T Nation

Need Advice on Diet and Weight Training

Beginners
#1

From April just gone I have lost 38 pounds of fat. The last few years while I was in college I was over eating the wrong foods, but now I think I’m am under eating with the amount of training I do. I do weight training 4 to 6 times a week.

Here is what I would normally eat when I’m training;

30 grams of oatmeal with nuts,seeds and berries with 2 eggs and some fruit(apple pear etc)
I would then take 25 grams of whey protein 40 to 45 mins before my workout
After my workout I would take another protein shake
Eat some more fruit plums berries bananna prunes etc
Lunch time would contain green veggies with lean meat(fish,chicken,turkey)
And for dinner lean meat again with a lot of veg( lettuce,cabbage, carrots etc)
I drink over 2 litres of water while training through out the day

So my weight training goal at the present time is to build strength here is what my upper body work out is;

Bench press
Seated row
I picked these two major lifts and separate them from the rest of my work out and do a 5x5 sets

I then do supersets with these exercises(3/4 sets)
Lat pull down
Shoulder press
Single arm row
Incline db chest press

And end the session with core work (ab wheel roll out from knees, jackknife,planks side planks etc)

I havnt been weight training long I have been at it since the end of may of this year any advice would be great

#2

Get more dietary fat.

Train your lower body.

Eat more. Your goal may be strength, and maybe you don’t even intend on gaining weight but eating to recover, and in turn eating to weight will help make you stronger.

Lastly, get on an actual strength program that includes all the major lifts.

#3

Congrats on your weight loss and getting back on track.

My advice would be 3 fold:

1- get on a proven program. You said you do 5x5 for some exercises, but I would suggest reading up on the following, and picking the one you like best, and following it as written:

5/3/1
WS4SB
Juggernaut Method
Texas Method

2- perform conditioning on a regular basis. Stuff like sprints, weighted sleds, timed 1 mile runs, strongman conditioning, anything that is hard and will make you awesome.

3- eat well. Take a simple approach, because eating isn’t complicated.

 Eat a large portion of meat or eggs
 Eat a serving of vegetables
 Eat a serving of complex carbohydrates (IF your still hungry)
 Wash it down with a glass of milk

Do that 3-4 times a day. Simple. Effective.

Don’t forget to stretch.

Good luck.

#4

Thanks for the advice guys

Oh and i do leg work too, I just wanted to just post my upper body work out and correct the faults in that first. I be more than happy to post my lower body work out too iif you would give more advice like you you’d did in your pervious posts

#5

Congrats on the progress thus far. If you’re at a comfortable weight and want to focus on strength gains, you should probably work more carbs in to your lunch and dinner. Good that you’re doing legwork as well as the lifts listed.