Newbie checking in!

[christopher2100]

welcome............

 

[needtogetaas]

Duck Your doing great. Stick with this site. I love you.

 

[Tatyana]

Thanks for all the great responses!! I'm really excited about learning a lot from this forum. I will start looking through the diet section to see if I can come up with some new things to eat. I'm not as concerned with the number on the scale as I am with the jiggly parts on my body. If it so happened that I had to gain weight in order to be toned and fit I'm fine with that. I'd just like to start feeling better about my body and hopefully be able to help my self-esteem at the same time.

My current routine is as follows, oh I should note, that while I say I will try and go 4 times a week sometimes it's more like twice a week then other times I don't go for 3 weeks straight!

Day 1: Chest & Biceps
Chest Press
Incline dumbbell flys
Incline dumbbell press
Machine incline chest press
Machine flys
Preacher curls
Rope Pull down


Day 2: Back & Hams& Calves
MTS Row
Front Pull down-wide grip
Seated Rows
Front pull down-close grip
Hamstring curls
Dead lifts
Calf raises

Day 3: Shoulders & Triceps
Smith Machine Shoulder press
lateral raises
Decline Lat Raises
Rear Delts (cables or machine)
Rotator Cuff
Skull crushers
Rope pull-up


Day 4: Legs/Abs
Leg extensions
Leg Press (seated and lying down)
Lunges
Squats
Plie Squats
Crunches

All days are followed by 30 min on the elliptical

Eating- generally I'm ok Mon-Fri but it's the weekends when my routine is off that I Have problems. Also, as I said before I am an emotional eater. If I'm feeling really down and alone I tend to eat and eat even after I feel really sick. I generally eat and entire large bag of M&M peanuts along with a tub of Pringles.

Breakfast- Mon through Friday
Egg whites
1 banana
1 slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter

Snacks: Mid morning and midafternoon are one of the following-
Yogurt with blackberries
Apple with peanut butter
Almonds

Lunch:
Chicken with veggies, rice and hummus
Salad with chicken
Tuna sandwich on whole-wheat with 1 slice of cheese, mayo, mustard
If I didn't make a lunch I'll buy sushi or a 6 inch sub.

Dinner: If I'm going to the gym after work (around 7) then I'll take a fat burner (with ephedrine) around 5 and eat either an apple with peanut butter or a small flavored can of tune.

After my work out I make a protein shake. The shake consists of 2 scoops of protein, 1 glass skim milk, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon PB.

ok I just wrote out a very specific things for each of your training, and then lost it as I am working on a different computer while in the US

I would like an idea of the sets and reps you are doing, but you are doing far too many exercises for some body parts, chest especially.

Overtraining for most people is just disastrous, more is not better when it comes to putting on that lovely lean muscle.

Too much training not only suppresses your immune system, triggers cortisol (which in turn triggers insulin), it also does not allow your central nervous system any time to recover, which may be the reason you end up missing three weeks.

A four day split is ok, I would recommend that you even try and knock enough exercises off to make it a three day split and get extra rest between.

You only need to be in the gym for about 30-45 min for each session.

DON"T do cardio after you train legs.

 

[nikkita]

Hi Ducky! your questions are not stupid. I'm glad to help regarding your questions...

>1) You are saying that my snacks should have a source of animal protein-
>so in stead of yogurt and almonds add in eggs or chicken?

Not exactly, you could have your yogurth with protein or almonds and protein... (although if your are trying to lean out you can try alternatives for your meals because, at least in my case, I use yogurth when bulking)

As protein will help you speed up your metabolism, what this means is that as you are exercising your body needs for protein are different than for a person who does not exercise at all. These protein needs are easily fulfilled through diet alone without the use of protein shakes if energy intake is adequate to maintain body weight.

Protein will act as an anchor for your carbohydrate energy so that your meal lasts you longer. Ensuring there is protein at each meal will help stabilize blood sugars .

>2) What do you mean by balance carbs and fat? Should I start calorie
>counting etc and make sure they are the same?

Not the same... what I mean is that as I observe your diet there are some deficiencies that come mainly from too many carbs (there are too many simple sugars) and fat sources. We all love those kind of foods because they taste good but remember that if you don't use them readily they turn into fat.

When you increase your protein intake (a good reference is 1g protein per pound of bodyweight), you will have to consider re-calculating your carb and fat intake... it may not be the same as before.

How you do that?? Choose different food sources, know that animal protein sources even if lean they always have an amount of fat.

Another good point is check the timing of your meals. Avoid simple sugars (i.e.,fruits) after 5pm unless is postworkout.

Example:

Breakfast- Mon through Friday
**(5-6) Egg whites
**oatmeal with almonds
**apple

>>> fat burner in the morning

Snacks: Mid morning and midafternoon are one of the following-
** tuna sandwich with panela cheese
***blackberries

Lunch:
**150-200g chicken breast
rice and hummus
**Salad with chicken --- or 150-200 g chicken with salad and rice
** Tuna sandwich on whole-wheat (drop the 1 slice of cheese and mayo) mustard