gym....is it right?

[polsmiff]

Hi guys,
Just new on here.
I have been going to the gym for about 6 months after putting it off for years as i didnt think it would be for me. I do enjoy it but need to know if what i do is best for me. I really am there to lose weight but also like the idea of getting toned too.
I do an hour 3-4 times a week
25 mins treadmill
10 mins stationary bike
10 mins cross trainer
then do some weight stuff (lat pull down/chest press/leg press/shoulder press)
is this a good enough routine
the gym also has rowing machine and various hand weights
can anyone suggest a routine to make the most of the time im there to help lose weight and tone up
im also dieting eating 1300 cals a day
any suggestions would be great
cheers
paul

[Boss Man]

Calories are too low, but I'll get to that later.

As for the workouts, try this.

Day 1. Weights

Day 2. Cardio

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Cardio

Day 6. Weights

Day 7. Day off.

As for the weights try something like this

Squats, 2 sets, 10 reps

Lunges, 2 sets, 10 reps

Deadlifts, 2 sets, 10 reps

Chest Press, 2 sets, 10 reps

Bent Over Barbell Rows, 2 sets, 10 reps

Shrugs, 2 sets, 10 reps

Planks 30 seconds

Cardio could be 30 minutes of interval, using a moderate setting like 3, but eventually working up to more intensity and same with the planks, eventually working up to 90 -120 seconds.

As for the weights, with Dumbells, go for the second smallest ones on small muscles and the next ones up on bigger muscles.

Barbells, use the smallest ones, then every 2-3 weeks increase all your weights a bit more.

With the diet, what meals do you eat and what times do you eat?

[polsmiff]

Thanks for the great reply m8
Diet as I said im on around 1300 cals a day whicj is usually split as follows
breakfast 200 usually allbran cereal
lunch 400 salad bowl/low fat crisps/low cal bar
dinner 400 quorn mince or quorn chicken
supper and or snacks 300 usually bread related

should i be eating more cals? in my mind i suppose i think less cals = more weight loss
let me know what you think
cheers
paul

[Boss Man]

Thanks for the great reply m8

breakfast 200 usually allbran cereal

(Add some other things in here like Eggs, Turkey, Ham, Chicken etc.)

lunch 400 salad bowl/low fat crisps/low cal bar

(Forget the low calorie bars as they're not very filling and probably low on nutrients too. Salads are fine as long as you've got a goodly amount of Flesh, or Legumes for your protein, to help fill you up and satiate you and you can also add things like Nuts and / or edible oils, or things like Soy products and Avocado)

dinner 400 quorn mince or quorn chicken

(Add other things to this like Legumes, Rice, Pasta, Veggies and Fruits like Peppers, Tomatos, Cucumbers, Aubergine, (Egg plant), Marrow and Cucumber.)

supper and or snacks 300 usually bread related

should i be eating more cals? in my mind i suppose i think less cals = more weight loss
let me know what you think

(Lower calorie diets can promote starvation mode, where the body believes it is being starved and can hang onto fat. You can also end up getting lower amounts of things like Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Vit K2, Vit D etc, that keep bones healthy and if they thin too much, then any kind of exercise could increase the risk of fractures, from levels of shock or stressing of the joints and limbs, that may become intolerable to one or more skeletal structures.

Plus you may gain weight, because 1lb of added muscle burns an extra 45-50 calories a day, but subsequantly, less muscle burns less fat, so weight gain may be possible if you lose muscle, because resticting calories could include less Protein intake and therefore less intake of the essential Amino acids, which include, Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine, the anabolic ones, (BCAA's), Branch Chain Amino Acids.

Therefore I suggest you increase your calories by around 1,000 a day, which with the changes I suggested and perhaps slightly increasing the quantity, of one ore two things you currently eat, should be achievable.)

[mayanatsume]

Hi Boss, that was a great schedule. I'm planning to build more muscle, do you have good schedule for workout? Thanks!

[dschrammie]

Paul -
I was doing the low cal thing as well, and according to the scale it works. Dropped 20 lbs in 3 months. But I didn't really feel like I was getting any stronger at all. As I read more and did more research, I found that not only was I not eating nearly enough calories, I also wasn't really eating the right foods. I've now gone the route of trying to reduce any bread/pasta intake to an absolute minimum (with the goal of eventually not eating them at all). Now I go for lots of meat/protein and a heavy dose of vegetables throughout the day. I probably pull something out to eat 6 times a day, but it's always a protein and vegetable. The way your body processes these foods is different than it does with easy/quick digesting sugars.

Anyway, I'm not a nutritionist, I'm not a trainer. Just someone who's tried to research what I can on the subject. I'd definitely agree that your calorie intake is way too low and as a result your body is going to lose weight, but then you're going to get to a point that you're body won't burn anymore...it'll retain everything because, as boss man already noted, it thinks it's starving. And unfortunately the typical behavior after a person gets to a target weight is that the person starts to gain everything back because the body is still in starvation mode. That's definitely one of the problems with Biggest Loser and why so many of those people gain so much back (of course there's probably a psychological effect going on as well).

Now it depends on what your goals are, but if it's simply just to lose weight and have a nice trim/lean body, my opinion is that you're probably going a little too heavy on the cardio. I'm certainly not saying cut out the cardio; I just think you could probably add more weights/resistance training like what boss man has laid out. I think the amount of reps you do and the amount of weight you do is going to be something you discover on your own, but I think it's safe to say that you want to be spent at the end of your work out. I've seen plenty of people go to the gym and lift, but they're not really exerting themselves, you know? For me, when I finish my workout, I want sweat pouring off my head, I want my heart rate up, I want to feel like I really worked myself. You do that and then next thing you know you're body is continuing to burn calories for another couple of hours after you're done with the workout. By the way - eat after your workout! This is the time that sugars from pastas/breads are okay because you're body's craving immediate replenishment which it can get from these foods.

And finally, make sure that you're getting enough water...lots and lots of water. Start first thing in the morning (well...after you weigh yourself if that's what you do in the mornings) - drink at least 16 oz. right away. Chug it down.

enjoy, and good luck! Dave

[Boss Man]

Hi Boss, that was a great schedule. I'm planning to build more muscle, do you have good schedule for workout? Thanks!

Follow the one I gave the other person earlier in this thread. It will be okay as something to do in tghe Gym, to get you started.

Otherwise ask a Gym instructorfor a workout and you might get something similar.

[urfitness]

Nice schedule Boss Man, I think doing 20 mins interval cardio workouts is better than steady cardio workout, Interval training have great benefits in less time.

[graham09]

Try weights 3 times per week, consisting of 3-4 sets each of :

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench Press
Pull ups/ lat pulldowns
Shoulder presses
Bent over rows

Then for cardio, either do 15-20 minutes of interval training after your weights, or do interval/ steady state cardion on non-weight days.

Hope this helps.

[polsmiff]

Thanks guys, lots to think about there