Exercising to lose weight.

Hi, kinda new. But anyways, was not sure if this is the right subforum, but if it isn't I'm sure a mod will move it if he/she deems it to be inappropriate.

Right..

I'm looking to lose 70lbs, at least, and looking to maintain a healthy diet afterwards. And I know exercise will help with this.

My question is; is there anyone out there who can tell me what exercise would be best to get the ball rolling, and then to keep my weight tumbling, and then to maintain a weight with which i'm happy with.

I'm open to most suggestions.  I already do around 1hr of moderate walking across a rather hilly area each day. But I'm really looking to give that fat a whack and totally get rid. Also I have a 5 month summer coming up. I know I'll be open to doing loads of exercise. So please reccomend guys. I know nothing and I will really appreciate your help.

I'm also maybe looking to build muscle.. so that's a possibility.

Thanks in advance guys :D

We all have our favorite exercise routines, so keep in mind the number one rule:  The best exercise routine for you is the one you will actually do.

Walking, especially with hills is a good, gentle start on an exercise program.  As the walking becomes easier, you can start to jog short distances during your walk.  Good cardio, but you also should do strength training.  Plus the walking can get old, so what else would you do?

 So think about what you would enjoy doing and what you have the time and money to do.  It sounds like you will have time, so the second question is: how much can you spend?  Can you afford a gym membership?  Gyms offer trainers and classes that can really help you burn off some calories and build some muscle.  Would you go to a gym?  If gyms don't sound good, what about exercise videos or other programs?  There are hundreds of different videos you can do and the New Rules of Weightlifting for Woman book has a lot of enthusiastic supporters on these forums.  Would you do them? 

Since I discovered the fact that weight training for women actually helps with fat loss and doesn't create bulk (I thought it didn't do anything for fat loss and did create bulk) I've begun lifting and have had tremendous success with it.

The key is what clharr said - what you will do, and on a regular basis.  I don't force myself to do exercises anymore - if I don't like them, I don't do them.  For instance, I tried planks last week and loathed them.  So, I won't force myself to do them.  I hate endless cardio, and I love lifting heavy weights.  So therefore, I do next to no cardio and a lot of lifting. 

Don't be afraid to try new things, though... you would be surprised at what you enjoy :)

I agree with PP's, and would add that whatever cardio you are doing, make sure your heart rate is elevated for a good length of time (even try a heart rate monitor if you are into tracking things).  Walking is a great way to start (especially with hills) but once you adapt and it becomes easy, you will start losing the weight loss benefits and will need to push a little more (mix walking and jogging for example). 

Strength is great for increasing your muscle to fat ratio, which will burn more calories even during rest time. 

For me variety is the key to success.  To really see progress (quickly, that is), I need to do about 4-5 days / wk of serious cardio (elevated heart rate, panting for breath) and then about 2 days of strength (from a class at the gym or a DVD at home.)  I do everything from running to biking to taking kickboxing classes at the gym... whatever sounds good enough to get my butt out the door is what I'll do. :)  And if you're working hard enough to get sore muscles, get 1-2 rest days in there so they can repair and rebuild.  Sore is good, as long as they get their recovery days.

Jillian Michael's "30 Day Shred" DVD is a totally awesome combination of strength and cardio and I've been using that on my 2 strength days lately. 

I can actually see and feel a difference this month which is so great!  Good luck to you!

When I first started, there was no way I was going to the gym to do anything!  I looked too terrible in gym clothes.  So I started walking everywhere.  No more driving to the supermarket (which was about 1 mile away).  Sometimes I had to make two trips.  I walked to school every day.  I waited tables instead of answering phones.  Just don't eat at the restaurant.

That took care of the first 10 pounds or so.  Then it was spandex, a Shape magazine, and all the stuff everyone said above! 

Good luck!

Walking is an AWESOME start! Keep it up, challenge yourself by walking further, faster and on steeper hills each week.  I don't recommend running until you've got a lot of time and miles logged in walking. Then a run/walk interval is a GREAT fat burner!

Anything HIIT [High Intensity Interval Training] would be extremely successful in burning calories.  An example is sprinting as FAST as you can for 30 secs followed by 90 secs of a fast walk then repeating for 20 mins. This can be done with jumping jacks and step ups, jumping rope, etc.

ALL MOVEMENT is GREAT!

Adding weights into your weekly workouts is something you will greatly benefit from.  You can do this at a gym or at home - using soup cans, milk jugs, etc., if purchasing weights is not an option for you. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Best of luck!

Soup cans? Really? At least lift your dog or a bag of groceries or sandbags or something

Original Post by spirochete:

Soup cans? Really? At least lift your dog or a bag of groceries or sandbags or something

 Haha. Might be a little difficult keeping dog still while doing squats and lunges or step ups.  Soup cans can weigh anywhere from 2.5 to 5 lbs!! Great lite weight alternative to people that don't have access to weights and are just starting off.

you can start it in everything you do

walking up stairs for instance, forget about lifts

in my opinion, i love weight training and it keeps your metabolism up

it feels easier if that makes sense because the goals are ten reps (but you must be doing heavyish weights)

best thing to start is at home

make yourself or find yourself a home routine and start with simple body weight exercises

for instance "girl" press ups, like press ups but with your knees on the ground

body weight squat

static lunges

crunches

if you do each, lets say ten times so x10 each

and run through it 3 times with no stopping

if you need a break take one, eventually you can increase the  repatitions and move onto more advanced exercises or increase the amount of time

start at home, if you stick to it, consider a gym membership

it is also definately worth paying a personal trainer and get 5 sessions

always take a free session (usually a mark of someone that is good)

and if you dont like your personal trainer, ditch them. <<< must.

thing is you can end up with building your own routine from what is said above

add skipping as someone mentioned for 30 seconds between

or jogging on the spot

eventually you'll get to adding so many exercises you'll have a 1 hour work out

and remember,

if it hurts, stop

if it aches, you're doing well.

I agree with what these guys are saying on VARIETY!!  Wake up in the morning, and think "Okay, do I want to walk again?  Or maybe I should go swimming at the community pool...."  I try to make my cardio varied, because otherwise I get very bored and unmotivated quickly.  My recruiter wants me to walk/jog 4 miles in under an hour.  I've got it down to about 55 minutes, but then it started to bore me.  So instead I do that same pace, but only for 30 mins and then I do the elliptical for another 30 mins or I'll do 15 on the bike and 15 on the elliptical.  Just keep yourself having fun!  I also got a copy of the classes at the gym I'm a member of (big name gym, $30 a month, it's worth it!) and I take a look at the classes every day and think "Hmm, that cardio kickbox class looks like fun, or maybe I'll try my hand at spinning..." and keep it interesting that way.  The best for me has been my cable company, as counterintuitive as it sounds.  They have their On Demand section, and under that I go into the Freezone, Health and Wellness, Exercise TV!  There are TONS of workouts in there!  Booty dancing, pilates, yoga, Bigger Loser workouts with real people trying to lose weight doing the workouts!, kickboxing, just every kind of workout you can imagine!  I do a couple of those and I hurt more than aftercardio and lifting at the gym some days. 

Just keep on mixing it up and STAY WITH IT!  :)

Wow, I really did not expect this many replies.

So what im seeing here, is variation basically, but keep it fun. Which is great news cause I dont want to have to do gruelling exercises.

You've all come up with some great suggestions, but what I'm really looking to do is build muscle.

Any good tips on that, I know I have to up my protein intake, but I dunno where to start on that, and also on starting to build muscle, because I like the fact it uses calories even when resting.

I will keep up with my walking until I start to see effects wearing off and then I'll mix it up.

And as for exercising at home. I tend to just put on my Mp3 and just move about, do a little dancing. Geeky and uncool, but it gets me moving.

The most efficient way to build muscle it to lift weights.  Heavy weights.  You can join a gym and get a trainer to show you how.  You can buy weights for $100 or more and either read The New Rules for Weightlifting for Women or get some DVDs with intense weightlifting routines (I am sure people will have suggestions) like Power 90 or P90X.  Exercises like swimming or Yoga will build muscle as well, but not as quickly.  Walking and dancing will not do a lot of good in this area.  Once again, find something that sounds like fun.

I'm a dude btw, so books for women would be no good.

And yeah I guess weightlifting would be best. What would be an ideal weight to start out on?

Well, Nwe Rules of Lifting (for Women, or the regular one for guys) are both good books.  I'm awaiting my "Starting Strength" book arriving today.  Actually in NROL4W, they are really giving a lot of the same advice as in the original NROL book, but allaying fears that women will get "bulky".

That said, the weights you should lift are whatever you *can* lift.  You should have a plan when you go, and if you want to do 3 sets of 10 reps of a particular exercise, then you should try to pick a weight at which you can accomplish the reps, but not too easily. 

If after 10 reps you think you could do another 5 reps, then that wieght was probably too light.  If you only get 8 reps done, then maybe you should go a little lighter. Basically it's trial and error.  And the weight will likely be different for different exercises.  I can deadlift 115 lbs, but I can only shoulder press 8 lbs (per arm). 

That's when joining a gym is key. You usually get a free session with a personal trainer.  USE IT AND ABUSE IT!  There are a lot of guys a tthe gym that you can watch to see what they're using and how, or I'm sure most all of them wouldn't mind sharing a bunch of tips and tricks.  When I started back working out, I would use my 30 mins of cardio to watch the guys lifting weights and see what range of motions they used for what weights, etc. 

I just always lift with a weight that I know I can do 8-10 reps of, but not much more, and start there.  Try to do 3 sets of each lift to start.  Make sure you're working those targeted muscles hard, if it's hard enough to where you have to grunt or you feel your lip start to curl, that's working those muscles.  They should be burning.  If you're barely working a sweat- *yawn*.  Not going to do you much good.  Good luck!!

I'm actually looking to join a gym with my sister, and then when I go to uni in September, they'll have one on campus.

I'm going to love it, I know.

:)

But yeah, I really wanna whack this fat. And I hope that by friday (my weighing day) I'll see some serious reduction :)

I'll keep you updated with progress.

Also, do sit ups help? I read somewhere they are not very good, and that walking is best.

Mark Rippetoe Starting Strength.

 Anything from the List of weight training programs will work in conjunction with the general program from the FAQ up top, but Starting Strength is my preferred beginner resource. Either the actual book, or Kethnaabs' interpretation of Starting Strength- or Sean10mm's "stripped" 5x5 routine constructed along roughly similar lines - is the best possible way to start your lifting.

 Yeah, New rules of Lifting is good too; but the level of instruction you get with Starting strenght is second only to having your own lifting coach.

Original Post by fredontoast:

I'm a dude btw, so books for women would be no good.

Why not? You have the same muscles as women do, and the funciton the same way. 

Original Post by floggingsully:

Original Post by fredontoast:

I'm a dude btw, so books for women would be no good.

Why not? You have the same muscles as women do, and the funciton the same way. 

If that's true, then why is it important to put whether you're male or female on these sites when finding out your quota for calories. And on food labels they always say 2000 for women, and 2500 for men?

Sorry I didn't mean to sound sexist if that's how it came across.. I just thought that men and women functioned different in terms of calorie burning and muscle building because our government here makes a massive deal about it.

Guess not.

OK...It is very important to understand the following true thing. Women are not a special population. They are half of the population. With very, very few exceptions they are trained in exactly the same way as men the same age are trained. By virtue of a different hormonal profile, the magnitude of change in strength and mass will differ, but the biological processes that bring about those changes are otherwise the same as those in men. Since the processes are the same, the method used to affect the processes will be the same also. And the response to the method will then depend on the effectiveness of the method, not the sex of the individual using it. Many excuses have been made over the centuries that exercise has been practiced, sometimes by women, but usually for them. The bottom line is that everyone, regardless of sex, gets out of a correctly designed training program exactly what they put into it. Ineffective 'firming and toning' routines have no basis in physiology, and the results obtained from them demonstrate this rather conclusively.

That having been said, there are several differences that are observed between the performances of men and women, both in the weight room and on the field. As a general rule, women are not as efficient in terms of neuromuscular efficiency as men. This is probably due to the differences in hormonal profile and the much lower levels of testosterone, and it is evident across the spectrum of performance. Women can use a higher percentage of their 1RM for more reps than men can, probably because their 1RM performance is not as efficient in demonstrating true absolute strength. Vertical jump, throws, snatch, clean and jerk, and other explosive movements that involve high levels of motor unit recruitment are performed at lower levels than men of the same size. While levels of absolute strength relative to muscle mass are essentially the same in men and women, upper body movements suffer from the large relative difference in local muscle mass distribution.

Women are more likely to believe that weight training is less important to health and sports performance than men. There is also a social and media-driven misconception that all weight training produces big, masculine, muscular physiques. This does not occur without anabolic steroids. The strongest women in the US perform at their best and look healthy and athletic through the use of correctly designed weight training programs.