[quote]ninjaboy wrote:
rich1986 wrote:
Ok now for the hard part… What is the easiest way to loose weight and tone up my stomach without attending a gym.
Amputate an arm and get liposuction. If you’re serious about losing weight and improving your body composition, i.e. tone, you’re going to have to start moving something heavy. I’ll explain why below.
I understand cardio is crucial and i can run a fair few miles. Would this be a good routine to stick to:
mon - tues - wed - thurs - sat morn - sun morn = 3 miles running
3 x 25 sit ups on exercise ball
3 x 10 press ups
If you’re trying to lose weight, this won’t cut it. Replace your running days with some HIIT work, walk 60 seconds and sprint 30 seconds for 10 minutes. Again, you really need to get to the gym and do a workout which includes heavy compound lifts, squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Rippetoe’s starting strength is a good one to start with.
My diet will be ok as i have studied this area before, however, to loose weight… am i shrinking my stomach, eating less, or speeding up my metabolism, eating more?
…
Is the bottom line to this - eat non fats (i can do) do not drink in the week and cut down on lager (i can do) and A LOT of cardio (which i can do)
Based on the second paragraph I quoted, I don’t think you really understand how to diet properly. When you diet, your stomach shrinks do to the lower intake of food, and your metabolism drops. Additonally, since muscle is a metabolicaly expensive tissue(1 lb of muscle requires more calories to maintain then a lb of fat), your body begins to break down your muscle tissue to further reduce your caloric needs. Aerobic work like distance running actually trains your body to function more efficently, so your metabolism drops again. Then you see that you’ve stopped lossing weight, and you drop your intake, and the whole thing cycles downwards until you either stop and blow up like a blimp or end up looking like an Ethiopian marathon runner. That’s why I said you need to lift heavy weights. Lifting forces your body to retain muscle mass, and actually boosts your metabolism, allowing you to maintain a caloric deficit without harming your metabolism. That way, you end up looking lean and muscular, and since your metabolism is still running well, you’re much less likely to gain a ton of fat when you go back to eating normally.
As far as eating non-fats, your body needs fat to function. If you stop giving it the fats it needs, it will hold on to every bit it gets. To get your body to burn fat, you have to
a. Eat enough essential fats.
b. Remove your body’s first choice of fuel, carbs, and
c. Keep your body from canabolizing your muscles by lifting heavy.
Cutting out the lager is a good idea though.
Lastly… up until last year i was regularly jogging, therfore my thighs look out of proportion to my lower leg (calve) how do i reduce the muscle in my thigh?
I’ll bet everything I own that you carry some fat in your thighs as well. I would recommend losing some weight and seeing how your legs look. If they are still out of proportion, do some calf work to increase your lower legs, and go light on the upper leg work.
Sorry for the bit of a harsh post, but I’d rather you think I’m an ass for a few days, weeks, whatever, and remember what I said, than give you sugar coated advice that which you forget about. Read the beginners stickies at the top of this forum, and ask all the questions you like. I promise to be nicer the next time around. Good luck!
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sorry to quote so much -
wow there was a lot it did not know! - thanks for the great reply! - i will take in your points try and draw up a routine and let you know how i get on.
The reason it will be hard to attend a gym is because i will only be using it for 3 months as i am moving soon. I thought most gym subscriptions are annually?
I will post back in a few days…