A little help getting started again....

[hawkeye]

I've been going quite awhile without training or proper diet. The last couple years have been for a lack of better term dogshit. Going through a divorce, working 80 hours a week and trying to go to school has been brutal. I probably haven't sniffed the gym besides a few token cardio session in the last 6 months. Diet has been shitty. A lot of stress eating and just eating like crap.

Basically, I have just gotten fed up and I'm taking a semester or two off to alleviate some of the stress and I'm scaling back at work as well. I need to get back to the iron or I'm going to end of killing someone. With the plan to provide time to train, I also plan on cleaning up the diet. I'm hoping with time off later this week, I can get some much needed rest and create a good base to move forward.

One of the issues seems to be energy. I have nothing in the tank. Anyone have any suggestions. I'm going to start supplementation very basic with creatine, BCAA's and maybe some beta alanine and arginine along with a multi vitamin. Any suggestions for something preworkout? I've been out of loop for a bit. Or should I just roll with good ol black coffee?

 

[Go Away]

Woke up this morning feeling inspired, logged in to read some posts to get back into good habits and saw this gem. I've been out the gym since July. I have trashed my body and beat myself up mentally, which has become routine. I let my family guilt me into thinking it's best for everyone if I'm not lifting... I think they are wrong.

Good to see you're dialing back a bit - burn out is some deadly shit.

Any clue as to where you'll start?
Diet, routine, frequency? I'm thinking 531 - just something to get the blood flowing and not push too hard at first. I carried presents around a hospital for about 30 minutes the other day and my biceps were destroyed for three days. I've turned to mush.


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[PillarofBalance]

You probably just don't have energy from sitting on your ass with school. That will come back quick. Give yourself 3 weeks of going to the gym for whatever you want. Then get serious. Just need those 3 weeks to get back into the habit.

 

[hawkeye]

Woke up this morning feeling inspired, logged in to read some posts to get back into good habits and saw this gem. I've been out the gym since July. I have trashed my body and beat myself up mentally, which has become routine. I let my family guilt me into thinking it's best for everyone if I'm not lifting... I think they are wrong.

Good to see you're dialing back a bit - burn out is some deadly shit.

Any clue as to where you'll start?
Diet, routine, frequency? I'm thinking 531 - just something to get the blood flowing and not push too hard at first. I carried presents around a hospital for about 30 minutes the other day and my biceps were destroyed for three days. I've turned to mush.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Funny you mention 5/3/1 I was thinking quite possibly that in itself. Probably start this weekend and hopefully keep it rolling

 

[hawkeye]

You probably just don't have energy from sitting on your ass with school. That will come back quick. Give yourself 3 weeks of going to the gym for whatever you want. Then get serious. Just need those 3 weeks to get back into the habit.

I agree definitely with the habit. Most things I do are structured and I tend to do things in that matter. Probably just diagnosed myself with OCD. But yes, a routine and schedule usually benefit me

 

[OldManStrength]

I did the same thing 4 months ago, started over, after 6 months of sitting on my ass doing nothing. Felt the same, no energy, no drive, no desire to do anything. This is where I would start, It takes 21 days to form a new habit. So focus on that. Get a good multi vitamin, creatine, Protien shake, weight gainer. Meal prep for your first week, and set up a system to drink your gallon of water a day. Then make it to the gym 4 days a week, every other day. You will have to force your self to eat and drink, then just make it to the gym like its your job. Give it the 21 days of doing this and it will be a new habit. LIfe style change. Prework out, anything that will get you going, I use bronk aid, aspirin, and caffeine pills. just cause its easy, and cheaper than prework out.

This will all be a mental battle, but you can do it...
good luck

OMS

 

[BrotherIron]

If your diet was shit for quite sometime, I go 3x week lifting and 1x week conditioning. Something like sled pulls where it'll help shed that shit off your body without making you to tired. It'll also help prep you for your lifting.

I think 5/3/1 is a good idea. Small steps in the right direction and Wendler is a big fan of conditioning as well. He speaks about doing hill sprints in his book as his favored method of conditioning.

 

[hawkeye]

Thanks guys looks like a good approach. I like it and it's doable

 

[Rider]

POB and OMS are right on.

2017 is your year brother, you got this!

 

[BrotherIron]

Thanks guys looks like a good approach. I like it and it's doable

That's the biggest thing... set realistic goals that you can hit and then bust ass to hit them.

 

[daman1]

I think the other issue is how you start eating better. Many talk with this mentality of eating super strict and clean. Truth is, many of us aren't eating for competitions. Macronutrient manipulation isnt something that's vastly relative to us.We're average joes. That being said, I feel like your best start from a nutrition standpoint is introducing cleaner eating meals slowly. If you go from zero to hero, you're more than likely to burn out quickly and revert to old ways. Just my .02 on what's worked for me.

 

[macgyver]

If your diet was shit for quite sometime, I go 3x week lifting and 1x week conditioning. Something like sled pulls where it'll help shed that shit off your body without making you to tired. It'll also help prep you for your lifting.

I think 5/3/1 is a good idea. Small steps in the right direction and Wendler is a big fan of conditioning as well. He speaks about doing hill sprints in his book as his favored method of conditioning.

Was going to suggest this exact thing! 3x/week is perfect. 5/3/1 is also great because of the format and ability to see progress and get excited about it.

Logging is a MUST. It will provide that motivation you want. I also like progress pics. I took a lot of them on my comeback to the gym. Same lighting...etc. It takes some of the emotion out of the mirror. They gave me the drive to see the things that were changing.

Cant emphasize the diet part enough. I just posted this in another thread....but this was my "comeback" 6 years ago. I was out of the gym almost a decade. But for my comeback, I finally put diet first. This was 11 weeks. Working out only 3 days a week. (no cardio btw) This is what setting proper intake goals can do that years of thinking I was going to "lean out" could not. (I am not a lean individual naturally by any means...was always stocky) 5'9. 208 in first pic, 182 in second. Dont be afraid to let the scale and let notions about being a certain weight scare you. This was all the spring board I needed to get back at it and stay. Amazing what a good kick start will do for your motivation.

Good luck man!