hello

Post your photos and show everyone the progress you have made with your physique!

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bangie
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hello

Post by bangie »

Hello I'm new and don't know if this is the right board. I'm obviously having trouble with legs..I have been going to the gym every other day for about three years. I alternate cardio from the row machine, tread mill, and stair master. I do all the weight training machines, sumo squats, regular squats, and lunges with 10lb weights. I'm really thin but legs just stay the same no matter what I do! I don't eat gluten or very much sugar. I'm starting to get really disappointed :( any suggestions would be welcome. Thank You.
Last edited by bangie on Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Boss Man
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Re: hello

Post by Boss Man »

Hi Bangie, nice to talk to you.

You may find it's your diet and also the weights you lift.

If you're one of these 1,200 calorie a day, 20 reps with two plates on a machine type people, then that could be the issue and I don't mean that in a rude way, but some people are afraid to lift properly because of "supposedly" looking manly, so they just do 15-20 reps on a machine for 1 set, because doing 2 sets of 10 reps, with more weight concerns them, when it needn't.

Also eating 1,200 or less calories a day can cause something called a "starvation mode", where the body thinks it's being starved and hangs on to fat, which is not ideal and also the inadequate calorie intake could cause low intake of one or more macro nutrients that are directly or indirectly involved in bone formation and density and if they thin too much, then there is a possible increased fracture risk relating to the impact of cardio and weights on the bones and joints.

So one or both of the aforementioned issues might be the reason for your issues.

So I'd like to ask a few questions to ascertain what you are doing now in more detail :).

Firstly I'd like to know what sort of weight training routine you use including exercises, sets and reps on each day you do it and also the order you do them in?

I'd also like to know what times do you eat and what foods do you eat at those times?

Thanks.
bangie
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Re: hello

Post by bangie »

I don't pay too much attention to diet :| . I just usually eat nuts for lunch or almond butter with carrots, sometimes I get that vegetarian sushi with the tapioca wrap, and chipotle sometimes. I eat Chia/flax seed in the morning in almond milk and at dinner I eat whatever I cook for family, a gluten free version. bad food habit is chips and once in awhile I will get gluten free muffins or brownies. But I am aware they are bad :).
So at the gym with weights; for lunges and squats I usually use 5lb weights on each arm for lunges and squats I use a 10lb barbell. on the machines its hard to explain because there are so many but for leg press and extensions usually about 40-70lbs. leg lifts when I do legs individually usually its about 20lbs per leg. I do free style crunches and arm work is usually about 30lbs per arm.
I usually do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
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Boss Man
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Re: hello

Post by Boss Man »

This diet and exercise plan are a modified version of what I have posted before, so it should be fine for you.

Breakfast

Option 1.

Bowl of Whole-grain Cereal and scrambled Eggs, (2 Egg Whites + Yolk)

Option 2.

Half a Protein shake, small portion of Nuts, (excluding higher carb ones like Cashews, Chestnuts and Grapenuts), + Apple. Give the Apple 10-15 minutes to digest to improve digestion.

Snack

Option 1.

Turkey + Cashews

Option 2.

Portion of Peanuts + Raw Carrot.

Lunch

Option 1.

Large Beef Sandwich with trimmings, I.E. Tomato, Lettuce, Cucumber etc.

Option 2.

Bowl of Chicken Soup, + Pot of yoghurt.

Snack

Option 1.

Portion of Turkey + Satsuma

Option 2.

Ham + 2 large Tomatoes

Dinner

Option 1.

Pork with mashed Potato.

Option 2.

Chicken and Rice

Option 3.

100g Halibut + Broccoli

Snack

Option 1.

Beans on Toast

Option 2.

Ham Sandwich, no trimmings.

Easy on the bread with both options.

You could add a few things to certain meals, like Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Parsley, Mustard, Herbs, Garlic.

As for the training you could do a schedule something like this, which is all bodyweighted.

Squats, 2 sets, 10 reps

Lunges, 2 sets, 10 reps

Good Mornings, 2 sets, 10 reps

Bent over Rows, 2 sets, 10 reps

Vertical flyes, 2 sets, 10 reps

Shrugs, 2 sets, 10 reps

Planks 30 seconds.

In relation to the training ideas I gave you above, your bodyweight workouts and cardio schedule could look something like this.

Day 1. Weights

Day 2. Cardio

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Cardio

Day 6. Weights

Day 7. Day off.

This prevents you doing 5 days straight and 2 days of nothing, as I think that's allowing too much consecutive taxation and 2 days of your body doing nothing, slowly starting to adjust to it, before 5 days of grind again, which might take the edge off progress potential, so the 5 split days should be better for you.

The diet plan can be given one two tweaks to suit some of things you normally eat.
bangie
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Re: hello

Post by bangie »

That sounds awesome I will give it a try. I'll have to print this out I don't know what half those exercises are so I will youtube it :D . That is so much more meat than I'm used to eating I'm guessing I need more protein? I agree with working out every day I will try to make time for that. Thank you for your help I will try it out, hopefully it kicks me into shape fast it's already bikini season in Texas :sunshine: . Also are less sets better for you?
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Boss Man
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Re: hello

Post by Boss Man »

The plan doesn't state you work out every day, it has two off days split up, so you can get some adequate rest time in the week.

I wouldn't advocate working out every day of the week, even to people training for marathons and iron man stuff.
Alinshop
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Re: hello

Post by Alinshop »

Bangie, any updates?
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