Looking for advice

[Chloe]

Hi all,

New to the forum and was wondering if I could get some help. I am not looking to put on a lot of mass but rather tone up as I have a bit of excess fat in certain areas. Questions?

1) Can someone suggest a routine?

2) How often should I do cardio?

3) What supplements should I be taking and does this include creatine and whey products?

Any help appreciated,

Chloe

[icequeen]

Chloe:
It's nice to hear from some one just starting! Congratulations!

How fit are you now? Do you exercise?
How much fat do you need/want to lose?
Do you exercise at home or belong to a gym?

To begin with (the bad news), you cannot "spot reduce"; fat comes off all over. However (the good news), you can tone up specific "problem" areas.

The only supplements I would start with are good multi-vitamins and a good eating plan. Supplements are just add-ons to a good eating plan--they aren't magic and many of us go without any, especially if we just want to tone up and not add much muscle.

[noelle]

I have the same question.
I started BFL 6 weeks ago. Before that I had lost 55 lbs on my own just counting calories and fats, man was I stupid doing the low calorie 3 meal a day thing, but I did go from a size 16 to a 4.
I started BFL because I really wanted to tone and now I am addicted to it. I want to be more than just tone, I really want to build. Although, I have not seen any results yet. No real weight loss, I have lost about an inch in my waist.
I have been doing the routines just like Bill says and I work out at home. ....this is going to be long.
I do the UPBW and the LBW and the cardio just as the book says. I did just buy an adjustable barbell set and uped my weights to 15lbs. I was using 3-10 lbs barbell sets. I never reached muscle failure until Monday, the first day I used my new weights. I guess I was afraid to lift heavier.
Now, my questions are, should I continue doing the BFL just like it says or should I start a more serious workout routine. I have been reading all the post on this sight and all the articles and I pyramid my sets and have read where some serious BB's dont agree with that.
I'm at a total loss here. I want to continue the eating plan. I feel better than I have ever felt and am doing the 6 meals trying to stay around 1200 calories. I weigh right now 120. I have not taken my Body fat measurements because there is really no where to do that in the town that I live. I have flab (lose skin) from prior weight loss around the middle and of course under the arms, my butt and thighs need work too. I know you can't spot reduce and I want to work all the parts, I just want a good hard program to follow.
Can someone please help. I hope this all makes sense.
Thanks
N

[icequeen]

Noelle:
Wow! Sounds like you are doing great! I started with a Body-for-Life plan myself and it worked very well, but eventually I hungered for more.
My first suggestion is just to READ. This site has a lot to offer and I found a lot of good information on femal************ as well. I also love Oxygen magazine and Muscle and Fitness. I have found that there is no ONE answer most of the time because each of our bodies is different. This confused me so much at the beginning, so relax and count it all as a learning experience. To be honest, I use a little of everything (pyramids, straight sets, drop sets) and change frequently. You have to find what is best for you and a lot of time, that is through trial and error.

When I left the BFL, I went to a 3 day split for weights (everyone has a theory about how to split workouts too, but when my workout went over an hour, I split it again, except legs--I don't split that)and later I went to 4 days. BTW, I worked out at home too until this summer when a friend persuaded me to join a gym. I work out with a bunch of older male gym rats and they have taught me alot. NONE of them use the same workout plan or split either!

Right now I am doing a gruelling 3 days of weights, one of cardio only, and then start again, but that is not permanent-- it is exhausting. BTW, I also still carry around my workout book and make notes as I go. Since I workout alone, this helps me keep record of my progress and reminds me what I want to accomplish.

Also, you can buy a set of bodyfat calipers from ************** (or probably this site) for under $10. But take warning, there are also 50 ways to calculate that. There is a web site, http://www.nat.uiuc.edu/mynat/
I like their calculations the best and I think they are pretty accurate.

I hope I have helped some; getting started is tough, but I applaud your will, there are too many people who don't want to try and say they can't. If people such as you and I can make great progress at home with minimal equiptment . . .anything is possible! Good Luck!

[noelle]

Thanks Icequeen for the info and encouragement.
I have been doing alot of reading on this site and I love it!
I'm going to take your advice and keep up the reading and just expirement with finding whats right for me. If I could, I think one room of my house would be full of gym equipment. The town I live in doesn't really offer alot in that respect so, I'm just going to keep adding to my stuff and build my own.
Thanks for the info again!
Noelle

[Chris_25]

I would say keep doing the routine listed and then once that ends get into a more serious routine. Pyramiding has it's good and bad just like everything else. A lot of bodybuilders do pyramid because it is the safest way to try and get stronger. You are gradually warming up your muscles until your heaviest weight. I don't like pyramids a whole lot because I do a warm up set. If you do a warm up set I don't see what the point of doing a ton of other light sets is good for. I mean if you really want to tax as many muscle fibers as you want then you want to use the heaviest weight you can handle on each set. Pyramids do have their benefits though. Remember what works for someone doesn't work for everyone so through trial and error figure out what works best for you.

[noelle]

Thanks for the post!
Yesterday I worked legs and abs and I didn't pyramid. It worked out great. Experienced muscle failure and today can hardly squat to pee. Havent felt that in a while, so I think I'm just going to keep the same amount of reps that BFL suggest but not pyramid.
And I'll see how that goes for awhile.
Thanks again
Noelle

[phatecoder]

Originally posted by Chloe
Hi all,

New to the forum and was wondering if I could get some help. I am not looking to put on a lot of mass but rather tone up as I have a bit of excess fat in certain areas. Questions?

1) Can someone suggest a routine?

2) How often should I do cardio?

3) What supplements should I be taking and does this include creatine and whey products?

Any help appreciated,

Chloe

If you need/want to tone up, there is no need to worry about your weightlifting routine. Worry about cardio.

Cardio, when used properly, can be very effective without losing any muscle on your legs, buttocks, etcetera.
An example cardio workout would be this:
1-3 times a week. Medium intensity level (heart rate), distances which have a range of 1-3 miles.

For women who want to tone up, there is no need to do 'body part' workouts. Include every body part in a single workout. Exercises such as push-ups, bench press, barbell curls, squats, are all effective in toning. 1 or 2 times a week is enough including moderate sets and repetitions (e.g., 4 X 4). Make sure you leave enough space between those two workouts. Ex: You do #1 workout on Monday, then do #2 workout on Thursday, you catch the drift.

There is no need to take supplements if you're toning up. Supplements are part of bodybuilder's work, and athletes who need to gain muscle size and strength. Unless you want to speed up your fatloss process, I don't recommend you taking any supplements except for fat burners such as Xenadrine.

KIS.

And have fun...:)