New to Weight Training - a Few Questions

trm981

I couldn't decide whether to post this in food or here... I chose here. Anyways...

1. I just started Chalean Extreme workouts this week. Is it a GOOD strength building workout? I don't see many people on the boards doing it. I know there's a support group for it but its pretty dead. I don't have access to a gym or barbells or anything right now so I went with this one. I do have the 25lb each adjustable weight barbells so I am able to go heavy on the moves.

2. My goals are to lose 10 to 15 more pounds and build some muscle. Ideally I would like to do this by summer but I know that's an ambitious goal and it might not happen by then. I'm medium framed and my body loves this weight - I just don't. I am 5'4 and around 140lbs, give or take a few. From comparing pictures and online calculators I estimate I'm at about 23 or 24% body fat. So what amount of calories do you think would help me meet my goals?? Eating at a deficit? Eating at maintenance? Eating at a surplus to build muscle then try to shed some fat? There is so much conflicting information on this it makes my head hurt. Should I be taking advantage of "newbie gains" and continue to eat a deficit and lose fat as well or will my results be better eating at a surplus for now? The Chalean nutrition guide has the calories set too low IMO and I'm ignoring it. I don't have large amounts of weight to lose and will not eat lower than 1500 net cals a day.

I would be eternally grateful if anyone out there could help me out. I would like to know what worked for you and your opinion on what would work best for me. Thanks in advance!!

kicklikeaGIRL

1. I am doing ChaLean Extreme and I love it. I don't follow the program "strictly" because I'm doing my marathon training. But, I love the program for an at-home strength training workout. YES it is a good strength training workout, as long as you follow what she says. Be sure that at the end of each rep you are fatigued, to the point that you cannot lift one more rep. That means you will need to go heavy. Don't step on the scale at first, typically those who start a strength training program gain some weight at first because your muscles are swollen and retaining some water, but the more muscle you are building the more fat you can burn at rest and when working out. I haven't kept track of my weight during the program, as much as I have my inches lost--- and body fat (using the local University to use the calipers to test my BF %). But, I feel great. I feel strong. I feel empowered.

2. Losing 10-15 pounds in just a few months seems like a pretty big goal for someone who is as small as you are. You are in a healthy weight range, so I wouldn't try to lose too much weight too fast. Typically if you put yourself at too much of a deficit, you end up losing lean muscle, which will defeat the purpose of gaining lean muscle doing CLX. So, I would definitely eat enough. I'm not the best person to ask about how many calories to eat...but what I've done is set myself at a steady daily goal---no matter what workout I'm doing. I eat about 1700-1900 calories per day. (I'm 5'7", 160 pounds and trying to lose about 10 pounds by the end of the year.) Here's what my workouts look like right now, just to give you an idea of why I'm eating as much as I am:

Mon- Run 3-5 miles
Tues- Teach Turbo Kick + ChaLean Extreme
Wed- Run 5-8 miles
Thurs- Run 3-6 miles + ChaLean Extreme
Fri- light cardio (jog, spin, kickboxing, burn intervals) + yoga
Saturday- Long runs (15-20 miles)
Sunday- Rest

I've done TDEE testing and done the BMR calculations and I feel like 1700-1900 calories per day is a good range for me. I feel fueled for my hard workouts, but I have lost inches and body fat in the process. I also eat REALLY clean.

I'm not sure that helped much...and each person is slightly different in how their body reacts to different workouts and such. Maybe look online and read about TDEE and BMR and see what they say yours is, based on your activity level, height and weight. If it looks like you might want to start increasing calories a bit....then do so gradually (add extra 50 calories a day) until you get to where you want to be.