The straight talk express
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And be patient and persistent! Results take time.
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Weight-based programs are the easiest to get into. So join a gym. Make sure they have barbells and free weights and a squat rack. Find one where you feel comfortable and is open around your schedule. Most gyms will give you a little tour if you are interested, and will often let you try things out for free for a day or two. Shop around. Find one you like. Take weeks if you have to. And then get started. Here are three popular SIMPLE routines that only use 5 exercises TOTAL, and require only three trips to the gym per week:
Do you want to see workout results like this?
And like this?
Seriously
Eat less of this
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And more of this
Leave the "favorite" part of "favorite and forget" behind when you see these
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Instead, do this...
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And this...
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And some of this...
Maybe a little of this...
Be sure to get as much of this as you can...
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And be patient and persistent! Results take time.
A couple months for you to start noticing yourself and probably 3 - 6 months for everyone else to notice.
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Where to start?
Weight-based programs are the easiest to get into. So join a gym. Make sure they have barbells and free weights and a squat rack. Find one where you feel comfortable and is open around your schedule. Most gyms will give you a little tour if you are interested, and will often let you try things out for free for a day or two. Shop around. Find one you like. Take weeks if you have to. And then get started. Here are three popular SIMPLE routines that only use 5 exercises TOTAL, and require only three trips to the gym per week:
Stronglifts "5x5": stronglifts.com/5x5/ - One of the most popular. Simple and effective. Probably the easiest thing to start with. It's where I started.
Phrak's Greyskull Workout: i.stack.imgur.com/OUcEY.png - This was put together by reddit user Phrakture on /r/fitness as a modified version of a different workout.
Starting Strength "3x5": forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224 - considered one of the classic beginner programs. The only difficulty with this one is that one of the exercises (power clean) can be difficult to learn on your own. Some people substitute a rowing exercise for it.
Still don't want to sign up for a gym or use weights?? Try one of these bodyweight routines that is less focused on super heroes, and more focused on results:
Excellent program put together by knowledgeable people: www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine
For beginners: www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
More advanced: www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/17/advanced-body-weight-workout-warning-this-will-kick-your-ass/
Diet is at least 70% of the equation. Now while I think the rationale behind the Paleo diet is totally stupid and unfounded, paleo recipes are free of bread and pasta. Reducing those two things and replacing them with fruits and veggies is a seriously easy way to get started on burning fat, so it's nice to have some bread/pasta-free recipes around
paleogrubs.com/paleo-diet-recipes
nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex
ultimatepaleoguide.com/recipes/
You'll probably have tons of questions. Here's some resources to help you answer them:
www.reddit.com/r/fitness (excellent place to start)
www.nerdfitness.com/ (where the progress pics at the top came from; lots of other good stuff there, too)
www.bodybuilding.com/ (I know I know, meatheads yada yada. the site is actually packed with useful stuff)
startingstrength.com/ (get the book, it's seriously helpful for learning the basic lifts)
www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/ (for those of you who don't want to lift or join a gym)
www.youtube.com/user/JuggernautFitnessTV (run by Jason Blaha, tons of no-nonsense advice)
www.youtube.com/user/strengthcamp (run by Elliott Hulse, a total lunatic with some insightful things to say)
www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961 (Scooby has tons of great instructional videos)
www.youtube.com/user/ScottHermanFitness (another channel with tons of helpful videos)
Check out the stories of the two people in the progress pics:
www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/06/13/60-pounds-overweight-to-6-pack-abs/
Seriously, it may take time, commitment, and effort, but it's not complicated. We aren't talking about bodybuilding, or spending an hour or more in the gym every day. You can get a lot done with just 4 or 5 different exercises, three times a week, if you pick the right exercises. The two people in the progress pics just cleaned up their diets, started doing a few simple lifts, and stuck with it. Anyone without prior injury or disability can do it.
This is what I found most helpful when I started working out. Hopefully you find it helpful, too.
EDIT: For those freaking out about my comment regarding the bodyweight workout posts, I was NOT saying bodyweight workout plans are bad. I was making fun of those posts because they suck. Bodyweight exercises themselves are great, just look at any serious gymnast. Check out the Barstarzz youtube channel while you're at it (www.youtube.com/user/OfficialBarstarzz). The thing is, these folks follow workout plans. The things that get posted aren't plans, they are a random mish mash of exercises with something like "Batman" tacked onto the name to sound more interesting. Some of the exercises included in these are great, some are total **** .
Bodyweight workouts, when done correctly, can be very effective. There is a reason I actually included bodyweight stuff in this post, if you actually read it. My first recommendation for an overall beginner plan, however, is still weight training because it is easier to progress with when the exercises start to get easy. You just add more weight. With bodyweight routines, you typically have to change the way you actually do the exercise to make it challenging enough. Things like pull ups and dips are amazing muscle and strength builders. Pull ups, though, tend to be very challenging for beginners to do. I see plenty of bodybuilder types at the gym who still suck at strict pull ups. But whatever. You are free to exercise as you want. Truth be told, doing the Batman jumping jack work out is a 1000 times better than sitting on your ass and eating cheese doodles (though that has its merits, too). Do whatever ya like. These are just the recommendations of some guy on the internet.
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