How much do I have to freaking train!

R

RedT

0
So I want Angela Bassett's upper body- you know arms with definition even when you aren't flexing and a sculpted back even several hours after I've done working out.

I look pretty bad-a$$ when I am working out, but by the time I am showered and dressed, all the definition has melted away.:eek:

I'm thinking of taking up walking around carrying light weights (5lb) all day with my arms slightly bent, just to keep the definition. Maybe I could carry heavy files or fill my purse with pennies to not be so obvious . . . :p

I am 5'7", 145lb, 37 yo. I have noticed that I lift with more weight than most of the woman in the gym.

I do 30 minutes of cardio every day but Sunday - either running 6.5 mph or the equivalent (per heart rate monitor) on the elliptical. M+Th Upper body, Tu+F lower body, and W+Sat abs.

for upper body I do three sets of ten of each (weights are per dumbell)- 30 lb bench press,
40 lb rear delt row,
10 lb tricep kick backs,
20 lb curls,
70 military push-ups; and
10 lb lateral raises, or 20 lb upright row (raises or rows depending on what I feel like doing).

I worked out with a personal traininer last year for 12 session to make sure my form is good. Any suggestions on what I need to be doing or what I could possbily be doing wrong.
 
Interesting

Hi there.
Glad you are training so keenly. At least you will be very healthy at the end of it all!

The first thing that hit me is that maybe you are overtraining. Especially if you want some muscle growth so that arms look more defined, you need to cut back on cardio and rest. Muscles grow when they are resting, not working.

Secondly, perhaps your protein is lacking or your diet is not adequate. Remember,

25% weight
25% rest
50% diet

Thirdly, perhaps your training at the wrong time. Do you do cardio after a meal? Try doing it before breakfast and see if you burn more fat.

Lastly, slow down! Its not a race and you are doing so well already. Check out my article on long term health at because i think it will help you.

Good luck!

Rt
 
What's your diet like? How long have you been doing the routine you listed? Do you know your body fat percentage?

Sorry for all the questions, but it'll help me provide a better answer. The general response I would give is to take a look at your protein intake and change the amount and type of cardio you are doing.

I would also change your strength training method from 3 sets of 10 to 5 sets of 12, 10, 8, 10, 12. Obviously it's a bit more work, but it gave me great muscle gains. You'll want to lift as heavy as you can without sacrificing form. You may be able to lift 20 pounds on the first set, but only 15 pounds on the last.

I'd combine abs with your lower body workout days. Each day you strength train I would only do 15 minutes of interval cardio AFTER the strength workout.

I'd rest one day per week and the other non-resting non-strength days I would do 25 minutes of interval cardio.

Hope that helps.
 
Lynn,

I was figuring it could be my diet. I eat fairly healthy, but I am not militant about it. Granola bar & a cup of tea before my morning workout, oatmeal about an hour after my workout, sandwich for lunch, but we go out to eat a lot for dinner.

And I need to get a body fat analysis.

The only concern I have about adding sets to my workout is that I work out before work in the morning and am on a pretty tight schedule. Since I am training for a 10k, I need to keep up the running.

Do you think I would lose more body fat (and thus look more muscular) by upping the strength training and reducing cardio (which I always thought was fat burning)?
 
tricep kickbacks suck. do close grip bench press, skullcrushers, or tricep extensions behind the head.

kickbacks just suck.
 
Triceps kickbacks are one of the least effective exercises triceps exercises there is. Try to stick to compound movements and perform them in order of the largest muscles first:
bench press
bent row
military press
curls
triceps extensions

What do you do for lower body? Recommended:
Squat/lunge
deadlift/stiff legged deadlift
abs

Have you tried alternating days of total body strength training and cardio? That is Mon/Wed/Fri strength training, Tues/Thurs/Sat cardio, Sunday rest.

Have you tried HIIT? That allows you to get maximum cardio benefits in only 20 minutes, 2 or 3 times a week.
 
RedT said:
Lynn,

I was figuring it could be my diet. I eat fairly healthy, but I am not militant about it. Granola bar & a cup of tea before my morning workout, oatmeal about an hour after my workout, sandwich for lunch, but we go out to eat a lot for dinner.

And I need to get a body fat analysis.

The only concern I have about adding sets to my workout is that I work out before work in the morning and am on a pretty tight schedule. Since I am training for a 10k, I need to keep up the running.

Do you think I would lose more body fat (and thus look more muscular) by upping the strength training and reducing cardio (which I always thought was fat burning)?
Click to expand...


Hey there,

Definition is nothing more than low enough bodyfat that your muscle shows through. So diet is the key here. The diet you've posted is probably better than the majority of the population, but it is not going to give you what you want. I would suggest aiming for .8-1.5 grams of protein/lb bodyweight, then making sure you get the necessary amount of EFAs, then round out with other fats and carbs. If you want to lower your bodyfat, try around 12x bodyweight in total calories per day for a couple of weeks and see what happens -- if you don't lose, then you can lower by about 10% and try that and so on and so forth.

I personally think that the most important factors are diet and strength training -- cardio is good for general health, and if you aren't seeing progress with your diet and training dead on, then adding cardio in moderate amounts can get you there. If you are already running a lot to train for the 10K, it is unlikely that you need to add more cardio right now.

I also have to second and third what the others have said about tricep kickbacks -- stick with heavy benching, close grip bench, lying triceps extensions and/or dips/bench dips for optimal results. Just remember, all the training in the world will be for naught if your diet isn't in line.

If you could post ALL of your workouts in excruciating detail, it would be easier to tell you more.

:D
 
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