Skinny-fat - Toning/exercising

pixiefox22
pixiefox22 Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
I am what you can consider "skinny-fat". I'm sure you've heard of this before. I'm petite and everyone says I'm skinny, but I have lots of excess squidge! I'd like to lose the fat and gain a bit of muscle (tone) - Don't wan't to be stick-thin! I'm 22, 5"2, UK size 8, about 125lbs and petite. And I have never, ever exercised. (I can run 6mph for 75 seconds max)

I own a treadmill and I've started using that, I also have a great diet (I know about the diet side to it) but I'm new to all this exercise stuff so I'd really like some advice please.

> Is treadmill alone okay?
> Do I need to do other exercises too? If yes, like what?
> If cardio makes me lose fat, how do I gain muscle so I don't look mega thin but I don't gain muscle like a body builder?

Any advice is welcome, but please be nice!
Thanks all.

Replies

  • slimntrim0884
    slimntrim0884 Posts: 6
    You can gain muscle by just doing some light toning exercises. For example, free weights I think are best. You can target different muscle groups. The key is to have enough weight to where you are still doing the form correctly but towards the end of the reps and sets that you do, your muscles are becoming fatigued. They have several apps that will guide you on the different types of exercise to do and what areas it will help. For example, I have a Nike App that is really great. It's not free but they have plenty of free apps out there.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I used to be skinny fat. To combat the situation, I greatly reduced the amount of cardio I was doing, and I started a heavy lifting program. Light weight with excessive reps is cardio...if you want to change skinny fatness you have to be doing heavier weight with fewer reps.

    I got skinny fat through dieting and excessive cardio with no weight training. I am changing that now (and have been throughout the previous year) by eating properly and weight training. I still do cardio, just not nearly as much as everyone seems to think women should be doing.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    I'm skinny fat too. 5'4 3/4 119lbs, size 4-6. 25% body fat.
    I was told to lift heavy with slight deficit, cardio optional.
    Gaining muscle requires lifting heavy with a caloric surplus. It depends on what ur body fat is to whether u should bulk or cut right now. I will leave that advice to someone more experienced. I have people on my list who are, so mayb they will see this.
  • EjaneK11
    EjaneK11 Posts: 209 Member
    Maybe you should look into Jillian Michael's 30DS. It is a combination of 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, and 1 minute abs. Supposed to help burn calories and tone muscle. I like doing it and it is only 20 minutes long not including the cool down and warm up. I think it may be 24 minutes total?
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I used to be skinny fat. To combat the situation, I greatly reduced the amount of cardio I was doing, and I started a heavy lifting program. Light weight with excessive reps is cardio...if you want to change skinny fatness you have to be doing heavier weight with fewer reps.

    I got skinny fat through dieting and excessive cardio with no weight training. I am changing that now (and have been throughout the previous year) by eating properly and weight training. I still do cardio, just not nearly as much as everyone seems to think women should be doing.

    THIS^^^^^
  • npalacios78
    npalacios78 Posts: 31
    I agree with lifting heavy.........supersets have worked for me (that means one exercise after the other without any rest in between). Don´t worry about gaining muscle like a bodybuilder. It doesn´t take you by surprise. Every pound of muscle is hard earned and goes together with good nutrition and good rest as well.
    What has also worked for me is changing my lifting routine every four weeks. It confuses your muscles (which means growth) and it also makes it fun!
    It´s an advantage that you haven´t exercised before. You are going to see great changes on the first weeks! So go ahead, check with your MD if you can do all exercises, and watch yourself change. Don´t forget to take pics right now so you can stay motivated as you gradually reach your goal .
    Best of luck.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    > If cardio makes me lose fat, how do I gain muscle so I don't look mega thin but I don't gain muscle like a body builder?
    If you don't want to look like a bodybuilder, it's very simple - stay away from anabolic steroids. Gaining muscle in a caloric deficit is basically impossible aside from a couple pounds of "noob gains" when you first start. Women have a harder time than men building mass because they have about 1/10 the testosterone men do. Even when eating in a caloric surplus with an optimal diet, workout and supplementation program, women are capable of putting on about a pound of muscle per month. So suffice it to say, you're not going to suddenly wake up looking all jacked and hyooge overnight....or even over the span of several months. If you do by chance happen to be a genetic outlier (aka unique snowflake) who can pack muscle on, the solution is simple - if you see yourself getting big, back down on the weights a bit.

    Strength training is the answer you're looking for. Cardio doesn't build muscle, and it has the potential to take a lot of lean body mass (of which muscle is a component) along with the fat when you're losing weight. Strength training (along with adequate protein intake) helps preserve lean body mass while in a deficit, so a significantly larger percent of your loss is fat.
  • pixiefox22
    pixiefox22 Posts: 2
    Thanks all, you've been very helpful! :)
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    You are not going to bulk up. You have no idea the effort people that look like that go to. So stop using that as excuse. Pick heavy things up, put them down, repeat.

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