Newbie here. Need advice on a Workout Plan

[AFK Protector]

Hey everyone. I'm new to the forums as a member, and have been reading stuff for about 2 weeks. First here's a profile of myself.

Height: 5'8.5''
Weight: 160 lbs
Body fat %: 20%
Age: 15 (eh, it's in the profile too)

I basically want to look good and feel healthy. I've started eating healthier and tried the Atkins diet for half a week before I read a few articles saying it was bad for your liver and kidneys. Now, I drink do soda and eat no fast food. According to a military website I found somewhere in this forum, I am fit to go into any of the 4 categories with my height/weight ratio,but with body fat, I only make it into the Navy. I'm not saying that I want to join the armed forces. It's just an indicator. Anyways, I am hoping to get my body fat to 10%. So far, my exercise regimen includes the following:

1)Running at least a mile everyday increasing a mile every week on an elliptical machine. (around 30 minutes)
2)Lifting weights every other day. (for about 20 minutes)
3)Sit ups/crunches 50 in the morning, 50 before bed.
4)Pushups on the stairs for about 30-40 since my arms are weak.
5)Gym at school for about 40 minutes.

I'm new to this training stuff, so please offer any suggestions on how much I should lift, if this is too much/too little, if more reps/less weight is good, etc. My goal is to lose body fat and gain muscle and hopefully reach about 150 lbs. Thanks in advance.

PS. I don't know very much about working out, so treat me like what I am: a noob. Also, should I do situps/pushups/crunches in sets? Thanks again.

 

[Need-2-B-Pimpin]

Read DIESEL's guides.

 

[AFK Protector]

Yea, I read them over and compared my plan with his.....and I'm totally wrong.

But once again, I'm a noob. And his guide seems really straightforward, but I need somebody to help me correct mine. If 2 more people say "read the guide" I will drop my plan and memorize it. That's a promise. But for now, I think my plan is working.

 

[California Love]

you're trying to lose weight correct?


Running is a good idea - try sets of 100 yrd dashes instead.

Watch your diet CAREFULLY.

Decreases your overall calorie consumption. Eat tons of soluble fiber. It absorbs water and therefore causes you to feel full. Get your carbs from superior sources, such as oats and yams. Absolutely no bread, soda, and various breakfast cereals. Maintain a high protein consumption.

It's all about mindset. On a good diet, you can cut about 1 pound of fat a week with minimal muscle loss. Good luck and post back on your progress!

 

[WTFman]

Here are a few suggestions if you want to loose weight. Make your breakfasts and lunchs light (for example; my breakfasts are a glass of OJ(with a fiber supplement) and a banana. My lunches are carrots, V8, an apple, some mixed nuts and a few rye crackers) that way you can eat what ever you want for dinner an not worry.

 

[AFK Protector]

Hmmm, I heard the exact opposite. People said that eating a light dinner is good because you don't use it up while you're asleep. If you eat a big lunch/breakfast, it's okay since you consume it all throughout the day.

Has it worked for you? If it has, I'll try it. TY for you input.

 

[California Love]

Originally posted by AFK Protector
Hmmm, I heard the exact opposite. People said that eating a light dinner is good because you don't use it up while you're asleep. If you eat a big lunch/breakfast, it's okay since you consume it all throughout the day.

Has it worked for you? If it has, I'll try it. TY for you input.

Don't eat a couple hours before sleeping. Food becomes stored as fat since metabolism decreases considerably in sleep. Definitely get a good breakfast.

 

[AFK Protector]

Alright guys, I think my diet is ok. I need feedback on the work out stuff.

 

[Y Trallwng Am Byth]

Firstly, scrap the running for a mile thing. Run for 12 minutes instead. Each week, focus on trying to add a small amount to the distance you run in 12 minutes. You may find you go from doing 1.4 miles to 1.5 miles in 12 minutes, over the course of a month, and it's a measurable improvement. This way you'll keep pushing yourself and it's something to feel rewarded about.

In a way, you seem to be overtraining. I'd stick just to your school gym, and running. It's all you need.

 

[AFK Protector]

Thanks. I haven't thought about increasing the distance I cover in a set amount of time. Yea, I feel like I'm over training too. Muscles need like a day to recover or something. Thanks again.

 

[WTFman]

Keep your routine different so you don't get burnt out. I change mine up every few months. Currently, 3 days a week I play a couple hours of basketball and another 3 days a week I spend a half hour on an eliptical machine. I also weight train 5 days a week for about an hour a session.

If you keep your weight training sessions light you don't need much recovery time.

It also depends on where you are at in your training. I'm about 3 years into mine so an hour a day 5 times a week is pretty easy. I used to do about 2 hours a day but burnt out quick.

For quite a long time the only weight bearing stuff I did was push-ups, dips and curls. Just doing those a few times a week can keep you well toned. The most important part of your training is cardio or stop-and-go sports (like basketball, raquetball, tennis, ect..)

Anyway, let me give you some suggestions on weight training. I think it's called "power sets", doing two different exercises at the same time. For example, one set of chest exercises and one set of back exercises. As a side note you want to work larger muscle groups more often than smaller, for every bicep, tricep and chest exercise you want to do two back exercises.

My routine is: On my upper body days (4 a week) I do one set of chest/biceps/triceps/abs and 2 sets of back, one day a week I do 3 sets of shoulders and neck, I only do one leg routine a week because of all the cardio/sports. However, my leg routine is pretty intense, about 8 different exercises all together. I also always do 1 endurance exercise (push-ups, dips or pull-ups)

Abdominal area and lower back are trunk muscles which are probably the most important for balance and staying injury free. You should work abs/lower back about 4 times a week.

Now, lets talk about muscle strength and endurance. These are different methods when doing sets on your work outs. When you can only do between 8-12 reps a set that builds muscle strength, when you CAN or DO do more than 12 reps that builds muscle endurance. I try to strike a balance with mine, I do 3 sets of each work out 15, 12 and 10 reps with increasing weight for each one.

If you want to build bulk fast you can go with 3 sets of 10 reps each using the same weight or slightly increasing. If you want to get tone and cut go for more reps per set with lighter weight. Or you can do something similar to mine and you will build bulk and get cut but it's a slower process.

I don't know if you have a membership to a gym or not but i'd suggest instead of running for a mile you get on a treadmill, eliptical machine or bike and use the set cardio templates they have. 30-45 minutes a day of cardio is optimal. The 10-12 minutes of running honestly doesn't give that much benefit (especially with loosing weight), fast walking for 30 minutes would do more. If you don't have access to a gym, even if you can't keep up a run for 30 minutes keep your heart rate up for that long when you do exercise.

 

[victor von doom]

Originally posted by WTFman
Keep your routine different so you don't get burnt out. I change mine up every few months. Currently, 3 days a week I play a couple hours of basketball and another 3 days a week I spend a half hour on an eliptical machine. I also weight train 5 days a week for about an hour a session.

If you keep your weight training sessions light you don't need much recovery time.

It also depends on where you are at in your training. I'm about 3 years into mine so an hour a day 5 times a week is pretty easy. I used to do about 2 hours a day but burnt out quick.

For quite a long time the only weight bearing stuff I did was push-ups, dips and curls. Just doing those a few times a week can keep you well toned. The most important part of your training is cardio or stop-and-go sports (like basketball, raquetball, tennis, ect..)

Anyway, let me give you some suggestions on weight training. I think it's called "power sets", doing two different exercises at the same time. For example, one set of chest exercises and one set of back exercises. As a side note you want to work larger muscle groups more often than smaller, for every bicep, tricep and chest exercise you want to do two back exercises.

My routine is: On my upper body days (4 a week) I do one set of chest/biceps/triceps/abs and 2 sets of back, one day a week I do 3 sets of shoulders and neck, I only do one leg routine a week because of all the cardio/sports. However, my leg routine is pretty intense, about 8 different exercises all together. I also always do 1 endurance exercise (push-ups, dips or pull-ups)

Abdominal area and lower back are trunk muscles which are probably the most important for balance and staying injury free. You should work abs/lower back about 4 times a week.

Now, lets talk about muscle strength and endurance. These are different methods when doing sets on your work outs. When you can only do between 8-12 reps a set that builds muscle strength, when you CAN or DO do more than 12 reps that builds muscle endurance. I try to strike a balance with mine, I do 3 sets of each work out 15, 12 and 10 reps with increasing weight for each one.

If you want to build bulk fast you can go with 3 sets of 10 reps each using the same weight or slightly increasing. If you want to get tone and cut go for more reps per set with lighter weight. Or you can do something similar to mine and you will build bulk and get cut but it's a slower process.

I don't know if you have a membership to a gym or not but i'd suggest instead of running for a mile you get on a treadmill, eliptical machine or bike and use the set cardio templates they have. 30-45 minutes a day of cardio is optimal. The 10-12 minutes of running honestly doesn't give that much benefit (especially with loosing weight), fast walking for 30 minutes would do more. If you don't have access to a gym, even if you can't keep up a run for 30 minutes keep your heart rate up for that long when you do exercise.

Where did you get this info? Men's Health Guide to Fitness circa 1994?

80% of the info in this post is outdated and wrong.

 

[WTFman]

Why not correct it then?

 

[victor von doom]

Originally posted by WTFman
Why not correct it then?

tomorrow.. I'm going to bed.

 

[AFK Protector]

Ok, new plan. I'm jsut gonna lose weight and I'm gonna follow Diesel's guides while doing cardio even though he says not to do it :|.