Feeling a little overwhelmed

Mrsurban2011

I'm trying to make better decisions regarding my health. I'm wondering if this workout plan will work and how many calories should I be eating? My goal is to look like a fitness model (Ashley Kaltwasser for example). Right now I weigh 173.2, 5"3' and very unhappy.

Monday - Chest, abs and Back
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Legs, shoulder and abs
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Biceps, abs and Triceps
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Rest


Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

KBjimAZ

In the end, only you will be able to decide what works best. Personally I divide my rest days: workout 3 rest 1 workout 2 rest 1. Be careful that you don't over complicate and end up with "paralysis by analysis".

Jim_Barteck

Nothing wrong with the general outline of the plan you laid out. The real deciding factors are going to be:

1) How intensely you perform those workouts. Will you be trying to increase the weight you're lifting every time? Progressive overload (increasing weights) is what it takes to build muscle, so without that you're going to accomplish very little.

2) What are you going to eat? MFP will help tell you what your daily calorie goals should be once you input your starting statistics and how quickly you're looking to lose the weight. Keep in mind: The faster you choose to lose, the more likely it is that you will be losing some muscle mass along with fat, so striking the right balance - given that you want to wind up with a fitness model physique - is going to be very important. You can't out-exercise a bad diet, so about 80%-90% of your weight loss is going to be determined not by you're putting out, but by what you're putting in.

3) How dedicated to this are you? Are you going to stick to the plan? In the end, it all comes down to the discipline you apply to your fitness program.

999tigger

To work it needs you to put the plan into action and stick to it. What noth the other posters said is pretty sensible.

I would not have the two rest days together, but would do 3 days and then rest then 2 days and then rest.The reason is it will ive time for you to recover.

What Jim said about looking at what you are doing. Start off steady, but you need to aim to increase things so you cna push your body or on the cardio. If you arent making any effort then your exercise wont really get you results, but do take it steady and move on or up when the exercises arent challenging anymore. Talk to one of the gym staff for some advice.

You dont say in your plan whether you will be in a gym or at home?
You also dont say how long your sessions will be or what they consist of.
Work out how long you wnat to spend in the gym.

To avoid boredom I prefer to mix cardio and weights, but talk to your trainer and they can set you a sensible plan. Keep at it and keep it under review. MFP is also a great tool for making you realise what you eat.

Mrsurban2011

Thanks everyone. I go to a gym right now. I've went off and on but plan on sticking to a plan. I will try working out 3 days, off, 2 days, off. I appreciate the advice.

meshashesha2012

look into a program like strong lifts, starting strength or strong curves which are fundamental strength training programs that will give you more bang for your buck in times of utilizing gym time since you'll be working compound lifts that work multiple muscles and joints at the same time. in the meantime, eat at a calorie deficit that's 10-15% below your TDEE.

i wouldnt start doing isolation work on smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps etc until i got very close to my body fat goal and was going for a certain look. with compound lifts you are working those muscles anyway.

also only 1 leg day? what's up with that

rick_po

Do two programs: a cardio program and a strength program.

Most people know how to do a cardio program, so I won't talk about that.

If you're a beginner, do a beginner strength program. To start out, a beginner program will take you the longest way as fast as possible. Almost all of them are 3 days a week, with one or two days rest between. Do your cardio on your off days. You may have to cut back on your cardio eventually, but don't worry about that until it becomes obvious you need to.

If you have access to a good gym and your goals are aggressive, and they sound like they are, I strongly encourage a full-body barbell-centric routine. Compound barbell lifts will form the core of your workouts for the rest of your life. Start doing them as soon as possible, get your form down, and start adding weight. The beginner barbell programs are simple and efficient. You'll make very fast progress.

You won't be able to do a beginner program forever. When your progress stalls out, you'll have to find a program more tailored towards your specific goals, but by then you'll have a great basis of strength, and you'll have a lot of good options to choose from.

Don't try to design your own beginner program. Find an existing program and follow it, paying particular attention to progression and de-load rules.

Some good beginner routines:

Starting Strength
Stronglifts 5x5
all-pro beginner
New Rules of Lifting
Strong Curves

I wouldn't do a split routine like unless you've already completed a beginner program, or you only have a very short time to spend in the gym. Beginners progress faster doing a full-body routine.