Hello there HNF, sorry in advance for this wall of text D:

Let me start by saying I'm a 20 y.o male (jan birthday) with a lot of free time, and I want to put it to use. A lot of people say they wish they worked out and got healthy when they had the time to do so freely, so I want to take advantage of my lifestyle right now

I've become pretty unhappy with my body, both lower and upper, and I only say that because I assume a lot of people only care about arms/abs/pecks/collarbones, but I'm interested in improving myself overall. I'm about 6'2, and weigh roughly 200lbs. Not quite sure how to check BMI and all that, so I can't really tell you.. but it's definitely not great.

Although it's definitely a priority to eventually have defined abs/chest/arms, I'm not going to say no to spending time on my legs.. I think the balance is necessary!

Anyways, I guess what I'm asking you guys is:
- What kind of workouts do I need to do to get in shape
- What kind of diet plan should I be using to get rid of fat and help tone
- How did you guys stay motivated when you started something like this, and what can I do to avoid screwing it up

I'm planning on gathering as much info as possible, and keeping track of my progress in order to stay motivated and also to get some feedback on how I'm doing (results, what i did with my day, what i ate, etc.).
I really have very very little knowledge when it comes to working out, and I don't have access to a gym so it might be hard. I have a pushup bar that doubles as a chin up bar, 2x 35lb weights, and 2x 3/5/7 weights.
I'm probably going to go get myself a bar and some weights so I can do some bench presses and other work outs with that as well.

Thanks in advance to anybody who even takes the time to read my wall of text. Really hoping to make changes to myself and any help would just be awesome!

From what ive heard stronglifts 5x5 is a great program for burning fat and getting good strength gains for a beginner aswell as learning proper for. For all the lifts as you start off light and progress weekly, the one thibg i wished i did when i started was make sure i had perfect form (going loq eough on squats touxhing the xhest on bench etc)

E/ dont cuatomize prograns aswell, you will probably want to do more stuff but the guys that write these progra
S know what theyre doing

This post was edited by turtol on Jun 13 2014 06:17pm

Okay thanks for the tips!

I'll try my best to get you started here... Raynor has a 5x5 plan here, I'll just share: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=345300636#p345300636

To lose fat, you have to figure out how much your daily intake should be in terms of calories and cut about 500 calories. Macros could be something like 40/30/30 (protein, carbs, fats). Ideally, you could spread that over 4-6 meals in a day.

As far as nutrition timing goes, it's important to get protein and complex carbs after you workout.

Here is Raynor's program for abs, still: http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=330745031


A few tips:

1. Drink A LOT of water, and I mean A LOT (a gallon a day)
2. Cut back on sodas/quick carbs if you were into that.


If I missed anything, let me know. This is short and broad!

This post was edited by Jaypee on Jun 13 2014 07:23pm

Thanks so much these are really helpful. I'll have to find out what I can and can't do at home, cus I just can't afford the gym ATM.

A few extra questions,

Any info on supplements? Should I be using any, any that'll help cut, etc. I have whey protein at home, not too old, gonna use that for post workout shakes I think.. but I'm curious about the fat burner supplements and how lots of people use like 5 different types lol
When do I eat each of my 6 meals and what do I do if I'm still feeling hungry?

You have the right thinking about overall body training which is important. streonglifts 5X5 is a great effective/simple routine for begginers, check it out

If you have dumbbells at home you can replace many of the bench/barbell exercises (the guide linked above suggests extra exercises for every muscle group).


Supplements are helpful, but can be very limited if you're on a budget. Whey protein and creatine are probably the most important ones. Creatine monohydrate is cheap as dirt and gives good results in terms of recovery between sets, extra reps and against soreness due to superior cell hydration. Next to that, I would consider a good multivitamin and fish oils if you can afford. Otherwise, the two aforementioned and a clean diet is key. There are other fancy supplements, but these are often considered the main ones.

Six meals would allow you to eat every 2-3 hours and usually saves you from cravings. Otherwise, try to fill up with water. You can add a touch of lemon to it. A cheat meal won't kill you, but extra cals here and there won't benefit you if you're cutting -- still you don't wanna be starving, that's not good either.


Sidenote on creatine: It can make your body hold on to more water, which can give an unwanted effect when cutting (in terms of look), but it's not making you fat, it's normal. It can help you maintain strength on a calorie deficit.

This post was edited by Jaypee on Jun 13 2014 08:03pm

50 pushups
10pull ups
25 squats
50 pushups
10 pullups
25 squats
50pushups
10 pullups
25 squats


25pushups
5pullups
12 squats cooldown

best starter work out no equipment needed. you do that for a month youll walk into the gym destroyin

fuck creatine. your going for core. gotta build that core up before you start talking supplements. always people trying supplements are looking for the quick way to get big. you said your unhappy with your body so getting it toned will insta confidence boost.

you do this routine you wont be able to walk or lift for a day. you wont be able to do more then 1 set of 50, but break it down max yourself out. then you can get fancy with the supplements equip gym etc,


gl and the hard part is sticking with it esp after the first few weeks.
trick is to find the time of day works for you. me it was mornings some weeks, some weeks it was nights, just always change it up, and REST 2 days on 1 day off but never more then 1-2 days off.

This post was edited by HANGRY on Jun 13 2014 08:43pm

If you can't afford a gym, 1. you can't afford supplements 2. they're going to give you 5% of the results a gym membership would, so don't worry about supps right now lol.

Nutrition wise learn about calories and macro's (fats, proteins, carbs), and you'll get a much better basic understanding of what you should be eating, as that's over half the battle.

Also, find a nice beginner's strength routine for when you can get into a gym (if it incorporates lots of big compound lifts like bench, squat, deadlift, and OHP you know you're on the right track) and stick with it for at least 3 months before even thinking of switching up anything.

Best of luck, hope you get into the active lifestyle!

Oh! Also very important, watching a quick 2 min video on proper form on lifts like squats and such, even body weight exercises can help an immense amount as well!

This post was edited by LightClaw on Jun 13 2014 09:37pm

I don't think so bro