If I may add a couple questions of my own:

1. What do you think of coffee (no cream or sugar), is it bad? good? doesn't matter?

2. How do you build "lean muscle"? Is it just more reps of less weight? I'm trying to slim down myself.

thanks!

 

Coffee is good. Don't use cream, use skim milk. Try to keep the sugar to a minimum.

 

Coffee is good because it raises your heart rate and increases your resting metabolism.

Building lean muscle is incredibly difficult. Firstly, to gain muscle you need to be taking in excess calories to allow your body to feed your muscles but this also generally means that you'll put on some fat. The only exceptions to this are beginners gains or those using anabolics. There are also some who can go natural and make lean muscle gains but they will be painfully slow and require lots of hard work.

On the flip side of that, if you want to lose fat then you need to run a caloric deficit which leaves no food source for muscle gain etc.

Depending on your size and goals you need to decide if you want to gain mass or lose it.

 

Liebernoodle...

Coffee contains Cortisol, which is a stress hormone that leads to a build up of fat around your waist and stomach. If you're trying to slim down I wouldn't suggest it. You don't need to become calorie deficient either. If your goal is to build lean muscle and trim off some fat, build a workout routine around cardio, high intensity training (such as super sets), and a healthy diet.

Consume mostly chicken/fish/lean meat, while limiting your carbs to brown rice, whole wheat bread, vegetables, and fruit. Eat 6 times a day or every 3-4 hours. Doing this doesn't allow your metabolism to slow down, which is key. Also, if you drink soda, S2Kguy was wondering this as well, cut that out. Soda not only is empty calories, but it also retains water and gives you a very bloated appearance.

As far as exercising, start off with 20-25 minutes of cardio, whether it be running, boxing, jump roping, anything to raise your heart rate. Then onto the weights. Since you're trying to tighten up, keep the reps high, 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps would be ideal. Keep the break between sets around 30-60 seconds, you don't want your muscles to relax, keep them pumped and the blood flowing to them.

 

Ask the super-fit Mormons at BYU.



(Whilst you're at it, get rid of the apostrophe in "guru's": possessives have apostrophies; plurals don't.)

 

Thanks for the replies!

My current routine involves running laps followed by lifting many reps of less weight. This seems like i'm on the right track for the results I want, except that I need to follow your eating guidelines more closely. I'm eating healthier than before but not 6 times a day, and I switched to diet pop. I need to cut the pop out completely.

thanks again.

 

stretch a lot before and after your workout. Stretching warms up your muscles beforehand, and helps cool them off afterwards. It also helps make for a leaner, more fit look, rather than a bulky, muscle-bound posture. Stretching also gives you a sense of where your muscles run along your body, and help you train them better. You get a sense of what is stiff and sore, and what feels fresh and unworked. After a workout, you'll know what wasn't getting worked, and can adjust accordingly. You want to work your sore muscles gently at first, but if you don't work them at all, the soreness and stiffness will just get worse. "Sore" is not torn or very painful, don't be dumb. See a doctor if you think you tore a ligament or something.

Bananas are truly incredible at geting rid of cramps or sore muscles - eat them when you start to feel a muscle cramp up or feel really sore, usually later that night or the next day.

 

1. Coffee is Ok, but that means one cup a day, and forget about Starfuks, they use so much caffeine that it's ridiculous. At the same time, make sure you drink this one cup ONLY in the morning with or right after breakfast. Your body rips through food the fastest in the morning. That old saying, stating that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, is not a farce. Also remember since you are going to have your one cup of coffee in the morning, means the rest of the day you need to eat what was stated above only. No diet soda either.

2. Lean muscle mass is achieved by higher reps, but still going to failure, especially in the legs. I would stay in the 12-15 rep range for your sets to failure.

If you are trying to slim down, my best advice is to do your cardio in the morning, right when you get up, before breakfast. Don't do this if your health is bad right now. If you are relatively healthy with the exception of the extra lbs, this can be a great way to cut some time off your trim down routine. Just make sure you eat a healthy meal afterwards. If you are worried about losing some lbs, then concentrate 100% on your cardio and losing the weight first, then gradually add in a weight lifting routine.

 

1. Stretch 15 minutes.
2. 30 minutes of cardio.
3. Have a good breakfast (eggs, wheat toast, OJ).
4. Have a healthy snack (fruit/health-bar).
5. Have a healthy lunch (chicken/fish/lean meat/vegies).
6. Have a healthy snack (fruit/health-bar).
7. Have a healthy dinner (chicken/fish/lean meat/vegies).
8. Have a Protein-shake 2 hours before bed-time.

Got it.

 

Some REALLY good questions on here. Let me see what I cant answer.

Liebernoodle,

Nothing is bad as long as it is in moderation. Can you limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day? No I do not mean that 42oz glass you got from 7-11 either. As long as you are not taking in like eight cups a day then you will be okay. Cut out the sugar if you can, also try using non or low fat milk instead of creamer or half&half.

Building lean muscle can be dificult from some people. You should try shooting for a weight where you can do bewtween 9 to 15 reps. You should struggle to get to 15. When 15 gets easy, add more weight. Your diet will also play a BIG role. To much protein intake and you will bulk up, to little and you build enough muscle. I try to keep it around 120-190grams divided up along the day.

Building lean muscle is only difficult when you do not know your own body and how it reacts to diet intake or work out. Everyone puts on muscle different and everyones body reacts a little different to some things.
The important thing to remember is to keep your weight lifting days and your cardio days seperate. This applies to someone who is starting or looking to modify thier work out. This changes way later on in your work out life.
Loosing fat is not as simple as taking in less calories or burn off more calories in a day. Give your body what it needs, eat correctly, cut out the junk food and you will be better off.

Veritas,

Your totally right. I like yer style.

S2Kguy,

Your on the right track! Remember to give yourself a meal or so off during the week. It will keep you sane. Follow that same routing but one day a week for like lunch to cram down some pizza and beer. Your body needs the bad crap too.