Why isn't it working?

[sloaney]

I've been going to the gym twice a week - 1 hr each, supervised by a personal trainer, and do cardio on my own on Saturday mornings (30 mins). While I definitely noticed a difference, and look much better when I am clothed, I still am deeply dissatisfied with how I look without clothes on.....
I think I have one of those ectomorph or whatever bodies... I need to get my body fat percentage down but I can't seem to. Also, I find that I can lift very little weight (for example, leg press 85kg) while others - even beginners - seem to have no problem lifting much more. What's happening and what can I do?

Dejected,
Sloaney

 

[gamelan]

what are you eating and how old are you?

-Jeff

 

[Quirk]

Uh, what good is a 'personal trainer' if he/she can't advise you about this?

 

[sloaney]

she thinks i'm making improvements ... which i certainly am, and i look much fitter now clothes but of course she is not seeing me naked!

i am 25
breakfast: 2 fried eggs, 2 sausages, milk
lunch: usually sushi
dinner: varries, sometimes sandwich, sometimes a hot meal like chicken+rice

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by sloaney

but of course she is not seeing me naked!


Well, first of all, maybe you're just not trying hard enough.

Regardless, there's no reason you can't explain your concerns (or just lift your t-shirt) and specify "I want to get more cut here and here, and lose these lingering handles here and here -- how do I do that?"

Also, the comparisons to others are self-defeating, for (with apologies to the 'Desiderata'), "there will always be those buffer and scrawnier than yourself". Concentrate on your own progress. You seem to be making quite a bit, so persevere and don't lose focus.

EDIT: Yegads, One THOUSAND posts! Sobering. Maybe I should be getting more work done....

 

[UMass]

Body fat wise you need more cardio. Try swimming, basketball, running, or tennis. You need to do cardio more than once a week.

Playing a game will also improve your muscle development if you actually use your muscles other than weight lifting.

 

[smw356]

you should be lifting 3 times a week, more cardio as well. And your diet sounds like it needs a lot of work. So basically your trainer isnt doing anything for you other than maybe teaching you saftey on lifts. Get a new one or do some research yourself to fix both your diet and your exercise routine.

 

[sloaney]

Originally Posted by smw356

Get a new one or do some research yourself to fix both your diet and your exercise routine.

I won't need to.... she is going to dump me. She is moving to a more upmarket gym. She calls the current one a "neighbourhood convenience" gym. I think she just wants to go to a large american chain gym where there are hotter guys.

 

[Englandmj7]

If you want to lose more body fat you need to do ALOT more cardio, particularly if you want to get rid of the ol' gut. At least three times a week, preferably for 45 minutes each (jog, ride a bike, etc.). Also, cut out your fry for breakfast everyday (save this for Sundays) and have some yogurt, fruit, bran, whole wheat toast, oatmeal etc. (any combination) instead. Or at the very least scramble or hard-boil your eggs. Frying eggs and sausages in oil every morning is not good for you.

 

[Interista]

For better results, just remember FIT; or Frequency, Intensity, Time.

F Frequency

How often are you working out? You could run a full 10km, but if you're only doing it once a week, you'll probably not get the results you desire. I would recommend splurging on a pair of comfy trainers and trying to run at least three times a week


I Intensity

You may wonder why one person is breaking into full sweat at 5km/hr while another is comfotably jogging at 7km/hr. The reason is, everyone is different. But the important thing is, to disregard what others are doing and keep YOUR personal intensity high. Do you feel like you're working hard? If so, then great! Keep up the intensity.


T Time

In the project of a new you, how many hours do you want to log? Time is going to make a big difference here. You want your workout to be just long enough to tire you, but not too long to where you could hurt yourself.


Balance FIT so that you can make it a realistic part of your life. Right from the start don't go overboard. Trying to work out 7 days a week at full strength for 4 hours will fail and discourage you. Instead maybe go for 3 days a week, running at a quick jog for 40 minutes.

Hope this helps.

 

[fatherseanfan]

Be patient. I have been doing lifting and cardio for almost 2 years and am just approaching where I want to be now. It's a slow process (if you don't want to take roids or starve yourself).

I agree with what's been said above - major increase in cardio, less fried food and dump the trainer - use the workouts in The Book of Muscle by Ian King and Lou Schuler instead.

 

[knucks]

You're not trying hard enough and you are not eating nearly enough.

 

[ang_kangkong]

It IS working. Just not as quickly as you'd like.

Anyway, I'll second the suggestions for more cardio. And tweaking the diet. Try brown rice instead of white. But no carbs after 9 would be best. Don't fry the breakfast in the morning, and use egg whites instead of the whole egg. Whole grain bread (check the label, if the first ingredient isn't whole grains, then don't get that) instead of white.

You might want to check with a chiro too. If you're properly aligned, you'll be able to lift with the left and right side better. Take this part with a grain of salt by the way. I'm biased because I've seen improvements after visiting.

 

[captmomo]

hey,
you could be doing too much, too fast.
try to mix up your routine abit, like change your grips or exercise order.
i recommend ploymetrics too!

 

[sbbbjm]

if you want to lift more and put on more muscle, eat more. good carbs and lean meats spread into 6 meals a day. lift BIG, no more than 8 reps. do more compound lifts like bench, deadlifts, pullups, chinups, dips, bent over row

if you want to lose fat at the same time, try doing some High Intensity Interval Training every other day which is where you do something like cycling or running, and your do an intense interval for maybe 5 minutes then switch to regular off and on. in a several articles i've read, it has said that this method burns the most fat, when you're trying to bulk, and lose any muscle strength in your fast twitch muscles.

also know that muscle weighs more than fat . . .

patience, patience, patience!