. Sticking to a diet perfectly, whether it be to gain or lose weight, and adjusting your diet to suit your goals takes about 1000x more self control than being a vegetarian. You are woefully ignorant imo, and setting yourself up for failure.

Re: Workout Questions
 

The Lipo Fund,

In regards to my name: I needed a random name for 2p2 so I looked at my bookshelf and thought "I bet no one took that yet". I have read and enjoyed the book.

I understand what you mean in regards to self image and a sense of control. Coming down in weight and wanting to retain that positive is most certainly reasonable. I would however question the leap in logic youre making.... would it not also be possible to show a great deal of control by simply following a diet that involves meat and is both very healthy and very conducive to your lifestyle goals? I do very much respect your commitment but I think others may echo my thoughts in that getting in shape and improving ones quality of life while taking dedication does not require any focus on eliminating lean animal sources of protein.

I am glad you mentioned your use of seaweed and beans as protein sources in your diet. I do not know the extent of your outside supplementation (you mentioned protein supps/calcium). With respect to the protein contained in seaweed/plant sources I can tell you that it is not termed "complete" that often these proteins are lacking in amino acids that are in demand in the body (especially as a result of the stress of lifting). Animal sources (chicken, beef, milk products to some degree) are again not only excellent sources of protein but also excellent sources of very high quality protein. Feel free to research this matter further (on general nutrition websites, I would not put it beyond any group of people, including vegetarians to selectively present one side of an arguement). To maintain lean body mass you need protein, to gain lean body mass you need even more significant ammounts of protein.

I very much respect your dedication to being healthy in general; I just think your logic in some areas is weak. Your choices in weighing yourself several times a day, reasons for going Vegan, choice to focus on strict mass loss as opposed to focusing on fat loss, etc. As I think you now realize, assuming equal height, there can be a significant difference between a guy who weighs 180lbs and has significant muscle and a guy who does not. Mass is not the enemy, fat is... changing a number on the scale is not a big deal, changing your body's overall composition is.

With respect to lifting... any answer at this point won't be too terribly accurate. Your initial progress depends heavily on your program, dedication to lifting, diet, etc. These factors when close to optimal can lead to astounding changes long term (years) and most certainly notable changes in the short term (months). If you're eating right and lifting properly noticing some degree of change will not take that long. The focus then becomes what your long term goals are with respect to health and aesthetics; again with respect to all of these aspects proper diet and intelligent weight training can be a huge help. Going by your intitial post and comments I think not touching a scale for a long long while would do you some good. You may feel/look "right" at the weight you are currently just with fat lost and muscle gained, likewise you may choose a weight that for you feels great but for your scale seems daunting; it would be a huge negative to focus on the number here rather than the issue of quality in size and composition.

Once you find a stable gym, or even pick up a 100lb barbell set at you local sport goods store for like $40 you can find a huge variety of workouts on t-nation.com or in books like ripptoe's starting strength that stress heavy full body work to make significant changes in appearance and ability.

You seem very dedicated to this conceptually but approaching the problem incorrectly will only lead to a lack of results. Please continue posting any questions or comments you have with regards to proper diet and lifting.

Re: Workout Questions
 

If you don't have a bench then I highly recommend this work out.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hugo22.htm

You can do 10 out of 12 exercises with just a pair of dumbells. It's been an excellent starting point for me since I started with just dumbells and no bench or spotter. I have a bench now which makes it easier but it's definitely not vital.

Re: Workout Questions
 

Lipo,
Here's a thread on the Paleo lithic Diet.

You seem like you want a challenge in your diet for self-image purposes, check this one out if you are reconsidering your vegetarian stance.

Also, others in this forum have recommended this brand of adjustable dumbells:
http://powerblock.com/