Hey guys from reddit, I'm looking for some advice to establish a workout routine that suits me well. This is gonna be a long one but I hope some of you might be able to help me out with this 
About me: I'm a man in his late 20s, about 170cm tall and weigh roughly 67Kgs, because the metric system is the best. Also, I'm living in Germany if that matters. While that's still completely average, all my excess weight is literally distributed solely on my belly. I'm starting to get uncomfortable with my weight and want to get into a routine so that I can start to feel more comfortable in my body and become healthier overall.
I know that nutrition plays a huge part in that. I became a vegetarian half a year-ish ago and have been eating pretty bad since then lmao. My former average was like 61-63kgs but I still didn't consider myself lean or anything. I've always had a belly, but with as small as it was back then, it didn't bother me. I'm going to change my eating habits and make sure that I get healthy nutrition and enough protein, especially on the days I work out. Advice is always welcome but this post is not about that. I think I can figure out that part myself pretty well, since I like to cook and know what my vices are. I'm also well-informed about building habits and this time I'm ready for the changes to come as well as sticking to them. I just want to have a clear plan of action for my first couple of weeks, so that I'm not adjusting things in the beginning when I'm insecure about how much I should be doing to kind of get the ball rolling.
For the past half year I've been extremely lazy and haven't left my house very much, so I know where the weight is coming from. For at least another 6 months, things will stay about the same in my everyday life. So it's high time for some lifestyle changes. I also don't really care about how much I weigh - I just don't want to have that big of a belly anymore. I'm not trying to become a "how-much-do-you-lift"-bro or "look-at-my-biceps"-bro, but rather be at least somewhat lean. If I lose about half the belly I currently have, I'd be content. No matter what the scale says. It's not so much about my weight as it is about how it is distributed.
Now the best way to do this is building muscle, I think. Because then I burn more calories during my resting periods, which would be nice.
I have had a routine where I went running 3-5 times a week for about 30-45mins. That went reasonably well as I have a treadmill at home. That's about all the sport I ever regularly did. Now before I elaborate on that, there are some limitations to what I can do.
I do have issues with my heart which are severe but not (yet) to a point where it becomes crippling. I've talked to my cardiologists and my training bpm should be around 120-140 but not exceed 140. Nothing bad will happen to me if I overshoot a bit every now and then. It's really not that serious in a short term view. But if I were to exceed 140bpm semi-regularly, I would worsen my issues over the coming years, which I obviously want to avoid. So any type of competitive or group sport is not going to work out for me since I would like to do more but know that I have to hold myself back from exerting myself.
This is an issue that has always bothered me. When I was running (or rather extremely fast walking) I had a nice runner's high but never felt like I got it all out of me. There's always this thing that feels like some residue and I so want to test out my limits and go above and beyond but I know I shouldn't. On a physical level I can but I have to restrain myself every time which really bums me out more than the exercise is worth it for me at times. Theoretically recommended sport for me would be biking in the gym or swimming. But swimming is difficult to arrange, and going to and back from the gym just to ride a bike would cost me a lot of time. I'd rather work out twice as long as to commute. I am also not allowed to ride a bike normally due to my condition, so it would have to be a stationary one.
So I want to find some sort of exercise where I can exert myself but not strain my heart too much while doing so. I had some issues with my back once because my muscles weren't strong enough, and I did physical therapy for a while where I was lying on a mat and did things like a superman position holding weights for 20 seconds and then relax for 15 or standing and pulling on a rubber band in certain directions etc. Exercises like that really brought me to my limits and I've never had to do anything as hard as that in my life. Damn that woman tortured me back there. But I kinda loved it, you know? Because I was getting exhausted but not in a way that would be damaging to me.
Some further restrictions are that I shouldn't do "explosive" strength usage where I build up pressure in my chest. So push-ups probably aren't that ideal as an exercise. Furthermore, I've got an implant in one of my breast muscles. I have no real restrictions that come with it but it feels pretty uncomfortable working out my chest after a few repetitions, so I would rather not do exercises like that. At least not that much if I can do something different instead.
Another aspect that I loved while doing sports was running outside because it felt like I literally got somewhere. But due to sensitivities because of my medication, I didn't do that as long as when I went running on the treadmill. However, the latter is so mentally draining for me. I know I can listen to podcasts or music etc. but when I'm running outside I get a mental break from my life too. Since I don't live close to a gym and would like to do some 30-45mins training 3-6 times a week, so I was thinking about creating a basement-dweller workout for me at home.
I've tried various workout videos and apps but none of them were to my liking. Obviously I have to try things out and pace myself if things are to difficult for me but I really like to have a realistic plan that I can stick to. Otherwise, I'll try to shift things around endlessly and eventually give up because I have not real plan that I can follow. Even simple things as in "if I can do X of this in a row and each for X seconds then I can up the repetitions by 2 for next week" or "I do these 7 exercises in a row for X amount of repetition and repeat them each X amount times" something along the lines. That would give me a guideline where I can check things off and increase my workload when I'm getting stronger.
I really want to have a strict plan that I can expand on when I get stronger. But I don't really know how much of what is best. I'm super weak from a strength perspective. I can barely manage 4 push-ups in a row. Back when I was training a little bit, I could do around 8 but even then I never got to a point where I felt fit. I'm definitely going to do my back exercises again, even though I don't have any back issues anymore. I also don't know the names of the individual exercises that I do, but they work for me and are very difficult to do (which is good). I got a mat, a rubber band and two 1Kg weights at my disposal. For a short period of time, I did some curls with two filled 1,5L water bottles that I duct-taped together. I'm a student, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on equipment but I can see how a dumbbell or something like that would come in handy in the long run so that would be something worth investing in. Basically holding things till I can't no more is probably the way to approach this, I think.
I'm planning to start next week, since I have a lot going on right now. I'm posting this now so if I need to order some equipment, I want my Amazon guy to carry my dumbbells and other things in front of my doorstep before I start (I'm so sorry, maybe I should ask him for advice).
I've also thought about attending yoga classes, but I'm not ready to commit to that. Classes are quite expensive in my area, and to do things unsupervised doesn't sound as effective. But I'd like to have something that I can do once or twice a week that involves not just basement-dweller exercises but also some sort of movement so that I can feel like I'm really getting in touch with my body again. I like walking long distances every now and then, but I want something sustainable and a clear-cut routine to stick towards. I can do that for my back and shoulders maybe, but I don't know if that's efficient or enough for what I'm looking for. Maybe I just have to include more walking into my everyday activities.
So what are your recommendations?
The way I see it, it would look something like this:
MO: Back 30 mins
TU: Arms ?? mins (which exercises, how many sets/reps)
WE: Back 30 mins
TH: REST
FR: Back 30 mins
SA: Flexible Yoga/Stretching/Running 30-45 mins
SU: Flexible Arms/Full body ?? mins (which exercises, how many sets/reps)
Now I'm asking myself if that is enough to kinda be sustainable. How many sets and repetitions and what kind of specific exercises would fit in such a routine? Is working on my arms 2x a week enough? If it does nothing with this intensity, I'd rather pivot into some sort of full body workout, maybe? Should I do something specific for other regions of my body? Also, I worry about not incorporating my legs enough because I rather like walking/running more than any other thing. So maybe replace 1 back exercise with running then, so I get this in twice a week too?
If there is any additional information that I need to provide, I'll edit it below.
Thank you so much for reading this post and thank you very much in advance for your answers.
About me: I'm a man in his late 20s, about 170cm tall and weigh roughly 67Kgs, because the metric system is the best. Also, I'm living in Germany if that matters. While that's still completely average, all my excess weight is literally distributed solely on my belly. I'm starting to get uncomfortable with my weight and want to get into a routine so that I can start to feel more comfortable in my body and become healthier overall.
I know that nutrition plays a huge part in that. I became a vegetarian half a year-ish ago and have been eating pretty bad since then lmao. My former average was like 61-63kgs but I still didn't consider myself lean or anything. I've always had a belly, but with as small as it was back then, it didn't bother me. I'm going to change my eating habits and make sure that I get healthy nutrition and enough protein, especially on the days I work out. Advice is always welcome but this post is not about that. I think I can figure out that part myself pretty well, since I like to cook and know what my vices are. I'm also well-informed about building habits and this time I'm ready for the changes to come as well as sticking to them. I just want to have a clear plan of action for my first couple of weeks, so that I'm not adjusting things in the beginning when I'm insecure about how much I should be doing to kind of get the ball rolling.
For the past half year I've been extremely lazy and haven't left my house very much, so I know where the weight is coming from. For at least another 6 months, things will stay about the same in my everyday life. So it's high time for some lifestyle changes. I also don't really care about how much I weigh - I just don't want to have that big of a belly anymore. I'm not trying to become a "how-much-do-you-lift"-bro or "look-at-my-biceps"-bro, but rather be at least somewhat lean. If I lose about half the belly I currently have, I'd be content. No matter what the scale says. It's not so much about my weight as it is about how it is distributed.
Now the best way to do this is building muscle, I think. Because then I burn more calories during my resting periods, which would be nice.
I have had a routine where I went running 3-5 times a week for about 30-45mins. That went reasonably well as I have a treadmill at home. That's about all the sport I ever regularly did. Now before I elaborate on that, there are some limitations to what I can do.
I do have issues with my heart which are severe but not (yet) to a point where it becomes crippling. I've talked to my cardiologists and my training bpm should be around 120-140 but not exceed 140. Nothing bad will happen to me if I overshoot a bit every now and then. It's really not that serious in a short term view. But if I were to exceed 140bpm semi-regularly, I would worsen my issues over the coming years, which I obviously want to avoid. So any type of competitive or group sport is not going to work out for me since I would like to do more but know that I have to hold myself back from exerting myself.
This is an issue that has always bothered me. When I was running (or rather extremely fast walking) I had a nice runner's high but never felt like I got it all out of me. There's always this thing that feels like some residue and I so want to test out my limits and go above and beyond but I know I shouldn't. On a physical level I can but I have to restrain myself every time which really bums me out more than the exercise is worth it for me at times. Theoretically recommended sport for me would be biking in the gym or swimming. But swimming is difficult to arrange, and going to and back from the gym just to ride a bike would cost me a lot of time. I'd rather work out twice as long as to commute. I am also not allowed to ride a bike normally due to my condition, so it would have to be a stationary one.
So I want to find some sort of exercise where I can exert myself but not strain my heart too much while doing so. I had some issues with my back once because my muscles weren't strong enough, and I did physical therapy for a while where I was lying on a mat and did things like a superman position holding weights for 20 seconds and then relax for 15 or standing and pulling on a rubber band in certain directions etc. Exercises like that really brought me to my limits and I've never had to do anything as hard as that in my life. Damn that woman tortured me back there
. But I kinda loved it, you know? Because I was getting exhausted but not in a way that would be damaging to me.Some further restrictions are that I shouldn't do "explosive" strength usage where I build up pressure in my chest. So push-ups probably aren't that ideal as an exercise. Furthermore, I've got an implant in one of my breast muscles. I have no real restrictions that come with it but it feels pretty uncomfortable working out my chest after a few repetitions, so I would rather not do exercises like that. At least not that much if I can do something different instead.
Another aspect that I loved while doing sports was running outside because it felt like I literally got somewhere. But due to sensitivities because of my medication, I didn't do that as long as when I went running on the treadmill. However, the latter is so mentally draining for me. I know I can listen to podcasts or music etc. but when I'm running outside I get a mental break from my life too. Since I don't live close to a gym and would like to do some 30-45mins training 3-6 times a week, so I was thinking about creating a basement-dweller workout for me at home
.I've tried various workout videos and apps but none of them were to my liking. Obviously I have to try things out and pace myself if things are to difficult for me but I really like to have a realistic plan that I can stick to. Otherwise, I'll try to shift things around endlessly and eventually give up because I have not real plan that I can follow. Even simple things as in "if I can do X of this in a row and each for X seconds then I can up the repetitions by 2 for next week" or "I do these 7 exercises in a row for X amount of repetition and repeat them each X amount times" something along the lines. That would give me a guideline where I can check things off and increase my workload when I'm getting stronger.
I really want to have a strict plan that I can expand on when I get stronger. But I don't really know how much of what is best. I'm super weak from a strength perspective. I can barely manage 4 push-ups in a row. Back when I was training a little bit, I could do around 8 but even then I never got to a point where I felt fit. I'm definitely going to do my back exercises again, even though I don't have any back issues anymore. I also don't know the names of the individual exercises that I do, but they work for me and are very difficult to do (which is good). I got a mat, a rubber band and two 1Kg weights at my disposal. For a short period of time, I did some curls with two filled 1,5L water bottles that I duct-taped together
. I'm a student, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on equipment but I can see how a dumbbell or something like that would come in handy in the long run so that would be something worth investing in. Basically holding things till I can't no more is probably the way to approach this, I think.I'm planning to start next week, since I have a lot going on right now. I'm posting this now so if I need to order some equipment, I want my Amazon guy to carry my dumbbells and other things in front of my doorstep before I start (I'm so sorry, maybe I should ask him for advice
).I've also thought about attending yoga classes, but I'm not ready to commit to that. Classes are quite expensive in my area, and to do things unsupervised doesn't sound as effective. But I'd like to have something that I can do once or twice a week that involves not just basement-dweller exercises but also some sort of movement so that I can feel like I'm really getting in touch with my body again. I like walking long distances every now and then, but I want something sustainable and a clear-cut routine to stick towards. I can do that for my back and shoulders maybe, but I don't know if that's efficient or enough for what I'm looking for. Maybe I just have to include more walking into my everyday activities.
So what are your recommendations?
The way I see it, it would look something like this:
MO: Back 30 mins
TU: Arms ?? mins (which exercises, how many sets/reps)
WE: Back 30 mins
TH: REST
FR: Back 30 mins
SA: Flexible Yoga/Stretching/Running 30-45 mins
SU: Flexible Arms/Full body ?? mins (which exercises, how many sets/reps)
Now I'm asking myself if that is enough to kinda be sustainable. How many sets and repetitions and what kind of specific exercises would fit in such a routine? Is working on my arms 2x a week enough? If it does nothing with this intensity, I'd rather pivot into some sort of full body workout, maybe? Should I do something specific for other regions of my body? Also, I worry about not incorporating my legs enough because I rather like walking/running more than any other thing. So maybe replace 1 back exercise with running then, so I get this in twice a week too?
If there is any additional information that I need to provide, I'll edit it below.
Thank you so much for reading this post and thank you very much in advance for your answers.