Need a simple fitness plan please help!
Options
rhirvo
Posts: 162 Member
I am a newly single mom finally getting back on the horse and into the gym 3 days a week. I am looking to build a 5 day a week workout schedule and am looking for a little help/guidance. I am currently 145lbs and 5'7 and lack tone in my lower body. I have been on a 1200 calorie diet and am on week 2 and am finding it easy enough to create the deficit. I am sort of lost on how many days to do weights and how many days to just do cardio? Should I be focusing more on doing mostly leg weights if that is where I want to tone up more? My goal weight is 135 with a toned appearance. Thank you 
0
Replies
-
I would recommend 5 days if cardio, 3 days of strength training. The three days should be push pull legs/shoulders. Push:chest and triceps pull:back and biceps. If you want more focus on your legs you could do a fourth leg day too.
Most people will recommend finding premade programs but if you want to build your own this is a good set up. You'll want to do about 5 different exercises each day.
Example my push day is: incline bench, dumbell bench, cable chest exercise, cable triceps. All of those are 5 sets of 10.
0 -
Thank you so much tillerstouch. Do you also agree weights before cardio? Is 30min of cardio enough?0
-
tillerstouch wrote: »I would recommend 5 days if cardio, 3 days of strength training.
This seems overly excessive.
OP, if you're going to do that you will most definitely need more than 1200 calories.
0 -
Is there something less excessive that you can think of Eating the calorie deficit is actually the easiest part for me so is there a better work out regime you can think of?0
-
_dracarys_ wrote: »This seems overly excessive.
OP, if you're going to do that you will most definitely need more than 1200 calories.
I'm on a cut right now and get about 1100 calories while maintaining muscle mass. 1200 calories is fine if don't right. Also OP said they were looking for about 5 day workout regimen.
I think 30 minutes is plenty I personally do about 20 minutes of hiit including warmup/cooldown. Alsp I think cardio before lifting is good because it helps warm your body up.
0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »_dracarys_ wrote: »This seems overly excessive.
OP, if you're going to do that you will most definitely need more than 1200 calories.
I'm on a cut right now and get about 1100 calories while maintaining muscle mass. 1200 calories is fine if don't right. Also OP said they were looking for about 5 day workout regimen.
I think 30 minutes is plenty I personally do about 20 minutes of hiit including warmup/cooldown. Alsp I think cardio before lifting is good because it helps warm your body up.
1100 calories? And you're a 21 yr old male? Lort jesus...and unless you meant to say "5 days of cardio and on 3 of those days you should also lift" you gave her 8 days of work to do. The push/pull/legs regimen is fine, but I think piling on 5 additional days of cardio is excessive.
OP, you first have to decide what you like to do and if those things align with your goals. I lost 28 pounds lifting weights and not one minute of cardio. I prefer weight lifting, but now I run 1 day a week just to get outside. Is that the right thing to do? For me, yes. It aligns with my goals of wanting to be strong and wanting to look good. Combined with the right diet, lifting does wonders for your body composition. I would find a program and go for it.0 -
Is there something less excessive that you can think of Eating the calorie deficit is actually the easiest part for me so is there a better work out regime you can think of?
Look at http://www.bodyrock.tv/, a lot of body weight workouts there and a lot of good literature towards cutting and toning that might fit your lifestyle with such a calorie restriction.
0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »_dracarys_ wrote: »This seems overly excessive.
OP, if you're going to do that you will most definitely need more than 1200 calories.
I'm on a cut right now and get about 1100 calories while maintaining muscle mass. 1200 calories is fine if don't right. Also OP said they were looking for about 5 day workout regimen.
I think 30 minutes is plenty I personally do about 20 minutes of hiit including warmup/cooldown. Alsp I think cardio before lifting is good because it helps warm your body up.
Are you 5 feet tall dude? There's no way that you're working out and retaining all of your muscle on that low of a diet.0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »_dracarys_ wrote: »This seems overly excessive.
OP, if you're going to do that you will most definitely need more than 1200 calories.
I'm on a cut right now and get about 1100 calories while maintaining muscle mass. 1200 calories is fine if don't right. Also OP said they were looking for about 5 day workout regimen.
I think 30 minutes is plenty I personally do about 20 minutes of hiit including warmup/cooldown. Alsp I think cardio before lifting is good because it helps warm your body up.
Are you 5 feet tall dude? There's no way that you're working out and retaining all of your muscle on that low of a diet.
He's been doing it for all of a week. I wouldn't pay attention to his advice.
OP, my suggestion is to get on an actual established lifting plan, not to make one up. Below, there is an non-exhaustive list of beginner plans. Read through them. Pick one. Follow it. It will tell you how many days to do which exercises. As for cardio, the amount you do is up to you. I like cardio so I don't mind doing it. When I lift three days a week, I do three days of cardio. When I lift four days, I do two days of cardio. I just aim to workout six days a week. I prefer walking and some running, for 20-40 minutes, depending on how I feel.
As for your diet, 1200 calories at your height and weight is needlessly low. I would set up your MFP profile to lose .5 pounds a week, log your exercise, and eat the exercise calories. After four weeks assess your progress. Losing too fast? Eat a bit more. Losing too slow? Eat a bit less (e.g., eat 75% of your exercise calories.) Losing at a good rate? Keep doing what you're doing.
Strength training programs
* Strong Curves - http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates.pdf
* All Pro's - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
* NROLFW - http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women
* Stronglifts - http://stronglifts.com/
* 5/3/1 (get the book but this is a calculator) - https://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator
* Greyskull - http://strengthvillain.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89
* Fierce 5 - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631
* Lyle McDonald's barbell and machine routines - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html/
* A Workout Routine (beginner) - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/0 -
Are you 5 feet tall dude? There's no way that you're working out and retaining all of your muscle on that low of a diet.
5'7 lol and no obviously I can't retain all of my muscle mass but what I've lost is mostly in my arms because I do a lot less lifting that isolates my biceps/triceps.
@_dracarys_ obviously I meant 5 days of cardio in 3 days of lifting do weight lifting. OP understood what I was saying, hense them asking if cardio is best before weight lifting. But if you feel like you need to pick apart sentence structure go right ahead.
And to respond to both of you the reason I'm on such a low calorie diet is because like I said I'm in the middle of a cut. The lifting I do is to retain as much muscle as possible not to gain muscle. I'm trying to cut fat.
0 -
If you want a simple fitness routine you can't get much more simple than this.
StrongLifts 5x5 3x per week. About the most basic strength building routine you can do.
Cardio 2x/week, Do whatever you want, however long you want, or even not at all. If you do cardio, just push yourself a little further every day. You walked 2.1mph yesterday, walk 2.2mph today.
However, you don't even need 5 days a week in the gym for reasonable results. You could actually go simpler and follow the routine in the hackers diet guid - https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/exercise.html
To get a "toned" look, you want to maintain or build muscle and lose fat until you get to the appearance you are looking for. To maintain muscle will take resistance training and sufficient protein, losing weight means eating at a deficit. You can't spot reduce, so doing more leg exercises won't do anything for looking "toned", but they might make you stronger and help build bigger muscles.0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »Are you 5 feet tall dude? There's no way that you're working out and retaining all of your muscle on that low of a diet.
5'7 lol and no obviously I can't retain all of my muscle mass but what I've lost is mostly in my arms because I do a lot less lifting that isolates my biceps/triceps.
@_dracarys_ obviously I meant 5 days of cardio in 3 days of lifting do weight lifting. OP understood what I was saying, hense them asking if cardio is best before weight lifting. But if you feel like you need to pick apart sentence structure go right ahead.
And to respond to both of you the reason I'm on such a low calorie diet is because like I said I'm in the middle of a cut. The lifting I do is to retain as much muscle as possible not to gain muscle. I'm trying to cut fat.
Just because op knew what you meant doesn't mean the 100 people lurking this thread know what you mean. I'm not even touching the 1100 calorie thing other than to say it's wrong for most of the general population.0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »Are you 5 feet tall dude? There's no way that you're working out and retaining all of your muscle on that low of a diet.
5'7 lol and no obviously I can't retain all of my muscle mass but what I've lost is mostly in my arms because I do a lot less lifting that isolates my biceps/triceps.
@_dracarys_ obviously I meant 5 days of cardio in 3 days of lifting do weight lifting. OP understood what I was saying, hense them asking if cardio is best before weight lifting. But if you feel like you need to pick apart sentence structure go right ahead.
And to respond to both of you the reason I'm on such a low calorie diet is because like I said I'm in the middle of a cut. The lifting I do is to retain as much muscle as possible not to gain muscle. I'm trying to cut fat.
You say this as if "a cut" requires a very low calorie diet when it does not. Simply put, you have absolutely no good reason to be eating that low. Obviously you can do whatever you want, it's your body and it doesn't affect anybody else, but eating that little is not required in order to lose fat.0 -
@jemhh I'll let you go do some research on a cutting phase. It's not required to lose fat but it is a good way to lose fat quickly.0
-
tillerstouch wrote: »@jemhh I'll let you go do some research on a cutting phase. It's not required to lose fat but it is a good way to lose fat quickly.
No need for research. A 21 yo male eating 1100 calories per day for a "cut" (which you seem to think is a special weight loss category separate from general weight loss) is stupid, plain and simple.0 -
tillerstouch wrote: »@jemhh I'll let you go do some research on a cutting phase. It's not required to lose fat but it is a good way to lose fat quickly.
No need for research. A 21 yo male eating 1100 calories per day for a "cut" (which you seem to think is a special weight loss category separate from general weight loss) is stupid, plain and simple.
especially when the actual research (not broscience) says that 0.5-1% of your body weight per week is the optimal rate to reduce FFM loss.0 -
You guys can lose weight your way I'll stick to mine. Personally I like that I can lose 20 pounds in two moths while maintaining most of my muscle.0
-
Some good advice here. Just remember to enjoy what you're doing and don't over think it.0
-
tillerstouch wrote: »_dracarys_ wrote: »This seems overly excessive.
OP, if you're going to do that you will most definitely need more than 1200 calories.
I'm on a cut right now and get about 1100 calories while maintaining muscle mass. 1200 calories is fine if don't right. Also OP said they were looking for about 5 day workout regimen.
I think 30 minutes is plenty I personally do about 20 minutes of hiit including warmup/cooldown. Alsp I think cardio before lifting is good because it helps warm your body up.
Are you 5 feet tall dude? There's no way that you're working out and retaining all of your muscle on that low of a diet.
He's been doing it for all of a week. I wouldn't pay attention to his advice.
OP, my suggestion is to get on an actual established lifting plan, not to make one up. Below, there is an non-exhaustive list of beginner plans. Read through them. Pick one. Follow it. It will tell you how many days to do which exercises. As for cardio, the amount you do is up to you. I like cardio so I don't mind doing it. When I lift three days a week, I do three days of cardio. When I lift four days, I do two days of cardio. I just aim to workout six days a week. I prefer walking and some running, for 20-40 minutes, depending on how I feel.
As for your diet, 1200 calories at your height and weight is needlessly low. I would set up your MFP profile to lose .5 pounds a week, log your exercise, and eat the exercise calories. After four weeks assess your progress. Losing too fast? Eat a bit more. Losing too slow? Eat a bit less (e.g., eat 75% of your exercise calories.) Losing at a good rate? Keep doing what you're doing.
Strength training programs
* Strong Curves - http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates.pdf
* All Pro's - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
* NROLFW - http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women
* Stronglifts - http://stronglifts.com/
* 5/3/1 (get the book but this is a calculator) - https://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator
* Greyskull - http://strengthvillain.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89
* Fierce 5 - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631
* Lyle McDonald's barbell and machine routines - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html/
* A Workout Routine (beginner) - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/
This is good advice. Remember to try to net 1200 calories at the least0 -
At your height and weight you are fairly close to your normal weight range. I would focus more on weight training than cardio. If you want to see definition, keep your nutrition on point. I would up your cals to at least 15000
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 394 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 952 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions