LAST 20lbs - NEED SOME HELP!!!

[Newgrl08]

Hi there! I'm new to the forum and it looks like there is a ton of information and advice, so that's great. I seemed to have posted in the wrong forum and have reposted here in the lady's section.

I have lost weight over the past few years, somewhat slowly but it has stayed off. Most of it with off and on exercise. Prior to the weight gain I worked out regularily, mostly cardio, a lot of tennis (2-3hrs x3/week). Some weight training but I was one of those girls afraid of the bulk.

I am 5'4", 141lbs. Not sure of B/F%. My measurements are chest36/waist30/hips36.5 and upper thighs are 22.5", arms are 12" at 'bulkiest' area. I am pretty much an hourglass shape so the weight is distributed evenly, although I consider myself to have heavier thighs and arms. I HATE THAT! I find that the tennis slims my legs down really nicely, but I have not been able to much of that as it's off season right now where I live.

My question is I need a workout schedule, probably a 4 or 5 day split. I want to increase strength and muscle in upper body and strength and tone lower. I also do like to jog and want to improve this area as well. Can someone show me a great split where I'm not overtraining but getting overall benifit. I don't know the best way to incorporate everything I want to do. Can I do legs twice a week, but a little lighter, higher reps to begin...my lower body is probably weaker than upper. What about HIIT? Can I do this same day as weights?

Any words of advice and wisdom would be greatly appreciated. I'm serious about the commitment and want to continue my success toward athletic achievement.

 

[Tatyana]

Hello!

Oh yes, the fear of getting BULKY.

It is really just so not going to happen for most women, unless you have freaky genetics, and that is usually less than 15% of women, you will not get 'bulky' with weights unless you take anabolic steroids, we just don't have the hormone profile for it.

You find that out when you are trying to put on more muscle. It really isn't that easy.

The word 'tone' is also another funny one. Really what 'toning' is is the restoration of muscle with the simultaneous removal of fat at the same time.

We lose muscle as we age, and muscle is what gives the lovely shape to the body, it also is a very hungry tissue, it needs a lot of calories, so our metabolism stays really high the more muscle we have.

Muscle also takes up a lot less space than fat. I have always had big arms, and I never liked my big arms and legs either, until I started bodybuilding.

My arms are now almost 14", but they LOOK really slim, same with my legs.

It is possible to train legs twice a week, I have found the best way of doing this is splitting the fronts and back (quads and hamstrings), working glutes with the hamstrings.

HIIT is not the same thing as weight training. Running, in particular HIIT will build up some muscle, but not to the same extent as weight training.

Before we work out a training split for you, what sort of exercises are you used to doing?

Have you mostly trained with machines, free weights, have you used cables?

Have you ever done things like squats and leg presses?

 

[Newgrl08]

Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!! I think I believe you about the fact that I won't get bulky. After one week of doing a pyramid workout, this week i already see muscle growth but in a good way. Much more than my numerous years of doing same old 8lb weight, 12 repsx3sets!!!

I have done numerous workouts and consider myself in pretty good shape, but still think I've been doing it wrong b/c I'm not seeing results -- I also have a tendency to landslide with diet, and I think it's often because I'm not eating enough so I end up binging. I'm trying to work on that as well.

What I am doing now: I have only just started 'training' again after about 6 months of doing very little. (the odd day in the gym off and on, but not consistent). Prior, I was playing tennis 3 times a week, singles (hard) for 2hrs, plus distance running 3-7 miles a few times a week. I slimmed down but was not eating much at all. I have managed to NOT put the weight I lost back on over 5-6 months of doing only random exercise.

This past week's workout:

Monday: Bicep/Chest 5x12,10,8,6,12 reps of various weight (pyramid)
flat chest press (free weights) butterfly machine and incline press

Biceps were hammer curls (pyramid) (took about 1hr)

Cardio: 12 min. rowing and 33 min. jog/walk on treadmil.
-----
Tuesday: 1 hr jogging outside
------
Wednesday: Triceps/Shoulder/Back
Tricep rope pushdown - 5 sets of pyramid
1 set dips
2 sets of tri push backs (free weight)
Military press (pyramid)
side raises (pyramid)
Single rows (pyramid) 5 sets again
Lat pulls - 2 sets

Cardio: rowing 14 min. biking for 16 min.
--------
Thursday
Legs - squats machine 2 sets of 50 reps (70lbs)
lunges/squats/bosa ball squat -- 2 sets of 12 reps each

ball crunch
low ab crunch with ball between legs
low back (reverse abs?? not sure what it's called) 2 sets of 15 reps of all
-------
I didn't work out this weekend as I had BRUTAL cramps from pms. Wasn't able to do much of anything


I guess I worry about over-training too. I have access to a gym - though the equipment is limited. No bench press (so I have to do free weights).

Sorry that was such a long note!!!

 

[Tatyana]

Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!! I think I believe you about the fact that I won't get bulky. After one week of doing a pyramid workout, this week i already see muscle growth but in a good way. Much more than my numerous years of doing same old 8lb weight, 12 repsx3sets!!!

I have done numerous workouts and consider myself in pretty good shape, but still think I've been doing it wrong b/c I'm not seeing results -- I also have a tendency to landslide with diet, and I think it's often because I'm not eating enough so I end up binging. I'm trying to work on that as well.

What I am doing now: I have only just started 'training' again after about 6 months of doing very little. (the odd day in the gym off and on, but not consistent). Prior, I was playing tennis 3 times a week, singles (hard) for 2hrs, plus distance running 3-7 miles a few times a week. I slimmed down but was not eating much at all. I have managed to NOT put the weight I lost back on over 5-6 months of doing only random exercise.

This past week's workout:

Monday: Bicep/Chest 5x12,10,8,6,12 reps of various weight (pyramid)
flat chest press (free weights) butterfly machine and incline press

Biceps were hammer curls (pyramid) (took about 1hr)

Hun, I think you are overtraining. Your biceps do not need to be trained for an hour, they are quite a small muscle group.

Overtraining will seriously hamper any progress, it can be as detrimental to the physique as NOT training at all.

I can so get it, when I started BBing properly to compete, I thought MORE was better and overtrained for about 6 months with very little progress.

Just to be clear, you are doing the pyramid 5 times?

If I was doing that many reps, which is a good idea every now and then, I would only be doing one exercise per bodypart.

Cardio: 12 min. rowing and 33 min. jog/walk on treadmil.
-----
Tuesday: 1 hr jogging outside
------
Wednesday: Triceps/Shoulder/Back
Tricep rope pushdown - 5 sets of pyramid
1 set dips
2 sets of tri push backs (free weight)
Military press (pyramid)
side raises (pyramid)
Single rows (pyramid) 5 sets again
Lat pulls - 2 sets


OMG, defo overtraining. Back and triceps is a good combo, but all three bodyparts together, that is A LOT. The back is a big muscle group.


Cardio: rowing 14 min. biking for 16 min.
--------
Thursday
Legs - squats machine 2 sets of 50 reps (70lbs)
lunges/squats/bosa ball squat -- 2 sets of 12 reps each

What is missing with this is INTENSITY. High reps are a good idea everynow and then, but you need to go heavy!!!!!!!

Can you do free squats? By a squat machine, do you mean a hack squat?

ball crunch
low ab crunch with ball between legs
low back (reverse abs?? not sure what it's called) 2 sets of 15 reps of all
-------
I didn't work out this weekend as I had BRUTAL cramps from pms. Wasn't able to do much of anything


I guess I worry about over-training too. I have access to a gym - though the equipment is limited. No bench press (so I have to do free weights).

Sorry that was such a long note!!!

I would say you are definately overtraining, so it is no surprise you are frustrated, all that time in the gym for minimal or no returns.

The really high rep thing with squats will only increase endurance, it will not build muscle.

This is one of my major frustrations in the gym, watching women spending a lot of time lifting with very light weights and then quitting as 'weights did nothing for me'.

I would recommend you have a peak at my training journal. I have made some phenomenal progress with the power/rep range/shock routine, and while I am on a new program with my coach, it is a very similar premise, mixing up the exercises and rep ranges and most importantly, GOING HEAVY.


http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...s-don-t-get-fat-offseason-journal-573095.html

 

[Newgrl08]

I haven't heard back...really wanting to know if I'm over training by doing this split. Is 4 days of training plus the 3 HIIT cardio sessions and 2-3 extra cardio sessions too much?

 

[Tatyana]

I haven't heard back...really wanting to know if I'm over training by doing this split. Is 4 days of training plus the 3 HIIT cardio sessions and 2-3 extra cardio sessions too much?

Yes, I responded in the post above yours hun, I put a few things in the quote as well.

I would say you are overtraining.

You can make better progress and get the physique you want by training less, now isn't that great news

 

[Newgrl08]

Thanks so much Tatyana!!

So it looks like if I do the pyramid set (1x12/1x10/1x8/1x6/1x12) I should just do one exercise per muscle group and then maybe a lighter superset afterward as a shocker. (Kinda the body for life school of thought)

OTherwise, I can mix it up each week like you have done to shock the muscles as well. I think because I haven't pushed weight before consistently, I will do the pyramid way for a few weeks before I switch. Best thing I will do is keep a journal and watch the progress and see where i may be making errors, etc.

So can I see progress if I'm in the gym for 1 hour and out? Cause my normal workouts are 2 hours when I go hard.

I wopuld say you are definately overtraining, so it is no surprise you are frustrated, all that time in the gym for minimal or no returns.

The really high rep thing with squats will only increase endurance, it will not build muscle.

This is one of my major frustrations in the gym, watching women spending a lot of time lifting with very light weights and then quitting as 'weights did nothing for me'.

I would recommend you have a peak at my training journal. I have made some phenomenal progress with the power/rep range/shock routine, and while I am on a new program with my coach, it is a very similar premise, mixing up the exercises and rep ranges and most importantly, GOING HEAVY.


http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...s-don-t-get-fat-offseason-journal-573095.html