Stress causing muscle loss

Q. Hi,
   
I am Aniruddha, and I am becoming very thin. Earlier I had a good physique. But after some mental stress, irregular diet timing, and too much of work pressure I have lost weight. I am 25 yrs old software developer. My weight is 58kg. Besides the muscle size, my energy levels are also going down. Please give me tips and exercise and diet plan to recover my health.

Thanks


A. Hi Aniruddha,

The first thing you need to do is remove stress from your life, as much as you can. I know it is much easier said than done, especially if it personal or work related stress, but it is important, not just for muscle building purposes, but also for overall health and longetivity. So for the next 4-8 weeks your goal must be to remove excess stress and build healthy habits that keep stress under control. You need to do this even before you think of gaining muscle.

Fat loss query (28.09.2024)

Q.) Hi Arnav.. Really feel glad to have come across your site.. :) This is PS from Kochi. I'm a working guy, 30 years old, 170 cm tall and weigh 75 kg. Guess that puts my BMI at an unhealthy 26. Although my arms & chest arent flabby, I have the typical pear shaped body as of now, with a bad paunch (34 inches waist) and disgustingly out of shape thighs and buttocks. I realise, it has been my diet and lack of regular sufficient exercise that is to be blamed. I'm a non-vegetarian (prefer chicken & fish) and I drink occasionally (limited to 2-3 larges twice a week). I dont smoke. I have gone through all the posts similar to my condition. I dont have a fad for a 6 pack but I would desperately want to lose at least 10 kgs, burn the excess fat, improve my metabolism, stamina and flexibility and of all - feel good about myself! I'm trying to identify a reliable trainer in the gyms near my place. In the meantime, can I start off with bodyweight training? Please suggest a workout plan for the same. Regarding diet, although I am fond of cornflakes (honey flavoured) with cold milk for b'fast, so that I dont add sugar, after going through some posts, I really am not sure I can still continue with it? I freak out on chicken (preferably tandoori) and seafood. Please advise on the quantity I must restrict to. Since I have lunch at the office canteen, my options are rice (Kerala red rice), mixed vegetable sambaar, roti, curd and one non veg (I prefer just the chicken) dish. Please advise on the recommended quantity. 

A.) As you have yourself very correctly said that your problem primarily arises from the lack of exercise mixed with a relatively unfavorable diet. So if you can make a dedicated effort to improve on these 2 factors then there is no reason why you should not see the changes that you wish to see. As I have mentioned in a previous post that weight training is one of the best ways to lose fat and get in great shape. Having said that it is ok to begin with bodyweight training before you lift weights, as you are planning to do.

Here is a program that you can do 4 days a week:

Hindu push ups- 3 sets of 8 reps (add 1-2 reps every 3rd day)

Split squats- 2 sets of 6-8 reps each side (add 1-2 reps once a week)

T-rotations- 2 sets of 5 reps each side (add 1-2 reps once a week)

Bodyweight squats- 50 reps in as few sets as possible (when you can do 50 reps in one set, add 5 reps, and progress 2-5 reps at a time)

Finish off with about 10 minutes of rapid rope jumping, and stretching. 

Note: if your form is not great on the bodyweight exercises, then first perfect the form before you add more reps.

Your diet will make the largest difference when it comes to fat loss, and you have correctly assumed that corn flakes with added sugar has to go out. Switch to oats with a spoon of real honey with milk, apple, and almonds for a healthy breakfast. Another option is to have a breakfast of 2-3 whole eggs, 2 bananas, and 2- 4 spoon almonds. You can alternate between the two breakfast plans to avoid boredom. For lunch have more of chicken, 2-3 rotis, and some curd. In the evening you can snack on a peanut butter or chicken/fish sandwich. Dinner should ideally consist of 2 rotis, 100-150 gms fish, and some boiled veggies. Besides the diet, you must cut down on alcohol. You do not need to stop it completely, but allow yourself no more than 2 large ones a week. Same goes for eating outside, you can have it, but restrict it to no more than 2 times a week, and keep the servings to a single one, and do not repeat. 

With this plan you should start seeing results soon, and once you add the weight training in the mix, I am sure your results will only get faster.

Need help for weight gain

hi Arnav


im gaurav i am 28 year old and working proffesional .as i want some
tips for weight gain. i have tried gym from feb2011 and stop at june .
as i didn't seen any improvement or weight gain in my body. as i have
weak digestion problem too so i cant eat heavy protein diets . i had
taken normal diets with sufficient fiber. but no improvement has come.
im 5.8 and weight is 50-52 kg only. kindly help me. as now i am taking diet as


Breakfast:7.00am :curd with 2 parathas
 10.00 am: 2 banana and apple
 12.30pm:  4 chapatti and sabji lunch at office
4.00 pm: 1 paratha
6.00 pm: 2 banana 1 apple and half galss mausambi (sweet lime) juice.
 9.00pm: 4 chappati dal sabji.


i am also taking treatment for my digestion system and doctor told me
to do exercise  . it will help me. but how and what exercise will help
me. can u plz plz help me.

Fat loss query

Q. Hello Arnav,

I am 38 yr old female, height 5'6' and weight is 74. Had an abdominal surgery 5 yrs ago. Fully recovered now. I used to weigh about 65-66 but in last 2 yrs my weight is shoot up by 10 kg. Specially, My abdomen, tummy,hips are bigger than my upper/lower body. Currently, am in Qatar and a working professional. Veg. food for 5 days & non-veg (chicken/fish) 2 days.  Breakfast is oats/apple/one egg sandwitch. Lunch is poha/chapati 2 nos with sabji/ wheat pasta. Dinner is 2 chapati n subji, daal and 1 bowl rice.

I have started gym in May and go fr 5 days a week. Normally, my gym routine is 10 min of trademill (6.6 speed), 10 min cycle and then 20 min dumbells/squats and 10 min of floor excercises 2 times in a week. 3 days i attend arobic classes for body pump, body jam, p.yoga, belly dancing and do only 20 min of cardio. But no change in my weight/body posture.i want to loose 10 kg weight in 3 months ? can you pl. advise me measures to reduce fat & tummy/hips ?

Mass building query

Q. Which is the best supplement for mass gain in india?? Could you suggest a diet plan??? I weight 56 kg and am 5'7"

-Nitesh 

Its never too late to improve your health

Arnav,

I am 40 years, 100 kgs, 5ft 9 inches..having BP from last 4 years.Cholesterol and Sugar under control with medication. Cardiologist has advised to reduce my weight to 85 kg by exercise in next 4 months. I have started static cycling (cardio) for 40 mins everyday from last 2 weeks. Please help me with a plan.

Regards,
Parvez

Strength, martial arts and endurance

Q. Was just wondering because I read so much about real strength for martial arts and if you want to achieve it you have to do heavy deadlifts, squat, bench press, dips and chin-ups.

What do you think about that? Most of the guys say that you have to do 3-5 rep maxes to gain some strength which is good for martial arts.

So I was a little bit confused because I want to get stronger and muscular too. And what about High Intensity Training (HIT), is that the way to go for best strength gains?

Do you maybe have some suggestions to make a routine that way? I still like the combination of training strength, martial arts and endurance in one workout.

   

I have one kettlebell. Do you think its good to put in some kettlebell work on a separate day next to the workouts for conditioning and then using swings, snatches etc. 

-Wim