Hey, all,
New member here hoping to get some advice on my current regimen. The good, bad, and ugly.
A little backhistory: I’m 26, 175 lbs. @ 5’8" with a fair amount of flub around my midsection. My goals are to decrease fat and increase muscle mass. I’d be happy to be a fairly ripped, fit, and strong 160 or so.
My situation is a little complicated by the fact that I have an (as yet undiagnosed) sleep disorder that prevents me from getting restorative sleep. Obviously, this hinders my energy output and muscle recovery to a large degree, but at the same time, I’m not just willing to sit and decompose. And at some point, I hope things will improve on that front.
I started lifting ten weeks ago and am sticking with a 2x/week program of extremely basic exercises. I plan on expanding my effort once the sleep situation is under control.
Diet is still confounding to me, although I’m trying to follow some basic principles: eat lots of protein and drink lots of water.
Here’s what I’m eating…
Breakfast
3 Slices Whole Wheat Toast W/Peanut Butter (470 calories, 20g protein)
One Banana (100 cals)
Lunch
Pasta, Pizza, Sandwich, Etc…my “Cheat” meal
(500 cals, 20-30g protein)
Afternoon
Met-Rx Shake
(500 cals, 60g protein)
Dinner
Chicken Breast or Tuna on Lettice Bed W/Oil and Vinegar
(400 cals, 35g protein)
Late Night
Protein Bar/Peanut Butter Sandwich on Whole Wheat/Cereal
(200-400 cals, 20-30g protein)
As you can see, on one of my five meals, I don’t adhere to a strict policy…I’ve eaten like a pig for most of my life, and it would be too radical at this point to eat five perfect meals out of the day, so I settle for four. I also supplement with Creatine (2.5 g/day) and drink about 2.5 liters of water. No soda, but usually a decaf coffee with breakfast.
I’m getting an average of 2,200 calories or so a day and a good amount of protein: 150g or so.
For my workouts, I perform three sets of 12/10/8. When I do this comfortably, I add weight.
Monday
Bench Press
Tricep Pulldown
Dumbell Curls
Military Press
Tuesday
Weightless Squats
Leg Extensions
Calf Raises
Thurs
Repeat Mon.
Fri
Repeat Mon.
Abs are done with weighted crunches and an ab roller: 4 sets at 20 reps three time a week.
My cardio is in truly bad shape due to the sleep problem, and I’ve been very, very sedentary over the past two years. Right now, I’m getting on a treadmill on Mon/Wed/Fri and walking at a brisk pace on an incline and am up to .7 of a mile. Pathetic, I know, but bad shape is bad shape. My hoped-for goal is to work up to 2 miles or so before I attempt a jogging pace. I also don’t want to go too hard and drop body weight.
I’m just curious for thoughts on what I’m doing, my diet and regimen…but please, no “You’re a sissy, this program is too bare bones” kind of stuff. I basically feel like I have a hangover every day, so producing even this much effort is something.
I’m curious how people respond to working each body part more strenuously, but only once per week. To me, it seems like the muscle gets too big a break, but maybe I need more recovery time due to my condition?
Thanks for any advice.