not doing enough?

pwrgiblet · December 15th, 2006, 09:43 PM

Hey all,

I'm pretty new to this site and fairly new to weight-training (have been doing light-to-moderate weights for the past 6 months or so). I've included my pictures and was hoping for suggestions on how to improve my lower body or anything else.

Currently I train legs twice a week and chest/back, arms and shoulders once a week. I also do cardio 3-5 times a week.

Am I just not hard-core enough to get major results?

**Insex** · December 15th, 2006, 11:01 PM

Hi pwrgiblet and welcome to EF.

First off, what are your specific goals you would like to accomplish? Are you looking to just lose body fat? Are you looking to gain some muscle? Or do you want to accomplish both? How much time are you willing to spend to accomplish those goals?

Also, what is your current diet and workout routine like? What exactly do you eat on a typical day? What exercises do your weekly workouts consist of, and what is the set and repetition range you currently work with?

pwrgiblet · December 15th, 2006, 11:22 PM

Hi Insex,

Well, as you can see by my pictures, I definitely have body fat to lose but I would also like to put on muscle for a more cut look. I'm willing to spend an hour to an hour and half at the gym 5-6 days a week. Currently I do:

Day 1: Legs
Day 2: arms and shoulders, cardio 20-30 minutes
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Chest/Back, cardio 20-30 minutes
Day 5: Legs
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Cardio 45-60 minutes.

I also incorporate abs into every session and I also try to make sure that I'm moving fast enough from set to set to keep my heart rate up. I lift heavy enough to fatigue at 8-10 reps.

In terms of diet, I recently (and by recently I mean the past couple of weeks) started eating a higher protein, moderate carb and moderate fat diet. A sample day is

Breakfast: One cup of non-fat yogurt with one scoop of whey protein powder and 2 tablespoons of flax seeds

Snack 1: Protein shake with one cup of almond milk and whey protein

Lunch: salmon filet and spinach

Snack 2: cottage cheese with pecans

Dinner: Sweet potato and smoked turkey breast

I should mention that I only recently began to get serious and actually follow what I outlined above but I just want to make sure I'm doing it right and not missing anything.

Thanks for your help!

**Insex** · December 16th, 2006, 12:18 AM

I think your diet and workout routine looks good. I suggest that you stick with whatever you're doing for now and see what unravels in the months to come.

One suggestion I have is about your breakfast. I would highly consider replacing the protein powder with eggs instead. Eggs are just as good or better than protein powder. In fact, out of all the foods available out there, eggs are the best to get your protein from.

Your workout routine looks good. But which exercises do you do for each day? For example, do you do Squats and Lunges on your Leg Day? That's good that you try to keep rest periods between each set short. Also, with fatiguing your muscles at the 8-10 rep range, you're training your muscles for strength and hypertrophy, which is good.

Other than that, all you have to do is give this endeavor your best shot. Just as you suggested, only recently you've taken this seriously. So just give it some time, and I'm sure you'll see great results in 2 to 3 months. Good things come in time. Hopefully some of the ladies here at EF will chip in on this discussion soon. We've got some great members here like GymGirl, Liza, ItalianAngel, and bluebird just to name a few who would be able to help you out more than me.

Some other sections on this site that you might want to check out that might help you out:

Bodybuilding & Strength Training - For workout hints and tips.

http://www.extremefitness.com/forum/...splay.php?f=20

Nutrition & Weight Loss - For nutritional information.

http://www.extremefitness.com/forum/...splay.php?f=13

Also, not too long ago I competed in a bodybuilding competition and tracked down my before and after progress. Just as yourself, my goal was to lose body fat (naturally) and keep as much muscle mass as possible. To have a look, go here:

Fitness Hollywood 2006

Hope that helps.

Micksgrl · December 16th, 2006, 06:11 AM

How do i get a body like that?? without going to the gym tho, just at home? I am flabby and my legs are huge, im ferral

bluebird · December 16th, 2006, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwrgiblet

Hey all,

I'm pretty new to this site and fairly new to weight-training (have been doing light-to-moderate weights for the past 6 months or so). I've included my pictures and was hoping for suggestions on how to improve my lower body or anything else.

Currently I train legs twice a week and chest/back, arms and shoulders once a week. I also do cardio 3-5 times a week.

Am I just not hard-core enough to get major results?

Welcome to EF, pwrgiblet...and I think you look wonderful. I am still a novice as well, and as Insex said, Liza, Italianangel and Gymgirl will most likely offer some good practical advice for you.

I will add that I think your routine and diet looks good, as well. I can paste in a posting I made in another thread with links to a nutrition and training routine I'm currently using...it's called *The Shadow Project* and it's considered a cutting diet.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=484598
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=369796

The first thread is more of a brief synopsis, and provides links for spreadsheets and exercise routines (starts with one body part per day-5 days, then steps up to two body parts per day-5 days) for twelve full weeks. The second link is a journal of someone who had participated in the program.

It's a 40/30/30 diet plan, calories=10-12% of your body weight, 5 days of weight training, three days of HIIT cardio, 2 days of steady state cardio, recreational exercise on the weekend of your choice, even a cheat meal on Saturday. Believe me, the HIIT REALLY does make a difference for fat burning.

There is loads of room for modification and I think it's a great plan to follow. To keep a diary of your foods/macros you can try www.fitday.com, this has also helped me keep on my mark.

You may also want to start a blog or journaling thread here...it helps to keep one accountable

. Here's a link to Gymgirl's blog: http://www.extremefitness.com/blog/s...g.php/blog/647

pwrgiblet · December 16th, 2006, 08:35 AM

Oh Insex, I wish I liked eggs more! But okay, if you say they are a superior form of protein than I will add them in

Thanks for all the links - I will definitely check them out for more workout ideas and nutrition info. I'm doing the basics (squats, lunges, leg-curls, etc.) so I think like you said, I just need to stick with it. And now that I have the confidence that I'm following a good routine, I'll feel even better about doing it.

Also, congrats about your recent competition - you certainly came a long way in a short amount of time!

bluebird · December 16th, 2006, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micksgrl

How do i get a body like that?? without going to the gym tho, just at home? I am flabby and my legs are huge, im ferral

Hi Micksgrl!

I workout at home, too. I think a good place to start is the above mentioned Shadow Plan...check it out and see if it's compatible with your goals! Most of the suggested wt routines can be simulated with just a bench and free wts.

I have a Total gym, a bench, a treadmill, a barbell, some db's and about 250 pounds of wts at home. (These were all purchased new and use, for about 200.00US, total) Honestly, I think a bench and wts would be all you need to start.

pwrgiblet · December 16th, 2006, 05:55 PM

Thanks for links bluebird! *The Shadow Project* sounds like it has to be effective... I mean with all that work how can it not be? The next month or so will be tough for me because I'm finishing up with final exams, then going on a ski trip, then bumming at my parents house, and then flying to the Florida Keys with my boyfriend for a few days so I'm just hoping hoping hoping I somehow manage to keep up with the diet and exercise and not let myself go...

**Insex** · December 16th, 2006, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micksgrl

How do i get a body like that?? without going to the gym tho, just at home? I am flabby and my legs are huge, im ferral

Go to this link and click on the other links listed towards the bottom of the thread for pictures of exercises that you can do at home on your own. You can supplement the weights with water bottles or your own bodyweight.

I need help and advice and anything really

**Hans_Rachid** · December 16th, 2006, 08:20 PM

"I lift heavy enough to fatigue at 8-10 reps."

Do you actually perform sets of 8-10 reps until you can't lift the weight with good form anymore, or do you start feeling some fatigue at 8-10 reps and stop your set, while you could probably do 5 more reps ? Don't forget that the most effective sets are the ones where you really push yourself.

Also, I don't see any cereal products in your diet, I understand that you're trying to lose weight so you want to limit the carbs, but complex carbs contained in unrefined cereals like oats, brown rice, whole grain bread are good for you and won't make you fat. I would definitely at least add some of these to your breakfast which seems rather incomplete :

"One cup of non-fat yogurt with one scoop of whey protein powder and 2 tablespoons of flax seeds"

And as far as I know you're not cutting for a figure competition happening in a few weeks so I don't see a good reason to not include fruits in your diet. At least have a banana or an apple or something in the morning. You need some source of energy to function properly, and fruits are good for you !

healthy diet + intense workout + plenty of rest = success

pwrgiblet · December 17th, 2006, 08:11 AM

"Do you actually perform sets of 8-10 reps until you can't lift the weight with good form anymore, or do you start feeling some fatigue at 8-10 reps and stop your set, while you could probably do 5 more reps ?"

Hans_Rachid, I have to admit that it depends. By the third set I definitely can't do more than 8-10 but probably can on the first and second set.

I fatigued my legs during yesterday's workout and ended up sleeping 11 hours! Is it normal to be that tired after a weight session???

I'll add in some more complex carbs from brown rice but I was told by my doctor to stay away from grains and oats and see if my stomach problems feel better so until I know whether they are causing problems, I'm pretty limited to yams, brown rice, and quinoa (which I can deal with). And yes, I will add some fruits!

**Hans_Rachid** · December 18th, 2006, 01:10 AM

Leg workouts are usually the most intense and they really drain yourself from all your energy. Sleeping 11 hours after a leg session might be an indication that you had a really good workout... I wouldn't worry about it anyway !

pwrgiblet · December 18th, 2006, 09:20 AM

If my legs aren't that sore, can I work them out every other day? It's funny, sometimes I'm so sore I can barely walk the next day but usually if I work them out again 3 days later I'm not as sore after. Then I only want to wait a day or so until my next leg workout but I'm not sure if that's a good idea.

**Insex** · December 18th, 2006, 03:15 PM

When your muscles don't feel as sore after a workout, this is a sign that your body is adapting to the workload, and you're recovering from your workouts properly.

Generally, your muscles need about 48 hours to recover from workouts. Some muscles take a bit longer than others. For example, the muscles and tendons of your lower back take about 100 hours to fully recover from workouts. So if your muscles don't feel sore the day after a good workout, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are done repairing and ready to go again. It's possible to not feel sore, but still not be ready for another workout.

For legs, I would say twice a week is sufficient enough. If you're in excellent condition, then three times a week would be okay, but no more than that.

pwrgiblet · December 20th, 2006, 10:17 PM

Random question: So after I used the leg press last week I noticed a slight pain in my outer knee area. It's been bugging me for a week and I'm wondering if it happened because I kept my legs together on the press therefore putting stress on my knees. Has anyone experienced this and if so, what did you do?

**Insex** · December 22nd, 2006, 01:00 AM

How would you describe the pain? Does it just feel sore, or does it feel like a sharp pinch?

Hopefully, you're just sore. If that's the case, then you can keep working out and it will eventually subside. However, if it gets worse over the next few days, it might be a sign that you strained a tendon or ligament in your knee. If that's the case, then get it checked out by your doctor right away.

Was there a specific moment while you were working out when you noticed this pain? Or did it sort of occur to you afterwards? If there was a specific moment when it happened, did you hear a pop or a crack?

Generally, with a foot position that is together while doing Leg Press, you will apply more pressure to the knees. Especially if the feet are placed on the lower end of the foot plate. Next time, try positioning your feet higher up on the foot plate to lessen the pressure placed on your knees.

pwrgiblet · December 22nd, 2006, 08:19 AM

It hurt as soon as I got off the leg press ... not exactly a pinch but a soreness. I've been noticing it more when I walk and the other day I tried to do some cardio but it hurt and I was afraid of pushing it so I stopped. I have bad knees in general so I should really be careful. Thanks for your advise though - I'll see a doc if it doesn't get better...