Legit question for any fitness buffs

brief overview.. used to be a d2 football player, played at 205.. this was 10 yrs ago.. got lazy as fuck. now weigh 250. I want to get back to 205-210 which i know is about DIET but what i want help on is this...The reason I mention my athletic background is just to show I have a clue in the weigh room and what type of build i had.

i really havent lifted weights except off n on and mostly off for the past 6 years.. But in November 2010 til current I have actually been lifting regularly and with good effort(not half assing it). The diet has been the same, shitty.. So I have not lost any weight but at least I feel stronger and my strength gains are show on the exercises, etc. But now I want to look good on the mutha f'in beach come June so i need some help as to what type of weight training I should do(sets/reps) or if anyone has a program to utilize as I cut back diet wise.. I want to lose at least 40 lbs but still lift hard, should i go high reps? does it matter as long as I am doing something? maybe someone on here as been there done that and thats why I am asking? i would ask a fitness board but not on any.. and if you do not like my post, dont reply... thanks

Thanks guys, I must say I have run into a small problem with my shoulders/rotator cuffs.. They are extremely sore all the time recently.. I try to loosen them up b4 chest days and shoulder days but wow they are killing me..

anyone else ever get this problem?

I have not stopped lifting but man, the workouts suck with that constant pain..

 The obvious answer is.......STOP!

 If you're having constant pain somewhere, especially in a joint, you're not going to "work through it"........you could make it a lot worse. I got tendinitis in my elbows a few years ago & it lasted for over a year.......until i finally rested them completely......for 3 months. I'm sure that's not the answer you were looking for but it's reality.  You're older now & can't just pick up & start throwing weights like you could years ago.........gotta ease into a bit.

 Give it a week, maybe two & see how it feels. Meanwhile, go long on aerobic-type exercises....... concentrate on working your legs (squats/lunges), they are your big calorie burners....... & eat chicken, fish, veggies.......cut out soda, beer, ice cream, basically anything with a lot of sugar/dead calories...........GL

do more interval training. lift high reps and stay away from parts that hurt. you are just hindering your body by working out if you're hurt. take the time to recover and go back at it.

LOL how  much does HGH cost and where do u get it?

seriously, its something I want to work thru, Its soreness that is lingering that I dont have at other body parts after working out at this point..

I have dropped back to 3 sets of 12 and lighter weight all around

my man....

ex professional baseball player here.... lower levels..

anyway I know about shoulder problems..... plyed football in highschool and lifted like a football player but chose baseball.. not a good mix...

about the shoulder problem.....  get a set of crossover symetry cords..  do the workouts they give you for a little... I went from not being able to bench the last 3 years.... to benching with no pain now.... sure beats surgery...

I am now a baseball coach....  and we use these... no arm injuries..ever!!!

as for the weight... I am in same boat... 250 now want to get back to highschool 215..

I do suggest more athletic movments instead of old school lifting...

google stack tv workouts

gl

I have worked out my whole life and I'm 41. At 5"10 200, I have had a range of 195-217 since I turned 30. My biggest problems are portion sizes, alcohol, and skipping cardio. Love weights so it's easy to justify skipping cardio.  I did P90x last summer. I didn't measure fat %, but stuck through every workout. I followed the recommended diet for the first 60 days. I cut back to only 2 days a week for alcohol. I like high-gravity beers but they have 300 calories each! I used to think one a day wouldn't hurt, but that's 2100 calories a week! Forced cardio and diet helped me go from 208 to 195 in 90 days.  Lost some strength due to not having a full dumb bell stash at the house, but can kill pull ups now.  Went from 35 to 32 in waist.

As for shoulders, here are several moves I used to do that I picked up from watching others at the gym and from magazines.  After years of recurring shoulder pain, I finally realized that some of these moves must have been contributors.  Haven't done them in 2 years and haven't had shoulder pain in 2 years.  Can't tell you which single one was guilty, but you should skip these. Anybody that tells you different has just gotten lucky to not get hurt. My college roommate is a surgeon and primarly focuses on shoulders. Following his advice has been great. I thought I was going to have to deal with the pain forever.

NEVER DO:

-Lat pulldowns behind your head

-Military press behind your head

-Heavy shrugs with a long bar

You can do modified versions of these. All of these put your shoulders in a vulnerable position and increase your risk for injury. My buddy's advice, and he is a surgeon. You do need to take a week or two off to let everything calm down. Best workout advice I ever got, and my buddy doesn't even lift weights. Hope it helps.