33 y.o 230 lbs M; Haven’t worked out in over 2 years. Gym advice

quinzy22

New member
I’ve been back in the gym for a week (and im feeling it). My goal is to lose weight and secondary to build muscle. I have a calorie deficit and a decently high protein intake.

My current regiment (or atleast the plan)
M-F 20 minutes incline walk + 30/40 minutes of weight training.

With an hour to workout would you change the amount of cardio / weight training?

How often would you change your routine .. I.e 6 weeks?

I would appreciate any advice!
 
@quinzy22 I think you have the right idea, my lifting workouts never take me any more than 40 minutes.

When to change routines depends on the routine. If it's linear progression, you can ride it until you're no longer progressing according to the program. You're a big guy, so that could be a while. But if it's a periodized routine, you can usually do those as long as you want until you get bored.
 
@quinzy22 How tall are you? That helps us picture how that 230 lbs may look. For context, I'm 33, 5'10, ~205lbs, so I'm relating to these stats and how I feel about my journey. I'm going to assume that the primary goal is to burn some fat and feel better before committing to a physique-building regimen. If I'm off, then determine how far off I am and slide your scale accordingly.

You probably want to get to around 210 before you commit to another direction. And to achieve this, you'll need heavy cardio. For this portion, I'd probably do 2-3 Compound Workouts and then the 12/3/30 each day - with emphasis on cardio being done after weightlifting. At this point you'll be able to see changes in muscle definition, which does wonders for the psyche. Bench+Fly, Deadlift+LatPulldown, Squat+Lunges, Military+ArnoldPress, Curls/Extensions.

As you eclipse the 210 mark, you can reevaluate your goals. I do 5 weightlifting days and 0 cardio and I'm happy - I understand why I'm where I'm at and what I'd need to do for change. If you want to build muscle, delegate more muscle time; if you want to burn fat, keep doing the cardio. I've been around 207 for months now but look entirely different. Keep in mind how your body looks and reacts and don't blindly drink the fat-loss kool-aid; At this point you can make an educated attempt at delegating your effort.

If you're completely fine with recomposition taking whatever amount of time, then just lift heavy every day.

Don't worry about how many weeks to switch routines. I've found that it comes naturally. Spend the first 4 weeks doing a general Upper/Lower or PPL Split; don't get into a routine yet - find the exercises and equipment you like to use and get used to using them while vaguely shadowing any routines you've come across online. Ultimately I'd give yourself ~5 weeks before you commit to your first real routine. At that point stick with one for at least 4 weeks before determine what/when you want to change something.

The 6 week routine change doesn't have to be major. If I do BB Bench and DB Incline, I might reverse those, or switch my Preacher Curl for Spider. Or, if you're planning on something entirely different, like a 2xPPL to 5-Day Split, you'll want to run it for ~6 weeks.

At some point you'll have a week where everything hurts. The pain catches up to you; you have zero motivation and even less strength. This is when people think they're in the clear and can take a week off. Wrong. This is your first deload week. Do your normal routine at half-weight and be ready to kick ass in the next chapter.
 
My 1 year check in from this post that no one will care to read.

I consecutively worked out for the year 3-6 days a week depending on the week. I know I posted I was 230 but I guess I was embarrassed. I was actually 252 pounds I got down to 210 at my lightest and currently at 220. Overall I put on size and lost majority of my (no 6 pack yet) I can wear clothes that I haven’t been able to in 4+ years (why I never gave them away or trashed them idk… but hey it’s like a new wardrobe.)

Overall consistency is key. I feel better then I have in quite a long time. Thanks for who commented initially I re-read them along my journey. Hope all is well and stay blessed!
 
@quinzy22 If you have an hour, I would recommend about 45 minutes of weight training and then 15 minutes of cardio (This isn't very different from what you currently do but this is just what I would do if I were you). Strength/resistance training done properly is very effective for weight and fat loss due to an increase in metabolism and the replacement of muscle tissue. When it comes to changing your training routine, just make sure you are implementing progressive overload into your lifts and increasing overall intensity. Good luck, you got this!
 

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