Gym advice

Dude, you're working out and that's much better than not working out! What exactly do you mean when you say you don't think you're gaining any progress? Do you not feel like your body is physically changing in appearance? Does it not seem like you're getting stronger at all, or your weights are increasing? Both?

Not tried Athlean X and I admittedly know little about it, but I've heard some positive things regarding it and the guy who runs it. I guess he also helps with meal prepping and all. Speaking of that, when it comes to weight loss your eating habits are so incredibly important. What's that like for you? Do you track calories?

Honestly, I would advise not to ever pay for a program unless you feel it's the only way you'll remain motivated to stick to a routine. A personal trainer is different and can be helpful for many people, but there is a lot of information out there that is free and your results can be just as good with some research, scheduling, and discipline. Check the sub's Wiki if you haven't: https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/

Now for my anecdotal input: I'm not a trainer or professional, just some dude who was a dedicated high school athlete and has lived (most) of his life doing what he can to stay healthy and in shape. In my early 20s after all the college, booze, and hangover laziness I got a bit heavier than I wanted to be with my gut and love handles. Also, man my face/neck/chin got ugly. I was 5'11 just nearing 200lbs which was pretty different for a fella who floated around 160-170 his entire life and was decently sculpted. I figured this was just part of the aging process and I'd accept it, but then that made me feel guilty. When I decided to get back into working out I took things step by step, and I still take a relatively minimalist and simplistic philosophy when it comes to exercising. First, I wanted to cut the weight and at least feel healthier. I cut down on drinking. I limited myself to about 1600-1800 calories (I definitely had many cheat days with the food) a day and jogged every other day. Only 2-3 miles, intermittent walking during the first three weeks or so because my body was not used to being that out of shape. Since then I've a deep respect for people who have to work even harder than me, because honestly I hated running so damn much once I let myself loose. It sucked bad at first. I've never been a distance runner, more so of a sprinter (basketball, lacrosse). I did this for about four months with one three week pause due to an unrelated medical reason. The next two months, I did the same thing except I added a short body-weight routine on my non-run days. Nothing special, just three sets of exercises like push-ups, lunges, squats, calf raises, planks, leg raises, bench dips, etc. This was just to get myself used to the idea of using other muscles in preparation of lifting again. So it's been six months, and I'm back down to 170lbs. Then I changed my weekly routine to lifting 3x, jogging 3x, 1 complete rest day. A bit over a year later I almost felt like I was my old athletic self.

Take that for what you will, but just know it does take time and your eating habits are just as important, especially if you want to lose weight. Check apps like My Fitness Pal where you can personalize your own goals and it will assist you in trying to reach them based on the recommended caloric intake and all.

/r/Fitness Thread