Question about Ecto's and Cardio

fitinidaho · 01-11-2007, 01:06 PM

Ok, so I'm an ecto who needs to lose some fat around my lower abs and inner thighs. I am tired of the jigglies. How much cardio should I do in order to keep the teenie bit of muscle that I do have? I really need to burn this fat off! My diet is good. Thats the easiest part for me.
The only cardio I do now is power walking on the treadmill at the highest incline about a mile 3 times a week. I lift 4 times a week.
Any advice?

Leigh P. · 01-11-2007, 03:39 PM

Really the last bit of fat is about diet and then strength training. You say your diet is good but that means a lot of things to different people. If you can post a detailed daily diet it would allow for a better response.

That being said long sustained cardio is not the key to fat loss and preserving muscle. If you are going to do any cardio it should be HIIT 2-3 times a week as needed. Focusing and diet and lifting is where those last pounds lie.

So I hope to see a detailed diet response for further help.

fitinidaho · 01-11-2007, 05:12 PM

Here is my diet on a workout day.

Pre workout...plain oats w/flax seed/cottage cheese
Post workout...2 eggs,2-4 whites/oats

snack...fruit/oats/high protein bar w/low sugar
lunch....tuna/green beans/yam

snack...oats w/flax seed/cottage cheese
dinner...fish or chicken/brocolli/rice or sweet pot

before bed...cottage cheese/almonds

The only thing i change is a fruit or eat diff veggies.

Thanks for any help

fitinidaho · 01-11-2007, 05:22 PM

I forgot to say that my diet comes out to be about 2,200 cals with a split of 40/40/20

emunah · 01-11-2007, 06:10 PM

What are your stats and what are the GRAMs of that? Percentages don't mean anything.

And what is your lifting routine exactly?

Leigh P. · 01-11-2007, 07:17 PM

I am glad you have a higher amount of calories, it is refreshing. However it may be just a tad to high for your size and frame in a cutting aspect.

I as well would like to know your routine but in quick response I think cutting back a little on the calories and creating a tad more deficit while maintaining a good lifting program should do the trick.

kelelz · 01-12-2007, 08:16 AM

5'3 105? how much fat could you have?

uh, shouldnt we be advising her to GAIN muscle instead of trying to lose this little bit of fat first?

emunah · 01-12-2007, 08:51 AM

Didn't notice that.

fitinidaho · 01-12-2007, 09:43 AM

My routine looks like this, but it's ready for a change again.

Mon Bi/Tri
Tue Legs/abs
Wed Cardio
Thur Back/Chest
Fri Shoulders/abs/Glutes
Sat Cardio
Sun Cardio

I do about 3 exercises per body part. Lift as heavy as I can with about 6-8 Reps at 3 sets.

As for the gaining....I honestly did try to gain for a year. Eating 3,000+ cals a day and only gained 5 pounds. I seriously DO have fat. Skinny fat as you call it. I just want to lose the jigglies to see my abs pop out for just ONE picture! LOL.....

Leigh P. · 01-12-2007, 11:34 AM

In my studies and experience time and time again the true fat buster lives in 3x a week heavy compound movements. Being that you have a raging metabolism this also means with your body temperature you are more likely to burn into your muscle. In short over training for you is really easy to come by. You body type would be better served with quick bouts of intense full body work. I would design a program that had serious compound movements like Power Cleans, Deadlifts, Lunge to Press, Chin ups, Dips. Your rep/set movements should be 4x6 and 5x5 formats. High rep lifting is not for your body, to extreme strength lifting is not for your body (with the goal at hand right now). You need proper recovery time and I would also make the post workout meal have serious protein and simple sugars for insulin spikes. With your body type munching on a bar mid-lifting wouldn't be a bad idea either because you switch to destroying muscle so much quicker.

If you have a good degree of muscle (which you seem to from the picture) then I would trying to burn the fat off. If you don't, if your muscle is a very small amount (fat skinny as you say) then you need to focus on a slower bulking program mixed with intense lifting.

emunah · 01-12-2007, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitinidaho

My routine looks like this, but it's ready for a change again.

Mon Bi/Tri
Tue Legs/abs
Wed Cardio
Thur Back/Chest
Fri Shoulders/abs/Glutes
Sat Cardio
Sun Cardio

I do about 3 exercises per body part. Lift as heavy as I can with about 6-8 Reps at 3 sets.

As for the gaining....I honestly did try to gain for a year. Eating 3,000+ cals a day and only gained 5 pounds. I seriously DO have fat. Skinny fat as you call it. I just want to lose the jigglies to see my abs pop out for just ONE picture! LOL.....

Why have arms their own day? They are tiny muscles. Unecessary. You have chest/back on the same day, and these are really large muscles that need more attention. Ditto with legs. Shoulders separated from arms and back/chest means they are being hit 3x/week, which is more than any other muscle you have here....

This doesn't make any sense.

Upper/lower or full body. Equally balanced in the movement planes. Train your body the way it MOVES not by muscle. You can't isolate a muscle that way.

fitinidaho · 01-12-2007, 01:31 PM

Ladies...thanks for the info/advice. I change my workouts frequently, like I said, I just tried it this way for awhile. Got tired of doing full body workouts, compound movements, etc. Now I'm off to try a new program.