I'm only 5-10 lbs overweight, but my body composition is almost entirely fat. Even though I feel good about dropping from 204 lbs to 156 - my chest, arms, and back muscles are severely underdeveloped. Struggling with depression my whole life, it's hard for me to find motivation within myself (in regards to literally every aspect of my life, not just fitness). But I'm going to try a new strategy: tapping into the power of spite to will changes into my life.
Being healthy and fit is something I want for myself, however my mental hurdles often convince me that improving my situation isn't possible. But there's a wedding coming up at the end of August, and my ex will be there lmao. So I'm going to see if I can trick my brain a little. If I struggle with making things happen for myself, maybe I can use the desire to "show them" to get myself going. After I stick to the routine for a few weeks, maybe I'll be able to use that to show myself, "Look what you've accomplished! You can make things happen if you really want it."
So, I have a resistance bar with bands that allegedly goes up to 300 lbs of resistance. I want to follow this beginner's routine on Reddit:
Workout A
- 3×5+ Barbell Rows
- 3×5+ Bench Press
- 3×5+ Squats
Workout B
- 3×5+ Chinups (or equivalent)
- 3×5+ Overhead Press
- 3×5+ Deadlifts
I'll add one biceps and one triceps exercise to this routine as well. I just want to keep it simple so I don't get discouraged after 3 workouts.
I know nutrition is equally important to exercise, but I'm going to introduce that into my life gradually. I'll be mindful of what I eat, but if I jump right into counting calories and focusing on macros, I'll end up giving up.
So, what kind of changes could I expect after 3 months of work? I've read that initial gains on untrained muscles can become noticeable within that timeframe. I'm not expecting to look like Tom Holland, but I'd love it if my back muscles became strong enough to help my posture look better. If my arms looked a little bigger in a short-sleeved shirt. If my chest muscles were a little visible and not just flabby boobies. Are those reasonable expectations? And I'm open to any other advice or pointers you may want to throw my way. Thanks!
It might take a few months to "notice" the changes in your body, but honestly if you're starting from square one, you'll feel better and stronger much quicker than that. Especially if you're not used to lifting or otherwise exerting your muscles, just developing the neurological coordination to use muscles you're not used to using and developing them will rapidly increase your effective strength. That's why it's so easy to progressively increase how much you can lift at first.
This is a super late reply, but I've been away for the last week. Will the neural connections to the muscles come with time? When I do bench presses, bent-over rows, and squats, I'm not really feeling the flex in my pecs, lats, or glutes. I'm trying to manually flex them while I do the exercises, but it feels like the supporting muscles are doing most of the work.
(I just smoked and reread my question and I'm not sure if it made sense. But hopefully you get what I'm asking lol)