# Gym workout advice please!



## tobio (Nov 30, 2010)

Hi all

I need some advice from people about a gym workout and I notice the guys talk quite a bit about that kind of thing so here I am!

I am 5'6" and weigh 131lbs. Give or take 2lbs this is where my weight tends to stick.

I am okay with how I look now but as a confidence boost I would like to get a bit more trim for the summer. As a starting point I have made a target of one stone to lose weight-wise. However I will go with "until I lose the small cuddly bit on my belly" as an ultimate aim 

A couple of years ago when I was going to the gym when my littlest baby was six months old, I combined working out with the GI diet. I found this a really easy way of eating and overcoming my sugar cravings. I easily lost at least 2lbs a week until I hit my current weight.

I am looking at going to the gym a minimum of 2x a week which I have to work around the littlest two who I have at home with me - the creche ends up being pricey after a while. I also do other sports once a week with my older two which helps woth cardio.

What I want suggestions on is again combining diet with exercise to lose my excess weight. I am vegetarian (no fish but eat dairy) and like to avoid soya protein as much as possible. I also need a workout that AVOIDS any ab work as I have a diastatis recti (my abdominal muscles are split between two to three fingers space apart) and an umbilical hernia. I have consulted my doctor who says exercise is fine apart from any ab work. 

I want a fairly simple workout - last time I was at the gym they started trying to direct me towards all these daunting machines and it really put me off.

I want to look good in a bikini on holiday but not go to massive extremes to have to keep it up. Also it would really help my confidence with hubz.

Advice?


----------



## WyshIknew (Aug 18, 2012)

Yep!

Go to Social Spot and look for the 'Anyone Wanna Work Out' thread loads of advice in there.

I've been losing weight anyway but I reckon the advice I've got from that thread has dropped an extra two to three pounds.


----------



## tobio (Nov 30, 2010)

WyshIknew said:


> Yep!
> 
> Go to Social Spot and look for the 'Anyone Wanna Work Out' thread loads of advice in there.
> 
> I've been losing weight anyway but I reckon the advice I've got from that thread has dropped an extra two to three pounds.


I will do that, thanks!


----------



## Chris Taylor (Jul 22, 2010)

A few things to remember...

Losing weight is simply using more calories than you consume. Period. If you need 2,500 calories to get through the day and consume 3,000, you won't lose weight.

If you exercise, muscle will weigh more than fat so just looking at the scale won't help. judge your weight loss and fitness by how your clothes fit.

You can't "spot reduce" so don't think leg exercises won't help lose weight around your middle. Burning calories will reduce fat from all spots.

If you want to burn fat, cardio exercises are the way to go. Treadmill (walking/running) or stationary bike are probably the best. Maybe there are cardio classes at the gym that you can take but running/walking can be done outside, maybe with the kids and you can get a stationery bike for home use.


----------



## Saki (Dec 7, 2011)

Why is this post in the men's clubhouse?


----------



## tobio (Nov 30, 2010)

Saki said:


> Why is this post in the men's clubhouse?


Read the OP.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## anchorwatch (Mar 5, 2012)

Saki said:


> Why is this post in the men's clubhouse?


He's a man asking men a question, I'd guess. 


Google 'Starting Strength' It's simple and not timely.


----------



## golfergirl (Dec 8, 2010)

anchorwatch said:


> He's a man asking men a question, I'd guess.
> 
> 
> Google 'Starting Strength' It's simple and not timely.


Men talk more fitness in first line. Ya HE wants to look good in a bikini lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Broken at 20 (Sep 25, 2012)

Yea, I had sugar cravings. 

I dealt with that by getting a protein from BSN called dessert. Not very big, but taste really good, and is healthy. 20g of protein, not a whole lot of calories or fats. Might look into it. 

As for working out, depends a lot on what you like to do. 

Out of curiosity, what type of gym do you go to?

Since I am a poor college student, I go to Planet fitness. $10 a month, but I get little more than weights and machines. 

But if you have a membership to a nice gym, you might check to see if you have access to a PT or something like that. They can help you formulate a plan. 

And what exactly is your goal?
Are you wanting to shed off weight? Build muscle? Do both? Because it is hard to do both at the same time. Unless you got God given genetics. 

And are you going for the 6-pack abs? Because if you can't work out your abs, you won't get them. 
I had this problem when I first started working. I checked my measurements, and I had 8% body fat. So I should have a 6 pack right? Nope. My abs weren't developed enough to be seen. Took me a while to develop them to the point where they were visible. 

As for losing the last bit of weight:
Weight is just a number. Doesn't always mean a lot. 
Hate to keep using myself as an example, but when I started, I stopped drinking so much soda and carbonated drinks. And I lost around 8 lbs. And I was trying to gain weight (being a hard gainer)
But it started showing. Took me forever to gain the weight back, but I looked better because my muscles started growing. 

So don't focus only on your weight. Look at the whole picture, not just a little piece of it. 

Hope I helped.


----------



## Saki (Dec 7, 2011)

tobio said:


> Read the OP.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Do you have breasts?

Then you look good in a bikini. You're welcome.

Don't think too many guys can help you with your separated ab muscles and such.


----------



## Chris Taylor (Jul 22, 2010)

anchorwatch said:


> He's a man asking men a question, I'd guess.
> 
> 
> Google 'Starting Strength' It's simple and not timely.


I thought of SS but considering her ab problems thought maybe cardio would be better.


----------



## tobio (Nov 30, 2010)

Hehe I am a laydee thanks 

I am in the UK and I go to a Virgin gym. Really good, loads of facilities, pool and hundreds of classes. Thing is what put me off when I was going last, is the instructors trying to get me onto equipment that just flummoxed me, like the TRX. Just couldn't get the hang of it!

I basically want to shed my excess fat. I know I can't focus on specific areas, that's not a problem. I set a target of a stone not as an arbitrary target but simply because I know I want to shed fat rather than build muscle. I am going more though for simply being happy when the fat is shed off my belly.

I have a fairly good diet. My downfall atm is sugar. I do realise though that continuing to eat sugary snacks means I continue to crave sugary snacks. When I did the GI diet the cravings went. What I want to implement is rather a way of life than a diet and temporary fitness regime. The endorphins REALLY help my mood as well.


----------



## 41362 (Dec 14, 2012)

To start shedding excess fat you need to get the diet down pat (stop the sugar binge) and focus on cardio, cardio, cardo. 

Run and then run some more


----------



## anchorwatch (Mar 5, 2012)

tobio said:


> Hehe I am a laydee thanks


I got that after golfergirl clued me in.


----------



## Chris Taylor (Jul 22, 2010)

Drop the sugar ASAP!!!!

Here's a good starting point. Don't worry about building muscle. Building muscle burns calories, although I think cardio is better.

Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide


----------



## C3156 (Jun 13, 2012)

Look for classes in cardio and maybe do some wieght lifting once you have dropped the wieght to tone some areas specifically. Get that heart rate up and keep it up for at least 30 minutes.

One thing I needed to do was start doing was paying attention to the foods I eat and how much. You state that you are a vegetarian, so you realize the importance of getting all of your required nutrition. I keep a simple log of what I eat and make sure that I keep the totals within recommended ranges, but low enough to drop fat.

The combination of cardio and reduced caloric intake should do the trick.


----------

