Maintaining weight while slimming down?

rainingribbons

I'm at the point in my workouts that I've finally reached my goal weight (actually a little lower, so I will probably eat a surplus until I get there). Even though I'm at my goal weight, I still have quite a bit of excess fat that needs to go, mostly in my legs and stomach. Can anyone offer some advice to help me get rid of it? My goal now is to replace the fat with muscle while maintaining- currently I weight train 4 times a week (Monday = arms, Tuesday = back/chest, Wednesday = legs, Thursday = abs) and plan on starting cardio for 30-60 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays.

sijomial

Eat at maintenance train hard/effectively* and be patient.

It's no more complicated than that.


* Training effectively - Depending on your lifting experience that split may well be far from optimal with only hitting each "part" once a week, it's an odd order as well (back/chest day after arms when they should be tired?).
Why a body part split rather than full body workouts?

rainingribbons

I started going to the gym with a friend who already had a routine, and just picked up what he did. I'm pretty sure he spreads it out like that though because of how many machines/exercises he hits each day- usually 6. I've commented about his ordering too, but we never changed the routine. Is it better to hit everything and just go every other day maybe? So the muscles have a chance to rest?

sijomial

To be brutally honest that routine sounds pretty awful. Far better than nothing of course but you could get a lot more out of the time you are spending at the gym.

Much better to pick a program designed by someone who knows what they are doing rather than a friend who probably doesn't. Even if that program is suitable for them I doubt it's best for you.
Can't you get one of the PTs at the time to set you a program?
Or pick one of the established beginner routines....

arditarose

Have to agree with @sijomial about the routine. Better to hit full body 3x per week or upper and lower each twice per week. Pick an established program. I'll find the thread with a list of lifting programs in it for you.

arditarose

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

rainingribbons

Thank you both for your input, I'll take a look around at some programs and start up one of them instead. Perhaps that's why I haven't been seeing the results I want as quickly!
How many times is the norm to work each muscle in a full body workout? Eventually I want to fully rely on free weights, but at the moment I'm currently using machines about 80% of the time which most of them only work one or two.

ninerbuff

Recomp. And for clients that I do this with, we run splits. Usually train 3 days a week, but splits are legs one day, then chest and back, then shoulders and arms. They are getting good results on these, but I do push limits with them.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

arditarose

ninerbuff wrote: »

Recomp. And for clients that I do this with, we run splits. Usually train 3 days a week, but splits are legs one day, then chest and back, then shoulders and arms. They are getting good results on these, but I do push limits with them.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

So you're only hitting each muscle group once per week?