Posted: 12/6/2001 9:57:35 AM EDT
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I'm 16 years old and I'd like to improve my physical fitness. I am by no means obese but I am admittedely a little out of shape. I am 5'10" tall and I weigh just under 190lbs so weight isn't my biggest concern. I find that I tire to easily while doing running with my heart rate going up very easily. I think I am strong enough I occassionally lift weights and I can do many push ups. Also I can beat most of my friends at an arm wrestle but not a race. I would like to lose a little weight and make my heart stronger. Can anyone send some suggestions my way? |
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Quoted: I'm 16 years old and I'd like to improve my physical fitness. I am by no means obese but I am admittedely a little out of shape. I am 5'10" tall and I weigh just under 190lbs so weight isn't my biggest concern. I find that I tire to easily while doing running with my heart rate going up very easily. I think I am strong enough I occassionally lift weights and I can do many push ups. Also I can beat most of my friends at an arm wrestle but not a race. I would like to lose a little weight and make my heart stronger. Can anyone send some suggestions my way? Jogging, riding a bicycle, and swimming are by far the best cardiovascular exercises going.... Don Out |
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Quoted: I'm 16 years old and I'd like to improve my physical fitness. I am by no means obese but I am admittedely a little out of shape. I am 5'10" tall and I weigh just under 190lbs so weight isn't my biggest concern. I find that I tire to easily while doing running with my heart rate going up very easily. I think I am strong enough I occassionally lift weights and I can do many push ups. Also I can beat most of my friends at an arm wrestle but not a race. I would like to lose a little weight and make my heart stronger. Can anyone send some suggestions my way? I've heard that owning and firing an AR-15 can improve overall physical fitness, as well as sharpening the mind and improving sexual attractiveness and performance. Does anyone doubt me? |
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For starters you must make changes in your lifestyle and diet. If you do not feel like choosing the high protein/low carb/low fat food over the sugar,fat and calorie loaded triple cheeseburgers don't even bother to start. Start reading about weight lifting and healthy diets regularly.No need to even buy magazines if money is tight.Check these websites [url]www.muscleandfitness.com[/url] and [url]www.musclemedia.com[/url] among others. You can also do a search on this site using the keywords exercise,getting fit,getting in shape,etc) since we often discuss this issue here. Oh yes,I know you want specifics,so here is my 2 cents. IN ADDITION to doing the above: Keep doing pushups and start doing pullups,chinups,crunches,and whatever type of aerobics you like(jogging,rope jumping,etc) If after a short period you are committed to this (a lot of people buy equipment and let it gather dust) it is time to start going to a gym or buying some weights and using them. Start slow and don't try to lift too much too soon.Gains in weight lifting last longer when they are achieved by building up slowly. Let us know how you are doing in 4 weeks or so and we will give you specific workouts to follow. Good luck |
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I recommend Covert Bailey's "The Ultimate Fit or Fat". It educates you on how much of what you should weigh (bone,muscle,fat). Some people could be 190 and 5'10 and have a healthy body fat ratio. In others it could be obese. It also covers some basic chemistry relating to enzymes, how they are produced and what they do, and how to stimulate production of the good ones. Covert Bailey is getting on in years now, but he did shows on PBS for years blowing fad diets and quack approaches out of the water. |
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The only way to get cardiovascularly (did I just invent a word?) fit is spend a considerable amount of time and activity building up your system. Were I you, I would focus on running or swimming. Push-ups and crunches and other stuff that is easy to do should definitely continue, but I'd advise against sending a lot of time in the gym or with weights. If you have access to a long pool, great. Use it. If not, BUY SOME GOOD RUNNING SHOES, and RUN, RUN, RUN. If you can afford it, they should be in the $80 - $100 range, and you should replace them (roughly) every 400 miles. Asics and New Balance are really good, as are a couple of others - don't worry about style, but fit and cushioning. Don't start out too aggressively, because you'll just kill your motivation and do easy stuff like going to the gym and pumping iron. Adding heavy muscle and bulk will not help you get fit, and it just creates more weight to carry around. Start walking, then mix running and walking, then run - gradually increasing distance and pace. Once you're running 4-5 miles at least a couple of times a week, THEN start going to the gym and working your upper body (shoulders, lats, bicep, tricep, etc) - but don't overdo it. Bodybuilding requires enormous maintenance, and doesn't necessary make you that much more "fit" just impressive to look at. When I was in the infantry, it was endurance and fitness that was most important, not brute strength. Just my $.02 |
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People, people, this guy is a CANADIAN and we must design a CANADIAN fitness regimine. Start with something less strenuous like curling, and then work your way up to hockey. If you're 16, just join the high school hockey team. Above all, avoid Tim Horton's. And Moosehead/Labatt's/Molson beer. This might be a great sacrifice, but your gut will thank you. |
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Quoted: People, people, this guy is a CANADIAN and we must design a CANADIAN fitness regimine. Start with something less strenuous like curling, and then work your way up to hockey. LOL! [:D] Dude - curling is the absolutely coolest sport ever invented. I sure hope they show it during the Winter Olympics |
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Quoted: Adding heavy muscle and bulk will not help you get fit, and it just creates more weight to carry around. With all due respect,I would like to disagree. Muscle burns more calories than fat,so it seems reasonable to think that if you have a larger amount of muscle (everything else constant-like metabolism,nutrition,etc)you would burn more calories even at rest Bodybuilding requires enormous maintenance, and doesn't necessary make you that much more "fit" just impressive to look at. Not necessarily. Unless you want to become Mr.Olympia,you only need 1 to 1and1/2 hours, 3 times a week to do your workouts. It depends what you want to achieve.IMHO a mixture of aerobics with weight training cannot hurt anyone,and I feel would benefit most, if not all people. |
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Quoted: I'm 16 years old and I'd like to improve my physical fitness. I am by no means obese but I am admittedely a little out of shape. I am 5'10" tall and I weigh just under 190lbs so weight isn't my biggest concern. I find that I tire to easily while doing running with my heart rate going up very easily. I think I am strong enough I occassionally lift weights and I can do many push ups. Also I can beat most of my friends at an arm wrestle but not a race. I would like to lose a little weight and make my heart stronger. Can anyone send some suggestions my way? Before you do anything at all, have a complete physical including, if your doctor will approve it, a stress test. A 16 year old who 'tires easily' could either be in need of some cardiovascular exercise or could have an underlying problem causing the tiredness as a symthom. After you've done that and gotten a clean bill of health from your doctor, consider your goals. I assume from your description that you don't aspire to be a professional athlete, so don't worry about anything else until you have seen to your heart. If your heart rate goes up quickly while doing aerobic exercise and doesn't return to normal relatively quickly (2-5 minutes), then you need to build a base of cardiovascular fitness. This adds additional benefits since it increases your metabolism and improves your circulation which will be useful whether you choose to pursue bodybuilding or triathlon (which are almost diametrically opposed fitness goals). I would suggest that you invest in a heart rate monitor and a couple of books on the subject. Precision Heart Rate Training by Edmund R. Burke, Ed. is a good 'sport neutral' book, and The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Outdoor and Indoor Cyclists by Sally Edwards and Sally Reed is good for a cycling centric program. That's the advice, and here's what it's done for me. I've lost 51 pounds in the last year (still have a way to go). I've gone from being winded walking up a flight of stairs at work to riding a metric century (100 km or 64 miles) on my bike. I couldn't complete a weight 'circuit' when I started, but have no problem now completing two 'circuits' end to end. My goal is not bodybuilding, as I am more inclined to be involved in endurance sports, but fitness is still an important foundation for bodybuilding. Also, since you're young, I'll pass along some advice that many of my friends ignored when we were your age. Steroids and 'performance enhancing' drugs are not worth the heartache (literally) they will cause later in life. When it comes to beating your friends in races, you might be someone like me whose physiology simply doen't lend itself to sprinting. At 5'10", you might think about how long your legs are compared to your height. It could be that your stride is shorter, and you'll have to walk or run with a higer cadence than your friends to cover the same distance. Whatever you do, approach exercise as fun rather than a chore. It will make it easier, especially at first, and over the long run you'll stick with it better. Best of luck, Tom |
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CGN, You've gotten some great advice here,I would if I were you, go get a physical,I started going to a local gym back in June of this year, I had been using some equiptment that my wife had, and was collecting dust, up until I joined the gym, A little backround here, I was in a auto accident in Dec 00, (I lost control of my pickup on black ice, and hit a semi,head-on,)I sustained some serious injuries,(I was recovering for 6 months) in March, my DR, suggested that I start excerising, I did, and later started going to a gym, It was the best thing I've ever done, I've lost about 40 lbs,(I used to weigh 240, now down to 197) feel much better, and despite my lack of a few body parts (ribs, spleen) I feel great,This also helped me upon my return to work, (I'm a pipefitter) picking objects up that had given me trouble before were not nearly as hard,and I didn't feel wore out at the end of the day as I had before, I'd recommend a gym 3 times a week to any one,it'll really help, it really helped me,Go for it!!! |
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Quoted: For starters you must make changes in your lifestyle and diet. If you do not feel like choosing the high protein/low carb/low fat food over the sugar,fat and calorie loaded triple cheeseburgers don't even bother to start. Start reading about weight lifting and healthy diets regularly.No need to even buy magazines if money is tight.Check these websites [url]www.muscleandfitness.com[/url] and [url]www.musclemedia.com[/url] among others. You can also do a search on this site using the keywords exercise,getting fit,getting in shape,etc) since we often discuss this issue here. Oh yes,I know you want specifics,so here is my 2 cents. IN ADDITION to doing the above: Keep doing pushups and start doing pullups,chinups,crunches,and whatever type of aerobics you like(jogging,rope jumping,etc) If after a short period you are committed to this (a lot of people buy equipment and let it gather dust) it is time to start going to a gym or buying some weights and using them. Start slow and don't try to lift too much too soon.Gains in weight lifting last longer when they are achieved by building up slowly. Let us know how you are doing in 4 weeks or so and we will give you specific workouts to follow. Good luck |