Newbie questions. Advice greatly appreciated

[james948]

So this summer I've decided to get in shape. I want to

1) Get rid of my belly
2) Gain muscles on my arms, shoulders and abdomen.

I've been to the gym a few times, had a friend take me through a very simple workout. But should I be dieting and running (cardio work is this called?) to get rid of the fat on my stomach before I begin the weight training?

I am a vegetarian and generally do not get a lot of protein so I have bought soy protein powder which I add to milk. However, I don't want this to exacerbate my stomach problem; i.e. I don't want to end up with muscles but belly fat that won't shift.

Is there a particular process I should follow?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[danzik17]

Well, getting rid of fat is 90% a function of your diet. You should go skim the stickies in the Diet and Nutrition forums, formulate a plan, then post it up for review. You can also read Built's blog - I don't have the link handy on this computer, but knowing her she will be in here shortly

Why would you only want to gain muscles in those places? You should want to build a well rounded body that includes legs, back, arms, chest, etc - the whole works. If you want a physiological reason, then having a developed front side (push dominant) while having an underdeveloped backside (pull dominant) will create an imbalance that will lead to poor posture, injury, and a slew of other things.

 

[james948]

Thanks for the reply.

You're right. It was naive of me to isolate those muscles. However, I wanted to, I suppose, demonstrate that my interest was mainly aesthetic !

I'll definitely check out the links you mentioned.

 

[Built]

Tip of the hat to danzig - my blog is here: Got Built? » Open Source Fitness - Get started here

Start at the top and work your way down.