should be fixed now. and theres tons of instruction in this forum for how to do the lifts and ways to tweak the program to make it work for different ppls goals and preferences.

I mean, shes doing pretty much the same lifts. may as well get proper instruction on form and use a tried and true program.

Sort of. I dont really see a point in a vastly overweight person just focused on losing weight doing BB squats and DL with 0 weight lifting background. Just seems like an odd rec tbh. She should just be doing basic stuff she can bounce in and enjoy, SS takes a lot of dedication to things like form and progression and tbh I get the impression she would give 0 ****s about doing any of that.

Is there a particular reason you think its the best suited program?

intense interval training/program for beginners

I predict that if MLYLT tries to follow your advice she will not stay with it.

No one cares what you look like in the gym. No one.

I wouldn't say 0experience. I was a power lifter in HS; played all the sports, and I played volleyball and softball in college. It's just been a while and I'm really fat now.

Well if you're into barbell lifting then I would definitely look into it. The major point is I think it's a terrible program for the average non lifting amurican to have compliance with. You even say you are embarrassed goblet squatting, standing in a power rack squatting while some bro is waiting probably isn't the best scenario for you right now then.

I like ss a lot, I just think you should pick stuff you like doing or else it's not going to happen. Like walking!

Either one arm rows, or bent over dumbbell rows if you can be sure your form is proper.

Agree, but I said relatively intense. I'm not talking about 400m sprints. A comfortably hard effort for 30 seconds followed up by a break or slow pedal for 30 seconds (scalable and tweakable). If she begins to dread any type of interval workouts, then she can just substitute with either rest or a walk, and any lift that she doesn't look forward to she should substitute with another lift.

Do SS. Buy the book. An engineer should LOVE this book.

Don't give a **** about being embarrassed how you look doing X in the gym. Seriously.

Disagree about compliance. Takes only a few weeks for that 2.5lb increase on the bar to be in the "holy **** I'm making massive progress" range. From then until the first major stall, compliance is a cakewalk for anyone who has the slightest competitive inclination.

And SS is super fast at the start too.

+1 on this.

^yup.

Starting Strength would be a perfect program for hero IMO.

It's known to produce way overdeveloped lower bodies relative to upper bodies.
And erryone knows chicks dig exactly that for themselves.

Although I'd like to add that don't follow the progression scheme as gospel. Take it slowly. And start with really low weights.

i disagree on the compliance issue. ss inherently lends itself to compliance. every time you go in the gym you get stronger, usually you get stronger than you have ever been. thats nice motivation. and its super simple. just 4 exercises.

As a noob she's gonna get stronger no matter what she does, but I don't think, "Bro, I just added a plate to my squat this month" is the key motivation for a 260 pound female trying to lose 100+ pounds. Working toward the goal of circuit and interval training is going to shed fat most efficiently, but apparently she used to be a powerlifter so who knows, maybe being able to squat 225 for reps is what she really wants deep down.

I don't mean to say that doing such things is necessarily bad as general conditioning and fitness can benefit from doing them, but increasing calorie expenditure is so overrated at these early stages of her weightloss.

Getting in enough protein and doing resistance training with a high enough intensity (Starting Strength !!) are the key elements to make sure the weight she loses is indeed bodyfat and the weight that she doesn't lose is indeed muscle mass.

Hero's borderline superfat still, maybe she can even gain some muscle mass while losing bodyfat.

What I really want now is to lose weight fast. When I become skinny and fit my goals will change to being stronger.

We'd log:

It's problem.

This is a marathon, not a sprint yadayadayada.

If you want to lose weight as fast as possible, you could like, eat nothing until you're at the desired bodyweight.
It's not like people haven't done it before -> 382 days fast

I hate the saying "weight loss is simple, but it ain't no easy".
Bullcrap, it's simple and it's easy. All you need is a modicum of self control and A LOT of patience.
Patience, my friend. Patience.

its funny that you recommend compound lifts and strict attention to form and then eschew the best way to execute that.

and I think the risk of injury for an overweight person with feet, knee and back pain is much higher when circuit training which will run the risk of performing compound lifts while very fatigued and prior to properly learning the lifts. I mean, look at all the crossfit injuries.

but I agree that she should do whatever the hell she enjoys and wants to do.

this is dependent on diet unless you plan on running 30-50 miles a week or biking 200-300 miles. otherwise, well, I am sure you have looked at the calorie estimates of light forms of exercise. it aint putting that much of a dent in your calorie deficit.

so just do what you like and makes you feel good. I will say, building strength and muscle will make you look better and skinnier at the same weight. a 35% body fat at a certain weight is gonna look at lot different than 20%.

For MLYLT at this point the most important thing is to control caloric intake. Yes, exercise will add to her deficit but right now she should probably just keep doing her walking and eliptical stuff slowly increasing time and speed.

And exactly what do you mean by "shed fat most efficiently"?

Thurs planned log:

Need to take swimming off of there since you're not going to Dallas for a few weeks

Fair enough. Nothing wrong with trying. Most important thing is she actually goes

I agree with that in general, but I don't think she'll get excited by adding 10 pounds to a lift the next week and that will inspire her to keep going to the gym as Victor said, but who knows.

I have always suggested that she get the form down first, yes. Once the form is down, she can then work toward doing controlled exercises but without breaks until the circuit is complete, so long as form isn't sacrificed. That's all I meant.

But I think you guys are correct that working toward circuits within the next couple of months is w/e at this stage, but I do think she should put in 2 interval days on a stationary bike or elliptical for 10 minutes between workout days.


Of course, and she's getting a handle on her intake so now she's working on the exercise part.

Walking for 20 minutes is inferior to doing an interval set for 10 minutes in terms of calories burned and EPOC, but if she's going to dread that 10 minutes, then she's probably better off with the 20 minute walk.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'll be doing LOLs plan for a few weeks and try the interval training out. The gym has a Zumba class a couple of times a week, do you think this would be a good substitute for interval training? I'm really terrible at dancing, but I would at least being moving around fast for a bit.
My entire body is sore today, I'll have to do a lot of stretching tonight.

ANYTHING you enjoy doing, do it. There is no secret workout, just try different stuff and if you hate something, drop it.