Quote:
Originally Posted by chanazrt
Hey Rich - thanks for the reply - let me clarify:
"When you say you're not trying to bulk up, I assume you mean that your goal isn't muscle gain and not that you're worried about getting too muscular?"
-I want to lift for overall fitness/weight loss (in addition to cardio), and yes, I do NOT want to get too muscular
"Or do you enough muscle to look athletic but not huge?"
"Do you want no new lean mass at all?"
Exactly! - yes to lean mass, not big size gains
"Do you need to drop 100 lbs or do you want to cut ten?"
-About 35, but yes, like you said CICO is basically right.
Thanks!
Setting up a program for fitness and not growth is relatively straightforward. If you want to get set up for some strength gains that will set you up for good fitness training while also helping you to maintain lean mass while dieting, try Starting Strength. It's linked in the sticky (which I linked to it in my prior reply). There's a learning curve, as it involves squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
There are plenty of other programs. Google is your friend, as you can look at a bunch of stuff and see what fits with your goals, experience level, and capabilities. Here's a beginner plan
from Muscle & Fitness that I found in a quick check. Try to stick to reputable, bigger sites. We're your friends too, of course, so feel free to post what you choose if you want someone to give it a once-over.
As a novice, focus mostly on proper form. If you don't have any experience, maybe have a personal trainer or lifting friend help you for a few workouts. You want to get in good enough workouts right away, but IMO you should take your time to get used to the lifts, equipment, etc. Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say.
There are lots of ways to lose weight, but they all start in the kitchen -- even more so for a new lifter. When I decide to cut a few pounds, I start by eliminating junk. It's the low hanging fruit (that you can replace with actual fruit). Next, you'll want to count and cut calories. Set a target where you lose 1-2 lbs per week (5 lbs is okay the first week...it's generally water weight). You didn't gain 35 lbs in four weeks and you won't lose it in four weeks either. Slow and steady also preserves the most lean mass.
You'll probably want to augment that with cardio. I ride a bicycle at a good clip for an hour a few days a week, but there are many options. You can run, as you mentioned. Swimming is good. Even walking is good (fine for caloric burn but not so much for cardio conditioning, of course). That Shaun T beachbody workout is probably a fine cardio workout as well. I never tried it, so you'd know better than I would.
Good luck!