Just starting
 

I am just starting my exercise program and what I want to know is where I should begin. I am in my mid 30's and want to get ripped. I would love to know if I should begin with an exercise program or look into what I am eating. I really have no idea. Please help.

Diet, weight lifting, and conditioning are the three areas to concentrate on...

Start by researching good diets and start tracking your eating habits in a journal. It will be easier to make adjustments if you know what you are already eating. Don't just guess because mostly everybody under or over estimates what they truely consume.

Start a conditioning program. This can be as simple as walking a couple of times a day to doing HIT conditioning routines. Being in better condition will help increase your metabolism and help you recover better from workouts.

Research proper lifting routines, but please look into basic and abreviated routines. Three days a week full body routines are a fantastic way to start. Take a couple of months to workout light, get proper form dialed-in, and condition your body to the new demands. This also gives you time to increase your conditioning and get your new eating adjusted.

I know the above advice isn't always the most popular, I just caught a lot of crap over on M&S for it. It was taught to me by Iron Addict and I knew at once it was brilliant. Too many times a new lifter will stop making progress due to injuries, poor diet, and poor conditioning (overtraining). Taking some time in the begining will ensure faster progress and longer cycles.

Only thing I could add is to be realistic with your goals. You will NOT look like Arnold (in his prime) in 12 weeks.

Off Road is 100% correct, there is a lot of really great articles on this site that will help you get started.

Meh, they hatin. Do it right the first time, spend more time under the bar doing it right, spend less time on the operating table getting put back together. Wish I had seen it that way earlier.

If getting ripped was so easy, everyone would of had Dexter Jackson's abs by now.
Still, as you are in the mid 30's, you should consider that your body is no longerfunctioning like it used to work when you were only 20-25, obviously, in terms of fat burning and a couple of other aspects.
If I were you, I would:
- study a bit your metabolism;
- work out few times a week;
- create a proper diet plan;
- buy some supplements (include some for the joints, as they will get weaker from staying for long time on a diet);
- eat, sleep enough.

Pray that nothing bad will happen :D

One more thing, that has not been mentioned and I just thought of. If you have not had a check up recently, go and get one. Ask the doc to do full blood work, checking everything, include liver function and t-levels (Most will not check these by default, ask them to check). This will be a great baseline for the future. Also easier to correct if you catch stuff early.

Getting ripped as you call it is 80% nutrition. You are at the age were the body starts running more efficient so needs less fuel. We keep eating as if we are 18 and thus put on weight because our body needs less fuel to function so it stores the left overs.

As listed earlier do your basic workout plan and track your food vrs. weight. Keep making small (10g drops) adjustments till you drop 1.5 lbs a week. BUT just starting out take the first month to start your log because you will gain a little in the muscle getting healthy and filling out to support your working out. This is one reason people quite so often. They don't know or are told they will gain at the start with the muscles compensating for the new workouts.

You know I would have never thought to do this. It is a great idea though. Thanks for the suggestion. That will be one of the first things I do next week.