I posted in the open forum that I went to a personal trainer today. I thought she would test my bodyfat by calipers but instead she used a bodyfat scale. Anyway It said I was 27.5 % body fat which shocked me. to look at me, everyone tells me i am muscle. I cant believe this. I know I need to lose wt and lean out but I didnt think I was that bad. I am 5' 2 1/4 inch which she rounded down to 5' 2 and I am almost 40. I noticed since turning 39 that it has been harder for me to lose the holiday wt gaine that I usually put on. I gained it last december and havent been able to lose it and I increased cardio and have not seen anything. My diet is horrible and I know I need to clean it up . anyway the trainer recommended that I add more wt training, I am currently doing 5 days of cardio and 2 days of very little wts. my arms however have gotten way more muscular the past 2 yrs and my legs are muscular except the upper outer thighs and I have a round butt, not like j lo but I have a booty on me. I am so disgusted with the wt and body fat she came up with today that I feel like crying. Do you weigh yourself in the morning and with clothes or no clothes? how do I know my so called true wt? I normally weigh myself 7am without clothes and usually weigh 131-134 at most. she weighed me at 10 oclock and with clothes on. please help, I really want to get to my feel good weight of 125lbs and decrease the bodyfat and get more cut. I currently still wear a size 4/6 but more toward the 6's which I dont like. I want to be back to wear I was last novermber in 07. weight was 124lbs size 4 easily. I just feel fat and puffy with this extra wt on me. thanks!
fitnessfreak ?
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Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
I have read this post and reply later when I have time. I will let you know what you can do and how much you should be eating.
Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
Sorry this took so long. You may have gotten some help from the open forum already, but I'll give you my advice as well.
First of all, bodyfat scales are not accurate at all. I actually can't believe a personal trainer measured it this way. My bodyfat scale at home clocks me at 27% bodyfat when in actuality, I'm around 17% right now. And that is according to my calipers and my mirror. So I wouldn't say that your bodyfat is at 27.5%.
I weigh myself ONCE A WEEK, Saturday mornings first thing in the total buff. When I'm tracking my weight loss/bodyfat loss, I keep track of my weight and body fat weekly. Use the same scale and bodyfat measuring device each week. I use the AccuMeasure to check my body fat (you can get them on ebay for dirt cheap). It's plastic and I'm sure it's not dead-on, but at least I can see where I'm at each week and using the same device lets me know whether or not I am improving.
With what you told me about your workouts, I do think you need to add in more weight training and do not be afraid to up the weights. Do some heavy weight workouts. Women cannot build huge muscles. Go to my public profile and look at the picture that's in there. That is me at my most muscular. And I'm telling you, it took me YEARS to get muscles like that. And I am a mesomorph so I gain easily. I was benching 115#, curling 65# and doing overhead presses with 30+ dumbbells. Unless you are on steroids, don't be afraid of your body getting too big.
So I think you need to up your weights, do about 2-2 1/2 hours of cardio a week and see how it goes.
Have you tried following one of my rotations? I just did two for December and January. Try one of them and see how your body responds.
And most importantly, get your foods cleaned up. You can't have one without the other. You have to train AND eat right or you are pretty much setting yourself up for failure.
First of all, bodyfat scales are not accurate at all. I actually can't believe a personal trainer measured it this way. My bodyfat scale at home clocks me at 27% bodyfat when in actuality, I'm around 17% right now. And that is according to my calipers and my mirror. So I wouldn't say that your bodyfat is at 27.5%.
I weigh myself ONCE A WEEK, Saturday mornings first thing in the total buff. When I'm tracking my weight loss/bodyfat loss, I keep track of my weight and body fat weekly. Use the same scale and bodyfat measuring device each week. I use the AccuMeasure to check my body fat (you can get them on ebay for dirt cheap). It's plastic and I'm sure it's not dead-on, but at least I can see where I'm at each week and using the same device lets me know whether or not I am improving.
With what you told me about your workouts, I do think you need to add in more weight training and do not be afraid to up the weights. Do some heavy weight workouts. Women cannot build huge muscles. Go to my public profile and look at the picture that's in there. That is me at my most muscular. And I'm telling you, it took me YEARS to get muscles like that. And I am a mesomorph so I gain easily. I was benching 115#, curling 65# and doing overhead presses with 30+ dumbbells. Unless you are on steroids, don't be afraid of your body getting too big.
So I think you need to up your weights, do about 2-2 1/2 hours of cardio a week and see how it goes.
Have you tried following one of my rotations? I just did two for December and January. Try one of them and see how your body responds.
And most importantly, get your foods cleaned up. You can't have one without the other. You have to train AND eat right or you are pretty much setting yourself up for failure.
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thanks debbie. That makes me feel better. I certainly dont think I have that much bodyfat. I know that I am not on the low end but think more in the middle. that really makes a person feel bad about themselves. you work so hard to achieve what you got and then something tells you that you are over on bodyfat. I know that you certainly are not. I have added heavy training days this week. tues I did chest,shldrs and tris and today I did back,bis and legs. I went high rep lower wt on my legs though, they are already muscular and I dont want them any bigger. I was pretty proud of myself though, Ibenched 85 lbs, and did 45lb with the bar for shldr press,I was feeling it the next day but not too much. we have a bench here at home and i am gonna have my hubby spot me, I never used it before , just used my dumbells only. I started eating better and healthier on sunday, I have done good which the exception of lastnight. I did good all day and blew it lastnight but I did good today. I am eating around 1200-1500 calories a day except yesterday I ate over 2000cal but I just considered that my high zig zag day. I figure I cant be perfect from the get go, I will make slip ups so I cut myself some slack and I didnt feel guilty like I normally do . I will look at your rotations and get back to how things are going for me. I do have one of those calipers but wasnt sure that measuring just my abs was accurate or not. thanks again debbie.
debbie,
I was told you need to do 12 -15 sets of exercises for the lower body and no more than 12 sets of exercises for the upper body when wt training in order to see results. whats your opinion on this? I added once a week heavy shldrs,tris and chest and the other day heavy bis and back, legs higher rep 20. I did 3 different exercises per muscle group 10-12 reps each. thanks.
I was told you need to do 12 -15 sets of exercises for the lower body and no more than 12 sets of exercises for the upper body when wt training in order to see results. whats your opinion on this? I added once a week heavy shldrs,tris and chest and the other day heavy bis and back, legs higher rep 20. I did 3 different exercises per muscle group 10-12 reps each. thanks.
Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
Are you talking sets or reps? I'm hoping reps.
If you are someone who is just starting out, any type of weight training will help you lose body fat. As you get more fit using different rep ranges and rest times help increase your metabolism so your body keeps dropping fat.
5-6 reps = Builds Muscle
8-10 = Builds Muscle as well as helps lean out
12-15 = Leaning out, helps with endurance
15-20 = Is recommended when your body hits a plateau or to just change things up a bit. Helps lean your body out.
Is this what you are asking?
sets. like 3 sets of leg curls, 3 sets of leg ext, 3 sets of leg pressand 3 sets of dips would equal 12 sets at least that is how the personal trainer explained it to me. what exercise could simulate the leg press machine at home? I have a bench to do leg curls and ext on as well as flat, incline and decline bench press but no leg press machine. I was pressing 95lbs high reps, 20.
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Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
The only thing I can think of to substitute a leg press machine exercise would be step ups. But really, nothing can do the job like a machine leg press can.
what leg exercises do you do for legs? I need to tone the outer thighs and under the butt mostly. I am getting a home gym but dont know if I should purchase a leg press machine or if I could get the same benefis doing the leg press or squats,lunges etc.. Is training heavy each body part one day a week enough to get lean?
Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
I mostly stick with the basics when I'm not doing Cathe's workouts. I do squats, lunges, leg press machine, deads, calf work. I don't usually do specific exercises for my outer thighs. Squats work the butt in a great way if you concentrate on pushing up with your heels.
I've been training one body part a week and can stay lean, so yes it's possible. Right now I'm working upper body twice per week just to see what happens. LOL!
thanks debbie. I cant wait to gt my home gym this weekend. Dont you have a leg press machine at home? I priced them but with just getting a home gym that will have to wait. Maybe for xmas this year. thanks again. I will continue dto lift heavy once a week per body part and see what happens.
Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
Yes, this is the one I have:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2845880
It's awesome. I can really load it up when I want too.
What home gym did you buy?
I am getting it tomorrow. Its a weider home gym. Has the smith bar with the spotters. Has a peck deck, leg ext,leg curl machine with it, the bench inclines and declines, has preacher curl attachment, has pull up bar, pulley cables, it hits alot of different body parts that is what I love about it. I am going to buy the ab straps to use with it as well to work my lower abs good. It has storage for wt plates as well. I can do lunges with the smith bar and dont have to worry when I bench since it has the spotters with it. cant wait!
Fitnessfreakk366
Cathlete
Too cool! Have fun with it!!!