Extremely out of shape - Could use some help.

[Huntingnurse 510]

Ok so I'm down 36lbs and six weeks out so I figure now's as good of a time as any to start exercising/weight lifting. I'm horribly out of shape though (as I'm sure a lot of us here are). I'm looking for tips from those of you who hadn't been an overweight but in great shape person prior to surgery (if that makes sense - you know a big guy that's even bigger b/c he lift a ton of weights and works out). Someone recommended insanity, but I think I'll fall out from a heart attack lol the name alone scares me. I'm going to the gym tonight for the first time in a while to start on cardio and some weights... for motivation I've already signed up and paid for a "Run for your Lives" Zombie 5k that's coming here in June (You should seriously check it out - the youtube videos are insane). I've never run except to chase an ice cream truck as a kid so this should be interesting. I have the C25K app but I can't even handle the day one routine of jog 90 sec, walk 60, for 30 mins...

So.. tips... How should I start this process? I DO have a bad knee... but everything else is fine. I need to build up endurance for the run and strength/muscle too for some of the obstacles (and to tighten up/prevent loose skin in the process).

Would love to hear what you guys/girls did!

[chitowngirl 884]

If you can't handle c25k, try walking and then speed walking or walk just a little faster. Let your body progress naturally into the jog.

[Huntingnurse 510]

I can walk at 3.5mph with an incline fine.. its the running part that will get me..

[sue8925 17]

You are doing great! Just start slow and you will know when you have built up some strength.Anything you will do helps. if you can afford a trainer that might help. I just caution everyone to make sure it is a good trainer who will listen to your concerns. Good Luck

[starfish108 15]

Thanks for your honesty! I am also extremely out of shape and need to start up the same thing. I am one week out at present, but time is going by....

[Tawnie 99]

Some one really said insanity! Crap that infomercial scares me!

I used 5k runner. Builds up over 8 weeks. I used to jog and lift years ago during one of my thinner phases . Some of the biggest loser work outs are fun without killing you. Just started Pilates this week after clearance from doc 4 weeks out. I liked it and my rear really hurts today.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I was very out of shape, but I could walk, so that's what I did. Started with about 30 minutes a day, worked my way up. It used to take an hour to walk about 2.5 miles, now I'm up to nearly 4 miles in an hour. I didn't even realize I was going faster, but little by little, my endurance and strength improved. I still feel pretty out of shape, but no where near as bad as I was 8 weeks ago. I've also added some strength training to my routine. I think the key is doing the most you can without over doing it, and keep at it daily. Good luck

[Lissa 2,631]

I was horribly out of shape prior to surgery and I literally started by walking up and down the hallway inside my apartment, then around the closest end of the building, then the further end of the building. About 3 weeks out I walked around the 1/4 mile perimeter of the lake at my apartment complex and I felt like Rocky!!! I did light weights, 2 pounds, for arm lifts, biceps curls, etc. I did 10 reps at a time, then built up the number of reps until I could do 100 reps without feeling anything, then I changed the weights for 5 pound weights.

[deecc26 19]

I joined Planet Fitness for 10 bucks a month and they have people that will help you for free. They go around and teach you about the machines and help you make a program. I love the circuit training and they also have tons of cardio machines!

[moregoodtimes 331]

I hope i get to the point of loving exercise but right now it is forced. I am changing it up to try to getmore interested. I walk, i have a zumba dvd, a core workout dvd done with a big ball, and i just ordered a yoga dvd. I also do some bat wing exercises with weights and crunches on an ab lounger. I also have a wii but do not have it set up yet. Oh, i also ordered the inside out program fiddleman talks about. Good luck and i hope you are more driven to workout than i am right now!

[slimmingdani 57]

Does your gym have a pool? Swimming or doing Water aerobics builds up your strength and would be easy on your bad knee

[simplejaxgirl 135]

I can walk at 3.5mph with an incline fine.. its the running part that will get me..

Try this, put the incline on zero, and work on getting up your speed. Once I did that, I am now up to about 4.5 mph on there with no incline and about 3.5 with between 3-6 incline. It took me a WHILE to work up to this by making small changes in my day to day life....i.e. parking futher out at work and shopping centers, walking on my breaks and lunch at work. I REALLY suck at keeping the pace with working out and so I choose to walk on my breaks and lunch and get my walking in small amounts all day long...

I will say that before surgery I started doing this, making these small changes because its soo hard for me to be dedicated to working out everyday so I have to 'trick' my brain and do it in small amounts throughout my day to day activities.

I REALLY want to run also, and got the C25K app, but I'm not sure if I am ready for that either. ( A knee injury also prevents me from running/jogging. The physical therapist said that if I can keep pace and just move the incline throughout my workout, that its less stress on the knees then the impact of running or jogging...

Just some of my thoughts and $.02

[mark! 449]

What part of the knee is hurt? Is it dull or sharp pain? There are so many different finely tuned parts in the knee, if you can point out where it's hurting exactly, I can make some recommendations for joint supplements and some leg workouts that will help. To start with, I take TwinLabs Joint Fuel. I have arthritis (diagnosed) and bad patella tracking (self diagnosed with Dr. friends opinion afterwards) and the Joint Fuel has been awesome on my knees. Deadlifting anything over 500lbs used to kill my left knee, with Joint Fuel, I don't have any pain at all other than soreness from a workout. I'm fairly certain however, I'll be looking at at least one knee replacement in the next 15-20 years, if not sooner.

To get started, the c25k app is awesome for cardio. I haven't used it all the way through yet, but I will very soon after I'm able to after surgery.

For lifting, which will help build your cardio endurance and strengthen the muscles, Starting Strength is always my recommendation, but it's a lot of reading. I would stay away from any isolation work. Many will tell you, and you will see countless newbies in the gym doing isolation curls, biceps curls, calf work, etc, just wasting time as a beginner. You got to have a very solid foundation before you go in to isolation work, i.e. about 3 years lifting, and is usually only used for sculpting and not building. If you don't want to do starting strength, do these:

Bench Press, Overhead Press, Squat, Bent Over Rows, T Bar Rows, Pullups/Pulldowns, Deadlifts. For squats, you can swap them out with leg presses or hack squats really easily. I would also start with barbells instead of dumbbells, just because it's easier to balance a bar versus two dumbbells, and start light. For upper body stuff, stay in rep ranges 6-12 reps, 2-3 sets. For lower body, higher reps, I'd stay 15-25 reps again 2-3 sets. Just getting started shouldn't leave with these long ass drawn out work outs, they should be fairly short, rest 60-90 seconds between each set.

You could do a 2 days split, or 3 day split. M-W-F. Start with upper-lower-upper, next week M-W-F being lower-upper-lower. Let me know if you have any other questions man, always glad to help out.

[fire water 20]

My insurance required a 6 month supervised diet prior to surgery so I started a walking program from the very beginning. Only really missed a couple of days with the walking even with the surgery. Surgery was Dec. 19th. In Jan I bought an Nordic track incline trainer and that's when it really started for me. I try to do cardio everyday. The nice thing with the incline trainer is the preprogrammed workouts really mix it up. And the steep inclines are only for a minute or 2 the it changes. So I challenge myself to get thru it. I lift weights 3 days a week because I think that will really help make my body the best it can be. And Mark gave you good advise with the compound exercise that work multiple muscles in one exercise. Start slow and just gradually add intensity and weight.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Starting strength is a great routine. I'm also a big fan of the "New Rules Of Lifting" book. Very comprehensive but simple weight lifting plan for the beginner. Great for all around fitness. It gives a lot of detail. You don't need to know much at all about weight lifting to follow it.

Also, if running isn't you thing, the elliptical is very effective cardio and easy on the knees. It may be tough at first, but you'll be surprised how quickly you're going to build up your stamina once you start going to the gym regularly.