Unsure about current workout

[blondiebabe]

I am always involved in some sort of workout that involves cardio and light lifting. Lately, my boyfriend and I have been frequenting the gym daily and staying for approximately three hours. One hour is spent on cardio and the other two on weights. I have been doing basically the same weight exercises as my boyfriend, except with significantly lighter weight. He thinks that if I keep doing the same things as him I am going to end up looking like a football player. (lol). We started off doing 4 sets of 30 reps, as to tone rather than to build large mass. Now we are doing 5 sets of 12 because the 30 reps were getting a little ridiculous. I am still doing the original amount on my abs as that does not seem so out of the ordinary. My question is in regards to what my boyfriend says...if I continute to work out at this sort of intensity will I begin to look "buff?" I admit that I have been gaining weight, not fat, but muscle, as in I am tighter than I was before. I have decided to add more cardio to the workout. What is the best type of workout for a 5'4", 120 pound female in order to stay in shape and possibly get in better shape?

 

[Ulcasterdropout]

3 hours a day, every day, woman, you're a machine!!

Edit, sorry, wrong forum........

 

[RottenWillow]

My question is in regards to what my boyfriend says...if I continute to work out at this sort of intensity will I begin to look "buff?"

Blondie, the answer to that depends on how you define "buff". If you mean will people be able to see some muscle shape in your arms and shoulders, the answer is yes. Does the prospect of that make you nervous?


Right now all I can make are general statements because I know nothing about you beyond your height and weight, so here goes.

IF you follow an excellent diet, IF you train smart and hard, and IF you get plenty of sleep every night, then you can expect to add somewhere in the range of 5 to 10 pounds of muscle over your first 6 months of consistent training. However if you are in that tiny percentage of human beings that are "genetic superiors" in terms of muscle building you may add as much as 15 pounds over that same period of time.

What is the best type of workout for a 5'4", 120 pound female in order to stay in shape and possibly get in better shape?

Blondie there isnt a best type. Your workout design is dictated by your fitness goals. What precisely is it that you'd like to achieve? Think about exactly what you want your body to look like and try to articulate that. From there we could make some definite recommendations.

 

[Sassy69]

So if I gather correctly, you train 1 hr of cardio & 2 hrs of lifting, 7 days/week, 5 sets of 12 reps of everything that you do?

My comments if this is correct:
- you will eventually burn out. 2 hours of lifting 7 days/week -- are you giving each bodypart you train at least 24-48 hrs of recovery time? Some people enjoy being in the gym, but unless you are spending some of that time socializing, 2 hrs of lifting can just burn you out. Generally 3 sets of 8-15 reps of each exercise is sufficient, depending on if what your goals are. It's not the volume but the intensity that will get you places. If you throw in even more cardio on top of 3 hrs of all this every day, you might just burn out even faster.

Also for whatever results you are looking for, diet has a place as well.

I guess for any of us to make a comment specifically on what you are doing, can you give a break down of your training schedule and a little about your diet, and of course, what your goals are?

 

[georgie24]

your overtraining. get on some gear if your gonna work yourself like that. when your bf ask's you wtf? just punch him in the kisser

 

[Daisy_Girl]

So if I gather correctly, you train 1 hr of cardio & 2 hrs of lifting, 7 days/week, 5 sets of 12 reps of everything that you do?

My comments if this is correct:
- you will eventually burn out. 2 hours of lifting 7 days/week -- are you giving each bodypart you train at least 24-48 hrs of recovery time? Some people enjoy being in the gym, but unless you are spending some of that time socializing, 2 hrs of lifting can just burn you out. Generally 3 sets of 8-15 reps of each exercise is sufficient, depending on if what your goals are. It's not the volume but the intensity that will get you places. If you throw in even more cardio on top of 3 hrs of all this every day, you might just burn out even faster.

Also for whatever results you are looking for, diet has a place as well.

I guess for any of us to make a comment specifically on what you are doing, can you give a break down of your training schedule and a little about your diet, and of course, what your goals are?

What she said. 3 hours everyday is silly. With training, more is not better. Focus on QUALITY not QUANTITY. And you will NOT look like a FB player if you lift heavy...unless you already have the build of a FB player. lol

Post up EXACT training schedule and a sample days diet (with exact measurements, size, amounts, preparation method, condiments, etc)

 

[FitFossil]

...He thinks that if I keep doing the same things as him I am going to end up looking like a football player. (lol)...

(It's a good thing you're laughing!) On average, women's bodies make 1/10 the testosterone that men's bodies make. Testosterone is the muscle-building hormone. Even if you train like a man, you'll never look like a man, because a man has 10 times the advantage over you (as long as you stay away from steroids that is). Look around at all the men in the gym - even though they train hard, how many would think they were growing too fast? And how many actually look like football players?

Don't be afraid to train hard. BUT... to get results, your body also needs to rest - that's when all the good changes take place, because that's when your body repairs itself, so you can be even stronger in your next workout.

 

[blondiebabe]

I want long and lean muscles, not a huge amount of muscle mass. I workout on a sort of three day cycle...Day one includes bench press, inner thighs, back (reverse crunches) and leg press. Day two includes bicep preacher, military press, abdominal leg lifts, seated row, leg curls, and outer thighs. Day three includes lat pulldown, calf raises, ab swivels, reverse leg curls, butterfly, and tricep pulldown. I felt that I was plateauing with the lat pulldown so I recently replaced that with overhand pullups. I don't know if it is a suitable replacement but it seems to be more beneficial in that it is a new challenge. On average I would say that I take in approximately 1600 calories a day. I have not cut out carbohydrates by any means but I have decided to replace a portion of what carbohydrates I used to eat with additional protein.
I have a small build in that my bone structure is petite and I am by no means a bodybuilder. I admit that I have tried pilates to get the type of muscle that I am looking to get, but it seemed way to low-impact for me. My basic goal is to be completely tight and tone...not necessarily "muscular."
When I lift weights I lift an amount that it is difficult for me but not strenuous in such a way that I feel like my muscles are going to explode. This is why I had originally been doing sets of 20-30 with a lighter weight so I would acheive a sort of muscular endurance. This high number grew ridiculous and as I said, I am now doing sets of 12, still with a reasonable amount of weight that I continue to raise as it grows easier for me.
So I think what I mean to ask is...what is the best way to get toned and does my plan at first glance go beyond "toned?"