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Old 26-Aug-08, 09:46 PM   #1
hanolier
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how to get lean and toned?


Hi everyone, I'm new here.
I joined here because I could really use some advice.
My goal is to get lean and toned, to be able to wear sleeveless outfits without being self-conscious and to just feel good about my body in general.
I'm by no means over weight, but I'm not toned. My height is 5'4 and I way about 120.
I eat really healthy too, veggies, fruits, no meat (I'm a vegetarian) and whole grains.
I've done weight exercises for my arms but have never gotten any results so naturally I stopped doing any weights.
I'm just sort of frustrated because I don't know what to do to get in shape....I'm also at college at the moment and they offer exercise classes like yoga, pilates and spinning. Will any of those give me the results I want?

Hope this wasn't too long!
Thanks for reading
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Old 27-Aug-08, 12:59 PM   #2
LiftGirl
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Hi and welcome to DiscussFitess.

If you give more details about your diet, we can help you. For example, post what and when you eat in a typical day. One thing I can see right away is that without eating meats, you need to be extra careful to be sure you are getting enough protein and fats. Fruits and veggies are great (most people don't eat enough of them) but protein and fat are important as well.

As far as weights go, you need to do exercises for all the body parts and not just the arms. You should start off with a full body workout twice a week doing compound exercises like deadlift, squat, rows, bench or dips, military press. If you aren't sure what these are or how to perform check www.exrx.net and then get back to us with any questions. Another thing is that you need to use a challenging weight. Pick a rep range (for a beginner I'd suggest 10-12 reps) and make sure that the last rep or two is difficult to perform. You have to challenge the muscles in order to see results. Don't worry about getting too big or bulky. If you are female, it simply won't happen because our bodies don't have the necessary hormones to make us big.

Spinning is a great form of cardio, so if you enjoy it, do it. Yoga will increase flexibility but doesn't do much else. The same is true for Pilates.
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Old 28-Aug-08, 11:44 AM   #3
minime
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good advice liftgirl!

Weight training is the way to go. No matter how thin I got I never looked how I wanted to... because all I did was cardio & starve myself.

Now I have found the magic formula.... heavy weights + lots of lovely food (protein + fat v important) = lean

So give us more details about your diet, and consider starting a solid strength training program centered around compound lifts as liftgirl suggested.

good luck!
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Old 28-Aug-08, 02:39 PM   #4
HealthGirl
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Hi there! I'm new here too! Nice to hear from you!

Personally, two things that I do to work on toning are spinning and yoga, and I love them both! I’ve really seen a difference in my body with both of these programs, and if you have them available to you at a college, I’d definitely suggest giving them a try! The spinning can be pretty intense depending on the instructor, and yoga can be a good challenge, both physically and otherwise!

They both work me in ways that a run just doesn’t! A lot of schools let you go to a class or two without having to sign up or pay, maybe just get an introduction to them and see if they’re right for you?

Good luck!!

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