Nice post
@HIM*. Really good stuff.
This was way longer than I was expecting to contribute, so in case this looks like a tl;dr, here: Pay attention to what you eat, exercise 3-4 times a week, and you'll see results. It really is that simple in the long run. There is no Magic Bullet.
For everyone reading these, you'll find what works for you. There are innumerable combinations of exercises and theories for different goals - overall weight loss, bodybuilding, bodyfat loss w/strength building, etc. Personally, I like aiming for the last one. Getting stronger without bulking up too much while cutting fat.
The weight loss contest thread, coupled with some offline friends' progress and....my bathroom mirror, inspired me to finally get back in the gym after a hiatus that lasted about 2 years. My 30's were catching up to me and, at 5'9", I cracked 200 lbs for the first time in my life. My frame/structure can accommodate a bit more weight than average (which is why BMI is a terrible metric), but I'm happiest at or around 175-180. I'm not as concerned about the number as I am moving weight back up my torso, but in just the last 3-4 months, I've dropped from 204 down to 188.5, and bought my first pair of 32s in ages by doing what's below.
I don't "diet", and the only supplement I take is a Men's One a Day. I don't count calories or anything else. I eat lots of protein, few carbs, little to no processed sugars, and lots of fruits and veggies. That's it. I give myself 1 cheat-day a week for pizza or wings or whatever, and that's more than enough to keep me on track the rest of the time.
I break my weightlifting down into 3 routines, taking a day off in between to focus on cardio. I do abs/obliques every day. It's the one set of muscles that can recover the fastest and won't suffer from being overworked. The bad part is, they take the most reps... Anyway, here's what I do: Legs/Shoulders, Back/Biceps, and Chest/Triceps. The theory behind grouping the last two together being that biceps are the supporting muscles in your back lifts, and triceps are the supporting muscles in your chest lifts.
Unless otherwise noted, all exercises are done in 3 "ramping" sets (adding weight b/tw each) of 10-12 reps. I also spend about 10 mins jogging on the treadmill before to loosen up. Lastly, I use this great, free app for tracking and ideas on mixing routines up a bit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/workout-gym-routines-tracker/id1048454034?mt=8
LEGS/SHOULDERS
Barbell Squats *Don't skip these* They're the best fat-burner of any lift. You're working the biggest muscles you have.
Leg Press
or Barbell Deadlift
DB Lunges
or Hamstring Pullback Machine and Leg Extension Machine
DB Shoulder Press - Seated Military
Superset - Cable Rotation Internal/Cable Rotation External
Machine Lat Raise
EZ-Bar Shoulder Highpull
or DB Shrugs
BACK/BICEPS
Wide-Grip, Behind Neck, Cable Lat Pulldowns (I do this first to get everything going)
Seated Rope Cable Row
DB Row, Single Arm, Neutral Grip
DB Bicep Curls, Incline, Neutral grip
Cable Bicep Curl, Overhand Grip
Machine Bicep Curl
or EZ-Bar Preacher Curls
Reverse Sit-Ups (3-4 sets of 15-20)
or Good Mornings
Chest/Triceps
Barbell Bench Press
Barbell Decline Bench Press, Close Grip
DB Incline Press
Chest Fly Machine, Straight Arm
or DB Flys
Superset - DB Pullover into Press
or Skullcrushers into Press
2 of the next 3
Cable Tricep Pulldown w/Rope
Seated DB Tricep Extension
Cable Tricep Pushdown, Overhand Grip
I'm pretty much the opposite of the Himbos and Gym Bunnies you'll inevitably see. I couldn't give 2 shits less what anyone else at the gym thinks of what I'm doing. I'm there for me. There will be stronger people there than you. You can't fake strong. Either wholly ignore them, or use it for motivation. Don't let other people's fitness levels dissuade you from progressing. Personally, I'm more impressed by the members that consistently show up to the gym who are closer to 300lbs than those w/single-digit body fat percentages. Keep your own personal goals in mind and have fun with it.
Cheers to your future success!
