Getting started as an overweight beginner

[Ducky]

Tell us how your going Clars - I'm pretty much in the same boat as you

[VenomousCoffee]

Edit: Didn't realize I was replying to a thread necro. My bad!

You could go through and do a basebuild as per the TB books. Do it exactly as written provided you can run for half an hour straight without pain. If you can't then just substitute run/walking until you can to keep your heart rate in the right spot.

Once you finish your basebuild you can re assess what you need to work on.You will lose weight just from the training so at 21 you don't need to complicate things.

Eat like an adult, 3-4 x a day. Healthy protein, Vegetables or something fresh and green and a healthy carb source is what you need to look for.If you like fish then eat a lot of it because fish is awesome. Minimise alcohol, soft drink and sugar and your main drink is now water.

That should do for the first 8 or so weeks while you basebuild. See how that goes and decide where you want to go with continuation after.
You eat well and train smart I guarantee you will reach 85% of your aesthetic goals with minimal issues.

Good advice in here. OP, just do this and you will be completely fine for a long time. Follow the program, eat right, and sleep.

[johndoeman2017]

I want to say this without bruising any ego's but your lifts are not at all impressive, even as a novice or beginner (and a 1 rep max should not be done as a novice / beginner!). Honestly, as a novice or beginner with likely next to no idea of proper form cues for barbell lifts I would avoid them unless you have someone to properly coach you. I've spent years and years learning by myself and have paid the price for it. While my lifts are "good" they would have been far better with far less injury if I would have taken the time to find someone to teach me. With that said, I have taken my own knowledge now to coach others to pulling 2x bodyweight in deadlift with their first session (safely).

I currently do purely calisthenics (for a few years now) and I highly suggest abandoning the barbell for progressive calisthenics. Progressive calisthenics will easily carry over to barbell training but it does not work the other way around.

If you absolutely want to continue with barbells I highly suggest swapping your bench press for overhead pressing. This is a situation where good overhead pressers are good benchers but that does not work the other way around. It will also keep your shoulders healthy.

I am a former Marine, turned Strongman / Powerlifter, and now I do calisthenics only trying to get back in shape for the US Marshals. Take heed that while barbell training is the quickest path towards adding "strength" it is not the best or safest. I only wish I knew that back when I was only 21 years old.

Also, I am 5'6" and 250lbs able to perform 10+ pull-ups, 10+ handstand push-ups (even 3-5 at full range of motion), I am close to getting my pistols, I can do 10+ ring push-ups with full control, and plenty of other things. If you get going on calisthenics you may find your weight drop quickly being that you're a beginner. I am fighting against an already established muscle base.

[BlackPyjamas]

I want to say this without bruising any ego's but your lifts are not at all impressive, even as a novice or beginner (and a 1 rep max should not be done as a novice / beginner!). Honestly, as a novice or beginner with likely next to no idea of proper form cues for barbell lifts I would avoid them unless you have someone to properly coach you. I've spent years and years learning by myself and have paid the price for it. While my lifts are "good" they would have been far better with far less injury if I would have taken the time to find someone to teach me. With that said, I have taken my own knowledge now to coach others to pulling 2x bodyweight in deadlift with their first session (safely).

I currently do purely calisthenics (for a few years now) and I highly suggest abandoning the barbell for progressive calisthenics. Progressive calisthenics will easily carry over to barbell training but it does not work the other way around.

If you absolutely want to continue with barbells I highly suggest swapping your bench press for overhead pressing. This is a situation where good overhead pressers are good benchers but that does not work the other way around. It will also keep your shoulders healthy.

I am a former Marine, turned Strongman / Powerlifter, and now I do calisthenics only trying to get back in shape for the US Marshals. Take heed that while barbell training is the quickest path towards adding "strength" it is not the best or safest. I only wish I knew that back when I was only 21 years old.

Also, I am 5'6" and 250lbs able to perform 10+ pull-ups, 10+ handstand push-ups (even 3-5 at full range of motion), I am close to getting my pistols, I can do 10+ ring push-ups with full control, and plenty of other things. If you get going on calisthenics you may find your weight drop quickly being that you're a beginner. I am fighting against an already established muscle base.

The OP is starting off with base building. Do you know what that is? Calisthenics are built into the TB programming, one purpose being injury prevention through the strengthening of connective tissue. If you've read the books, you'd know this already.

While your n=1 account is interesting, telling someone to abandon barbell training for calisthenics is pure bullshit. I've been training with weights for over 20 years and I have zero serious injuries or conditions brought about by barbell training, there's another n=1 for you. Do you understand the concept of fitness domains vs tools? Barbell training requires some knowledge and preparation like any other sport or form of training, but let's not kid ourselves, it's not rocket science. Trying to get the OP to quit weight training is ridiculous.

I don't want to get into the whole OHP vs BP argument, both are valuable-- but your statement that good overhead pressers are good bench pressers but not the other way around is very questionable, and in my experience the opposite of reality.

[johndoeman2017]

Okay so since I am new to this forum specifically then my suggestions are automatically null and void? I would love to know what your actual lifts are since you've been at this for 20 years they should be sizeable. And yet, I mention the option of progressive calisthenics as an option for strength training vs barbells WHICH IS IN THE TB BOOKS. I've been at this whole strength and conditioning game for 20+ years myself and I have never attacked people on forums like people on here do. Does TB make people condescending and arrogant?

Personal experience and years of research has brought about the suggestions I've made. You are free to disagree but your condescending suggestions that I know nothing and attacking me for suggestions that you think are "opposite of reality" are in themselves ridiculous. I offered an alternative the OP can choose to heed or disregard. Come down off your soap box.

Many, many people have abandoned weight training for progressive calisthenics and are doing just fine, maybe better. Barbells and weights are obviously tools just like calisthenics, kettlebells, odd objects, and tons of other things that can be used to increase strength. I have personally found that calisthenics covers all bases for strength and even strength endurance, and it has a great carry-over to all other forms and tools related to strength.

Lastly, simply because YOU have not suffered injury while training for your specific length of time doesn't mean that anyone else won't. Anybody can get away with bad form if their loads are light.

[Maxrip13]

Okay so since I am new to this forum specifically then my suggestions are automatically null and void? I would love to know what your actual lifts are since you've been at this for 20 years they should be sizeable. And yet, I mention the option of progressive calisthenics as an option for strength training vs barbells WHICH IS IN THE TB BOOKS. I've been at this whole strength and conditioning game for 20+ years myself and I have never attacked people on forums like people on here do. Does TB make people condescending and arrogant?

Personal experience and years of research has brought about the suggestions I've made. You are free to disagree but your condescending suggestions that I know nothing and attacking me for suggestions that you think are "opposite of reality" are in themselves ridiculous. I offered an alternative the OP can choose to heed or disregard. Come down off your soap box.

Many, many people have abandoned weight training for progressive calisthenics and are doing just fine, maybe better. Barbells and weights are obviously tools just like calisthenics, kettlebells, odd objects, and tons of other things that can be used to increase strength. I have personally found that calisthenics covers all bases for strength and even strength endurance, and it has a great carry-over to all other forms and tools related to strength.

Lastly, simply because YOU have not suffered injury while training for your specific length of time doesn't mean that anyone else won't. Anybody can get away with bad form if their loads are light.

Your suggestions don’t meet the original posters goals. You recommend that he drops weightlifting in place of calisthenics. You then go on to recommend he does over head pressing instead of bench pressing. His goal is specific in that he wants to benchpress 300 pounds.

Being a TB forum we generally recommend training within that system. In this case it was for OP to run basebuilding and re assess. OP hasn’t asked for alternatives to weight training at any point.

You are definitely entitled to your opinion regarding weights and calisthenics. It’s great you found a training style that works for you. I personally think overhead pressing is crap. I sit around body weight with a small push and find it pointless to improve it anymore. I also get no value from handstand push ups. I get more value from benchpressing,ring work or weighted ring dips.What works for me doesn’t seem to have worked well for you.

Anything done wrong will hurt you. I have injured myself just as much from body weight training as I have with lifting weights. It’s not the tool being used, it’s the “tool” who is doing the training that causes the injury.

Good luck in your training.

[Barkadion]

It’s not the tool being used, it’s the “tool” who is doing the training that causes the injury

I wish I knew it in my youth..