Hi, I posted a thread in the exercise forum, but I dont know if posting the same kind of request here would be beneficial,

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165790


Cliffs are, I've losst a bunch of weight, I what to become fitter and leaner, In the other post I included my measurements, schedual etc

I was wondering if any one have any constructive advice on a routine or anything else that would help me along actually?


Thanks

Hard to give advice without background information.

What kind of exercise experience do you have?
What kind of exercise do you enjoy?
Any type of exercise/activity that you've always wanted to try?
How active are you in your everyday activities?
Do you have any past injuries/aches etc that needed to be guarded against?
What type of equipment do you have access to?
Are you a gym member, have a gym close by, or are you going to be working out strictly at home?

Thanks for the reply, I included more information below,

I disagree to an extent with the guy at the gym in that BMI is the most important number as it doesn't take into effect body composition just raw weight. Going by BMI, many ripped bodybuilders are obese and many skinny fat people with minimal muscle mass are in perfect shape. However, it definitely is not irrelevant and is an OK gauge for the general population. Why he feels losing .9 on the BMI should be your goal, I don't know. Perhaps he just likes round numbers? Your current BMI puts you smack dab in the middle of the ideal category on most charts, if I remember correctly. As does your weight and your body fat. 23% for a women is good. Remember body fat % for women are going to run approximately 7% higher on women than on men. So that is equivalent to 16% on a man.

Going by what you said, I think getting stronger should be a priority. Add a bit of muscle and strength and you will feel a lot different. Adding some muscle if done without gaining a lot of fat to go along with it, will alone get you under 20% bf and the good news is that since it appears that you have none to minimal weight training experience you should get a lot of newbie gains meaning you will be able to add some strength and muscle fairly quickly without having to go into a caloric surplus. You can probably even gain some muscle at this time while still in a caloric defecit, if you choose to do so.

I would highly recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women. This will give you a good program to go through. Also, there are many members of this forum and the forum link provided in the book that will be able to help you with any exercise specific questions in the book. Or you can join Fran's BFL challenge halfway through (I'm sure they'll welcome you late). Pick up the Body for Life book and join in. Judging from your post, I'll think the group atmosphere of the challenge is something you will enjoy and they will be a great help to you.

Bottom line, I think you need to lift heavy. Continue to go to your aerobics classes for the cardio portion. It may not be the favored type of cardio in either of the programs I recommend, but it will definitely provide you the cardiovascular fitness you need and if it is what you enjoy and something that you will stick to, it is definitely the best type of cardio for you, IMO.

Thanks so much Depalma for you input, Im taking your advice onboard,
Im trying to gather asmuch info about what equipment to use and how to use it.

I was reading the article "From Muffin Top to Six-Pack: A Guide to Getting the Abs Everybody Wants " and I dont know the exercises so I guess I'll gather more info!
Do you really think I need to start taking more protein into my diet? I can't imagine that would be very benefical for a newbie like me, especially with extra calories?

Thanks again!!

Gosh, I was aghast at your low weight goal until I saw how short you are! More protein needn't mean that many more calories - just choose your source carefully. Protein will help your muscles repair, which is how they get built up. You cause tiny tiny tears in the fiber, then on your rest days they repair themselves, getting stronger. That's why you shouldn't work the same muscle again for 48 or so hours. YOu need to leave them time to repair. Enjoy getting into lifting.

Cheers WaterRat

As WaterRat said, extra protein doesn't have to mean extra calories. You just budget a portion of your calories to adequate intake of protein. 1g per pound of body weight is sufficient. That is 448 calories. I don't know how severely you are restricting calories, but even on an extremely restricted 1200 calories, that would amount to 37% protein and leave 63% for carbs and fats. That's a decent balance. A less severe restriction would allow even more room for carbs and fats.

Ok, honestly, at the moment I am in no way strict, not compared to how I have previously been with kcals, just a general keeping track in my head.

But I guess this answers my question to if I should be concerned with a macro-nutrient ratio.


I didn't end up going to the class Wednesday, I went to a Thursday one instead; Boxfit, aerobic stuff based around punching pads with a partner, I then when down to look at the resistant equipment, from what I saw, I didn't see any free weights, So i plopped myself onto the nearest available machine and squinted at the instructions before positioning myself, choosing the weights (depending on the machine I went from 7.5-25kg) and worked
I started with something called ...
Arm Curl? I did 15x4
Arm extension 15x4
Chest press 15x4 think that's all I used.
I had to leave to get ready for class. My arms felt quite fatigued.
My shoulders ached slightly today, nothing horrendous tho.
I guess I should work out a regular plan so I use my time more effectively. I just need to read the machines and work out what they do!

My partner who is a criminal ~4.5%BF *jealous!* is lighting heavy weights with his nephew(a trainer) and is trying to bulk up. He thinks I will not achieve what I want with this method, that women become 'hench' from lighting heavy weights even without steroids and testosterone.
Even with everything I know, or have read about I know this isn't true, but I am quietly concerned about my already fat legs/thighs increasing in diametre with an increased muscle mass under the fat, can anyone clear this up? maybe with an article?

Thanks again

Hannah

Here you go - start with these.

First pictures of Mel and Lydia last spring. First in thread is them flexed - wow, nice muscles! - and scroll down a few to see them "relaxed." They still look good, but those muscles far from looking bulky just add nice definition and make them look really fit and healthy.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142481

And here are some articles to help with the boyfriend's view.....

http://www.stumptuous.com/lies-in-the-gym
http://www.stumptuous.com/dont-fear-the-free-weights
http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/wom...womenmyths.htm

Brilliant, I have read two of those three already!
found some answers

"To be serious about strength training, eliminate the T-word-”tone”-from your vocabulary. Lifting a tiny weight for a hundred reps is a waste of time and energy, plus it never really stresses your muscles enough to make them much stronger. As the good Sgt. Robo says, “More isn’t better, better is better.” In fact, according to one study in which men and women trained the same muscle group 3 days a week for 20 weeks, “the women made significantly greater relative increases than men in strength.” (MacDougall et al, McMaster University)"

"If you build muscle, it will just push the fat out more and make you look bulky.
Sorry to burst the bubble girls, but you’re not going to wind up like the Incredible Hulk, ripping through your shirt with the massive expansion of your muscles. The amount that muscle contributes to visible size is negligible compared to the bodyfat."