If you have followed the advice in Part I, cleaned up your diet and are generally more physically active, then after several months you'll have got down to merely overweight, though underweight people will still be skinny, and the ok won't have changed. You're then ready to step it up a bit.

Six months to stronger & fitter
This is a six month, two-phase routine you can try. It is suitable only for people who are,

• underweight, ok or overweight in the above chart, and
  
• have no health problems which might affect physical training, such as anything to do with lungs, heart, circulation, or joints – asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, previous knee injuries, and so on; and
  
• are under 45 for men, or 55 for women, and
• are sorting out their diet along the lines described above, or better are getting advice from a doctor, nutritionist or dietician about their diet

Everyone else should seek medical advice first.

First Phase
Begin with bodyweight work and walks and runs.

This should take 12 weeks, plus 1 week of rest or to allow for falling off the wagon.

• Prone braces
• Supine hip extensions,
• Squats
• Inverted rows
• Pressups
• Cardio

Prone braces have the purpose of building strength in the lower back, abs and glutes, which are typically weak in Westerners, and are performed by,

• lie face-down on ground, feet shoulder-width apart
• get up onto forearms so that they support your upper body
• raise hips from ground, up onto toes, legs extended
• head should be looking down but not tucked in, back extended and straight, hips in line with head, legs extended
• squeeze abs as though someone's going to punch you, squeeze glutes to help hold yourself firm
• don't let your hips or back drop
• begin by holding this for 3 long slow deep breaths. Add 1 breath per week until you reach 15. After 6 weeks, move from forearms up onto hands as in a pressup.

Supine hip extensions have the purpose of to “waking up” the glutes which are asleep in most Westerners - because we spend our work and leisure lives sitting on them, and they.are performed by,

• lie face-up on ground
• have knees bent at 90 degree angle, arms by sides palm-down
• raise hips in the air, squeezing glutes the whole way

pause at top

• lower hips slowly, squeezing glutes the whole way
• repeat for 4 reps, add 3 each week until you reach 40.

Squats have the purpose of building leg and hip strength, and are performed by,

• stand upright with your feet hip-width apart, feet turned slightly outwards
• put your arms forward, you'll need it for balance
• brace abs as though someone's going to punch you
• bending first at the hips, squat down slowly
• arse back – no, further
  
• weight onto heels
• knees out (most people find their knees track in as their quads/front thighs try to take the weight)
• chest up, arse back
• at some point in the squat as you descend, your lower back will round – this is the bottom of the squat for you. As you get better at it, it'll get lower
  
• press up from the bottom of the squat
• push through heels
• squeeze glutes to help with press
• begin with 20 total, adding 8 reps each week until you reach 100.

Inverted rows have the purpose of building back and arm strength, and are performed by,

• lie on your back under a bar at knee height. You can use tables and chairs and fences, anything.
• legs and body should be extended
• reach up and grasp the bar; see whether you prefer palms down or up, and whatever grip width is comfortable for you.
• Pull yourself up slowly under control
• keep your shoulders down, we don't want to see “effort neck”
• pull until the bar touches your chest somewhere between your nipples and your collarbone, lower is usually easier
• keep body long and straight, brace and squeeze glutes
• at the top of motion, pull your shoulders back, try to make your shoulderblades touch. Pause for a moment there
• lower slowly under control
• begin with 15 total, add 6 reps each week until you reach 75
• if you find even a couple of reps of this difficult, begin instead with a bar about mid-thigh height, and your knees at right angles, progress in exactly the same way. When after 6 weeks you can do 45 total, go back to doing 15 full inverted rows, but add 12 reps per week so you'll reach 75 in the 12th week.

Pressups have the purpose of building chest, shoulder and arm strength, and improving core strength, and are performed by,

• lie face-down on the ground with your hands directly under your shoulders
• move your hands one hands-width out, and one down
• brace, squeeze glutes
• press up from the ground
• keeping your body straight, your body should be like a door on the hinge of your feet
• lower slowly under control
• begin with 10 total, adding 4 a week until you reach 50.
• if you find even a couple of reps of this difficult, begin instead by pivoting on your knees instead of your toes; you should still be straight from your knees and braced in the middle. When after 6 weeks you can do 30 total knee pressups, go back to doing 10 full pressups, but add 8 a week, so that you still reach 50 full pressups in the 12th week.  

Cardio
The cardio progression is similar. You begin by walking 1km (or 1 mile for the Americans, you use old measurements so you get to go further, it's all good for you). In the second week, 2km, and so on. Walk at a brisk pace – one that raises a slight sweat and makes you puff a bit.

After six weeks, you gop back to 1km/mile and begin jogging. Again, choose a pace which just gets you sweating - this isn't a race. The idea is to keep going without stopping or walking. If you have to walk, treat is as a single missed session, if you have to stop, treat it as two missed sessions – see below.

How often should I work out?
Aim at three workouts a week with a full clear day in between. No more nor less. If you miss one, make it up next week with a fourth workout. If you miss two or three, repeat the week; eg if in week #6 on Monday you did your 60 squats, 45 rows, 30 pressups and walked 6km, but the rest of the week do nothing, in the seventh week you do week #6 again.

You can do the bodyweight work and cardio together in one session, or you can do them on alternate days, eg squats etc on Monday, walk on Tuesday, and so on.

Three months over - Now what?
First, rest for a week. No more pressups or runs, just rest and recover – you'll need it after three months of solid work. Of course if you missed a week somewhere in there, you get no rest week now.

During these three months you should look for a good gym. A “good gym” is one which,

• is close enough to home or work that you'll actually go to it
• is reasonably-priced
• has trainers who are knowledgeable and helpful
• has trainees who are friendly to newbies
• has a squat rack with barbells and lots of plates

You may prefer to do this on your own. However, there's a reason all that fitness equipment "slides away for easy storage." That's where it's gonna stay. People who are supervised just work harder and get better results than people on their own. (It's been proven by science!)

Now with your better diet, your ability to do 100 squats, 75 inverted rows, 50 pressups total, and about half that number in one go, plus running 6km or 6 miles, you'll be very well prepared for gym work. You can then proceed to the Second Phase.

Nice! I've been following this routine since Christmas time. I do Prone Braces instead of pullups (no pullup bar handy) and add Bicycle, Jackknife and Reverse Crunches.
Edit: Almost forgot - I've started with Bicep curls (heavy dumbbell), but don't want to mess around will Barbells at home.

Great thread, Kyle Seriously, people, Kyle's advice on fitness is rock solid. Worth checking it out.

I practice a Tibetan Yoga, which is hardcore. Interestingly, a couple of the positions are similar to a couple of the positions shown in the OP.

I think there's somewhat of a difference between being physically "fit" (in appearance) and being actually healthy, and many western exercise regimens tend to overemphasize the former to the detriment of the latter.

RPGPundit

I think with Yoga though you have to hold those positions for long periods of time. Correct?

I've done it occasionally at some of the gyms I go to, but I usually throw up by the end. I do some pretty heavy contact sports. But Yoga seems to be more tough than any on my gut. I tried that heat yoga once (bikram I think) and thought I was going to die.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;370090I think with Yoga though you have to hold those positions for long periods of time. Correct?

I've done it occasionally at some of the gyms I go to, but I usually throw up by the end. I do some pretty heavy contact sports. But Yoga seems to be more tough than any on my gut. I tried that heat yoga once (bikram I think) and thought I was going to die.

Hot Bikram Yoga has seemed harder than training for 2 collegiate sports.  Hello, hamstrings, how are you?

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;370090I think with Yoga though you have to hold those positions for long periods of time. Correct?

Indian yoga does, yes. But Tibetan Yoga is based much more on movements.

RPGPundit

I personally found the 8 lines of text explaining a push up rather amusing.  I understand that not everyone is nearly as familiar with that particular exercise as I am but still... funny.

And I long for the lazy days of yore when 10 would have seemed a reasonable starting point... though doing 50 at a pop is fairly hard core... I can do 50 without getting up, but not without pausing to 'catch my breath' so to speak.  I do 20-25 as a warm up though...

And to prove how tough I am I will personally fly all over the world popping every one of you in the face. Just because. I be internet tough guy, hear me roar.

Quote from: Spike;370502I personally found the 8 lines of text explaining a push up rather amusing.  I understand that not everyone is nearly as familiar with that particular exercise as I am but still... funny.

And I long for the lazy days of yore when 10 would have seemed a reasonable starting point... though doing 50 at a pop is fairly hard core... I can do 50 without getting up, but not without pausing to 'catch my breath' so to speak.  I do 20-25 as a warm up though...

And to prove how tough I am I will personally fly all over the world popping every one of you in the face. Just because. I be internet tough guy, hear me roar.

I think it is just to help people keep good form mostly. I know lots of guys who know how to do push ups, but have developed bad habits with it comes to form. Same thing with instructions on lifting weights. Most people can do either if you ask them to. But a lot of people don't know how to do them in the most effective way.

I've got a wonderful book called Yoga for Real Men, I'd suggest if interest in flexibility and strength without focusing on bulk muscle.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;370561I think it is just to help people keep good form mostly. I know lots of guys who know how to do push ups, but have developed bad habits with it comes to form. Same thing with instructions on lifting weights. Most people can do either if you ask them to. But a lot of people don't know how to do them in the most effective way.

Actually I read an interesting peice of advice several months ago Re: Weight Lifting  that may be relevant here.

If you have been lifting for a while and your form has always been bad you have a much higher risk of injury by trying to 'convert' to a more correct, yet unfamiliar form than you have to gain by making the switch.

The Idea here is that if they are comfortable doing it wrong they should probably keep doing it the wrong, but comfortable, way.


But Jimbo of the Jumbo Elbow is the man who gets paid to do this crap, maybe he should weigh in...

Quote from: Spike;370570Actually I read an interesting peice of advice several months ago Re: Weight Lifting  that may be relevant here.

If you have been lifting for a while and your form has always been bad you have a much higher risk of injury by trying to 'convert' to a more correct, yet unfamiliar form than you have to gain by making the switch.

The Idea here is that if they are comfortable doing it wrong they should probably keep doing it the wrong, but comfortable, way.


But Jimbo of the Jumbo Elbow is the man who gets paid to do this crap, maybe he should weigh in...

Do you have a link to the article, I would be interested in reading it. This has the ring of truth to me. I am no expert, but in my experience shifting technique like this seems to lead to minor injuries. I'll bet when you alter technique lowering the weight is a good idea so you body can adapt.

Sorry. It would have been a physical magazine or maybe on TV and it was strictly in passing.  If I remembered more I would have totally name dropped to sound more authoritative.

Quote from: Spike;370570Actually I read an interesting peice of advice several months ago Re: Weight Lifting  that may be relevant here.

If you have been lifting for a while and your form has always been bad you have a much higher risk of injury by trying to 'convert' to a more correct, yet unfamiliar form than you have to gain by making the switch.

The Idea here is that if they are comfortable doing it wrong they should probably keep doing it the wrong, but comfortable, way.


But Jimbo of the Jumbo Elbow is the man who gets paid to do this crap, maybe he should weigh in...

"Good form" is pretty much a myth when you really get down to it. For example there are pro powerlifters who'll regularly deadlift with horrible thoracic rounding, which received wisdom tells us should lead to weaker performance, complete spinal implosion and death. Instead we see a long, healthy, world-record-setting career.

There are certain 'best practice' guidelines for how the ideal human anatomy ideally ought to perform certain movements, but the awkward reality is that the only sound arbiter of 'good' vs 'bad' form is injury. If you hurt yourself, you did it wrong.

Quote from: Spike;370502I personally found the 8 lines of text explaining a push up rather amusing. I understand that not everyone is nearly as familiar with that particular exercise as I am but still... funny..

Just watch 20 guys doing pushups without instruction and you won´t feel like laughing. Unfortunately this stuff really is not that obvious - or is only obvious when someone tells you.
 

Quote from: wizardfight;370502"Good form" is pretty much a myth when you really get down to it. For example there are pro powerlifters who'll regularly deadlift with horrible thoracic rounding, ..

This advice is aimed at formerly sedentary beginners. Saying, "oh but the pros -" is like a US Navy carrier pilot talking about loops to some student pilot in his Cessna on his first time on the stick on the runway. Basics first.
 
When you can deadlift 600 or more pounds like a professional powerlifter, feel free to round your back, you got that far, you obviously know what you´re doing. But when you´re struggling with 225 you had best get it fucking right. Get strong then break the rules, not the other way around.
 
"But the pros -" Are you a pro? Then ignore everything I say, you know what works for you better than I do - you may or may not know what´ll work for someone else. But if you are an ordinary formerly sedentary beginner, then my advice is useful.
 
More perspective, less bullshit from the supplement advertising catalogues.