What's your opinion? Oh'tight'ab ones

[Jjay]

I wanted to drop a few extra pounds before getting in to working on toning and such..
Right now in perportion to my 'boy hips' as I call them, my stomach and hips are uneven.. I'd like to lose about 2-4 inches in my stomach in 8 days.. kidding.. I have no time limit. My stomach and my glutes are what I really want to get in shape. I also would like to be able to lift 50lbs fairly easily for a job.
Any suggestions for the...
Butt:
Gut:
Legs (knees?): How about biking?


This is what I plan to start out with:

15 minutes of yoga.
10 minutes cardio.
100 crunches
50 sit ups
30 reverse crunches

50 squates
30 curls with 5lb weights (arms)
20 curls with 10lb weights

I checked myself and I can do all I just posted with a little bit of struggle but it feels pretty good. I can accomplish it all within about 40-45 minutes.

What do you think? Am I totally in the dark here? Any advice at all.. shoot.

P.S. I want to avoid the exercises that are going to make me lose my chest (what I have of it), I'm flat chest enough as it is!

[TsiTalon]

just looking over it really fast, i would say cut down on your 100 crunches and 50 situps thats not gonna give you the abs you want. Its cardio and diet thats is going to get you to your goal. There is no other way.

[CJNY]

I hate to say it because I don't want to discourage you from getting fitter, but anything that makes you lose fat from your gut and hips is going to reduce your chest as well. Fat is fat and you don't get to choose where it comes off.

You don't have a lot to worry about on that score, though, because your routine won't help much to lose fat. It's a fair start on general physical condtiioning, but you need to eventually concentrate on lifting heavy weights (so heavy you can only lift them for 12 repetitions at most), perhaps do some more cardio and, most importantly, keep your diet under control (both quality and quantity).

[Merrida]

Carl said it perfectly. The routine as you posted isn't going to accomplish much in the way of progress but at least it's some type of movement. I doubt you'll see any visible difference from doing it however, but you will probably "feel" better.

Same thing with your concern about chest, as Carl said, - your body will choose that for you, you have NO say and you cannot spot reduce, nor can you "spot protect" and preserve fat in your breasts.

[Lady C]

I don't have much of a chest either. But doing bench presses and flyes will actually increase the underlying muscles (your breasts are just fat sacks). I lost some of the fat in my breast but gained in the underlying muscle so I am actually slightly larger (and healthier) than before.

[cursor]

As you work your butt off at losing fat, you'll have to be extra careful that you don't lose your valuable muscle (nothing good comes from that). You should change the focus of any weightlifting that you do to fewer repetitions (using a weight heavy enough to be pretty darn hard) per exercise. Looking at your existing layout:

15 minutes of yoga.
10 minutes cardio.
100 crunches
50 sit ups
30 reverse crunches

50 squates
30 curls with 5lb weights (arms)
20 curls with 10lb weights

DON'T do 100 crunches. If doing 10-15 is not hard, the you must add weight to tax your muscle structure. Otherwise, you're simply wasting your time.

The same holds true for the curls, the squats, the situps, etc. If there isn't adequate resistance, then your muscles simply will not improve.

[Jjay]

Thank you all for your help.
I've been reading up a lot on this toning and muscle building 'stuff' and didn't really realize how in the dark I was until now. Appreciate you guys taking the time for someone so........clueless.

I've been doing crunches until my stomach is practically burning like a fire-ball.
And believe me, a 15lb weight is a slight struggle for me, after all I weigh only 7 times that, course that's no excuse.

My nutrition is about the only thing I'm not in the dark on here. Any suggestions, throw them at me. I know you guys can't lay out a routine for me when you don't know much about me, my fitness level..ect. But all the tips and comments help.
Thanks, J