Check my routine...

E

EricT

0
Hey All-

I got tired of being tired and fat about 2 years ago. Down to 185 from 250, and very happy about it. 6' tall. I moved away from my old trainer and gym, which had a nice electronic impedance fat% monitor, so its hard to track muscle gain/loss now. The calipers say I am around 15%, but I am looking to drop another 2 to 4 percent. Mind that I dont believe the calipers quite yet... That number seems low for how I feel I look.

I am on an approx 2800 calorie per day diet, split up over 5 meals. I spin 2x a week (hard interval work, heart rate ranges from 160 to 185bpm), lift 2 or 3x. I lift lower reps high weight, but little rest between sets. Try to keep up heart rate there too. Aside from that, I have a 2 year old so I am fairly active outside.

I am trying to shed those final pounds off my stomach, which is where the calipers read high. I know this is a pretty general question, figured this forum would be the best for it. If not, move it, no big deal.

Just looking to tune up my routine, I wanna drop the fat on my stomach and gain muscle, keep same weight. Any and all thoughts welcome,

Eric
 
the only way to reduce the gut that we all have is by lots of cardio and a strict diet. For most, it's the hardest and last place we all lose weight, so patience is key.
 
ummm... hi!

Hey Guys

Just to show how... sorry, but slow this board is, I am down to 12.5% body fat now. From the 15%.

I kinda gave up on you guys! Hehe.

Anyhow, at about 190 and 12.5%, even though the only fat on me is right where I dont want it, for cryin out loud, I am changing up my routine. Dropping my spinning, for the month, hitting the weights hard, upped my caloric intake. Trying to pick up as much weight as I can in muscle for at least the rest of this month. I am< I think, 188 now and going up. Wanna be at about 195#s and probly 10% body fat, just because that is what it is going to take for me to get any kind of discernable abs.

As per my strength training- lifting sessions include a light cardio warm up for around 10 minutes, then 2 body parts. I have been grouping chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs n calves, that sort of thing. Been doing that for awhile even so I might change it up to chest n biceps, back n tris. Change is good.

I lift for about 45 minutes. Once warm (light warm up set per exercise) I do 4 exercises per body part, 2 to 3 sets max (usually 2) as much damn weight as I can. Warm up, then striaght to the heavy, no creeping up on it. Its been working great on chest. Flat dumbell benched 80#s with no spot, 8 reps. Shoulda done more, but thats for... tomorrow. Going for at least 85. Heavy exercises up front, lighter weight towards the end of working that body part, good form throughout.

I been reading that extreme cardio is detrimental to recovering and building muscle, so I am dropping it to low impact cardio. Ran 45 minutes today, kept my heart rate under 150. Was very slow! Hehe. But I am used to sprinting in spin class at 180+ bpm.

Next month I will turn it around, go cardio hard again. Might keep flip flopping until I hit my goal. Pretty close anyhow. More muscle will help me burn the spare tire off. Seriously, I did the caliper test (had it done by a pro I should say) and the only significant reading is my darn gut. Everything else is really nill. Argh. My kingdom for flabby calves instead, haha.

That was probably more information then you ever cared to read. Oh well!

Eric
 
Hey Gil-

About 3 years, although my routines have varied quite a bit. When I started this, I was 250 pounds, 30% body fat according to a tanita electronic machine. One of the nice ones at the gym, they retail for like 1200$ I think. So I started with just hitting the treadmill for as long as I could at lunch. Lost... maybe 10 pounds over 2 or 3 months then. Lifted occasionally and randomly.

Got into spinning. Got onto a fixed diet plan, 2800 cal per day, that I followed, albiet loosely. Lost another, oh, I would guess 30 pounds, dropped my body fat to about 20%. Did that over a long period though, more than a year.

Moved, that interrupted my routine. Then got back into spinning for the past 6 months, hard, and a little running. Got some strength back in my legs, which is nice. Been lifting more seriously the past 3 or 4 months now.

PRing every time I hit the gym. Example- 3 weeks ago, flat dumbell bench, hit 8 reps with 65#s, struggled to get 4 on 70#s. Today I just hit 10 reps on 80#s, and another 4 on the 85#s. Nice form, no spotter(unfortunately). I shoulda started with the 85s, didnt know I had that much more in me.

Being massively specific here because your question is a bit vague. My last measurement was 12.4% (calipers) at 185#s. That was... 2 weeks ago I think. Scale says closer to 190 now, and the gut seems to be about the same. I picked up some extra calories in my diet for the past few weeks too. At minimum, I am at a zero balance, if not a few hundred calories over, lots of protien. Not really tracking it like I should be, oh well.


Working towards a goal of mid next month, looking good. Going on vacation with the fam, wanna look good in pictures. Hehe. So, I am lifting hard to pick up some extra mass, raise my resting metabolic burn rate, so to speak, and then will hit up the spinning hard next month. Maybe. I am waiting to see how I look at the end of the month. If just the diet/lifting/situps are helping enough, I may stick with that.

Any and all comments welcome. Beat up my workout/diet/whatever, I would love to hear any feedback.

Eric

PS- I realize now that its been a 2.5% drop in body fat since I last measured, which was about 4 months prior to the last measure, I think. Anyhow, thats loner than my post went unnatended, was just being a bit dramatic I suppose... no offense intended. (edit)
 
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