Gentlemen, I posted this in another section but would like to get feedback from you men out there as it will probably be more my speed. I don't mind the women's input but I'm looking for weight lifting advice. I was cleared to start lifting but have to keep it light weight for now. I have experience and have done a ton of research but I'm at a loss for where to begin. I've got a bad back but I'm hoping that building and toning my back muscles will help alleviate it somewhat. I have a lot of videos to follow right now with just body weight workouts and will probably start out with those. I'll keep walking so that will take care of my cardio. What or how did you guys start out. Thanks in advance Gents!!

Check out the "My Fitness Buddy" app. They have a free version that has some great stuff for beginners. You can step up to the purchase version for $2.99 to get more in depth.

The free version is a great start however.

This is really going to depend on what your end goal. Are you wanting to get as strong as you can or just be more physically fit and look good? There is nothing wrong with either goal, but the ways to get there are very different in their training and programming.

Let me clarify that wanting to be "strong as you can" doesn't mean becoming an elite power lifter. I've been doing the main lifts for over 2 years and I am still considered a novice because of my paltry weights. Too many injuries make it improbable that I will move much higher.

Thanks @Todd_196 Found a couple of apps that looked good when I did a search for that app. I didn't find "My" Fitness Buddy but did find Fitness Buddy. It asks to create a login right away before anything can be done, is that the one?

@BigViffer Really not looking to get huge gains or become "strong as I can". I did that when I was young and really not interested in it at this moment, who know if it will change in time. More just looking to get into descent shape. If the look good comes along with it great. I don't think I'll ever get my "suggested" BMI , I'm just not built that way, but prefer to be a smaller me if at all possible.

Thanks again gents!!!

1 hour ago, J San said:

Thanks @Todd_196 Found a couple of apps that looked good when I did a search for that app. I didn't find "My" Fitness Buddy but did find Fitness Buddy. It asks to create a login right away before anything can be done, is that the one?

@BigViffer Really not looking to get huge gains or become "strong as I can". I did that when I was young and really not interested in it at this moment, who know if it will change in time. More just looking to get into descent shape. If the look good comes along with it great. I don't think I'll ever get my "suggested" BMI , I'm just not built that way, but prefer to be a smaller me if at all possible.

Thanks again gents!!!

I'm sorry, Yes "Fitness Buddy" is the one I meant. Its a pretty decent app, take a little getting used to but its good.

Gonna set up an account and check it out. Thanks again for the suggestion!!

Gonna set up an account and check it out. Thanks again for the suggestion!!

Might me a worthwhile to hire a trainer for a few sessions to give you a program to follow or alternate exercises for the gym you use. Any machines and even free weights can have subtle changes to what muscles they target just based on your grip style. For example, instead of using a seated row, I do a bent over row using a Smith Machine because that gives some extra core exercises. But it was better to start on the seated row. Some machines will target specific muscles while similar machines will not be so specific.

I had read this article pre surgery and thought it was good but of course wasn't there yet. Just stumbled across it again and I find it very helpful in a motivational way. I've read some of the guys other articles on his experience and they are really good.

http://www.jeremycschofield.com/fitness-bariatric-surgery/

He mentions an exercise tracking app called JEFIT . Has or does anyone use this? If so how is it? I just downloaded it and am going to mess around with it in a bit.

On 8/27/2018 at 12:26 PM, J San said:

Gentlemen, I posted this in another section but would like to get feedback from you men out there as it will probably be more my speed. I don't mind the women's input but I'm looking for weight lifting advice. I was cleared to start lifting but have to keep it light weight for now. I have experience and have done a ton of research but I'm at a loss for where to begin. I've got a bad back but I'm hoping that building and toning my back muscles will help alleviate it somewhat. I have a lot of videos to follow right now with just body weight workouts and will probably start out with those. I'll keep walking so that will take care of my cardio. What or how did you guys start out. Thanks in advance Gents!!

For me I started working on my core, back, and legs first. That means a lot of crunches, planks, and leg lifts, dips, leg press, leg curls, lunges, jump squats, squats in general, jump rope, jumping jacks. You can use your own body weight for this but for starting out I wouldn't go beyond 10/15lbs max. The ideal as you are starting out is to get get the form down so you minimize injury risk, while getting your body use to working out in general. I would work on that for at least 8 to 12 weeks before increasing weight. And even when you do increase in weight, do so very moderately and only after a good 6 to 8 weeks of consistency with the current weight. For example if you are doing leg lifts at 50lbs and you've been doing it okay for about 8 weeks at that weight and its easy to you, then go up to about 60/65lbs. The ideal is to ease into more resistance, while minimizing the chances of injury that will cause you to miss more time working out.

I do workout my arms and chest too, but I didn't focus on that till maybe a good 16 weeks into working out more. I do curls, pressing both bench, and hammer, curl rows, push ups, lat pull downs. I do alternate days and I do focus training, where I will spend one day working on either legs and back, and then the next on arms and core (gut). I try to average at least 3 to 5 days a week working out with weights. However for Cardio I try to do that damn near daily. Walking daily helps. the more you can average per day the better.

Thanks @BigTink2LilTink ! My plan was to do body weight workouts for some time then to progress to weights. It's been so long since I've really done any kind of physical workout other than walking I for sure need to take it slow. I really want to put a lot of focus on my back being that I have disc issues. I'm hoping strengthening the muscles back there will help stabilize things.

I would work on just non-weighted squats. Get a exercise ball put it up against the wall and your back and use that to squat. Work on your form and get that down before you move on to do it without the ball, then no wall, and then with a bar, and finally with a weighted bar. That helped me with my back issues while I was still carrying a lot of body mass. I think after I lost my first 150lbs I started working on pushups and planks. The one think I keep having to remind myself is that no matter what this isn't a race. Its a marathon, and that as long as you keep moving forward doing the work consistently then you will get to goal. Some of use can get there faster than others, but you will get there when you get there. And that is all that really matters, you getting there.

Another thing I have done is I do change up routine every few months. It to kinda shock the body out of routine. Like right now I'm back to outdoor biking. I'm gonna do that from now till maybe early Dec (It gets cold here in MO by then), and I'll stitch it to indoor swimming at the gym during the winter. Then spring I'll go back to outdoor biking again.

Great tips, thanx!!!

No problem @J San

Any of you Gent's have any experience or knowledge of Convict Conditioning? Been checking it out the last few days and thinking about doing it for a few months. I really think the progression is excellent for my situation. It starts off really slow to work all the unused muscles and you only move on when you make it to certain predetermined goals.

If you don't know anything about it Google it. Here is a really good video describing the workouts and showing them being done (kind of). I'm really liking this the more I look into it.

On 9/24/2018 at 8:26 AM, J San said:

If you don't know anything about it Google it. Here is a really good video describing the workouts and showing them being done (kind of). I'm really liking this the more I look into it.

Did you end up starting the Convict Conditioning program? If so, what's your progress been like?

I got the book after I read your post, and just starting Part 2 where they describe each of the big six. It's been a good read so far.