Posted: 3/17/2009 4:51:48 AM EDT
| I have recently started at an LA fitness gym and had a question.I cannot afford their million-dollar trainers but feel like I am not maximising my time there. I do some cardio a few weights an more cardio. They use Nautilus Nitro and other similar machines. I started one free session with a trainer and reall flt like I got more out of it. So can anyone give me a decent list or routine to do or better yet a website to go to that might suggest otherwise. |
| Well at the moment I am quite a bit overweight. I have been down for about 3 years with a broken leg for which I am still recovering. Not being able to get around much and popping Percocet for 3 years has destroyed my body that was formerly kept at least in shape even though I have always been heavy I was always in landscapng and was always very active with back-acking and hiking every chance I got. Right now I am 6'4" probably 280 mabye a little less. I want to try and get more tone I am big enough as it is and am not interested in bulking up. I have never been a weight lifter because as I said I was always active enogh that I kept ok that way. I would like to stick with the machines rather than weights at least to start out (I have been going or like 2 months now). Currently I do like 10 mins on the treadmill (mostly to help my leg) and 10 minutes on the bike. They have a machine for weighted sort of situps so I so that starting at 60 lbs and do 20 reps for each decensing 10 punds till 10. I do some weights after this and this part is kind of my problem as I just kind of wander doing this or that and it is quite aimless as far as where I start or what I do. After weights I follow up with the sit-up macihine again starting with 50 this time and then 10 mins on the treadmill as well and 20-25 mins on the bike. Againn I am looking to loose weight and try and tone some as percocet and no movement has ravaged my body. |
|
Quoted:
Well at the moment I am quite a bit overweight. I have been down for about 3 years with a broken leg for which I am still recovering. Not being able to get around much and popping Percocet for 3 years has destroyed my body that was formerly kept at least in shape even though I have always been heavy I was always in landscapng and was always very active with back-acking and hiking every chance I got. Right now I am 6'4" probably 280 mabye a little less. I want to try and get more tone I am big enough as it is and am not interested in bulking up. I have never been a weight lifter because as I said I was always active enogh that I kept ok that way. I would like to stick with the machines rather than weights at least to start out (I have been going or like 2 months now). Currently I do like 10 mins on the treadmill (mostly to help my leg) and 10 minutes on the bike. They have a machine for weighted sort of situps so I so that starting at 60 lbs and do 20 reps for each decensing 10 punds till 10. I do some weights after this and this part is kind of my problem as I just kind of wander doing this or that and it is quite aimless as far as where I start or what I do. After weights I follow up with the sit-up macihine again starting with 50 this time and then 10 mins on the treadmill as well and 20-25 mins on the bike. Againn I am looking to loose weight and try and tone some as percocet and no movement has ravaged my body. OK, first off, common misconception but there is no such thing as 'toning up' or turning fat into muscle. Your body is able to either 1) lose tissue (fat or muscle), or 2) build new tissue (fat or muscle). That being said, it sounds like what you want to do is lose fat while maintaining muscle mass. If you haven't been training long you may be able to do both for a time, but that time is limited. Honestly, your diet has more to do with that than anything else. You need to be in a caloric deficit, and when you're in a caloric deficit you don't want to overdo it at the gym. 5 sets of 10 of 19 different workouts is going to do little but overload your central nervous system. Some recommend not much more than 3x5's of compound movements (DL, BP, Squats) and then a small assortment of other assistance movements and some cardio. You won't find too many fans of machines here, as compound, free weight exercises are far more beneficial. Or, you could just eat whatever you want and do crossfit workouts. 
|
|
6'4" 280? Not to horrible. I am 6'4", and was over 300 when I started.
For you, I would recommend lifting weights, compound. Squats, Dead lifts, Bench Press, Military press. You don't have to go super heavy. We are lifting to preserve muscle mass as you lose weight. Cardio: If you cant run, walk with incline, or use a bike or elliptical machine. Keep you heart rate up for 30-45 minutes at a time. Think of losing weight as a gradual process. Eat with a calorie deficit. |
|
Quoted:
check out www.crossfit.com. Being a big guy it will be hard to do the entire exercise, but you can start working out with the "scaled workouts" that they have. You'll have to dig for them. It is a high intensity/short time workout that is bad ass. Crossfit rocks. Crossfit + barbell training will make you into an animal. |
Well this:
Is sort of my current situation. Actually since that xray which is from almost 3 years ago now I have had my left led shortened by 3" and an trying to get into shape fro another extended pieriod of surgeries. Right now I am able to walk on it and I have been using the treadmill and the bike. I think some of the more demanding excercises on legs are not in the cards at the moment but I do want to do some strengthening and loose some weight before the next round starts as it will probably lay me up for almost a year. |
|
Quoted:
Well this: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/jimp6995/X-Rays003.jpg Is sort of my current situation. Actually since that xray which is from almost 3 years ago now I have had my left led shortened by 3" and an trying to get into shape fro another extended pieriod of surgeries. Right now I am able to walk on it and I have been using the treadmill and the bike. I think some of the more demanding excercises on legs are not in the cards at the moment but I do want to do some strengthening and loose some weight before the next round starts as it will probably lay me up for almost a year. Holy shit dude, that would have been useful in the original post. If I were you I would have my orthopedic surgeon write up a workout plan. At the same time you can get your diet under control. I imagine rehab on something like that would be easier at 230 than it will be at 280. |
| Well at the moment I am on a cane an pretty mobile. That xray was from like 3 years ago and it looks alot different now As I said I can do most everything as far as the machines that are at the LA ripoff.... sorry fitness that I go to, I was more looking for specific links or direction on machines to do on different days for each muscle group. As I said I have the routine I got in a free session with a trainer and that was great but that's all I got and I just can't afford the billions they charge for their PT but I do think a little help on what weghts to do on different days for maximum impact would be great. |
By the way this is my most recent:
As you can see it is quite improved and has made preogress in healing. There is still pain and weakness hence the limtations on exercises but I do want to do as much as I can. Sorry for quality issues this is a photograph of a computer monitor. |
|
Quoted:
Well at the moment I am on a cane an pretty mobile. That xray was from like 3 years ago and it looks alot different now As I said I can do most everything as far as the machines that are at the LA ripoff.... sorry fitness that I go to, I was more looking for specific links or direction on machines to do on different days for each muscle group. As I said I have the routine I got in a free session with a trainer and that was great but that's all I got and I just can't afford the billions they charge for their PT but I do think a little help on what weghts to do on different days for maximum impact would be great. Do you plan on working out daily, every other day, once a week? Basically, you don't want to train the same body part every day. So if you want to go every day you need to do a split routine (upper body/lower body; pushing/pulling; etc). If you want to go every other day you can do a simple, whole body cycle and just make sure to have a rest day after each workout. |
|
Quoted:
By the way this is my most recent: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/jimp6995/DSCN0494.jpg As you can see it is quite improved and has made preogress in healing. There is still pain and weakness hence the limtations on exercises but I do want to do as much as I can. Sorry for quality issues this is a photograph of a computer monitor. Yikes! That's a good one. If you can stand, you can squat. Do it with just the bar, or even just your body weight. It will put you on the fast track to recovery. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Well at the moment I am on a cane an pretty mobile. That xray was from like 3 years ago and it looks alot different now As I said I can do most everything as far as the machines that are at the LA ripoff.... sorry fitness that I go to, I was more looking for specific links or direction on machines to do on different days for each muscle group. As I said I have the routine I got in a free session with a trainer and that was great but that's all I got and I just can't afford the billions they charge for their PT but I do think a little help on what weghts to do on different days for maximum impact would be great. Do you plan on working out daily, every other day, once a week? Basically, you don't want to train the same body part every day. So if you want to go every day you need to do a split routine (upper body/lower body; pushing/pulling; etc). If you want to go every other day you can do a simple, whole body cycle and just make sure to have a rest day after each workout. Realistically I go 3 times a week, I would like to go more but it's not in the cards. Usually it's M. Wed, Fri but sometimes I wll go on Tue or Thurs. Going for such a limited time I would like to maximize my time there. |
|
So, 280, limited mobility, want to stick with machines, and go every other day right?
I'd pick three or four machines that are the most 'compound' that you can find. Leg press (if you can do them), bench press, rows, pullups, etc. Make those your base, add in another 2-4 complimentary exercises and use them as a circuit. Pick a rep scheme and then do a set on each machine and immediately move to the next with little to no rest. After your first circuit, rest for a couple of minutes and do the circuit over again. Do the whole thing 2-4 times per gym session, and mix up your reps. Do 8 reps the first time, 12 reps the next, and then 3-5 the last (adjusting weight as necessary). You might find it helpful to keep a workout log or journal. Keep track of how long each circuit takes you, keep track of the weight and rep scheme you use. Push yourself to improve in at least one area each session. Good luck, and this advice is worth what you paid for it. Again, I'd make sure your doc is on board. |