Hello to all...I'm a newbie also

[Angel Chic]

I'm in the very beginning stages of working out. I've been going on our treadmill here at home, but I can't seem to really get motivated...yet I do want to change myself...mentally and physically.

My husband posts on here and I've been reading the posts. I'm hoping to get some guidance from some of you "hardcore" women.
I saw the pic of PhysicalGirl, and THAT is my goal! My husband couldn't stop looking at your pic...you really do look amazing! Totally hot! So, as I go along, I'll be asking questions and looking for different things to try.
How did many of you start out with setting a specific workout schedule and actually sticking to it? With my kids...it's hard to find time sometimes.
Let me throw out my stats.....

I'm 5'11" and right now weigh about 175. I really need to lose weight (I'm not fat...just have a little extra around my middle), and tighten up EVERYTHING. Then from there I can work on really building some muscle. Is that even the right way to go?
PLEASE HELP!!

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Welcome! I think you'll find this is a great site with a lot of helpful information.

In reference to finding time, it is just something you have to make yourself do. Figure out a time when you are mostly likely to workout - and not make excuses. For some it is first thing in the morning, for others it is late at night. Find what works for YOUR schedule and your body. But the most important thing is to DO IT, and do it for yourself.

From your post, it sounds as though you are planning on only doing cardio for now. If I am wrong, please correct me. If this is the case, I highly recommend you rethink that. Lifting weights will help build muscle, which in turn will help raise your metabolism. This will make losing fat happen quicker and easier. Plus, it will help shape your body. You want to be tight - not flabby. Weight training will help ypu achieve this.

Fat loss is done primarily through diet, not cardio. Cardio will help, but not as much as a good solid diet program. I am nhot sure what your diet is like, but you want to focus on eating 4-6 times in the day, smaller meals. Foods should be as clean (nonprocessed) as possible. This means leans meats, veggies, potatoes, brown rice, natural peanut butter, almonds, etc. And lots and lots of water!

I also beleive strongly in interval training for cardio. I am a self-proclaimed cardio addict. I do love doing it. BUT, a couple months ago I cut back on cardio and started doing ONLY interval training and LOVE it. I find that it has been more beneficial than the hours of cardio I used to do!

Welcome again, and please post often! We love helping, so don't be afraid to ask questions or put in your 2 cents! I look forward to following your progress!

 

[PBR]

Angel your external surroundings have much influence on the way you are motivated and what you can achieve...If you are truely serious, putting yourself into a professional atmosphere will change your perceptions...basically Iam telling you to get to a gym and out of the house....trust me, this will do wonders....welcome BTW....

 

[Angel Chic]

Daisy Girl

From your post, it sounds as though you are planning on only doing cardio for now. If I am wrong, please correct me. If this is the case, I highly recommend you rethink that.


I'm going to work with weights as well as my cardio workouts. I just don't want to get "bulked up". I've seen many women within this forum who work out like crazy and it looks like they have a man's body....that is definitely NOT my goal. My goal is to look like Physical Girl.
I don't recall seeing a pic of you Daisy. Have you posted one? I've seen you post lots, and your opinions and suggestions I will take very seriously. Thanks for your input.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

I have a million pictures posted in my gallery andf on the pictures of members board

 

[Angel Chic]

PBR

I would love to go to the gym, but with weights here at the house, my hubby won't want me to spend money at the gym. I did do a trial week at Gold's in the beginning of the year, and I felt great.
I did cardio everyother day, and weights the other days. I was sore all over, but it felt absolutely wonderful (I had also lost about 8 lbs.). Watching the others workout really got me motivated. My husband works out here at home almost everyday, and he is getting really big, and you would think that watching him workout would motivate me....but it doesn't. I don't know why. Hopefully I'll be able to get myself to just do it.
Thanks for your response.

 

[Angel Chic]

You look great Daisy! I saw the pics on the members pics...boy, what a thread! lol

 

[Sassy69]

Angel - Welcome and you will definitely find a lot of support and information here! Just a quick note about training with weights - women will not get bulked up just from "training w/ weights". That takes testosterone and we don't have enough to product Ronnie Coleman-esque muscles. So don't let that excuse keep you from going after resistance training. The only way you will see women achieve seriously noticeable muscles is through use of chemical enhancement (steroids) and / or YEARS of hard, heavy training. And I mean YEARS - not just a couple years in the gym.

In order to get muscle definition like what Physical Girl is sportin', that takes both muscle building and fat reduction. Muscle building comes from resistance training. Fat reduction comes from diet, training & cardio. Just doing cardio will reduce fat, but will also cause a certain amount of muscle loss as well. "Just cardio" ultimately would result "skinny fat" - thin, but no muscle definition either. So they both have their place.

BTW, what area of Florida are you in?

 

[PhysicalGirl]

Welcome!!

In my opinion. You should focus more on burning fat at the begining but skill go moderate to lite when weight training and build endurence.

After you have burned more fat. Then you can focus on weight training and go Heavy with the weights but still do various kinds of cardio.

ALSO.. you have to be consistent. This will not be a quick process. Make it a WAY of LIFE!!

If you DONT have HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE or a history of HEART PROBLEMS then get yourself some ephidrine HCL, Vivorine(caffeine) and L-Carnitine. Take 1 ephidrine hcl, 1 vivorine and 2 500mg of L-Carnitine(1gram) twice a day(atleast 4 or 5 hours apart) this will help you burn ALOT more fat.

Keep your carbs LOW GLycemic and Keep your Proteins LEAN. Absolutly NO SUGAR!! If you need to sweeten something use Splenda as a sugar substitute.

STAY STRONG!!

 

[PhysicalGirl]

Re: PBR

I would love to go to the gym, but with weights here at the house, my hubby won't want me to spend money at the gym. I did do a trial week at Gold's in the beginning of the year, and I felt great.
I did cardio everyother day, and weights the other days. I was sore all over, but it felt absolutely wonderful (I had also lost about 8 lbs.). Watching the others workout really got me motivated. My husband works out here at home almost everyday, and he is getting really big, and you would think that watching him workout would motivate me....but it doesn't. I don't know why. Hopefully I'll be able to get myself to just do it.
Thanks for your response.

Its very difficult to learn if your at home alone or with your husband. Unless he knows how to train a body like yours.

If you can't go to the gym make sure you have everything you need in your home(cardio equipment, free weights, bench, bars).

JOGGING outside is VERY VERY GOOD!! Try to build up to atleast 2 miles a day 3 days a week if not more days.

Let me tell you MY VIEW on BULKING UP!!!

BULK is DEVELOPED MUSCLE under FAT!! It takes an increase of calories and very heavy weight training and not too much cardio to build muscle and your body wont burn much fat therefore if you already have alot of fat your muscles will just grow under the fat resulting in a THICK BULKY look.

If you feel you have too much fat than you should burn most of it before you decide to focus on muscle building but still weight train to keep what muscle you already have. Most people take in TOO much calories when building muscle and they end up storing FAT and building muscle at the same time.


First, Burning fat through weight training will take MUCH longer than if you did CARDIO. You would have to have ALOT of muscle for it to burn enough to keep you lean.

Weight Training is VERY IMPORTANT. You do need to do it. Weight training along with ENOUGH low fat PROTEIN will allow your body to KEEP the muscle while you BURN the FAT during cardio.

In my opinion, Nothing burns fat faster than cardiovascular excersice. You have to keep your heart rate up for a certain amount of time(A heart monitor is nice for a begininer).

During the first 45-60 minutes of cardio your body will use Glycogen and fat for energy. After the 45-60 minute point your body starts to use more fat for energy( I can explain why but then It would take to long).

After the first 45-60 minute point you will burn more fat(just a tip!). So if you do cardio for an hour and a 1/2. You will burn more fat in the last 1/2 hour than in the first hour.


Again, dont forget that the moderate to lite weight training and more LEAN protein in your diet will HELP KEEP the muscle you have and even condition your muscles as well.