stenthening w/o bulking up

[mm]

For the weight trainging that I staretd in late January, I have been doing 1 set 15 reps with the highest weight I could handle. I don't record weight and reps since I was just starting out + I use different machines for chest as well as for back. I try to do compound work as much as possible. The other day, I started using cables (pull up and pull down) for chest. Btw, I also did twist with cabels but I don't know what muscle it's good for.
The other day, I could only do 8 rep for arms curl though. I must have added more weight.

I know that as a female, I won't gain bulky muscles easily. But I want the appearance of toning (and gain strength) w/ as lean a look as possible for arms and lower body. I am highly propotional but I m a petite and so don't have long legs or arms. I have a nice body shape and I don't want to make glute or leg bigger. I avoid doing leg press and quadricep exercise. I feel that I get enough for that area from elliptical. Just want get rid of the fat and get nice muscle tome and be fit in petite size 2 again (size 4 would never fit me right anyaway).

Q1: What should exercises be and what reps to get over all body
workout? I desperately need upper body strength and strength in forearm and wrist. Also, need an efective exercise for obligues. I used to see a special machine for that at bally's but at this gym, I don't see the same one.


Q2: Since compound exercise saves me time, should I even bother getting into free weight training which I think usually focus on individual muscle group\.? I woukd like to work out in the most time-efficient way possible. If compund exercise can be done with free weight as efficiently as with machine, I would prefer that because in the long run, I won't have time to make it to the gym considtently and exercise time can be more flexible doing at home. If I can do it at home, I'dsave time driving to the gym.

I will ask later on need detail info (type of exercise and reps) for that. For now, just want to know whether it is as eficient as wiht machine to do compound exercise with free weights.

[Sportsman4920]

If you're looking to just tone, than you can successfully do that with either machines or free weights; it depends upon personal preference. Toning and fat loss is best achieved with high reps and short rests in between sets. If you have a decent amount of time, you may want to do something like 3 sets of 12-20 reps per set. Then you can shorten the workout by doing 2 sets instead of 3 in order to save time. For toning, I would recommend starting at about 12 reps with a given weight, and then increasing reps instead of weight. Work your way up to 15-20 reps before increasing the weight.

Before recommending exercises, you will need to decide whether you want to use machines, free weights, or a mix of both. And if you choose a mix, you'll need to specify which muscle groups you want to work with machines, and which with freeweights.

[mm]

If you're looking to just tone, than you can successfully do that with either machines or free weights; it depends upon personal preference. Toning and fat loss is best achieved with high reps and short rests in between sets. If you have a decent amount of time, you may want to do something like 3 sets of 12-20 reps per set. Then you can shorten the workout by doing 2 sets instead of 3 in order to save time. For toning, I would recommend starting at about 12 reps with a given weight, and then increasing reps instead of weight. Work your way up to 15-20 reps before increasing the weight.

Thanks.

Before recommending exercises, you will need to decide whether you want to use machines, free weights, or a mix of both. And if you choose a mix, you'll need to specify which muscle groups you want to work with machines, and which with freeweights.

I am thinking that to optimize the time use, a mix of both would be best, right? If so, let's go with a mix of both. If that is not the case, I'll go with free weights.

If a mix of both, Would you have any recommendation for muscle groups I should use machines and for which muscle groups I should use free weights in order to optimize the time? Goal is overall strengthening and toning, making sure that arm and thigh are toned and not bulky + strenghtening wrist and forearm to play tennis.

[swanso5]

Q1: What should exercises be and what reps to get over all body
workout? I desperately need upper body strength and strength in forearm and wrist. Also, need an efective exercise for obligues. I used to see a special machine for that at bally's but at this gym, I don't see the same one.

squats, deadlifts, inverted row, push ups, pull ups

for obs try 1 db side bends, saxon side bends, cable woodchop variations (which sounds like what you tried)

Q2: Since compound exercise saves me time, should I even bother getting into free weight training which I think usually focus on individual muscle group\.? I woukd like to work out in the most time-efficient way possible. If compund exercise can be done with free weight as efficiently as with machine, I would prefer that because in the long run, I won't have time to make it to the gym considtently and exercise time can be more flexible doing at home. If I can do it at home, I'dsave time driving to the gym.

free wt full body workouts are the most efficient means of training than any split or machine exercises

for grip strength try plate pinch grip holds...for forearm strength try qwrist rolling where you might need to make the device yourself or reverse bb curls or hammer curls

"toning" isn't the best term to use more so than defintion...anyway to get it you need muscle mass with low so even though you don't want to "bulk up" (which chicks find almost impossible), you can't tone what's not there

[mm]

Q1: What should exercises be and what reps to get over all body
workout? I desperately need upper body strength and strength in forearm and wrist. Also, need an efective exercise for obligues. I used to see a special machine for that at bally's but at this gym, I don't see the same one.

squats, deadlifts, inverted row, push ups, pull ups

for obs try 1 db side bends, saxon side bends, cable woodchop variations (which sounds like what you tried)

Q2: Since compound exercise saves me time, should I even bother getting into free weight training which I think usually focus on individual muscle group\.? I woukd like to work out in the most time-efficient way possible. If compund exercise can be done with free weight as efficiently as with machine, I would prefer that because in the long run, I won't have time to make it to the gym considtently and exercise time can be more flexible doing at home. If I can do it at home, I'dsave time driving to the gym.

free wt full body workouts are the most efficient means of training than any split or machine exercises

Okay.

for grip strength try plate pinch grip holds...for forearm strength try qwrist rolling where you might need to make the device yourself or reverse bb curls or hammer curls

"toning" isn't the best term to use more so than defintion...anyway to get it you need muscle mass with low so even though you don't want to "bulk up" (which chicks find almost impossible), you can't tone what's not there

I undertstsand that I can't toe what is not there; I just mean I ant to get rid of fat and just get muscle definition that doesn't look bulky.

[swanso5]

girl's can't get bulky unless you're manipulating your hormones

[mm]

girl's can't get bulky unless you're manipulating your hormones

I know that but still lower wt with more reps result in leaner appearacne than higher wt and lower reps, right?

[swanso5]

no, low wt won't build anything and high reps will only build endurance...it's basically calorie intake...you want to eat more food than your using if trying to get big...if you only want a little more muscle than decrease cal's a little once you get to where you want to go

[mm]

no, low wt won't build anything and high reps will only build endurance...

it's basically calorie intake...you want to eat more food than your using if trying to get big...if you only want a little more muscle than decrease cal's a little once you get to where you want to go

But, eating 5-6 times a day would be hard to reduce calorie intake wouldn't it? I bought a juicer - just a simple one - so that I can drink vege juice as well rather than eating solid food only in some of the meals. What do you think of the idea?

So far, I have tried only carrot juice and not that often yet. But I know that carrot is better when cooked. So I'd steam and eat it.

May be I'd just drink more protein shakes for meals? I was so concern about not having enough glycogen that I haven't lost any weight so far for not reducing cal intake though I felt much better since I started exercisng.

[swanso5]

I was so concern about not having enough glycogen that I haven't lost any weight so far for not reducing cal intake though I felt much better since I started exercisng

this is precisely why diets don't work as it doesn't leave enough cal's to increase or even sustain current strength and muscle growth levels...you need to find the balance between your training and food...if i find myself gaining fat i eat the sme amount but less shit for a while until it drops off...whatever program i'm doig will remain the same though and i don't do any cardio at all although started up b'ball 2 weeks ago

[mm]

I was so concern about not having enough glycogen that I haven't lost any weight so far for not reducing cal intake though I felt much better since I started exercisng

this is precisely why diets don't work as it doesn't leave enough cal's to increase or even sustain current strength and muscle growth levels...you need to find the balance between your training and food...if i find myself gaining fat i eat the sme amount but less shit for a while until it drops off...whatever program i'm doig will remain the same though and i don't do any cardio at all although started up b'ball 2 weeks ago

It seems I did drop 1 lb. I didn't check last time I wento the gym though. I don't eat bad food but I can see what I know what to removed from eating list.

[Boss Man]

The only way I can see, a diet might work for maintenence and possible increase of muscle mass / fat loss, would be, if you cut for example 12 grams of Fat out of your diet (108 calories), and then added about 13.5 grams Protein and Carbs, to make up the difference, but the Fats reduced would have to negative Fats, like Saturated. Not things like Omegas for example, or cutting EFA's could cut the ability to remove bad Fats, therefore being counterproductive..

However in the example, you'd be cleaning up the intake a little, whilst giving yourself more Muscle building and energy sources, to possibly maintain / bulk with. This might work as an example, but no guarantees.

But eating below maintenance, could rob you of possible muscle building anyway. Probably either by reducing muscle amount very slightly, or reducing the amount of time incurred before your next plateau.