workout help!

[ena987789]

what's the best workout plan for someone who is underweight by untoned? more weights less cardio? more cardio less weights?

also, i was wondering what sort of meal plan i should be on. i just don't want to lose any weight! should i eat high protein foods/less carbs? (though i've heard this meal plan is for those trying to lose weight (??))

thanks muchly!

 

[teresand77]

are you on any kind of a workout plan now? i would say more weights than anything if you are underweight.

for diet i would balance it out like one portion of complex carbs adn one portion of protein each meal...and don't forget all of your "good" fats like flaxseed oil, peanut butter, etc. what is your diet like right now?

teresa

 

[wilson6]

"and don't forget all of your "good" fats like flaxseed oil, peanut butter, etc. "

I know this is a set-up question as DG would say, but I need to know as I've seen this posted before, what is the difference between good fats and bad fats and what is the relevance to bodybuilding?

MS and other gurus, stay out of this one for the moment. I want to hear some of the lay responses to see what the knowledge base is.

W6

 

[teresand77]

i feel like this is a test ...and i'm not positive on the answer--just like in my masters' program right now!

i honestly don't know the science behind fat except i read a list in muscle and fitness last summer and it listed certain fats as good, some as better than average and others as bad. i pretty much just memorized that list. i think that we need them for bodybuilding for a few reasons. one is that if you don't eat enough fat you don't feel full and have more cravings--that's what happens to me anyway--and another is without fat your body will feel like it's starving and start to sacrifice your muscle.

everyone feel free to tell me i'm wrong. i'm sure i could have looked up the answer somewhere but i wanted to see if i was right.

teresa

 

[2Shy]

Oooo, let me try. You can't get anymore "lay person" than me! Thanks Wilson6 for making me put on my thinking cap to try to remember what I learned years ago.

EFAs are "essential" because our own bodies don't produce them and must be obtained via diet. Certain vitamins (D and E come to mind) are fat soluable and need fats in order to be effective. They aid in skin quality and elasticity. The body uses them to form compounds that help with all sorts of necessary bodily functions like synthesizing hormones (testosterone for one) clotting and oxygen dispersion. They are necessary to the formation of new cells and maintenance of cell walls.

Omega 3s (fish oils, flax, olive) produce an anabolic state in the body.

As I understand it, Omega 6 oils (nuts, seeds, safflower oil) have the same properties, are more stable than Omega 3s, BUT too much can actually have an adverse (catabolic) effect. Or am I misremembering?

BTW, can anyone tell me which category Borage and Evening Primrose oils are under? Can't remember.

I have heard that EFAs have been thought to help certain mental disorders such as autism and possibly might aid in treatment of depression and anxiety.

They're supposed to be good for female issues like PMS.

To ena987789, it's not the meal plan that reduces fat. It's all calories. Eat more than you burn and you will gain. Eat less and you will lose. Proteins and fats are necessary for muscle growth, but then, so are carbs.

 

[wateengedoe2]

what's the best workout plan for someone who is underweight by untoned? more weights less cardio? more cardio less weights?

also, i was wondering what sort of meal plan i should be on. i just don't want to lose any weight! should i eat high protein foods/less carbs? (though i've heard this meal plan is for those trying to lose weight (??))

thanks muchly!

What does 'underweight by untoned' mean? Do you mean you're underweight, but still with a too high fat percentage? Anyway, I would use a bulking diet if I were you, but eat in a very clean way or you will (also) gain fat, which is not what you want

I started working out and bulking in August last year, weighing 110 lbs at 5'5" (?, 1.64m) and now I weigh 130 lbs. Got a bit fatter in the process, but most of all, my gains are muscle I have a bulking diet of 125% of my energy needs, with fat, proteins, carbs 20-20-60%. Will be on a cutting diet for a few weeks to loose the fat I put on at Xmas and then continue bulking .. This works fine for me!

Re the weights/reps .. Use heavy weights and low reps, in the muscle hypertrophy range. I use weights that I can do 6-10 reps with, when I get stronger, I use heavier weights to get back into that range. Let every muscle group rest 1 week before training it again, that leaves it with plenty of time to grow.