NEW! & looking for advice PLZ!

blinscyt3 · October 13th, 2009, 03:15 PM

i'm not sure it this is the correct spot to post this but i'm going for it anyways.
i need help.. im 20 yrs old, 5'7'', and 122lbs. im really skinny (everyone says it multiple times a day). my problem is that i want to be toned but clearly i dont need to lose massive amounts of weight or anything cause im perfectly fine with my weight i just want to tone up. and i dont nessesarily want crazy big muscles but i just want my stomach and arms to look solid instead of super skinny. all throughout high school i ran cross country and played soccer which is a lot of cardio/endurance but neither of those sports focus on muscle firming. lately i've been running about 1.5 miles a day and doing various ab exercises and im still seeing no results or atleast not the ones i want. i want to go to a trainer but i just don't have the money right now. does anyone have any good advice... maybe a workout plan or specific exercises or a diet to follow or even supplements to take?
thank you!

**IMFREAKZILLA** · October 13th, 2009, 03:55 PM

what are you eating?diet says a lot about ones body.be serious
if you eating candy and drinking soda just admit it,its okay I
understand.

blinscyt3 · October 13th, 2009, 06:22 PM

i used to be an advid coke drinker but for about a month and a half i've cut soda out of my diet completely. i don't usually eat anything thats fried. i eat a lot of salads, chicken breast, sandwiches (i hate condiments though.. so usually its jus turkey and bread), whole wheat pasta. occassionally ill go to boston market and get mashed potatoes but besides that i think i eat pretty healthy. im in college though so sometimes i just dont have enough time to cook so i'll have to eat a hotpocket every now and then or bagel bites but thats usually as bad as it gets. and i drink mainly water sometimes gatorade. for breakfast i usually have eggs and toast or a bagel. for snacks in between meals i usually have goldfish or pretzels. i think i lack vegetables and fruits the most in my diet but not by thattt much

**mooshue** · October 13th, 2009, 06:26 PM

5'7" 120lbs doesn't sound super skinny to me, sounds right on.

Who is telling you that you are too skinny? I'm betting a bunch of fat/slob out of shape people are the culprits.

Dont worry about getting super big muscles, you wont!!!!!!!
If you aren't trying your damnedest to bodybuild specifically for that reason then you will not even come close.
If you haven't been weight training for years already, it would take you years upon years to even get super big muscles as you put it.

List your current diet like imfreakzilla already asked, and we can get you more info. There is not a 1 program fits all like the rest of the world would have you believe.

Dump the ab exercises, they are a waste of time. Your abs don't show up because of ab exercises, they show up because your bodyfat in that area has diminished. You can not spot reduce body fat.

Keep in mind that skinny does not equal low body fat. I see so called skinny slob people all the time with just as high body fat as the fatty's walking around. If you really want to look "toned" (again another term i hate because it doesn't exist) you can't see your muscles with a layer of fat blocking them.

**lizzyb** · October 13th, 2009, 07:25 PM

Hi and welcome to the boards!
Body composition is really all that matters. I am 5'2" and weigh in at about 122lbs right now. I sit 'around' 17%bodyfat.......scale weight does not really matter so much. However, to me 120lbs at 5'7" does sound kinda tiny.....I'm guessing you do not have alot of lean mass on you (smallish muscles with no definition)....long and leanish like runway models (not the anorexic ones, b4 you get insulted, lol!!)....
I'm gonna give you this link (sorry EF, but it's a great article for ladies just like this!)
Figure Athlete - Food Addictions: The Last Stand
IMO, a great article for somebody just starting out and needing the basics of nutrition without the brain clutter of the science behind it all.......

when you're done that (again sorry EF, but another great article and well, I like this guy's approach, lol!) check out this article and maybe get started on this program.....do what you can and build up to the rest....make it a goal!
Figure Athlete - Kiss Bodybuilding Workouts Goodbye!

There really is soooooo much info out there that it can be confusing and sometimes conflicting. I find that this approach really simplifies it all and is great starting point as far as diet goes....the training is a little more advanced than what you may be used to, but at least you could be challenged and still can make great gains too....

Best wishes!!

**Italianangel** · October 14th, 2009, 01:22 PM

hmm, sounds a bit like you are envied, many cannot be lean so ......hence your too lean.....hahaha.
Now regardless of everyone else, what do YOU want for your body?

Muscles are hard to get big but to get you some solid tone you should start out basic, sounds like you don't lift now so go with a one day on and one day off for 3 days per week with maybe an upper day, lower day and then core day.

Start with machines for now and go with Shoulders, Chest, Back, Biceps, Triceps with 1-2 exercises each at 2-3 sets of 10 for now, to start. Lower day go for quads, hams, calves and then inner and outer thigh with a butt exercise, again 1-2 per each same idea for sets and reps and go light til you figure out the movement, the machine will help.
2+ litre water per day and eat every 2-3 hrs, I think lizzy posted some stuff which may help or you can check out my sites too for free resources in the faqs or download sections depending on which site you check out, body rush is basic with training and has some recipe ideas.......my site lindacusmano.com has a download section with some freebies for competitors but you can gleen some info there, and the faqs section at figureteam.com may have some info you can take even so you don't compete its still something you can learn from and apply a few tips from.
Start a journal here, we can help that way too!! this way you log your work and diet and we can help.......as you see above first thing we ask is normally what do you eat, how do you train, blah blah, so having that online makes it easier to reference and help.

welcome btw!!
Linda

**Italianangel** · October 14th, 2009, 01:24 PM

the figure athlete site is okay but being tied to T nation and such, they are very controversial in some of their stuff, some trainers get with their ideas some shun them......I am on the fence, some stuff is crap on those sites, some is not, but not always the best place for a beginner as you have to take alot of their stuff with a grain of salt.

**lizzyb** · October 14th, 2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Italianangel

hmm, sounds a bit like you are envied, many cannot be lean so ......hence your too lean.....hahaha.

Linda

Lol!! I think that I may resemble this comment

Listen to Linda btw, I've been an on-line client of hers for some time now..... I don't know why this brain wave didn't come to me last night (still slowed down from my typtophan laiden week-end of mine I guess, lol!!) Anyhoo....read all of these articles....you should walk away knowing a heck of alot more than when you walked in.....Linda wrote all of them!! How's that for brain overload, lol!!
Summer articles.