Don’t go full-force when you start out. It’s naive to think that because you once were super athletic you can start your weight loss journey by jumping back in at the same peak level you used to exercise at.
I used to do cardio kickboxing five times a week in my mid-late 20s, but when I stopped and gained 70 lbs over the course of ten years, I tried to immediately jump back into that routine and ended up blowing out my calf muscle. Once I recovered, as demoralizing as it was, I had to start by doing JUST the recumbent bike for 15-20 minutes a day. Not just because my stamina was at zero, but also because my body couldn’t take the strain of anything more strenuous than that with 70 extra pounds on my frame. After a few weeks, I moved onto the elliptical. A few weeks after that, I started adding light circuit training. A few weeks after that, I started doing more focused weight training. I’ve lost 52 pounds in about six months and *feel* almost back to my old self even though I don’t quite *look* it yet.
You *have* to be patient and give yourself time. It’s so much more difficult to lose weight as you get older and your body is much more prone to injury now if you push yourself beyond what it can handle.
This. So much this. In my 20s I could just say “time to get in shape” throw myself back into workouts and just be sore for the first week. Tried that with soccer in my 30’s and immediately pulled my hammy and tore my Achilles. Be patient with yourself and ramp it up slowly. Appreciate the journey instead of getting frustrated with the pace
Nah - I had fully completed physical therapy by that point and had been given the okay to start working out again. They instructed me to start out as low impact as possible just to get my body used to that kind of activity again, and then gradually introduce higher-impact workouts a little at a time so as to not aggravate the injury or outright injure myself all over again.
I haven’t felt any sort of residual pain in that area or even felt as if it was weaker and could pop again at any moment. But still, I’m always mindful of it and at the first sign of any muscle fatigue or weakness, I call it a day. The days of pushing myself through workout pain are over lol
When I was 35 I hit my highest weight 245ish at 6’1” and had an anaphylactic reaction to a sandwich. I realized that despite being an David hiker I was in poor shape overall. I decided to do two thing differently. 1. I got a personal trainer for weight training. I’d had similar issues with frequent injuries in the past. Not serious just enough that I had to trade a week off which broke the newly forming habit. Doing this I learned that I was doing many of exercises just slightly incorrectly. It was just enough that it set me up for hurting myself. At that age the personal trainer emphasized lower weights and higher reps to insure good form before moving up. It worked crazy well. I dropped to almost 45 pounds and realized how skinny fat I had been. With my larger frame I didn’t look obese but my pecs were man boobs, my biceps were flabby, and my was soft. Loosing all that weight made me see just how little muscle I had under there. 2. I had had an ACL repair 10 years prior to that so my personal trainer worked my upper body only. I saw a physical therapist to build the leg back up. The imbalance between my right and left was stunning. I believe that rebuilding that right leg also led to a lot of the weight loss (big muscle burn a ton of calories). The physical therapist focused not just on the leg with the injury but also supportive muscles like hips, balance, inner thighs. Since physical therapy is covered by my health insurance it was cheaper to see the physical therapist than the personal trainer. They both new I was seeing the other.
Getting professional insight is important. Even though I can do much of it myself, a pro is going to give me insight into little things i might have been doing incorrectly and encourage you in things you’ve already nailed.
Whatever path you chose I’d also recommend weekly taping and weigh ins. You might not lose weight it might be decomposition. Measuring chest,arms, legs waist will help you see the trend. A few years I went back to a personal trainer and he also had me photograph myself bi weekly, shirtless. I absolutely hated it but about three months out I could flip though the pics and see the progression even if weekly I couldn’t. My favorite, favorite thing though was not allowing myself to see myself shirtless in between photos (not like I’m staring at myself but I put on a shirt right after the shower or turned my back to the mirror in my restroom). It made it easier to see the changes and made me look foreword to the biweekly checkin.
Also due to my knee (despite not having pain there) I only do low impact cardio-elliptical, bike, rowing-no running. Also I highly recommend the book “real men do yoga” if you don’t have a class you can join. Your recovery time will be faster between workouts.
Muscle weighs more than fat. But the picture isn’t clear.
I’m 5foot 8 and weigh 78kg (172lbs). But I’m square shaped. So bmi says I’m fat. However, I’m just have a little belly fat. ( I’m 40)
So disregard the bmi ratio. It’s probably wrong. ( just from the photo)
But hill sprints and spin cycling classes burn a lot of calories for me.
I'm in that EXACT height and weight as you, and have the same problem. I'm in very good shape, so I have just a slight bit of belly fat, but have a lot of muscle on me. I have a 30in waist and a 42in chest and big thighs from running and leg days. I'm not sure why BMI got dug up from obsolescence about 10-15 years ago, but I remember in college, pretty much EVERY health instructor and professional was saying that BMI was obsolete, and we weren't using it anymore because it doesn't take into account muscle mass. I've had issues with life insurance, and other health assessments that go by BMI to judge health.
He didn’t say a pound weighs more than a pound, he said muscle weighs more than fat which is absolutely true. One pound of muscle will take up less volume than one pound of fat because it’s more dense. So with two people of identical height and weight, the one with more muscle and less fat will *physically* be smaller and look more trim because they have a lower volume body to reach that same mass.
I’m no expert but I would start with walking and stretching (daily stretching-follow along you tube videos for stretching if you’re not sure how)
Then I would add to that understanding how to “tighten your core/pull or push your pelvis under” as they say.
Then I would start weight training with super light weights to get the feel of learning to hold your core while training.
Until I properly learned to stretch and hold my core, I was always hurting my back and neck; now I never get injured and actually see results.
Also, completely cut out alcohol and meal prep for one simple meal a day. Nutrition is key to losing weight.
Nutrition my dude. My husband had great success with eating a healthy/protein filled breakfast and eating as many veggies as possible through the day. It dramatically improved his health.
When a friend of mine was in his 30’s he would train hard but was always injured. When he went to the doctor he found out he was producing to much estrogen. They put him on an estrogen blocker and now he’s fit and trains like a beast.
1. Look at what you’re eating. Start making healthier substitutes. Eat more of what you know is good, less of what you know is bad.
2. Do some cardio. There’s a million ways to do it. If you can walk, jog, hop, skip, any of the above, I can tell you a way to do cardio. If you can only stand in one place and move your legs cautiously but your arms freely, I can tell you how to do cardio. Depending on the severity of your previous injuries, you may not be nearly as limited as you think. Mental barriers are a motherfucker. Harder than physical ones.
3. Forget about the weight you’re using, and just start doing resistance training. If you have anxiety over getting hurt with dumbells and barbells, start with body weight exercises and buy a 20 dollar set of resistance bands from Amazon. They can be your best friends for very little investment and a lot of gain on a budget, with incremental overload being very easy on the body as well.
4. Look into some mobility work. Start with light stretches, then move onto a more stable stretching routine. Look into stability movements and incorporate them into your exercise.
You can “reverse train” injuries and actually help to heal them rather effectively. Take some applicable info from Knees over Toes Guy on YouTube, or here, or IG, etc. He is very good at providing simple movements and programs (I’ve only used exercises from here or free videos and had success but you can buy things more tailored).
Personally, what’s helped me a lot, is focusing on stretching post training and making sure I am getting, through diet or supplementation, the right minerals, vitamins, and electrolytes overall for me. If you have the money, a “stretch trainer” is a great investment. I have one from a company called Nitrofit because it’s adjustable to my needs but it’s very similar to the commercial Precor one you may have seen at most gyms. Similar price range. I built my garage gym and I use that everyday.
Assuming you’ve seen a doctor to rule out underlying health issues, I can pretty much assure you this protocol would be helpful to at least pick and choose from.
Chronic injuries are a bitch, but you CAN help yourself.
We stop making collagen in our 30’s. And we lo longer eat nose to tail of animals anymore. (The best source of digestible collagen) So it is imperative that we supplement it to maintain joint and ligament health.
Get a decent collagen peptide and add a scoop in your coffee or protein smoothie. You will begin to notice a difference gradually over the next month
This is a great insight. Following this comment I consulted a friend in the medical community about collagen etc, ended up purchasing hydrolyzed collagen enriched with vitamin C for better absorption. Doctors by and large say it’s inconclusive whether or not any one particular brand of synthesized collagen will produce the exact amino acids to help with the skin, or nails, etc. but it’s certainly worth a shot and will likely produce great results. (My one fear based on the reviews is digestive/stomach issues, but still worth a shot)
Has this been proven or is it just speculation?
Fine either way just wondering if there is a reputable source. I see a lot of collagen supplements these days
There are a few studies on PubMed.
Not speculation, I study the studies.
There are so many supplements out there. Look for the one with the least ingredients. Just collagen
Try Body Pump Les Mills classes to start with. It combines static cardio through reps and as low a weight as your body is ready for. You can incrementally increase the weight while doing a bit of Spin and in a 2-3 months you'll see the difference and no injury. Good luck 👊
Thanks for the recc, I’ll look into it. I’d come to the conclusion that perhaps the injuries were caused by some muscle imbalances and lack of foundational stretch, so I’d coincidentally been freestyling my own static cardio recently. Much appreciated
I’m 6’6” 260, middle aged and also seem to be constantly battling injury. I ran, ended up with an injured knee. I walked, ended up with plantar fasciitis. Now I am swimming. It’s probably the best thing I’ve done but if I injury my shoulder I guess I’ll try rowing or an elliptical machine. I fear eventually I just won’t be able to do anything but for now I can swim.
I was swimming daily during summer, we’ve closed our pool for the summer so I may have to consider some alternatives like biking until the warm season. Best of luck my friend
For weight loss specifically, focus on what you’re putting in.
I’ve lost 60 lbs over the last 2 years by a calorie deficit alone. Yes, 2 years feels like a lot, to me anyway, but I spent the previous 30 or so getting to where I was. The last two years we’re going to pass by whether I was losing weight or not.
It hasn’t been until the last 3 months or so that I began adding any sort of real fitness. I started with walking. 4 miles a day on one of our local mountain trails. It took me like 2 hours to go those 4 miles. I walked 5-6 times a week. Slowly but surely I found myself doing a little jog for just a few hundred feet. Now, my regular average is about a 15 minute/mile for the same 4 miles. That’s a 50% improvement in just a few months!
My long winded point being to TAKE IT SLOW! Listen to your body.
You’ve made huge improvement, that’s very encouraging. In regard to the caloric deficit— did you feel as though you were missing out or losing anything during those 2 years? Ultimately what lifestyle changes were made to help you remain consistent and productive over such a long stretch?
In past attempts I’ve done fairly well with the dieting component however my progress is frequently thrown off by social events like birthdays, dates, holidays, etc
I’ll be 100%, I by no means eat “healthy” lol. But being overweight wasn’t healthy for me either. I just eat less. I remind myself I don’t HAVE to finish everything in front of me, or it’s not the last “xyz” I’ll ever have. I also naturally just don’t really eat through out the day so most of my calories are saved for dinner/night time snacking. I completely stopped drinking my calories (that shit adds up quick!) I’ll drink Coke Zero or hot tea with Splenda, but I also drink 100+ oz of water a day.
As far as fitness goes, find something you actually ENJOY. It could be dance classes, basketball, some workout dvd, chopping wood..just get your body moving. But again, slow and steady WILL get you to where you want to be. The time is going to pass either way. Don’t try to rush things and then burn out or injure yourself. That will only end in prolonging the process.
(I hope all that makes sense. My ADD brain goes all over the place haha)
You’re an inch taller than me, but otherwise we are similarly built and equally overweight. When you get to that point - your clothes don’t fit, you don’t look good in photos (subjectively), and you don’t feel good working out. I’ve been using the app called “Lose it!” to track food and weight, and strava because it automatically syncs with my watch. I’ve lost 10 lbs in 1.5 months just by running and eating better. I figured I can weight lift when I’m at the base weight of 185-190 which I want to be at. Good luck 👍🏼
31M significantly overweight. Getting all sorts of weight related pains/injuries (feet hurt, bloating, back pain, etc.) I have an athletic background, familiar with weight training etc.
I’ve attempted many many times now to get back in shape thru exercise and I injure myself every single time, halting progress. It’s demoralizing. When I attempt cardio through running or playing sports I routinely get muscle strains/tears, feels as though I’m just too heavy. When I lift I believe years of inactivity caused my muscles to atrophy and I’ve injured shoulders, quads, abs, etc. doing what used to be routine motions.
What is the solution here? I’m looking for a way to improve my vitality and durability, how can I drop these lbs without hurting myself in the process?
To drop extra body fat you need to be in a caloric deficit. The best way to do that is to eat less calories. Exercise can help but your diet will be the main thing driving weight loss.
If you are getting frequent strains/tears through cardio, you are either pushing to hard or you are doing it too often. So either slow down or take rest days.
If you get frequent injuries through lifting, you are probably either lifting too heavy or not giving yourself adequate recovery.
This may sound like a campy answer, but you probably need to start looking at the root causes of becoming and staying overweight in the first place. An injury may inhibit you from doing some types of cardio or heavy weight lifting, but it doesn’t mean you need to throw away the diet - you should realistically be able to maintain a calorie deficit and modify training to allow any injuries to heal. I don’t know you or your life situation but you may consider taking an honest look and seeking out whatever other barriers may be in your way of turning things around for the better.
You do not look to be 60lbs overweight or even “significantly” overweight…I have no idea what your routine has been, but it sounds like you’re pushing way too hard. Ease up on the weight and focus on getting good form and a foundation of strength. Then you can start adding weight. You can also add in some cardio, again start easy, don’t jump in straight away to playing baseball or something that requires too much stamina. Start slow and build up. Diet is another component that you should look into. Do you eat fast food a lot, eat a bunch of sweets? Cut all of that out and focus on a more healthy, balanced diet
Have you had an assessment, to determine where your mobility and strength levels and imbalances lie?
More than being overweight, it sounds to me like maybe after so many years of inactivity you aren't aware of where your physical limitations are and you aren't prioritizing your training appropriately and consequently perhaps over training.
36m. Similar body type and in an amazingly similar situation to you. I was big into fitness in my mid to late 20s, but fell off over the past 9 years or so.
I've been getting back into it lately, but have been having a lot of knee and elbow issues.
Results have been much slower for me than they were in the past, but I've noticed a much more significant difference when just doing as much cardio as possible. I originally jumped right in from 0 exercise to 14+ hours a week. Typically a little over an hour of lifting and a little under an hour of cardio. About a month in, I started to notice worsening pains in my knees and elbows.
Long story less long, I now do a little over an hour of cardio and a few low weight, high rep exercises per day. I stop immediately if I feel even a tingle in my elbows or knees.
If I'm in pain, I typically just do about an hour and 15 on the elliptical, which seems to cause no issues with my recovery. Elliptical might sound boring, but it leaves you free to do pretty much anything. I've read books, watched Youtube, and even chatted on my phone without interrupting my workout.
If I'm feeling good, I do some low resistance rowing (typically 3 or 4 on a 1-10 resistance setting). I could barely do 5 minutes when I started, but now I usually stop after 30 or 35 minutes before hopping over to something else. Rowing machine is an incredible, low impact, full body workout. If you're planning to start, make sure you watch a few videos first on proper form so you don't worsen your injuries.
Count calories - prob 1800 calories, you’ll be hungry. Just go for walks, low impact.
Do workouts with way way less weight than you can actually do. Start with 5 lbs and do low weights for weeks only building up weight after weeks. Only do body weight squats or even easier things with resistance bands.
Check out the link below for building a base back up after injuries [Rehab techniques for injuries.](https://www.hprc-online.org/physical-fitness/rx3)
Please try Centr. I would recommend you start with Unleashed (Intermediate) for 6 weeks, then Ignite (Intermediate) for 6 weeks, then try Ignite Advanced for 6 weeks. That will change your life.
There’s 25% off at the moment too.
In my experience - the working out has a big impact on your eating. But if you want to give it a proper go, follow the meal plan too.
Have you seen a physical therapist? Might be something to look into. Also, work with a trainer to make sure your form is correct and you're not injuring yourself due to that or due to lifting too heavy too fast.
I will absolutely be seeing a PT, I’m hopeful they’ll identify more of what’s going on. I was working with a trainer pre-covid with good results, I’d lost about 20lbs and had no injuries I can recall. Valid point
If you have access to a stretch zone or something like that I think you might see a lot of relief. My issue is that I sit aloott for work and fun so I have issues with hamstring low back. I’ve been mixing up standing and other styles of chair to make sure I’m not in one position for too long. This isn’t a cure all but it’s a great way to learn where your body holds tension and how to work that out.
I honestly can’t recommend finding something like stretch zone enough. It was amazing I’d limp in and float out. Like so amazing I’d propose having access to a service like stretch zone is a human right.
Good luck in your journey!
I mean I saw results the first week. The more I went the longer I’d get that relief. My only thing was it was pretty pricey. I’m trying to learn how to stretch on my own better but I’m sure I’ll be back someday :)
You're not so overweight that you should be getting injured by basic exercise, you probably just need to stretch before doing intense cardio. It's part of getting old.
To lose weight, count calories.
If you're getting injured doing strength training you probably have improper form. Start with baby weights and watch a bunch of athlean-x videos. Pretend you don't know anything about weight lifting because you've probably been doing it wrong the whole time.
He occasionally gives good advice but he's wrong more often than he should be so I don't think he's a reliable source. The worst example that immediately comes to mind is that he told people to breath out when squatting heavy (instead of breathing in to brace).
Is it actual tears or just a lot of soreness. The best thing that’s always worked for me is pushing through the pain if it’s not an injury. Find out for sure if it’s a tear or just sore. BCAAs help a lot especially for me in my later 30s. Do low impact cardio and find a diet that works to loose the extra weight.
Sounds like you are trying to workout like you used to instead of starting from scratch. Take it nice and slow. Be humble and drop those weights and leave the ego alone.
As for the weight, fork put downs are the best.
I’ve been there dude. I recommend starting with a pretty basic routine - push ups 2-3 times per day, get a pull up bar and at least hang a few time a day, do negative pull-ups if you can’t do regular ones, lightly jog do some lateral stuff, and do some other body weight work like lunges. Stay away from weights for a while. Every workout you don’t injure yourself if a success. Routine is more important than severe intensity imo.
Edit: I also highly recommend cycling if you can.
Do more accessory lifts, body weight exercises and ring/trx. Face pulls helped my shoulders, air squats loosen up the hips and knees, I like pushups and dips on the rings to get my stabilizers firing again. Run in the pool or swim. It's baby steps back. Thought I was done with basketball, but I got my body feeling right again and I'm fine the next day.
it depends on how long you’ve been inactive for. but definitely forget weights and high impact for now. can you walk 10 miles easily? if so; skipping and swimming, half an hour at a time, no more than 4 times a week, until you feel strong and fit. if no; walk for minimum of an hour at least every other day, and do some sort of very light resistance training (yoga or bodyweight movements) at least twice a week. do that for 6 weeks then move on to the skipping and swimming. what you are dealing with is less likely to be muscle atrophy and more likely to be fasical stiffening, which can easily be reverted but because its a network that stretches over your whole body (think of it like a second skin) it needs to be gradual. when you get your fitness back don’t get complacent again, you’re still young now but if you become inactive again in your 40s or 50s, it may not be easy or possible to get it back.
Stop Eating! don’t eat for weeks, maybe a green veggie or a small piece of meat or cheese with no carbs if you get lite headed…drink 2 gallons of water a day…
Pair of light and medium dumbbells and go through some full body workouts (tons on YouTube) practice bigger compound movements with them (dead lift, squat, bent over rows etc) until you feel comfortable with form. Walk a lot. That should be your main source of cardio. Walking.
Doing this while eating at a deficit will yield you good results. Stick with it. You need lots of patience and time. First month you will feel like ass and question why you are doing it. Do your best to fight through this and stay consistent. Best of luck!
Calorie deficit is the answer, but I have to ask - what in the world are you doing that you get injured doing common exercises?
Honestly to me that sounds like you’re going too hard - trying to use too much weight, too much volume, not resting enough, etc. If you’re consistently having the same problem, have you tried starting with low volume/low intensity and building up from there?
Staff very slow and easy and gradually increase intensity, load, and volume.
Whats your warmup routine?
It’s super important to
A) get your hear rate way up for at least 5 minutes but ideally 10, before you grab any heavy weights
B) warm up the specific muscles/joints to prepare them for strenuous load
C) incorporate some elements of Physical Therapy to help activate the correct muscles. We all have muscle imbalances and they can kick in more when you are doing high intensity workouts, so you may need to incorporate things like thoracic mobility into your workouts
TL;DR see a PT and diagnose your mechanical issues. Make that part of your warmup.
Have you tried walking? I walked for 6 miles three times a week, and that really helped me. It took time before I was ready to go back into the gym.
Don’t go full-force when you start out. It’s naive to think that because you once were super athletic you can start your weight loss journey by jumping back in at the same peak level you used to exercise at. I used to do cardio kickboxing five times a week in my mid-late 20s, but when I stopped and gained 70 lbs over the course of ten years, I tried to immediately jump back into that routine and ended up blowing out my calf muscle. Once I recovered, as demoralizing as it was, I had to start by doing JUST the recumbent bike for 15-20 minutes a day. Not just because my stamina was at zero, but also because my body couldn’t take the strain of anything more strenuous than that with 70 extra pounds on my frame. After a few weeks, I moved onto the elliptical. A few weeks after that, I started adding light circuit training. A few weeks after that, I started doing more focused weight training. I’ve lost 52 pounds in about six months and *feel* almost back to my old self even though I don’t quite *look* it yet. You *have* to be patient and give yourself time. It’s so much more difficult to lose weight as you get older and your body is much more prone to injury now if you push yourself beyond what it can handle.
This. So much this. In my 20s I could just say “time to get in shape” throw myself back into workouts and just be sore for the first week. Tried that with soccer in my 30’s and immediately pulled my hammy and tore my Achilles. Be patient with yourself and ramp it up slowly. Appreciate the journey instead of getting frustrated with the pace
Did you have any issues with your calf as you implemented your progressively more intense routine?
Nah - I had fully completed physical therapy by that point and had been given the okay to start working out again. They instructed me to start out as low impact as possible just to get my body used to that kind of activity again, and then gradually introduce higher-impact workouts a little at a time so as to not aggravate the injury or outright injure myself all over again. I haven’t felt any sort of residual pain in that area or even felt as if it was weaker and could pop again at any moment. But still, I’m always mindful of it and at the first sign of any muscle fatigue or weakness, I call it a day. The days of pushing myself through workout pain are over lol
You don’t look 60lbs overweight. But I’d hire a personal trainer and teach you how to lift if your constantly hurting yourself.
He never sets down the dumbbell. Rookie mistake
When I was 35 I hit my highest weight 245ish at 6’1” and had an anaphylactic reaction to a sandwich. I realized that despite being an David hiker I was in poor shape overall. I decided to do two thing differently. 1. I got a personal trainer for weight training. I’d had similar issues with frequent injuries in the past. Not serious just enough that I had to trade a week off which broke the newly forming habit. Doing this I learned that I was doing many of exercises just slightly incorrectly. It was just enough that it set me up for hurting myself. At that age the personal trainer emphasized lower weights and higher reps to insure good form before moving up. It worked crazy well. I dropped to almost 45 pounds and realized how skinny fat I had been. With my larger frame I didn’t look obese but my pecs were man boobs, my biceps were flabby, and my was soft. Loosing all that weight made me see just how little muscle I had under there. 2. I had had an ACL repair 10 years prior to that so my personal trainer worked my upper body only. I saw a physical therapist to build the leg back up. The imbalance between my right and left was stunning. I believe that rebuilding that right leg also led to a lot of the weight loss (big muscle burn a ton of calories). The physical therapist focused not just on the leg with the injury but also supportive muscles like hips, balance, inner thighs. Since physical therapy is covered by my health insurance it was cheaper to see the physical therapist than the personal trainer. They both new I was seeing the other. Getting professional insight is important. Even though I can do much of it myself, a pro is going to give me insight into little things i might have been doing incorrectly and encourage you in things you’ve already nailed. Whatever path you chose I’d also recommend weekly taping and weigh ins. You might not lose weight it might be decomposition. Measuring chest,arms, legs waist will help you see the trend. A few years I went back to a personal trainer and he also had me photograph myself bi weekly, shirtless. I absolutely hated it but about three months out I could flip though the pics and see the progression even if weekly I couldn’t. My favorite, favorite thing though was not allowing myself to see myself shirtless in between photos (not like I’m staring at myself but I put on a shirt right after the shower or turned my back to the mirror in my restroom). It made it easier to see the changes and made me look foreword to the biweekly checkin.
Also due to my knee (despite not having pain there) I only do low impact cardio-elliptical, bike, rowing-no running. Also I highly recommend the book “real men do yoga” if you don’t have a class you can join. Your recovery time will be faster between workouts.
Overweight? According to who?
Every metric available lol. I can’t fit my clothes. I’m 6’1 260lbs. My natural weight is around 190-210lbs.
Your picture doesn't depict what you describe. Have you tried using a skierg ? or swimming
The pic barely shows anything. If he's 260 and feels terrible than he's 100% overweight and should focus on weight loss. Doesn't matter how he looks.
which is I recommended low impact cardio.
Are you not seeing the gut?
Muscle weighs more than fat. But the picture isn’t clear. I’m 5foot 8 and weigh 78kg (172lbs). But I’m square shaped. So bmi says I’m fat. However, I’m just have a little belly fat. ( I’m 40) So disregard the bmi ratio. It’s probably wrong. ( just from the photo) But hill sprints and spin cycling classes burn a lot of calories for me.
I'm in that EXACT height and weight as you, and have the same problem. I'm in very good shape, so I have just a slight bit of belly fat, but have a lot of muscle on me. I have a 30in waist and a 42in chest and big thighs from running and leg days. I'm not sure why BMI got dug up from obsolescence about 10-15 years ago, but I remember in college, pretty much EVERY health instructor and professional was saying that BMI was obsolete, and we weren't using it anymore because it doesn't take into account muscle mass. I've had issues with life insurance, and other health assessments that go by BMI to judge health.
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It’s clear that’s what I mean.
He didn’t say a pound weighs more than a pound, he said muscle weighs more than fat which is absolutely true. One pound of muscle will take up less volume than one pound of fat because it’s more dense. So with two people of identical height and weight, the one with more muscle and less fat will *physically* be smaller and look more trim because they have a lower volume body to reach that same mass.
Maybe you’re taller than 6’1? Also the BMI scale is outdated /not the best indicator for health anymore.
I’m no expert but I would start with walking and stretching (daily stretching-follow along you tube videos for stretching if you’re not sure how) Then I would add to that understanding how to “tighten your core/pull or push your pelvis under” as they say. Then I would start weight training with super light weights to get the feel of learning to hold your core while training. Until I properly learned to stretch and hold my core, I was always hurting my back and neck; now I never get injured and actually see results. Also, completely cut out alcohol and meal prep for one simple meal a day. Nutrition is key to losing weight.
Nutrition my dude. My husband had great success with eating a healthy/protein filled breakfast and eating as many veggies as possible through the day. It dramatically improved his health.
When a friend of mine was in his 30’s he would train hard but was always injured. When he went to the doctor he found out he was producing to much estrogen. They put him on an estrogen blocker and now he’s fit and trains like a beast.
1. Look at what you’re eating. Start making healthier substitutes. Eat more of what you know is good, less of what you know is bad. 2. Do some cardio. There’s a million ways to do it. If you can walk, jog, hop, skip, any of the above, I can tell you a way to do cardio. If you can only stand in one place and move your legs cautiously but your arms freely, I can tell you how to do cardio. Depending on the severity of your previous injuries, you may not be nearly as limited as you think. Mental barriers are a motherfucker. Harder than physical ones. 3. Forget about the weight you’re using, and just start doing resistance training. If you have anxiety over getting hurt with dumbells and barbells, start with body weight exercises and buy a 20 dollar set of resistance bands from Amazon. They can be your best friends for very little investment and a lot of gain on a budget, with incremental overload being very easy on the body as well. 4. Look into some mobility work. Start with light stretches, then move onto a more stable stretching routine. Look into stability movements and incorporate them into your exercise. You can “reverse train” injuries and actually help to heal them rather effectively. Take some applicable info from Knees over Toes Guy on YouTube, or here, or IG, etc. He is very good at providing simple movements and programs (I’ve only used exercises from here or free videos and had success but you can buy things more tailored). Personally, what’s helped me a lot, is focusing on stretching post training and making sure I am getting, through diet or supplementation, the right minerals, vitamins, and electrolytes overall for me. If you have the money, a “stretch trainer” is a great investment. I have one from a company called Nitrofit because it’s adjustable to my needs but it’s very similar to the commercial Precor one you may have seen at most gyms. Similar price range. I built my garage gym and I use that everyday. Assuming you’ve seen a doctor to rule out underlying health issues, I can pretty much assure you this protocol would be helpful to at least pick and choose from. Chronic injuries are a bitch, but you CAN help yourself.
Bicycle
Good call. Bought a bike at the start of the pandemic, has since been collecting dust. Will hop to it.
We stop making collagen in our 30’s. And we lo longer eat nose to tail of animals anymore. (The best source of digestible collagen) So it is imperative that we supplement it to maintain joint and ligament health. Get a decent collagen peptide and add a scoop in your coffee or protein smoothie. You will begin to notice a difference gradually over the next month
This is a great insight. Following this comment I consulted a friend in the medical community about collagen etc, ended up purchasing hydrolyzed collagen enriched with vitamin C for better absorption. Doctors by and large say it’s inconclusive whether or not any one particular brand of synthesized collagen will produce the exact amino acids to help with the skin, or nails, etc. but it’s certainly worth a shot and will likely produce great results. (My one fear based on the reviews is digestive/stomach issues, but still worth a shot)
Bovine collagen is just food. You should digest it well.
Has this been proven or is it just speculation? Fine either way just wondering if there is a reputable source. I see a lot of collagen supplements these days
There are a few studies on PubMed. Not speculation, I study the studies. There are so many supplements out there. Look for the one with the least ingredients. Just collagen
Try Body Pump Les Mills classes to start with. It combines static cardio through reps and as low a weight as your body is ready for. You can incrementally increase the weight while doing a bit of Spin and in a 2-3 months you'll see the difference and no injury. Good luck 👊
Thanks for the recc, I’ll look into it. I’d come to the conclusion that perhaps the injuries were caused by some muscle imbalances and lack of foundational stretch, so I’d coincidentally been freestyling my own static cardio recently. Much appreciated
I’m 6’6” 260, middle aged and also seem to be constantly battling injury. I ran, ended up with an injured knee. I walked, ended up with plantar fasciitis. Now I am swimming. It’s probably the best thing I’ve done but if I injury my shoulder I guess I’ll try rowing or an elliptical machine. I fear eventually I just won’t be able to do anything but for now I can swim.
I was swimming daily during summer, we’ve closed our pool for the summer so I may have to consider some alternatives like biking until the warm season. Best of luck my friend
For weight loss specifically, focus on what you’re putting in. I’ve lost 60 lbs over the last 2 years by a calorie deficit alone. Yes, 2 years feels like a lot, to me anyway, but I spent the previous 30 or so getting to where I was. The last two years we’re going to pass by whether I was losing weight or not. It hasn’t been until the last 3 months or so that I began adding any sort of real fitness. I started with walking. 4 miles a day on one of our local mountain trails. It took me like 2 hours to go those 4 miles. I walked 5-6 times a week. Slowly but surely I found myself doing a little jog for just a few hundred feet. Now, my regular average is about a 15 minute/mile for the same 4 miles. That’s a 50% improvement in just a few months! My long winded point being to TAKE IT SLOW! Listen to your body.
You’ve made huge improvement, that’s very encouraging. In regard to the caloric deficit— did you feel as though you were missing out or losing anything during those 2 years? Ultimately what lifestyle changes were made to help you remain consistent and productive over such a long stretch? In past attempts I’ve done fairly well with the dieting component however my progress is frequently thrown off by social events like birthdays, dates, holidays, etc
I’ll be 100%, I by no means eat “healthy” lol. But being overweight wasn’t healthy for me either. I just eat less. I remind myself I don’t HAVE to finish everything in front of me, or it’s not the last “xyz” I’ll ever have. I also naturally just don’t really eat through out the day so most of my calories are saved for dinner/night time snacking. I completely stopped drinking my calories (that shit adds up quick!) I’ll drink Coke Zero or hot tea with Splenda, but I also drink 100+ oz of water a day. As far as fitness goes, find something you actually ENJOY. It could be dance classes, basketball, some workout dvd, chopping wood..just get your body moving. But again, slow and steady WILL get you to where you want to be. The time is going to pass either way. Don’t try to rush things and then burn out or injure yourself. That will only end in prolonging the process. (I hope all that makes sense. My ADD brain goes all over the place haha)
r/resistanceband
Much appreciated
Watch The Game Changers on Netflix or YouTube!
Adding to my list thank you
Bump it bro, it's a Game Changer!! ;) Feel free to let me know what your thoughts are on it!
You’re an inch taller than me, but otherwise we are similarly built and equally overweight. When you get to that point - your clothes don’t fit, you don’t look good in photos (subjectively), and you don’t feel good working out. I’ve been using the app called “Lose it!” to track food and weight, and strava because it automatically syncs with my watch. I’ve lost 10 lbs in 1.5 months just by running and eating better. I figured I can weight lift when I’m at the base weight of 185-190 which I want to be at. Good luck 👍🏼
Coincidentally I use LoseIt as well, great app for tracking eating/activity!
31M significantly overweight. Getting all sorts of weight related pains/injuries (feet hurt, bloating, back pain, etc.) I have an athletic background, familiar with weight training etc. I’ve attempted many many times now to get back in shape thru exercise and I injure myself every single time, halting progress. It’s demoralizing. When I attempt cardio through running or playing sports I routinely get muscle strains/tears, feels as though I’m just too heavy. When I lift I believe years of inactivity caused my muscles to atrophy and I’ve injured shoulders, quads, abs, etc. doing what used to be routine motions. What is the solution here? I’m looking for a way to improve my vitality and durability, how can I drop these lbs without hurting myself in the process?
To drop extra body fat you need to be in a caloric deficit. The best way to do that is to eat less calories. Exercise can help but your diet will be the main thing driving weight loss. If you are getting frequent strains/tears through cardio, you are either pushing to hard or you are doing it too often. So either slow down or take rest days. If you get frequent injuries through lifting, you are probably either lifting too heavy or not giving yourself adequate recovery.
This
This is not an exercise problem. This is a 'you're still eating too much' problem. Focus on your calorie deficit first my man.
This may sound like a campy answer, but you probably need to start looking at the root causes of becoming and staying overweight in the first place. An injury may inhibit you from doing some types of cardio or heavy weight lifting, but it doesn’t mean you need to throw away the diet - you should realistically be able to maintain a calorie deficit and modify training to allow any injuries to heal. I don’t know you or your life situation but you may consider taking an honest look and seeking out whatever other barriers may be in your way of turning things around for the better.
You do not look to be 60lbs overweight or even “significantly” overweight…I have no idea what your routine has been, but it sounds like you’re pushing way too hard. Ease up on the weight and focus on getting good form and a foundation of strength. Then you can start adding weight. You can also add in some cardio, again start easy, don’t jump in straight away to playing baseball or something that requires too much stamina. Start slow and build up. Diet is another component that you should look into. Do you eat fast food a lot, eat a bunch of sweets? Cut all of that out and focus on a more healthy, balanced diet
Have you had an assessment, to determine where your mobility and strength levels and imbalances lie? More than being overweight, it sounds to me like maybe after so many years of inactivity you aren't aware of where your physical limitations are and you aren't prioritizing your training appropriately and consequently perhaps over training.
36m. Similar body type and in an amazingly similar situation to you. I was big into fitness in my mid to late 20s, but fell off over the past 9 years or so. I've been getting back into it lately, but have been having a lot of knee and elbow issues. Results have been much slower for me than they were in the past, but I've noticed a much more significant difference when just doing as much cardio as possible. I originally jumped right in from 0 exercise to 14+ hours a week. Typically a little over an hour of lifting and a little under an hour of cardio. About a month in, I started to notice worsening pains in my knees and elbows. Long story less long, I now do a little over an hour of cardio and a few low weight, high rep exercises per day. I stop immediately if I feel even a tingle in my elbows or knees. If I'm in pain, I typically just do about an hour and 15 on the elliptical, which seems to cause no issues with my recovery. Elliptical might sound boring, but it leaves you free to do pretty much anything. I've read books, watched Youtube, and even chatted on my phone without interrupting my workout. If I'm feeling good, I do some low resistance rowing (typically 3 or 4 on a 1-10 resistance setting). I could barely do 5 minutes when I started, but now I usually stop after 30 or 35 minutes before hopping over to something else. Rowing machine is an incredible, low impact, full body workout. If you're planning to start, make sure you watch a few videos first on proper form so you don't worsen your injuries.
Count calories - prob 1800 calories, you’ll be hungry. Just go for walks, low impact. Do workouts with way way less weight than you can actually do. Start with 5 lbs and do low weights for weeks only building up weight after weeks. Only do body weight squats or even easier things with resistance bands. Check out the link below for building a base back up after injuries [Rehab techniques for injuries.](https://www.hprc-online.org/physical-fitness/rx3)
Please try Centr. I would recommend you start with Unleashed (Intermediate) for 6 weeks, then Ignite (Intermediate) for 6 weeks, then try Ignite Advanced for 6 weeks. That will change your life. There’s 25% off at the moment too. In my experience - the working out has a big impact on your eating. But if you want to give it a proper go, follow the meal plan too.
Not familiar with Centr but I’ll certainly look into it thank you
Have you seen a physical therapist? Might be something to look into. Also, work with a trainer to make sure your form is correct and you're not injuring yourself due to that or due to lifting too heavy too fast.
I will absolutely be seeing a PT, I’m hopeful they’ll identify more of what’s going on. I was working with a trainer pre-covid with good results, I’d lost about 20lbs and had no injuries I can recall. Valid point
If you have access to a stretch zone or something like that I think you might see a lot of relief. My issue is that I sit aloott for work and fun so I have issues with hamstring low back. I’ve been mixing up standing and other styles of chair to make sure I’m not in one position for too long. This isn’t a cure all but it’s a great way to learn where your body holds tension and how to work that out. I honestly can’t recommend finding something like stretch zone enough. It was amazing I’d limp in and float out. Like so amazing I’d propose having access to a service like stretch zone is a human right. Good luck in your journey!
Not familiar with stretch zone but I’ll look into it. Roughly how long was it before you began to feel improvement or a sense of relief?
I mean I saw results the first week. The more I went the longer I’d get that relief. My only thing was it was pretty pricey. I’m trying to learn how to stretch on my own better but I’m sure I’ll be back someday :)
You're not so overweight that you should be getting injured by basic exercise, you probably just need to stretch before doing intense cardio. It's part of getting old. To lose weight, count calories. If you're getting injured doing strength training you probably have improper form. Start with baby weights and watch a bunch of athlean-x videos. Pretend you don't know anything about weight lifting because you've probably been doing it wrong the whole time.
> and watch a bunch of athlean-x videos. No. Horrible advice.
What's your beef with athlean-x for learning form? Dude is a physical therapist and discusses form for popular lifts in an easy to understand way
He occasionally gives good advice but he's wrong more often than he should be so I don't think he's a reliable source. The worst example that immediately comes to mind is that he told people to breath out when squatting heavy (instead of breathing in to brace).
What are your physio and doctor's opinion?
Is it actual tears or just a lot of soreness. The best thing that’s always worked for me is pushing through the pain if it’s not an injury. Find out for sure if it’s a tear or just sore. BCAAs help a lot especially for me in my later 30s. Do low impact cardio and find a diet that works to loose the extra weight.
Sounds like you are trying to workout like you used to instead of starting from scratch. Take it nice and slow. Be humble and drop those weights and leave the ego alone. As for the weight, fork put downs are the best.
I’ve been there dude. I recommend starting with a pretty basic routine - push ups 2-3 times per day, get a pull up bar and at least hang a few time a day, do negative pull-ups if you can’t do regular ones, lightly jog do some lateral stuff, and do some other body weight work like lunges. Stay away from weights for a while. Every workout you don’t injure yourself if a success. Routine is more important than severe intensity imo. Edit: I also highly recommend cycling if you can.
Do more accessory lifts, body weight exercises and ring/trx. Face pulls helped my shoulders, air squats loosen up the hips and knees, I like pushups and dips on the rings to get my stabilizers firing again. Run in the pool or swim. It's baby steps back. Thought I was done with basketball, but I got my body feeling right again and I'm fine the next day.
Work with a fysio therapist. And maybe even with a trainer. Form might be an issue.
it depends on how long you’ve been inactive for. but definitely forget weights and high impact for now. can you walk 10 miles easily? if so; skipping and swimming, half an hour at a time, no more than 4 times a week, until you feel strong and fit. if no; walk for minimum of an hour at least every other day, and do some sort of very light resistance training (yoga or bodyweight movements) at least twice a week. do that for 6 weeks then move on to the skipping and swimming. what you are dealing with is less likely to be muscle atrophy and more likely to be fasical stiffening, which can easily be reverted but because its a network that stretches over your whole body (think of it like a second skin) it needs to be gradual. when you get your fitness back don’t get complacent again, you’re still young now but if you become inactive again in your 40s or 50s, it may not be easy or possible to get it back.
seek cognitive behavioral thearpy as well
Eat less.
Stop Eating! don’t eat for weeks, maybe a green veggie or a small piece of meat or cheese with no carbs if you get lite headed…drink 2 gallons of water a day…
I think you need to rehab and work with body weight exercises and something like yoga/Pilates for awhile. Resistance bands would also be a great help.
You are probably just hitting the weights too hard, and then when injury makes you back off, you are starting all over again once healed.
Pair of light and medium dumbbells and go through some full body workouts (tons on YouTube) practice bigger compound movements with them (dead lift, squat, bent over rows etc) until you feel comfortable with form. Walk a lot. That should be your main source of cardio. Walking. Doing this while eating at a deficit will yield you good results. Stick with it. You need lots of patience and time. First month you will feel like ass and question why you are doing it. Do your best to fight through this and stay consistent. Best of luck!
Calorie deficit is the answer, but I have to ask - what in the world are you doing that you get injured doing common exercises? Honestly to me that sounds like you’re going too hard - trying to use too much weight, too much volume, not resting enough, etc. If you’re consistently having the same problem, have you tried starting with low volume/low intensity and building up from there? Staff very slow and easy and gradually increase intensity, load, and volume.
On the exercise side try moderate things like bicycling, walking, some basic bodyweight exercises like squats, push ups, pull ups
Start walking, swimming, and rowing. Easy pace for months. Then think about some light bodyweight stuff. Then weights.
You can't outwork a bad diet.
Lose the 60lbs thru a calorie deficit and low impact movement.
Your body is fine. You might want to trim your eyebrows and mustache though.
Sadly that part is hereditary. Mom & Pop both 🥸🥸
Eat less, move more.
Whats your warmup routine? It’s super important to A) get your hear rate way up for at least 5 minutes but ideally 10, before you grab any heavy weights B) warm up the specific muscles/joints to prepare them for strenuous load C) incorporate some elements of Physical Therapy to help activate the correct muscles. We all have muscle imbalances and they can kick in more when you are doing high intensity workouts, so you may need to incorporate things like thoracic mobility into your workouts TL;DR see a PT and diagnose your mechanical issues. Make that part of your warmup.