I want to join the Marines. I've posted a question a while ago about pull ups. Well, I need to drop weight, and gain strength in my upper body. I was losing weight for a while, but have seemed to plataeu for two months.

I have added a lot of running in to my excercises, but still not much change. I can't stop lifting weights, because my upper body is still too weak. And it seems that, that too has seen little change. My upper has a bit more definition, but I don't seem to be getting much stronger.

Right now I'm 5'10" 210. I can get bulky easily too.


PLEASE HELP!!!!! I need some tips on strength training, and at the same time I need to lose weight. I need to lose weight and gain strength all at the same time, on a body that gets bulky easily.

I think a lot of other people would agree with me, your goals will be very difficult to obtain. Its a hard balance to bulk up on muscle and lose weight. Muscle you need to fuel and thats why there's whey proteins, pills, powders, weight gainers, and the such. And losing weight kind of cuts against that.

So rather than comment on how to do both, I'll just give you a piece about bulking up. Naturally if you have more muscle, you'll burn more calories even sitting still. You never mentioned your routine to any of us. But I'll make a few suggestions given the usual assumptions.

1) Use more weight. If you've hit the ceiling perhaps its a few reasons. If you're doing cardio and weights in the same day, that probably isn't a good idea. But if you arent, then you need to use more weight. 3 sets of 20 won't get you anywhere except defined. The norm is 3 sets of 10. If you are wanting to bulk up you have to go up in weight. Even if that results in you doing lower even as low as 3 sets of 4.

2) Change your routine. There are just so many factors such as food intake, to sleep, to how much you are working each muscle, etc. But your muscles can get used to the same old same old. Change concentration curls to hammer curls. Use a cable exercise now and again. Use free weights for chest rather than a straight bar and weights. Change the speed in which you do the routine. Use good form as well. Keep your body guessing and plus it makes working out much more interesting than the same old thing.

I'd advise going for the strength now and worry about the weight later. If you join the Marines, you will be getting plenty of aerobic-type exercise (can you say "forced march"?) and you will be getting portion control at all your meals (can you say "MRE"?), both of which will help you drop the weight. Be strong and you'll be fine.

The best exercise in the world for losing weight, for most people, is pushing back from the table. That is control what and how much you eat. Try reducing the carbs in your diet, and eat what is recommended for building muscle tissue. Be sure you are doing a lot of aerobic exercise.