Need to lower my exercise!

TiffaniBarrett

Hi Guys,

I need some clever person or PT to help me with this.

I have lost all the weight I need to now, and I am just looking to get definition all over. I need to lower/change my exercise regime around and I wondered if someone could help me with the best way.

CURRENTLY I do: 3 or 4 morning workouts (1hr of weights and core exercises) and 3 or 4 cardio classes in the evenings (BodyCombat, BodyAttack, Boxercise & Zumba) - I have been doing the weights programme for 7 weeks (upping the weights every so often)

I dont want to lose anymore weight, but I do need to lose the last few lbs of fat, and gain some muscle and definition.

Someone helppp xx

erickirb

Congrats on hitting your goal weight.

You are not going to gain muscle if you are in a caloric deficit, and you are not going to lose fat in a caloric surplus, so If you are not completely happy with where you are I would suggest a modest caloric deficit (0.5lb/week weight loss at the most) along with a heavy lifting strength training program such as 5x5 stronglifts or get the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women".

No need to do tons of cardio, all that will really do is allow you to eat more. I would reduce the cardio unless you are training for an event.

Setof2Keys

^^^envious of OP!!

itsuki

Couldn't you just keep up with the exercise, but eat more? Set your profile to "maintain," keep up your daily routine, and make sure you're eating your goal amount of calories.

Nopedotjpeg

Eat maintenance calories obviously. Cut back on the cardio and make sure you're lifting in lower rep ranges (12 seems to be the max people suggest, but I prefer even lower because I like to focus on pure strength).

TiffaniBarrett

Im worried that eating back my exercise calories means that I just shouldn't have bothered going to the gym!

MrDude_1

What you need to do is start lifting weights. Real weights, that are heavy for you.
something like stronglifts.com

seekingstrengthX2

I can see where that thinking would come from (your comment about how you shouldn't have bothered with going to the gym). However, exercise is critical for overall body health and heart health in particular (regardless of one's weight loss goals). You can certainly stand to cut back some on the cardio, but I would still continue it a few days a week.

Nopedotjpeg

Im worried that eating back my exercise calories means that I just shouldn't have bothered going to the gym!

3 words: get over it. Even when you're losing weight you should eat some of them back, but you're not trying to lose weight so this rings even more true. You can't become lean and well-built by starving yourself so stop trying to.

erickirb

Im worried that eating back my exercise calories means that I just shouldn't have bothered going to the gym!

All eating them back does is make sure you properly fuel your workouts. When you workout your body requires more fuel then when you don't. If you took your car on a 1000 mile drive you would need more fuel then a 20 mile ride, same with your body, the more you use it the more you need to fuel it.

TiffaniBarrett

What you need to do is start lifting weights. Real weights, that are heavy for you.
something like stronglifts.com

I do lift weights - weights which I struggle with on the 9/10th rep. I did say that already :S xx

TiffaniBarrett

Thanks guys!! Will make sure I do everything I can

MrDude_1

What you need to do is start lifting weights. Real weights, that are heavy for you.
something like stronglifts.com

I do lift weights - weights which I struggle with on the 9/10th rep. I did say that already :S xx

There shouldnt be 10 reps.
What Im suggesting is a progressive 5x5 compound lift program..

TiffaniBarrett

What you need to do is start lifting weights. Real weights, that are heavy for you.
something like stronglifts.com

I do lift weights - weights which I struggle with on the 9/10th rep. I did say that already :S xx

There shouldnt be 10 reps.
What Im suggesting is a progressive 5x5 compound lift program..

And what is that...?

erickirb

What you need to do is start lifting weights. Real weights, that are heavy for you.
something like stronglifts.com

I do lift weights - weights which I struggle with on the 9/10th rep. I did say that already :S xx

.
There shouldnt be 10 reps.
What Im suggesting is a progressive 5x5 compound lift program..

And what is that...?

.

Google stronglifts 5x5. Basically you do 3 workouts/week 5 sets of 5 reps for most exercises. 2 workouts A and B. Week 1 A,B,A week to B,A,B. There are other similar programs but this is the one I am most familiar with.

000WhiteRose000

Eat back more or less all the calories you burn a day and any you burn with cardio. This way you can eat more and not put on weight.
Other than that just do weights and resistance training, but increase it every week or every other week.
Keep eating protein to recover and give fuel to your muscles.
That's it.
So you still go to the gym:
1. to be able to eat more
2. to maintain weight and not put it back on
3. to build muscle with weights and machines
4. to keep healthy - exercise is proven to help you live a longer, healthier life. It also improves your mood (boosts Endorphins and the Serotonin hormone).

AlSalzman

Creeper response: I'm gonna need you to post some really revealing pics of yourself wearing next-to-nothing so I can give you better suggestions.

Actual response:
Your workout routine already seems like a good mix of cardio and strength. I'd look at the content of your diet - are you really watching your fat intake? Sodium? If you're trying to get more of that whole fitness model appearance, check with a nutritionist or hit up some bodybuilding bulletin boards to learn more about how they strip all the unnecessary crap out of their diet to lead to that crazy defined look. Just don't go overboard... some of those practices aren't the healthiest things.

If you're wanting to add muscle, diet is key as well. Just counting cals here helps with weighloss, but doesn't guarantee gains in the muscle dept. Again, nutritionist or BB sites.

Then, maybe, is your cardio not really that intense? I've seen some people kill it in Zumba or Boxercise, and I've seen some people shuffle along and dog it. If you went from pretty sedentary to active you'd lose pounds, but if you're now consistently active and not pushing it in your classes you won't get defined and lean... you can plateau.

mmapags

Congrats on hitting your goal weight.

You are not going to gain muscle if you are in a caloric deficit, and you are not going to lose fat in a caloric surplus, so If you are not completely happy with where you are I would suggest a modest caloric deficit (0.5lb/week weight loss at the most) along with a heavy lifting strength training program such as 5x5 stronglifts or get the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women".

No need to do tons of cardio, all that will really do is allow you to eat more. I would reduce the cardio unless you are training for an event.

I agree with this. I'd probably reduce my cardio to HIIT once every 7 to 10 d ays and keep up the strength training. I'd also eat more. Not crazy more, just up to maintenance level.

TiffaniBarrett

Creeper response: I'm gonna need you to post some really revealing pics of yourself wearing next-to-nothing so I can give you better suggestions.

Actual response:
Your workout routine already seems like a good mix of cardio and strength. I'd look at the content of your diet - are you really watching your fat intake? Sodium? If you're trying to get more of that whole fitness model appearance, check with a nutritionist or hit up some bodybuilding bulletin boards to learn more about how they strip all the unnecessary crap out of their diet to lead to that crazy defined look. Just don't go overboard... some of those practices aren't the healthiest things.

If you're wanting to add muscle, diet is key as well. Just counting cals here helps with weighloss, but doesn't guarantee gains in the muscle dept. Again, nutritionist or BB sites.

Then, maybe, is your cardio not really that intense? I've seen some people kill it in Zumba or Boxercise, and I've seen some people shuffle along and dog it. If you went from pretty sedentary to active you'd lose pounds, but if you're now consistently active and not pushing it in your classes you won't get defined and lean... you can plateau.

I have pics on my profile which show my progress...and I am due to take photos again in 2 weeks (I do it every 4 weeks)

I do kill it in all of my classes! I try as hard as I can!