Almost at goal weight- want to start toning & gaining muscle

Hi, here any my 2 pennies worth.

There is no reason why you cannot incorporate cardio into your workouts. There are a lot of conflicting theories about which cardio is best for fat loss and maintaining muscle, like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low intensity Steady State). You need to work out what works for your body best, try a bit of both, I incorporate HITT and lower intensity cardio into a workout and switch it up every couple of weeks. this seems to work for me.

Weight machines are great for isolating the muscles and they reduce the risk of injury, but if you want to gain a bit of muscle and tone up I would suggest free weights, three great exercises are: Squats, dead lifts and bench press, they all incorporate multiple muscle groups.

Depending on what your schedule is like you can have a split workout over 4/5 days working the whole body over a week or you could do whole body workouts so everything is done in one day

have a read of this and see what you think.

http://www.builtlean.com/2011/09/15/full-body-workout-vs-split-routine-which-is-better/

http://straighthealth.com/pages/articles/earticles/full-body-vs-split-routine.html

I would also suggest getting some BCAA's (Branched chain amino acids to take after your workout with your protein shake, it will help the muscles recover faster.

You are very much where I am. I am 5' 2", 107 pounds. I just finished insanity exactly a week ago, and I'm really wanting to tone and get some serious muscle. So what I have done is switch to strength training. I'm doing P90X right now which I would highly recommend-it's relatively straightforward and you don't have to worry about coming up with your own regimen and not know what to do. Plus, that way you can get your cardio in-P90X does weight lifting Monday, Wednesday, Friday with plyometrics, kenpo, and yoga on the off days. But even with strength training in general you do weights roughly 3 times a week with some kind of cardio on the off days in between. So you could easily fit in T25 and do some running on the off days no problem. And if you're like me, I thought the P90X version of plyo was too easy so I might switch it out with max plyo from insanity haha.

You can do cardio but it makes weight gain more difficult if done in extremes (you need to eat back all the calories). Keep doing the cardio but ease back on it (if it's extreme). Everything is about balance and sometimes that balance has to shift. It's all based on what you want.

In fact, you're already seeing results from that. The fat has come off from the cardio but the training and protein supplements left a toned body beneath the fat. Your arms are living proof. But you are right, you do have a scary change - nothing more than mental, though. Keep this in mind: You demonstrated you can cut weight and stick with it. If you gain any fat back, you can burn it back off again by easing back into more cardio. Doubtful you will have to do that, though.

Yes, traditional training is cut then "bulk" (tone, in this case) but nothing says you *have* to do that. Cardio is only bad for the tone/lean muscle if you're not eating calories back. You may not actually like eating as much as you thought lol. I wish I had the room for a machine

Google is your friend but Amazon has a variety of good books - just find a resource that isn't part of that "all cardio is evil" stance. The "New Rules" books are purportedly very good as I'm sure you've discovered. Just be sure to get books targeted towards ladies since men tend to follow a different regimen.

Nothing wrong with machine weights. Women worry about "bulking" instead of toning. Under normal fitness and diet circumstances a lady won't bulk. Low weight, high reps. Do exercises that target a variety of muscle groups. Make sure you rest every other day. That's it.

Running is good for your lower body and will actually yield toning. Nothing wrong with it. Think of running as low-weight, high reps. The weight is your body weight (kind of like calisthenics).

I do cardio+resistance and it has worked out exceptional for me. I love eating the calories back. I've built my body in a slow but constant cut. It's a lifestyle now and it's actually very easy imo. (I don't log my resistance stuff btw; it's in Excel)

Here's my training:
1. Cardio - 2.5 to 3+ hours/week, high intensity cycling.
2. Weights - .75 - 1.5 hours/week total. 2-3 sessions/week. Rest every other day. Push-ups, decline weighted sit-ups, dips/bench-ups, jack-knife situps, inner bicep curls, barbell fly, skullcrushers, side laterals, dumbbell press, lunges.

And congratulations on approaching your goal

As has been said, Cardio is fine, but if looking to gain, you'll need to eat back the calories, so therefore I'd keep the sessions short.

As for programs, you've already been given a few, so just to add Strong lifts 5x5, and Staring strength.

I'd keep to the basics - Full body work as opposed to a split - Just my 2 pence worth.

I'd also disagree with the wording on one of Glewry's points - "Weight machines are great for isolating the muscles and they reduce the risk of injury".... Not having a pop at Glewry here, but I hate this statement.... Just watch the people using the chest press with their head off the support (brings shoulders in to the lift, injury risk)..... That statement need one thing adding - "Weight machines are great for isolating the muscles and they reduce the risk of injury, Providing they are used correctly"...

In saying that, I'd still go for free weights, keep it light, and Nail the form first, Good form > Heavier weight, all day long... It'll also reduce injury risk, and once the forms drummed into you, you'll keep that wen you increase the weights later

Bumping as I'm just at the beginner stage of strength training and appreciate any info I can learn from - many thanks to those replying and to op for posting!:bigsmile:

Google is your friend but Amazon has a variety of good books - just find a resource that isn't part of that "all cardio is evil" stance. The "New Rules" books are purportedly very good as I'm sure you've discovered. Just be sure to get books targeted towards ladies since men tend to follow a different regimen.

Actually the premise of the New Rules book is that ladies should train the same as men.

Google is your friend but Amazon has a variety of good books - just find a resource that isn't part of that "all cardio is evil" stance. The "New Rules" books are purportedly very good as I'm sure you've discovered. Just be sure to get books targeted towards ladies since men tend to follow a different regimen.

Actually the premise of the New Rules book is that ladies should train the same as men.

Fine by me! Like I implied, never read it (especially a ladies edition). lol

How much extra should be eaten when trying to gain muscle? is there a percentage rule for instance?

You can use the Scooby calculator and choose "build muscle, lose fat" as your goal and see what your suggested calories would be.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

When I finished Insanity, I was below my goal weight. 5 ft 3 in and 103 pounds. I was still not happy with my belly. I started ChaLean Extreme (another BB program) which is weight lifting geared toward women. Six weeks in, I had maintained my weight and dropped my body fat from 22.4 to 17.9 as per a trainer at the gym (caliper test). I have not had it checked since then, but my belly has gotten a little smaller. I'm keeping my weight the same, so with recomposition this is a slllooooow process. I eat 1,700-1,800 calories a day. I just started month four of ChaLean. Google it. It is strenght training 3x a week plus cardio 2x. I usually run on the extra off day. I'm lifting 8-25 lbs.

:bigsmile:

I am in the same boat as the orginal poster. I am 5'2 and 106.6 pounds my goal weight is 105. I am curently in my 3rd week of Focus T25, I have lost 15 pounds since completeing Insanity and starting T25. I don;t have the body I want at this weight, so now I am thinking it's time to tone. I don't want to be a toothpick with a flabby stomach, I want to be toned. I might just try this Charlene Extreme that the other ladies have mentioned. Previously I have stayed away from weight training, because I do not like muscular arms, and I get muscle arms pretty fast. But I think in order for me to get the body I want I need more strength training and to up my calories. However, I am not ready to up my calories until after the Holidays. Glad I found this post. Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions!

As has been said, Cardio is fine, but if looking to gain, you'll need to eat back the calories, so therefore I'd keep the sessions short.

As for programs, you've already been given a few, so just to add Strong lifts 5x5, and Staring strength.

I'd keep to the basics - Full body work as opposed to a split - Just my 2 pence worth.

I'd also disagree with the wording on one of Glewry's points - "Weight machines are great for isolating the muscles and they reduce the risk of injury".... Not having a pop at Glewry here, but I hate this statement.... Just watch the people using the chest press with their head off the support (brings shoulders in to the lift, injury risk)..... That statement need one thing adding - "Weight machines are great for isolating the muscles and they reduce the risk of injury, Providing they are used correctly"...

In saying that, I'd still go for free weights, keep it light, and Nail the form first, Good form > Heavier weight, all day long... It'll also reduce injury risk, and once the forms drummed into you, you'll keep that wen you increase the weights later

I'm going to take this a s step further. "Machines are great for isolating muscles and reduce the risk of injury" and "Providing they are used correctly" Partially true partially not. Weight machines reduce the risk of pinning youself under a bar, or possibly dropping a dumbell, or any of a slew of other accidents that can happen with free weights, but Machines do not reduce joint injury, some might argue that they facilitate it by limiting your natural range of motion. Not everyone is built the same and therefore putting everyone into the same range of motion track can cause problems.
Not trying to blast anyone here just wanted to point it out. My two cents don't be afraid of free weights if, just lift correctly, and intelligently nad always, ALWAYS use a spotter on hevy compund lifts.