Question about exercising positions.

[Luzah]

Hey all!


My girlfriend has decided to try and lose weight that she gained while being pregnant, and was never able to get rid of. She is more worried about her stomach/triceps areas, as she has the "double wave" thing going on her arms. My question to you fine people; Are there any free exercising websites that you would recommend for us to visit/forum browse, that could give her some good ideas on what positions/exercises she would need to do in order to target the aforementioned areas? I have her doing sit-ups and doing brisk walks, but I know there's more than can be done. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you very much



-Luzah

 

[Saint Nick]

Diet. Cut sugars and refined carbs.

Exercise. Have her start on Rippetoe's Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5. On off days, focus on doing some cardio.

And of course, before SC says anything, read the sticky

 

[Luzah]

Thank you Nick. We have a a good idea about the diet she needs to go on, but it was the exercise routines that I got a little hazy on (e.g, how to target her stomach most effectively and her triceps area as well.) That website you linked to should really help us get a solid starting ground. Thank you very much.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Thank you Nick. We have a a good idea about the diet she needs to go on, but it was the exercise routines that I got a little hazy on (e.g, how to target her stomach most effectively and her triceps area as well.) That website you linked to should really help us get a solid starting ground. Thank you very much.

You can't target fat loss specifically. That's called spot reducing and research has shown that you have to reduce overall body fat to reduce fat in a specific place. That means you have to lose body fat overall - ab exercises don't help you burn more fat in that area. It helps you gain muscle after 4-6 weeks, but it won't change the belly fat. That's exclusively a function of your dietary intake and caloric deficit.

 

[Luzah]

Thank you very much Socially! That's some very good information to know, and I will pass it on to my girlfriend! I suppose we are going about this the entirely wrong way, according to what you said. Is there any website that you personally recommend for very newbie-friendly guides to weight loss and exercising routines?

 

[apac]

Thank you very much Socially! That's some very good information to know, and I will pass it on to my girlfriend! I suppose we are going about this the entirely wrong way, according to what you said. Is there any website that you personally recommend for very newbie-friendly guides to weight loss and exercising routines?

I'd recommend that you just start exercising in some way, shape or form. When you've been doing that for a month then you can start to think about specific programs. The hardest part about getting back into shape is just starting to do it, so make your own routine. Suggestions:

CARDIO! Running, cycling, swimming, spinning, rowing machine.
Core workouts - crunches, oblique crunches, planks, leg raises
Weight lifting

For those of you recommending rippetoe's - that is a very good strength building guide, but is it the right workout for a woman trying to lose weight? Women (for the most part) aren't concerned with strength gains, they'd like to look toned and fit, and reduce their body fat % as much as possible. While strength training will do this it will also add quite a bit of muscle mass.

 

[Luzah]

Thank you very much Apac! I'm trying to be her support through-out her routine, and I am also trying to learn as much as possible to help her out when she needs it. I'll definitely look into more cardio for her. Unfortunately, we are both smokers so the cardio aspect really has to be worked up to (yes, yes I know.. we need to quit.) We are starting with brisk walking, so I think she'll be up to running before too long, or maybe even jogging.

 

[JayBlay77]

For those of you recommending rippetoe's - that is a very good strength building guide, but is it the right workout for a woman trying to lose weight? Women (for the most part) aren't concerned with strength gains, they'd like to look toned and fit, and reduce their body fat % as much as possible. While strength training will do this it will also add quite a bit of muscle mass.

Without a high calorie diet to support the workout she won't put on a whole lot of mass, if any at all. The idea is to lose only fat weight, not muscle weight so she needs to be doing something like the rippetoe's low rep, high weight workout. Muscle burns calories/fat faster than anything else so you want to lose as little of that as you can. In addition, Rippetoe's is a pretty simple combination of important compound lifts, which makes it great for somebody just starting out.

Besides the fat loss sticky mentioned in the previous posts, I would also check out this guide as it goes into a lot of good detail about the Rippetoe program. Don't be put off by the fact that it's at a bodybuilding forum, as mentioned before, without the calories you can't get big or bulky.

 

[tedrodai]

Yeah, smoking is a big hinderance, but anyone has to work up cardio slowly. You just start where you can, depending on your current fitness level (which includes the lungs), and try to improve a little each time.

As far as the other topic: muscle mass...

Speaking from my experience trying to motivate ladies who want to lose weight, it doesn't matter that adding strength training can be an effective way to cut fat as opposed to muscle. If you're starting with someone who doesn't currently workout, and have them do low-rep, high-weight exercises, they're going to put on muscle as long as they're not starving themselves (which of course would be counter-productive anywho). They won't necessarily bulk up, but they will add muscle mass while cutting fat at the same time. Your body finds a way to prioritize fixing those micro tears in your muscles. Also, there is no greater gains in muscle mass than when you first start. Sooooooo, when they step on that scale, they're initially going to see little to no change in their weight (or even gain some), despite all the work they've been doing. A surer way to depress a woman about exercise I do not know... It doesn't matter how much explaining you do.

edit: if they are focussed and want to work on overall fitness as the primary goal, strength training can be a great way to start. But if weight is the motivator, I'd have to agree with apac. Nutrition is incredibly important in either case.

 

[Luzah]

Thank you very much everyone! I will have her sit down at my computer, and look at your responses. You guys have been most gracious!

 

[purplerose]

I'm here, i'm the girlfriend. What he hasn't told you guys is that I haven't had any exercise in over 12 years. I have NO access to weights or much equipment. I really don't worry about the strength so much as I want to lose baby weight and tone. Im not understanding where I need to decrease calories and increase something else. What am i looking for? PLEASE HELP!

 

[brad310]

I'm here, i'm the girlfriend. What he hasn't told you guys is that I haven't had any exercise in over 12 years. I have NO access to weights or much equipment. I really don't worry about the strength so much as I want to lose baby weight and tone. Im not understanding where I need to decrease calories and increase something else. What am i looking for? PLEASE HELP!

To lose weight, you need to find your BMR - which is what your body burns in a day. From that, you can either cut calories, add exercise, or both to create a calorie deficit. A 500 calorie deficit / day = 2lbs per week.

When you add exercise, compound movements are best - they use multiple muscle groups, so they burn the most calories and release the most hormones. You can do curls all day every day, and only your arms will get stronger...but if you do squats, your whole body will get stronger.

Your physique is more a factor of your diet than exercise. Unless you eat a ton of protein, you're not going to get body builder muscles - so dont worry about that.

Since you have no weights, you're going to have to do body weight exercises. That means pushups, body weight squats, lunges, cruches. If I were you I would invest in an 8 or 10lb dumbell set, and if pushups hurt your hands, maybe a 'the perfect pushup'.

Stay hydrated. Cut processed foods and simple carbs. I found that if I exercise, i tend to eat to fuel that more appropriately...so my diet and exercise feed off each other.

As stated above, spot fat reduction is a myth and a gimmick. I've also read and experienced that you lose weight first iin the last place you gained it.

Make a plan, set your goals, stay focused, dont sabotage yourself. Thats about all i got.

 

[purplerose]

Thanks Brad. I have 2 three pound free weights and 2 five pound ones. A stepper and access to a treadmill. What im doing now is cutting out a lot of carbs (not all) and walking till my legs hurt (about 1/2 mile) and doing crunches and the weights. I just wonder what else i could be doing. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[Saint Nick]

Sigh...

"Tone"? That's what building muscle is. That is why you do Rippetoe's or the StrongLifts workout.

 

[brad310]

Nick, her goal is to lose weight with next to no equipment - any 5x5 type plan or lifting altogether is out the window. She'll have to rely on cardio and diet.

Whatever you decide to do, do it in rapid succession to keep your heart rate up - circuit sytle. Maintaining a high heart rate during exercise is critical to weight loss. Do pushups, immediately go to crunches, immediately go to lunges...you get the idea.

When you can get on the treadmill, if you're walking, get as close to 4.0mph as you can with as steep an incline as you can maintain. If you can jog walk jog walk, even better.

 

[Saint Nick]

Oh, I didn't see they didn't have any equipment. I haven't slept in a few weeks so sorry, I missed that part.

I guess you could make some of your own weights, but they really don't compare to teh real thing. Just be in a caloric deficit and do your cardio.

 

[tedrodai]

For whichever exercises you do, try to slowly improve. Don't get discouraged by what you can (or can't) do now, just take it one day at a time and try to work at least a little bit harder than you did the previous time. Did 1/2 a mile a couple days ago? Try to do 3/4 of a mile or try 1/2 just a little faster. Did 3 sets of crunches before? Try to add an extra crunch per set, or do a 4th set with just a few crunches to finish strong.

If you get really sore, give those muscles 1-2 days (depending on how sore and how long it lasts) of rest, and work other things. If you're doing light exercise and are not very sore and/or tired the next day, exercise 6 days a week if you're up to it. If you are very tired or sore, try a day on, a day off, etc.

If you want to be more knowledgeable about your diet, I'd recommend counting calories for a while if you can stomach it. It's not to make you nit-picky, but rather to help you learn what's in the food you're eating and how big to make your portion sizes. Don't note just how many calories you're eating, but how many calories each of carbs/protein/fat (about 4/4/9 calories per gram respectively--read the "fat loss" sticky in this forum to learn why you want to do this). Don't look at it like "Crap! I went way overboard today!" but rather "Oops...I didn't even realize how many calories & carbs I was eating with these chips. Maybe I should try a different kind of snack or limit my 'allowance' ). After doing this a little bit, you just become more aware and can make better decisions on the fly. Also, knowing your BMR and your Caloric Maintenance level means little if you don't know how to stay within that range.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Diet diet diet. Exercise is important but it's not necessary.

Fitness/weight loss programs are only effective if they're realistic and defined. Keep things simple. I personally adhere to a 16-8 (fasted-to-fed) intermittent fasting protocol, as that's about as simple as it gets. Not eating so goddamn much, however you may do that, is amazingly effective! There are certainly other ways to get to a caloric deficit (aka burning more than you eat), I just personally find this the easiest and most pleasurable way. I'm a former college athlete who put on weight from ye old office job, but following this lifestyle has seen me lose ~ 30 pounds in about 3 months, and I honestly have never felt more satisfied or had more energy.

How it works: Don't eat until 2 PM, then stop eating no later than 10 PM. Eat hearty, protein-dense real food. That's about as complicated as I make it. During the fast I drink a lot of black coffee, however, tea or water would be fine too.

Martin Berkhan (http://www.leangains.com) is the champion of this 16-8 method, however Brad Pilon has an excellent book called Eat Stop Eat (http://bradpilon.com) that may suit folks better who aren't really the gym-focused type. In short, Brad's method calls for longer but less frequent fasts.

The 6 meals a day, tupperware carrying nazis will tell you you'll go into "starvation mode" but that's just not true. In fact, I actually find I have more energy during the fasted hours than I do when I'm fed.

You don't need to suffer through agonizing high-intensity workouts to lose weight. Especially if you've been sedentary, making a strenuous program of fitness the central point in your weight loss endeavor is, IMO, not a good idea. Exercise is important, but you can't out-train a crappy diet. Start with the food part first, then integrate exercise. Going out and injuring yourself or getting so sore that you can't move for a week aren't going to erase the cheeseburger binge from last week. Think of this whole process as a lifestyle change, not a diet or something anything akin to a quick fix.

A few general rules that transcend diets and methodologies:

Don't drink calories (no juice, soda, milk, anything that has calories). Water and tea only.
Stay away from white flour-based products. Cookies, crackers, white bread, etc.
Stay away from processed foods.

If you haven't ever counted calories and are unsure of portion sizes, start counting by using any one of several available free tools online. Fitday and The Daily Plate are probably the two most popular.

 

[purplerose]

Thank you all so much! you have been incredibly helpful. According to the BMR site on the sticky i should be at about 1600 calories a day. So should i just stick to less than that? or not go above it?

 

[blackdogdeek]

Thank you all so much! you have been incredibly helpful. According to the BMR site on the sticky i should be at about 1600 calories a day. So should i just stick to less than that? or not go above it?

If your BMR is 1600 calories then you want to be slightly ABOVE that number. If you go below your BMR your body will retain calories.

 

[tedrodai]

BMR is basically the amount of calories your body will use per day with ZERO activity factored in. If you were in a coma in bed, your body will burn that amount. You can lose weight by going under your BMR, but your body realizes it's not getting enough calories to survive at the current rate and your metabolism will dip or crash. Therefore your BMR would lower and you'd lose weight less quickly. You'd probably stay hungry all the time, tired, and someone more knowledgable will have to speak about possible negative effects to your body organs from not getting enough energy (I've seen that thrown around but never any specifics and I've never looked it up). Also, once you stop dieting in that manner and start eating more calories, your body weight is going to skyrocket because it's going to store all the excess energy it can (as fat and glycogen). Afterall, it's been starving, so it wants to prepare for the next rainy day. It will take a while eating normally again to fix your metabolism.

Caveat: those BMR calculators are not 100% exact. Everyone's metabolism is a little different, and it's impossible to get an accurate individual BMR calculation based on just age/weight/height/sex. It's a decent estimate though, and the best you're gonna get.

Caloric maintenance is the amount of calories you burn total in a day, including BMR and all activity (walking, talking, exercising, etc). In order to 'maintain' your current weight, you'd have to eat a number of calories equal to caloric maintenance, I.E. ingest exactly the number of calories you burned for the day. If you're above caloric maintenance, they call it caloric surplus (you'll gain weight). Below is caloric deficit. If you're in caloric deficit, you will lose weight.

So basically, the healthiest way to lose weight is to eat at least enough to meet BMR, but not enough to hit caloric maintenance. If you're body is getting at least enough calories for BMR, it avoids starvation mode, and any excess calories burned = weight loss.

 

[brad310]

Thank you all so much! you have been incredibly helpful. According to the BMR site on the sticky i should be at about 1600 calories a day. So should i just stick to less than that? or not go above it?

1600 is what your body will use to sustain its current weight. What you should do is cut 500 calories from your diet, and burn 500 calories doing exercise...that will give you the proper 1,000 calorie/day deficit to get you to 7,000 calories (2 lbs) a week.

You may find that you need to eat more as you become more active...thats fine, just make sure you're burning it to stay in a calorie deficit.

Even if you dont exercise, use the math to stay on track so you can still see results on the scale.

 

[tedrodai]

1600 is what your body will use to sustain its current weight.

I think you mean "to sustain its current metabolism". Slightly above that # will still lead to weight loss.