Workout for an out-of-shape 30something

[James Yeager]

 I have lost about 20 pounds of fat and gained about 10 pounds of muscle the last 2 years by using this program developed by a great friend of mine Aaron Little of Performance Edge.

Here is a video of the workout techniques: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJPWOmoMv0

I was asked to put together a short work out that would help ease an out of shape 30 something back into to training. At the end of the six weeks one should be ready to move on to a more intense workout.

Be sure to use a Kettlebell that allows you to safely complete the exercises during week one. At the end of week 6 if you are unable to finish 3 sets then continue on to week seven with the same work out.

Be sure to put your emphasis on time and not reps. As the weeks progress your rep count will naturally go up.

All exercises use a kettlebell except the Flutter Kicks.

Week One:
Each Day

60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Rest
60 sec Swings


Week Two:
Each Day

60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Swings


Week Three
Mon – Wed - Fri

60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Swings


Week Four
Mon – Wed - Fri

60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Flutter Kicks
60 sec Swings
60 sec Lunges


Week Five
Mon – Wed - Fri

60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Flutter Kicks
60 sec Swings
60 sec Lunges
60 sec Rest
60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Flutter Kicks
60 sec Swings
60 sec Lunges


Week Six
Mon – Wed - Fri

60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Flutter Kicks
60 sec Swings
60 sec Lunges
60 sec Rest
60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Flutter Kicks
60 sec Swings
60 sec Lunges
60 sec Rest
60 sec Squats
60 sec Turkish Getups
60 sec Flutter Kicks
60 sec Swings
60 sec Lunges

The workout combined with this new style of eating are what did it:

Originally posted by Rikki Little:
James asked me to repost this diet.  This is what we recommend to all of our athletes or anyone with a somewhat active lifestyle.  If you have any questions feel free to ask!


Meat, Leaf, Berry, & Fiber Diet

You can eat as much of the following as you like (unless otherwise noted):

All meats
All fruits (light on raisins and dates)
Vegetables (except potatoes)
Cheese
Eggs
Oatmeal
Wheat / Whole grain / Multi-grain (1 or 2 servings per day)
• Pasta
• Rice
• Bread
• Chips
Sugar free sweets
100% fruit juice
Water
Coffee, black
Unsweetened tea
Diet soda

You should not eat these items (if you must, eat only the suggested serving size on the nutrition label):

White bread
Regular pasta
White rice
Potatoes
Sweets
Soda
Milk
Most dairy

I also have a cheat/treat day once per week where I can eat things that typically aren't diet friendly. Just remember not to go overboard on that day!

I just thought this might help some other 30 somethings.....

[khristopher23]

Cool James, I didn't watch the workout video yet, but that diet doesn't sound too bad. I DEFINITELY fall into the out of shape 30 something crowd.

[James Yeager]

Cool James, I didn't watch the workout video yet, but that diet doesn't sound too bad. I DEFINITELY fall into the out of shape 30 something crowd.

Find some motivation and GET STARTED!

[ejsandstrom]

Find some motivation and GET STARTED!

This is exactly what it took for me. The most excercise I did was making if trom the fridge to the can and back to the couch before the commercials were over. The only time I would run is if I was being chased.  I changed my diet very little. I just watched my portions. If one serving is 17 crackers, thats what I will eat. We joined the Y and started going about 4 hours a week.

I have to say that the Les Mills programs are great. I never wanted to be in a class with a bunch of goons clapping and yelling. Its not like that at all.

I have dropped 18lbs and gotten way stronger in about a month and a half.

[“Mark”]

The best way to get in shape is to integrate some physical activity into your daily routine. Find a way to get at least half an hour of exercise in daily. The easiest way to do that is to bike/walk to work.

For me, it only takes me an additional hour to bike instead of driving for an hour, I can bike for two. So I get two hours of exercise for only one hour of extra time. If I went to the gym, I'd spend at least 30 minutes travelling to it and back, so it's a really efficient way to exercise.

[jarhead]

The best way to get in shape is to integrate some physical activity into your daily routine. Find a way to get at least half an hour of exercise in daily. The easiest way to do that is to bike/walk to work.

For me, it only takes me an additional hour to bike instead of driving for an hour, I can bike for two. So I get two hours of exercise for only one hour of extra time. If I went to the gym, I'd spend at least 30 minutes travelling to it and back, so it's a really efficient way to exercise.

Good point. I wasted so much time driving back and forth to the gym so I decided to make a workout room in my basement, heavy bag and all.  We have an exercise bike instead of a treadmill, which I don't recommend.  Running/jogging is so much better to burn fat than the bike.  I want to buy one, but it would cut into my prepping budget. 

[Sister Wolf]

James, I'm gonna start this when I get home from traveling next Tuesday.  I can't thank you enough.  In fact, I'll even start a progress thread, complete with actual weight numbers and pictures, as a test dummy to see if it works.  You have no idea how much I've been wanting a program of some kind that is recommended by somebody I trust.  Thank you for providing it.  +1

[James Yeager]

Sister Wolf,

 The best advice I can give is START SLOW. You didn't get out of shape overnight and you aren't going to get into shape overnight. Injuries that may occur make it VERY difficult to get back into it. If you haven't done much in a while start with some walks and then brisk walks.

DO NOT use a scale. Scales lie and do not allow for fat loss vs muscle gain. They can make you lose motivation with incorrect feedback. Get a tape measure and measure your self (arms, chest, belly, legs, etc) before starting your program. After you begin measure yourself once per week.

What you will not be able to calculate is the weight you will not gain from continuing to eat poorly.

[Sister Wolf]

The best advice I can give is START SLOW. You didn't get out of shape overnight and you aren't going to get into shape overnight. Injuries that may occur make it VERY difficult to get back into it. If you haven't done much in a while start with some walks and then brisk walks.

I walk with my best girlfriend about 20 miles a week (5 miles a day, 4 days a week).  So this won't be new to me.  When I quit smoking, I put on about 25 pounds, from eating when I was bored.  I'm the kind of person who needs to eat just about once a day, or eat just a tiny bit throughout the day (snacking, basically).  My really good friend Sunni is trying to sell me on the "no S" diet (No snacks, no sweets, and no seconds, except sometimes on days that start with "s"), but I don't think it's right for me, because I have to snack throughout the day, otherwise I shake so bad, I can't hold a pencil.  Literally.  I've had employers (in the past) who made me take drug tests, because they thought I was coming down off of something (the problem was that I wasn't allowed to eat at work).    At the time, I was devastated that I wasn't being trusted, but now I understand better just how odd a reaction it is.  *shrugs*  It's just my body, nothin' I can do about it.

DO NOT use a scale. Scales lie and do not allow for fat loss vs muscle gain. They can make you lose motivation with incorrect feedback. Get a tape measure and measure your self (arms, chest, belly, legs, etc) before starting your program. After you begin measure yourself once per week.

Okay!  I'll do that as soon as I get home from my vacation (We're sight seeing and property checking and visiting family about 2000 miles away from home at the second).  That'll be Wednesday morning of next week.  I'm really pumped about doing this.  Is it gonna make my muscles big?  I want big muscles after I lose all of this crappy fat. 

What you will not be able to calculate is the weight you will not gain from continuing to eat poorly.

That's true, but what I can do is calculate how much I've gained recently, and the path that I would have continued to go on with a line graph, as well as what happens when I start this program.  That WILL show the difference, as well as where I might have ended up if I'd continued down the path I was heading (see that?  I WAS heading down it.  But not anymore! )

[Goatdog62]

I used to worry about keeping my workouts complicated (not saying your is) and tying up a lot of my time. About 15 years ago I decided to only do pushups, situps, pullups x3 times weekly and run 1000 miles a year, which is only about 20 miles a week. No other rules except to always take the stairwell, walk anything less than a mile away, and to carry 35 lb rucksack if out on my treks in the woods. My diet is whatever I want but I've never been a junk food bandit anyway. I eat five times a day if I can. I generally train for one marathon a year but find that training alone is more fun than the event itself anymore (not into crowds). I'm still under 4 hours for 26.2 miles.
I don't stretch either, never thought it did much for me.

I've never had an injury (except some minor shrapnel, but thats not related to this subject). My work is physical though and I'm sure that helps a bit.
 
I've never smoked. My weight has remained constant for 20+ years.

Doc says I am doing really well.

Kudos for James for getting people motivated to get in shape. It doesn't matter what you do, just do it. Jack advocates walking, my father is living proof that walking is a wonderful exercise. YMMV

[Lucretius]

Everything gets easier if the workout is fun.

I do this:

A largish matress on the floor.
Me standing on one short end, the wife on the other.
The goal is to get the other spouse completely off the matress.
That gives you one point.
First to three points wins.

(Only works if you're lucky enough to get married to a great wrestler, though  ).

[“Mark”]

I walk with my best girlfriend about 20 miles a week (5 miles a day, 4 days a week).  So this won't be new to me.  When I quit smoking, I put on about 25 pounds, from eating when I was bored.  I'm the kind of person who needs to eat just about once a day, or eat just a tiny bit throughout the day (snacking, basically).  My really good friend Sunni is trying to sell me on the "no S" diet (No snacks, no sweets, and no seconds, except sometimes on days that start with "s"), but I don't think it's right for me, because I have to snack throughout the day, otherwise I shake so bad, I can't hold a pencil.  Literally.  I've had employers (in the past) who made me take drug tests, because they thought I was coming down off of something (the problem was that I wasn't allowed to eat at work).    At the time, I was devastated that I wasn't being trusted, but now I understand better just how odd a reaction it is.  *shrugs*  It's just my body, nothin' I can do about it.

That's caused by low blood sugar. The best cure for that is to eat a big breakfast of complex carbohydrates and fiber so it won't digest too fast, especially if you're working a physical job.

It's the simple carbohydrates that are bad for you, especially white/refined flour and corn syrup. Both of those cause massive glycogen spikes in the blood stream, which in turn causes an insulin spike as your body deals with the excess glycogen by turning it into fat. The insulin spike often causes too much of the glycogen to be stored as fat, leaving you with low blood sugar (think hungry, tired, and irritable). The repeated insulin spikes eventually lead to type two diabetes as your body becomes resistant to insulin. And while fruit is sweet and contains simple carbohydrates, fruit digests slower than things made with white flour and corn syrup.

If you're having difficulty getting down to your old weight, it's probably caused by a diet high in simple carbohydrates. If you haven't already, switch to whole wheat/whole grain products and cut out the fizzy drinks. You'll feel much more energetic, too, and I can almost guarantee the shaking your experience will go away.

That's true, but what I can do is calculate how much I've gained recently, and the path that I would have continued to go on with a line graph, as well as what happens when I start this program.  That WILL show the difference, as well as where I might have ended up if I'd continued down the path I was heading (see that?  I WAS heading down it.  But not anymore! )

Don't be surprised if you continue to gain or your weight holds steady if you start a resistance training program. If you want to track things, track the inches.

And for maximum results, you want both resistance and cardio training. You do lots of walking, so I'd incorporate more resistance training if you start doing more. And you'll need to eat more/better if you want speedy results -- if your blood sugar is low, you'll have trouble pushing your muscles hard, which is what you need if you want to build strength and size.

[whitewave]

I used to get hypoglycemic reaction that came on quickly with little to no warning.  It was so bad at one time that I kept a tube of cake icing in the glove box in case it came on while I was driving.  Honestly, I've coded people with higher blood sugars than mine has been known to drop to (16!). 

About 8 years ago I changed my diet to eat right for my blood type and haven't had a hypoglycemic episode since.  Joints don't hurt in the morning, chest pain is gone, mind is clearer.  If I get off my diet (holidays, etc.) I can tell the difference fairly quickly.  Depending on what forbidden food I've eaten, I'll either not be able to stay awake or the joints in my hands will ache.  I don't count calories, weigh out portion or any of that bother.  I just avoid certain foods. 

I also belly-dance which is great exercise (and endearing to SO).  Having ruptured a few discs and herniated a few more several years ago, the belly fat got out of control since I couldn't do crunches anymore.  Dancing keeps me limber and trim and doesn't hurt my back.

[Mr. Bill]

The goal is to get the other spouse completely off the matress.

Okay, that's one exercise plan I won't be trying.

 

[“Mark”]

Okay, that's one exercise plan I won't be trying.

 

Yes, once you have some skill, you don't fall off

[khristopher23]

I can't help but laugh when reading about any exercise that involved a spouse and a mattress

[whitewave]

Sexercise is good for burning calories isn't it? 

[archer]

Sexercise is good for burning calories isn't it? 

Definitely can burn calories if done energetically.

[barnesglobal]

+ 1 for Yeager..now I just need to cover from age related sports injuries to do it.

[Sister Wolf]

Mark and whitewave, +1.  Thank you for the info.  I haven't done blood tests or anything, and I never considered type 2 diabetes to be a risk.  Even overweight, I'm not exactly "fat", and the extra weight is very, very recent.  Until I quit smoking, I was very fit, and I thought diabetes or anything like that was only for people who gorged on M&Ms, or Wonder Bread on a regular basis.  I will have some blood tests done.  And in the meantime, I will be a bit more careful. 

[“Mark”]

Mark and whitewave, +1.  Thank you for the info.  I haven't done blood tests or anything, and I never considered type 2 diabetes to be a risk.  Even overweight, I'm not exactly "fat", and the extra weight is very, very recent.  Until I quit smoking, I was very fit, and I thought diabetes or anything like that was only for people who gorged on M&Ms, or Wonder Bread on a regular basis.  I will have some blood tests done.  And in the meantime, I will be a bit more careful. 

I wouldn't be too worried, but try avoiding all simple carbohydrates for a week and see how you feel. You should notice the difference in days.

And even if you're not diabetic at all, don't tempt it either, ya know?

[Louisiana Suvivor]

even though i'm 21...i'm still going to try this. i did a lot of Marching Drumline in HS and messed up my shoulder (fell on it wrong). it caused permanent dmg. i used to have very strong arms and was quite "buff". after the injury i can't lift/bench nearly what i used to. 3 years after i've got a belly and my biceps are getting smaller. just wanting to get rid of my belly. i've been walking but i'm going to add this in and see if it helps.

[James Yeager]

Last week I began working out in a gym lifting weights. I have a friend who showed me what and how to do like a personal trainer. I will do the gym 3 days a week when I am home (cardio on the off days) and I will keep using the Kettle Bells when I am on the road.

[RushMan]

+1 to James Yeager on the kettlebells.

Without peer, KBs are the best all-around fitness product.

Done correctly and with STRICT good form, you would be absolutely amazed at the work capacity and functional strength you will develop.  And this is the kind of fitness that suits the modern survivalist well.

[James Yeager]

I can do 75 Turkish Get-Ups with a 45 pounder.

....Then I must sleep.

[RushMan]

I can do 75 Turkish Get-Ups with a 45 pounder.

....Then I must sleep.

That's awesome, literally awesome.  This kind of feat is indisputable evidence of mutant strength.

For the benefit of others, Turkish Get-Ups (when alternating hands) works nearly every muscle in the body.  It's a fiendish movement, especially when you go heavy, and a 45 pounder is very heavy for this movement.

I once read somewhere online that the old school Russian strongmen would NOT train any other lifts (KB, barbell, anything) until they could do 2 perfect form Turkish Get Ups (one with the KB in the left hand followed by one with the KB in right) using a 106 pound KB.  Don't know whether this is true, but it's entirely consistent with the notion of building a strong foundation (core) of strength before moving into muscle-group specific training.

[Goatdog62]

There was a guy named Jeff Martone that I met when we were with DOE. He introduced me/us to Kettle Bells. Great guy.

[Puukko56]

I started training with the kettlebell a year ago. I use a 35 lb one and I do 20 Turkish get ups. I developed my own routine that alternates between mostly arms and mostly legs. I too believe the kettlebell is one of the best all body workouts you can do. My advise do the Turkish getups first I don't think I could so them towards the end of my workout. I'm 53 and if I can do it anyone can.

[vegwerx1]

Great thread Gang!

I just turned 52, been doing the same workout since 1975 when I joined the USAF.

I use a 70 lbs curl bar, two 25 lbs, dumbells, a broom handle for trunk twists and run 4 days a week for 30 minutes (due to being older than dirt)

I do the following.

Curls 15 reps (3 sets)

Triceps extentions: 15 reps (3 sets)

Fly's: with the dumbells:  15 reps (3 sets)

100 Push-ups

Watch my diet, take a few supplements, Vitamin C 300 mg per day, Zinc, Magnesium, potassium (I cant do bananas) Flakseed oil, Horny goat weed (for obvious reasons)

I also use "Super Silver" daily to boost the immune system, I'm looking for a Krav Maga instructor up here, but no luck as of yet. I also shoot at least one a month.