Is my current workout efficient??

J

jbogg

0
Hello, I'm a 24 year old male in good shape. BUT, I want to lose a little more belly fat without "bulking" up. I want muscle tone, but I don't want to be huge like a body builder...just tone and in shape. I'm 5'10" and 159 lbs. but still have just a little extra belly fat for my preference.

I'm currently doing (and have been doing) calisthenics 2 days a week (push-ups, dips, pull-ups, and abs on Tue and lunges, box jumps, calf raises, and kettle ball swings on Thurs). Each calisthenics day is followed by a 15 min walk at 65% of my maximum heart rate. On Mon and Fri I ride my bicycle an 8 mile circuit. Each of these exercises is immediately followed by a moderate whey protein drink (less than one full scoop) with skim milk.

My nutritional diet is good. I stay away from cokes, junk food, eating in excess, etc. I eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. I just can't seem to lose these love handles!!!

I'm just trying to lose a little more belly fat without bulking up...is what I'm currently doing efficient for my goal?? Thanks in advance!
 
"Healthy diet" isn't always the best for fat loss. Also, many people's definition of 'healthy' is completely off, please post a few average day's diets.
 
I wouldn't call your workout all that intense. The 8 mile cycling is good, but a 15 minute walk isn't enough low impact cardio to really see results.
Do you have access to more gym equipment? Free weights, etc?
I know you do not want to bulk up, but bulking up requires eating MORE food than you need. You can't build a house without enough bricks...you can't bulk up without enough calories.
And at 5'10" and 160lbs, you are at a pretty decent weight so without seeing photos and taking a body fat test, I would theorize that you could stand to shed a few pounds of fat, and gain just a few pounds of muscle. Say drop 10lbs of fat and gain 5lbs of muscle, you'd be down to 155lbs and it would look good on your frame, rather than looking 'scrawny'

(again, no photos, I'm just guessing here...main thing, don't be afraid to throw around some weights. Bodybuilders DEDICATE their time to getting huge and looking the way they look. it doesn't happen through casual training)
 
@Hoss thanks for the reply. Good point...my daily diet is this basically:

one example:
7 a.m. breakfast: cereal or oatmeal (skim milk), two buttered pieces of whole wheat toast, and 1 cup of chocolate milk
10 a.m. snack: almonds and cup of coffee
11 a.m. 1 hour workout followed by either muscle milk or whey protein shake
1 or 2 p.m. lunch: 6 in subway sandwich on whole wheat - usually turkey or ham, sunchips, and water
5 p.m. snack: wheat crackers and cheese and coffee or water
8 p.m. dinner: usually a chicken sandwich on wheat or a couple pieces of baked fish and green tea sweetened with honey

another example would consist of the same breakfast and lunch, but at dinner I have a serving of Italian pasta salad (olive oil based) and a serving of black bean and corn salad (balsamic vinegar based) and a lean chicken breast with cheese and pico de gallo topped with a little bit of bbq sauce (I work at a BBQ restaurant 3 days a week!)

Is this a "healthy diet"?

This is pretty much how my diet goes. The only time this varies is usually on the weekends - i might have a few beers here or there, or have a cheeseburger only every once in a while.
 
@malkore thanks for the reply. Yes, I do have access to free weights. I work out in the gym here at the university I attend and it has everything. The thing is, my muscle build is exactly where I want it right now...I want to maintain what muscle I have, but I want to shed some body fat. Is this possible? If so, what's a good approach to take as far as exercise and diet? Take a look at my profile pic and tell me what you think. As you can see, I need to shed some fat...to get a more lean physique, but it's just stubborn and won't go away...what do you suggest?
 
@g8r80 I'm walking at 65% of my maximum heart rate because I've read that at 65% the calories burned are primarily fat calories, and that's what I'm trying to burn. I've read that running can often burn more muscle than fat...this is not my goal. Any additional input or clarification would be greatly appreciated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top