33 year old female. 172 lbs. Wanting to be 135 and lean, tone and strong!!

[amrenee]

I need help. I have lost 60 pounds by diet. Just started working out at the gym, but not really sure what I should be doing. Cardio or no cardio? If yes cardio, when? Before or after my workout.

Oh, and I workout at 5 am. Do I need to eat before? If so, what? Currently I eat nothing and then have a protein shake (cytosport) 30g protein when I get home.

Also, I have approximately an hour and 15 minutes to workout.

Anyone interested in helping me produce a workout program? Problem areas are my triceps, (actually just my arms in general. I hold alot of weight in my upper arms). I have a knee that keeps filling up with fluid, but I have been pushing through it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have looked over programs, but not sure what is best for me.

Thanks.

[ironwill2008]

I need help. I have lost 60 pounds by diet. Just started working out at the gym, but not really sure what I should be doing. Cardio or no cardio? If yes cardio, when? Before or after my workout.

Oh, and I workout at 5 am. Do I need to eat before? If so, what? Currently I eat nothing and then have a protein shake (cytosport) 30g protein when I get home.

Also, I have approximately an hour and 15 minutes to workout.

Anyone interested in helping me produce a workout program? Problem areas are my triceps, (actually just my arms in general. I hold alot of weight in my upper arms). I have a knee that keeps filling up with fluid, but I have been pushing through it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have looked over programs, but not sure what is best for me.

Thanks.

Cardio is generally done after your weight training session. You can train fed or fasted, whichever you prefer/works best for you. As far as body composition goes, the outcome will be no different either way.





Here's the best place for any beginner to start:


Beginner bodybuilding program:
*Routine: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843




No requirement for supplements at your level; learn how to eat first. This thread will explain all the steps to figure your baseline of required protein, fat, carbs, and calories:
*Emma-Leigh's calorie/macro thread: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981



Buy an inexpensive digital food scale (~$30 at any big-box discount store), weigh your portions, and track them here: http://fitday.com

[rdferguson]

Ironwill covered most issues you've asked about, so I'll try not to repeat him.

On whether or not you need to eat before training, I would say yes, you probably need to consume something with protein, fat and carbs (the kind found in multigrain bread or milk, not the kind found in corn flakes or froot loops, because the latter will spike your already high insulin levels) before training. In my experience, any form of serious workout done in a completely fasted state (such as the state you wake up in) is a recipe for bad news. My experiments with it have resulted in everything from mild nausea to completely passing out. When you wake up in the morning, your blood sugar levels are about as low as they would ever normally be, and your cortisol + insulin levels are high, which can cause you to suffer all the great effects of hypoglycaemia if in that state you get up and do a strenuous workout. Going for a walk in that state is usually fine, a light jog maybe, but sprinting or strength training (which are both about the same level of intensity) can go bad very quickly. So, my advice is to have some milk and toast, or something to that effect, then go to the gym.

On problem areas, you can't spot reduce fat, but don't go getting disappointed by this, because this is actually good news. Since you can't spot reduce fat, dealing with the excess fat on your arms will mean dealing with the excess fat everywhere. A good all-round program, like ironwill suggested, and good all-round nutrition (also like he suggested) will sort that out. The knee swelling may be an issue, though. Since you haven't gone into further details, and I'm no doctor, I can't say anything concrete on that, but it could be a sign of arthritis (which would impact what you can do in the gym), or a sign of vascular/lymphatic issues, or some other medical thing...or it could just be a complication from the excess bodyfat that will fix itself up as your fitness, nutrition and body composition all improve. Erring on the side of caution, I'd suggest consulting with a doctor/allied health professional about it and seeking clearance to train through or around it, with adjustments made as necessary. Iin all likelihood, it shouldn't be a problem for anything upper-body, but it could be a structural problem when it comes to exercises that put a heavy load through the legs, and especially exercises that move the knees through a large range of motion, such as squats.

[BrolicBrah]

can we have some pics? A 30 sum year old dependin on height cud rock a pretty slammin body at that weight if she got assets

[Rackboyzfitness]

I do intermittent fasting to slim down. Combine that with cardio and healthy diet, the pounds will drop off in a few week. Hit me up for more info or look it up online. You should give it a try.

[amrenee]

I truly appreciate the responses guys. I will definitely check out the links provided, look into getting a scale and read up on intermittent fasting. Thanks!!! Hopefully I will have progress to report back shortly!!