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!
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Reddit says to move to Greyskull after that beginner's routine, so they're not quite the same. Pretty close, though.
Diet IS going to be tough for me. Food is comforting to me when I'm depressed. But I'm hoping that by getting regular exercise 3-4 times a week, that will have a big impact on my mood. Which will in turn benefit my eating and my sleeping. (Anyway, I kinda want to keep most of my belly because I like the muscular with a belly look, and it's not that big anyway lol).
And thanks for the support and advice! I'm looking forward to those noob gains.
You can do chicken and fish and spice the hell out of them to make them taste good. Try different kinds of spice mixes from all over the world and switch it up a lot.
Having visible abs requires a very low body fat percentage. It doesn't matter if you can crush walnuts with your belly-button, you won't get visible abs unless you get your body fat percentage below a certain point. Also, abs are overrated and having body fat means you can survive famine longer.