help help help

[charl_s]

Hello,

Love your site! Been on it all weekend reading up it’s so informative and all wrote in a easy way to digest the info unlike other sites.
Just wondering if I could post personal goal..?
I am 5’7 and weigh 136 Pounds (Nine and a half stone)
I have a clean healthy diet.
However am desperate to tone and loose those last 7 pounds. I go the gym regularly doing cardio and weights on a 3day split.
I was wondering can anyone offer any advice on becoming 9stone whilst not loosing muscle weight rather fat.
Am unsure what cardio I should be doing etc

[charl_s]

shall i post current workout ?

[charl_s]

I do back and bis,
(3/4 sets on every machine)
Lat pull down 20kg
Pullover 20kg
Seated row 15kg
Rear delts on fly 15kg
Bicep curl 12.5-15kg

Legs
Leg machine 57.5kg
Seated leg curl 35kg
Thigh extension 30kg
Rotary calf 30kg

Chest and tris
Chest press 12.5kg
Shoulder press 7.5kg
Fly 5kg
Tricep ext 12.5kg-15kg

[ReBuilt]

These are all good exercises. Just a couple of questions. Do you change up your exercises regularly? If you've hit a plateau, change helps. Muscle adaptation is a curse and a blessing! Giving the muscles something new will stimulate more muscle fibers. Do you use any free weights? I got the impression (maybe wrong) that you're using machines. Machines are good but forcing our muscle groups to stabilize while using free weights/bands/body weight/stability balls, etc. will really kick it up a notch. There's some good ideas here in the exercise "library". Do you do abs/core work on cardio days? Didn't see core work on your list.

[charl_s]

Hey

Your right I just do the resitance weights prefer them to the free weights! I do the row as a free weight though.

I really need a good cardio routine, currently its 10mins aerobic on the step machine at level 10. Treadmill for 10 mins at mixed gradience rangin from 4.5mph-6mph. Treadmill climber for 20mins walking quickly at 4mph.

I need a real effective one to burn fat cals

[ReBuilt]

I think it's great that your cardio is split between 3 activities--really keeps the body guessing. I'm a big fan of 20 minute High Intensity Interval Training, particularly if you have equipment at home so you can hop out of bed in the morning and do it on an empty stomach and postpone eating for 45 minutes afterwards. Mega fat burner! If you check out the "extra" tab on the tools bar, then find Q&A and look for HIIT and fat burning. This site has an explanation as to why it's effective. I wouldn't recommend to anyone who is new to cardio but if you've been at it a while and don't have any health issues, you might want to take a look at it.

[charl_s]

Yer I like a mix of cardio tend to get less bored!

How come you disagree with the empty stomach thing? x

[ReBuilt]

Let me preface this by saying that I always reserve the right to be wrong (would never learn a thing if I didn't )

I respect the community that feels that HIIT on an empty stomach is counter-productive and even perhaps dangerous for some of the population. However, I've been using it for 8 years with great results so I offer that suggestion based on own personal experience rather than exhaustive clinical research. It is not a panacea for fat loss. Nothing except creating a moderate calorie deficit combined with intense exercise (for healthy individuals) really works. I am convinced that part of the success in using this approach is that it is done first thing in the morning, so cardio won't get shoved aside by other priorities.

[Boss Man]

Not trying to disrespect Rebuilt here, but Fasted Cardio is advocated by some, but for others in normal circumstances, with normal physical capabilities, (no injuries chronic disease, etc etc), it's shown eivdence of lacklustre workouts and dizzy spells.

So it is a hit and miss thing to do. Plus it isn't necessary for Fat loss, because if it was the only way for people to shed the last 10-20%, everyone trying ot lose weight would do it.

So be aware of this. It has clearly never affected Rebuilt to any discernable extent, but if you're not sure it won't affect you, avoid doing it.

I wouldn't personally reccomend it, but Rebuilt's experiences have reminded me, perhaps to be a little more objective on this matter, rather than being a total Fasted Cardio Nazi, as I may have been in the past

[ReBuilt]

No disrespect taken, Boss Man

[charl_s]

so many people have different views

going to see bodt fat rating tomorrow should b intresting

[Boss Man]

That's a good thing, if we all spoke in unison on every issue, this place would be more boring.

Differing views expressed considerately are good.

[charl_s]

body fat is 17 percent

[ReBuilt]

Charl, 17% BF is a very healthy percentage-that puts you in the athletic range. Do you mind asking what your goal is?

I remember the first time I had mine calculated after 12 weeks of vigorous exercise and careful eating. When the trainer said it was 20%, I was bummed! Damn legs. I had failed to get it checked at the start of program which would have been more encouraging to see the progress I had made. Anyways he looked at me and said "hey do you want people to ask you if you work out, because you are very lean, or do you want them to ask you if they can buy you a meal?" I needed to hear that then. It gave me some perspective. Also keep in mind that there's a 2-3% error margin on most methods of measuring...unless you get dunked in a hydrostatic tank or get an MRI. Is this the first time you've had it checked?

[charl_s]

Hey you

goal is just to feel good about how I look which I don't at the moment!

body fat is currently at 10kg, i would like to loose maybe half of this?

Yes 1st time, how often do you check yours ..

Any tips on getting it down or jus the usual clean eating,cardio and weights? xx