[liamgdr]

Hi guys and girls, Ive recently decided that im going to join my local gym but I have no idea what im doing as a complete newbie, im also looking for some advice on general healthy eating.

Im 6'4 and 203 pounds, im looking to loose fat and gain muscle (dont they all)


I have looked around on the internet but theres a lot of conflicting advice and any advice that seems good then leads you to a fitness dvd page etc etc.

So this brings me to my main questions:

How long should I spend working out and how many days a week? bear in mind I have alot of free time at the moment, also how long should I spend on different machines, I was thinking two 30 mins sessions on the treadmill and spinning but Im clueless when it comes to building muscle.

Just one last question , generally what foods are good for loosing fat and gaining muscle? I dont eat any meat apart from chicken by the way.


Cheers, Liam

[Theo M. Whittington]

Hello Liam,

I'm gonna send you a few links on this post, 'cause you've asked a few big questions lol, but this is to a blog that I write, not a product.

To start with, I train beginners twice a week normally. They could do more but I find this is about right for most lads in terms of recovery and muscle gains.

I don't usually encourage the use of machines, free weights are better if you're prepared to take a little time to learn the movements.

Here are two posts with exercises that are very effective

http://tmwfitness.wo...bably-dont-pt1/
http://tmwfitness.wo...bably-dont-pt2/

Those articles are not instructional though. A good database for complete instructions is at www.bodybuilding.com. I highly encourage you to use these exercises, they are very good exercises.

In terms of foods for building muscle, it is important to note that no foods have magical properties but higher protein foods will be conducive to muscle gain. Here's a good list

http://tmwfitness.wo...rotein-sources/

Weight is lost easier through dieting generally, to find out how many calories you should be eating, here's a quick method for working out how much you need to be eating to lose weight.

Multiply your weight in pounds by 15, then subtract 500.

So as you're a little over 200lbs

200 x 15 = 3000kcal

3000 - 500 = 2500kcal

Eat 2500 calories each day and you'll lose 1lb each week, you'll want to recalculate this every month or so as your weight decreases.

Calories count, aim for high protein foods, get to grips with the exercises I've linked you to and you'll be well on your way to a better body.

All the best

Theo

[liamgdr]

Cheers theo, you've answerd pretty much everything I need to know.


Now just to put it all into practice


So you dont recomend using machines at all? I struggle abit with getting the technique right.


Cheers, Liam.

[Theo M. Whittington]

I'm glad I could help.

Well I don't recommend them but that doesn't mean they're useless, I would advise you to use free weight for optimal results but if you fear that you might injure yourself with some of the exercises then obviously the use of machines is better.

The machines vs free weights debate is an old one. Free weights are definitely more effective in terms of developing strength that transfers to real life but machines still help you to gain some muscle.

The best way I could put it would be this: If you squat 100kg, you can most likely leg press 200kg but being able to leg press 200kg doesn't mean you can squat 100kg.

Start slow and if you can make some some friends who have a bit of experience then that'd be great as they can teach you. I'd like to help with the technique but I'd be here all day lol the place i linked you to. www.bodybuilding.com has a very good database, a lot of databases suck, they really do but this one has obviously had some time invested in it and has all the tips a beginner would need.

Best of luck and let me know if you have any further questions

Theo