Getting there but advice welcomed

sniperste77

Hi folks.
So about 8 months ago I was almost 22 stone. I  am 6ft 2 and big boned as they say.
I used to be fit until I hit 23 (now 37).
I started doing some walking about 8 months ago and cut out sugar and snacking. Since then I have been weight-lifting, boxing and I walk 4-6 miles per day.
I have recently started the ease into 5k run program too which is going well thus far although I am ill at the monent so having to take it easy for a few days.
I have lost just over 5 stone and finally have definition returning to my physique.
Guess I am really looking for any advice to keep things going and maybe take things to the next level.
I am finally getting triceps to develop although they seem to take considerably longer to develop in comparison to biceps etc....

Wardy257

Excellent progress, you should be proud of what you have achieved.

The important thing now is to choose your goal, or goals and work specifically towards them.  Goals need to be specific and measurable and time dependent. Therefore, they could look something like this:

Reduce bodyfat by 5% by 01 Jun 2015
Run a 5k in under 30 mins by 01 Jul 2015
and so on.

So decide what you want and I am sure we can all help you achieve it. If you are not sure post some ideas and I will help you turn them into goals.


You have done the really difficult bit which is to acknowledge the issue and put a successful plan of action in place.  The next bit can still be tricky, but fine tuning your training will give you the best chance of being who you want to be.

Finally, have a read through the Common Gym Mistakes post for lots of useful tips and tricks.

sniperste77

Thanks Wardy,
How do u measure body fat %?
My obliques are cutting in and edges of six pack is just becoming visible but really need to reduce the body fat now so the definotion is there. I dont know the best way to do this so keep walking daily, running 3 times per week.... Building that each week. I weight-lift and box 3-4 times per week.
I am just eating my normal meals as cant afford a special diet etc....
Weight is still coming off most weeks.
Main goals then are losing body fat % although I dunno how much and to keep up with my other exercises and try and develop a plan with weights as I tend to do the same type of weight exwrcises each time.
Is it better to do different parts of ur body on different days?
Thanks for ur reply

Ste

reiteration

well done, but being 'big boned' is a complete myth and one of the biggest excuses today for being obese - stick at it and you'll see improvements over time

Wardy257

You can buy machines to calculate body fat, or most large chemists offer it.  It is not an exact science but if you combine any fat loss with other measurements (such as hip to waist ratio) it becomes more valid.

For now you probably want to reduce frequency and increase intensity. So perhaps 3 hard sessions a week, with 1 cardio session.  In general it is best to train the body as one using squat and pressing variations along with pulls.  I am a big fan of Gym Jones and their methodology which is responsible for this:

                                                                                                                                                 

Some ideas from Gym Jones:

                               
                               
GymJonesTV - YouTube

sniperste77

Cheers for that Wardy. Now subscribed to those.

Charlts

Sorry buddy I don't agree with this, I'm naturally bigger than most to the point where I look ill if my body weight gets much below 16st as that would have me in really low single figure bf%. Where as the likes of my brother are never likely to weigh close to that.

Everyone is totally different and some of us are actually big boned, just as my bro is a skinny pencil necked, narrow back!

reiteration

yep, I'm aware that everyone's different as I've said on here laods of times that I'm an ectomorph...

but using being 'big boned' as an excuse to be fat to me is a load of sh*t - people need to look at what they eat and take responsibility...yes, it's hard work, and yes it may take uears to get slim again - but in most cases it's taken them a lifetime of overeating and indulgent to get where they are now... and if they they're gonna get in ship shape in a matter of weeks / months then they're in for a shock...

rant over

sniperste77

Never used it as an excuse. Some people are thicker set and I am also not fat anymore.
Supposed to be a thread for advice not a rant.
I did eat too much and did not exercise enough but that is something I took responsibility for and did something positive about.
Sometimes in life... S##t happens and can take a while to get your head around and sort yourself out..... Unless of course you are one of the lucky few that leads a charmed life... Unfortunately I am not one of those lucky few.
Also, some people have medical conditions that cause obesity but I digress.
Thanks for your opinion and rant anyway.

Thanks to those for the advice in this thread.

Charlts

I could easily substitute big boned for hard gainer or whatever else skinny people afraid to eat enough refer to themselves as.