Help with last bit of weight loss and toning up

chrisoldroyd

I have now lost around 32lb but can’t seem to shred the last few pounds. I visit the gym 4 times a week and eat a really healthy diet.

Male

Height 5ft 7

Weight 157lbs

I have calculated my TDEE as 2212 and deducted 500 calories from that figure to lose around 1lb per week. Nothing appears to be moving though and I am still flabby around my stomach area and chest. I am really strict and always under my daily calorie allowance. I guess I need to do more toning exercises but not quite sure which ones.

My weekly gym visits consist of the following:-

Tuesday Spinning calorie burn 600
Wednesday Weights and small amount of cardio 250 calories
Thursday Weights and small amount of cardio 250 calories
Saturday Spinning calorie burn 600

My weights routine consists of using gym machines and the following routines:-

Abdominal Crunches 60 reps 77lbs
Back Extension 60 reps 88lbs
Shoulder Press 30 reps 55lbs
Leg Press 30 reps 165lbs
Leg Curls 30 reps 33lbs
Leg Extension 30 reps 71lbs
Mid Row, Chest Supported, Machine 30 reps 77lbs
Bench (Chest) Press, Machine 30 reps 71lbs
Lat Pulldown 30 reps 100lbs

What extra do I need to do to get rid of this fat around my middle and chest or am I doing something wrong that needs correcting?

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Chris

TavistockToad

reduce your deficit to -10%

find a decent full body strenght training routine to do 3 x per week - not back to back days.

xampx

You say last few lbs.. How many is a few?

If its 10-15, try changing goals to 1/2lb a week. You will need to eat more.

Plus you don't seem to be eating back your exercise calories. I would try doing those 2 things for a month and see what happens.

If you are struggling for calories, try a late night protein shake. (also good for protein, obviously) I use this one http://www.discount-supplements.co.uk/sports-supplements-protein-optimum-health-ultimate-whey-protein-908g-bags its the cheapest I have found online, and I stick it in a blender with milk and a banana

Also agree with the above - don't do back to back weight days

ALittleBitLess1

Have you done any high intensity classess/videos?
maybe give them ago
Also take full advantage of your calourie burn from spinning and do some weights after, just alternate what weights you do so you are not doing the same on consecutive days.

And eat your exercise calories back!!

good luck

sijomial

I wouldn't do cardio and weights on the same days.
I wouldn't do weights on consecutive days.

You might be much better off having two days pure cardio and two (non-consecutive) days pushing your weights much harder.

If you aren't going to eat back your exercise calories then you should reduce your target deficit, say 250 instead of 500 deficit a day.

Zoemarie89

Consider the quality of the calories you're eating - try and eat things which are really high in protein (and a protein shake if you'd be up for that!) such as chicken, fish, beans, etc. Very little point in staying under your calorie goal if you're only eating things like chips. Also, water can make a big difference - if you don't already, try aiming for 5-6 cups of water a day and go higher until you can do 8 You might be suprised at how much 'flab' can be water retention!

Regarding exercise, you should never do the same weights twice in a row. Try segmenting your workouts - Wednesday can be 'Arms Day', or 'Chest/Back Day', Thursday can be 'Legs Day', etc.- gives your muscles a chance to recover and build themselves up again (again, the protein comes in here - speeds up muscle recovery and helps build more muscle).

Finally (and I say this without knowing how hard you are pushing yourself, so take this next part with a pinch of salt!!!) - make sure you are really pushing yourself in your workouts (WITHOUT hurting yourself, obviously). I can see that you're using a lot of weights, which is brilliant - but could you possibly go for more? If not, then stay where you are. BUT if you're working with, let's say, 50lbs - if you stay at that level you can become used to the weights and become complacent, and you won't get as many benefits. I can also see that you're doing loads of reps - 30 reps, 60 reps, etc. That's a lot in one go. Are you doing them all together with relative ease? If you can do 30+ reps of something without needing to stop at any point, then you could definitely try a heavier weight.
Are you doing sets? So for example, rather than doing 30 reps of 50lbs and leaving it there, try upping it to 60lbs (or whatever you can push yourself to) and doing 3/4 sets of 10-12 reps. Do circuits so you don't get bored
Obviously your body is getting stronger the more you workout. So you occasionally need to up the ante and leave your comfort zone - always push to be better and stronger

Hope this helps, Good Luck!!

Capt_Apollo

if i were you, i'd switch to a more traditional barbell training program, such as strong lifts 5x5, or 5/3/1. these programs have an emphasis on such lifts as the dead lift, squat, overhead press, and bench press.

you should also limit your cardio. you can still do some longer stuff, but high intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to go to burn more fat.

but in the end, it really depends on your diet. TDEE - 20% is the rule of thumb. check out intermittent fasting too, the type where you skip breakfast.

xidia

Reduce your deficit to tdee-10%
Drink at least 8 cups of water a day
Eat, at a guess, 130g or more of protein a day (1g/lb lean body mass)
Switch to a 3x week compound strength programme

Losing flab will only make you look better if you have the musculature to.support it, and barbell compounds work every muscle group. Isolation exercises work, well, isolated groups.

chrisoldroyd

I want to lose about 7 or 8lbs more that's all. I don't ever eat my exercise calories back as I believe they are taken into account calculating my TDEE as I put myself down as active 3-5 sessions a week.

Chris

Capt_Apollo

I want to lose about 7 or 8lbs more that's all. I don't ever eat my exercise calories back as I believe they are taken into account calculating my TDEE as I put myself down as active 3-5 sessions a week.

Chris

Here's the thing: that up there is already NOT working for you.

You need to change something. it is most likely your diet that is holding you back. Restricting calories is most likely the culprit.