New and need advice

[cde16]

I'm new and thought I'd just jump right on in with a question. I'm a 43 yr old female, have been struggling with weight issues for the last several years. Last August I decided I'd had enough and hired a personal trainer, joined a gym and got serious about improving my health. I'm not using my trainer any more, after six months I was going broke, so I need some advice. My question is....can anyone tell me what I can do about my glutes? I have been doing lots of squats, dead lifts, extentions, leg press and curls but my problem is even though I have seen progress in this area, my rear is not shaping up just as I would like it to. It seems to be slimming at the bottom instead of the top so that I'm getting a sloping effect and I have always had a plump rear but it is dissappearing. It wouldn't be a bad thing if the top of my rear would slim down with the bottom, but not happening. I don't think I even have an indention where my legs attach to my glutes anymore. Not attractive !!!Anyone have any ideas. Thanks!

[Lady C]

You can't change the genetics (without the plastic surgery). Be happy with what you have. Keep working out and you will soon see you do like what you see. Women will tend to have/hold higher bodyfat in the hips region. That plumpness may have just been fat.

[cde16]

Thanks for the reply Lady C....but I really don't think that I'm naturally genetically built this way. Most of my life I was a slim but not muscular 126- 135 pound person, 5 ft 7in tall. I always had a firm round rear shaped proportionately some used it call it a bubble butt. I hit my late thirties and the toll of the weight gain and loss after four pregnancys and gaining weight just because of the laziness and slow metabolism of age, everything began to slide and I didn't do much to stop or correct it until almost a year ago. So....that being said....I can't help but think that I'm doing something wrong with the weight lifting. But...on the other hand...maybe it's just age and me having wishful thinking that I could turn back the clock.

[cursor]

Welcome to DiscussFitness.com.

You used to weigh 126-135 lbs when 5'-7" tall.

How much do you currently weigh?
Can you describe exactly how you exercise.
What does a day of food look like for you?

[cde16]

I currently weigh 184 pounds. Over the past year I have put on a lot of muscle but still have a lot of fat to lose. If I could lose about 30 pounds I would probably be happy since I have gained the muscle. When I weighed 126-135 I didn't have any muscle just skinny so I don't want to go back to that.

My current workout:

Mon - 10 min cardio warmup; 3 sets of crunches with 30 pounds, 3 sets of 15 incline sit-ups, 3 sets of 15 leg lifts or curls (bring rear off mat for lower abs); leg workout - 4 sets of 12-15 on safety squat with 120 pounds, 4 sets of 15 leg press with 160 pounds, 4 sets of 12 leg extensions 65 pounds, 4 sets of 12 leg curls 60 pounds, 4 sets of 12 dead lift 60 pounds, 4 sets multi-hip machine with 50 pounds, 4 sets 15 abductor 90 pounds, 4 sets 15 adductor 85 pounds, 4 sets 20 seated calf raise 50 pounds, 4 sets 20 standing calf raise 85 pounds; 20 minutes cardio

Tues - 10 min cardio warmup; same ab workout; shoulder work - 4 sets of 12 lateral and front raises with 5 pounds, wide grip BB raise 4 sets 12 with 30 pound, close grip bb raise 4 sets with 30 pounds, bentover row 4 sets of 12 with 30 pounds, shoulder press twisting 4 sets of 15 with 10 pound dbs, shoulder press machine 4 sets 15 37.5 pounds. 20 min. cardio

Wed - rest

Thur - 10 min cardio warmup, same abs; back and bicep - 4 set 15 cable curls with 45 lb, 4 set of 15 BB curls with 30 lb, 4 set of 15 Techno curls machine at 25 lbs, 4 set of 15 DB hammer curls 12.5 lbs, 4 set of 15 concentration curls with 12.5 lb, 4 sets of 12 T bar row with 60 lbs, 4 sets of 12 seated row with 55 lbs, 4 sets of 12 bent over row with 40 lbs, 4 sets lf 12 assist. pullups minus 90 lbs, 4 sets of 12 rear delts fly/pec 45 lbs, 4 sets of 12 lat pull down with 50 lbs; 20 min cardio

Fri - 10 min cardio warmup, same abs; chest and tricep - 4 sets of 12 bench dips, 4 sets of 15 lay down extensions with 8 lb dbs, 4 sets of 15 techno extension machine with 35 lbs, 4 sets of 15 over head to side with 12.5 dbs, 4 sets of lay down extensions with 35 lbs BB, 4 sets of 12 bench press with bar plus 7.5 pounds on ea side, 4 sets of 12 incline press with bar plus 2.5 on ea side, 4 sets of 12 decline press wide grip bar plus 2.5 ea side, 4 sets of 12 db fly with 10 lb , 4 sets of 12 bench press close grip with bar plus 5 lbs ea side. 20 min cardio.

Sat and Sun - rest

Change up routine every 4-6 weeks.

Sorry this is so long, I'm thinking of slacking off on the weights and doing more cardio to lose the weight and then pick back up on the weights.

Any ideas?

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by cde16

I'm thinking of slacking off on the weights and doing more cardio to lose the weight and then pick back up on the weights.

Any ideas?

No don't slack on the weights. Just add in cardio if necessary.

Originally Posted by cursor

What does a day of food look like for you?

Did you answer this question?

[CF-OC_gal]

My first impression reading your workout routine is that you are doing a lot of high rep isolation exercises. I would suggest trying the 6-8 rep range and stick to the more difficult, basic compound exercises like squat, deadlift bench press, pull-ups/rowing (lats) and shoulder presses. Don't bother going over 3 sets per exercise (not including warmups). This should stimulate muscle growth and the metabolism. You can keep up with the cardio if you like.

At minimum, up your working weight and lower your rep range.

[cursor]

How long does a day's exercise take you?
How do you feel after a session?

As Brat recommended, by focusing the bulk of your exercise on compound movements (vs. isolation exercises, like concentration curls) that work your larger muscles (like back, quads, hamstrings & glutes), you'll be promised superior fat-loss results. Would you like some exercise selection and grouping recommendations?

If you feel that you need to drop ANY resistance training, then reduce your isolation work. Eliminating (or severely reducing) weightlifting in favor of more cardio for fat-loss is not recommended.

Echo: What does a day of food look like for you?

[cde16]

Any and all recommendations would be appreciated. I'm lacking in the food control department. I work out early in the morning, usually 5:45 a.m. or 6:00, and don't eat before. I usually get a protein drink from the gym for breakfast to drink on my way to work. I then eat a snack mid morning such as fruit or carrots etc., for lunch I eat some kind of protein with a salad, then I try to get a snack in mid afternoon but sometimes just too busy, tuna and cucumbers, or a hard boiled egg or few almonds, etc., then the evening meal is usually grilled chicken or fish, baked potatoe, salad, or something similar. The problem starts after 8:00 p.m, I seem to get hungry and eat bad things , like a hand full of chips, or a couple of cookies. I wouldn't keep this stuff in the house but my husband and kids would have a cow. It also doesn't help that my husband will go to the store and bring back chocolate. If there is chocolate in the house, I'm doomed .

My workouts usually take around two hours....and I feel really good after. Sometimes, depending on how work is going, I get really tired at the end of the week and have to cut back on the number of reps for each exercise to get through it.

Again, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[Lady C]

Your workouts are too long - cut them back to about 1 hour. Eat more before and after the workout. Here is my typical workout eating plan

meal 1 – 6-meal plan
meal 1 – w o r k o u t . d a y . n u t r i t i o n

meal 1 – 23p - 22c - 6f = 238 calories
meal 1 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 1 – |[__w o r k o u t__]|
meal 2 – 31p - 54c - 6f = 397 calories
meal 2 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 3 – 31p - 29c - 8f = 318 calories
meal 3 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 4 – 31p - 29c - 8f = 318 calories
meal 4 – nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 5 – 31p - 5c - 10f = 238 calories
meal 5 – nnnnnnnnnnnn
meal 6 – 31p - 5c - 10f = 238 calories
meal 6 – nnnnnnnnnnnn


_____________________________________
Total :: 182p - 145c - 48f = 1750 calories
42% protein + 33% carbohydrate + 25% fat
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
values are rounded to integers at the 'meal' level
p=protein :: c=carbohydrate :: f=fat

Try this for a workout day. I too workout early in the am but I eat before working out. You are eating your biggest meal late in the day and it should be where you mid-day snack is. Try moving that baked potato up to mid-day. Leave it out of the late meal and add in another snack like cottage cheese or a PB protein shake.