New to the gym.... need HELP!!!

[Missjb]

Basically I want to make a dramatic change to my body. I've lost 2 and a half stone in just over a year and have 8lbs to go til i hit my target weight BUT as some may know, after losing a lot of weight it can get soooo hard to lose that last bit and its just so slow now Im not object to losing an additional half a stone on top of my target weight but that is something I will decide once hit and depending on how im feeling.

I will tell you where my main target areas that i need to work on are....

Basically all the weight tends to just be carried on my tummy, I can see where it is coming off but as i like to call it my 'jelly belly' needs to loss a little more fat and majorly tone up. My waist itself is 28 inches now and im happy with that tbh, its the belly that needs sorting out as well as what i like to call my 'pouch' the lower part, that never seems to go flatter, its not wobbly just hard if that makes sense?

Next is my biggest bug bear.... my bum!!!! Its soooooo flat, it has no shape to it, my hips, thighs and bum all are one, i would love to get a pert bum, with a bit of roundness and shape, It is a major confidence downer as i was blessed with everything up the top and literally nothing at the bottom!!! I dont feel I need to lose any major amount of fat from my bum, it just needs shaping.

Secondly is my back fat! ewwww!!! lol I can see its starting to disappear especially as ive gone from a 38" back to a 34" back but i need this gone as it hides my waist... well i think it does.

As for everything else i dont feel i need to lose fat anywhere else, i have slim legs and thighs, the thighs could do with toning up a bit and the tops of my arms could do with toning up but i think i know what equipment i need to use to do that, so they are not a major issue

So basically what im asking is what would be the best gym equipment to use to target the above areas? The problem with my gym is that they dont make you a personalised fitness program so im worried that i will use the wrong things and build muscle instead of losing fat and toning. How long would you recommend i use each equipment for, how many reps should i start on and build up to? and what kinda time frame am i looking at? if say I go to the gym atleast 3 times a week?

I hope ive covered everything, but if i need to provide anything else then please ask and i will do my best. Im turning 30 soon (although i look around 23-25) and i just hate my body and know it could be soooo much better, i need to put the work in but the right work!

Thanks in advance

 

[Goldfish]

^ Read. Do it. Now. It should put some things into perspective for you.

Okay, from what you're describing,y ou don't need to lose weight so much as you need to recomp. And recomping means decreasing bodyfat and increasing muscle mass. I'm 100% certain that to get the shape you're after, you'll need to build muscle. Probably 5-10kg worth of it, maybe even a little more than that. Only time will tell. You want curves? You want a round bum and shapely thighs? Then you need to build up your glutes, your quads and your hamstrings. Start squatting and deadlifting with good form (chest up, weight on the heels, toes pointing forward and feet about hip-width apart for deadlifts, feet shoulder width apart or wider and turned out 30-45 degrees for squats, knees following the same angle as the toes), through a full range of motion (that means hips below knees at the bottom of the squat; and hips and knees fully extended at the top of both exercises), and focus on getting better and stronger at these exercises. In the above link, when the girl in the article is at her most toned physique and looking her hottest, she could deadlift over 300lb, and she could lift almost 100lb overhead.

If you build muscle while maintaining weight, you will decrease size and lose fat. If you increase muscle mass while losing weight, you will decrease size even moreso. If you focus on getting stronger, and eat appropriately, you will improve your shape and body composition. The reality may be a little more complicated than the simple things I'm writing here - as always, it's easier said than done. But the facts are unavoidable.