6 weeks to improve myself

[LordGrover]

JoeMarano said:

I know I bang on about it all the time but insanity really works.

If you can be assed to sweat your ass off for about 40 mins a day for 6 weeks I think you'll be very happy indeed!

The plus side is you shouldn't need to mess about with your diet either as you are going to be burning serious calories

Surely the whole point is you do need to 'mess about with your diet', otherwise as soon as you stop this excessive exercise regime you'll go back to where you started.
Sorting out your diet is absolutely crucial to long term health and fitness, assuming starting from a 'typical' British/Western junk/fast/processed food diet.

[HarryFlatters]

JoeMarano said:

I know I bang on about it all the time but insanity really works.

I don't think that going from being pretty much sedentary, to doing an insanity work out is a very sensible idea. It also doesn't sound very joint friendly, and I don't have enough room in my house to do it.

Other than that, it's bob on

[JoeMarano]

You'd be surprised. Me and the missus do it together in our new front room which is quite small!

She actually started it having done no exercise in a long time!

[HarryFlatters]

Joe, I'll have a proper look into it at lunchtime and have a think about it

[JoeMarano]

I find people that quit insanity always just find a reason to the common one being that they do three days of it, notice they haven't lost the two stone they wanted and then just give up.

It doesn't work like that it's a two month routine for a reason. You have to build up slowly. By the second month you will watch the weight fall off!

It's not so much the weight that's the benefit of it. Your posture will have changed helping you appear slimmer and your muscles will have a much better and defined shape to them which again aids with appearing slimmer.

I never weighed myself or did a before and after when I was doing it. But I was one of those typical early 30's with a half decent physique but a bit of side and belly fat and from insanity I probably appeared better than I did when I was about 25!

[HarryFlatters]

JoeMarano said:

I find people that quit insanity always just find a reason to the common one being that they do three days of it, notice they haven't lost the two stone they wanted and then just give up.

It doesn't work like that it's a two month routine for a reason. You have to build up slowly. By the second month you will watch the weight fall off!

It's not so much the weight that's the benefit of it. Your posture will have changed helping you appear slimmer and your muscles will have a much better and defined shape to them which again aids with appearing slimmer.

I never weighed myself or did a before and after when I was doing it. But I was one of those typical early 30's with a half decent physique but a bit of side and belly fat and from insanity I probably appeared better than I did when I was about 25!

I spent most of my 20's weighing 16 stone, and have lost 3 of that in the last 3 years. However, I've been between 13 stone and 13 stone 5lbs for about a year which I hope goes some way to showing that I'm not one for quitting.

Once again, I'm not really looking to lose weight, I'm wanting to redistribute what weight is around my middle to my shoulders, chest, arms and legs. Maybe insanity is one way of doing this, I've not really looked tbh.

[V8mate]

HarryFlatters said:

Once again, I'm not really looking to lose weight, I'm wanting to redistribute what weight is around my middle to my shoulders, chest, arms and legs. Maybe insanity is one way of doing this, I've not really looked tbh.

No, cardio just burns you away - muscle and fat.

If you want to be anything from toned to muscular you'll have to lift weights.

[battered]

I disagree. Within the scope of the man in the street, running will make you thinner , with better muscle tone and you'll look more muscular because the layer of fat has been removed.

[AndrewEH1]

battered said:

I disagree. Within the scope of the man in the street, running will make you thinner , with better muscle tone and you'll look more muscular because the layer of fat has been removed.

+1

The whole cardio burns muscle thing is bullst for the most part anyway...the fact is big muscle gains won't really be made in 6 weeks unless you want to destroy your body so trimming as much fat as possible is the better option.

[Kiwi LS2]

V8mate said:

HarryFlatters said:

Once again, I'm not really looking to lose weight, I'm wanting to redistribute what weight is around my middle to my shoulders, chest, arms and legs. Maybe insanity is one way of doing this, I've not really looked tbh.

No, cardio just burns you away - muscle and fat.

If you want to be anything from toned to muscular you'll have to lift weights.

Swimming - best of all worlds, build muscle and burn fat. Walking (quickly!) to burn some more fat away without stressing your joints. Eat well. Long term health benefits and continued weight control without even having to stress about it.

Good on you OP for keeping it off for three years, that is really awesome - takes some self-discipline when you've been overweight for a large (pardon the pun!) part of your life.

[HarryFlatters]

Kiwi LS2 said:

Good on you OP for keeping it off for three years, that is really awesome - takes some self-discipline when you've been overweight for a large (pardon the pun!) part of your life.

Cheers Kiwi

I decided a few years ago to lose weight, but not through a "diet". I made a step change in my attitude to food, made it a lifestyle change, because I've always thought of "diets" as temporary things. As such there's an end to that process where you'd end up slipping back into old habits and end up piling the weight back on.

It's very true what a lot of folk have said - you get thin in the kitchen and fit in the gym. I've done the first part ok, now onto the second

Cheers again for all your advice

[HarryFlatters]

Right, a wee update.

The gym's fancy scales worked out that I'm 82.7kg and 22%ish body fat. I've not set a particular goal, but if I could get he body fat %age down to maybe 18 before I go on holiday, I'll be chuffed.

Got myself a programme after talking to one of the trainers. I'm doing some HIIT stuff on the treadmill, which is surprisingly painless considering my feet and that I haven't even ran for a bus in the last 8 years.

Weight wise, I'm doing a mix of lat pull downs, chest press, shoulder press, leg extensions and leg curls on embarrassingly low weights. I really don't have any upper body strength at all.

I'm going to ask the trainer to add in some exercises to work my core, as I think a lot of the problems with my back come from having no abdominal strength, and I think that I'll get some rowing added in to boost the cardio.

All in all, I'm really rather enjoying it. My elbows hurt though, which I hope will settle after I've built up my triceps a little.

TTFN

[Halb]

V8mate said:

Three, hour-long sessions each week with a PT and cut out all booze, sweets, chocolate, biscuits and cakes for the duration.

best answer

[HarryFlatters]

Halb said:

V8mate said:

Three, hour-long sessions each week with a PT and cut out all booze, sweets, chocolate, biscuits and cakes for the duration.

best answer

Can't afford a PT, don't eat any sweets, chocolate, biscuits or cakes. Don't drink any booze through the week and only have a few at the weekend.

[lickatysplit]

HarryFlatters said:

Can't afford a PT, don't eat any sweets, chocolate, biscuits or cakes. Don't drink any booze through the week and only have a few at the weekend.

search some lean body workouts online, and follow one. make sure you have a go hard or go home attitude as you have'nt got someone nagging you over your shoulder to push harder or go faster.

[Halb]

HarryFlatters said:

Can't afford a PT, don't eat any sweets, chocolate, biscuits or cakes. Don't drink any booze through the week and only have a few at the weekend.

Roughly, what is your diet? How does it break down into fats, carbs and protein?

Whichever exercises you do. Maintain balance. I see you have no rows in there, add them.
If you gonna add core exercises, make sure they cover all planes. And make sure you add a erector spinae exercise for balance to the abs.

[HarryFlatters]

Halb said:

Roughly, what is your diet? How does it break down into fats, carbs and protein?

Breakfast: Mixed fruit smoothie, comprising mix of pineapple, melon, nectarines, mango etc... whatever's on offer in the supermarket. This is mixed with Alpro coconut milk and a tablespoon of porridge oats. I've been thinking about switching up the oats for walnuts to increase the protein. I have this every weekday morning.

Lunch: 1 small wholemeal flour tortilla, 1 tablespoon of hummus, handful of salad leaves and a few slices of lean sandwich meat like chicken or turkey. I have this every weekday lunch.

Dinner: Last night I had a prawn curry with puy lentils, night before was some plaice with a ragu of courgette, tomato, peas, broad beans and spinich. Tonight I'm going to have a pork taco. Friday, I'm planning a nice veggy Spanish omelette. Everything I eat is home made.

No snacks.

Lots of water, few cups of black coffee, no sugar. Couple of tins of diet coke.

No booze.

That's basically how I eat all week, every week, for the last three years.

I'm cheating a bit at the weekends, I might have a few beers, a glass of wine and maybe some pasta or even chips but I'm certainly not having 17 portions of butter chicken and a bottle of baileys

[Halb]

HarryFlatters said:

Breakfast: Mixed fruit smoothie, comprising mix of pineapple, melon, nectarines, mango etc... whatever's on offer in the supermarket. This is mixed with Alpro coconut milk and a tablespoon of porridge oats. I've been thinking about switching up the oats for walnuts to increase the protein. I have this every weekday morning.
Lunch: 1 small wholemeal flour tortilla, 1 tablespoon of hummus, handful of salad leaves and a few slices of lean sandwich meat like chicken or turkey. I have this every weekday lunch.
Dinner: Last night I had a prawn curry with puy lentils, night before was some plaice with a ragu of courgette, tomato, peas, broad beans and spinich. Tonight I'm going to have a pork taco. Friday, I'm planning a nice veggy Spanish omelette. Everything I eat is home made.
No snacks.
Lots of water, few cups of black coffee, no sugar. Couple of tins of diet coke.
No booze.
That's basically how I eat all week, every week, for the last three years.
I'm cheating a bit at the weekends, I might have a few beers, a glass of wine and maybe some pasta or even chips but I'm certainly not having 17 portions of butter chicken and a bottle of baileys

All sound pretty balanced. You want a good shape, that is one of the objectives of losing fat? Stick with the exercises and I would probably look at fasting and how the meals break down into protein/fat etc. 40/30/30 is a common and easier ration to stick to. I have no love of rice/pasta and I can take or leave potatoes. But I adore bread. I'm gonna lean up this month so I can cosplay as Hulk, so I'll probably drop bread as the only starchy carb left.
I fast (very roughly) following 16/8, have done for three years. I use BCAA and cofffee (with dash milk) as appetite suppressants.

[HarryFlatters]

Halb said:

You want a good shape, that is one of the objectives of losing fat?

That's exactly my objective. My weight, and fat, is very much centred around my middle. I'm not desperate to lose another stone in weight, but I'd like to change my body fat %age so that I appear more athletic.

TBH, even having my belly not stick out as far as my tits would be great

I'll look into fasting, but I'm not certain that it's for me. I'm prone to migraines which are triggered by low blood sugar.

I'll add in some rowing and other core exercises as suggested above, and batter on with it

Cheers all

[Halb]

HarryFlatters said:

That's exactly my objective. My weight, and fat, is very much centred around my middle. I'm not desperate to lose another stone in weight, but I'd like to change my body fat %age so that I appear more athletic.

TBH, even having my belly not stick out as far as my tits would be great

I'll look into fasting, but I'm not certain that it's for me. I'm prone to migraines which are triggered by low blood sugar.

I'll add in some rowing and other core exercises as suggested above, and batter on with it

Cheers all

Rows, not rowing.