Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

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Topbrass
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Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Topbrass »

Profile:

Age: 32
Body fat: 35% (approximate)
Injury: severe slipped disc requiring operation (walking or running affects injury)
History: used to do heaps of sports in high school but been unhealthy last 8 years

Doctors advice:
- lose weight
- no heavy weights (vertical pressure on spine)
- strengthen core and other muscles (suggested planks)
- if non of above helps = major surgery to have discs removed and bind the spines

plan:

- diet (cutting sugar/carbs etc and will talk about this in diet section)

Exercise plan:
- Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri/Sat (rest Thursday and Sunday) cycling twice daily. Once in morning before food, once in evening before dinner
- each session approximately 30-40 minutes but goal is to maintain 85% Max Heart Rate for at least 20 minutes (Max heart rate is 190)
- aim to avoid muscle loss with weekly
a.) 5 times a week :2 sessions of 3 X 2min planking after each cardio session
b.) 2 light gym session weekly
b i.) of 3 X bench press / 3 X incline bench press / 3 X bicep curl / 3 X fly (all without need to vertically carry weights)
b ii.) of 3 X Lat pull downs / 3 X row / massive crunch(ab) workout

Is the above overdoing or under doing it? Any parts to improve on? Losing weight and strengthening core (without injuring back further) is the only option i have left now to avoid surgery. Hope advice can be goal focused i.e. Lose weight without losing muscle (and take the back injury into slight consideration only as I will run all advice and plans attained here with physio and back Doctor!)

Please help it's greatly appreciated!
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Boss Man
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Re: Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Boss Man »

Hi TB, good to talk to you.

I'd be a bit careful of the chest work as it looks like a bit too much and you don't want to potentially causes a disparity between the muscle mass in the chest and back.

I'd take out the incline press, keep the chest press and flys and then with secondary emphasis on the triceps, you're not doing too much in relation to the bicep curls, so you should not be like to cause any disparity between the biceps and triceps.

In order to avoid muscle loss, I'd only do the cardio once in a day, as I think you'll be doing too much by doing it twice a day 5 days a week.

As for the eating what times do you eat at and what foods do you eat at those times?
Topbrass
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Re: Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Topbrass »

Thanks for the prompt reply - much appreciated.

I fly 3-4 times a month for 4-10 days at a time so eating times greatly differ.

I try to usually eat at 11am-1pm

And another meal at 7pm.

That's when I am on a diet anyway. And have some eggs when hungry.

Noted on too much chest work. Will adjust accordingly.

How about the planking? Anything else I can do to improve on the core muscles without arching back (backwards is a no-no according to the doctor). Is the planking too little or?

Also noted on the twice cardio a day being too much.
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Boss Man
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Re: Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Boss Man »

Planks are about the only thing you can do to directly target abs that I can think of, that won't induce any spinal lordosis or kyphosis, so I'd stick with those, because even lying on your back and doing leg raises, there's a risk of a small bit of lordosis and that obviously wouldn't be suitable for you.

As for the eating, this kind of system might work for you. It's something I've posted before.

Breakfast

Option 1.

Bowl of Whole-grain Cereal and 1 rasher of Bacon, fat trimmed off and scrambled Eggs, (2 Egg Whites + Yolk)

Option 2.

Protein shake, small portion of Nuts, (excluding higher carb ones like Cashews, Chestnuts and Grapenuts), + Apple. Give the Apple 10-15 minutes to digest to improve digestion.


Snack

Option 1.

Portion of Turkey + Orange

Option 2.

Small Portion of Peanuts, some Chicken + Raw Carrott.


Lunch

Option 1.

Large Beef Sandwich with trimmings, I.E. Tomato, Lettuce, Cucumber etc.

Option 2.

Bowl of Chicken Soup, + Pot of yoghurt.


Snack

Option 1.

Turkey + Cashews

Option 2.

Ham + 2 large Tomatos


Dinner

Option 1.

Pork with mashed Potato.

Option 2.

Chicken and Rice

Option 3.

100g Halibut + Broccoli


Snack

Option 1.

Beans on Toast

Option 2.

Ham Sandwich, no trimmings.

Easy on the bread with both options.

You could add a few things to certain meals, like Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Parsley, Mustard, Herbs, Garlic.

Certain things can be changed however to suit your situation.
Topbrass
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Re: Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Topbrass »

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Really appreciated!
Buban12
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Re: Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Buban12 »

It's a good plan you have there. But instead going into the gym you can try body weight exercises+gym. It's super fun and you will gain more strength and weight loss too. Just mix things up and try your best to workout. Never give up!
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Boss Man
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Re: Quick weight loss/muscle retention for injured individual?

Post by Boss Man »

If the person is going to the gym, they shouldn't need additional anaerobic exercise on top, in case they do too much much muscle work and don't allow adequate rest and recovery of muscles.
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