Love Handles and Belly Fat

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
1

i have the hardest time loosing my love handles and belly fat. everything else looks somewhat ok…well, i want to gain muscle mass overall but my main goal is to loose the handles. what tips and tricks can you guys give me? specific workout routine? cardio? or will building muscles and working out regularly eventually burn those ??

i just started doing push/pull splits with 15 minutes of HIIT cardio afterwards. It seems to work alright so far…i mean, i sweat a lot and feel really beat but also great afterwards.

my diet is very healthy and i usually have a postworkout shake followed by some buffalo with greens.

any advice would be great.

2

Well you haven’t been at it for that long… You registered with this site and began learning 3-4 weeks ago? Or initial post happened around the.

Well since I think you want an honest answer… It’s going to take more time then you think, whats your bodyfat % at?

You’re going to have to do more cardio then 15min of HiiT for more progress.

Recommend 1-2 seperate cardio workouts in the day other then that 15 min of HiiT.

You’ll lose some fat but 15 min of HiiT will only be able to produce so much. So a light to moderate energy level of 45min cardio in the morning. Have some type of 30-45 min cardio mid/end of day. Or make that post-workout cardio longer. Try for 20-30 minutes until you can do like 45min.

Just focus on building muscle if your unable to add in more cardio workouts that will be the greatest asset overtime . If you have bellyfat and love handles then you also have fat between your internal organs. It’s going to take more time and effort. Also fat isn’t restricted to just your midsection.

Fat on the back, lowerback, thighs, calves, arms, shoulders, everywhere ^_~ Fat is an equal opportunity part of your body.

3

Overtime building muscles will increase your bodies effective calorie burn per hour efficiency. Keep eating right, pour on the protein, and make sure to tell your muscles to grow.

4

The above advice is great and all but 90% of this boils down to your diet you say its great but well are you sure you should be able to shed fat without adding a ton of cardio if you want and use the gym to preserve and build Muscle.

Then again cardio isnt horrid but really not 100% a need and not in Crazy quantities.

What are you actually eating, what are you doing in the Gym and well you need to be consistent as well and go for the long haul 1-2 lbs a week and some nice body comp changes make LIFESTYLE changes etc

Phill

5

thanks for the advice.
i am going to the gym about 4-5 times a week doing push-pull splits and cardio. will try to up my cardio though and maybe get in an extra day for longer runs.

i think my eating plan just needs to be adjusted right.

i currently eat:
morning : bowl of muesli and banana shake with lowfat milk
snack: nuts
lunch: wholewheat sandwich with avocado, cheese and ham or brown rice with leftover chicken
snack: grapefruit, banana, kiwi
pre-workout: protein shake
post-workout: protein shake
dinner: buffalo steak and veggies or barilla plus pasta with ground buffalo and tomato sauce.

I also take several supplements for blood pressure, some powdered greens and oils throughout the day.

Is this diet ok or do i need to change something up? Are the carbs ok? Do i need more/less?

Thanks guys

6

Again what are you doing in the gym??

id say more protein in the morning unless thats a quart or more of milk you aint getting much

Protein with the nuts

IMO lunch is great

Snack add protein

the pre and post shakes all good.

dinner good as well.

On non training days you might knock the pasta etc off the late night meals stick to veggies, You need more good fats as well, fatty fish, fish oil, olive oil etc.

what are you having prior to sleep, Protein and fats here.

In general if looking to above all shed fat up the fats your taking lower the High GI carbs and limit them to around your w/o. other than that stick to veggies etc. get prote4in up to 1gram + per lb of body weight.

are you making progress on this??

Phill

[quote]Philly wrote:
thanks for the advice.
i am going to the gym about 4-5 times a week doing push-pull splits and cardio. will try to up my cardio though and maybe get in an extra day for longer runs.

i think my eating plan just needs to be adjusted right.

i currently eat:
morning : bowl of muesli and banana shake with lowfat milk
snack: nuts
lunch: wholewheat sandwich with avocado, cheese and ham or brown rice with leftover chicken
snack: grapefruit, banana, kiwi
pre-workout: protein shake
post-workout: protein shake
dinner: buffalo steak and veggies or barilla plus pasta with ground buffalo and tomato sauce.

I also take several supplements for blood pressure, some powdered greens and oils throughout the day.

Is this diet ok or do i need to change something up? Are the carbs ok? Do i need more/less?

Thanks guys[/quote]

7

in the gym i usually do:

push days, usually sets of 4x10 (dont know the exact weight i am using):
squat or squat machine
calve raise
db bench press
db flies
push-ups
standing shoulder press
front raise
triceps
abs 4x12
cardio

pull days , also 4x10:
pull-ups (supported)
seated rows
barbell rows
good mornings
shoulder side raises
upright row
shoulder shrugs
bicep curls
abs
cardio

8

Doesnt look horrid seen worse. but why dont you know what exact weight your using.

Id start tracking loads sets reps try and Progress. IMO youd be best off picking a structured program and following it with the progression and loads etc. If your not pushing striving and consistently making even small progress well your losing.

Id suggest ABBH one for a great starting point that is an upper lower split 4 days a week and two will be much heavier then your used to which is great and a must while cutting fat etc to aim to keep muscle.

Other then that again are you making progress on the fat loss etc

Phill

[quote]Philly wrote:
in the gym i usually do:

push days, usually sets of 4x10 (dont know the exact weight i am using):
squat or squat machine
calve raise
db bench press
db flies
push-ups
standing shoulder press
front raise
triceps
abs 4x12
cardio

pull days , also 4x10:
pull-ups (supported)
seated rows
barbell rows
good mornings
shoulder side raises
upright row
shoulder shrugs
bicep curls
abs
cardio[/quote]

9

i guess i need to start writing down my weights.
i am doing push/pull because i’ve tried upper/lower split before and i seem to get more out of the push/pull. seems to give me a better workout.

i’ve seen some progress with fat loss but not wth the handles. i think i really need to get into it and start watching my portion sizes more. i am a foody, so it is very hard for me to restrict what i am eating.

10

Phill you say not horrid.
What are the negatives of his program that you see?

[quote]Phill wrote:
Doesnt look horrid seen worse. but why dont you know what exact weight your using.

Id start tracking loads sets reps try and Progress. IMO youd be best off picking a structured program and following it with the progression and loads etc. If your not pushing striving and consistently making even small progress well your losing.

Id suggest ABBH one for a great starting point that is an upper lower split 4 days a week and two will be much heavier then your used to which is great and a must while cutting fat etc to aim to keep muscle.

Other then that again are you making progress on the fat loss etc

Phill

Philly wrote:
in the gym i usually do:

push days, usually sets of 4x10 (dont know the exact weight i am using):
squat or squat machine
calve raise
db bench press
db flies
push-ups
standing shoulder press
front raise
triceps
abs 4x12
cardio

pull days , also 4x10:
pull-ups (supported)
seated rows
barbell rows
good mornings
shoulder side raises
upright row
shoulder shrugs
bicep curls
abs
cardio

[/quote]

11

Thje negatives I see. very great chance for stagnation. doing allll those exercises in one day and doing the same ones every time not tracking loads usuing pretty much the same rep scheme etc.

I would question the intensity to any of the workouts. Just do to the above and personally I like isolation stuff for assistance work but I feel the BIG compounds need greater attention I think he’d get better results from some days Really giving due attention to the BIG moves Bench DL rows squat. just a few exercises and GO lift some damn loads bring the house down.

Most people even more so when new when they have a LONG!!! list of exercises to do like his this for example
squat or squat machine
calve raise
db bench press
db flies
push-ups
standing shoulder press
front raise
triceps
abs 4x12
cardio

they wont give those first few BIG exercisesd the attention they deserve because the know they still have 4 to 5 more exercises, 16 - 20 more sets they need energy for.

where as say they went to the gym and just had this for say a push day
squat
db bench press
standing shoulder press

and thats IT!!! theyd give much greater intensity to those moves and have a BIG payback

then on a second day hit the other stuff alternate

Phill

[quote]Airtruth wrote:
Phill you say not horrid.
What are the negatives of his program that you see?
Phill wrote:
Doesnt look horrid seen worse. but why dont you know what exact weight your using.

Id start tracking loads sets reps try and Progress. IMO youd be best off picking a structured program and following it with the progression and loads etc. If your not pushing striving and consistently making even small progress well your losing.

Id suggest ABBH one for a great starting point that is an upper lower split 4 days a week and two will be much heavier then your used to which is great and a must while cutting fat etc to aim to keep muscle.

Other then that again are you making progress on the fat loss etc

Phill

Philly wrote:
in the gym i usually do:

push days, usually sets of 4x10 (dont know the exact weight i am using):
squat or squat machine
calve raise
db bench press
db flies
push-ups
standing shoulder press
front raise
triceps
abs 4x12
cardio

pull days , also 4x10:
pull-ups (supported)
seated rows
barbell rows
good mornings
shoulder side raises
upright row
shoulder shrugs
bicep curls
abs
cardio

[/quote]

12

I agree with Phil, Over training is a Major factor you must take into consideration also… Too much and then Form almost always will get screwed.

Less number of exercises always seems a better choice.

E.g my back workout:
-Front Lat pull down
-Back Lat pull down
-T Bar Row
-Seated Cable Row

  • and finally Hyper Extensions

First 4 need Alot, Alot of Energy, Concerntration and Power.

For loosing My love handles, I am on a high protein/low carb diet, Do 100 sit ups before i do my daily workout, 5 mins warm up on bike then start…

Just Doing 1 muscle a day seems to allow me to Perfect my form, Lift heavy, Even analyze How My arms or say my legs are coming along, but this is my opinion… :slight_smile:

13

[quote]Philly wrote:
in the gym i usually do:

calve raise
db flies
push-ups
triceps
abs 4x12
seated rows
good mornings
shoulder side raises
shoulder shrugs
bicep curls
abs
[/quote]

Personally I would get rid of all of those, I would concentrate on the biggies, squat, deadlift (PLEASE get a qualified instructor to show you how to do these if you’re not sure, bench press, shoulder press, pullup / chinup, row.

If you do a combination of those exercises 3 times a week, upping your weights where you can, eat well (high protein, low to moderate carbohydrate)and rest plenty, you will be just fine.

Also, it may be worth reading the post on here somewhere about over analyzing your program as opposed to just getting on with it, I think many (myself included) have been guilty of that at some point in their workout lives.

14

I’m going through something similar. I got back into the gym dec 06 at a lean (read: fat) 6’0 245lbs. as of yesterday Im down to 212.8. What I feel happened was my body reacting to a sudden change in lifestyle from diet and lifting, to drastic beer reductions and more sleep.

I screwed up and tried the cabbage soup diet, which dropped about 10lbs in four days, but I feel that it was largely muscle, which the bible (enc. of modern bodybuilding) confirmed. recently, I hit a sticking point and changed my routine from a powerlifting workout to more cardio, higher reps and diet changes. again.

Im trying to keep my carbs to under 50 grams a day and eat a protein source (shake, tune, etc.) every hour Im awake. I dropped a little, but nothing worth mentioning. The bulk of my lard is centereed around the belly and saddle bags, but the rest of me is ok, save a little stubborn titty fat that I would kill to lose.

I digress, the point is that I think you, like me, have reached the end of your bodys shock period and its not gonna be an easy battle from here on. you can try some miracle fat burners that fat office broads named brigette inhale with so much gusto, but those results are usually small and the fat will come back post haste if youre not carefull when you stop.

For a temporary ego boost, get yourself a sauna suit and hit the cardio, then the sauna itself for just a bit longer than you can handle. it sucks, but you should see a small difference. good luck brother

jason

15

[quote]TubbyNoMore wrote:
…I screwed up and tried the cabbage soup diet, which dropped about 10lbs in four days, but I feel that it was largely muscle, which the bible (enc. of modern bodybuilding) confirmed. recently, I hit a sticking point and changed my routine from a powerlifting workout to more cardio, higher reps and diet changes. again. …

[/quote]

Tubby, you say you think you lost muscle on the cabbage soup diet, did you see a loss in strength on your lifts also?

Phil would you address his cardio?

16

wow…thanks for all the advice.

i guess i do all those exercises in one day because i think that if i don’t, i wont hit all the muscle groups that i want to develop. for example, my shoulders and chest seem to be pretty weak and not gain much size at all. so, if i am leaving out certain shoulder exercises, it seems to me that i am missing stuff, cause i doubt that my shoulders will add size just by doing presses.

but maybe i will try your recommendation and just do the big ones. how many times a week would u do the recommendet workout? could you give me a sample week of exercises? do you do the same workout or do you change it up?

could i maybe stick with my routine and just add a day or two of your recommended workout?

sorry about all those questions…i am just trying to figure stuff out.

17

i just read about the big boy exercise. is that something you would recommend? could i throw one or two extra shoulder exercises in there (just because i need to focus on them …they dont seem to gain any size)

18

[quote]Philly wrote:
i guess i do all those exercises in one day because i think that if i don’t, i wont hit all the muscle groups that i want to develop.[/quote]

Re-read that and then tell me exactly how you KNOW you are hitting all of them with your workout? Because you can feel it? Think again.

They likely won’t, there are a few different compound exercises that will help build your entire upper body. Do them all, just maybe not all in the same day.

Try the Waterbury Method. It’s a great plan to start on that pairs up 4 compounds with two iso’s per day, two to three days a week. I put on more size on that plan than any other I’ve tried.

And you intensity level for all of it will drop down to where lifting a 10-lb dumbbell will be difficult.

19

Is fat EQUALLY ditributed ? Really ? It doesn’t look so…

I have big love handles and fat chest but the rest…the legs and arms look OK.

20

[quote]Horazio wrote:
Is fat EQUALLY ditributed ? Really ? It doesn’t look so…

I have big love handles and fat chest but the rest…the legs and arms look OK.
[/quote]

Fat doesn’t have to spread out equally because easiest place to put on fat is the stomach, Hardest/last place is the sholders.

When loosing fat, you will loose it all around your Body before you loose it off your gut… so yea, is kinda gay.

if you get a fat gut, 90% chance you have almost Garanteeded to have far in other places of the body.

Some ppl i’ve seen are lean but still have tit shape, Coz some find it difficult to loose little pockets of fat… SO be sure to train properly and eat right…

But yea, I dont think it add on fat Evenly around the body…