[Getting Back in Shape #322353] Help

I originally posted in FastAttack's thread because the same shit pretty much happened to me (injury, stopped/afraid of working out etc), but decided to make my own thread after all:

Basically, I broke my right ankle really, really bad back in 2001. Ended up breaking it in two spots, doctor said it was one of the worst breaks he's ever seen although he just ended up "snapping" it back into place (not sure what the medical term for that is, or if there is one) instead of having to insert screws and shit.

I've played soccer and was really active all my life up until the break. I stopped going to the gym and stopped working out regularly for a year, year and a half. Currently, all I do is run and run - I try to do a mile or two (I think that may be a little light, especially for ONLY doing cardio) every day or so depending on my work load.

When I went to the gym (during my high school years and before the break) I really just did the cardio thing along with some various leg exercises and a few light upper body exercises. I've never had a set routine and I really want that to change.

I'm not too worried about my diet but I'm also not too sure if I'm doing anything right, either. I eat the standard three meals a day: light in the morning with something like fruit and yogurt, some sort of salad or greens with a grilled piece of chicken in the afternoon and dinner consists of more protein along with veggies, maybe a side salad or something (I'm big on the salad thing).

I guess what I'm looking for is something simple that will allow me to tone up a lot more. I don't currently have a gym membership, but if it's necessary I'll grab one again. I have some weights at home but obviously nothing like the gym selection. Let's see though, I've never really had an upper body and I guess that's because of soccer or something. I'm looking to just get some definition on my abs and chest to kind of match what I have/had on my lower body/legs.

There's a lot of information there, I'm not sure how much is actually useful. But, with whatever is there, if I can get some help it'd be much appreciated. Let's see if you can get me toned and back into shape, TW.

there's a shitload of info on workout plans etc. that you can find on these forums/the internet or that someone more generous than me will type up for you

the advice i will offer: change your attitude. "oh hay yeah i just want to get a little bit of tone maybe u no maybe some chest muscles or some such things" will just lead to halfassed workouts that wont accomplish shit

after i typed that i realize it comes off a bit prickish but basically my point is if you aren't serious about training you will just be wasting time/money in the gym

Pushups and pullups would probably make you happy. Start a pullup program like "Recon Ron's" or something of that nature so you have goals and it makes it a little more fun.

Honestly this has been posted before. You can look in some other threads to find some good beginner programs.

the advice i will offer: change your attitude. "oh hay yeah i just want to get a little bit of tone maybe u no maybe some chest muscles or some such things" will just lead to halfassed workouts that wont accomplish shit

after i typed that i realize it comes off a bit prickish but basically my point is if you aren't serious about training you will just be wasting time/money in the gym

Not prickish at all, I appreciate the advice.

I didn't mean to come off with an attitude it's just that I've never really, like I said above, have had a program so I'm not sure what I'm after besides getting more "definition" or more "toned".

It's my fault for not looking around though. Probably should of searched a lot more thoroughly then posted a thread asking specific questions, not summarizing my situation.

I think I'm just going to start doing the sit-ups/pull-ups/push-ups thing daily and see how that works out. I might end up finding my way back to the gym and start lifting again, not sure how soon. Thanks again.

I don't think pushup/pullup/situps will be sufficient for the gains in your upper body you are after. I'd consider getting back in the gym and doing bench press, military press, deadlifts, rows and pull-ups to develop those muscles.

If you're trying to look more 'toned' this means increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat. I'd switch to 6 small meals a day from your current 3, get back into cardio, and start a weight lifting program. This is a very general overview.

Just got back home after talking with a couple of friends out and about and yeah, I think the gym is going to have to happen. One of my buddies had an injury to his leg, or knee, or something, and is pretty much where I am now, wondering where to go next and we both kinda landed on the gym being a must.

So, much appreciated Rayn, I'm gonna follow through with that it looks like. As for the meals, and a more detailed exercise plan, do you have any links that better illustrate that "general overview"?

Thanks in advance.

Rippetoe's Starting Strength Workout:
Guide to Novice Barbell Training, aka the Official RIPPETOE-STARTING STRENGTH FAQ - Bodybuilding.com Forums (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224)

Will teach you the big compound lifts I think everyone should start out with to develop overall body strength.

Go to exrx.net for little animated GIFs if you need them.

For diet, I'd recommend you find a copy of "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" on a torrent somewhere and just read what Venuto has to say about diet. It's nothing crazy, you computer your approximate caloric needs, split it up into 6 and figure out a way to get that many calories using a few general guidelines.

for diet, i always liked "The Zone"(http://www.zonediet.com/), I run a lot and weight train a lot. The zone eating program is similar to what your doing already with a little more science behind it. This keeps me energized and allows me to run 3-5miles a day + weights without any problems. Its a very simple concept but it works. If you like to run, keep doing it and build on that, but definitely hit the gym, find some exercises that you like for each muscle group and develop a schedule. You'll get results quickly.

Thanks a lot for the links and tips, Rayn and Mid. Definitely looking into all of it and eventually going to put it into action.

My goal is to start a program, diet, whatever by February 1st. That gives me the rest of January to keep researching and looking around for the perfect diet and exercises as well as going around town and checking out a few gyms.