my graduation challenge

[losemenow]

hi guys. Ok im 22 years of age and it s 6 and a half weeks to my graduation. I have started weightwatchers and have lost twelve pounds in the past 7 weeks however I would love to lose between a stone and a half for my graduation which is the seventh of november. I know that is a lot of weight but I am willing to work hard in a bid to do so. Ive booked my hair (getting clip in hair extensions and having them curled ) and makeup this morning which is good motivation and i am not buying my dress until the week before hand as im not entirely sure with what i want and i live nearby some very good shopping areas so it wont be a problem.

i work three days a week whcih means i do have enough time to put into my weightloss and i do have a gym membership. i also cycle as a means of transport as i cant drive and it is to dangerous to walk at night time alone. so every day i cycle anywhere between 20 minutes and 45 minutes a day, depending on whats on.

i have 8 weeks left of my gym membership and would love to make the most of it. i have no weigh on my legs as they are very toned and im quite happy with them. my thighs have definitely got slimmer since i bought the bike. however i carry alot of weight on my lower belly, midriff and waist.

my arms could do with a good bit more toning up but they arent a huge problem for me.

i was reading the post of muscle gain etc and i was wondering what way type of plan should i do for the next 6 weeks until my graduation. im worried that as i cycle and walk a good bit that if i do too much cardio this wont be good.

im aiming to do 4-5 hour and a half work outs a week (this maybe spread over the course of the day)

there is also kick boxing and aerobics availble in my gym to members for free.

the plan for the next six weeks was to do 5 90 min sessions a week of

45 min cardio (generally cross trainer)
45 min weights, ball and mat.

ive worked out for years and i do have a good knowledge of fitness, but im wondering if im putting too much emphasis on the wrong exercises.

i am getting weighed in on thursday and i plan to be much stricter for the next 6 weeks also than i have been, not by cutting points dramtically but by using them more wisely and choosing better foods.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks a mill.

xxx

 

[Justin]

Hi losemenow,

You have a big goal to achieve but thats good, as the bigger the goal the more effort you'll put into reaching it.

I'll give you what help I can here, but just remember its all on you at the end of the day. I crappy exercise program done with amazing effort will give you better results than the perfect exercise program with little effort.


Step 1 - Write down your goal, in decent sized writing, and put it somewhere you will see it EVERY DAY. On your bedroom door may be a good idea.



Step 2 - Nutrition

Im assuming your diet is in good order since you are with weightwatchers. However, for the best results you are going to have to put some intensity into the following exercise program. If your calorie intake is too low, you may need to adjust it to ensure you arent waring yourself out.


Step 3 - Exercise

Firstly, keep the cycling and walking and dont worry about doing too much of this.

Secondly, 90 minute sessions 5 times a week is a bad idea. This is because the optimal time for a fat-burning workout is an hour. If you are able to exercise for 90 minutes in one session then you are simply not using enough intensity. The sessions are too easy for you to burn any considerable amount of fat.

You will burn far more fat in 3-4 60 minute sessions a week, if you follow my plan, so why waste any more time than you need to? This will be 3-4 all-out sessions. You can exercise on the inbetween days but keep it light, just for recovery.


If you want me to give you an effective fat loss plan, could you tell me what experience you have (if any) of using free weights, and what sort of intensities you usually exercise at. Can you hold a conversation throughout what you usually do etc?

 

[losemenow]

hi justin thanks a million. i really appreciate this. my fitness level is reasonable enough. i lost three and a half stone four years ago which i have kept off. i had a personal trainer who trained me using dumbells and i also cycled, walked and jogged during this period so i was used to exercise. i always have walked alot but i did go down in fitness levels so this year i have built my fitness level up through walking and the gym. i use free weights and weight machines. i work out at an average of 10-20 kg on the weight machines and for the dumbells i use 2kg.

cardio i generally exercise at a pace i sweat at and am tired at the end of. sometimes i slow down if distracted with company but if i go on my own i can work out to a fairly good pace that at the end of 60 minutes i should be fairly wrecked. i was doing really well up until end of july when i got a very bad dose of a chest infection and took a month off, since then ive found it hard enough to get back into it and have kind of lost touch this past month but have being getting back into it and am fairly happy with how im doing. i can quite easily keep a level of 5-8 on the cardio machines in the gym, sometimes more, however i know ive taken the mick lately with it. anything less is only when im being lazy and recently i have been. i am well able to go workout hard. if im being honest sometimes i can have a chat no bother but when i put work into it i find it difficult.

hope thats enough information. i really really appreciate this.
xxx

 

[Justin]

Thanks, thats great info.

First thing, the weights have GOT to go up! Im saddened that the myth that women must use pink 1-2kg dumbbells is still around. If I had to say what may be THE biggest thing stopping women reaching their fat loss goals, it would be that most don't train anywhere NEAR the intensity they should be.
As Im soon to explain in full detail in an upcoming post, you will NOT get 'bulky' or musclebound or whatever people say you will, UNLESS you are eating a calorie surplus of around 1000kcals. That equates to 3000-4000kcals a day for most people. Without the excess energy, your body simply cant grow masses of new tissue. Theres also a difference in the way bodybuilders exercise to the way most normal people do, which again I'll explain in that post.


Okay, also, the simplicity of this program may shock you. But the most simple programs often work the best. Your main resistance training part of the workout will involve just 4 exercises. However, if you work hard enough on those 4 exercises, you should be feeling like you've done a great job afterwards.


We can make adjustments and make it more advanced in a few weeks time, but for now id like you to start on a very basic program which works your whole body and will help get rid of muscle imbalances and help your physique become well proportioned.

Resistance: 4 sets of 10-12 reps each
1a. DB Deadlift
1b. DB Reverse Lunge
2a. Standing DB Shoulder Press
2b. Lat Pulldown (or assisted chin up machine if you have one at the gym?)
Rest 1 minute between each superset.


These exercises are in Supersets. This means that you do a set of the first exercise (say Deadlift 1a), then immediately do the first set of DB Lunges (1b).
You rest for a minute, then do your second set of Deadlifts, then your second set of Lunges.
Do this until all 4 sets of each are done, then repeat with the next two exercises for the upper body.


After this is done, since you've said your willing to word hard, perform one of the complexes in this post: http://www.minimins.com/fitness-exercise/112844-warning-fat-melting-workout-not-faint-hearted.html


The main resistance exercises will stay the same, but alternate between the two complexes each workout. So If you are going to the gym say Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then you'd do the second Complex on Wednesday, the first complex again on friday, then start the next week with the second complex.


So, overall your workout would look like this:

---------------------------------------------

-Warm Up (general warm up, break a sweat, but make sure your arms get warmed up too! The rower is the best for this. 10 minutes maximum)

-Resistance:
1a. DB Deadlift 4 x 10-12
1b. DB Reverse Lunge 4 x 10-12
Rest 60 seconds between each superset

2a. DB Shoulder Press 4 x 10-12
2b. Lat Pulldown 4 x 10-12
Rest 60s between each superset


-Cardio:

Complex A OR Complex B 4 x 8



-Cool Down

Light aerobic exercise (where you can hold a conversation) for 15-20 minutes

------------------------------------------



If you are unsure of any of the exercises, ask a gym isntructor to help you learn then. That is thier job so dont feel like you shouldnt ask. If you print the above workout off and show them the name of the exercise they SHOULD be able to show you. If not, find a personal trainer (or maybe a new gym that qualifies staff who actually know a ting or two about exercise!)


If you have any questions AT ALL please just ask me (or PM me if you like)


Justin

 

[losemenow]

Justin thank you so much. I will start the plan tomorrow. I lost 5 pounds this week through some small miracle bringing me down to 13 stone 11.5 lbs so my target weight for my graduation is 12 stone 7 lbs. Anyway i really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I cant wait to start although i know it's gonna be a challenge!!!!!!!


really am very greatful. thank you so much x

 

[Justin]

Its my pleisure.


I'll be here with you all the way, any questions just ask. If you'd like to keep me updated after each session you do by PM that would be a great help to you. That way, if anything was too difficult, or circumstances changed, we could make alterations. So thats an option to you. The more i know about your progress the more I can keep helping you.

Either way, let me know how you are getting on.

 

[losemenow]

yes i definitely will. at the moment i havent got the priviledges to pm as im a new member to the forum but i definitely will. thank you so much again. your very kind to do this

 

[losemenow]

hiya justin. still cant pm yet but im starting your programme today! will let you know how the body is tomorrow! crippled no doubt! thanks again x

 

[Justin]

Great, looking forward to it

 

[losemenow]

oh my god. my ass.

that is all.


no just kidding! ok did the workout justin and wow. ouch. im panting. hence all the full stops. anyway yeah defo i can feel it. its tough but short so that helps. i feel far more exhausted than any workout ive done on the cross trainer.

few quick questions tho

for the back squat and lunges do i raise the bar up as i go up

and secondly with regard to the shoulder press if i use the barbell do i lift it in front of my head or behind?

overall very good. actually feel like ive done a workout. im sweating and i ache all over and that was without weights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

did it tonight with a brush in front of my computer just to try and get the technique right so i dont kill myself when i introduce 5 or more kg. any suggestions on what weight to start? id say 10kg will be ok, well by ok i mean deadly but ill just about cope.

thank you so much. great workout. im shattered!

 

[Justin]

Im so pleased to hear that! I am actually known around my gym as "the guy who shapes women's arses" so that shouldn't be a surprise lol.


Back squat and lunges - keep the bar rested on your shoulders (see the videos again on the Complex post)


Shoulder Press - whats comfortable for you. In one of the complexes you'd do it from behind, because the exercise before it is a back squat, so the bar is in position ready. But if it gives you any pain or discomfort do it infront of your head. So the bar would be resting across your upper chest. Slightly take your head back and raise the bar. But keep looking forward at all times, dont look up or you may be put off balance. Use a mirror to check your form rather than watching the bar.



Weight to use - if you used just a broomstick so far, then try something around 5-7kg and see how you do. You should be able to use the same weight for both complexes. If you can get through 4 sets and the weight was just right, you'll know it (as you can imagine).

The FIRST set should be ok though. So if the weight feels super hard on the first set, bring it down a touch.

The third set is where it should really kick in.

The fourth set you wont want to do. You'll start thinging of excuses such as "Oh ive done plenty for today", "I should take it easy as its my first day", or "I have things to do at home so i'll wrap it up short". Im not generallising, every person Ive done this with has agreed that they thought something like that and laugh out loud when I guess!


But you WILL do the fourth set. Every time! Its the set that gives you 80% of the benefits, and it will improve you mentally too.