My individual fitness goals and advice on appropriate training to achieve these goals

Zippidy wrote: »

Many thanks to ULStudent.

I'm not hostile to weights at all. My primary, priority goal is to lose 7kg of fat. My second goal is to gain some muscle definition.

So, having consulted the nutrition and diet forum and here, as well as scoobysworkshop.com, I have fixed my diet and am eating at a deficit, mimicking rocky's diet where he ate a deficit but also lots of protein.

Next, I am doing 30 minutes of interval cardio every day on the stationary bicycle in the gym. I am doing this because I have been told that cardio is best when one's main goal is FAT LOSS. The gym instructor also advised me that daily interval cardio would be great (though he said not to eat a deficit, which left me a bit confused, but I opted for the deficit in the end regardless.

Now, on foot of advice here, and because I do want to get some definition to my muscles once the fat is gone, I am doing weights daily right before my cardio in the gym. I use the weight machines, not the free weights.

I am unskilled in the free weights, I don't know the first thing about form, posture or technique, so the machines are what I'm working with.

I do the leg press, ab machine, chest press, shoulder press, low row, arm curl, and I do about 14 reps and three sets of each, or as many as I can manage.

So... what do people think? (btw, cycling machine suits me as it minimises impact on my joints. I have fallen arches so jogging can hurt sometimes. Remember, I don't want to be a bodybuilder, I'm not obsessed with strength, or big huge muscles, but I would like a defined phisique in time for the summer.

Thanks guys.

Jay Farrant CPT wrote: »

The Fact is That LDC (long Distance Cardio) Is one of the worst things for Fat loss . Yes you do burn fat in that 40 mins of running on a treadmill ,but that's it . you body becomes efficient at doing that same run every week or few days , At the end of the day LDC is endurance . Your actually training your body to burn less calories every time you go for a Long run etc . I believe a steady state run in the "Fat Burning Zone" for around 40 mins at 6 km burns on average 300 calories of fat . A lb of Fat contains 3000 calories . So you would have to do a hell of allot of running etc to burn any decent amount of fat .

Now resistance training . OK you burn Sugars While doing it , but you burn fat afterwards whilst repairing etc and the more muscle you have the more calories your going to burn whilst sitting on your couch. (HIGHER BMR)

With any Newbie looking to start Resistance training . They should Push / pull Before Isolating and again Perform big Compound Exercises (Dead lift , Squats, lunges, Bench Press, Dips,Chins) Try and master your body weight to start with (Push ups , Inverted row etc )

Summary Drop the long Cardio and Lift heavy and fast .... With as many Muscles being used at once as possible .

And diet needs to be pretty good (You cant out train a bad Diet unless your very very lucky ) Genetically

nice_guy80 wrote: »

if all you want to do is lose fat?

sort out diet

attend spinning classes 2/3 times a week

Jay Farrant CPT wrote: »

Nice post .
Thats pritty much bang on . Your not ever going to get lean by performing cardio only . You will shrink like your man has said . IMO I personallt think that Resistance training is the way forward as long term your getting a Lean body .

But if you literally just want to loose fat then a calorie def diet will work .
Down side if you start eating your normall amount of calories after your diet your not going to have the muscle / Higher BMR to Keep that weight off . Permantly.

Mixed it up if you enjoy cardio .:)

Liam Henners257 wrote: »

For every 4kg, you lose, roughly 3kg of that will be fat and 1kg will be muscle.
From that, if you lose 7kg of fat, you will have lost 2.4kg of muscle, therefore, you would actually be looking at gaining 5.4kg of muscle to reach your target.