Ready to step up my fitness, get leaner hotter and lose bf :)

[sofithomas]

Hey everyone!

My name is Sophie I am 18 years old and ready to take my fitness up a notch as I am sick of seeing everyone around me do cardio cardio cardio as I have been doing that for months and hit a plateau! So I wanna look toned and hot in time for summer

My stats:
5ft 11.5
BF about 26%
waist: 24 hips: 36.5/37 (on a bad day hehehe)


I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to weight training but thus far am encorporating a lot of bikram yoga (like 2 times a week a least) with compound movement sessions such as squats with 8kg dumbells, woodchoppers, lunges, TRX, and general circuit training using things like Nike Training on my iphone (can give more detailed log if needed ) I workout at least 6 times a week, sometimes 7 school time permitting and twice a day if I can!

I LOVE my cardio lol, so its hard to cut it down so reserve every Sunday I do an hour run/about 12k to keep me happy. I normally do HIT after weight training, like some sprints or intense cycling/elliptical for like 10/15 mins. Or I do 45 mins long steady pace cardio alongside my stength training.

Diet is normally the following, this week has been a baaad week for dieting due to school and stress commitments but I plan on wiping the slate clean and just starting from scratch as of tomorrow:

Breakfast:
1 egg omlette w/ 1 egg white
80 gram green beans
50 grams kale/spinach
85 grams broccoli

OR I make my own green smoothie, with 50 g kale, 50 g spinach, 50g blueberries teaspoon of flaxseed oil and water/200ml of coconut water to add a kick, plus spirulina or acai powder

Snack:
Handful/about 8-10 almonds

Lunch:
About 50g chicken/salmon/2 egg white omlette
rocket salad/1/2 red pepper, 1 cup cucumber
OR normally the veg I have for breakfast, plus some carrots or something for variety

Snack
8-10 almonds/3-4 brazil nuts/2 egg whites

Dinner
100g chicken/salmon
(similar veg/salad as previously stated - maybe mix it up with brussel sprouts, pak choi, cauliflower etc. Anything healthy and yummy!)

Snack
Evening is my downfall LOL normally I fall prey to about 15/20 almonds or more nuts...gotta stop lol!

So been doing this diet for a month so far and its going well (except this week hahah) but any more advice is more than appreciated!!!

Thanks so much ladies and gents, rip me apart if needs be I wanna feel and look the best I can be!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

First, your morning shake (on the mornings you have it) - I would add a protein powder to it. Or at the very very least, some greek yogurt to up the protein. On the days you have eggs - is that ONE egg white only? Or one whole egg PLUS an additional egg white? Regardless, I'd up the protein on that too.

As far as weights, you need to focus on compound movements with heavier weights. I LOVE cardio also - always have. Cardio can help you drop fat, but there is nothing like weights to give your body shape. Circuits are easy, no-brainer type of weight workouts. They can be useful, but in general, I think focusing on a few bigger movements will give you more bang for your buck. Things like squats, lunges, bench presses, overhead press with dumbbells - those are infinitely more helpful IMO.

You say you work out 6-7 days a week, sometimes twice a day. Of that, how much is cardio and how much is weights? I am assuming you are doing 6-7 days of cardio (approx an hour each time?).

 

[sofithomas]

One egg plus one additional egg white is my normal port of call, but I can always add more as you say!

Admittedly for the moment a lot of it is cardio, but I'm slowly introducing weights into it. I normally have like 3-4 cardio sessions the other half weights plus ten-twenty minutes HIT, on 'double days' I do say an hour of weights then an hour of cardio and maybe if I get bored later in the day I go for a 5k run or something. Yeah on the most parts my sessions (singular) are normally about 60-90 minutes at a time.

 

[phenom16]

Maybe it's that I'm used to judging bf on guys ( that's sounds gay but no homo) but you def don't look 26%..I'd say way under that.. What's that based on? On of those stupid digital things u hold at the gym?

 

[sofithomas]

Maybe it's that I'm used to judging bf on guys ( that's sounds gay but no homo) but you def don't look 26%..I'd say way under that.. What's that based on? On of those stupid digital things u hold at the gym?

Wow thank you!! I've always guestimated I was 26 but I am far from an expert!Haha actually sadly it WAS one of the digital thingies....i kindve tool it seriously as I was with a PT and she was like yeah about right? Id rather overedtimate my bf to be honest so I can get more motivated anyway!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

In your "hour of weights" what are you usually doing and with what weights? An hour is a long time to be REALLY lifting. If you focus on compound movements, with heavier weights, you will likely cut your weights time WAY down and results WAY up. I'm assuming that your weight sessions are total body? You don't split body parts? Not necessarily BAD, but not the best way to build muscle.

 

[sofithomas]

In your "hour of weights" what are you usually doing and with what weights? An hour is a long time to be REALLY lifting. If you focus on compound movements, with heavier weights, you will likely cut your weights time WAY down and results WAY up. I'm assuming that your weight sessions are total body? You don't split body parts? Not necessarily BAD, but not the best way to build muscle.

I think this is where one of my problems may lie, yeah I normally do full body sort of things with not too heavy weights as I'm slowly getting into weights etc, so I will
Do like 3 sets of 10 reps of squats lifting about 20lbs then lumge with shoulder press, then move onto deadlifting (same sets/reps for everything), i intersperse cardio moves between sets too like burpees or froggers. I'll then do upper body, like plank to shoulder press, bench press, press ups, dumbbell flyes and bent over rows. I then do a section on abs, like walking planks and b ups etc - so about 20 mins for each section to add it all up! ButI am still quite lost/unstructured in my workouts so theyre def not as effective as I want them to be. Also sucks being the only girl in the gym who wanders into the weights section lol!

 

[slat1]

Welcome! You look great. I agree you look like you have a lot less body fat than 26%. The Bioimpedence machines are notoriously wrong.
You came to the right place if you want to hit your goals. The ladies here are very knowledgeable and very supportive.
Best of luck!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

When you do 3 sets of 10, how do you feel after the 10 reps? Is it easy? When learning HOW to lift, you don't want to be struggling or have crapass form, but you still want it to be a CHALLENGE. Ya know? I seriously would go back to basics when starting out ... working out doesn't have to be fancy or complicated. Sometimes, basic is best.

Don't worry about being the only girl in the weights section. Own it - you deserve to be there. You act meek and like you don't belong, your workout will suffer. If you own it and bring your confidence, your workout will rock. Even on days I am deadass tired and the last place I want to be is the gym - fake it till you make it. Believe you CAN do it and your attitude will bring you the rest of the way.

 

[Rebecca D]

ahhh, I remember the pre kid, pre marriage, 25 year ago days. You look great--can't be 26%

Rebecca D