A Few Questions I keep getting conflicting info on, trying to get on track..

[will smith]

Hi ladies , I do alot of reading & with so much conflicting information out there, I had a few things I wanted to ask the EF members as you are not only knowledgeable but speak from 1st hand experience! I know there are variables but a semi consensus on the following would be great!

FYI - I really want to lower my BF% and gain lean muscle mass, i constantly tweak diet & routine but never seem to get real results, i definitley have muscle but it's umm hiding under a thick layer of fat! Any help would be brilliant!

CARDIO - should this only be done HIIT style & how many days a week? I was told long steady endurance cardio only gives you 'chunky aerobics instructor sydrome' results'' but then i noticed quite a few of the lean ladies on here seem to do long early morning cardio sessions?

STRENGTH/WEIGHTS - I love weight training and really want to push myself but how heavy(pref in kilos not pounds) do I really need to be lifting to get results? It seems on here the heavier the better then a few people sent me links to articles by tracey anderson (madonna's trainer) & val waters (jennifer garner's trainers)that rec high reps at low weight. hmmm?

also for real results should you weight train everyday and if you have particularly fatty legs and knees should they be trained harder? I try to do squats and lunges everyday but it hasn't got me anywhere.

(on a sidebar does anyone else have 'no knee' problems? It drives me crazy when I stand it's like a fat pocket over my knee, even people much bigger than me look better in shorts. seriously any tips in this department would be much appreciated!!)

SUPPS - I take natural supps like omega 3, flaxseed oil, zinc, magnesium, glucosamine, licorice root & holy basil + apple cider vinegar in water daily. But is there anything else i should be taking that is essential or really helps? My hormone specialist said that thermogenics just crash the adrenal glands and disturb sleep hmm??

DIET - Oooh and finally diet wise, is vegies at every meal the trick? I've seriously upped my protein - egg white/tuna/chicken/protein powder. And with good fats what is the maximum amount I can take in & still lose BF, even when on a very low carb diet, the weight doesn't seem to shift I do have flaxseed oil, almond butter & an egg yolk daily though.

And does anyone get an upset tummy on very high protein? Any tips to combat this?

Ok sorry for the million questions!!

 

[will smith]

just giving this a little nudge....I know I asked alot of possibly annoying or 101 type questions but any help would be fantastic!

 

[RottenWillow]

Hi ladies , I do alot of reading & with so much conflicting information out there, I had a few things I wanted to ask the EF members as you are not only knowledgeable but speak from 1st hand experience! I know there are variables but a semi consensus on the following would be great!

FYI - I really want to lower my BF% and gain lean muscle mass, i constantly tweak diet & routine but never seem to get real results, i definitley have muscle but it's umm hiding under a thick layer of fat! Any help would be brilliant!

CARDIO - should this only be done HIIT style & how many days a week? I was told long steady endurance cardio only gives you 'chunky aerobics instructor sydrome' results'' but then i noticed quite a few of the lean ladies on here seem to do long early morning cardio sessions?

STRENGTH/WEIGHTS - I love weight training and really want to push myself but how heavy(pref in kilos not pounds) do I really need to be lifting to get results? It seems on here the heavier the better then a few people sent me links to articles by tracey anderson (madonna's trainer) & val waters (jennifer garner's trainers)that rec high reps at low weight. hmmm?

also for real results should you weight train everyday and if you have particularly fatty legs and knees should they be trained harder? I try to do squats and lunges everyday but it hasn't got me anywhere.

(on a sidebar does anyone else have 'no knee' problems? It drives me crazy when I stand it's like a fat pocket over my knee, even people much bigger than me look better in shorts. seriously any tips in this department would be much appreciated!!)

SUPPS - I take natural supps like omega 3, flaxseed oil, zinc, magnesium, glucosamine, licorice root & holy basil + apple cider vinegar in water daily. But is there anything else i should be taking that is essential or really helps? My hormone specialist said that thermogenics just crash the adrenal glands and disturb sleep hmm??

DIET - Oooh and finally diet wise, is vegies at every meal the trick? I've seriously upped my protein - egg white/tuna/chicken/protein powder. And with good fats what is the maximum amount I can take in & still lose BF, even when on a very low carb diet, the weight doesn't seem to shift I do have flaxseed oil, almond butter & an egg yolk daily though.

And does anyone get an upset tummy on very high protein? Any tips to combat this?

Ok sorry for the million questions!!

Ok you want to gain LBM and lose muscle. Unless you are currently totally untrained, or using exogenous anabolic hormones, you are very unlikely to do these two things simultaneously. So you need to pick one to do first. What'll it be?

If fat loss, I am not a fan of HIIT style cardio. I think it's more catabolic than fat burning activity needs to be, and antithetical to your other goal of eventually adding LBM. HIIT is a very advanced form of cardio I consider as a last resort to get uber ripped. You could walk at 3 miles per hour for 45 minutes daily and lose fat.

If muscle gain, there is no need at all to work any given muscle more than twice per 7 day cycle. You do not need an advanced, sophisticated routine, assuming you are currently untrained, or relatively so. One set per exercise, done to momentary muscular failure, will be plenty. Look around for some simple, beginner routines to get details.

Supps, it depends on your goal, but there is plenty of info on various types here. Look around. Same with diet. There is tons of stuff on this very forum. Choose a diet plan consistent with your current goal.

 

[RottenWillow]

One other thing, I suspect you'll find answers more forthcoming from other members if you do some research first, rather than ask very broad questions to which answers are already stickied. Good luck.

 

[tps]

what is your diet? specifics please, like weight and measurements of food as well as cals. what are your stats?

 

[slat1]

Write down everything you eat and drink in a normal day. The answer will be hidden in there!

 

[will smith]

I guess my main question is how many days a week should I be training? (both strength & cardio)and is heavy lifting best?

Current diet =

spinach + mushrooms + 2 egg whites & 1 yolk + black coffee

small tin smoked salmon

apple + almond butter

broccoli + green beans + capsicum + celery + baked chicken breast (in lemon + rosemary) + hommus

Protein pancake (Scoop vanilla protein powder + 3 egg whites + flaxseed oil + blueberries)

lots of water + herbal tea

 

[tps]

what are the amounts of your food? this tells me nothing w/o knowing how much. i would do a 4/5 day weight program, reps in 8-12 range.

cant say about cardio since i dont know your stats. hiit isnt good for every session. vary w. SS.