Dilemma

[spanky_2005]

Right guys as some of you may know a few months back I decided to focus on cardio to lose some excess fat, now I have hit a big dilemma which I hope you guys can give me some help.

During the last month and a half I stopped weights and did a variety of different cardiovascular excercises daily, this has cut some fat of my body, but has also seen my muscles drasticaly decrease due to them not being worked.

I do know that fat canot be turned into muscle and both canot be achieved at the same time.

So what I ask is...... If I were to now focus on Muscle Growth with a schedule like

Monday - Weights
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Weights
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Off
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - Weights

Would taking creatine in order to build a few pounds of muscle help me rid body fat.

 

[R.Lewis]

Do you know what HIIT* training is?

There is a forum here just for HIIT so read up on it if not.

Find a comfortabloe weight training program. Prob best to do a 3-split*

If your trying to lose weight or get fit whilst building muscle you'll be much better off doing HIIT training every day, or as many times as possable.

HIIT lasts 20-25mins, if you run then you can do it any time any place with no equipment. this way you follow a mass building program and your CV does not effect it.

 

[malkore]

what I suspect is not that your muscles are 'shrinking' but that you are shedding the layer of fat around them.

If you did't let your diet go to hell over hte last 6 weeks you stopped weight lifting, then you should not 'drastically lose muscle mass'...in fact if you kept the diet up, it would take about 3 weeks before you'd even begin to lose muscle mass, and it would be a slow process.

 

[tonymcclellan]

Its good to alternate focus in workouts. But like kent said, some HIT would be useful, and weight training will also help you burn the fat you want to lose.





Edit: Alternate I meant that you should do a group of muscles on day M, cardio T, different muscles W, cardio R...you understand. I couldnt even understand what I said the way I said it.

 

[R.Lewis]

Its good to alternate focus in workouts.

Yes but that means to change focus in reps or exercises. The reason you change focus in areas is to put more effort and energy in to your training.

You dont need to have a "full tank" of energy when you start your CV work when your trying to lose fat.

 

[spanky_2005]

Ah cheers Guys, So it would be beneficial I did my HIIT In the morning, every morning, and then focused on a different group of muscles on each day in order to not fatigue them.

 

[spanky_2005]

Monday: Chest, biceps
Bench press (free weights, barbell) 3 sets 6 reps
Incline press (free weights, barbell) 2 sets 10 reps
Vertical bench press (machine) 1 set 20 reps
Barbell curls (shoulder wide grip) 3 sets 6 reps
Dumbbell curls (seated) 2 sets 10 reps
EZ-barbell curls (narrow grip) 1 set 20 reps

Tuesday: Legs
Squats (free weights, barbell) 3 sets 6 reps
Leg press (machine) 2 sets 10 reps
Hack squats (machine) 1 set 20 reps

Wednesday: HIIT

Thursday: Shoulders, triceps
Behind the neck press (free weights, barbell) 3 sets 6 reps (f
Standing upright rows (free weights, EZ-barbell) 2 sets 10 reps
Front overhead press (machine) 1 set 20 reps
Lying triceps press (free weights, EZ-barbell) 3 sets 6 reps
Overhead triceps press (free weights, EZ-barbell) 2 sets 10 reps
Triceps pushdown (machine, cable) 1 set 20 reps

Friday: HIIT

Saturday HIIT

Sunday Back, calves
Front latpulldown (machine, shoulder wide grip) 3 sets 6 reps
Seated cable rows (machine, narrow grip) 2 sets 10 reps
Dumbbell rows (one arm at a time) 1 set 20 reps
Standing calf raises (machine) 3 sets 6 reps
Seated calf raises (machine) 2 sets 10 reps
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Would this Routine work ?

 

[R.Lewis]

I believe that the best way would be to do that weight lifting program, and do the HIIT training every morning at least 2 hours before your weights, or every night at least an hour after your post-workout meal.