In Fitness and in Health
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Actually, according to the only proper study I'm aware of in this area, weightlifting (by which I mean Olympic style lifting) is one of the safest sports you can participate with general wight training, powerlifting and bodybuilding not far behind:
Results are in the table near the top of this page: http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Safety.html
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Yea, been training Crossfit and eating paleo for about a year now and am in the best shape of my life, its really great and you never know what to expect going in there so it keeps me from getting bored and stuck doing the same things week in week out.
Wow! $200 a month?? That's crazy! I pay £35 a month for unlimited classes here in the UK
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Forget the gyms and do what Doug did. Buy some kettlebells and move on to Girya Sport or equivalent. Forget the aerobic style workout with kettlebells and do it simply.
Doug, I'm glad it's working out for you, and I should start training more, but is just a additional strenghtening for me…
Did you get those competition kettlebells yet? They're soo much better balanced. They take lifting to next level...OK. I need to shape up - what do I need to buy/do?
I would firstly get a standing desk Giles, http://www.conset.org.uk/product/prodone/499/default.aspx sitting on your ass all day is bad (I am ordering one), the older you get the worse it gets, so get standing. Second i'd get a chin up bar in the house, start jogging, and do press ups every day. Those three exercises should take care of most of your needs. No need for any weights just be your own dumbbell.
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OK. I need to shape up - what do I need to buy/do?
Assuming you're after general fitness, and not wanting to compete, I'd comine running, cycling or rowing at a decent intensity for aerobic conditioning, and throw in some resistance work with weights to build muscle.
If you want to lift weights then find a powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting club that has a coach, or hire a decent personal trainer, and learn proper form. Stick to the big, basic compound exercises like bench presses, squats and deadlifts, rather than all the poncy arm curls that bodybuilders go in for.
The EXRX site that Unharmed linked to is good.
In general, do what you enjoy, and make sure it's intense enough to make you sweat. But if you want to control weight with exercise then you'll need to do 200 to 300 minutes a week.
Diet? If you want to lose weight eat less, and if you want to gain it then eat more. Avoid too much saturated fat (or fat in general), processed sugar or red meat. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and make sure you've got your nutritional bases covered.
Most of the big name diets work because they follow some or all of the above. The GI diet has scientific backing, as it was developed to help with diabetes. If your cholesterol is high then look into the Portfolio diet, and there are studies showing it's effective. And there's evidence that intermittent fasting has health benefits.
The only supplements that have evidence they work are Creatine, protein powders, sports drinks and caffeine. The rest are by-and-large a waste of money.
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