@franciswinland First, get cleared for exercise by your doctor.
Physique goals invariably boil down to gaining muscle and losing fat.
Fat is distributed according to genetics and rate of caloric surplus. Spot reduction is a falsehood, you lose fat anywhere by losing fat everywhere. Imagine a pool with a shallow end and a deep end. When you fill the pool, the deep end will be completely submerged before the shallow end level changes. Correspondingly, when you empty the pool, the shallow end will be completely empty before the deep end level changes. So you lose fat in a specific area by adhering to the principles of fat loss over a long enough period of time.
To gain muscle:
1) Follow a full body strength training program encompassing progressive overload on compound exercises
2) Aim for ~1g of protein per 1lb of bodyweight per day (
source)
3) Try to get 9 hours of sleep per day (
source)
Concurrent strength training and cardio training is optimal for fat loss (
source). Comparatively, strength training is superior to cardio training for the purposes of fat loss (
source). Building muscle mass increases your metabolism which means you burn more calories just sitting around (
source). HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and MICT (Moderate Intensity Continuous Training) are virtually identical in terms of fat loss and fat-free mass gain, so cardio modality is a matter of preference (
source). However, exercise is not the optimal way to lose fat. Further reading:
https://physiqonomics.com/fat-loss/#training-for-fat-loss
To lose fat:
1) Eat at a caloric deficit. Google "TDEE calculator" to estimate your daily caloric usage, then aim for approximately ~200-500 calories subtracted from this.
2) Download a calorie tracker app and track your meals.
3) Then adjust values based on the cause-effect relationship between your individual efforts and your individual results over a ~3-4 month period.
Focus on whole foods such as meat (red, white, fish), eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, legumes, grains, etc. Prioritize high protein and high fiber. Avoid sugar and processed foods. For a more specific nutritional goal, try
Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist.
A high protein diet aids in fat loss (
source 1,
source 2), and increased protein intake can beneficially affect recovery times (
source) and reduce soreness (
source).
