can someone help aeonteal?

[aeonteal]

dude...you're the best. obviously, i don't know about any of these things.

hmm...ok, i've been exercising consistently since May and so far lost 15 lbs doing the workout plan that i laid out in my first and third posts. now i'm in the homestretch for the final 15 lbs. but been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks (currently 135 with goal to get to 120...and i'm 5'6")

my diet needs some major tweaking -- need to cut back on calories to ensure that i'm losing weight (mostly the wine/vodka and...tortillas ) and that will most likely help me get past my plateau.

are there any other high intensity cardio exercises that i could throw in in addition to the 40 minutes that i am currently running 3-4 times a week? or, is there a way that i can break up the 40 mins into alternative cardio exercises so that it's more high impact. i'd like rev up my workout a bit. but, if you think this is bad idea, let me know.

also, while i am a beginner, when will i know when it's the right time to get the weights? perhaps it's just intuitive and it'll naturally come to me when it's the right time for the next step but since you've been so helpful, thought i'd throw the question out there.

thanks again!

 

[Wrangell]

dude...you're the best. obviously, i don't know about any of these things.

hmm...ok, i've been exercising consistently since May and so far lost 15 lbs doing the workout plan that i laid out in my first and third posts. now i'm in the homestretch for the final 15 lbs. but been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks (currently 135 with goal to get to 120...and i'm 5'6")

my diet needs some major tweaking -- need to cut back on calories to ensure that i'm losing weight (mostly the wine/vodka and...tortillas ) and that will most likely help me get past my plateau.

For fat loss and figuring out how many calories you need, check these links out - and I know it may take you a few minutes to read all 3 ...but all 3 are actually very good and i think they'll give you a good grounding of some basic info to help you forward in a confident manner........they're well worth checking out.......and I cite them often to other members.


This one does a nice job of explaining the " maintenance level " calories you need each day either to hold your weight, add weight or ( in your case ) drop weight- including some formulas that are relevant.....

Calorie Calculations and Calorie Calculators: How Many Calories a Day Should You Eat?


This article does a great job explaining how to ' optimize your exercise and nutritional intake for fat loss ' ...

John Berardi - The Winning Formula Part 2


This article does a great job explaining some basics of nutrition.....

John Berardi - Complete Idiot's Guide to Dieting

are there any other high intensity cardio exercises that i could throw in in addition to the 40 minutes that i am currently running 3-4 times a week? or, is there a way that i can break up the 40 mins into alternative cardio exercises so that it's more high impact. i'd like rev up my workout a bit. but, if you think this is bad idea, let me know.

Just so I'm clear, this 40 minutes of cardio you now do - is it a steady pace cardio run or some form of interval training ?

also, while i am a beginner, when will i know when it's the right time to get the weights? perhaps it's just intuitive and it'll naturally come to me when it's the right time for the next step but since you've been so helpful, thought i'd throw the question out there.thanks again!

Actually, even as a beginner, you can start right out with free weights if you like. In fact, I'd guess that most beginners start out in just this way - with weights such as dumbbells only, barbells only or some combo of both - either at home or at a gym. In other words you don't have to ' work up ' to using free weights by using resistance bands first - you can start right out with free weights if you like.

However if you didn't have access to a gym or didn't have access to free weights, then resistance bands and bodyweight exercises still represent viable resistance training options that are available for someone who wants to train their muscles.

 

[aeonteal]

hey man...

thanks for the links. i'll definitely read them!

right now, my cardio is a steady pace run. basically a 40 min jog with some moments when i speed up and then return back to my jog. nothing too fancy or well thought out. i'd like to put some pep in my step to burn more calories during that time. not sure if i could incorporate other things into that time or break it up???

regarding weights: i used really light weights in the past and i found that they were great for my shoulders and triceps. (pink 2-3 pounds for each arm, lol) but after reading the weight lifting section for women, i see that those are for p#ss$ies. haha...anyway, i don't want arms remotely close to madonna and from what you've said, it won't happen. i also don't anticipate getting a weight set just yet as i'm still trying to work on losing some fat and honestly, i don't have the space in my nyc studio apt.

also, i know how to do simple exercises for my arms/shoulders but i have no idea how heavy they should be. i'm not sure if you can help me since you can't fully evaluate me, but as you know, i'm 5'6", 135 lbs trying to get down to 120 and i'm stuck at 135.

also, can i use the weights at home to work out other parts of my body other than my arms/shoulders?

i feel like i'm getting close to starting my diary and actually having a clue! phew...it's hard work but so worth it. thanks for making everything so clear and for your help!

 

[stingo]

Interval training instead of steady state cardio is better for burning calories. When trying out weights, I'd suggest ending up with one that you can do the required number of repetitions (1 repetition = 1 time you actually push, pull, lift etc the weight) in the set plus one. If your setup is 3 sets of 10 repetitions, choose a weight you could do 11 with, but not 12.

When I think of a dancer's body, I think of this . Is that what you're looking for?

 

[aeonteal]

hey stingo,

i'll do some research but what the heck is interval training? sorry...as you know, i'm clueless about this stuff.

thanks so much for the info about the weights. that makes perfect sense. maybe i'll make an investment in the next few weeks!

and yeah, that woman has a beautiful back! that's exactly what i'm talking about! she's muscular and strong but still thin.

thanks!!!

 

[stingo]

hey stingo,

i'll do some research but what the heck is interval training? sorry...as you know, i'm clueless about this stuff.

thanks so much for the info about the weights. that makes perfect sense. maybe i'll make an investment in the next few weeks!

and yeah, that woman has a beautiful back! that's exactly what i'm talking about! she's muscular and strong but still thin.

thanks!!!

As I understand it, interval training is doing rounds of high intensity followed by moderate intensity and repeating... For example - you go as hard as you can for 1 minute, then back off to a moderate/resting pace for 2 minutes. Repeat as many times as you find you are able. (Though with proper warm up and cool down (5 minutes a piece), 6 rounds will give you nearly half an hour of working out. You can do this on the treadmill/outside for running, on a bike (stationary, road), or swimming, or whatever setting/gear you use to do your cardio. You'll want to switch the venue/gear up periodically, as well as the length of the high intensity/moderate intensity work (like to 30/60 or 30/30 for example).

Reading your posts I get the notion you seem to think that lifting won't help with fat loss. It does help, a lot. With steady state cardio, I've read you do burn more calories in the actual exercise than lifting, BUT, lifting burns more total calories over the long run because it increases your metabolism for nearly up to 2 days after a tough workout. (Source is NROL). Which is also why they advocate interval training, because of the way the body works and where it draws its energy from to do it.

 

[Wrangell]

hey stingo,

i'll do some research but what the heck is interval training? sorry...as you know, i'm clueless about this stuff.

The fastest way to improve cardio fitness is to do what is called interval training ( not to be confused with High Intensity Interval Training ( HIIT ) ) or what is sometimes referred to as ' wind sprints '. I've used ' wind sprints ' a lot on treadmills and rowers and elipticals etc. etc. over the years - and it's a great way both to improve cardio fitness and to lose fat as well.

' Wind sprint ' interval training involves a work interval and a recovery interval. The work-to-recovery interval ratio can be 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 more. For example, a 1:4 work / recovery ratio for someone might be jogging for 1 minute ( work ), followed by walking for 4 minutes ( recovery ). Or is could just as easily be 30 seconds jogging ( work ) followed by 2 minutes walking ( recovery ). The times you use for work and recovery intervals are up to you.

' Wind sprints ' just means you have to get out of breath when you jog ( as an example ) for 1 minute during the work interval ...you don't have to go blazing fast ( or sprint ) to get there...that is NOT what is meant by "sprint " in this context. Sprint means to to get winded , not to necessarily go fast . The recovery interval is still 4 minutes of light jogging or walking, but you are recovering and catching your breath while you continue to jog or walk during this 4 minutes. This is what builds your fitness level....your heart having to recover from the work interval under duress - i.e while you're still running or walking for 4 minutes.

You can even keep an steady pace on a treadmill and still do intervals. For example, you can walk at a steady 3.5 mph for an entire 30 minute ' wind sprint ' workout. Warm up for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph @ incline level 1. Then bump the incline to something like level 6 @ 3.5 mph for 20,40, 60 seconds ( just enough to get your out of breath for a short time ) - this is your work interval. And, then drop it back down to incline level 1.0 @ 3.5 mph for 2 or 3 minutes till you get almost all your breath back ( but not 100% back ) - this is your recovery interval. Do this work / recovery interval set 4 or 5 times ( if you can ) followed by a proper cool down.

But, the key thing to remember about this form of interval training, if you want to get fit, is the importance of the recovery interval and NOT the work interval. The recovery interval is the key to improved fitness, as it trains your heart to continue exercising at a steady pace while under duress ( recovery mode from the work interval ).

As for HIIT, HIIT is just an intense form of interval training, and was well described by stingo. HIIT usually means you simply go at a high intensity ' flat out " or ' as hard as you can ' on your work interval, which can last anywhere from 10 seconds, to 20, 30, 60 or 90+ seconds - pretty much whatever you choose.

The reason HHIT is touted as an excellent way to lose fat is based on a study that was done up here in Canada that compared steady state cardio to HIIT cardio in terms of fat loss. The study found that even though a steady state cardio group of subjects burned more than 2X as many calories during cardio than a HIIT group of subjects, the HIIT group lost more fat. In fact, in the end, the HIIT group got 9 times more of a fat-loss return for each calorie they burned during cardio. This was among the first studies to debunk the notion that steady state aerobic exercise was the optimal way to lose fat....and is one reason why many people embrace HIIT as an optimal way to lose fat.

 

[aeonteal]

hey guys!

i think i'm starting to get it (finally). i'm going to start to incorporate these techniques into my cardio workout this week. i've already started tweaking my diet and i'm also going to continue to educate myself about weights and figure out what works for me.

i've learned so much from your advice and the resources you've mentioned! i feel so much better about my workouts and that i'm on track toward losing those last 15 pounds and maintaining the weight loss. before finding this site and posting this thread, i had planned on hiring a trainer (which i really can't afford) but now i feel like i can lose the weight myself! yay!

thanks!