Workout help...

[himatey]

Hi,
I need some advice on excercising. Basically I want to get slim, so should I be doing a lot of heavier weights and cardio to build a little muscle (since I don't have any) or just straight to a lot of light weights and cardio, cos my aim to not to get buff, but just slim. Im 6'3 about 86-90kg. Should I be taking any kind of protien/supplements etc. ? Oh and any additional advice would be very helpful.
Thanks

 

[mensimageconsultant]

If you're new to weights, you should start with light weights. You might burn some calories by doing high reps. Any muscle you add will help you burn fat faster.

 

[Englandmj7]

It doesn't hurt to take protein as people usually are not eating well enough to be getting what their body requires in a day anyways (if you are working out alot, roughly 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight is often recommended)..........I also take glutamine which helps replenish your body's amino acids; it is also been used to slightly reduce "healing time" and recovery. It is a flavorless powder, and is fairly cheap. Either way, alot of protein powders are often confused with weight gain powders which is why I think alot of people are afraid to take them. Your body NEEDS protein and vitamins and powders are a great way to get them.....hell, most of them barely have any calories in them at all.

Basically it sounds like you just want to get in shape!

You should do cardio 4-5 days a week regardless (preferably for 30-45 minutes). As far as weights go, if you want to slim down, lighter weights and more reps (3 sets of 10-12 reps is a great starting point for each exercise) is what you should be aiming for. I hesitate to offer more detailed advise since NO ONE ever agrees on there being one type of workout/diet/etc. to 'get in shape' but rather, general guidelines to follow.

 

[mizanation]

if you are looking to lose weight, extra protein would be unnecessary.

reduce your caloric intake by a couple hundred calories.
reduce your intake of carbs, so for instance, cut the amount of rice you eat by half, or replace with vegetables.

do cardio everyday either at a medium-high pace for 45 minutes a day or with bursts of high intensity for 20 minutes a day. jogging is good, ellipical is good.

you should lose 1 pound a week.

 

[Englandmj7]

if you are looking to lose weight, extra protein would be unnecessary.

reduce your caloric intake by a couple hundred calories.
reduce your intake of carbs, so for instance, cut the amount of rice you eat by half, or replace with vegetables.

do cardio everyday either at a medium-high pace for 45 minutes a day or with bursts of high intensity for 20 minutes a day. jogging is good, ellipical is good.

you should lose 1 pound a week.

Yep, he is looking to loose weight, but he also said he wants to build muscle, which you definitely need protein for. Like I pointed out before, unless you are getting your chicken, eggs, and fish, etc. daily, you are not getting NEAR as much protein as you should be.

Also, to avoid confusion, you don't need to reduce your intake of 'carbs' but rather simple carbs such as white bread, potatoes, starches (pasta, etc.). You still should be eating fruit, whole grains, oatmeal, and vegetables! (complex carbs)

 

[SartorialSheepdog]

Originally Posted by himatey

Hi,
I need some advice on excercising. Basically I want to get slim, so should I be doing a lot of heavier weights and cardio to build a little muscle (since I don't have any) or just straight to a lot of light weights and cardio, cos my aim to not to get buff, but just slim. Im 6'3 about 86-90kg. Should I be taking any kind of protien/supplements etc. ? Oh and any additional advice would be very helpful.
Thanks


At the risk of coming off as a complete jerk, just don't eat as much if all you want to do is get slim...as your post seems to suggest. It works for many young actresses.

Frankly, I don't see much reason for you to lift weights if all you want to do is get slim. Take a look at the other similar post for exercise ideas.

I used to have the a general rule regarding protein powder for trainees which is not until you have ACTUALLY kept a food log for a month. Don't waste your money.

Good luck.

 

[mizanation]

Originally Posted by Englandmj7

Yep, he is looking to loose weight, but he also said he wants to build muscle, which you definitely need protein for. Like I pointed out before, unless you are getting your chicken, eggs, and fish, etc. daily, you are not getting NEAR as much protein as you should be.

Also, to avoid confusion, you don't need to reduce your intake of 'carbs' but rather simple carbs such as white bread, potatoes, starches (pasta, etc.). You still should be eating fruit, whole grains, oatmeal, and vegetables! (complex carbs)

oops, missed the "build a little muscle" part. do whatever englandmj7 said. thanks for clarifying the carb bit...

 

[SartorialSheepdog]

Originally Posted by mizanation

oops, missed the "build a little muscle" part. do whatever englandmj7 said. thanks for clarifying the carb bit...


No, you were right. His post does not suggest that he wants to build muscle. He only wants to become skinny.

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by himatey

cos my aim to not to get buff, but just slim.

I don't mean to pick on you, but I get kind of annoyed when people say "I don't want to get buff I just want to tone (or get slim, or whatever)." Getting buff isn't something that just happens. You don't just walk into the gym one day, pick up a dumbbell and all of a sudden you're buff. Getting buff takes many years of hard work and discipline (unless you juice). If you want to build muscle, you should work in the 6-10 rep range. Anything more than that is useless for any purpose except muscle endurance. If you want to lose fat, do more cardio.

In addition, it's almost impossible to both build muscle and lose fat at the same time with the exception of the first few months of training. You have to pick either one goal or the other. You need a caloric excess to build muscle and a caloric deficit to lose fat. You can't have both at the same time unless you do a very slow and very clean bulk (basically, if it doesn't grow out of the ground or eat something that grows out of the ground, you can't eat it), which takes a TREMENDOUS amount of discipline.

In your case, I would suggest cutting down to whatever bodyfat percentage you find ideal, and then bulking up by building muscle until you have more fat than you want, and then cutting down again. Repeat this process until you have your ideal body.

 

[mizanation]

SS: no, the guy does say that he wants to build a little muscle. easy to miss cuz it's in the middle of the paragraph. essentially, he wants to get in shape and slim down a little.

if he does any type of rigorous exercise and changes his diet, he should lose weight and build a little bit of muscle (actually most of it is existing muscle being more visible due to fat loss). his goals aren't too lofty, so he should be able to attain them within 6 weeks of training at least 3 times a week...

 

[SartorialSheepdog]

No Mizanation, you missed the "should."

"Basically I want to get slim, so should I be doing a lot of heavier weights and cardio to build a little muscle (since I don't have any) or just straight to a lot of light weights and cardio, cos my aim to not to get buff, but just slim."

He is asking if building muscle is even necessary as he states more than once that all he wants is to be slim. If get in shape means to become skinny I will agree with that aspect of your statement, but I don't equate "not to get buff, but just slim" to wanting to build muscle.

Odoreater-->Fabulous post.

 

[Englandmj7]

No Mizanation, you missed the "should."

"Basically I want to get slim, so should I be doing a lot of heavier weights and cardio to build a little muscle (since I don't have any) or just straight to a lot of light weights and cardio, cos my aim to not to get buff, but just slim."

He is asking if building muscle is even necessary as he states more than once that all he wants is to be slim. If get in shape means to become skinny I will agree with that aspect of your statement, but I don't equate "not to get buff, but just slim" to wanting to build muscle.

Odoreater-->Fabulous post.

The post can be translated both ways.....usually when you say you don't have "any muscle" and you are asking to "get in shape" it is assumed that you might want to build some muscle.

 

[mizanation]

maybe he should just get a personal trainer?

 

[himatey]

Thanks for the info guys !
I really appreciate it.

 

[unmetro]

if you want to slim down, you have to put in cardio...make sure tho tat its aerobic not anaerobic, so watch ur heartrate...watever ur doing, it'll be long and at a slow pace...so expect to put in about 45min, four to five (or even six) times a week.....u can mix up that time with different activities (run, bike, basketball, etc)

you should also build up some muscle, as that will continue the fat burning wen ur not at the gym....moderate weight at 10-12 reps, using the correct FORM...try to find wat ur one rep max is and work from there....as someone said earlier, you will NOT get buff (tho some people may gain quicker than others due to genetics, body structure, etc), it takes an exact knowledge and control of one's body to reach Arnold status...so don't worry and push urself...do this possibly 3-4 times a week....and drink protein shakes....

the most important part of toning tho is nutrition....you have to eat right, its pretty complex, but the basic formula of expend more calories than u take in holds true....tho in some regard you'll have to eat more in order to stay properly nourished for gainin and sheddin weight....

and remember to stretch....

good luck