Critique my workout, please. Haven't exercised in a LONG time.

[kdot28]

Monday:
Abs, Thighs & Butts (weight training)
Body Pump Class (1 hr)

Tuesday:
Spinning Class (1 hr)

Wednesday:
Calves/Arms/Chest (weight training)
HIIT (30 min)

Thursday:
HIIT (30 min)

Friday:
Yoga (1 hr)

Saturday:
Pilates (1 hr)
Low-Mod Intensity Cardio (1 hr)

Sunday:
Rest.

I am 5'3 (162 cm) currently 143 lbs (65 kg). Measurements are 34-29-39. 33% bodyfat. I want to get down to 20%. My goal is to lose 22 lbs (10 kg). Last summer I managed to lose 7 lbs, just by going to the gym everyday for an hour doing low-moderate intensity cardio and eating healthily. I have a lot of fat on my stomach and lower back (love handles) and I want to lose body fat. I also want to build my butt muscles as my butt is quite flat...I want it round and pert!

I haven't exercised since last summer!!!

1) Would a 20 lb weight loss show visible differences in my body? Do you know approx. how many dress sizes I could expect to lose?

2) Is this plan too ambitious for someone just getting into the gym again? Too much/too little cardio for losing fat? Too much/little weight training for losing fat? I am eating a healthy diet (no junk food, sugar, processed foods etc...lots of veg, fruit, wholegrains, protein etc.)

3) By following this routine, could I lose 20 lbs in 3 months? How long do you think it will take?

4)I have heard if you want to lose fat you should focus more on cardio (and do strength training only 2 times week)...then focus more on strength training once your body fat is lower. Is this right? I am also confused about how to 'group' my muscles during these 2 days. Is it ok to split it as I have done? Or should I do all lower body one day and then upper body the next?

Thank you everyone, I realise this is a long post. I would appreciate it SO much if you could answer those 4 questions for me :-)

[Bonny_Lassie]

I'll leave most of your questions to 'the experts' however I do have a few suggestions.

1. Ditch the Body Pump

2. Do full body weight training Monday Wednesday and Friday.

3. Cut out the HIIT on Wednesday (don't do 2 consecutive days of HIIT)

4. Buy the book 'The New Rules of Lifting for Women' - it gives you a really good beginners plan to follow and also diet plans and loads of other awsome advice.

5. Make sure your diet is spot on - eat too much and you will fail, eat too little and you will fail

Hope this has answered some of your questions

[kdot28]

I'll leave most of your questions to 'the experts' however I do have a few suggestions.

1. Ditch the Body Pump

2. Do full body weight training Monday Wednesday and Friday.

3. Cut out the HIIT on Wednesday (don't do 2 consecutive days of HIIT)

4. Buy the book 'The New Rules of Lifting for Women' - it gives you a really good beginners plan to follow and also diet plans and loads of other awsome advice.

5. Make sure your diet is spot on - eat too much and you will fail, eat too little and you will fail

Hope this has answered some of your questions

Thanks for the reply, Bonny_Lassie! I do appreciate it. However, I would specifically like answers to the 4 questions asked. I realize maybe 2 consecutive days of HIIT may be a bit much. Also, I don't know if I am going too much/little for someone who has been inactive for months, confused about training 'splits' and whether I should focus more on cardio first to lose the weight (not to say I will do no weight training, but keeping it to a minimum) and then focus more on weight training once my body fat is where I'd like it to be (see question #4).

Anyhow, for everyone that else replies, please stick to the 4 questions I asked. Thanks everyone. :-)

[KyleAaron]

1) Would a 20 lb weight loss show visible differences in my body? Do you know approx. how many dress sizes I could expect to lose?

You would be different. Dress sizes? I dunno, I'm not a tailor.

2) Is this plan too ambitious for someone just getting into the gym again? Too much/too little cardio for losing fat? Too much/little weight training for losing fat? I am eating a healthy diet (no junk food, sugar, processed foods etc...lots of veg, fruit, wholegrains, protein etc.)

By "plan" do you mean "routine" or "goal"? The routine is not ambitious, it just won't achieve your stated goals. For those, see what BonnieLassie said.

Do a full-body workout 3 times a week with a full clear day in between. Squat, deadlift, military press. Twice a week do some moderate cardio, once a week HIIT.

Everyone when squatting should squat with their bum, not so much their thighs. Most people have weak bums because their work and leisure are all done sitting on them. With a squat, the most important thing is to keep an extended back, a good posture the whole way up and down.

feet hip-width apart, turned slightly outwards
brace in the middle like someone's going to punch you,
as you squat down stick your bum back - no, further
let the weight go onto your heels,
keep bracing,
chest up,
extend back,
when you feel your lower back rounding come back up
squeeze glutes (bum) as you press up out of the squat
knees out
extend fully standing up at the top
repeat

A deadlift is much the same, except that you start with the weight on the floor, and bracing with an extended back is even more important. Squeeze glutes and push through heels on the way up, you want to lift with your bum not your lower back.

Both squats and deadlifts properly-performed are very good for perking up your bum.

With a military press,
stand with your heels together,
feet turned slightly outwards,
pick up the weight from a squat rack,
rack it onto your collarbone,
push elbows forward,
brace in the middle
squeeze glutes
push weight up overhead until your elbows lock out
you'll have to bring your head back a bit to not knock yourself with the weight, that's okay
lower weight back to collarbone under control
repeat

3) By following this routine, could I lose 20 lbs in 3 months? How long do you think it will take?

Dunno, depends on your diet. Diet is key. A regular hour of cardio burns maybe 200-300kcal, if you absolutely thrash yourself and throw up everywhere you might burn 500kcal. What's 500kcal? One large fries from McDs, I dunno about you but I can eat that in 30 seconds. Takes rather longer to burn it off.

4)I have heard if you want to lose fat you should focus more on cardio (and do strength training only 2 times week)...then focus more on strength training once your body fat is lower. Is this right?

What you have heard is bollocks. What burns fat is simply a matter of energy in vs energy out. Consume more than you expend, get bigger; consume less than you expend, get smaller.

Whether the energy burned is burned by lifting weights, doing pushups, going for a run, doing Les Mills Body Pump, digging ditches, having a vigorous shag, whatever. It's all energy out.

In general, people must choose between bulking and cutting.
Bulking = gain fat and gain muscle = consume more than you spend
Cutting = lose fat and maintain or lose not much muscle = consume less than you spend

The exception is overfat beginners. This is men of 25+ and women of 30+% body fat. In this case, they can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, they just have a cutting diet, and the surplus they need for growing muscle comes from their stored bodyfat. This drops them about 10% in bodyfat then they have to choose between cutting and bulking like everyone else.

So anyway, things other than energy burned must determine your choice of exercise. In general, weight training is favoured over cardio, because it improves our looks and performance. If you want to look like Kate Moss, no worries, just eat a celery stick a day and lie around snorting coke. If you want to look like for example a dancer, then you need to build some muscles so that when your fat drops, there's something to show other than bones. And weight training builds muscle.

Getting stronger has obvious benefits for sports and life in general, but one important aspect is also that it builds confidence. You won't be so worried about football hooligans or sleazy buggers in the pub if you know you can squat 150kg. And maybe you'll find you don't really give a toss if you've a bit of extra podge on your bum.

I am also confused about how to 'group' my muscles during these 2 days. Is it ok to split it as I have done? Or should I do all lower body one day and then upper body the next?

Answered above. Don't split them at all.

If you want more personalised advice, my email is below.