PLEASE HELP - need some advice

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PrincessGlitterTush
PrincessGlitterTush Posts: 388
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys..

I really hope I can get some good advice off of this post as sometimes I dont get responses.. :)

I'm really trying to get back into gyming and wondered if this was enough exercise to help lose weight and build muscle?
It really feels like I'm not doing enough and that I should be doing more.. I dont know though so if anyone could help with some advice I'd be really grateful..

So the routine is:

Monday:
5 min warmup
10 min jog
3 sets lat pulldown
3 sets bicep curls
3 sets tricep pushdown
3 sets dumbbell front raise
5 min cooldown

Wednesday:
5 min warmup
3 sets crunches
3 sets plank
3 sets bent knee hip raise
10 min interval training
5 min cooldown

Friday:
5 min warup
3 sets squat
3 sets lunges
3 sets lying abduction
3 sets leg curls
10 min jog
5min cooldown

Saturday:
30 min brisk walk

So thats the workout and I should do this for 6 weeks apparently, then move on up to the next one. I lift as heavy as I can so I can increase my weights as I want to build muscle too.. I'm just not sure what to do. I did do the first stage of New Rules for Lifting for Women and could tell I got stronger but I didn't lose weight on that.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I love doing weights but I feel like it's not helping my with the weight loss.
Also I am going back to my soccer training - but thats only once or twice a week.

PLEASE HELP.. :)

Replies

  • briocktj
    briocktj Posts: 128
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    I would be interested in the responses you get to this. I really, REALLY, really need to work on my arms... I love to wear tanks and sleeveless tops, so.... I have got to get some help on how to tone them up
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    building muscle and losing fat are opposite goals.

    its very hard to do both at the same time, if not impossible.

    If you say you've put on muscle then you've gained muscle weight. Its not about weight. Its about body fat %. the best you can probably expect if you want to lose body fat or weight..is to maintain muscle mass and lose body fat. Not gain muscle mass AND lose weight. That just doesnt happen.

    if you are truely interested in muscle building, i suggest join bodybuilding.com. their forums are full of women who are professional fitness models/athletes and give great advice.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    I would be interested in the responses you get to this. I really, REALLY, really need to work on my arms... I love to wear tanks and sleeveless tops, so.... I have got to get some help on how to tone them up

    You cant 'tone'. toning is losing body fat to reveal muscle definition. No amount of bicep curls are going to firm up you arms if they are covered in adipose tissue.
  • briocktj
    briocktj Posts: 128
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    My arms arent huge right now, (they are much bigger than I would like) but I have 2 friends who were more overweight than I am and when they lost weight, they had skin just hanging on their arms and I want to avoid that if I can. Is there no way to do that?
  • PrincessGlitterTush
    PrincessGlitterTush Posts: 388
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    Thanks Xray.. I know they're sort of opposites in terms of goals.. But I keep reading that the more muscle you have the more you burn at rest. What do you suggest? I am quite strong.. maybe not in my arms so much, but my legs (like I said I play soccer and have for over 10 years)..
    Should I focus more on doing interval training to burn fat and maintain my strength instead of increasing it by combining it with weights?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Losing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise.

    The gym routine sounds fine as a general muscle work-out, and it's good you're lifting heavy. But it's not going to help you lose weight.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    You should focus on your measurements. The scale is a liar. Focus on fitness. You'll feel better.
  • flimflamfloz
    flimflamfloz Posts: 1,980 Member
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    I did do the first stage of New Rules for Lifting for Women and could tell I got stronger but I didn't lose weight on that.. [...] I love doing weights but I feel like it's not helping my with the weight loss.
    Bodybuilding exercises are muscle building exercises, so they should logically increase your weight.
    So, it is not surprising you did not lose weight on that.

    However, bodybuilding is helping with the weight loss since it increases your BMR. I would do a quick search on the forums to understand how bodybuilding helps with the weight loss if I were you.
  • PrincessGlitterTush
    PrincessGlitterTush Posts: 388
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    Thanks guys.. So am I to do more cardio instead?

    My primary goal at the moment is to lose weight as I'm about 25kg over what I should be.. I just don't want to lose muscle too
  • HanneK
    HanneK Posts: 54 Member
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    If you workout strenght you get a higher matabolism since mucles burn more fat for a longer periode than just cardio.
    The best is to combine the two.
    If you've not been working out much, begin with two cardio, where one is with high intensety(intervall) and one is moderate(1 hour easy jogging/brisk walking) and one where you focus on strenght. With 10 min warm up.

    Of course you can do strength before or after your cardio.
    If you want to shape your body, do the strenght part first and cardio after. If it's dexterety ou want, do the cardio first and then strength. Nothing wrong in combinding the two :smile:

    If you don't want to lose mucles, you should do both :wink:
    Remeber that you will lose bodyfat, and gain mucles(that will burn more fat). More mucles = more burned fat :smile:
  • HanneK
    HanneK Posts: 54 Member
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    To make myself clearer:
    If you want to loose weight, you have to train strenght. You shape your body and get a higher metabolism when you're resting.
    Or else your body will lose mucles. The last thing the body burn is fat if it gets to choose.

    Don't mean to look condesending, but you got it right. If you do strenght, you body will burn more fat when you're resting :smile:
    (I just go a little frustrated)
  • PrincessGlitterTush
    PrincessGlitterTush Posts: 388
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    Thanks for the advice guys.. appreciate it.. Still not 100% sure what I should do and whether or not this workout is good enough though. I'll just keep on pushing on though :)

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