Obesity Discussion Forums

[ZeroTX]

Hi friends,

I am new here and I'm going to ask a question that I'm sure has been asked here a million times.... I need to know what to do to effectively meet my goals as fast as possible, within my constraints.

Constraints: 1) some knee issues (weak, easily injured) so many leg workouts cannot be done (or I simply am unwilling to risk injury to do them)...
2) time ... I can work out 3 times a week for 1 hour each session

Goals: Go from 348lbs to 225lbs... gain muscle, especially in upper body. Maintain muscle in legs (carrying around over 300lbs for over 1/2 of my life has made for some very strong legs... they don't need to be bigger, just maintained). I'd really like to have "hefty" arms/shoulders and "look" like a big guy... I'll be big, even when I lose the weight and I don't want to be a sack of flabby skin.

What I've been doing: hitting the weight machines (mostly arms/back) for 25 or so minutes (no specific plan.... doing reps til it hurts and going to the next type of machine).... then doing 30 minutes of constant cardio (usually treadmill... right now about 3.0mph gets me to 128-140 heart rate)...

I don't know what to do to make my workouts really count (to BUILD muscle in my arms/chest/shoulders, to MAINTAIN my leg muscle, and to have the proper cardio heart rate... no idea what any of that is)...

help! If there's anyone here that's knowledgeable, please help. I don't want to waste my time. I want to drop 100lbs this year and the rest (to 225 goal) next year.

Thanks,

Michael

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by ZeroTX

Hi friends,

I am new here and I'm going to ask a question that I'm sure has been asked here a million times.... I need to know what to do to effectively meet my goals as fast as possible, within my constraints.

Constraints: 1) some knee issues (weak, easily injured) so many leg workouts cannot be done (or I simply am unwilling to risk injury to do them)...
2) time ... I can work out 3 times a week for 1 hour each session

Goals: Go from 348lbs to 225lbs... gain muscle, especially in upper body. Maintain muscle in legs (carrying around over 300lbs for over 1/2 of my life has made for some very strong legs... they don't need to be bigger, just maintained). I'd really like to have "hefty" arms/shoulders and "look" like a big guy... I'll be big, even when I lose the weight and I don't want to be a sack of flabby skin.

What I've been doing: hitting the weight machines (mostly arms/back) for 25 or so minutes (no specific plan.... doing reps til it hurts and going to the next type of machine).... then doing 30 minutes of constant cardio (usually treadmill... right now about 3.0mph gets me to 128-140 heart rate)...

I don't know what to do to make my workouts really count (to BUILD muscle in my arms/chest/shoulders, to MAINTAIN my leg muscle, and to have the proper cardio heart rate... no idea what any of that is)...

help! If there's anyone here that's knowledgeable, please help. I don't want to waste my time. I want to drop 100lbs this year and the rest (to 225 goal) next year.

Thanks,

Michael

Well, a few comments.....it's hard to build muscle and lose weight at the same time. Ideally you'd want to focus on one or the other, because optimal muscle building requires you to eat more calories than your body burns, but losing weight requires the opposite. Is there one you prefer to do first over the other? Once you answer that I can help you figure out the rest.

I would also try to get your heart rate up a little more if you can......into the cardiovascular range, but we can go over that later as well.

[ZeroTX]

Well, I am most interested in weight loss, first. My ideal weight of 225 would hopefully include some hefty looking arms/shoulders, though... not interested in being a "cut" body builder type, pretty much ever. In fact, 25 years of overweight probably means I'll always have some flabby skin leftover in the middle. That doesn't bother me if I can crush someone with my arms hehe. In seriousness, I'm interested in becoming a high school assistant principal (I'm currently a teacher) and as dumb as it sounds, I don't like it when there are students who are stronger than me... I'd like to limit that possibility.

So, let's hit weight loss for now. I don't think it's impossible to build muscle and lose fat, though, is it??? I'm less concerned with what the scale says on a week to week basis than how my clothes fit and whether I can get down to "regular" sizes... I hate shopping at the "Big & Tall" shop.... which I have since age 13, FYI.... That was when I went into a size 44 or perhaps 46 pants, which can no longer be found in most "regular" stores (I know it's easier now, as America has gotten even fatter since my own childhood). I want to slip comfortably into a pair of 38 or 40 pants. Man, that would be nice.

Also, what range are you saying my heart rate should be in? I'm staying from 128-145 on the treadmill. I don't have ANY CLUE what the "right" range is....

Thanks,

Michael

[William Wallace]

Originally Posted by ZeroTX

Well, I am most interested in weight loss, first. My ideal weight of 225 would hopefully include some hefty looking arms/shoulders, though... not interested in being a "cut" body builder type, pretty much ever. In fact, 25 years of overweight probably means I'll always have some flabby skin leftover in the middle. That doesn't bother me if I can crush someone with my arms hehe. In seriousness, I'm interested in becoming a high school assistant principal (I'm currently a teacher) and as dumb as it sounds, I don't like it when there are students who are stronger than me... I'd like to limit that possibility.

So, let's hit weight loss for now. I don't think it's impossible to build muscle and lose fat, though, is it??? I'm less concerned with what the scale says on a week to week basis than how my clothes fit and whether I can get down to "regular" sizes... I hate shopping at the "Big & Tall" shop.... which I have since age 13, FYI.... That was when I went into a size 44 or perhaps 46 pants, which can no longer be found in most "regular" stores (I know it's easier now, as America has gotten even fatter since my own childhood). I want to slip comfortably into a pair of 38 or 40 pants. Man, that would be nice.

Also, what range are you saying my heart rate should be in? I'm staying from 128-145 on the treadmill. I don't have ANY CLUE what the "right" range is....

Thanks,

Michael

There's a best of both worlds here.....when you are trying to lose weight, which requires you to setup a calorie deficit (eating less calories than you burn) you need to be cognizant that your body wants to burn not only fat, but eat away at your muscle too. One of the best ways to maintain your muscle while you lose fat is to lift heavy weights with low repetition. This will allow you to get stronger, build a little muscle (not as much as you could if you ate a lot more food) while you lose weight.

I think what OD is saying is that if you are trying to build muscle while you lose weight, you won't build muscle as optimally as you would if you were just focusing on building muscle. Professional body builders and serious weight lifters focus on "bulking" and "cutting" for that very reason. They get better results by focusing on one and not both at the same time.