Smaller meals are better.
Keep it simple- Count macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) and calories.
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I need a work out routine to tone up my torso, any suggestions?
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Smaller meals are better.
Keep it simple- Count macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) and calories.
FallingEdge
Member
That is not true. Smaller meals/meal frequency doesn't matter. If you want smaller meals and want to eat more, then do it. But you don't have too.
you sure? i converted from kilos and meters (that are used here in Europe), I am 1.64 cm (5'49 feet) with around 63 kilos (141 pounds, yep converted again), should be losing anything between 3 and 5 kilos ( between 6.6 and 11 pounds), I am almost there, I can "almost" say I don't have a belly, but then I sit without shirt and damn, the flab is becoming very apparent.
I was thinking actual food you can suggest, like some specific fruits and such. I heard tuna is good?? I used to have one slice of bread with a small portion of tuna when I was trying the hardcore things many years ago.
Forsaken82
Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkD9LwDBWW0
m-100s is what I would do. It works all of the important muscle groups and its quick workout
m-100s is what I would do. It works all of the important muscle groups and its quick workout
Diet can be easier with a little work, especially if you dont have to worry a lot about cooking for others. Think about it in terms of macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs). Eat a lot of protein. Meat, eggs, milk, yogurt. You can get it from tons of sources, even beans, nuts and quinoa.
Carbs you can eat more of on days you work out. think of them as 'immediate energy'. If you're using a lot of energy, you can replace them. Dont hate these things, but this is the thing you gotta actively limit the most, because they're sneakily added to fucking everything.
Fat is not something you should be super afraid of. Saturated fat is not the bugbear its made out to be and speaking from personal experience adjusting your diet to eat butter and olive oil and all that not only feels great, but also keeps you full, which is key.
if youre busy, marinate ahead of time, and get a good spice rack to keep you from being bored. When you do cook, cook more than you would for a normal meal so you can cop some leftovers if youre busy. Getting to be a more efficient cook aint a bad thing.
FallingEdge
Member
I understand where you are coming from. You are what people describe as 'skinny fat'. You have a small frame, but as you mentioned, starting to develop a gut and are flabby. Losing weight won't fix that. IMO, you should be focusing on putting muscle on that frame of yours so when you lose the fat, there will be muscle there to show. Right now, I think you will look like a twig.
As for diet, here is a quick and easy way to plan something out - http://www.swole.me/
Lamel
Banned
OP I know the fitness thread is really intimidating at first, and all that information is a bit overwhelming. HOWEVER, I started the same way. You just have to go in there and ask questions, don't be afraid of the people lifting tons of weight, that's their shtick, it's not everyone's goal...so questions about all types of fitness will be answered there.
The OP really does answer everything at least generally, then you can ask specific questions. Also, I'm gonna be really generous and help you out...but once again, go to the fitness thread.
Anyways, I would recommend the full body routine in the OP. I have bolded the exercises that will help specifically with torso.
Monday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlifts - 1 set of 5
Pull-Ups - 3 sets of 8-15
Wednesday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Overhead Press - 3 sets of 5
Power Cleans - 5 sets of 3
Abdominal work
Friday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlift - 1 set of 5
Bent Over Rows - 3 set of 5
Arm work, if desired (Barbell Curl, Triceps Extensions)
If this is your first time seriously working out, learn these exercises (Watch videos) and correct your form, and use a light weight the first time around. However once you get the form down then you need to start lifting heavy.
As detailed above, you'll be doing mainly 3 sets of 5 reps, that means you'll need to choose a weight that you can only repeat 5 times and the 5th time will be close to failure.
Apart from this, you need to eat well enough, calculate your BMR using the formula in the op and get 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight.
good luck!
The OP really does answer everything at least generally, then you can ask specific questions. Also, I'm gonna be really generous and help you out...but once again, go to the fitness thread.
Anyways, I would recommend the full body routine in the OP. I have bolded the exercises that will help specifically with torso.
Monday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlifts - 1 set of 5
Pull-Ups - 3 sets of 8-15
Wednesday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Overhead Press - 3 sets of 5
Power Cleans - 5 sets of 3
Abdominal work
Friday
Squat - 3 sets of 5
Bench Press - 3 sets of 5
Deadlift - 1 set of 5
Bent Over Rows - 3 set of 5
Arm work, if desired (Barbell Curl, Triceps Extensions)
If this is your first time seriously working out, learn these exercises (Watch videos) and correct your form, and use a light weight the first time around. However once you get the form down then you need to start lifting heavy.
As detailed above, you'll be doing mainly 3 sets of 5 reps, that means you'll need to choose a weight that you can only repeat 5 times and the 5th time will be close to failure.
Apart from this, you need to eat well enough, calculate your BMR using the formula in the op and get 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight.
good luck!
Lamel
Banned
You can start with negatives. So get into the pullup position all the way at the top, and slowly descend down.
With pullups, the more you do them, the better you get (obviously don't overtrain).
Or you can use the assisted pullup machine at a gym.
Obviously working out the muscles in other exercises will make them stronger and allow pullups to be more feasible.
get your hands on the ebook for Convict Conditioning. Book sounds stupid but its a treasure trove as far as progression in calisthenic goes. Theres a series of exercises that lead up into the pull up.
Pull ups are irreplaceable imo. They're in the holy god tier calisthenics trinity with the 1 armed pushup and pistol squat.
I don't know that there is a proper way to ensure you'll be able to quickly do one. I would say aim low, try to do one or two a day, and add one more in three or four days. If you have a gym membership, many have machines that allow you to add weight to aid in pull ups.
It depends on what kind of pull-up you're doing if you are looking for replacement exercises. Wide grip pull ups target different muscles than close grip, for example. You can lift from behind your back or in front, as well.
Up until about a month ago I had taken a three month break from working out, and had spent the off time mostly ruining myself. Ate poorly, didn't move around much, and so on. When I went back to the gym I was struggling with dips, even with a 105 lb counterweight, but within two weeks I was back to doing sets unaided. Same for pull ups, but I do those less.
Fitness Thread for Dummies:
Day 1:
- Squats with barbell: 5 repetitions, 3 sets. This will work most of your body, especially the biggest, strongest, most important muscles.
- Benchpress with barbell or dumbbells. 5 repetitions, 3 sets. This will work your upper body.
- Deadlift with barbell: 5 repetitions, 1 set. More or less the same muscles as the squat.
- Optional exercises: pull-ups and dips, as many as you can. Works your upper body and arms. You can also do some cardio at the end if you want.
- Go home and eat.
Day 2:
Rest and eat.
Day 3:
- Squats with barbell: 5 repetitions, 3 sets.
- Overhead press with barbell: 5 repetitions, 3 sets. This works your whole upper body and your core muscles.
- Power cleans with barbell: 3 repetitions, 5 sets. Works most of your muscles.
- Optional exercises: same as day 1.
- Go home and eat.
Day 4: Rest and eat.
Day 5: Start over on day 1.
NB1! When it says "5 sets, 3 repetitions" and so on, remember that these are the working sets. You need to do two or three warm-up sets with a lighter weight before you do the working sets.
NB2! Do the exercises with good form. If you try to lift heavier than you should, or you lift with sloppy form, you'll probably injure yourself. Take it slow and look at videos on youtube.
NB3! Yes, this will "tone your torso", don't worry about that.
yes and no, I have a small frame but I am actually losing the gut, not developing it, but its flabby as a result of losing weight.
maybe I should work out muscles right away side by side with losing weight from the cardio, or just do more cardio alone until I reached my wanted weight.
Thanks for the routine! will check it out.
Thanks also!
and thanks everyone for the eating tips.
I really have to get that diet mindset.. I HATE dieting. -_-
I would recommend against the "diet mindset." Change your entire way of eating. Look at "diet" as "lifelong diet," not "dieting."
It is not a good idea to have both goals of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. You can really only accomplish one considerably at a time. Unless you're overweight, it's a much better idea to focus on building muscle, ie a strength training barbell/lifting program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts. It's more effective for fat loss in the long run anyway.
not very confident posting it but this is a pic I took exactly 2 minutes ago, in the worst angle ever, not pulling the belly in or out or anything, that's exactly how it looks in a relaxed state.
(and GAF, don't mock or laugh at my body, I am trying and will improve)
is that body fit for workout sessions aiming to generate muscle or lose more weight first?
not very confident posting it but this is a pic I took exactly 2 minutes ago, in the worst angle ever, not pulling the belly in or out or anything, that's exactly how it looks in a relaxed state.
(and GAF, don't mock or laugh at my body, I am trying and will improve)
is that body fit for workout sessions aiming to generate muscle or lose more weight first?
Gain muscle.
You look worse in your mind than you do in reality. You are out of shape, but that's not a picture to laugh at, especially if you are trying to improve.
Bam Bam Baklava
Member
Gain muscle and cut weight. Not at the same time though.
not that I would get it tomorrow if I started today but I am afraid to develop a big strong gut in a couple of months if I just try hard and focus on muscle. I think I look better being "lean" but the upper torso (breast and shoulders) could really start having muscle, I think.
what first? cut weigh firstt, right?
Starting Strength Wiki
Click this, do the program until you are no longer getting stronger (probably at least a year). I would also recommend chin-ups/pull-ups. Don't do crunches, do some sort of leg-lift or plank if you have to do a stomach exercise (but squats will work your core if you're doing them right, so I wouldn't worry about that yet). Throw in some cardio if you want to burn more fat.
The reason people might laugh when you say "I want to tone up my stomach" is because that's kind of a meme in the fitness community. There is no such thing as spot reduction (i.e. losing fat on specific parts of your body). Having more muscle on your stomach will not make fat from that area disappear, same for any other part of the body.
Click this, do the program until you are no longer getting stronger (probably at least a year). I would also recommend chin-ups/pull-ups. Don't do crunches, do some sort of leg-lift or plank if you have to do a stomach exercise (but squats will work your core if you're doing them right, so I wouldn't worry about that yet). Throw in some cardio if you want to burn more fat.
The reason people might laugh when you say "I want to tone up my stomach" is because that's kind of a meme in the fitness community. There is no such thing as spot reduction (i.e. losing fat on specific parts of your body). Having more muscle on your stomach will not make fat from that area disappear, same for any other part of the body.
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