Toning Up...

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Jkn921
Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've posted a thread but didn't get replies specific to my question. So I've started a new thread

Goal: Lose belly fat and tone up the body

Strategy:
1) Maintain a calorie deficit & keep junk/snack in moderation
2) Add in Strength Training (30 minutes x4 per week)
3) When shall I do cardio or shall I combine it with strength training?

Any more tips?

Starting Weight: 161lbs
Now: 142lbs
Goal: 137lbs
Age: 21
Height: 5'5"
Female

Thanks in advance :)
«134

Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    start strength training now. with only 5 pounds to lose your issues are more related to body composition.

    look up starting strength, strong curves, strong lifts, or new rules of lifting for women.
  • jardimgirl
    jardimgirl Posts: 522 Member
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    does lifting really help with the belly fat though?
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    start strength training now. with only 5 pounds to lose your issues are more related to body composition.

    look up starting strength, strong curves, strong lifts, or new rules of lifting for women.

    I've done low-impact strength training 4 times now, starting a routine of 4 days per week next week
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    does lifting really help with the belly fat though?

    It's meant to build muscle while the calorie deficit burns fat so when you lose enough, you can a better definition of the body which is done via strength training.

    That's what I've read on this site.
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    What is your specific question?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    What's your definition of "toning"?


    And strength training while in a deficit helps retrain muscle, making more of the weight loss fat instead of a mixture of fat and muscle.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    The specific question is: are the things I've mentioned the correct things to do and is there any way to improve my strategy?

    My definition of toning exclusively is seeing muscle definition. My main goal is losing body fat therefore losing weight. I'd like to combine them to get maximum results.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    does lifting really help with the belly fat though?

    It's meant to build muscle while the calorie deficit burns fat so when you lose enough, you can a better definition of the body which is done via strength training.

    That's what I've read on this site.

    Actually, it's meant to maintain muscle while on the calorie deficit. When you're in a deficit you lose muscle, fat, and water. If you lift, you're maintaining as much muscle mass as possible, thus losing mainly fat, giving you definition.

    You can't really gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    does lifting really help with the belly fat though?

    It's meant to build muscle while the calorie deficit burns fat so when you lose enough, you can a better definition of the body which is done via strength training.

    That's what I've read on this site.

    Actually, it's meant to maintain muscle while on the calorie deficit. When you're in a deficit you lose muscle, fat, and water. If you lift, you're maintaining as much muscle mass as possible, thus losing mainly fat, giving you definition.

    You can't really gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

    Thanks for clearing that up
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    1) Maintain a calorie deficit & keep junk/snack in moderation
    2) Add in Strength Training (30 minutes x4 per week)
    3) When shall I do cardio or shall I combine it with strength training?

    For #1, make sure it's not too steep a calorie deficit. If you don't eat sufficient food, you'll lose weight, but that will include more muscle mass. Thin with atrophied muscles is not a great look and isn't the tone you're looking for.

    Since you cannot spot-reduce belly fat, just be patient with your deficit. All the while, include resistance training including either compound lifts or specific core work to retain abdominal musculature.

    You should do cardio whenever it best fits your schedule and your psychology. If you feel like a sexual tyrannosaurus after lifting and can go run five miles, consider structuring your routine so that you capitalize on that. You can do cardio one day, resistance the next, and repeat. Morning or night. As long as you do it.
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    And strength training 4x a week . . . that may be too much depending on what sort of program you're doing. Consult whatever reference material you used to build your routine to see what's optimal.

    For instance, if you're doing low-rep, high-weight compound lifting in order to increase brute strength, you probably don't want to be doing that four times a week.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    1) Maintain a calorie deficit & keep junk/snack in moderation
    2) Add in Strength Training (30 minutes x4 per week)
    3) When shall I do cardio or shall I combine it with strength training?

    For #1, make sure it's not too steep a calorie deficit. If you don't eat sufficient food, you'll lose weight, but that will include more muscle mass. Thin with atrophied muscles is not a great look and isn't the tone you're looking for.

    Since you cannot spot-reduce belly fat, just be patient with your deficit. All the while, include resistance training including either compound lifts or specific core work to retain abdominal musculature.

    You should do cardio whenever it best fits your schedule and your psychology. If you feel like a sexual tyrannosaurus after lifting and can go run five miles, consider structuring your routine so that you capitalize on that. You can do cardio one day, resistance the next, and repeat. Morning or night. As long as you do it.

    It's definitely not a steep calorie deficit.

    That's a good idea doing cardio one day then ST the next - but isn't it a bit too much which is why I ask of doing exercising that combine it? If I don't it'll be: Cardio - ST - Cardio - ST...

    Maybe I'll add low-impact cardio (kickboxing for 10 min) twice per week so its not a drastic burn of calories too soon.

    These are the strength training exercises I do:
    This one I've done as my first video for about 4 times now:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoZsTarI9uA

    Want to start:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPgKYsknKw4
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
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    Oh I'm just spit-balling. I know nothing about your current fitness, your goals, etc. A 20 minute jog might be a warm-up for you, or you might be bedridden for a week.

    So just take it easy and go incrementally in all things. No one just ran out the door and did a marathon. Those guys lifting the big weights are doing exactly the same thing you are: trying to lift five pounds more than last time.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    Oh I'm just spit-balling. I know nothing about your current fitness, your goals, etc. A 20 minute jog might be a warm-up for you, or you might be bedridden for a week.

    So just take it easy and go incrementally in all things. No one just ran out the door and did a marathon. Those guys lifting the big weights are doing exactly the same thing you are: trying to lift five pounds more than last time.

    You've helped me a lot thanks! Yeah that's what I'll do that's why I started with very light strength toning and building up from there :)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    1) Maintain a calorie deficit & keep junk/snack in moderation
    2) Add in Strength Training (30 minutes x4 per week)
    3) When shall I do cardio or shall I combine it with strength training?

    For #1, make sure it's not too steep a calorie deficit. If you don't eat sufficient food, you'll lose weight, but that will include more muscle mass. Thin with atrophied muscles is not a great look and isn't the tone you're looking for.

    Since you cannot spot-reduce belly fat, just be patient with your deficit. All the while, include resistance training including either compound lifts or specific core work to retain abdominal musculature.

    You should do cardio whenever it best fits your schedule and your psychology. If you feel like a sexual tyrannosaurus after lifting and can go run five miles, consider structuring your routine so that you capitalize on that. You can do cardio one day, resistance the next, and repeat. Morning or night. As long as you do it.

    It's definitely not a steep calorie deficit.

    That's a good idea doing cardio one day then ST the next - but isn't it a bit too much which is why I ask of doing exercising that combine it? If I don't it'll be: Cardio - ST - Cardio - ST...

    Maybe I'll add low-impact cardio (kickboxing for 10 min) twice per week so its not a drastic burn of calories too soon.

    These are the strength training exercises I do:
    This one I've done as my first video for about 4 times now:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoZsTarI9uA

    Want to start:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPgKYsknKw4

    The 2nd video is OK, but the first one is basically more cardio. Neither one would I personally deem strength training, but the 2nd looked much closer.
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    1) Maintain a calorie deficit & keep junk/snack in moderation
    2) Add in Strength Training (30 minutes x4 per week)
    3) When shall I do cardio or shall I combine it with strength training?

    For #1, make sure it's not too steep a calorie deficit. If you don't eat sufficient food, you'll lose weight, but that will include more muscle mass. Thin with atrophied muscles is not a great look and isn't the tone you're looking for.

    Since you cannot spot-reduce belly fat, just be patient with your deficit. All the while, include resistance training including either compound lifts or specific core work to retain abdominal musculature.

    You should do cardio whenever it best fits your schedule and your psychology. If you feel like a sexual tyrannosaurus after lifting and can go run five miles, consider structuring your routine so that you capitalize on that. You can do cardio one day, resistance the next, and repeat. Morning or night. As long as you do it.

    It's definitely not a steep calorie deficit.

    That's a good idea doing cardio one day then ST the next - but isn't it a bit too much which is why I ask of doing exercising that combine it? If I don't it'll be: Cardio - ST - Cardio - ST...

    Maybe I'll add low-impact cardio (kickboxing for 10 min) twice per week so its not a drastic burn of calories too soon.

    These are the strength training exercises I do:
    This one I've done as my first video for about 4 times now:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoZsTarI9uA

    Want to start:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPgKYsknKw4

    The 2nd video is OK, but the first one is basically more cardio. Neither one would I personally deem strength training, but the 2nd looked much closer.

    I've decided to do 30 day shred 2-3 times per week as well as mix in lighter weight training from FitnessBlender
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I've decided to do 30 day shred 2-3 times per week as well as mix in lighter weight training from FitnessBlender

    why 'lighter' weight training? you will get a lot more out of lifting things that you find heavy
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
    Options

    I've decided to do 30 day shred 2-3 times per week as well as mix in lighter weight training from FitnessBlender

    why 'lighter' weight training? you will get a lot more out of lifting things that you find heavy

    The weights will be the same I meant the videos that I don't find taxing...I'm not going to overdo hence my reason for doing the 30 Day Shred three times per week
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options

    I've decided to do 30 day shred 2-3 times per week as well as mix in lighter weight training from FitnessBlender

    why 'lighter' weight training? you will get a lot more out of lifting things that you find heavy

    The weights will be the same I meant the videos that I don't find taxing...I'm not going to overdo hence my reason for doing the 30 Day Shred three times per week

    i dont think i really understand, but if the weights arent taxing, you wont get much out of it?
  • hannah_chan
    hannah_chan Posts: 3 Member
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    does lifting really help with the belly fat though?

    It's meant to build muscle while the calorie deficit burns fat so when you lose enough, you can a better definition of the body which is done via strength training.

    That's what I've read on this site.

    Actually, it's meant to maintain muscle while on the calorie deficit. When you're in a deficit you lose muscle, fat, and water. If you lift, you're maintaining as much muscle mass as possible, thus losing mainly fat, giving you definition.

    You can't really gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

    this is totally correct. it's not just about weight, it's more about body composition that determines whether you look 'toned' or not. even if you are at your goal weight, if you have little muscle and most of that weight is fat then you will not look good. Make sure you lift heavy to maintain muscle since when you eat at a deficit you will lose some muscle. You can counteract/minimize this by lifting heavy and eating enough protein.
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