Clare's workouts - to get leaner

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:16 am

Ok so mission is to decrease body fat which is currently around 24%, lose 10lbs and become much leaner.

As im short a few extra pounds really shows(to me anyway) and I think if i got to 120lbs I would look great. I dont want to look really skinny but i want to look kinda athletic, like you can tell i actually go to the gym.

I had son 5 years ago and if anything pregnancy improved body as i concentrated so hard on looking after myself when pregnant. When i had him i looked better then ever at around 120lbs. But i ended up losing too much and was 114lbs which made me look a bit skeletal. Anyway I would love to lose that 10lbs that has crept on over the years and look extra sexy for sexy guy. Even though he thinks i look great now there is definately room for improvement.

So Im gonna log workouts so myself and others can analyse whats working and whats not.

20 min treadmill - 1 min sprints at 12mph then 30sec walks at 5.5mph

2 sets of 20 reps - rower, bench press, tricep kickbacks, bicep curl, shoulder press

2 sets for abs - 50 crunches, 25 each side oblique crunch on ball, 30 reverse curls, 30 cable crunch, 20 each side oblique crunch machine, 60 sec plank.

5 min cool down on bike
Any comments very welcome

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 7:31 pm

look at this:

current wt - 140pds at 24% bf or 33.6pds

increase your muscle mass 6.6pds (3kgs i'm going off) and decrease fat 1/2 that (3pds or) then you'll be 143pds at a bf of 21% which is bang in the healthy range

as you can see losing 10pds isn't really the answer as it will have you looking skinny as a rake i think going on how you look now

to look like an athlete you must train like one, simple as that so sets of 20 of ordinary exercises isn't the answer either...don;t be afriad to go out of your comfort zone, you need to if these changes are to take place

did you look up that program i suggested? (was that you??)

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:20 am

I did look at the programme and i totally get it. I am starting to do sprints rather then a constant jog and am gonna increase weights as, embarrassingly i am only using 5kg dumbells at the moment.

Im actually 130lbs now not 140lbs and keep getting told off lots of internet sites i should be 120lbs for 'ideal weight'!! In reality if im honest friends, boyfriend and family think losing weight is a scary thing for me but I made myself believe they were just being, well i dont know what i thought. Anyway, im gonna try not to weigh myself but keep booking in for body fat to be done. body fat was actually 24% 6 weeks ago when i hadnt been exercising that well for a couple of months. Ive been doind 3-4 a week since then so im gonna get it checked again.

I think i get really affected by the media thinking im out of the norm zone where in reality bmi is 22 so i guess im normal. I do wanna get lean though so am def gonna go for the advice you have given.

Many thanks. I will keep you updated in workout journal.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:08 am

i'm gald you've come around then

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:19 am

Im definately sore today after workout rather then just tired and sick feeling. I dont feel ill like usual though. Maybe cos i did less cardio?

10 min sprints on treadmill

3 x 20 crunches with medicine ball
3 x 30 medicine ball obliques
3 x 20 medicine ball reverse curls
3 x 40 second plank

Using 6kg dumbells as couldnt do any heavier then this yet

3 x 12 shoulder press
3 x 12 lat raise
3 x 15 tricep kickbacks
3 x 12 front raise
3 x 12 single arm row (each arm) (please note that this was heavy for me and 12 was to failure)
2 x 15 press ups

2 x 20 weighted squats
2 x 30 weighted lunges

5 min stationary bike on high resistance

5 min on power plate for stretching

OK so have i got the idea or am i way out? I feel like ive really worked muscles, especially back and legs. Usually i would not use weights when doing abs, squats and lunges and ive added 1 kg to upper body. Ideas????

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 12:43 pm

Had done today and it was 21.2%. Better.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:44 pm

- what's your "usaual" feeling?
- workout set is a bit backwards this is what i'd do with what you're doing:

5min rower warm up
squats / single arm row 3 x 12 each as a pair so squat, rest 30secs, row, 30secs, squat etc (all of these are pairs)

reverse lunges / single arm cable presses / deadbugs 3 x 12 done as a threesome

single arm shoulder press / inverted row / side plank 3 x 12 for wts then 30secs for hold done as a threesome

10min sprints

stretch

i've left out arms and shoulder raises as they are pretty much worthless exercises at this point and all muscles are trained with the other exercises anyway

IMPORTANT: every exercise should be the same wt...type this out in atable (training log) and individualise each exercise as you'll only be working as hard as your weakest exercise, making some easier then they should be

we may need another day so we can rotate though 2 workouts so maybe

stiff legged deadlifts / standing cable row 3 x 12 each paired

lunges / push ups / mb reverse crunches 3 x 12 done as a threesome so lunge, 30secs rest, push up, rest, crunch, rest, lunge etc

shoulder press / lat pulldown / prone plank 3 x 12 for wts then 1min for hold done as a threesome so press, 30secs rest, pulldown, rest, hold, rest, press etc

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:10 am

OK i can do that. usually i feel sick, weak and knackered after a workout.
What about the cardio though? I do think i could still lose some fat but i think you are saying that will happen with increasing weights and doing more of them?? If so then why is it hammered into us, even at gym by the instructor, that cardio is the main focus with a bit of weights thrown in.

I prefer the way you are telling me as i dont particularly like cardio as i get dizzy.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 4:38 pm

the cardio thing i don't know, crap trainer's really, don;t know enough and half of them donlt train enough so they don;t know from 1st hand experience

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:33 am

Well i did it and feel pretty good.

5min rower warm up
squats / single arm row 3 x 12 each rest 30secs

reverse lunges / single arm cable presses / deadbugs 3 x 12 done as a threesome

single arm shoulder press / (instead of inverted row as no suitable bar) bent over barbell row / side plank 3 x 12 for wts then 30secs for hold

10min sprints

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:37 am

inverted rows are done on a smith machine...every gym has a smith machine...pop them in youtube for video of them

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:03 pm

I know there is a smith machine but it is in what i call the 'big boys' bit of the gym. And if i ventured in there i do not think i would emerge fully intact. Have you got any alternatives other then the ones i gave?

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:27 pm

i'd be very happy for a lovely young lady to come in the big boy zone but if you dpn;t want to then chest supported rows are better then bent rows

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:39 am

I could never go into the boy zone. These men really do turn into giggly teenagers (at best) when they see a girl working out. Its hard enough sharing the mats with them.lol. Too much testosterone in that area for me. I will you tube your suggestion.

By the way - im sore today. Ouch. But good. Especially er rear. Cant actually sit full on it.

clare_1 · Post by **clare_1** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:06 am

Ha im quite small myself. I just avoid them. The jacuzzi is the best but lets not go there!!

OK today workout will be

5 min row

deadlifts/ standing cable row 3 x 12

weighted lunges / push ups / mb reverse crunches 3 x 12

shoulder press / lat pulldown / prone plank 3 x 12 for wts then 1min for hold

10 min HIIT on treadmill

stretches on power plate

20 min walk home