I am wanting to start getting in shape again, i will tell you a little bit about myself and my goal.
I am 27 years old, six foot one, and my weight fluctuates from 190-198 pounds.
I am an active person bu i have not worked out in almost six years.
I have some lower back issues that will flare up once Ina while.
I am looking to loose weight and tone up, not looking to add muscle or get ripped just to get in healthy shape again.
What methods have worked for you guys and what would you think would be a good resource to learn from?
I do not have a gym membership, so right now it would be at home type stuff. If it is worth it to get one I will but mainly just wanting to get into a rythem for a while before I go drop money on one…
It is interesting that you posted this thread. I was thinking about something similar yesterday. Many people who shoot tend to focus on marksmanship, but not so much on being able to move effectively; which being in shape helps you accomplish.
To answer your question from my perspective, if you want a canned workout routine I like P90X and Insanity workouts. I prefer to do some weight lifting to build or sustain strength, but most of what I tend to do is calisthenic type exercises. Push ups, sit ups or crunches, pull ups, lounges, and some form of cardio. The high interval types of training provide the results you seek, without the impact that may aggravate your back issues. You may even find your back pain is reduced or controlled with a bit of strength training.
A word of caution from someone who is VERY close to 50; go slow in the beginning. The results will come with a patience and perseverance. You are more likely to not follow through if you overdo it and experience a lot of muscle soreness in the beginning.
Find a good yoga studio. You might need to shop around to find an instructor you like, but trust me, it makes a difference. Yoga will help with the flexibility and core strength you’ll need as you start progressing though your workouts. Assuming your back issues are like mine, some flexibilty training will help prevent flare ups. A simple but effective body weight workout routine is a good start. I did ascending/descending circuit pyramids of 1-2-3…10 reps with good success. Do one rep, add one per set up to 10, and then work your way back to one. If you can’t get to 10 at first, just stick with it Pushups/pullups/squats/crunches. Add variety like wide/narrow pushups,flutter kicks and burpees, dips, whatever. Its free and you can do it any where.
I’m a huge believer in CrossFit as long as you find a box (gym) with good, knowledgeable coaches and have the self discipline to know your limits. A lot of people hate CF because of a high risk of injury, but you just have to set your ego aside and be ok with getting smoked by a chick every now and then. I was stronger, faster, and had more endurance than ever when I did it regularly. I wish I had the schedule to keep doing it. There have been a lot of success stories of the elderly, those out of shape, or coming back from significant injury with CrossFit.
We are nearly the same age, same height, and if I got down to 198 I would look incredibly skinny. I was in the same boat as you are right now though. I hadn’t seriously worked out in over 6 years. A few weeks ago I jumped into P90x. I was not even close to ready for that. I quickly got too sore to work out the next day on different muscle groups. Don’t do what I did, and I outweigh you significantly.
Someone mentioned Yoga though, and that is a fantastic tool IMO. It will honestly be more of a workout than you expect at first, but it will make you feel better and should really help those lower back flare-ups. Good luck bud, and keep us posted because I am interested in what you are going to from here on in because I might use some of the info you gather.
Crossfit is an excellent program when done correctly. I haven’t personally joined a box, but my wife has, and she loves it. They taught her correct form on all the major lifts, and they monitor people’s form during the WODs (Workout of the Day). If you can find a box that puts form above time, you’ll be good to go. My wife is stronger, fitter, and much more confident since starting CF. I personally lift heavy (for me) 4 times a week and perform yoga two or three times a week for flexibility and core strength. Yoga is a lot harder than people typically give it credit. It’s not often that I finish with a dry mat. It’s usually damp from sweat.
For someone with back problems, yoga is excellent, but Pilates on the machines are amazing. Not cheap, but considering it was designed by a guy with crippling back problems, hard to beat.
Toning is a myth…there is only adding/subtracting muscle or adding/subtracting fat. The really good programs add muscle and subtract fat. I’d read “starting strength” and do some research on interval training. Those are your best bets for what I call “life fitness”. That’s the fitness that allows me to wrestle with my kids, take care of my wife without being winded and push a broken down car. I don’t care for bodybuilding or marathon running, but compound exercises w/ heavy weights and intervals with something like sprints/tire pulls/aeordyne bike will get you in great shape. Look at the people that you want to be like and emulate them. There are lots of fatties on the treadmill and lots of skinny guys doing curls. I’ve yet to meet a fatty flipping tires or sprinting on the soccer field. I’ve also never met a skinny guy squatting twice his body weight or deadlifting.
Thanks for all the help guys! I started really looking into yoga, I hope I can find a good class to get started in.
I have a friend that is into cross fit and he is a machine…I might look into that after I can workout regularly and feel like I have been hit by a truck!
Don’t be scared to grow muscles and bulk up. Everyone paints weight lifting like it’s the bogey man and your going to be freakish if you do… That’s total bs and couldn’t be further from the truth.
If social interaction is what you desire, join a cross fit gym.
Lifting weight will change your life, in pretty much every way possible. Women will treat you differently, men will treat you different, your family, and co-workers- business associates. Everyone notices for the most part.
Lifting is good for everyone, even women. Just because you lift, doesn’t mean you go cycle steroids and growth hormones.
Fitness at home is hard, because there are too many distractions there. But if it works for you, do it.
Bottom line is that fitness has to be something you want, our it just won’t happen.
Start light, otherwise you will burn quick. I recommend a good lifting program before adventuring into a high-intensity crossfit like program. Try the 5x5 strong lifts or one of Mark Rippetoe’s programs. Start with a bar and start light, even starting at nothing you will progress quickly. After you have attained reasonable strength gains, then look into adding more intensity. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
I disagree, from experience. It is harder to keep going if you are injured. Since the OP is coming in with back problems, he needs to take it slow and strengthen the affected area before it can take a hard hitting program like crossfit.