Hi all! i just joined the forum and I'm hoping to get some good advice. I've been on & off with the gym for the past 3 years, but more so off than on. Recently, as of April 2011 I have been sticking to an exercise and diet plan, which has worked for the most part, but now I think I am reaching a plateau. I'm a 30 yr old male, 5'9", 185 lbs. I was 205 when I started 4 months ago, so I have lost 20 lbs., which is great but I don't think what I am doing is working anymore. Ideally, I would like to lose another 10 pounds and gain some lean muscle, have good definition and ultimately get rid of "the gut". I stick to a strict diet plan for the most part, with lean protein, whole grains, fruits & vegetables and try my best to eat 5 small/medium meals per day. I workout in the morning and it is always followed by a protein shake that I make with protein powder, skim milk, banana and frozen fruit.
My big issue is free weights. I know it is something I should have been doing but haven't. The problem is is that I really have no clue where to start, how to properly use them, what kind of workouts to do with them, etc. That whole section of the gym really just confuses the hell out of me and also slightly intimidating.
What I've been doing is most of the weight machines - bicep curl, tricep extension, chest press, incline chest press, pulldown, torso rotation, ab crunch machine, leg press, etc...
I always do the weight machines first followed by 30 mins of cardio on either treadmill or elliptical.
I definitely feel like I've gained muscle with the weight machines, but it's just not "visible" and I'm not seeing much tone in my body. I know I need to change up my workout routine, but I'm just not sure where to start/what to do. i know it is difficult to explain this online in a forum, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My big issue is free weights. I know it is something I should have been doing but haven't. The problem is is that I really have no clue where to start, how to properly use them, what kind of workouts to do with them, etc. That whole section of the gym really just confuses the hell out of me and also slightly intimidating.
What I've been doing is most of the weight machines - bicep curl, tricep extension, chest press, incline chest press, pulldown, torso rotation, ab crunch machine, leg press, etc...
I always do the weight machines first followed by 30 mins of cardio on either treadmill or elliptical.
I definitely feel like I've gained muscle with the weight machines, but it's just not "visible" and I'm not seeing much tone in my body. I know I need to change up my workout routine, but I'm just not sure where to start/what to do. i know it is difficult to explain this online in a forum, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.