Weekly Workout Progress

7/28/11

6AM with a 2.50lb sweet potato pie in front of me, you know damn right that thing was gone in a hurry.

As I look at myself now, I would say I'm built more like a swimmer now. My best feature would be my traps. Lost defintion in the abdominal section but I still have a very strong core.

Calfs are a little more muscular.

Diet is pretty much still the same. I haven't weighed myself since December and don't ever plan on weighing myself again. I feel an immense pressure off my shoulders without the constant weigh ins freaking myself out about not making progess... On the flipside, I wonder if that's making me lazy, not working out hard as before.

Routine.

Monday
15-35 minute light to medium cardio session
Dumbbell Bench Press 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Barbell Shrugs 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
Alternating Dumbbell Curls 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
One Arm Cable Tricep Press Down 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Barbell Shoulder Press 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
T-Bar Rows 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Ab Machine 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
15 minute medium cardio session

Tuesday
15-35 minute light cardio session
1 hour hard cardio sessiion alternating sprints and long distance runs
50 push ups

Wednesday
15-35 minute light to medium cardio session
Chest Press Machine 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Barbell Shoulder Shrugs 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
Dumbbell Hammer Curls 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Dumbbell Skullcrushers 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Incline Row Machine 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Ab machine 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
15 minute medium cardio session

Thursday
15-35 minute light to medium cardio session
1 hour hard cardio session alternating between sprints and long distance runs
50 push ups

Friday
15-35 minute light to medium cardio session
Cable Crossover's 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
Barbell Shoulder Shrugs 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
EZ Dumbbell Curls 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Machine Dips 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Dumbbell Vertical Raise 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Pull Down Machine 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
Ab Machine 6 sets of 10 reps 1 minute breaks
15 minute medium cardio session

Saturday
Reverse EZ Bar Curls 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
EZ Bar Wrist Curls 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
Behind-the-back Barbell Wrist Curls 6 sets of 10 reps 15 sec breaks
Dumbbell Calf Raise 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
Smith Machine Calf Raise 6 sets of 10 reps 30 sec breaks
One leg machine calf raise 6 sets of 10 reps drop set
15-30 minute light to medium cardio session
 
whikle said:
I'm certainly not an expert, but I have been doing a LOT of reading lately, and everything I've read about strength training says that high reps with low weights will get you nowhere in terms of definition! You're better off lifting heavy with low reps. And recover in between workouts. And eat your protein :D
Click to expand...

Stop reading and start lifting....consistently

many times you'll find out what works for you just by working out a lot and staying true to your diet

Lift for a few months with a routine and see how it effects your weight, strength and energy....then lift using another routine to see what that does
 
whikle said:
I'm certainly not an expert, but I have been doing a LOT of reading lately, and everything I've read about strength training says that high reps with low weights will get you nowhere in terms of definition! You're better off lifting heavy with low reps. And recover in between workouts. And eat your protein :D
Click to expand...

As a general proposition, increased muscularity, greater muscular definition, occurs when you reduce your body weight by burning more calories than you expend on a daily basis.

You are more likely to burn more calories by doing high repetitions, between 12-25 reps with little rest, less than 1 minute, at whatever weight you use.

When you lift heavier weight with lower reps, somewhere between 6- 8 reps, with more rest between sets, something greater than 1 1/2 minutes, the tendency is to develop more strength and muscle size, while burning fewer calories.

At the end of the day, how you work out simply contributes to the number of calories that you burn on a daily basis. The real contribution to increased muscularity comes through diet and total physical activity. If your diet is high in calories you will probably create a calorie surplus, unless you do a LOT of cardio work to absorb the extra calories. If your diet is lower in calories and you do cardio work you are more likely to have a calorie defecit and see more muscularity.
 
ok seems everyone does some great exersice here

i started walking a little now..(hope i will not give up again lol) but i am afraid i will get thinner .. will walking make my legs more thin? because not something i want i will like a little tone up i need it... and lose some body fat ..
but i don't want my legs to turn more skinny
so what best to do
 
I've been keeping up with a workout regimen since about halfway through college.

I'm 5'7''. In my sophomore year of college, I weighed 170 pounds, which is very overweight.

After I lost a boyfriend, I got motivated to start working out, and really haven't looked back since. I started just with cardio on ellipticals, and ended up around 114 pounds, which is too skinny, I think now.

I stuck with that regimen and around that weight through college. I started dating my first black guy in Senior year, and he really helped my ideals change to something a bit healthier -- I'm now about 125 pounds, which I think is just right.

My workout now is still some cardio, but I've added in anaerobic stuff, particularly squats and lunges. 4 times a week. It really helps me feel energized and makes me feel good about how I look.
 
pettyofficerj said:
Stop reading and start lifting....consistently

many times you'll find out what works for you just by working out a lot and staying true to your diet

Lift for a few months with a routine and see how it effects your weight, strength and energy....then lift using another routine to see what that does
Click to expand...

I am, but I'm not going to walk into a gym and start lifting without knowing what I'm doing, that's not going to get me anywhere. Nothing wrong with having a solid knowledge base to work off.

I've been reading "new rules for lifting" and I'm starting that program this week.



swirlman07 said:
As a general proposition, increased muscularity, greater muscular definition, occurs when you reduce your body weight by burning more calories than you expend on a daily basis.

You are more likely to burn more calories by doing high repetitions, between 12-25 reps with little rest, less than 1 minute, at whatever weight you use.

When you lift heavier weight with lower reps, somewhere between 6- 8 reps, with more rest between sets, something greater than 1 1/2 minutes, the tendency is to develop more strength and muscle size, while burning fewer calories.

At the end of the day, how you work out simply contributes to the number of calories that you burn on a daily basis. The real contribution to increased muscularity comes through diet and total physical activity. If your diet is high in calories you will probably create a calorie surplus, unless you do a LOT of cardio work to absorb the extra calories. If your diet is lower in calories and you do cardio work you are more likely to have a calorie defecit and see more muscularity.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but lifting light weights with high reps as a means to burn calories is probably a bit redundant, don't you think? Burning calories in other ways (like HIIT), while lifting heavy on alternate days is probably more likely to lead to "definition".
 
whikle said:
I am, but I'm not going to walk into a gym and start lifting without knowing what I'm doing, that's not going to get me anywhere. Nothing wrong with having a solid knowledge base to work off.

I've been reading "new rules for lifting" and I'm starting that program this week.





I agree with you, but lifting light weights with high reps as a means to burn calories is probably a bit redundant, don't you think? Burning calories in other ways (like HIIT), while lifting heavy on alternate days is probably more likely to lead to "definition".
Click to expand...

If you are going to start lifting weights, I suggest you start with conditioning and don't do too heavy weights.
Enough weight so that you can do 10-12 reps with good form all the way through is fine in the beginning.
Do that for a 2-3 months and then you can switch it up.
Don't make it too complex in the beginning, it is more important that you get a routine, which I think they say takes about 3 months.

If you can, get a couple of sessions with a certified trainer. Ask around, listen to what people have to say about them. don't just go with anyone.

A nice thing to polish off say an upper body work out is to do intervals on a bike - 30 seconds full blast, 30 seconds slow - no more than 10 reps after the work out - that will boost your metabolism.
Then you can walk at a pace that allows you to breath without strain for 20-30. You can even hold on to light weights when you do this.
That is a good start.
 
bodhesatva said:
I've been keeping up with a workout regimen since about halfway through college.

I'm 5'7''. In my sophomore year of college, I weighed 170 pounds, which is very overweight.

After I lost a boyfriend, I got motivated to start working out, and really haven't looked back since. I started just with cardio on ellipticals, and ended up around 114 pounds, which is too skinny, I think now.

I stuck with that regimen and around that weight through college. I started dating my first black guy in Senior year, and he really helped my ideals change to something a bit healthier -- I'm now about 125 pounds, which I think is just right.

My workout now is still some cardio, but I've added in anaerobic stuff, particularly squats and lunges. 4 times a week. It really helps me feel energized and makes me feel good about how I look.
Click to expand...


That sounds amazing. You should post some before and after pics
 
FG said:
If you are going to start lifting weights, I suggest you start with conditioning and don't do too heavy weights.
Enough weight so that you can do 10-12 reps with good form all the way through is fine in the beginning.
Do that for a 2-3 months and then you can switch it up.
Don't make it too complex in the beginning, it is more important that you get a routine, which I think they say takes about 3 months.

If you can, get a couple of sessions with a certified trainer. Ask around, listen to what people have to say about them. don't just go with anyone.

A nice thing to polish off say an upper body work out is to do intervals on a bike - 30 seconds full blast, 30 seconds slow - no more than 10 reps after the work out - that will boost your metabolism.
Then you can walk at a pace that allows you to breath without strain for 20-30. You can even hold on to light weights when you do this.
That is a good start.
Click to expand...

Thanks, all good advice and all things that this book talks about. It really is a gem, I'd recommend it to anyone!

When I say "lift heavy", I don't mean go crazy and lift more than you can manage, I'm just differentiating between using barbie dumbells and lifting at a weight that will actually build muscle.
 
MrFantastic said:
That sounds amazing. You should post some before and after pics
Click to expand...

I don't actually have a ton of pictures of me digitized from when I was very overweight; I'm 27, so that was almost a decade ago. I could probably go back to my parents, grab some, and digitize them. Because my self esteem was low then, I didn't like my photo taken.

I've got photos of "too skinny" me and "just right" me, though. Here's one of me with my ex-boyfriend (the first black guy I dated) who actually helped me a lot with my self image. He eventually helped me stop focusing on being as skinny as I possibly could. We're in India!

2cyp7qo.jpg


Now here's a more recent one with my current boyfriend. We went to Barcelona together and one of our friends with us was an amateur photographer; we asked him to take some photos for us. This, at least for me, is what I think is just right. I feel very healthy and happy.

14lhgno.jpg
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whikle said:
I am, but I'm not going to walk into a gym and start lifting without knowing what I'm doing, that's not going to get me anywhere. Nothing wrong with having a solid knowledge base to work off.

I've been reading "new rules for lifting" and I'm starting that program this week.





I agree with you, but lifting light weights with high reps as a means to burn calories is probably a bit redundant, don't you think? Burning calories in other ways (like HIIT), while lifting heavy on alternate days is probably more likely to lead to "definition".
Click to expand...

Actually, I don't agree. I didn't suggest that you should use weights as a substitute for cardio activity. My point was that this kind of workout would tend to contribute more to total calories consumed in a day. I also don't agree that heavy, again a relative term, leads to more definition, perhaps to more muscle size. Typically, women who're interested in gaining more definition are less concerned about muscle size and they generally utilize an approach involving lighter weights, higher reps and more cardio work, at least in my experience.

I do agree that you can "preserve" more muscle by using a heavier routine, while you are in a weight, body fat, loss mode. But, again, it's the combination diet and calories consumed during aerobic activity that's responsible for creating more muscle definition, because you are losing body fat. The increased definition comes because you maintain your muscle and you lose body fat. This is the technique that most bodybuilders, including myself, utilize to get ready for contests.
 
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