[tommy.789]

Is it true that if I take up a fitness regime then the moment I stop following it i'll end up gaining weight and getting fat or ending up with arthritis?
If this isn't true then can someone suggest some good exercises to gain muscle etc.

[Yasmin2K8]

If you dont exercise you might die early.

[Laura26]

If you're fat, exercises to build muscle will just result in the muscle building up under the fat...so you would need to do cardio exercises like running/cycling. If you join a gym, they will be able to advise on which machines to use/exercises to do - suited to the particular muscles you want to work on and your current form.

I don't think it's true that once you stop you will gain weight. I was running 9 miles every other day for about 4 months in training for Reading Half Marathon...I have cancelled my gym membership now as I haven't been using it. I still eat as much crap as I did when exercising and my weight hasn't changed - this may not be the same for everyone though.

[Bebbs]

Originally Posted by tommy.789

Is it true that if I take up a fitness regime then the moment I stop following it i'll end up gaining weight and getting fat or ending up with arthritis?
If this isn't true then can someone suggest some good exercises to gain muscle etc.

No that is stupid. The reason that people get fat when they stop exercising is because they dont throttle back their calorie intake. That just makes them stupid.

Are you a guy?
-Squats
-Deadlifts
-Bench Press
-OH Press
-Power Cleans
-Rows
-Full fat milk drinking

[ch0c0h01ic]

Originally Posted by tommy.789

Is it true that if I take up a fitness regime then the moment I stop following it i'll end up gaining weight and getting fat or ending up with arthritis?

Within 1-2 weeks of stopping an exercise routine you will lose most of your gains in performance, in fitness, in muscle size, etc, so it pays to maintain it. If you do suddenly stop but maintain your current diet (ie; the one you had when you were exercising) you will put on weight because your body will have an excess of calories which are no longer being burnt through exercise, so maintain a constant routine and/or scale back on your calorific intake. You will get arthritis from exercising incorrectly and/or not eating properly. Listen to your body and you should be fine.

Originally Posted by tommy.789

If this isn't true then can someone suggest some good exercises to gain muscle etc.

Gaining muscle involves a hell of a lot more than just picking the 'right' exercises, you need to have a good diet, a good workout routine, etc.

I suggest you check out the FAQ and the SEARCH button.

[Tufts]

Originally Posted by ch0c0h01ic

Within 1-2 weeks of stopping an exercise routine you will lose most of your gains in performance, in fitness, in muscle size, etc, so it pays to maintain it. If you do suddenly stop but maintain your current diet (ie; the one you had when you were exercising) you will put on weight because your body will have an excess of calories which are no longer being burnt through exercise, so maintain a constant routine and/or scale back on your calorific intake. You will get arthritis from exercising incorrectly and/or not eating properly. Listen to your body and you should be fine.

You see I find that scary. Right now I train every day, but when I return to uni, that will be cut to 3-4 times per week (it's my final year so dissertation, exams, etc take priority)

[tommy.789]

what exercises/ gym machines would you recommend using to limit risk of leading to arthritis then?

[ktown25]

why are you so afraid? unless you are doing really high level sports, or have a genetic history there is very low chance... just don't run for prolonged times on the treadmill/road (run on soft surfaces such as grass)

Originally Posted by Laura26

If you're fat, exercises to build muscle will just result in the muscle building up under the fat...so you would need to do cardio exercises like running/cycling. If you join a gym, they will be able to advise on which machines to use/exercises to do - suited to the particular muscles you want to work on and your current form.

I don't think it's true that once you stop you will gain weight. I was running 9 miles every other day for about 4 months in training for Reading Half Marathon...I have cancelled my gym membership now as I haven't been using it. I still eat as much crap as I did when exercising and my weight hasn't changed - this may not be the same for everyone though.

not true.. your diet will determine if you lose weight or not.. even if you are doing "muscle building" exercises and are eating healthily if you're overweight, you are going to lose major weight.. cardio is very overrated

[burningnun]

Originally Posted by ch0c0h01ic

Within 1-2 weeks of stopping an exercise routine you will lose most of your gains in performance, in fitness, in muscle size, etc, so it pays to maintain it.

Are you serious? So if I stop exercising I will go from a 1RM squat of just over 140 kg to a 1RM of about 60 kg, within a week or at best 2 weeks?????

We both know this isn't true.

[ch0c0h01ic]

Originally Posted by burningnun

Are you serious? So if I stop exercising I will go from a 1RM squat of just over 140 kg to a 1RM of about 60 kg, within a week or at best 2 weeks?????

We both know this isn't true.

It depends on how long you're been training, what you've been doing, what you've been eating, etc. I can't remember the specifics but after 2 weeks of no training in a study one group lost up to something like 40% of their strength and fitness gains.

[Lell]

Originally Posted by Tufts

You see I find that scary. Right now I train every day, but when I return to uni, that will be cut to 3-4 times per week (it's my final year so dissertation, exams, etc take priority)

You aren't supposed to go to the gym every day, you need to allow time for your muscles to recover (I learnt this the hard way...)...3-4x a week is probably about right...

I think I will be lucky if I do 4x a week in final year