Whipping a Friend into Shape

Hello all. There are some bigger exercise buffs on this board than me. So I'm looking for some guidance.

I have a good friend who has decided to work on getting into a bit better shape, and I am serving as his workout partner and motivator. I'm kind of coaching him and developing out routines.

My friend is overweight, but probably not dangerously so. He weighs around 200# now. He was 150# at his skinniest, many years ago. He'd like to lose 20-30# in a reasonable period of time, but is less concerned about total weight and more interested in general tone and fitness. He wants to work on strength training.

I've been able to get him out to the gym about once per week.

Suggestions on a good exercise regimen? Since we only go once a week, I've been trying to hit all of the major muscle groups. I also prefer free weights over machines, and like exercises that require using lots of secondary muscle groups (eg bench, squats, pull ups, lunges, rows). I'm figuring leaning more towards lower resistance, higher intensity to develop tone more than bulk power. Maybe some exercises that also develop balance.

When the weather gets warmer, we'll probably add some tennis into the mix. And I'm hoping to convince him to get into rock climbing with me, since that's that's my primary exercise.

Thanks.

if you can only go once per week, rigorous cardio is the best bet.

www.crossfit.com

Because it's scalable and can be used as a "game," it's about perfect for the both of you to get a good workout in. It's WAY more than once per week, though.

It's got it's detractors, though.

Stick to the basics. They work.

pullups, bench, sqauts, deads, curls, rows.

1 day a week is great, but you will need more volume to get him in shape quickly. However, change his eating as well and get him moving all the time.

results are directly proportional to effort.

A really good basic program is available here http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

Mr. Joshua is a good resource.

Osterizer wrote: www.crossfit.com Because it's scalable and can be used as a "game," it's about perfect for the both of you to get a good workout in. It's WAY more than once per week, though. It's got it's detractors, though.

those damn places cost an arm and a Leg..

I like their intensity though.

Use dumbells. They force all of the muscle groups to work in concert. I.E. using a Naut machine for a bench press will focus primarily on the pecs and triiceps, a barbell will focus on pecs, triceps and shoulders. But laying on a bench using dumbells for a press will work all of those. If you keep you feet together will work your core as well as increasing the role your arms and shoulders play in controlling the weights up and down.

Cardio is great for toning and reducing, but building lean muscle will also force the body to burn more calories, just sitting.

Most of my workouts are done in super sets. For example, do 10-15 dumbell curls and then immediattely go to tricep press. Allow yourself (of him) only aminute rest between. That introduces a cardio element to the muscle work.

ignorant wrote: Stick to the basics. They work. pullups, bench, sqauts, deads, curls, rows. 1 day a week is great, but you will need more volume to get him in shape quickly. However, change his eating as well and get him moving all the time.

I'll try to work on the eating thing. His diet could be better, but it could be a lot worse.

The basics are pretty much what we've been working on. And I just do a circuit of them all and try to balance opposing muscle groups. We are using free-weights for pretty much everything. The only machine I've incorporated is one of those pull-up machines with a platform you stand on that assists you, so you can do more pull ups with less than your body weight.

I'd like to get him out to the gym more than once/week. Money is a bit tight for him though, and right now he's just used the free guest passes that my girlfriend and I have for our gym (1/month, +1 for the last Friday of the month). If he goes an additional 3 times/month, that's still less than a membership.

He does have an elliptical machine at his house. So he can work on cardio on his own.

I am not going to join a second gym to help him work out.

Mental wrote: Most of my workouts are done in super sets. For example, do 10-15 dumbell curls and then immediattely go to tricep press. Allow yourself (of him) only aminute rest between. That introduces a cardio element to the muscle work.

I really like that philosophy. My only issue, is that he's not as good at the exercises yet, and I'm doing them at the same time. So we switch off, while one spots the other (at least on things like bench and squat), plus time to swap weights. I suppose with most exercises I can work on that by, for example, having him do curls while I do tricep press, and then immediately switch off.

You know how I know I'm gay? I've been doing this with good results:

http://www.cathe.com/

Laugh all you want. She's a bad bitch. I helped my wife set up a pretty bad-ass work-out "room" in the basement. I was struggling doing mostly aerobic stuff (treadmill..which was incredibly boring,) until my wife's sister got her hooked on the weight training thing. I REALLY dig doing the weights, and the added muscle is supposed to help burn calories...or something. Anyway, I lost 15lbs. last year, and if I could commit to excercising as much as my wife does (6 nights a week,) I could probably hit my sub 200lb. goal in a month.

Regarding your friend, I heard some schmoe on TV say "The best workout is the one that you'll DO." Best advice I've ever heard on the subject.

I've been trying to find something "competitive" that me and wifey can do, as that's WAY more fun for me, even if I'm losing miserably. When it warms up a bit, I REALLY want to get her to try raquetball.

Good luck, dude! I hope your bud hits his target!

PS: The Cathe chick pretty much does everything you're describing (working opposing muscle groups, very little "rest time.") We hit the Goodwill once a month, and on certain days, they discount certain items ("sports equipment" is on sale once a week.) We get weights for roughly 20 cents a pound, which is a killer deal. We also got the TV there on "Electronics sale day" for Fifteen bucks, and a DVD player for 5. I hooked up an unused receiver and speakers, so we've got big, loud, bass-y surround sound.

This saves us the added expense/hassle/embarrassment of a gym membership.

derekshannon wrote: I'd do my best to get him to the gym at LEAST twice per week if--and only if--he's very active outside the gym.

Thanks. I'd like to do that. I think he needs a gym membership. I would have to get him into rock climbing for that frequency to work though. I already rock climb 2+ times/week. And I do not have the time or energy to add a separate 2+ days of strength training on top of my other activities.

Right now I'm happy to move him away from being totally sedentary. And pleased that he groans and curses every time he sits down or stands up for a day after working out with me.

I would DEFINITELY suggest making him come along with you rock climbing twice a week.

I was very active, and rock climbing at least 4-5 times a week in high school and college. I had the opposite goal as your friend though, and started the "See food" diet along with rock climbing and basic cardio. It was almost SCARY how fast i bulked up, without losing any of my existing cardio from my track running days.

I went from 110lbs soaking wet (i'm 5'9") to a hair under 170lbs depending on time of day within 8 months. My parents thought i was taking steroids.

Same basic rule applies, but probably in his case, if done with less calorie intake, it'll lean him out quick when paired with a day at the gym and some basic cardio exercises.

As Derek said, though, diet is the first step.

derekshannon wrote: Right! It's great just to get started. Maybe with you're help and some motivation from his gains/losses, he'll pick it up and really get the ball rolling. From what I gather, he's going from zero to something which is fantastic.

Thanks again. My additional hope is to actually get him hooked, so I have additional motivation to get to the gym an extra day/week. I hate having to choose between hanging out with a guy friend, and going to the gym.

Even better, is that I can possibly use it to motivate/guilt my girlfriend into working out a little more often. She wants him to get into climbing too, and knows that it will take the two of us goading him to get him on a rock wall. If just he and I go, we'll only hit weights. If she joins, we can get him up on the wall. And that means she gets down to the gym with a little more frequency.

Of course, she's starting to pick that up a bit on her own, because she's gotten over some mental barriers with climbing, and seeing some significant gains, and is excited about it.

poopshovel wrote: I've been trying to find something "competitive" that me and wifey can do, as that's WAY more fun for me, even if I'm losing miserably. When it warms up a bit, I REALLY want to get her to try raquetball.

I know it's not really competitive, but I absolutely love rock climbing, and highly recommend it. Anyone who says they're too heavy or two short is full of it.

Climbing can be competitive because you have a clear measurement of success. You finish a route. You've succeeded. Routes are ranked for difficulty, so you can tell how well you're climbing. Climb with a buddy and hit similar routes and you have that motivation to climb harder than your friend.

Oh, and the climbing community is very much like the motorsports community. They all started at the beginning. They all want to see everyone succeed. I've seen top climbers at my gym cheer on near beginners who are working a route at the limits of what they can do. They all want to be able to climb harder. People love to hang out, and discuss ways to tackle difficult routes better. It is just like a group getting together at an auto-x or track day discussing tactics for going faster through a series of turns.

I suspect you'd enjoy bouldering more than roped climbing too. Shorter, more intense, more mental, more social, more competitive.

He needs strength training more than once per week. You can get results strength training once per week, but you will have to do such incredible volume that you will be sore every minute of every day in between workouts. That doesn't mean he needs a commercial fitness facility, a simple home setup can provide fantastic results.
Remember, your goal above all is to get him to be an exerciser. I would recommend you guys spend some time exploring all types of physical activities to see what he likes. The rock climbing is a great idea. Try out some local adult soccer or basketball groups, martial arts, cycling, organized dancing, etc...
There are many people who will never be fascinated with strength training. Those people seem to do the best by having a hobby that requires them to be fit. Then they will become some of the most religious strength trainers you have ever seen because they truly see it's value.
Whatever you do, you are a huge asset in his fitness quest. As a friend you have a big advantage over a trainer: If he doesn't want to exercise, you can drive to his house and drag his lazy ass out of bed and make him do it.

<---scared of heights.

poopshovel wrote: <---scared of heights.

So am I. I was shaking with fear my first time. Holding the throttle down when you really want to lift was scary as hell the first time I did that too.

It's less scary after you finally fall and don't die. Kind of like the first time you spin out.

And that's also a good reason to try bouldering instead of roped climbing. Everything happens much closer to the ground. It's more technical though. Kinda like Auto-X.

<----- Also scared of heights. But i'm also a whack job that enjoys making myself almost crap myself.

Which would also explain the scary cars that i tend to put together. (I'm recovering, i promise. SUSPENSION FIRST.)

<---Has no problem getting strapped into a roller coaster; I don't have the option of getting out. But on the one occasion that I attempted repelling...let's just say there's a 1 hour long video somewhere of me standing at the top of a cliff like a jack-wad (this was about 1 year into dating Mrs. thePoo, BTW. After doing the "get down the whole cliff in one jump" thing 4 or 5 times, she then found it was more fun to go down the cliff "Aussie" style. Great.)

Perhaps it'd be easier to start from the bottom. I'll try anything twice.

Find something you like. I've walked right up to the gym door and talked myself into not going. I did martial arts for five years, I liked that. I like the self defense - tumbling - grappling stuff but also the discipline.

Hook a NordicTrac to a generator and that to the TV.
Wanna watch Speed, start skiing!

Dan

poopshovel wrote: <---Has no problem getting strapped into a roller coaster; I don't have the option of getting out. But on the one occasion that I attempted repelling...

I totally understand. Rappelling is the scariest part.

Try bouldering. No rappelling involved. You climb to a maximum of 10'-15'. You can either down climb, or just drop.

Salanis wrote: I know it's not *really* competitive, but I absolutely love rock climbing, and highly recommend it. Anyone who says they're too heavy or two short is full of it.

Well, you can be both too heavy AND too weak to climb. I know my first attempt was a rather dismal failure- got up about half way, and my arms burnt out, and legs could not support enough to keep up.

But the next time I tried- I had lost 20 or so, and really worked on getting stronger, and I made it up. Twice!

My only trials, though, were on a cruise ship. Man, the view from the top!

If you want not so masculine- try Jazzercise. I've been doing it for going on 14 years. It's what I use my GRM and CM T's mainly for, as well as the eVilalliance racing T that was made back in 2002. And the woman are not so bad....

Serioulsy, get over that you look like a moron at what ever you are doing, since pretty much EVERYONE ELSE FEELS THE SAME WAY. That's how you go.

BTW, did some jogging over Christmas in the Islands... Cost was a pair of decent shoes.

Oh, and I REALLY like using a heart rate monitor. Used right, and you can improve your cardo endurance quickly and effectively. (search for Polar on ebay)

Eric

My plan is to put some of my tax return towards a membership to the rock climbing gym (and I suppose the gear I need too). I've never done it, but I think it is something I can get into. I really enjoy running, and thankfully Gainesville is a friendly place to do so.

As others have said, the only workout that works is one that you enjoy. Other than running, I enjoy biking, and going to the occasional yoga class on campus. It's relaxing, and more intense than it looks. I really don't like weights exercises, so I've never been able to successfully maintain a weights-based regiment.

I read recently in a medical journal that 3 hours of exercise a week works great for weight reduction as well as cardiac fitness. The article stressed that those 3 hours could be gotten in the same day as well...good bye saturday morning.

MitchellC wrote: My plan is to put some of my tax return towards a membership to the rock climbing gym (and I suppose the gear I need too). I've never done it, but I think it is something I can get into.

Pretty much any gym should have rental equipment. It's good to try it out a couple of times before investing in your own equipment.

there is some good advice here..

I'm trying very hard to get back into weight lifting.. I was into it big in college, but I just can't get the same motivation now.. ugh. I'm going to keep trying.. I did dump 12lbs last year so that feels good. The one hint I have is.. don't end up like me. I didn't take care of my form when younger and due to a wacky leg length issue.. my knees now make it tough to squat... So any training you do with the guy make sure he has good form before adding more weight. Form is key. Good form will make an exercise more effective and reduce injury potential.. period.

to distill the thread down here are the amazing secrets to losing weight

1. don't over eat and keep your eating clean

2. get moving..

that's it.

There are no lose weight fast gimmicks.

A calorie is a unit of energy and fat is stored energy... so use it.

I can definitely relate to number 1. Going from an unhealthy diet to even a moderately healthy diet will do wonders for you digestive system. Over the last six months I've probably cut out 75% of my red meat intake, and lots of my fried food intake, and in result I barely ever get that "clogged drain" feeling in my stomach after a meal.

I still eat a lot of dense foods; stews, thick soups, beans and rice, etc. are my diet staples. They just have a lot less meat in them nowadays.