Losing weight in your thirties is hard. A Redditor may have answered the age-old fitness question during a stunning body transformation that saw him shed 45kg in a matter of months.
Only a matter of weeks after we unveiled the revolutionary ‘toothbrush trick‘ for weight loss, another hard-working Redditor has revealed what might just be the perfect weightlifting versus cardio split for anyone trying to urgently shed some pounds.
The Redditor, who goes by /u/gpm21, shared a post showing off his enviable 100lb weight loss which has not only transformed his appearance — with some commentators comparing his new look to that of a peak Hugh Grant — but also revolutionised the way he feels about and in himself.
M/32/5’8″ [287 > 188 = 99lbs] Jul 2021-Nov 2023. I don’t care if this was one pound too early
byu/gpm21 inprogresspics
Nutrition Is Key
As with all such thorough body transformations, it requires a pretty holistic lifestyle change that embraces a wide range of factors including exercise, nutrition, and even a changed outlook on mental health. This journey was no exception and even involved that one nutritional keystone that many men find especially hard to come to terms with…
“You got it! If I can do it you can. Stop drinking alcohol”
/u/gpm21
Total sobriety. The poster stresses that they were still drinking socially when they began their journey but really saw meaningful acceleration when they quit the booze. However, as poignant as this is for men everywhere, it was actually their discovery of the perfect cardio-to-weightlifting split that caught our eye.
Weights, Cardio, Or Both?
It’s a topic that has divided the internet for decades, with the consensus being that a mixture is vital for achieving that so-called ideal male physique, but exactly how you should split those two types of exercise remains a heated debate.
While the poster made clear that “diet is a major factor” that shouldn’t be overlooked — “Eat less, nothing specific besides less junk/fast food but smaller portions in general” — it was their workout regime that really caught the attention of commenters:
“I’d say 70% cardio 30% weights.”
/u/gpm21
So there’s the magic ratio, which may come as a hard pill to swallow for some who don’t love hitting the treadmill, bike, or open road. Frankly, I can well understand this; I’m not much of a cardio bunny myself. However, if we take a closer look at how the poster broke down these chunks of exercise, it does suddenly seem a little more manageable…
“Tried to run/jog 10 miles a week at the gym over 3-5 days, walk 1.2 miles per day for 2 to 5 days a week and spend maybe 30-60 mins per week doing weights after treadmill.”
/u/gpm21
Now that we’ve shared their secrets, all that remains is for you to get to work yourself. We know it isn’t always easy, but if you’re short for inspiration take a look at some of our best workout ideas for blokes to get you started.