Getting Fit / Changing My Diet ?

[DJ Benji]

Hi guys, bit of a detailed post from me. However i feel it's needed as my performances are certainly below par at the mo!

Now I'm fairly unfit, im talking the only exercise I'll do is play a 90 min game on a Sunday morning, as our team doesn't even have a training session. I'm currently 18, weighing 12.5 stone, 6ft2. (i think that's about 135-140 pounds)

Thinking of starting to go to the gym 2-3 times a week, i need something that'll keep me in tip top shape though. Currently up top i just have a tiny chest with tiny arms. The idea is to get a nice visible six pack of some form and some decent size arms, so i don't get catapulted off of the ball!

Diet currently consists of the following; (boring i know, but if someone can give me tips on what to eat whilst training again, that would be awesome!)

Full fat milk
Cereal (Wheatabix or Porridge)
Crisps every now and then.
Water
White Bread
Butter
Corned Beef, Chicken
Eggs (Scrambled)

Now i don't drink any fizzy drinks, the only thing i drink is water or full fat milk.

Sorry to keep rambling on!

Any help is really appreciated!

Cheers, Ben

[smd9]

Hi guys, bit of a detailed post from me. However i feel it's needed as my performances are certainly below par at the mo!

Now I'm fairly unfit, im talking the only exercise I'll do is play a 90 min game on a Sunday morning, as our team doesn't even have a training session. I'm currently 18, weighing 12.5 stone, 6ft2. (i think that's about 135-140 pounds)

Thinking of starting to go to the gym 2-3 times a week, i need something that'll keep me in tip top shape though. Currently up top i just have a tiny chest with tiny arms. The idea is to get a nice visible six pack of some form and some decent size arms, so i don't get catapulted off of the ball!

Diet currently consists of the following; (boring i know, but if someone can give me tips on what to eat whilst training again, that would be awesome!)

Full fat milk
Cereal (Wheatabix or Porridge)
Crisps every now and then.
Water
White Bread
Butter
Corned Beef, Chicken
Eggs (Scrambled)

Now i don't drink any fizzy drinks, the only thing i drink is water or full fat milk.

Sorry to keep rambling on!

Any help is really appreciated!

Cheers, Ben

That's not a bad regimen at all, but maybe you should eat wheat bread instead of white.

Me I usually eat fish and vegies before all of my games, but I play at night. If you play in the morinng I don't think you wan't to eat fish.

Yes, stay away from the fizzy drinks.;)

[Liv'poolFaninAZ]

I second switching from white bread to whole wheat. I'd also include bananas into your regular diet.

although energy drinks are usually BAD for you. I always drink one like a half hour before I play. drink lots of water before, during and after and you'll be alright.

[2ManyHeaders]

I think energy drinks are fine after a game or a workout as a replenishing agent, but I wouldn't advise using them beforehand. They tend to have a lot of sugar so your energies can drop off.

As for the diet, maybe more vegetables and protein. Protein will help build muscle mass if you are really pushing your self in the weight room.

When you are at the gym, I would focus on exercises that work compound muscle groups like pull up instead of isolation exercise. You should also work the posterior chain with movements such as the squat, glute ham raises, and deadlifts.

Check out T-Nation on the web. It's a good weight lifting forum that's little too body building oriented, but you can find some good stuff there for sports,

[Antonio81]

Avoid the (concentrated)protein before a game, it can really slow you down.

[MonsterOfTheLake]

I'm currently 18, weighing 12.5 stone, 6ft2. (i think that's about 135-140 pounds)

12.5 stone is 175 lbs. At 6'2, you'd have to be anorexic to weigh 135.

My only advice is drinking coffee before games.

Just in case you're interested, your BMI is 22.5.

[vanity_soccer13]

I'd say maybe switch to low-fat or fat free milk(yes, it's pretty watered down, but it removes the excess fat you're taking in and you get the same calcium affects). whole grains are better than white bread. if you indulge into carbs from time to time, baked potatoes are a very good source. if you're that worried, switch from butter to margarine, or don't use either.

you should definitely eat more veggies and fruits, momma was never lying when she tried forcing them down your throat when you're little.

I'm not a health freak, but I normally eat:

breakfast: a bowl of plain oatmeal, a piece of fruit, with a glass of orange juice or 1% fat milk
-oatmeal is good because it fills you up, and with orange juice it's good to get the kind with the most pulp, since it will also fill you up and help keep you through to lunch.

lunch: salad with grilled chicken, and a low-fat vinagrette or italian dressing.

dinner: some kind of lean meat.. turkey or chicken usually. with a side of vegetables and rice/pasta. I'm a fan of stir-fry type meals, mixing everything together and putting in some light/low-fat soy or teriyaki sauce to give it a nice flavor.

in between meals is really a big part though. obviously it's hard to go for a healthy snacking option when bags of chips are much easier to obtain.

that's me though. hope it's somewhat helpful.

[spejic]

Unless you are a serious athlete, you don't need a special diet to support your activities (like protein supplements and so on). But a better diet would certainly help your general health. I will second everyone else's idea that more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and less fat would be a big benefit.

Butter is ok, but only in moderation.

[smd9]

Avoid the (concentrated)protein before a game, it can really slow you down.

What do you mean by concentrated protein?

[BenfromUSA]

Get out and run a couple miles maybe 3 times a week. Mix in a few fitness drills (which can really help for game fitness) if you have the time. I'd also start lifting as well.

[Liv'poolFaninAZ]

I forgot to add, to always keep fruit around for snacking purpose. Apples are surprisingly filling and they'll keep you from eating chips, candy or other garbage.

I heard somewhere that Apples actually do a better job of waking you up than coffee. I love coffee so I don't know if it's true. But either way, eating Apples, bananas, oranges are ALL great as opposed to all the synthetic sugar stuff.

[servotron]

Instead of whole (full fat) milk, try 2% (half fat?) ... you get all the hydration and protein, but only half of the fat, which your body demands to burn off first before anything else (including your own energy reserves)

[BenfromUSA]

Instead of whole (full fat) milk, try 2% (half fat?) ... you get all the hydration and protein, but only half of the fat, which your body demands to burn off first before anything else (including your own energy reserves)

I myself am not a big milk guy. I have a little bit with my cereal but that's pretty much it. If you like drinking it then I would say go with 1% instead.

[gyr0]

Hi guys, bit of a detailed post from me. However i feel it's needed as my performances are certainly below par at the mo!

Now I'm fairly unfit, im talking the only exercise I'll do is play a 90 min game on a Sunday morning, as our team doesn't even have a training session. I'm currently 18, weighing 12.5 stone, 6ft2. (i think that's about 135-140 pounds)

Thinking of starting to go to the gym 2-3 times a week, i need something that'll keep me in tip top shape though. Currently up top i just have a tiny chest with tiny arms. The idea is to get a nice visible six pack of some form and some decent size arms, so i don't get catapulted off of the ball!

Diet currently consists of the following; (boring i know, but if someone can give me tips on what to eat whilst training again, that would be awesome!)

Full fat milk
Cereal (Wheatabix or Porridge)
Crisps every now and then.
Water
White Bread
Butter
Corned Beef, Chicken
Eggs (Scrambled)

Now i don't drink any fizzy drinks, the only thing i drink is water or full fat milk.

Sorry to keep rambling on!

Any help is really appreciated!

Cheers, Ben

Alright Ben, so without know how much you eat, it looks like you are alternating between a starvation diet and junk food. First, you need to consume your largest carbohydrate meal for breakfast and 60-80 minutes after your workout. Both meals should consist ideally of slow digesting carbs like oatmeal, wheat bread, beans of any kind or other high fiber carbs.

Dont neglect your fruits and veggies, and as a rule of thumb: eat every 2-3 hours.

To put things in prespective, 75% of your musculature is located below the waist, so work the legs and save isolation exercises like bicep curls until the end of your workout. To gain mass, this means sticking to full body movements such as squatting, bench press, deadlifts and lunges. Keep rep in the range of 8-12 and perform 2-3 sets for each target muscle group.

Remember, the goal of an effective workout routine should be to increase function in real life-- rather than isolate muscles-- so think about the muscles which get used most in your daily routine and prioritise these muscles in the gym.

I train soccer players for a living, so feel free to PM me with further questions.