Workout Heads...help me out

[Propaganda]

Aiight, I'm 5'11 about 175-180 and in pretty crappy shape at the moment. I'm not fat but Im definitely getting a beer belly, am generally getting flabbier and have probably lost some muscle mass and strength since I haven't been really that physically active for a while.

Anyways, I want to gain muscle (get to 185-190), lose the fat and just generally get healthier. I have no real timetable but I'd like to get my **** together in the 8-12 months.

My eating habits and lifestyle aren't that condusive to exercising lol...but whatever, I'll change what I can.

Problem is, I don't really have the time to get to the gym...I do however, have some barbells and dumbells at home.

What I'd like to know, what's the best way of approaching all this?

I mean, what's a good workout plan, what kind of diet should I be aiming for and realistically, what kind of gains should I expect?

[Big H]

Aiight, I'm 5'11 about 175-180 and in pretty crappy shape at the moment. I'm not fat but Im definitely getting a beer belly, am generally getting flabbier and have probably lost some muscle mass and strength since I haven't been really that physically active for a while.

Anyways, I want to gain muscle (get to 185-190), lose the fat and just generally get healthier. I have no real timetable but I'd like to get my **** together in the 8-12 months.

My eating habits and lifestyle aren't that condusive to exercising lol...but whatever, I'll change what I can.

Problem is, I don't really have the time to get to the gym...I do however, have some barbells and dumbells at home.

What I'd like to know, what's the best way of approaching all this?

I mean, what's a good workout plan, what kind of diet should I be aiming for and realistically, what kind of gains should I expect?

Well, first try to squeeze in SOME time for the gym. If you have to get up early then so be it, cuz dumbbells and limited weight won't get it done.

But since your in essence, "starting", whatever weight you have should be sufficient for a while.

If you don't have a bench (just a regular flat bench) then I suggest you invest and buy one cuz your gonna need it.

Just focus on using dumbbells for most of your lifts. Bench Press, Shoulder Press, Curls, etc. Keep the movements basic and focus on high reps and about three sets per exercise. For each set, you want to rep that weight until you hit failure. These "forced reps" are what kick your muscles in to Hypertrophy (actual muscle growth) when you recover. Its also vital to consume a protein shake or some form of rapid absorption protein immediately following your workout, and then 90 minutes after as well.

When your just starting out, muscle gains will come fast, but don't get used to it. After 6-8 weeks, you will notice the gains slow down which means your body has adapted all it could from the weight your using. This is when you enter the Progressive training mode where you focus on increasing the weight you lift on a weekly basis. This is why having access to a gym is extremely important. You'll want to increase 2.5 to 5 pounds every 1 or 2 weeks. Once your able to rep a set weight for a MINIMUM of 5 reps for all your sets, you can step it up.

This is a very rough overview of how to get started. Your diet should also coincide with your new lifestyle. First off, eliminate ALL fried foods, processed foods, candy, cake, whatever! You can expect to spend some time putting together a shopping list and if possible preparing all your meals in advance.

You MUST make an attempt to eat 6 times a day. A good rule of thumb is to eat EVERY 3 HOURS. Focus on eating Complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein rich foods. Another rule of thumb is to eat a serving size which is about equal to the size of your fist. You should keep your calorie intake in the 2,500-3,500 range to promote muscle growth while keeping weight gain to a minimum.

And before you ask, its nearly impossible to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You can gain muscle and lose actual fat, but the scale may not change and it may even go up. But rest assured that if your following your diet and workouts, that weight gain will be lean muscle mass which is what you want.

I can't explain everything to you without specific questions, so if you have any specific questions ask them here.

[Propaganda]

good lookin out so far...

what type of protein shakes do you recommend?

also, what type of foods (specifically) are the best for me to eat? Like, what do you usually eat throughout the day for instance. Whats a typical meal to you?

[Big H]

good lookin out so far...

what type of protein shakes do you recommend?

also, what type of foods (specifically) are the best for me to eat? Like, what do you usually eat throughout the day for instance. Whats a typical meal to you?

For Protein Shakes, try ON 100% Whey, ErgoPharm GF-Pro, or Muscle Milk. All three are solid muscle builders.

Your diet should consist of Chicken Breasts, Tuna (canned or fillet), Salmon, Turkey (sliced or burger), Extra Lean meat (Top Round for steaks), eggs (preferably Whites only, but Yolks are okay sometimes, Lots of Veggies, Peanuts (Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter is a staple in my diet), Walnuts, Almonds, Whole Grain foods, Oats (look for Steel-Cut), Low-fat Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Milk (2% or Skin), etc.

Your diet is gonna consist mainly of meats (turkey, chicken, beef, tuna, salmon). I suggest you build meals around those base meats. ALWAYS HAVE VEGGIES with your meals. Veggies fill you up and provide large amounts of Fiber along with vitamins and other goodies. Throw in complex carbs like Baked potatoes, Brown Rice, etc. Just make sure you stay away from Sugar.

I admit that my given lifestyle doesn't allow for really tasty foods or intricate plates, but with preparation and little creativity you can make this new eating habit enjoyable.

Holla if you need more info.