So since the last 2 days, I’ve been building the courage up to start doing exercises. I’m starting with weights that were just collecting dust so thought “hell why not, never too late to start getting fit”
Now I’m being realistic knowing that starting off you’re not gonna be shredded like a wrestler but I’m just tryna get leaner and fitter body wise.
Is it reasonable for absolute novices to never go to the gym for their exercise and fitness journey? I feel like would be saving some dosh even though I could be missing on some equipment they use there.
A penny for your thoughts?
First off - I’m excited for you!! Your future self will be so fucking grateful.
I absolutely think at home workouts are a fantastic starting point.
I get the gym can be intimidating and if that stops you from working out then do something else.
But major note is: what’s your goal?
If you are trying to lose weight, your biggest goal should just be more activity + calorie deficit. You can only do strength so often and while it will help you lose weight, it’s way better to do strength + walking (or other easy cardio).
I recently lost about 15 pounds in the last 6 ish months and I did it by getting around 10,000 steps per day and 1-2 strength training days per week, and being on a calorie deficit.
If your goal is to gain muscle, then you can absolutely do that with minimal weights or just bodyweight at the beginning.
Personally this got a little boring (if just a lot of reps and for me doesn’t feel as fun as some of the gym equipment I use now).
But above all: DON’T underestimate the dieting portion. Whether your goal is to gain muscle or lose weight, what you eat is half if not more of the equation.
Happy to share more details but didn’t want to type a book without knowing what you need :)
Good luck!!
Ideally I just wanna lose my gut, I’ve already started cut back on alcohol and ONLY take two sweet treats in my lunch for work.
Oh and skipping the elevator and rather go up two levels of stairs to my workplace, I find that more rewarding as I think that’ll contribute.
Muscle gain wise, I’m starting off with bicep curls and over head press, nothing crazy.
I think I plan to lose the gut and flatten it before I do any sit ups lol.
Thank you for your message.
The most critical part of losing weight is counting the calories of what you eat, so you know exactly what you have to do to lose the weight. One pound of body fat is equivalent to 3500 calories, so if you can manage to eat at a 500-calories-per-day deficit you will lose one pound per week (most people lose scale weight at a faster rate than this when they first start dieting, but this is water weight loss and won’t be maintained in the long term).
Will drinking less alcohol and fewer sweet treats put you into a 500 calorie daily deficit? There’s no way to know unless you start recording the calories of everything you eat on a daily basis.
Totally feel that! Also one thing I learned is that a lot of my “gut” was actually bloat/gas built up. Like I noticed as soon as I started being more active I slimmed up faster than I should be able to, but I think my digestive system just did better.
Also something I forgot to note - get good sleep! I know it can be hard but getting at least 7+ hours of solid sleep every night does wonders for your body.
The only thing I think you might want to look into is doing compound movements (like squats, bench press, rows) instead of isolated movements like bicept curls. These activate a lot more muscle and overall help towards your goal of fat loss. You don’t need to work abs individually either - if you are doing squats and other compound movement with correct form, you’ll be hitting the too.
Of course not trying to tell you how to live your life! But this is what I’ve seen echoed from many different fitness resources and chatgpt. :)