What is a realistic exercise/time goal?

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pluralsquirrel
pluralsquirrel Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been trying to figure this out. My husband (6'2", 27, 190lb with about 11% body fat) works out 3-4 times a week doing 20 minute at home body weight to failure workouts.

I (5'7", 24, 145lbs with about 24%bf) am trying to be closer to his body type (probably about 20%bf) and am doing his workouts because they work for him. I track my eating (getting back on the wagon with that) and consume about 1400 cleanish calories a day.

I saw an article about what is required to become a fitness model - http://goo.gl/O1mUEc - and I am most interested in looking like what the woman looked like in her strength building phase. In the article, it says she did strength training at the gym 5 days a week and 3-30 minute cardio sessions.

My questions are - What is a reasonable goal? Does one have to workout as much as listed in the above paragraph to get the desired results, or will working out like my husband get the same results in a longer amount of time?

Replies

  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    some girls follow the workout program of a fitness model they like to try and achieve their look. Depending on you and your efforts will determine how close you get to the ideal fitness body, that's why some girls go on stage to have their efforts judged. Your husbands program may work for you, the only way to find out is to give it a try and if its not working , try something else. . A reasonable goal is to be the best you can be. Some girls will pump up quick, other girls it takes longer, you have to figure out what works for you. its gonna take playing around with diet and exercise to figure that out. Regardless if you put in the time and effort, you'll probably be very happy with a fit strong body you get from her program or from your husbands program or even a combination of both.
  • Ngegee
    Ngegee Posts: 35 Member
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    I don't really know any girls who look like the model in the article (I wish! ) but the girls in my gym who do look like that seem to be in there every day, so I think -yes, if you want to model look then it'll take a lot of sessions every week
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I think if his workouts work for him they're likely to work for you. I read about a lot of fitness professionals that do it that way-- Not much time in the gym (or home gym) but they're consistent about the short, HARD, targeted workouts they do.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited February 2016
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    SonyaCele wrote: »
    some girls follow the workout program of a fitness model they like to try and achieve their look. Depending on you and your efforts will determine how close you get to the ideal fitness body, that's why some girls go on stage to have their efforts judged...

    I think it's worth mentioning that genetics play a significant part in it too. It can be a futile/frustrating thing to model your goal after somebody who's built completely different than you. Everybody can make significant, even dramatic improvements to their physique, but not everybody has the potential to reach the "ideal" body that somebody else has.


    With that said, getting the body of a physique competitor certainly takes a lot of hard work and dedication to both diet and training. A female friend of mine was a physique competitor, was good enough to get her IFBB Pro card, and quit after two years. She couldn't stand having to be so constantly neurotic about her diet and training, she felt like it consumed her entire life (which it basically did). The pre-contest prep drove her crazy and she said she felt like death on contest days. While she was (very rightfully) proud of what she accomplished and looked absolutely dynamite, it just wasn't worth it to her to continue with it - she felt like the massive sacrifices she had to make weren't worth the rewards. She still works out and watches her diet (and her physique is still outstanding), but is much more relaxed about it now and enjoys life a lot more.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I have never competed and I definitely do not look like this now, but a long time ago when I was your age, I looked close to what you are trying to accomplish. My routine back then was at least a couple of hours cardio on week days, plus strength training. It was never a plan designed to get these goals, so probably there would have been more effective ways to get there, it was mostly because I really enjoyed being at the gym (liked exercise, had friends there etc). The one friend I have who still looks like this at 40, she spends about one hour daily cycling or running, plus about one hour doing bodyweight training. 6 days per week.
  • pluralsquirrel
    pluralsquirrel Posts: 4 Member
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    Haha, now I know you don't get notifications when people respond on the message board..

    Thanks for all of your tips! I do want to mention that I don't want to look like a fitness model that is ready to compete, but what they usually look like in their bulking phase. Hopefully that will be a bit easier to accomplish.

    How long would you suggest I try my husband's workout plan before I decide it's not working for me? I have been doing it for about a month. (Also it's doesn't have any cardio because he has the genetics of an antelope)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    slribble wrote: »
    Haha, now I know you don't get notifications when people respond on the message board..

    Thanks for all of your tips! I do want to mention that I don't want to look like a fitness model that is ready to compete, but what they usually look like in their bulking phase. Hopefully that will be a bit easier to accomplish.

    How long would you suggest I try my husband's workout plan before I decide it's not working for me? I have been doing it for about a month. (Also it's doesn't have any cardio because he has the genetics of an antelope)

    IMO, a "fitness body" is derived from the cumulative effect of living a fitness centric lifestyle. I've been at this stuff for over three years now and my physique continues to change...it is dramatically different than it was three years ago...but it is the cumulative effect of good livin' for three years, not a few weeks or months. Discipline, consistency, patience, and time...

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