New Member, Got a Few Beginner Questions.

[fenrir]

I currently weigh 224.4lb (102kg). I wish to get my weight down to 176lb (80kg). I started stage one when I got up today. The questions are merely for interest as well as for making sure I am doing it right.

My questions:

• Is scotch/brandy permitted in moderation if taken neat?
• How much weight is expected to be lost in the short term?
• What exercises are there that are indoor with limited space?
• Are high reps with high weights better than prolonged cardio?

[Lilnicki]

Hello and welcome....in answer to your questions

-Brandy/scotch is OK, but what is your idea of moderation??....... i would say one shot a day maximum.
-For stage one you might not lose much weight as you're still eating crappy foods for your feast.
-Exercise -wise i'm no expert, but i know you need to do a wide variety different exercises for biggest benefit..... cavemen wouldn't have done anything regimented such as squats or dumbell work.

Good luck with it all

Nicki

[houmax]

My questions:

• Is scotch/brandy permitted in moderation if taken neat?
• How much weight is expected to be lost in the short term?
• What exercises are there that are indoor with limited space?
• Are high reps with high weights better than prolonged cardio?

Jameson would be better  

Exercises: Pushups, situps, pullups, weights, etc...

Do slow stuff everyday like walking, swimming, situps, etc. Then once a week do some sprinting and heavy lifting. Easy.

Mark had a good article on the prison workout...
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/prison-workout/#axzz1tTnP3SxH

[TheMadUnicyclist]

Weight loss in the first part can happen, depending on what you feast on. If you aim your feasts towards more and more of the "healthy" choices (as I did) you may lose more than you'd think, but your best chance for weight loss is when you are more strictly to the less processed and chemically altered foods.

Indoor exercises- You already got a few really good examples, if you want an insanely killer and really good workout that takes as much room as you need to do a pushup, here's the link (the name is fairly nerdy, as it has nothing to do with spartacus, but it's a very good, fast set of exercises that cover a lot of different muscle groups)
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/high-intensity-circuit-routine/

It's kind of hard to find the link, but there are 10 separate stations you do for 60 seconds each. Rest 1 minute and repeat the whole set a total of 3 times. You only do as many reps as you can fit in the with good form, so you can adjust it best to fit your skill level. I'd suggest not doing them with weights at first.

As for preference of high weight/rep vs prolonged cardio, it depends on your purpose. If your goal is fat loss then whats important is keeping your heart rate in a certain range and maintaining that while you do other movements or exercises. High weight high rep is best for muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than fat. Low weight high rep is good for muscle toning. This is one of the reasons the Spartacus workout is as successful as it is, its low intensity (comparably) for high reps.

More info on exercise and nutrition can be found at exrx.net, one of the best sites for free health information that I know of. Granted, you actually have to look for what you need and learn stuff, but I think that's probably for the best anyways.  

[CtlAltDel]

Hey fenrir
Is scotch/brandy permitted in moderation if taken neat?
I still drink on this diet (most days). I'm sure it slows down the weight loss but it's something I accept. I still lost over 10kgs in 2months.

How much weight is expected to be lost in the short term?
I found it slow at first, in the first few weeks, but then it dropped off fairly rapidly as I think my body just went "wtf!!" and reacted.

What exercises are there that are indoor with limited space?
Have a look at Mike Chang's sixpack shortcuts routines on youtube (no I don't receive a commission). I do a number of his workouts and they require little or no weights and really work well for me.

Are high reps with high weights better than prolonged cardio?
As above. Chang supersets (ie back to back sets) that seem to burn fat fast as they add a cardio element to the routine. Low weight and high reps usually burn fat and produce lean muscle. Heavy weights/lower reps build big muscles. I'm lucky, I ride everyday to work so that's where I get my cardio, otherwise I find jogging plain boring. For small spaces I suggest a skipping rope but bloody hell it's a tough exercise!!
Good luck