Your tips on becoming healthy:

[WayFast84]

Well I know Im gonna get laughed at but please dont, Im taking this verry seriously!!
Backround:
Well About 2 weeks ago My whole family went to a carnival to benifit my to little cusins school, My little cousin Zach met up with a freind, His dad and mom where also there. I talked with my uncle and Zach's freind's Dad. He was a real nice guy, who was real freindly. He died friday of a heart attack! I was so surprised because he wasnt like huge or anything, he just seemed like a normal guy.

Opportunity:
I feel like everything thats happened to me in a year ago, Has been the best for me, I feel like it happened for a reason. I am a hockey fan, its the sport im good at..This year will be Edison townships first ever high school hockey team, played on J.V. Im getting real pumped about it, and I wanna play and get back into shape, Im not talking about being skinny or ripped, I just want to be in shape!

Why?:
Why do I want to get in shape? the reason why I want to get in shape is sympol, Its such a stupid thing to die from, I took Jim's word's about young and obeese people seriously, and now with the death of one of the nicest men I ever met, I realized, If I dont get into shape soon, I will be heading their MUCH SOONER.

so Please give me all the tips you can think of, sort of like pauls thread, but more athleticly, maybe healthy meals, or breakfast.

And I hope other people who arent in that good of shape, will read this and get some inspiration from it.

THANK YOU,
Matt

[chrisfrom nj]

sorry to hear about the guy that died stay away from soda,pasta and bread eat less drink alot of water go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week

[Tsar]

trademill = good, cheeseburger = bad. that is the formula for success.

[HardcoreZ28]

It's all about forming a healthy lifestyle man. You need to make working out and eating healthy a part of your everyday routine. I'm at a point in my life where I feel like missing the gym is like missing a meal. Start off slow.....3 days a week in the gym....run a mile to warm yourself up good and then lift weights for 45 min to an hour. If you feel you need more cardio than that, increase it to 20-30 min a day regardless of distance. Switch it up with running, biking, elliptical machine, etc.
Keep a clean diet.....stay away from fast food. Try to eat lean meats like chicken, fish, and red meat that doesn't have fat on it. Don't bother with pork as it has no real nutritional value. Potatos are good as well as brown rice for carbs. Pasta and bread in moderation......they won't kill you. Fruits and veggies are a major plus....if not, get a good multi vitamin. Personally I'm a soda fiend but over the last 2 years I've forced myself to drink water all day until dinner. Dinner I'll have soda to treat myself. Stay away from candy, chips, etc.....find something healthy like trail mix.
Remember.....it's a lifestyle, not something you do on and off.

[enRo]

oatmeal for breakfast, banana for lunch, salad for dinner. or if ur like noah, u can eat ANYTHING and not gain/lose a pound

instead of working on your car since ur obviously not driving for a while, and sitting on the computer with a soda next to you, go run laps around the block.


and basically what vitals said

[JL8Jeff]

Stay active. I play volleyball once every week in the summer and usually hit the mountain bike once or twice a week. I play golf once or twice a week when it's not raining too. Mow the lawn with a hand pushed mower. Shovel snow with a shovel in the winter. Try to avoid fast food in general. Avoid soda and back off cheese as much as possible. We had a guy at work that was a vegetarian and he was in lousy shape because he didn't exercise and ate wayyyy to much cheese. But you basically need to keep yourself active aerobically. You don't need to lift weights but it helps keep your muscles toned.

[r0nin89]

The simple solution is heroin. If you do heroin you will loose mad weight made fast. Although you may have another problem on your hands the day you look in the mirror and say man I got skinny.

Before heroin







After heroin

[Teds89IROC]

wow that is disgusting

~Ted

[enRo]

Can she hoola hoop a cheerio yet?

[Tsar]

well i just got back from the gym, and as usual i saw lots of retards so i decided to share some things.

1. YOU CANT SPOT REDUCE FAT. if you wanna get rid of your gut, guess what it will probably be the last one to go. No matter how many squats you do, your legs wont get thinner, no matter how many sit up you do your stomach will NOT get flatter. In fact i'd say 90% of male population your gut area is the last area affected. So you can appear to be pretty skinny still have a "keg".

2. ABS = DIET. That's about it, if you want "6 pack", "8 pack" or "11ty billion pack" you wont get there unless your body fat % is in the single digits. fact is abs are many in the kitchen not the gym.

3. WORKOUT YOUR LEGS. Its funny to me when i see a huge guy with chicken legs i mean they can bench 300+ but when they step up to the squat rack they can barely squat 225 . If you can't squat 1.5 times your body weight YOU ARE WEAK. simple as that.

4. LEG PRESS DOES NOT EQUAL SQUAT. If you meet anyone who says otherwise just walk away.

5. CHEST PRESS DOES NOT EQUAL BENCH PRESS. see above if you wanna know what to do when you meet an individual who insists that those 2 exercises are the same.

6. Weight lifting > Cardio. Fact is cardio will effect your body for hours after your work out is complete, while weight lifting will effect it for days to come. More want of a challenge? do super sets, or work out without breaks.

7. If you do cardio leave jogging/elliptical trainer up to the girls. You're a man so dont try to pretend to be a girl, SPRINT. or do HIIT.

Above were all facts, now its opinion time (feel free to disagree, but you'll still lose)

8. YOU CAN EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT. You just gotta be able to control your portion size. It's about how much you eat not what you eat. To whoever said cheese was bad for you ( ) so is too much meat, and pretty much any other food. Why dont you go to a gym come up to a body builder and tell him that cottage cheese is bad

9. If you gonna go to whole diet thing, make sure you have "cheat" days. If you cant cheat your diet will fail sooner or later, most likely sooner.

10. For cardio pick something you and enjoy and not just running. Fact is running is boring as **** and you'll get sick of it. Play ball or take up snowboarding or boxing or something. Anything but seating on the couch works (well actually sitting on the couch does burn calories but i dont feel like typing an essay on RMR, plus most wont even know wtf im talking about)

ok im tired of typing.

[PBodyGT87]

Alright, so vitals has really great advice. Listen to him ( I never thougt i'd say that, haha)
Just remember that if you wanna build muscle mass, you have support that with protein, protein, and more protein. Eggs for breakfast, yolks are ok for an iron supply, but men usually aren't in any sort of anemia for that, so if you eliminate the yolk, the whites are all protein. But instead of throwing the yolk out you can get those "egg-beaters" which are egg whites with the yolk removed so they don't have fat. Some fats are good, just everything in moderation. You might try taking Omega 3 for the fats (that's fish oil capsules by supplement) or just eat more fish. Fish and chicken are your best bet for lean healthy meats. Red meat is fine as long as it's lean.

Ellipticals are for wussies, and only amount up to something like a cardio work out. To build muscle mass you definitely need to lift. When you're starting out, start with lower weight amounts, and do more reps. That's the key. When that weight amount doesn't do it for you anymore, increase the weight, and keep the reps the same, until you feel you need to increase them. But especially for starting out, repetition is KEY.

Carbs (bread, pasta, grains) take a longer time for your body to break down, and they are okay to eat as long as you are doing a lot of physical work to help use up the energy they'll give you. (Everything in moderation though) But, because they take a longer time to break down, the energy you get from the calories you burn from them won't come around til the day after. That's why high school sports teams have pasta parties the night before a meet.

If you need an easier way to get protein, you always have the protein shake Soy protein is for organs, but Whey protein is for muscle. So whey is what you need.

Muscle weighs more than fat. Just remember that, you might be getting thinner looking, but you could be putting on weight. That's usually just a sign of building muscle. (if you've been working out right.)

Breakfast is extremely important, eat a good halthy protein filled breakfast and you'll get through your day without being as hungry, and you'll have more energy. You can also try eating 6 small meals a day to keep the metabolism going. Just don't skip breakfast. If that's a habit now, break it.

[BigAls87Z28]

Ok, all this is great, but what are you trying to do?
If you are going to build muscle, then lifting and all that is great.
If you want to lose weight, then cardio is the way to go.
Now you want to do heavy weight with little reps
If you want to tone muscle, you do less weight with more reps
If you want to lose weight, cardio is the only way to go. It will burn fat much faster when lifting weights. Lifting weights does NOTHING for your heart or your cardiovascular system, which is why its called "cardio".
You are going to play hockey, so I suggest you start to get your endurance up, which means running a lot. Long distance, sprints, all that. Take it easy at first, but then push yourself harder and harder. As you start to burn up your fat, you should start to lift as well, which will build muscle.

[Tsar]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

If you want to lose weight, cardio is the only way to go.

"cardio" and all that crap will also get rid of your hard earned work. especially ling distange running...

Lifting weights does NOTHING for your heart or your cardiovascular system, which is why its called "cardio".

Cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up, most people sweat their asses off while lifting. In fact if you go to the gym and dont break a sweat, please GTFO and dont clutter up the space. not directed towards you, but people in general. While weight lifting wont give a stamina of a marathon runner, it will still give your heart a work out. Resistance training will result in added muscle, which raises the metabolic rate and contributes to greater losses in fat.

Ohh and "target heart zone" is pure crap...

to further prove my point.

Fat loss is something most of us want at some point. The best way to lose fat and keep it off is to turn the body into a fat burning furnace through regular resistance training coupled with strategic aerobic work. Aerobic work such as walking for a minimum of 30 minutes, or running, as a sole activity, is not the best way to burn fat as it targets fat, protein and carbohydrates.

The metabolic rate is raised during aerobic activity, but it soon returns to resting level. Weight training, on the other hand, builds muscle, which burns many calories at rest, as it is a metabolically active tissue. Aerobic work without resistance training, and other fitness components, may, at best, result in a smaller physique with marginal decreases in body fat over the long term.

but then again i've alredy said that...

[BigAls87Z28]

Cardio wont "ruin" your hard earned work. Marathon runners's muscles dont look to ruined.
I dont know many wrestlers lost tallent by running constantly. If you have ZERO fat and ZERO sugars, yes your body will go to the 3rd and last source of energy, and that is protien which is muscle.
But that is not the case here.
Yeah, you sweat lifting, but you dont get your heart rate up high enough, long enough, to burn fat. Target heart rate is just something to guide you, to give you an idea where you need to be. Sweating from lifting is because you are lifting. You can sweat lifting boxes, but I dont see too many "in shape" UPS or any othe rtype of delivery guys.

[enRo]

Be a garbage man

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by JL8Jeff

Stay active. I play volleyball once every week in the summer and usually hit the mountain bike once or twice a week. I play golf once or twice a week when it's not raining too. Mow the lawn with a hand pushed mower. Shovel snow with a shovel in the winter. Try to avoid fast food in general.

clip.....

This is soo true. You need to be active, don't take the easy way. Don't park close, park far way = more walking. Don't take the elevator, take the stairs. Lift, get some cardio....but make sure it's something you enjoy. Cause if not it'll last a week....use free weights, not machines....start light, maintain good form, then increase weight. You will gain more from free weights because not only are you pushing or pulling the weight, but you must control the weight, which will use a whole bunch more muscle groups. You may be able to press more on a machine, but you get more from free weights and your core (and you must be solid through the middle to play full contact ice hockey) will benefit.

Everyone's body is different and will respond in a different fashion. For some people they can ride bike till the wheels fall off and not see a lot of change, yet after a few weeks of hitting the gym consistently, the pounds melt off. You'll find out what works for you, but keep changing up the routine so your muscles are always challenged.

Before playing, stretch stretch and stretch some more.

I love hockey and play 2-3 times a week during the winter months, by far the best sport out there. Skate your ass off every shift. Skate hard with the puck and harder without. Be responsible on defense, everyone wants to be the hero on offense, but defense takes commitment and your goalie will thank you......If you play in a league outside of school, choose a league that is one step above your skill level, the faster pace and better competition will make you better, then you will have the advantage at school.

Football is good, but its not ice hockey.

Chris

[Tsar]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Cardio wont "ruin" your hard earned work. Marathon runners's muscles dont look to ruined.
I dont know many wrestlers lost tallent by running constantly. If you have ZERO fat and ZERO sugars, yes your body will go to the 3rd and last source of energy, and that is protien which is muscle.
But that is not the case here.
Yeah, you sweat lifting, but you dont get your heart rate up high enough, long enough, to burn fat. Target heart rate is just something to guide you, to give you an idea where you need to be. Sweating from lifting is because you are lifting. You can sweat lifting boxes, but I dont see too many "in shape" UPS or any othe rtype of delivery guys.

Marathon runners have almost no muscle, dont confuse them with 100 meter sprinters. And if i had to chose i would pick a body of the second person. Cardio and loosing weight in general does make you weaker, unless u lift like an animal. Therefor i see it as ruining your results. Everypound you lose some of it is muscle, no matter how small that % might be it make you weaker. I can provide personal example if they're needed.

Wrestlers only run to CUT WEIGHT, cutting weight and loosing weight are waaaay different. Fighters, Wrestlers, Bodybuilders cut weight before their competition so they can pass the weight inn or look shreded. They run and sit in the sauna and dont drink any water. They lose water weight and that has nothing to do with fat. I can lose 5 to 10 pounds by tomorrow night if i wanted to really bad but is there any benefit to that? no. The affects of this are temporarily at best and you will go back to your normal weight in a day or two.

Resistance training builds muscle which in burns more calories thruout your day. I bet my resting metabolic rate (RMR) is way higher then lets say matts. Which means i can sit on the couch and watch TV and he can run around the house and I WILL BURN MORE CALORIES, because i have more muscle that my body needs to maintain. Which results in burning calories which also leads to weight loss.

I play roller hockey and i've yet to be tired eventho i gave up cardio long time ago, cuz it was a waste of my time. Gains from weight lifting are far greater then jogging around.

[Brando56894]

dont be lazy like me, dont drink and dont smoke and if you do drink be active so you dont get the keg lol

[BigAls87Z28]

Im not saying running alone. You play roller hockey, that is an active sport where you are in constant motion. Lifting alone wont make him become this dynamo. He needs to do both lifting and conditioning. One with out teh other is worthless. I am not saying "do not lift" I am saying to do both but dont cut back on one for the other. They need to be worked together in order to maintain strength and enduance, which as in any constant contact sport, is needed.

[Savage_Messiah]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

You can sweat lifting boxes, but I dont see too many "in shape" UPS or any othe rtype of delivery guys.

up yours!

[Savage_Messiah]

Originally Posted by Tsar

Wrestlers only run to CUT WEIGHT,

bull ****ing ****... in wrestling stamina and endurance is the number one thing, you try going six minutes in a match...

[Savage_Messiah]

Bottom lien is, matt, this is what you want to do: lose weight with health as the goal.

WITH THAT SAID, this is what you need to do... cardio, and also go lift but do lots of reps of little weight. Cardio = health, that's all there is to that, but having ginormous arms wont do **** for your health or weight. The other thing you wanna do is condition... do lots of reps of little weight. Before you can build muscle you have to get what you have up to shape. Less weight more reps = get you cut = tone the muscle you have and help shed the fat.


Diet (eat smart, not necessarily less unless you have a cornucopia every meal), cardio, and conditioning is what you need. Once you shed weight and get healthy, then if you want to go to the more weight less reps path, but don't even worry about that at all right now.

[BigAls87Z28]

Good stuff Stack. This kid i played baseball with for 10 years, he was jacked. Very cut, lifted, all that stuff. Played baseball all the time. Throw a 90mph fastball, hit 30 home runs in a season, batting average was always over 310. Looking at the kid, he was in great shape, but his blood pressure and cholesterol were off the charts for an 18 year old kid.
Diet, exercise, and work out. Do them all. Lifting weights wont drop pounds. Running wont make you Atlas, and eating right wont make you run for miles.

[jimmyboy8301]

bro, all you have to do is eat healthy and maintain an active lifestyle. RUNNING is the ABSOLUTE best thing you can do to stay in shape. You should run at least 3-4 times a week. Start out slow and short distances and increase maybe a 1/4 mile in your distance every 2 weeks. Stay away from too much red meat, stay away from saturated fats, sugars, food with a lot of carbs. You can't be lazy. You have to decide you want to do it, and do it. AFter a while you'll feel like you have to work out.

[HardcoreZ28]

It's all about balance....like Al said....pick your ultimate goal and then tailor your workout to that. Personally I increase my caloric intake in the winter to about 3500 a day and do higher weight exercises for sets of 6-8 reps and almost no cardio. Then come early March cut down to 2000 calories a day and use lighter weights for sets of 10-12. Also cardio gets bumped up....should be atleast 3 days a week on that.

And sorry to call you out on this one Liz but Soy Protein should be a no-no for guys. It has been shown to increase estrogen levels in males thus promoting nasty side effects such as gynocomastia.