Setting goals

[BabyMuscles]

Since I've never worked out for more than two weeks at a time, I'm not sure how to set reasonable goals. I know what things I want to improve, but am not sure what time limit to set for them (1 month, 3 months, 6 months...) In general, I would like to

~ Lose inches from my waist
~ Firm abs and strengthen core
~ Improve lung capacity
~ Decrease body fat % (currently 17.4%)
~ Define my muscles

I just started training Monday, but I think I will set my schedule like this:

Tuesdays - biceps, triceps, shoulders, abs, cardio (25 min)
Thursdays - hams, quads, glutes, calves, abs, cardio (25 min)
Saturdays - back, chest, abs, cardio (25 min)

As for my diet, I'm trying to change a few things such as eating more protein, cutting down carbs, butter, cheese and saturated fats, cutting out mayo and peanut butter, etc. I am also looking into starting a protein supplement. A typical day might be:

~ Breakfast: bowl of wheaties (or some cereal) and a yogurt cup
~ Lunch: grilled chicken salad or turkey salad
~ Dinner: meat (beef, chicken, pork, fish) and maybe a veggie
~ Post-workout: tuna or chicken

I guess that's about all for now. Any input is appreciated... thanks!

 

[Phemomena]

okay... your goals look good (except for a little point that i'll rant on in a second)... it's good to see that you're not out to "loose weight" as most, because lean mass (anything not fat) weighs much more than fat, you're just out to take up less space...

as far as your training goes, if you are out to decrease bf, you'll probably want to up the cardio... maybe do some cardio activity on an off day or two (M,W or Su)... doesn't have to be in the gym, go for a hike, play a sport etc... something fun that doesn't seem like work...

you might not be eating enough, depending on how hard you're training... and all-natural peanut butter is a great source of healhty fats just a thought if giving up peanut butter is difficult...
healthy fats are equally as important as protein and complex carbs (which you also need, so add a sweet potato or other complex carb to your lunch and/or dinner), my rule of thumb has always been to eat a balanced meal... protien, carb and fat (in whatever %age works for you, i believe this to be a personal thing)...

so generally you're on track... to stick with a routine you need to give it some time to work and then adjust and tweak and fine tune when you get to know your body better... this is a realtionship, you wouldn't dump a guy after a week or two (well, if he was a real jerk, maybe ) so give your body an equal fighting chance....
------------------------------------

just a little rant, (have to warm up it's been awhile, those of you who know me can understand)

you say your bf is 17.4% and you don't work out (for more than 2 weeks at a time???) what are your stats? (height/weight etc)... you do know that the average (healthy) woman is between 22-25% bf, the average athletic woman (which from your post i take it you are not), is 15-18% (and many even higher...)

okay, either you are genetically gifted or your method of bf measurement is skewed... (to be accurate, bf should be taken from more than 2-3 locations)... if it is correct, get yourself a trainer and adjust your routine, you really could be on to something (i damn well wish my bf was below 20 right now... but i'm fat and lazy and a new mom so i digress... )...

alright i'm out...
phem

 

[SouthernBell]

Phem, Just wanted to step in and tell you she has pic's on this thread. She has a great build. IMO.

I agree with what Phem said except that I would Up the weight training days to at least 4. Don't limit yourself to the amout of time you are giving your body for improvement. Everyone is different. You will notice improvement daily and sometimes when having a bad day you will feel like your body is in reverse. DON'T let this discourage you. It is something that happens to everybody. Get to know your body, this can take some time, tweaking diet, weight training, and cardio.

If you feel you have to set a goal now set a long term goal like 6 months. And if you meet that goal before then set another goal. . Good luck and keep us updated.

SB

 

[Phemomena]

pics on this thread? are pics completely hidden from non-platninum members b/c i dont' see anything?!

as i said, if that figure is accurate then girl, you have a gift which, if you are serious about getting into the training scene, can take you a long way... i've had to battle the skinny fat gene my whole life (i fit into small clothes but jiggle doing it ick... ) so i'm jealous of those who are much more genetically inclined than myself...

when you're just starting out, i think 3 lifting days is good... (you might be sore and want the time to recover ) but you'll want to work up to 4+ days a week training, i used to split cardio in the morning and weights in the evening... not fun to spend so much time in the gym but it becomes an addiction...

the main point you have to do is stick with any routine for 6 weeks, you'll never know what works and does work if you don't give it at least that long...

 

[RottenWillow]

no its another thread BabyMuscles started called 1st training session that has her pics

 

[SouthernBell]

Phem, My bad I put this thread instead of another thread. Hun look in her gallery they are in there.

 

[BabyMuscles]

Height 5'2" and weight 129 lbs. For my bf% he used measurements from my upper arm, mid-thigh, and beside my navel. Do you think maybe the % is wrong? I would consider myself pretty much lazy, therefore, I was blessed with good genes. Aside from dancing with friends and waiting tables, the most active I've been was when I ran track in high school (5 years ago). Here are the pics I posted in the other thread:

Picture 1: May 2003 Picture 2: August 2003

I'm thinking of swimming for my extra cardio day, that's something I've always enjoyed. I think for right now since I'm just a beginner I might stick with 3 days of weights, at least until I can walk again : Once I get used to lifting I will change the frequency of my workouts. Thanks!

 

[SouthernBell]

I understand what you are saying about 3-days verses 4-days. I tried the 3-day thing also but I prefer the 4. My question would be if she split the body parts up more wouldn't it be the same? I am also kinda new to this, I am by no means an expert. But this is how it was for me. I stuck to the 3-day for 1 week and it was like I was barely doing anything so the next week I went to 4-days and felt like I was able to give more attention to each muscle group.

 

[Phemomena]

nice arms!

you have a good frame from what i see...you should be able to get some great results from weight training... you're probably one of those people who looks at a weight and gets a nice pump i hate you already

after a few months of training you'll probably want to lift 4 or 5 days but right now it sounds like 3 is your comfort level... getting throught the first couple months consistently is the key, after that it becomes habit/lifestyle...

swimming is great for cardio, awesome for lung capacity...

you didn't write down what you're drinking (which is almost as important as what you're eating...) lots and lots of water... especially if you swim a lot, you forget that you need water because you're in it... when i was training hard, swimming never worked for me b/c i used to drink 2 gallons of water a day and even looking at the pool would send me running to the bathroom

as far as the pics go, what's the time difference between them, it might just be the pose (or this cruddy monitor), but you appear a lot thicker across the back/shoulders in the second pic...

 

[SouthernBell]

Ohh well if your are getting really sore then yep I must take back what I said and agree with Phem, three then in a month or so up it to 4. Sometimes I forget my body is wacko!

 

[BabyMuscles]

Time difference is 3 months from the first to the second picture. I put on a little weight in those months. I definately need the improvement in lung capacity that swimming would provide. You would think I smoke the way I get out of breath sometimes when I'm doing activities. As for what I'm drinking daily:

Water: 40-60 oz. (I know, I'm working on that)
Cran-Grape Juice: about 16 oz.
Pepsi/Coke: 1-2 cans (trying to cut back)
Sunny Delight: occasionally
Sweet Tea: occasionally

When I decide to switch to a 4 day workout, how should I split my body parts as opposed to my 3 day workout?

 

[FitFossil]

In my opinion, the best thing for motivation and staying on track with your goals is a TRAINING LOG.

For me it helps as follows:

1) I write up my workouts ahead of time, like the week or night before. That way, if I think about skipping a workout, I remind myself of how I spent the time to write it up and how guilty I'll feel having to leave everything blank. (Though nowdays working out is just a part of my life like brushing my teeth.)

2) Seeing your weights/reps increase over time is a great motivator. The changes in your body may not be as visible or as fast as you want, but when you can see from week to week how your strength is improving, you'll know that good things ARE happening! Even though I never kept a food log, my training log made me think about what I was eating because I saw how what I eat translates directly into the results I got in the gym. Even though working out allows eating more calories, I became conscious of the VALUE (meaning nutrients) of those calories versus just the number of calories.

3) I used to worry about people thinking I was weird for carrying a training log (not many at my gym use one), but figured I'd bite the bullet and do it anyway, because I liked not having to try and remember what weights to use. Now I don't care what they think, because I know it's my secret weapon!

 

[Phemomena]

training log (and a diet log (can be the same physical book)) is a fantastic idea and a great motivator...

a four day workout could be

day 1 legs
day 2 chest and tris
day 3 back and bis
day 4 shoulders, abs and calves (misc. day )

or

day 1 chest, front delts
day 2 hamstrings and calves
day 3 back and rear delts
day 4 glutes, bis and tris

or

well, you get the picture, it's really something you do that will work best for you, you can follow other peoples routines but you may not get the results you want... when you get to know your body and what you want and/or expect to see, you'll be able to have fun with the routine and really get the most out of your time in the gym... half the fun of things is changing it up too, i never got myself set in one routine for two long... i found variety worked best for me...

dont' get me started on the smoking though... hehe

 

[BabyMuscles]

Well today was my last session with my trainer and I've developed a weekly training schedule. I've decided to go ahead and lift 4 days instead of 3. Each day includes 25-30 minutes of cardio.

Tuesdays - Chest and back
Thursdays - Legs
Saturdays - Triceps and biceps
Sundays- Shoulders and abs

 

[JJFigure]

Try not to drink your kcalories - if you need a soda, switch to diet. You don't need juice; if you want some fruit in your diet, add fruit and reap the benefits of fiber, but don't drink juice. It's much more fun eating than drinking your kcalories!

Since you're a trackster, why don't you head out to the track and do sprints? That'll increase your lung capacity, help you build muscle, and you're already familiar with it.

And I'd say your bodyfat % is correct. You look like you have very nice genes, but I'm sure your track years has helped out as well.

 

[George Spellwin]

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