Extreme Skinnyfatness!!
Kuchiness
Posts: 48 Member
Hello all,
I'm not really a new member but I haven't been on MFP regularly. I'm a 5'2 female, currently 128lbs. Last year I managed to lose 10lbs with 3 months of mindful eating and exercising. Then I went on holiday and fell of the wagon..Consistency has always been an issue for me. This was not the first time I lost weight then put it back on. Finally I have decided to exercise regularly again and today I took some 'before' photos. I'm really shocked to see I have now a couple of those rolls on my back! This is the first time I'm having them and I must fix them asap!
Recently I gathered a few pieces of equipment and now I have a very amateur home gym. What I have is a flat bench with a rack, a couple of 8kg kettlebells, a barbell, some big weights for the barbell and a dumbbell set ( 3 different weights)
I've been reading a lot and trying to decide what is the best sort of exercise to do. I'm thinking about 5X5 Stronglifts as well as HIIT. MFP suggest I should be eating 1390 calories a day, I'm not really very good at counting calories, so I'll try to pay more attention to macros and I'm thinking of 40/40/30(Protein/Carbs/Fat)..
I have no idea what my body fat percentage is but it is A LOT. I really don't mind about the scale weight, my ultimate goal is getting MUCH leaner. I also have the flattest butt one possibly can have but that's another issue for another time!
I'd like to have your opinions and suggestions about macros and the workout routine.
I'm adding some pictures from today and yesterday so you can see what I'm talking about.
Thanks
Never judge a book by its cover...
I'm not really a new member but I haven't been on MFP regularly. I'm a 5'2 female, currently 128lbs. Last year I managed to lose 10lbs with 3 months of mindful eating and exercising. Then I went on holiday and fell of the wagon..Consistency has always been an issue for me. This was not the first time I lost weight then put it back on. Finally I have decided to exercise regularly again and today I took some 'before' photos. I'm really shocked to see I have now a couple of those rolls on my back! This is the first time I'm having them and I must fix them asap!
Recently I gathered a few pieces of equipment and now I have a very amateur home gym. What I have is a flat bench with a rack, a couple of 8kg kettlebells, a barbell, some big weights for the barbell and a dumbbell set ( 3 different weights)
I've been reading a lot and trying to decide what is the best sort of exercise to do. I'm thinking about 5X5 Stronglifts as well as HIIT. MFP suggest I should be eating 1390 calories a day, I'm not really very good at counting calories, so I'll try to pay more attention to macros and I'm thinking of 40/40/30(Protein/Carbs/Fat)..
I have no idea what my body fat percentage is but it is A LOT. I really don't mind about the scale weight, my ultimate goal is getting MUCH leaner. I also have the flattest butt one possibly can have but that's another issue for another time!
I'd like to have your opinions and suggestions about macros and the workout routine.
I'm adding some pictures from today and yesterday so you can see what I'm talking about.
Thanks
Never judge a book by its cover...
7
Replies
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Set your goal to lose 0.5lbs a week. You really don’t have enough fat to lose more and you don’t want to compromise muscle.
Your macro breakdown is fine. But you may want to make sure you are getting 0.8-1g protein and 0.35-0.5g fat per lbs of your lbm. Doing it g per lbs of life means you have your important macros set and the adding of exercise cals can be spent as you wish.
NB MFP doesn’t allow you to be so precise so it is more of a mindful thing getting in the appropriate macros.
Counting macros does mean that calories are being counted.
If Stronglifts fits your goals, go for it. You will probably find doing a true HIIT programme on alternate days too stressful, interval training or steady stare cardio would probably be a better choice.
Cheers, h.3 -
Your BF% is really not "a lot". At 5'2", 128, you're inside the normal BMI range I understand and see that you have some extra bodyfat you'd like to lose, but let's not overstate things. Truly, you look pretty awesome in that bodycon dress! (I was waaaaay fatter than you when I started losing weight back in 2015!)
Granting in advance that I'm bad at arithmetic
, I'm calculating your intended protein at around 139g, and your fats at 46g, which seems a teensy bit higher than essential (not harmful) on protein for my tastes (I like 0.6-0.8g per pound of healthy goal weight in a deficit for active people, but that's just me), and on the lower end of what I'd like for fats (I like 0.35-0.45g per pound of healthy goal weight, preferably on the higher end for women - again, just me). Carbs are more of a preference thing, IMO. Carbs and proteins (at about 4 calories/g) and fats (at about 9 calories/g) add up to . . . calories, so counting one is counting the other (unless, like me, you consume alcohol, at about 7 calories/g, in which case you need to consider that, too. ).
Stronglifts seems like a good plan if you're a strength training beginner. (There are other options here, if you want to consider alternatives: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you ).
As far as cardio, what do you mean by HIIT? There's a lot of trendy nonsense being called HIIT these days, so I'm not sure what you're intending. Most people on an on-ramp to fitness would be better served by non-HIIT alternatives, but the marketing is so weird now that I don't want to make assumptions. (Actual HIIT can be a bad/overtaxing combo with weight training, especially for relative beginners).
Best wishes!4 -
P.S. Love me that middlehaitch! Note that her 0.8-1g protein per pound of lean body mass is arithmetically pretty much equivalent to my 0.6-0.8g per pound of healthy goal weight (assuming around 20% BF, more or less, at healthy goal weight).
She's absolutely the woman you want to be at her/my age (we're close in the 60s), so please believe every word that delightful woman says!
Both of us forgot to mention: Eat lots of varied, colorful delicious fruits and veggies for best nutrition, too.7 -
Your BF% is really not "a lot". At 5'2", 128, you're inside the normal BMI range I understand and see that you have some extra bodyfat you'd like to lose, but let's not overstate things. Truly, you look pretty awesome in that bodycon dress! (I was waaaaay fatter than you when I started losing weight back in 2015!)
Granting in advance that I'm bad at arithmetic , I'm calculating your intended protein at around 139g, and your fats at 46g, which seems a teensy bit higher than essential (not harmful) on protein for my tastes (I like 0.6-0.8g per pound of healthy goal weight in a deficit for active people, but that's just me), and on the lower end of what I'd like for fats (I like 0.35-0.45g per pound of healthy goal weight, preferably on the higher end for women - again, just me). Carbs are more of a preference thing, IMO. Carbs and proteins (at about 4 calories/g) and fats (at about 9 calories/g) add up to . . . calories, so counting one is counting the other (unless, like me, you consume alcohol, at about 7 calories/g, in which case you need to consider that, too. ).
Stronglifts seems like a good plan if you're a strength training beginner. (There are other options here, if you want to consider alternatives: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you ).
As far as cardio, what do you mean by HIIT? There's a lot of trendy nonsense being called HIIT these days, so I'm not sure what you're intending. Most people on an on-ramp to fitness would be better served by non-HIIT alternatives, but the marketing is so weird now that I don't want to make assumptions. (Actual HIIT can be a bad/overtaxing combo with weight training, especially for relative beginners).
Best wishes!
Ann thank you for taking the time to write in detail.
Firstly, having 139g protein is not really what I want, because I'm struggling to eat so many protein a day (only started a couple of days ago) and I don't really want to use whey protein etc. I would happily reduce the protein intake if this much is unnecessary! I'm just trying to make sure to keep the little muscle I have. And good point re alcohol, I really need to cut down on my evening wine and occasional beer.
Thank you for your nice words for my 'dressed' picture I look fine in dresses but it's another story in bikinis, hence Never judge a book by its cover 1 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Set your goal to lose 0.5lbs a week. You really don’t have enough fat to lose more and you don’t want to compromise muscle.
Your macro breakdown is fine. But you may want to make sure you are getting 0.8-1g protein and 0.35-0.5g fat per lbs of your lbm. Doing it g per lbs of life means you have your important macros set and the adding of exercise cals can be spent as you wish.
NB MFP doesn’t allow you to be so precise so it is more of a mindful thing getting in the appropriate macros.
Counting macros does mean that calories are being counted.
If Stronglifts fits your goals, go for it. You will probably find doing a true HIIT programme on alternate days too stressful, interval training or steady stare cardio would probably be a better choice.
Cheers, h.
Hi there, thanks for your advice. Yes I have set my goal to lose 0.5 lbs a week, I have absolutely no hurry, I want to do it slow and steady and hopefully keep it off this time.0 -
As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.0 -
As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.
Four days off is not a lot of laziness. Your body makes changes when it is at rest. The best thing you can do for your body is to push it hard and then let it rest. That's why people mentioned that HIIT may not be the best combination with lifting unless you are a rapid recoverer. But I have heard that things like uphill sprinting right after lifting can be beneficial. I would focus on your diet and lifting for a bit and see how it goes. Add in some long walks in between. A lot of people add in crazy cardio circuits because it makes them FEEL like they are doing a lot, but it's not the best bang for your buck.3 -
mom23mangos wrote: »As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.
Four days off is not a lot of laziness. Your body makes changes when it is at rest. The best thing you can do for your body is to push it hard and then let it rest. That's why people mentioned that HIIT may not be the best combination with lifting unless you are a rapid recoverer. But I have heard that things like uphill sprinting right after lifting can be beneficial. I would focus on your diet and lifting for a bit and see how it goes. Add in some long walks in between. A lot of people add in crazy cardio circuits because it makes them FEEL like they are doing a lot, but it's not the best bang for your buck.
Wow Mango, that body!! You sure know what you are talking about. I'll take the advice and NOT combine weightlifting with HIIT. The thing is I'm too weak, I can't even do a proper push up -only 2 or 3 on the knees. Also my husband will help me with 5X5 but that's exactly a month from now-he is away, maybe I should hit it with bodyweight exercises for a month until I get a bit of strength to start the 5x5 in mid January. Sounds like a good plan?
Thanks0 -
mom23mangos wrote: »As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.
Four days off is not a lot of laziness. Your body makes changes when it is at rest. The best thing you can do for your body is to push it hard and then let it rest. That's why people mentioned that HIIT may not be the best combination with lifting unless you are a rapid recoverer. But I have heard that things like uphill sprinting right after lifting can be beneficial. I would focus on your diet and lifting for a bit and see how it goes. Add in some long walks in between. A lot of people add in crazy cardio circuits because it makes them FEEL like they are doing a lot, but it's not the best bang for your buck.
Wow Mango, that body!! You sure know what you are talking about. I'll take the advice and NOT combine weightlifting with HIIT. The thing is I'm too weak, I can't even do a proper push up -only 2 or 3 on the knees. Also my husband will help me with 5X5 but that's exactly a month from now-he is away, maybe I should hit it with bodyweight exercises for a month until I get a bit of strength to start the 5x5 in mid January. Sounds like a good plan?
Thanks
That's actually a perfect plan and exactly how I started. I had let my strength dwindle to next to nothing, so I did a few weeks of just body weight exercises to get over the initial soreness and build up some base strength before starting weights again. I still pretty much just do bodyweight for upper body as I find calisthenics more challenging. But it's all synergistic because I actually had to build up a base strength with weights before I could do things like pullups and dips.2 -
Counting calories will be key to you reaching your goals! It's so easy to under or over estimate. As others have mentioned .8-1g/per pound of bodyweight of protein is important to build those muscles. Personally I aim for just over .8g/lb of current bodyweight each day and let the rest of my macros fall where they may (usually fat is fairly high with carbs on the lower end).
As far as lifting plan, if 5x5 is something that looks enjoyable to you I'd go for it! If it doesn't work out, give something else a try. 5x5 is on my list of programs to do down the road but I don't feel like I have enough of the proper equipment to make it work for me right now. You are lucky to have a spotter!
I started off last November in a similar position to you, 5'4.5'' and 135ish. For the first 3 months I focused on losing weight with circuit-style cardio (Insanity, T25, fitness blender) 5 days/week (very exhausting). I quickly reached my weight goal (127) but still wasn't too happy as my pant size was relatively the same. I added in weight lifting 3 days/week in April doing a beginner dumbbell routine by Muscle and Strength (MS) for 11 weeks. Serious body changes started happening right away. After 11 weeks doing the MS program I completed New Rules of Lifting for Women and I'm currently doing Strong Curves. I've been building my own at-home gym during this time. On my rest days I walk for 30 minutes. I've lost another 9 pounds and went from a size 6 to a 0/2.
Looking back I'm happy with the way things shaped up. If I could change anything I should have started lifting weights much sooner. Strong Curves starts out with a bodyweight program and really works on mastering good form without heavy weights... and building your booty!
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Nerdfitness is a perfect start up routine. Once you can complete it as written it is time to move on.
I moved to a dumbbell routine then a barbell routine after Nerdfitness, didn’t have the strength to use a 45 lbs bar for more than a deadlift.
HIIT is a specific form of interval training that is generally used for competitive athletes. There is nothing wrong at all with doing interval training.
I too find straight cardio, think running, uninspiring, so I do classes on the days I am not lifting. Zumba, aquafit, belly dancing, tribal dance, aerobics, Pilates, or yoga, I also swim. I walk when I know I need extra recovery and do a couple of yoga classes to keep me supple. To keep me interested I swap them out every few weeks.
Sound like you have a plan to move forward.
Cheers, h.2 -
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Counting calories will be key to you reaching your goals! It's so easy to under or over estimate. As others have mentioned .8-1g/per pound of bodyweight of protein is important to build those muscles. Personally I aim for just over .8g/lb of current bodyweight each day and let the rest of my macros fall where they may (usually fat is fairly high with carbs on the lower end).
As far as lifting plan, if 5x5 is something that looks enjoyable to you I'd go for it! If it doesn't work out, give something else a try. 5x5 is on my list of programs to do down the road but I don't feel like I have enough of the proper equipment to make it work for me right now. You are lucky to have a spotter!
I started off last November in a similar position to you, 5'4.5'' and 135ish. For the first 3 months I focused on losing weight with circuit-style cardio (Insanity, T25, fitness blender) 5 days/week (very exhausting). I quickly reached my weight goal (127) but still wasn't too happy as my pant size was relatively the same. I added in weight lifting 3 days/week in April doing a beginner dumbbell routine by Muscle and Strength (MS) for 11 weeks. Serious body changes started happening right away. After 11 weeks doing the MS program I completed New Rules of Lifting for Women and I'm currently doing Strong Curves. I've been building my own at-home gym during this time. On my rest days I walk for 30 minutes. I've lost another 9 pounds and went from a size 6 to a 0/2.
Looking back I'm happy with the way things shaped up. If I could change anything I should have started lifting weights much sooner. Strong Curves starts out with a bodyweight program and really works on mastering good form without heavy weights... and building your booty!
Hi Dulinh, thank you for writing. Your journey is truly inspiring.
The reason I'm planning to do 5X5 is because I know it's simple-that's what people say. As I have never lifted before I don't want to get too confused with methods etc and just focus on good form and simple compound movements. I have heard about the MS program but I haven't look into it, I'll definitely check it out.
As of nutrition, I want to achieve my goal without the help of supplements and protein powders. Even though I find to log the food to count the calories not very accurate I'll do it as much as I can. I cook a lot at home and it's difficult to track the protein/carb/fat content of the food I'm making.
I think I will spend a whole month trying to get a bit stronger with NF bodyweight routine and crash on with weightlifting next month when my spotter is available I would love to do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred but that's too much for me right now- she killed me in the past!
Strong Curves is definitely something I'm interested in doing but I think it should be at a later stage , like after 5x5 etc, am I right?
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It has been Christmas party weekend.
I’m surprised I could string words together.
Cheers, h.4 -
As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.
Your plan sounds good, including the part about starting with bodyweight exercises like Nerdfitness, on the strength side of things. Others, more knowledgeable and experienced than I on that front, have given you good advice.
I'm in again to poke at the cardio question. There's nothing wrong with intervals (like walk/run), and there's nothing wrong with high intensity. The thing is that, if fitness is your goal, or if weight loss is your goal, true HIIT cardio is unlikely to be your best strategy. (And, as others have explained, HIIT can interfere with the recovery from strength training.) I'll come back to "why is HIIT not the best strategy" later, absurdly wordy woman that I am.
First, this: When someone says any formulation of "I hate . . . cardio" ( pretty much no matter the adjectives in the ". . . " part), it makes exclamation points and question marks stand out all around my head, which is not a good look if you're not a cartoon character. There are like 3.2 gazillion different activities that have cardiovascular fitness benefits. I don't understand how it's possible to dislike aaaallllll of them.
Often, when people say "cardio", they're thinking treadmill, elliptical, that sort of thing. Thing is, there are so many other options. Hiking, ice skating, dancing (many different types), martial arts, tennis, ultimate frisbee, ping pong, swimming, skateboarding, cross-country skiing, rowing (boats)/canoeing/kayaking, playing tag with children, video games requiring vigorous moves with physical-movement controllers, a bunch of different kinds of group classes or workout videos, . . . and on and on.
Do you hate all of them, even at steady state? Find some way of moving more, ideally something somewhat vigorous, that you enjoy doing, that gets your heart rate up. It can even be different things from day to day. That's cardio. It doesn't have to be some boring gym machine.
OK, so what's my issue with HIIT, besides the "might mess up strength training recovery" thing?
Nowadays, HIIT is a super-trendy term, and gyms/trainers/blogs are applying to so many things it doesn't have much meaning any more, other than sounding cool. But anything that's truly "high intensity" for you personally isn't likely to be the best plan for fitness or for weight loss.
For cardiovascular (CV) fitness, you are building several different sorts of capabilities in your body, variously affecting your heart, your lungs, your vascular (blood vessel) system, the biochemistry of energy in your muscles, and more. True cardio HIIT is good at building some of them, but it isn't well-rounded, and it isn't sensibly progressive. When athletes follow a plan to improve CV fitness, broadly speaking, they start with building a base capability, using mostly longer steady state activities (pick fun ones, remember!). Then they begin to add intensity and variations as their fitness increases. Eventually, they may add true HIIT for specific purposes at specific times, but rarely more often than once a week. Yet we regular people should do it every day, or every other? Why?
For weight loss purposes, the role of cardio is to burn calories. Short but intense interval cardio takes less time (a good thing if you hate it, I guess?), but it doesn't really burn very many more calories than the equivalent amount of time spent on steady-state cardio. Part of the reason is those rest intervals. Lets say you do Tabatas in the classic way, warm up (WU), 8 x (20 seconds max effort, 10 seconds easy), cool down (CD). The actual workout takes only 4 minutes. The WU and CD should probably be at least 5 minutes (I'd go more, probably). So, looking at 14 minutes total, for example.
The WU and CD and are at an easier rate by definition, mostly below the steady state pace (SS, defining SS as the challenging but doable pace you could hold for the entire 4 minutes). If you did SS cardio for the workout section, you'd still want WU & CD, so we're comparing calories for the 4 minutes, during which you've worked really hard (harder than SS) for 2.6 minutes, and backed way off (easier than SS) for 1.3 minutes. You haven't burned many extra calories in that difference. Your SS workout need not be much longer to gain that back.
The EPOC (so-called afterburn) is often touted as a benefit, but what they usually do is compare percentages. Even if you believe the percentages (I'm skeptical), it's a percentage of the calories during the workout. So, you see various numbers, but let's say you get 14% EPOC from HIIT and 7% from SS (those are not crazy number). For 100 calories of exercise in either modality, that's a whopping 14 calories vs. 7 calories. Wow (Not). It's a plus, but arithmetically NBD . . . especially when you consider that going all out means you can't, energy-wise, spend as much time exercising, even if you want to.
True HIIT tends to be exhausting/fatiguing. I'm a long-experienced and fairly conditioned rower, but rowing machine Tabatas make me feel like I was hit by a truck, and not a tiny one. HIIT will tend to make you fatigued during the rest of your daily life, and feeling fatigued leads to being subtly less active (more rest, more sleep, putting off dauntingly demanding home chores, keeping daily tasks simple, etc.). Being less active in daily life means burning fewer calories in daily life, which - if it happens - wipes out some of the weight-loss benefits of the exercise.
For weight loss, ignoring fun for the moment, your most effective strategy is to decide how much time you want to spend, then do a short WU, a short CD, and in between the most challenging intensity you can sustain at SS for the whole time period, while still feeling energized for the rest of your daily life (after maybe a bried "whew" period right after the workout). If you ask me, that's the sweet spot, considering only calorie burn.
True HIIT is also more risky. For a non-conditioned person, it's more risky from a cardiovascular standpoint, but it's also more risky in other ways. For complex activities (some of the "HIIT" circuits and functional exercises), going as fast as possible typically means sloppier form, especially for beginners, and more risk of injury. Even running all-out is more risky, in terms of form; and in the later intervals, concentration tends to flag, making one more likely not to notice and adjust for conditions (curbs, slippery surfaces, etc.).
So, bottom line, tl;dr cardio advice:
Find something you enjoy doing, that involves moving in a way that makes your heart beat harder. Ideally, find something you love so much you'd do it even if it weren't good for you. (A theoretically poor exercise you'll enjoy and do often burns more calories than a theoretically ideal exercise you hate and put off and avoid.) Do it for the amount of time you want to devote, and at an intensity you can sustain the whole time, and feel happy and energized for the rest of your day.4 -
As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.
If you're really putting in the effort on the 5x5 program, you're not going to have any gas to do much else after except maybe some light cardio. 5x5 programs and other heavy programs blow up your CNS if you're doing it right. I would suggest doing something cardio wise on non lifting days...but not a body weight circuit as you won't be giving your muscles the rest they need to recover for the next lifting session.
Steady state cardio also doesn't have to be droning away on stationary cardio equipment...go for a run...get on your bike...go for a walk, etc.
As far as HIIT goes, true HIIT requires a substantial aerobic base...what most people are calling HIIT or think is HIIT isn't even close. It is something that is typically done by seasoned athletes to give them that extra little push over the next guy. It is incredibly hard on the body and is typically only done about once per week. What most people are doing is simply interval training...which is just fine...but HIIT is pretty much a fitness buzzword at this point...most people aren't doing it. Even if you did interval training, I would not do it on a lifting day and be careful that it doesn't impede with recovery from your lifts.2 -
Ann, thank you very much for the previous post, there is some invaluable info there. It looks like I didn't know much about the HIIT after all. My goal is to burn the excess fat and build some muscle. The scale weight really doesn't matter to me, I know I could be dress size smaller and weigh more, that's not an issue, so my goal isn't 'weight loss'. As for the cardio, you do have some very good suggestions. The cardio type I do not like is the machine cardio such as treadmill, cycle etc. But I do like walking outside.I do it almost everyday, and some days I walk with Leslie Sansone at home, it definitely raises my heart rate. I'll and find more ways to burn calories with something I enjoy doing and won't quit after a few weeks.
Thanks again.1 -
Often, when people say "cardio", they're thinking treadmill, elliptical, that sort of thing. Thing is, there are so many other options. Hiking, ice skating, dancing (many different types), martial arts, tennis, ultimate frisbee, ping pong, swimming, skateboarding, cross-country skiing, rowing (boats)/canoeing/kayaking, playing tag with children, video games requiring vigorous moves with physical-movement controllers, a bunch of different kinds of group classes or workout videos, . . . and on and on.
Do you hate all of them, even at steady state? Find some way of moving more, ideally something somewhat vigorous, that you enjoy doing, that gets your heart rate up. It can even be different things from day to day. That's cardio. It doesn't have to be some boring gym machine.
I'm one of those people who dislike cardio machines, but loves being active. I kayak, skate, bike, walk etc. But the majority of my cardio comes from a video game like Ann mentioned. After just a few minutes sweat is pouring off of me and I'm out of breath, but it's so much fun I can easily play for 30min to an hour and not even realize how much time has passed.2 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »As for the HIIT I was thinking of doing tabata style walk and sprint outside when it's not pouring down ( hey it's London!) and for indoors maybe do a Nerdfitness Beginner body weight program- I know this is actually more like a circuit but I have done this program in the past and I pushed myself to the max with a little rest between the circuits so it really was very much like HIIT. I might be wrong though.
The problem is I do not like steady cardio, I find it very boring and I know I wouldn't last long. Perhaps doing the HIIT/circuit training on the days of 5X5 and straight after the lifting? So that I workout 3 days a week ( 5X5 and HIIT/circuit) and 4 days off? Or is it too much? 4 days off seems a lot of laziness though, I'm confused!
By the way I've tried the hold up the barbell and even when it's empty was a struggle for me, I'm very very weak.
If you're really putting in the effort on the 5x5 program, you're not going to have any gas to do much else after except maybe some light cardio. 5x5 programs and other heavy programs blow up your CNS if you're doing it right. I would suggest doing something cardio wise on non lifting days...but not a body weight circuit as you won't be giving your muscles the rest they need to recover for the next lifting session.
Steady state cardio also doesn't have to be droning away on stationary cardio equipment...go for a run...get on your bike...go for a walk, etc.
As far as HIIT goes, true HIIT requires a substantial aerobic base...what most people are calling HIIT or think is HIIT isn't even close. It is something that is typically done by seasoned athletes to give them that extra little push over the next guy. It is incredibly hard on the body and is typically only done about once per week. What most people are doing is simply interval training...which is just fine...but HIIT is pretty much a fitness buzzword at this point...most people aren't doing it. Even if you did interval training, I would not do it on a lifting day and be careful that it doesn't impede with recovery from your lifts.
Thanks for your input @cwolfman13, no "HIIT' with me, that's decided. I'll give 5X5 a real go and just walk/dance etc on days off and see how it turns out.2 -
mom23mangos wrote: »
Often, when people say "cardio", they're thinking treadmill, elliptical, that sort of thing. Thing is, there are so many other options. Hiking, ice skating, dancing (many different types), martial arts, tennis, ultimate frisbee, ping pong, swimming, skateboarding, cross-country skiing, rowing (boats)/canoeing/kayaking, playing tag with children, video games requiring vigorous moves with physical-movement controllers, a bunch of different kinds of group classes or workout videos, . . . and on and on.
Do you hate all of them, even at steady state? Find some way of moving more, ideally something somewhat vigorous, that you enjoy doing, that gets your heart rate up. It can even be different things from day to day. That's cardio. It doesn't have to be some boring gym machine.
I'm one of those people who dislike cardio machines, but loves being active. I kayak, skate, bike, walk etc. But the majority of my cardio comes from a video game like Ann mentioned. After just a few minutes sweat is pouring off of me and I'm out of breath, but it's so much fun I can easily play for 30min to an hour and not even realize how much time has passed.
@mom23mangos You got me curious, what game is this??0 -
It's called Beat Saber. It's a virtual reality game where you have to cut through flying blocks with light sabers to the beat of music. So you can download your favorite songs, dance around and fling your arms like a crazy person and pretend you are a jedi.
Plus it's got to be really good for you neurologically with all the cross body action.
https://youtu.be/R82tIOsEzGU 4 -
mom23mangos wrote: »It's called Beat Saber. It's a virtual reality game where you have to cut through flying blocks with light sabers to the beat of music. So you can download your favorite songs, dance around and fling your arms like a crazy person and pretend you are a jedi. Plus it's got to be really good for you neurologically with all the cross body action.https://youtu.be/R82tIOsEzGU
You need to throw a party so we can all have a go.
(Either that or I will have to get it for my 8yo GS so he could teach me how to play- I’d prefer an adult party.)
Cheers, h.2 -
mom23mangos wrote: »It's called Beat Saber. It's a virtual reality game where you have to cut through flying blocks with light sabers to the beat of music. So you can download your favorite songs, dance around and fling your arms like a crazy person and pretend you are a jedi. Plus it's got to be really good for you neurologically with all the cross body action.https://youtu.be/R82tIOsEzGU
This reminded of "Fruit Ninja' I used to play! Looks like great fun! 0 -
mom23mangos wrote: »It's called Beat Saber. It's a virtual reality game where you have to cut through flying blocks with light sabers to the beat of music. So you can download your favorite songs, dance around and fling your arms like a crazy person and pretend you are a jedi. Plus it's got to be really good for you neurologically with all the cross body action.https://youtu.be/R82tIOsEzGU
This reminded of "Fruit Ninja' I used to play! Looks like great fun!
I was a huge fruit ninja fan, which is why I think I love this so much. I was actually super excited when fruit ninja came out on the VR, but it’s not as fun as Beat Saber. I used to play fruit ninja as a kid before it was a thing by throwing apples in the air and seeing how many times I could slice it with a machete before it hit the ground. Back when kids had to amuse themselves.
@middlehaitch - I’d love to host a party. Just let me know when you are on this side of the pond.
3 -
mom23mangos wrote: »It's called Beat Saber. It's a virtual reality game where you have to cut through flying blocks with light sabers to the beat of music. So you can download your favorite songs, dance around and fling your arms like a crazy person and pretend you are a jedi. Plus it's got to be really good for you neurologically with all the cross body action.https://youtu.be/R82tIOsEzGU
This reminded of "Fruit Ninja' I used to play! Looks like great fun!
That's what I was thinking. I bet my son would love it for just that reason.
I'd try it myself but I think it would trigger my migraines.0
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