So I'm 30, 5'11 and I've fat assed myself to 220. My prime lean weight is around 175. Id like to shed fat from the gut and add muscle to my arms and chest and just be fairly lean and muscular for my 30 year old ass.
I'm thinking of doing this routine 3-4 times a week and would like some critiques or suggestions. Remember I am out of shape and round not like all the michael phelps jay cutlers here on the forum
20 mins treadmill
10 min eliptical(good god this machine is rough)
Lat pull down 3 x 10
Row machine 3 x 10
Dumbbell press 3 x 10
Bicep curls 3-5 x 10
Then I finish it off with 10 burpees at the end and finally abs.
This puts me at about an hour and a half in the gym. It may not sound hard but it kicks my ass. Any advice how I can get myself back into prime 22 year old shape? Thanks 
increase the panic - In terms of balance, I'd add bench. You'll be doing a push/pull in a vertical and horizontal plane that way. I'd still add squats though.I do the bench with the dumbells is that just as good or not really?
I'll try to add squats and deadlifts in as well for that core strength. I'd like to lose a lot of the fat so I'll probably gradually increase everything every two weeks or so
thanks for your reply!
You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time. 
increase the panic - I'm a barbell guy, but honestly at this stage...just doing SOMETHING is going to give you great results. It's so easy to get overwhelmed when you first start out. Get yourself a little stronger, a little leaner, and in a little better shape and then establish specific fitness goals.Thanks great reply! That's the current plan get in to some kind of shape then plan a new goal
Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
Mynameisburns -No you wont. You cant just create tissue from nothing. You need a surplus of energy. The best you can hope for is maintaining what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Even that is difficult.Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
Firemansam -I think you can tone up and gain some better performance from conditioning and efficiency increases in your central nervous system, but I tend to agree with Sam, you need a caloric surplus to build new muscle tissue.Mynameisburns -No you wont. You cant just create tissue from nothing. You need a surplus of energy. The best you can hope for is maintaining what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Even that is difficult.Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
It may seem like a subtle difference, but I'd suggest doing your low intensity cardio on an empty stomach and then strength training. With your general physical preparedness (GPP) training, you'll get some gains in the weight you move due to those efficiencies from training your CNS and conditioning and losing weight will make you look more built.
Lose the fat and focus on gaining muscle afterwards. Trying to achieve two goals that need completely contradictory training at the same time is a recipe for frustration.
Thanks guys great posts and very informative. I'm still just getting started out again. Going to the gym again later on today.
One other question I have is more related to diet. How many calories should I take in per day in other to lose weight?
I have a somewhat physical job as a nurse so I'm standing all day and running around so I need enough calories to get me through that and then the gym.
Also how many cal should I burn with the cardio each gym session? 3 times a week.
Impossible for anyone to tell you that. Its a matter of picking a starting point, tracking your weight and adjusting accordingly.
I've been really making an effort to clean up my diet been working out a few weeks now
I still do 20 mins on treadmill
And 10 on elliptical I will increase 10 more mins on elliptical soon
I am trying to get a good routine going with work I usually can only go to the gym 2-3 times a week but I try to get some cardio in at home too
I'd like to do:
Lat pull down machine
Row machine
Chest dumbell flys
Curls
Squats
dips
Can I do all this in one workout? I'm shooting for about an hour in the gym
Imo you should focus on training your form for the big compound movements. Squat, deadlift, bench and row. Training your form will help your mobility, help you lose weight and prevent injuries as well as help in fat loss. These are the most important exercises (imo) and mastering them should be your focus for developing a healthy body. The other stuff is kinda just fluff to me, just get on a decent beginner bodyweight plan, and train the big 4 and you'll achieve your goals in a much more well rounded fashion. Just my opinion though.
squidward11 - Imo you should focus on training your form for the big compound movements. Squat, deadlift, bench and row. Training your form will help your mobility, help you lose weight and prevent injuries as well as help in fat loss. These are the most important exercises (imo) and mastering them should be your focus for developing a healthy body. The other stuff is kinda just fluff to me, just get on a decent beginner bodyweight plan, and train the big 4 and you'll achieve your goals in a much more well rounded fashion. Just my opinion though.Ok thanks for the reply! I will try that. Modifying my routine as I go to get the right exercises and the right balance
Firemansam -Is this fact? I thought for over fat beginners a time of fat loss and muscle gain is possible.Mynameisburns -No you wont. You cant just create tissue from nothing. You need a surplus of energy. The best you can hope for is maintaining what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Even that is difficult.Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
With complete beginners it can happen to a limited amount. But if you build a plan based around it you will be disappointed. Just aim for fat loss and think of it as an added bonus if it does happen.
squidward11 -Yes its a fact.Firemansam -Is this fact? I thought for over fat beginners a time of fat loss and muscle gain is possible.Mynameisburns -No you wont. You cant just create tissue from nothing. You need a surplus of energy. The best you can hope for is maintaining what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Even that is difficult.Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
Human thermogenics.
Thermodynamics
Damn phone
Firemansam -squidward11 -Yes its a fact.Firemansam -Is this fact? I thought for over fat beginners a time of fat loss and muscle gain is possible.Mynameisburns -No you wont. You cant just create tissue from nothing. You need a surplus of energy. The best you can hope for is maintaining what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Even that is difficult.Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
Human thermogenics.
There's a hell of a lot of anecdotal evidence that contradicts that with beginners though. Possibly something to do with the changes in body chemistry that going from sedentary to active causes.
Firemansam -Man I'm not an engineer so thermodynamics is a little out of my knowledge range, however saying it's scientifically impossible is weird to me though. What do you say to the beginner lifter who loses 5-10 lbs, inches on his waist and bf%, yet gets stronger in every lift and larger muscles? Not trying to start a debate here, just genuinely curious if this is scientific fact.squidward11 -Yes its a fact.Firemansam -Is this fact? I thought for over fat beginners a time of fat loss and muscle gain is possible.Mynameisburns -No you wont. You cant just create tissue from nothing. You need a surplus of energy. The best you can hope for is maintaining what muscle you have whilst losing fat. Even that is difficult.Firemansam - You arent gonna add muscle and lose fat at the same time.Yeah but if I'm eating right and lifting I'm bound to lose pounds of pure lard and I'll be gaining muscle at the same time. I'm not looking to get huge or anything
Human thermogenics.
Leigh - Burning fat and building muscle are two different processes. You can activate both processes at the same time but the results will be very limited due to the contradictory caloric requirements. Eating no carbs and loads of protein whilst weight training, using intermittent fasting and doing cardio before breakfast could potentially work for a beginner.Yeah, I was under this impression, I knew it's not smart to program a workout with massive gains in fat loss and muscle gain in mind. I just want to clarify what the science really is for my own personal knowledge.
Or stacking test with clen. I don't advise that.