I joined a gym about 4 months ago. I've had 3 kids and I wanted to lose weight and regain muscle tone. I received an intro session with a trainer when I joined the gym. He told me to modify my diet (which I did) and do cardio (which I've been doing) and he also showed me some arm and leg exercises. I've been doing everything exactly the way he told me to and I'm really unhappy with the results. I'm thin now but flabby (if that makes any sense). I lost all the weight but now I'm almost too thin. I want to be toned, not skinny, and I'm not sure what to change. I eat about 1800 calories a day, run 3 days a week and strength train once or twice a week. I'm 5'0 and 97 pounds. I'm very petite and small boned. I don't want to bulk up I just want to look fit and healthy. What should I change to achieve that?
What am I doing wrong???
- Thread starter emilyof3
- Start date
Hopefully over those four months you have been steadily increasing the resistance(weights) when you are doing strength training. You want to continually challenge your muscles so that they need to adapt. In adapting they will grow and feel firmer. Don't worry about turning into the Incredible She-Hulk. That ain't gonna happen unless you train like a monster, eat like a monster, and start taking 'roids.
You need to workout to put on mass.
I would suggest a split workout. Your first set on any workout should be about 70% of your workout weight. Then do three more sets of 8-10 reps of heavy weights. You have the right weight on there if you can barely do the tenth rep. If you can do 11 then it's too light. less than 7 and it's too heavy. This is very important to make progress. Always try to push yourself a little more.
Monday would be back and bicep muscles. for you back you can do compound rows, cable pull downs, lower back extensions. For arms you can do preacher curls, hammers with dumbbells.
Wednesday, would be chest, triceps, shoulders. You can do bench press on a hammer machine if available at you gym, military press, tricep curls. skull crushers. dips.
Friday is all legs. squats, leg press, calf raise, leg extension, hip adductors, hip abductors.
On the days you don't workout out do abdominals crunches till you pass out.
I would suggest a split workout. Your first set on any workout should be about 70% of your workout weight. Then do three more sets of 8-10 reps of heavy weights. You have the right weight on there if you can barely do the tenth rep. If you can do 11 then it's too light. less than 7 and it's too heavy. This is very important to make progress. Always try to push yourself a little more.
Monday would be back and bicep muscles. for you back you can do compound rows, cable pull downs, lower back extensions. For arms you can do preacher curls, hammers with dumbbells.
Wednesday, would be chest, triceps, shoulders. You can do bench press on a hammer machine if available at you gym, military press, tricep curls. skull crushers. dips.
Friday is all legs. squats, leg press, calf raise, leg extension, hip adductors, hip abductors.
On the days you don't workout out do abdominals crunches till you pass out.
I wasn't sure of that myself and actually consulted a plastic surgeon. I know working out will tone my tummy but no amount of exercise can repair the skin. He told me there was very little loose skin in my stomach but the muscles are weak and I have a diastasis (separation of the abdominal muscles). I did some research and from what I've read, crunches can make the separation worse, which would make my stomach pooch out. So I'm kind of screwed when it comes to my abs. I'm going to follow some of the advice here and strength train more, but I'm wondering how much cardio I should be doing now that I've lost all the weight.
Do 10 minute cardio before your workout just to warm up. You'll lose fat and gain muscle with the workout I posted. Measure you success by how your clothes fits, how you feel, are you stronger, have more energy, do you look better. Don't let "how much you weigh" be the only measurement of how well you are doing. You should start gaining some weight. I'm sure you know muscles weighs more than body fat. My wife used to weigh 98lbs and now she's at 106 and looks better doing my workout.
