A little help.....

[mabonna]

I've been working out for a couple of years now, and am constantly changing my workouts. I'm down to 18% body fat, and at 5'8" I weigh 150 lbs. I've just started my doctorate and am quite busy - regardless am making it to the gym 5-6 days a week, about 4-5 hours of cardio plus 4 days of lifting. I'm spending a lot of time at the gym, but still not seeing that result I'm looking for - especially in my arms.

I'm looking to change up my routine a bit - any suggestions? Should I be splitting my days into upper/lower, upper/lower? Should I be breaking them into chest/bi, legs, shoulders/tri/back - cardio daily? I am a hard worker and looking for new ideas!

I'm getting frustrated that I'm not seeing the results I want in my arm muscles - HELP please!

[lm828]

I've been working out for a couple of years now, and am constantly changing my workouts. I'm down to 18% body fat, and at 5'8" I weigh 150 lbs. I've just started my doctorate and am quite busy - regardless am making it to the gym 5-6 days a week, about 4-5 hours of cardio plus 4 days of lifting. I'm spending a lot of time at the gym, but still not seeing that result I'm looking for - especially in my arms.

I'm looking to change up my routine a bit - any suggestions? Should I be splitting my days into upper/lower, upper/lower? Should I be breaking them into chest/bi, legs, shoulders/tri/back - cardio daily? I am a hard worker and looking for new ideas!

I'm getting frustrated that I'm not seeing the results I want in my arm muscles - HELP please!

I just recently finished my Masters and know a little bit about what you're going through! If I were you, I would shorten my workouts and increase the intensity. Consider doing circuit training or super-setting body parts to effectively target the muscles but keep the heart rate up. If you want to see muscle, as in the arms, lift heavy!

With all the stress of school work, you definitely don't want to wear your body down too much or you won't be able to see any results...

Good luck! What will your phD be in?

[tovlakas]

I've been working out for a couple of years now, and am constantly changing my workouts. I'm down to 18% body fat, and at 5'8" I weigh 150 lbs. I've just started my doctorate and am quite busy - regardless am making it to the gym 5-6 days a week, about 4-5 hours of cardio plus 4 days of lifting. I'm spending a lot of time at the gym, but still not seeing that result I'm looking for - especially in my arms.

I'm looking to change up my routine a bit - any suggestions? Should I be splitting my days into upper/lower, upper/lower? Should I be breaking them into chest/bi, legs, shoulders/tri/back - cardio daily? I am a hard worker and looking for new ideas!

I'm getting frustrated that I'm not seeing the results I want in my arm muscles - HELP please!

Hi mabonna,

Part of the issue may be that you are changing your routine too much! The concept that you NEED to switch up your routine for the sake of newness is unfounded... if something is working there is no reason to change it until it stops working. Many bodybuilders have a very similar routine for many years and continue to see excellent results. Now, that being siad, it is a good idea to include different types of training WITHIN your program so that you are getting the full spectrum of benefits. For instance, mixing some higher rep, slower movement lifts to increase your muscular endurance with higher weight, moderate-tempo'd lifts to increase strength and hypertrophy is a great idea.

What's important is that each session you progress either in weight lifted or repetitions completed. But when you continually switch up your routine it is a lot more difficult to ensure you are constantly progressing in intensity. Try sticking with a solid resistance lifting routine for 2-3 months, and if you are seeing results, stay with it till you plateau! Then you can start changing things up like the tempo, the days of rest, the exercise selection, etc.

Finally, what is your goal? I assume you are desiring to lose body fat in your arms? You need to understand that spot-reduction is impossible (without liposuction) and overall reduction in body fat is the only way to get it to reduce in specific areas... 85% of your results in this department are going to come from NUTRITION, not your exercise program! Make sure your diet is on point and you will be achieving the definition you desire that much quicker and more consistently. Cardio 4-6 days per week and a high-intensity circuit routine 3 − 4x per week, when combined with a calorie-controlled diet with a balanced breakdown of macronutrients, is going to net you reliable results.

I hope this helps you... it can be frustrating when starting a healthy lifestyle but when you get the pieces of the puzzle down it becomes very predictable, believe it or not!