thanks man . i was 220 about 10 years ago, it's a good weight for me but at this point i'm sure i'd be a loose-skinner at that weight, lol. still should get my weight further down just for health reasons, i'm not getting any younger and 300+ lbs can be a death sentence if left long enough.

edit: was more like 12 or 13 years ago i was 220, lol, what year is it again?!

Gonna get up in this shit.

Generally I'm a cardio guy. 4 times a week at the gym, either running 6 miles in 45 mins or biking 14 in 45. That's when I'm in peak condition.

Xmas holidays took a toll though, and I didn't bust the gym for like...4 weeks. So I'm feeling like a dirty bastard and just hit the gym up again for the first time today.

But here's the difference: I'm going to start busting weights. If I had to pick I'd choose cardio, as I'm more impressed with my self when I can just get up and run across the city than when I can lift big boulders. But now I want the strength, too.

So I'm gonna work that in. Will keep you updated.

I'm mostly using a gym, but I'm thinking about getting some morning routines in. It's really my dirty old man stomach that is the impenetrable fortress of fat. I'm skinny everywhere but my stomach. Yeah, one of those disgusting bastards. Anyways, any tips on how I can bust that thing into a 12 pack, especially home routines int he morning?

put the right things into it, for one. your diet is probably healthier than most of us, being a vegetarian, but even in that case there are pitfalls. that's 80% of it right there though.
Also, and this is a vanity thing, but working your chest and arms will make you stomach look smaller by comparison. so that's a thing.

that's all i got! eat lots of protein and drink water! and if that works, tell me about it because i gotta lose me fucking gut too.

For the past few years vegan, actually, and I've taken the healthy eating to a new level. But--it's my portions. I can eat like a monster.

I'm trying to ultimately quit drinking--or at least drink only on special occasions, holidays, birthdays, etc. That should help.

But yeah, I'm gonna start really focusing on my stomach at the gym. I'm finding the fat roll a bit embarrassing when I wear a t-shirt.

good for you I myself could never cut out red meat.

Does that work? I mean, targeting an area to lose fat? I thought that was a myth, and that you lose fat where you will. My gut is like my final frontier, would love to see it go.

Lost 6 pounds this week, BTW...

Fat goes where it wants to go, but working those problem area also helps increase muscle tone, which at the very least has an aesthetic effect.

Yeah, I don't know. I was just speaking loosely. What I do know is that my stomach is bulbous and my doing serious ab work outs means it shouldn't any longer. I don't want it to be any more complicated than that.

Not true! and this is why people fail and give up soon.
Crunches or any other type of ab isolation exercise will strengthen your stomach muscles, but won't burn the belly fat that covers your abs.

there is no exercise that will cause your body to remove fat in one place versus another

This means if you are really serious about reducing body fat and you want to get rid of that abdominal fat, you're going to have to take a whole-body approach.(HIT and compound exercises are the best )

What are HIT and compound exercises?

HIT = HIgh Intensity Training, sometimes "HIIT" which is high intensity interval training. When done specifically, it means training at a certain targeted heart rate, or power output. But more generally, it just means BEING FUCKING INTENSE. lol

A compound exercise is one which moves multiple joints in its execution. So, for example, the powerlifting trio -- deadlift, squat, and bench are all compound movements. Leg extension, preacher curl -- are isolation movements, since only one joint is moving (knee/elbow)

Hope that helps a bit...

couldn't have explained it better

squats, just always do squats, if you have done a hundred squats do another hundred, just... squat all day long if you gotta

and burpee, fucking burpees man

This man knows. After joining karate (AKA the squats class), my legs ballooned into the massive tree trunks they are today.

Fucking burpees is right. Nothing makes you feel more out of shape when you're out of shape than burpees.

God I fucking hate those things.

Aye-yae-yae: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYfNA_lmkHM

Tomorrow is shoulder day. I never worked my shoulders at all until this program and wow, are they weak. It feels good to work a new muscle group but I am still using embarrassingly low weights lol.
Oh well - have to start somewhere!

They're small muscles and don't respond as immediately as others do. Be patient with them, and go easy on the overhead pressing. Emphasize raises. It's the most complex joint in the body, and easily susceptible to damage.

I will be careful, thanks.
I can press decently but raises are humiliating.
I'm not trying to get jacked but I would like to feel that my overall fitness level is fairly equal across the board.

Raises are meant to be humiliating in a sense. Don't sling up a heavy weight using your back. Just use a light weigh to target the head of the delt you want. Honestly, and absolutely HUGE dude shouldn't go past 40-50lbs on this move. It's a tiny muscle, and if you're doing more than that, either you're Ronnie Coleman or you're cheating massively.

i'm fine with 20-25 lbs on a side or front raise.

I'm at like...10-15 pounds on a front raise.

Front raise, I find 25 lbs challenging, but doable. Side raise... forget about it.

Yep, it's a tiny muscle. Most dudes are waaaay overdoing it.

Holding on to a rack or bench, and leaning, and doing side raises that way will totally eliminate slinging the weight up. I love doing them that way.

Haha, I am struggling to do clean controlled sets of raises with 8 lbs.
There aren't many other women at the gym I go to so I guess only seeing the ranges guys work with throws off my expectations.

That's fine! Do 'em properly and reap the benefits.

I sometimes do them seated to really eliminate any cheating.