where to start??

[sauga]

Im 25 years old...I'm about 165 lbs...most of my mass is fat...I am no where out of shape, but I do lack a lot of muscle. I want to shed most of this fat and start toning up. I play a lot of basketball, so im not worried about cardio. Ive never really weight trained in my life, and I really think I should start that, especially considering I dont have much muscle on me at all. Here was my workout plan:

- wake up in the morning, eat some fruit like an apple
- start off with a 30 min run (I want to do this 5 - 6 times a week)
- weight train, with lighter weights but more reps (up to about 15 - 20) - I was told to do that, because it helps you tone rather than just get big. ( I want to do this 4 times a week)

how does this sound? Do you guys think I should be taking protein shakes? If so, should it be taken right after my workout?

 

[JTM]

Sauga,

all of your questions will be answered in the weight training 101 sticky in this section of the forum.

Just a few points, if you already play basketball a couple of times a week then it is not necessary to do more cardio. Start doing a full body workout 3 times a week and make sure you are eating enough food (i.e. eat more than an apple for breakfast).

Protein shakes are good but not necessary if you can get your protein from natural foods (tuna, chicken, lean meat, eggs, etc)

Low weight plus higher reps equals more toned is a load of crap. You get "toned" by lowering your body fat percentage and your muscles show more. All it will do is give you more endurance and no muscle gains. To build muscle, try to choose a weight that allows you to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Note: Being new to weights will mean you will probably gain some muscle and lose fat initially however this can not be maintained. Once you plateau you will need to eat more than your maintenance calories so your body has something to build muscles with (if that is your goal).

Now read the stickies!

 

[Microwave8]

It would help to run to burn some fat along with basketball. You can use the basketball as your HIIT since it consists of bursts of speed up and down the court. Along with that you should try to run a mile or two 2-3 times a week.

 

[Danger_Dave]

Low weight plus higher reps equals more toned is a load of crap. You get "toned" by lowering your body fat percentage and your muscles show more. All it will do is give you more endurance and no muscle gains. To build muscle, try to choose a weight that allows you to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Note: Being new to weights will mean you will probably gain some muscle and lose fat initially however this can not be maintained. Once you plateau you will need to eat more than your maintenance calories so your body has something to build muscles with (if that is your goal).

Now read the stickies!

I agree. Toning by lowering weights and increasing reps is bull. Getting tone is getting less fat.

Also, it is true that beginners at weight lifting can both gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously, however, once this short period ends (1 month tops I think) you will have to choose whether or not to lose fat or gain muscle first. You arent' giving one up for the other, you're simply doing one first.

Losing fat involves a deficit diet, and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for short, in addition to weight lifting. Weight lifting in this case should be with low reps and heavy weights (5x5, 8x3) so that your body sees reason to keep muscle mass (other wise you lose muscle mass). Of course, it is impossible to lose no muscle mass when cutting.

If you choose to bulk, you'll need to eat more than you normally do with a healthy combo of protein, complex carbs, and fat. If you want hypertrophy, or muscle size, then I would do a medium amount of rep ranges (3-12). Definitely don't do extra cardio when bulking since you are already playing basketball.