Working Out question

[Bello]

I thought I'd post this question on this forum rather then signing onto another.

I'm 34 yrs old in pretty good shape. 5.9 lb

I'm looking to gain some more muscle & lose a bit of my "Love Handles"

I have read that the trick is to first lift, and then do cardio.

Can anybody give me some advice on this?

[wcc]

Originally posted by Bello
I'm 34 yrs old in pretty good shape. 5.9 lb

You might think of putting on a little weight. 5.9lb is pretty light, unless you're a foot tall.....

[Bello]

Hey Wcc

My spelling stinks - especially when I'm at work

5.9 tall

[wcc]

That's better!! I was a little worried about you. I thought we'd have to get a collection going for food for you....

This is what I did:

Walked about 15-20 minutes twice a day. Good brisk pace but not "powerwalking" Just to get my weight down. After I got my weight where I wanted I started toning up. I've just starting in on the weights and I'm doing light weights with 2 sets of 15-20 reps. Sit-ups and push-ups too.

Oh, DON'T OVER EAT. Stop eating when you are done, don't stuff yourself.

If you do this you'll feel a TON better! I know I do.....

[Don Ro]

My ex-g/f is a personal trainer. I'm thinking that she'd say:
.
Lean muscle mass burns fat, even while you're sleeping.
I see no reason to do one before/after the other - i.e., lift, then cardio.
Yeah, walking is great - especially up/down hills, etc.
Great for those bigass thigh muscles. Bigger = more fat burn.
When going uphill, turn around and walk backwards - great for the Vastus Medialis.
And rest, rest, and rest some more.
.
"Enlightenment (in this case, fitness) doesn't care how you get there."
- - Not sure who said that, so I'll claim it.

[kang]

The thing is, it’s really hard to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. If you want to lose fat, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn off. It’s really difficult to “bulk up” while you are on a deficit diet. You can, of course, keep toned.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Bello
I'm looking to gain some more muscle & lose a bit of my "Love Handles"

I have read that the trick is to first lift, and then do cardio.

Can anybody give me some advice on this?

Cardio 3x 20 minutes per week. Anaerobic 5x per week (can be on same days as cardio)...Work your whole body for balance. Your body works better that way....rinse, repeat...Limit your crap ingestion to exceptional indulgences.

[Don Ro]

Kang,
.
Yeah, my reply was put in general terms. More specific info here:
.
http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/training-fitness/build-muscle-lose-fat.htm
.
This is a case where one must bring info into one's universe, and be conscious of the process.

[91S2]

ditto to Mulhollanddose's advice. you should also start eating 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of two or three.... helps out the metabolism

[IROC]

I'm going to buck the trend a little and say cut calories slightly and do more weight training. Adding lean muscle mass is going to not only achieve one of your goals right off the bat, but will also raise your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long (not just while you're doing cardio). Losing weight by cutting calories alone (or even doing cardio) causes you to lose muscle mass. Your metabolism slows and then when you reach your goal (e.g. no more love handles) then you start eating like you used to and the weight comes flying back on.

Cardio is not a great way to lose weight. It's good for you - no doubt, but cutting calories slightly (run at a bit of a deficit) and exercises that build muscle mass is the way to go. Plus, you have to do alot of cardio if that is your main tool for weight loss. You'd have to do 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound per week. 500 calories of cardio is alot of work.

Body fat % is actually a better overall measure of health than BMI or any of those other "charts" or factors people use. More muscle mass (weight training) and eating a sensible diet is how you get there.

Cardio also works against gaining muscle mass somewhat so I would do them on different days.

Mike

[Bello]

Ok...

After i have reach my weight

Should I consider something like a protein shake to help me with building my muscle mass.

[RANDY P]

like above. Also, try doing interval cardio -

Start, get your heart rate up to the following formula 220 (-) your age x.65 (65%) - , as soon as you get to that rate then run at hard as you can to raise your heartate to the maximum 220 (-) your age, (x).8 (80%) this is your target rate. Get there, then hold that rate for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, then slow down till you get to your starting rate. Once you slow down to that point, do it again. If you're doing it correctly you should be almost light headed after you're done.

Repeat 4-6 times. Also, shuffle this routine with different exercise equipment so your body doesn't adapt to it.

Protein is mandatory if you wanna grow. Lots of it. Chicken breasts, steak - at least a gram per pound of bodyweight.

Try to get it mostly from natural sources..

rjp

[Don Ro]

Originally posted by Bello
Ok...

After i have reach my weight

Should I consider something like a protein shake to help me with building my muscle mass.

A gob 'o answers/info here:
.
http://tinyurl.com/161

.
Hmm...my 1,000th post.
'Guess I ought to be looking at some 1 liter toy.

[RickM]

Originally posted by Bello
Ok...

After i have reach my weight

Should I consider something like a protein shake to help me with building my muscle mass.

What about good old steroids?

To build muscle mass I'd first get to the desired weight and then adjust your workout program to include focused heavy lifting. This would be as opposed to more reps with less weight. I would talk to a trainer and set goals and phase different types of exercise (and diet) in at the appropriate time as opposed to trying to kill three birds with one stone.

[pbs911]

I had a GF who would walk about 10 miles a day. Tightest @ss I ever felt!

Me, I started back on my lose weight - build mass workout. Since mid November I lost 35 lbs. Most of wich was probably from not drininking 6 beers a day.

I replaced my breakfast with a Met-Rx shake (1/2 serving of the recommended powder) and went to eating about 3-4 other small meals a day. Lots of veggies and high protein foods such as chicken, tuna, steak.

IMO I have gained a lot of definition. I also had to toss a bunch of clothing away that no longer fit.

There is lots of information and what works best for a individual will vary as much as individuals vary.

Some typical "rules" are:
For cardio you need about 20 mintues before any fat is burned. Doing cardo in the morning (after you have not eaten all night) helps to lower the 20 minute fat burning time period. IME this is true. Don't get your heart pounding out of its chest but just enough so you cannot hold a conversation without being breathy. The intensity will follow naturally. Cardio about 4-5 times a week.

Lift weights, sit ups, and strength training 3-4 times a week. You will natually get more mass and definition. It takes alot of work to get huge and ripped. For most it is unattainable as it is based on genetics to a large degree. To increase mass you have to eat more protein than you body requires ( I have never seen a hugly ripped vegitarian). Try at least 90 to 100 grams a day.

Drink a lot of water. Don't eat fast food.

[Tobra]

First you need to decide your goals. Do you want to be big, big and toned or toned? I personally gain bulk to fast to do much weight lifting, can't afford a new wardrobe.

I generally tell younger people to concentrate of cardio, older, particularly women, to work on weights. You are not old enough to have lost much lean mass. Light weight, high reps and something to burn calories, run-cycle-swim whatever. You will find that you will progress quickly at first, then not so much. You also will find that you have more energy, sleep better and feel better if you get some exercise. I also recommend working out in the AM, will raise metabolism for a while after, and if you work out in the evenings, you may disrupt your sleep

[DavidI]

Bello, do some simple things first. Take a week and keep a journal of EVERYTHING you eat. Include soda, candy, snacks, and everything the you consume. After you have written it down, go on the net and tally the total number of calories that you intake. The simple formula is less intake and higher output equals weight loss and leaner tone.

The key to accomplishing your goal is to figure out what your goal actually is. Do you want to lose weight or do you want to lose fat? They do not necessarily happen together. Muscle weighs more than fat. So as you burn fat and build muscle through weighlifting, your weight could actually increase as you slim down. You could notice that your waist size decreases, but your weight goes up.

Another common myth is that you can lose "spot" weight (lose your gut only). The body stores fat throughout your body and also sheds the same. By doing abdominal exercises for your midsection, you could increase your muscle mass. By doing this, it could force your gut to protrude making it appear as if you are getting fatter. There is an outstanding book on the subject called "Ultimate Abs" which includes great workouts to tone and strengthen your core.

Find a sensible weightlifting program through a local trainer and do the exercises correctly. The key is doing them correctly to avoid injury. To supplement your goals, find an aerobic exercise that you enjoy such as racquetball, basketball, swimming, running, etc. to make that portion as fun as possible.

Good luck, David

[930addict]

Cardio is important but too much can work against your muscle building efforts. Do no more than 40 minutes a day of cardio and eat 6 small meals a day to stimulate your metabolism. When I started this routine I could feel my metabolism change.

Nobody ever bulids muscle in the gym. Working out breaks down your muscle fibers, which in turn are repaired when the muscle is resting. So nutrition is very important for building muscle. The key component is PROTIEN and lots of it. I wouldn't worry about counting calories too much, just eat sensibly and don't eat empty calories like soda and candy. You want to increase your protien intake and lower your fat intake(not too low - maybe 30 grams unsaturated fat per day).

You can lose the fat and gain muscle simultaneously. Your muscle building will be burning your fat around the clock. That coupled with a good diet spread throughout the day and you will hit that fat burning state.

For your workout start with a 3 day split. Do about 3 exercises per muscle group @ 3 sets of 8-12 each. You want to pick a weight that causes you to fail on your last reps. Wait about 2 minutes between sets and repeat. Lift heavy with lower reps to gain mass but try not to go lower than 6 reps. Did I mention the importance of protien?

Also work all muscle groups and not just your favorite.

At my peak I was bench pressing 375 pounds, curling 150 Lbs and squating 450Lbs(I hate squats). I recently started going back to the gym and am working my way back to my old self. It's amazing what 6 years of dating and 11 years of marriage will do to you.

BTW...sacrafice weight to maintain good form. If you are squirming to get the weight up then decrease the weight. My buddy just blew his shoulder out trying to keep up with my bench press dispite my warning him. Now he can't do anything with that arm for 6 months. It's better to check your pride at the door and be sensible.

[RANDY P]

Originally posted by 930addict


At my peak I was bench pressing 375 pounds, curling 150 Lbs and squating 450Lbs(I hate squats). I recently started going back to the gym and am working my way back to my old self. It's amazing what 6 years of dating and 11 years of marriage will do to you.

BTW...sacrafice weight to maintain good form. If you are squirming to get the weight up then decrease the weight. My buddy just blew his shoulder out trying to keep up with my bench press dispite my warning him. Now he can't do anything with that arm for 6 months. It's better to check your pride at the door and be sensible.

Amen to this. Be careful if you're weight training, good form is a must, proper warm up is a must. to grow you have to work hard and long enough get sore, strained so your body can rebuild stronger - anything less is basically pointless, however you have to be safe about it. Get a workout partner that will spot you, watch your form and allow you to go to failure so you will get something out of your efforts.

I ripped a tendon in my right leg doing squats not properly warming up almost 2 years ago. It was 315LBS - I've been over 405 for years. Sucks and I'm still not recovered fully.

[930addict]

Good point! Warm up properly with stretches and 1 set with very light weight to warm your muscle up.

I injured my back many years ago doing an incline press. I had too much weight on the bar and I squirmed to get it up, wrenching my back which hasn't been the same since.

edit: One more thing. Use slow controlled movements. When you get to the top fo the motion, flex the muscle for a second or two. Feel the burn!