First Post: Where should I start?

[FranktheTank]

Hey guys.

I am currently 19 years-old and weigh 143 lbs and stand 5'6. I use to weigh 210 lbs about 5 months ago and have since dropped a little over 65 lbs. I cut out all the junk food and actually started to eat less and exercise more. My BF is 13%, but I still feel as though I can lose some more weight particularly around my midsection.

Anyway, what I want to know is what kind of workout routine you guys think is best for me. My goals are to get around 130 lbs and have a more firmer looking body. I do not wish to get "big", but rather lean down and get some definition.

My current workout goes like this:

Mon: Cardio ( Treadmill = Intervals of 3 mins @ 4mph followed by 2 mins @ 6mph for a Total time of 40mins)

Tues: Cardio + Weights + Ball Routine

Treadmill - 40mins
Arm Curls - 3 sets of 12 with 10 lbs weights in each hand
Flat BP - 3 sets of 12 with 60 lbs of weights on the bar
Inclinded BP - 3x of 12 with ~ 30 lbs of Band resistence (kind of like the Bowflex) but I can't tell how much each rope band is worth.

Abs - I use an exercise ball to do my abs with
3 sets of 12 sit-ups with legs on ball
3 sets of 12 sit-ups where I lift the ball up with my legs as I come up
3 sets of 12 crunches where I am on top of the ball

Mon-Sun = Cardio and Abs
Tue-Thurs-Sat = Weights

My diet on a day I don't do weights:

BKF - Protein Shake 2 scoops with skim milk and ice
Snack - Graham Crackers ~ 130 kals a serving
Lnch - Protein Shake 1 scoop with skim milk
Dinner - Whatever is on the menu for the night, but with the right portions
Bed - Protein Shake 1 scoop with skim milk

My diet on a day I do weights:

Bkf- Protein Shake 1 scoop + fruit
Snack- Graham crackers or fruit
Lnch- Protein Shake 2 scoops right after a workout with a Banana
Dinner- Whatever is for that night
Bed - Protein Shake 1 scoop with skim milk

Let me know what you guys think I can do to improve upon my routine. Thanks again for the help, I am pretty new to all this.

 

[IJ300]

replace the shakes with real food and start doing full body workouts.

 

[kicka19]

even tho you dont want to get big you should lift more heavyier wieghts, muscle burns fat and calories at a highrate when simply at rest. It will help you maintain you wieght and firm you up

 

[FranktheTank]

Ya thanks for the info.

I decided to change my routine around and exercise a different part of my body everyday.

Today I worked on my chest and arms and upped the amount of repetitions I did for each exercise and included some new moves.

Chest
Before: 3x 12 on Flat BP with 60 lbs of weight.
Now: 6x 12 with Flat and Inclined BP 60 lbs of weight, 6x 12 with Flat and Inclined BP and Fly maneuvers with Dumbells at 20 lbs in each hand.

Arms
Before: 3x 12 Curls with 5 lbs of weight.
Now: 5x 12 Curls with 20 lbs of weight.

Total Time with Weights: About an hour for Chest and Arms
Total Time with Cardio: 45mins

I also do some barbell curls with 30lbs of weight and Tricep exercises with 20 lbs of weight.

By the way does anyone know some good exercises for the abs that work well, besides sit-ups?

Tomorrow I will work on Legs and Abs. I hope I feel sore tomorrow because I felt like I really had a workout today. Is it OK to not feel any soreness the next day after using weights? Because I haven't felt any pain in my muscles since I started.

 

[LexusGS]

IJ300, you look sick man.

 

[CowPimp]

First off, I highly recommend taking a look around the diet & nutrition section. There is a lot of good information there to help you refine your diet to the point where you can hit single digit body fat levels if you so desire.

In terms of training, there are a couple things I would recommend:

When it comes to lifting, I would suggest doing full body routines in a circuit. This is going to keep your heart rate elevated, and it will allow you to burn more calories and maintain a metabolic boost for a longer time after you're done lifting. 3 times per week seems to be about ideal for full body routines.

When you are finished lifting, it wouldn't hurt to do 15 minutes of cardio before eating your PWO meal.

You can also try alternate forms of cardio, like HIIT cardio, Max-OT cardio, and/or sprinting. Traditional cardio is great, but some people respond quite well to these higher intensity forms of cardio.

 

[Arnold]

your diet is awful and you do too much cardio IMO, continuing that diet and that amount of cardio is not going to get you "lean".

 

[Squaggleboggin]

Don't forget to work your back either. You might've had it in there and I just missed it, but if you don't currently work it, start! I'd recommend deadlifts, they're the back king.

 

[FranktheTank]

Alright thanks for the input guys, I will take a better look at the Diet and Nutrition section.