Comment by sergiotapia | Hacker News Reader

Comment by sergiotapia | Hacker News Reader

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Was in your shoes. One day I was tired of always struggling to use nice clothes or being limited to t-shirts.

I go to the gym every day, 7 days a week for 1 hour and 20 minutes and lift weights (machine and freeweights). Start off with machines, they're safer. When you get stronger use free weights as well.

Buy yourself OP Whey Protein and have 1 scoop per day, I mix it with water. Also get some fish oil and a multivitamin.

Consistency is key. Same time, every day.

Don't bother with cardio - you're fat enough that lifting weights is going to do more than enough. Cardio is boring and just improves your cardiovascular system.

What worked for me was doing 5 reps of 5 with high weight load, keeping control of the weight, never cheating form. Increase by 5 to 10 lbs every couple of days. You will plateau but always try to keep doing more weight.

High reps (10-12) are for volume. And right now you're weak so aim for low-reps high-weight (5).

PS: Don't listen to people recommending Starting Strength - it's a meme. http://i.imgur.com/83aOStc.png

I'm no health expert but... Wat?

Any "advice" that says "just improves your cardiovascular system" (that's your HEART) should not be targeted at someone who claims to be overweight and wanting to get healthier.

What the hell kind of health plan goes from literally no exercise activity to "hey brah, do you even lift?"

Yeah, that is terrible advice for someone just starting out. It may have worked for OP, but I would be hesitant to just throw out "start lifting" as advice to everyone.

For most people they need a significant diet change to see any effective changes.

> For most people they need a significant diet change to see any effective changes

That's true for weight loss. It's less true for health. Increased activity level with calorie intake also increasing so that there is no net weight loss often still results in better fitness and health and lower body fat. Its often far from ideal,especially for people who start off obese who will still probably hit an equilibrium at an unhealthy body fat level, but its still quite possible to.achieve significant improvements.

I didn't say that - you misread my comment. I said don't focus on cardio too much because it mainly helps your cardiovascular system.

Also if you're fat your joints are going to kill you if you do things like job or ride bike. Using weight machines are much more effective and comfortable for a fat person.

You literally said:

> Don't bother with cardio - you're fat enough that lifting weights is going to do more than enough. Cardio is boring and just improves your cardiovascular system.

> Start off with machines, they're safer. When you get stronger use free weights as well.

I'm skeptical of this advice. Getting stronger with weight machines (which build strength in the big muscle groups well, but isolate them more than free weights so that you don't develop the smaller muscle groups that are important to stability and control) before switching to free weights means that with the switch you'll either be wasting time using free weights at a level that doesn't challenge your large muscle groups or be more dangerous than if you'd started them on day one of lifting.

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