Advice on Weight Loss and Toning up

PauloD1112

Just wondering if anyone on here has any advice on this...

In the last year i've started eating well, doing cardio and lifting weights, with the intention of slimming down and toning up, my goal being something along the lines of the following...

http://www.ugo.com/a/top11-screen-gems/images/fight-club2.jpg

As I understand, this means dropping bodyfat to about 5% (im currently about 15%), and doing low reps of high weight (not to failure) so as to tone but not bulk.

Im currently doing alot of HIIT cardio and have dropped quite a bit of weight over the last year, however (and heres where Im a bit confused), any weight I seem to lose seems to come from my face first. Apparently im starting to look a bit "gauntly and unhealthy", while all the time still sporting quite a bit of fat about my mid-section. Is it normal to lose weight in certain areas more than others? And is there anything else I can do to cut more fat around my mid-section?

Any advice appreciated, thanks in advance.
P

crotalus667

There are a few mistakes but first off we will need to see your diet and complete exercise routine

PauloD1112

ok...

heres a snapshot of a typical food day from fitday

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8079/dietqr8.jpg

excersise routine (3-4 days/week)...
-5 mins cardio warmup on treadmill

weights routine:
-back extension - 2 sets 15 reps each
-oblique curl - 1 set each side 15 reps
-stomach crunch - 3 sets 20 reps
-roman chair - 2 sets 15 reps
-standing rotary torso - 2 sets 15 reps
-leg ext - 1 set 15 reps
-leg curl - 1 set 15 reps
-seated row - 3 sets 15 reps
-tricep dip - 2 sets 15 reps
-lat pull down - 2 sets 15 reps
-chest press - 3 sets 15 reps
-inclined chest press - 3 sets 15 reps
-shoulder press - 3 sets 15 reps

HIIT post workout:
10 mins cycling alternating sprint every 30 secs.

crotalus667

Whats you weight and hight ???

crotalus667

-5 mins cardio warmup on treadmill
HIIT post workout:
10 mins cycling alternating sprint every 30 secs

Is this ^^^ all the cardio you do ???

back extension - 3 sets 20 reps each
-oblique curl - 3 set each side 20 reps
-stomach crunch - 3 sets 20 reps
-roman chair - 3 sets 15 reps -- If you cant manage 20 reps on the crunch's drop this
-standing rotary torso - 2 sets 15 reps--- Drop this it's no use unless your using a cable and even at that it’s bad for your lumbar

These are not weights ^^^ Leave them until the end of your work out


-leg ext - 1 set 15 reps
-leg curl - 1 set 15 reps
-seated row - 3 sets 15 reps
-tricep dip - 2 sets 15 reps
-lat pull down - 2 sets 15 reps
-chest press - 3 sets 15 reps
-inclined chest press - 3 sets 15 reps
-shoulder press - 3 sets 15 reps
What do you do for bicep's ??


All these ^^^ are in the rep range for endurance

13+ reps = endurance
6-12 reps = hypertrophy to look like brad this is where you want to be
1-5 reps = strength

All of them should be at least 3 sets with a warm up set first a 50% your working weight don’t worry about bulking up too much if it was that easy every one would look like Arnold

as for the diet if i recall corectly brad used a high pro diet

-your cals are obviously too high given that you cant lose the belly fat (it will be the last place the fat will go from)

as far as diets go yours is not too bad but it’s not ideal to reach 5% , by the way 5% is hard to get too but it’s even harder to maintain you really have to be prepared to live for your body and even at that keeping it that low for too long is not great for your body

Brian?

What height/weight are you?

You really need to look at your weight program. In general terms:

Give up the machines and do free weights. Your goal is "to tone but not bulk" you say, how about you try bulking up with heavy weights and see how quick and easy that is to do. Getting big will not happen as a side effect of you lifting heavier alone, getting big is not easy. In fact getting big is extremly hard. Sorry if that sounds critical, but its true.

10 minutes of HIIT cardio is not really a lot. But fair play to you for doing any at all. Try alternating heavy lifting days with Cardio days:

Monday: Weights, Tuesday: Cardio, Wed: weights etc.

Try lifting heavy, do 3x8 or 5x5. If you start getting too "bulky" go back to your 1 and 2 x15, but I doubt that'll happen. Make sure to include squats, deadlifts,benchpresses, military press, rows, lat pulldowns/pullups, dips and my new favourite stiff leg deadlifts.

I can't comment on your diet really, its way better than mine if you do that every day.

PauloD1112

crotalus667 wrote: »

Whats you weight and hight ???

height 5 10, weight 71.5 kgs, sorry for lack of info...

crotalus667 wrote: »

Is this ^^^ all the cardio you do ???

Most of the time yeah. Do a bit of jogging for about 10mins some mornings if I can get myself up.

crotalus667 wrote: »

Drop this it's no use unless your using a cable and even at that it’s bad for your lumbar

Cool will do. Have been reading up on planks, going to give them a shot for the time being instead i think.

briankeating wrote: »

Try lifting heavy, do 3x8 or 5x5. If you start getting too "bulky" go back to your 1 and 2 x15, but I doubt that'll happen. Make sure to include squats, deadlifts,benchpresses, military press, rows, lat pulldowns/pullups, dips and my new favourite stiff leg deadlifts.

Yeah giong to give the less reps, more sets thing a go i reckon, and not lift to failure. I read here its the best way to increase strength but not size.



But regarding weight loss, is there anyway I can target it? Or is it just a case of keep on losing it until im happy with my midsection, regardless of my face?

Al_Fernz

PauloD1112 wrote: »

Im currently doing alot of HIIT cardio and have dropped quite a bit of weight over the last year, however (and heres where Im a bit confused), any weight I seem to lose seems to come from my face first. Apparently im starting to look a bit "gauntly and unhealthy", while all the time still sporting quite a bit of fat about my mid-section.

I really just have to point out to you that Brad Pitt's face is pretty damn gaunt in his fight club physique. Plus he's oiled up. Plus the shots are edited with favorable lighting so his "abz" look super hawt lyk.

TBH you're probably chasing a physique that is unattainable to you because you don't have Brad Pitt's genetics or the time and personnel resources available to him.

IMO the best way to getting a six pack is to weight train with heavy compound movements like the squat, deadlift and bench and eat a protein rich diet.