Suggestions needed on how to take workout to the next level

[KtBev]

I am a 20 yr old female, 5'2" and 117 lbs. I currently workout 4-5 days/week. I do between 30 and 45 minutes of cardio while rotating between the eliptical, running on the treadmill and bicycling. I also use weight machines, mainly focusing on my upper body. I also do ab workouts. My question is...what can I do to acheive a sculpt, lean body? I am getting married in 4 months and although I have been working out for years, I feel bored and in a lull. I would like to step up my fitness routine so that I can be in tip top shape in 4 months. I do have a great start to being fit, but now I need to pump up the level or types of exercise. What would you suggest?

THANKS!!

KtBev

[GymRat18]

Maybe throw in a little leg work to define them legs for ya man umm like some light leg extensions and the abductor/adductor machines the ones that make guys look gay if they get on them ( they look like gyno chairs) lol anyways sounds good keep your diet tight low in fat, eat complex carbs good veggies, lean proteins Good Luck =P

[KtBev]

Thanks...hopefully I won't look gay in the "gyno" chair! Are there any arm moves that would really help me to define my arms. I would like an exercise that would help to create a more cut look in the shoulder/upper arm region.

Any more tips?

[GymRat18]

Yea a good exercise for upper arms/shoulder lateral side raises where you get light dumbells perhaps 4 or 5 lbs for a woman, put your hands together like your clapping you should bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle then, having the dumbells in your hand raise you arms parallel to the floor. You may allready do these but these are good for that area in particular there should be a machine that does the same thing. Having a good shoulder routine when a couple exersices like this will define them well Good Luck = P

[GymRat18]

Ps if you don't really have a good idea of a shoulder workout search the internet even sites like muscleandfitness.com or something like that would have some descriptions, however im not real familiar with links to sites that show you exercise descriptions ... anyway also i would say to pump up your workouts a notch I like body weight lifts like pushups, dips, pullups, calve raises... im sure you can alter these some to make them easier ... also get light dumbells to do overhead presses for delts, bench presses, biceps curls, one arm rows, dumbell kickbacks for tri's to get off those machines = P ... with gaining more muscle your metabolism is going to speed up more and more so try to gain muscle that will make you lean .. i know most women are scared they will be bulky, but it will help you burn fat. Sounds like you have a great training base though, try throwing stuff like i said in there and make sure #1 thing DIET make sure low in fat and low index carbs like cereals, junkfood (sugars).... and get 50-100 grams of protein if you can all the work you're doing won't pay off without a good diet = p

Good Luck!!!!!!

[Lady C]

Boy, that text is awful tiny, or am I just getting old (NOT)!

I would increase the weights especially add squats, deadlifts, calf raises to my routine. YOU WILL NOT GET TOO BULKY! This is a myth!.... I would increase the weights to as heavy as you can perform in the 4-6 rep range. I'm really serious, it will bump your metabolism through the roof. I'm very happy with the added muscle. My scale weight has never changed, but I wear two sizes less than I did before.

Also, your diet will probably have to change with the increase weights. What is your diet like now? How many times a day do you eat and what do you eat?

[Lee J B]

I'm with Lady C here, ... great advice. And sorry but I had to enlarge the font, it was just too small, you'll get more help if people can read the question .

Peace

[Lady C]

Go check ou this Laura is close to your size. You will see BULKY is not a problem.

BTW - You don't need to post the same thing in multiple places, it will get answered

[KtBev]

My diet right now consists of mainly healthy foods, such as grilled/baked chicken, some red meat and fish(about once/week). I eat about 4-5 fruits and veggies each day and I eat a small serving of bran buds each day. I will admit that I do have some sweets every day (a few hershey kisses)....THAT is my weakness. I try to avoid chocolate but it calls out to me! Am I doing something wrong with my diet or something that you would suggest changing...other than the sweets?

THANKS


Kt

*Sorry about the size earlier....bigger is better!

[KtBev]

I eat 2 to 3 times a day.

[Lady C]

You need to eat 5-7 times a day. I know this sounds crazy but it will help you lose more fat. How? Smaller more freqeuent meals feeds the body nutrients more often when it needs it. You usually won't overeat.

Here is a sample day (stolen from Laura's journal)
7:40 a.m. -- 2 egg whites omlette and 1 whole wheat bread
120 Calories [15 P : 9 C : 1 F]
10:15 a.m. -- 2 whole wheat bread, 4 slices of turkey and a plum
201 Calories [17.5 P : 17.6 C : 1.4 F]
12:00 p.m. -- Brown rice & saute chayote squash and carrots
250 calories [7 P : 46 C : 3 F]
3:30 p.m. -- soy burger, oatmeal and orange
275 calories [18 P : 31 C : 7.5 F]
4:30 p.m. -- plum
36 calories [.5 P : 8.6 C : .4 F]
5.45 p.m. -- [__Upper Body Workout__]
7:30 p.m. -- Brown rice and 1 cup of saute bitter melon
260 calories [7 P : 43.2 C : 1.5 F]
9:00 p.m. -- 2 raw carrots
52 calories [1.2 P : 12.4 C : .2 F]

Summary: 1184 Calories [27% P : 67% C : 6% F]
66.2 g of P : 167.8 g of C : 15 g of F

[Helene]

God, sorry Lady C but I really don't find that, that's a good diet at all. Not balanced at all. 67%carbs!!, not enough protein and not enough fats! And not enough calories at all.

[Lady C]

I personally like that diet. That is where everyone is different and has different results. I have a diet that is only about 25% protein and try to keep the fats low 15-20% range. But eveyone will have to find what works for them.

[cursor]

I don't think that there is any question that the nutrition plan that Laura has created for herself has been working great for her body and activity level. She's strong, looks good, and feels great. What more can you ask for? Keep her [smaller] body size in mind:

Stats:
25 years old
5'3"
106 lbs
21% BF

Goal:
To be 25 years old for the rest of my life!!!
5'3" -- I wish I had control over this depart
106 lbs
15% BF

She's now reached that goal and says,

"It's truly amazing how a body can transform with a good diet and some exercise. I am in the best shape of my life. I have so much energy even more than I did back in college when I was playing all sorts of sports. I was involved in competitive flag football, tennis, softball, and volleyball.

While I admit that her protien level should be bumped just a bit (75 grams per day), her macronutrient breakdown is otherwise right on track (who can to argue with success?). By the way, I note that in her current dietary information 07-Jan-04) she lists her protein at 86 grams. Cool.

While protein and fat requirements remain fairly stable for any given body (a function of LBM), carbohydrate intake should be balanced against your activity level. That varies substantially from person to person.