My workout schedule has been a little erratic, so I'll try to explain as best I can.

I've got TWO questions now, so I need answers to both, if you can answer please.

If I remember correctly, I've been working out since August 27th, but I've only been going to the gym a grand total of 12 days, due to different circumstances now and then.

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Question 1

First I'd start with the 28 minute cardio warm up on the treadmill, which soon decreased to 15 minutes because I started trying to transition from power walking to running. I only do 15 minutes now, 5 minute warm up walk, then alternate between 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of power walking for 10 more minutes. I had to reduce it probably because of my sickle cell, I feel like my heart's gonna burst and I can't breathe after 15 and I don't try to push myself past that.

I began with 50 sets of weightlifting for each part of my body at 18 pounds, shoulders (deltoids), biceps, triceps, all of my back, abs, thighs, calves.... It's been somewhat inconsistent since sometimes I'd do extra for my abs, or I didn't start thighs and calves until day 4 or 5. Today I moved up to 75 sets and I'm now at 30 pounds.

Is this a good work out routine? By which I mean I'm not doing anything wrong, correct? I do cardio, weightlift then leave. I try to do things gradually so my body doesn't hate me too much.

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Question 2

I'm already beginning to see definition in my arms, they're a lot bulkier than they used to be. My calves were always defined (good genes?) so I don't know if it's fat or muscle at this point.

Abs on the other hand....are not so much changing. The machine I use says it works out your entire abdominal area, and I do it at 72 pounds now, but really I can only see a TINY difference in my upper abs, and none at all in the lower.

When I stand and look in the mirror, my upper abdominals look quite less...gut-like than they used to. But when I sit down, it still feels like a gut. The lower abdominals on the other hand still look the same.

I've started doing lower abdominal exercises 2 or 3 days ago but it still looks gross for now.

I figured maybe I didn't have fat on my arms so I'm building muscle already. Most of my fat is concentrated toward my stomach though.....

My question is.....is my stomach exercise working?! And will I ever be able to see a difference?

Try doing some easy cardio at the end as well, to cool down. Otherwise it's fine as long as you don't push it too far.

Abwork takes a while for you to notice anything, it took me eh, 4-5 months before I saw any definite improvement.

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I had to reduce it probably because of my sickle cell, I feel like my heart's gonna burst and I can't breathe after 15 and I don't try to push myself past that.

Dude, be careful not to overdo it. If your heart is seriously trying to make like a chestbuster out of Alien, you might want to cut back on it a bit. Not just for medical reasons, but also because if it hurts too much, it's hard to get up the motivation to keep doing it. (Seriously, this is exactly what prevented me from doing cardio effectively for years. I'd push myself too hard, collapse into a puddle of sweat and nausea at the end, and vow never again. Slow and steady buildup can be frustrating, but it works.)

On the other hand, if you feel good (physically and psychologically) after doing it, more power to you.

As far as abs go, yeah, it can take a while to get visible results. And, while pure strength work will definitely give you abs of steel, if your bodyfat percentage isn't already pretty low, you may not see anything for a while.

Okay, I have a lot of suggestions to give you. I might sound a bit harsh, but I'm not trying to be.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMMy workout schedule has been a little erratic, so I'll try to explain as best I can.

This is the first problem. Your work out routine must be consistent. Work out on specific days of the week for specific amounts of time, always.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMIf I remember correctly, I've been working out since August 27th, but I've only been going to the gym a grand total of 12 days, due to different circumstances now and then.

This is your second problem. If you want to see REAL progress, you've got to work 5-6 times a week. 7 times a week is a little too much; you want to give your body time to recover. You can, however do cardio every day (running, swimming, etc).

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMQuestion 1

First I'd start with the 28 minute cardio warm up on the treadmill, which soon decreased to 15 minutes because I started trying to transition from power walking to running. I only do 15 minutes now, 5 minute warm up walk, then alternate between 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of power walking for 10 more minutes. I had to reduce it probably because of my sickle cell, I feel like my heart's gonna burst and I can't breathe after 15 and I don't try to push myself past that.

A 15 minute warm up is ideal. I wouldn't go over 20 for a warm up. You want to be running or at least jogging. Power walking doesn't do much good. If you can only run for 5 minutes it's better than walking for 15. You want to get your heart rate up. Gaining heart strength is what will increase your stamina. Because of sickle cell, you are going to want to start with small warm ups and take it easy.

You want to be hydrated. Drink a lot of water during and before. You also want to breath properly. There is a trick to how you should breathe when you're running. You've got to pace your breathing and hold a consistent rhythm that doesn't dry you out.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMI began with 50 sets of weightlifting for each part of my body at 18 pounds, shoulders (deltoids), biceps, triceps, all of my back, abs, thighs, calves.... It's been somewhat inconsistent since sometimes I'd do extra for my abs, or I didn't start thighs and calves until day 4 or 5. Today I moved up to 75 sets and I'm now at 30 pounds.

That's too much.

If you can do 50 sets, the weights are not heavy enough. You want to increase the weight and lower the sets.

My typical routine is 3 sets of 12 repetitions. That's a total of 36 "lifts" of whatever it is I'm doing. If it's easy and I feel like doing more sets, I will increase the weight the next time I work out. I usually only increase it a pound or two. Strength gain is gradual.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMIs this a good work out routine? By which I mean I'm not doing anything wrong, correct? I do cardio, weightlift then leave. I try to do things gradually so my body doesn't hate me too much.

In short, no. It's a dreadful routine. I hate to be a jerk, but you need some suggestions.

Starting with cardio is good, that is the first thing you do. AFTER cardio and BEFORE weightlifting you stretch. You stretch all the muscles you are going to use that day. Then you lift weights. You must not do all your muscle groups in one day; you need to alternate. For example, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you could work your legs, abdominal group, and glutes, lower back and on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday you could work your arms, chest, upper back. You've got to alternate between muscle groups and give each muscle group a one day break between the next time you work on it.

You can also choose to stretch after a routine. I choose to work out 6 days of the week (if possible, sometimes it only is 5) and on Fridays I stretch out for Yoga. I think Friday will eventually end up being my cool off day, and I'll work out Saturday through Thursday. That way I am active everyday.

After it is all said and done, you can do a short cool down lap. I'd run one lap around the track, but since you're on a treadmill, I'm guessing, you could set it to a 5 minute cool down. A cool down is a really light jog, not a run.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMQuestion 2

[...]

Abs on the other hand....are not so much changing. The machine I use says it works out your entire abdominal area, and I do it at 72 pounds now, but really I can only see a TINY difference in my upper abs, and none at all in the lower.

You're using machines? That's another problem.

Machines work on only the muscles involved in the motion. If you do sit ups, push ups, and free weights, you use more muscles. Muscles to keep things stable and straight. Muscles that hold your body in line. Push ups work the wrists, the arms, the chest, the lower back, the hamstrings. Bench pressing works only half that much, and if it's a bench press that is hooked to a machine it only works the muscles that push the weight and not the muscles that stabilize it.

I am a small guy. I did 70 sit ups last week. I continue doing sit ups at this point without weights. I also do crunches, leg lifts, and other abdominal workouts. All of these combined have given me slight definition (that currently only shows up when I flex). But it proves that lifting a lot of weight isn't necessarily required for muscle development. What is required is consistency, a nutritional diet, and a proper practice.

If you've worked out only 12 times since August 27th you shouldn't be seeing any progress. Especially not with a routine that really has no form to it. My suggestion is that you work with a physical trainer... They can really provide valuable feedback and give you what you need. I personally condemn using gym machines because they don't really work all of the muscles in a particular group.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMWhen I stand and look in the mirror, my upper abdominals look quite less...gut-like than they used to. But when I sit down, it still feels like a gut. The lower abdominals on the other hand still look the same.

The best way to get rid of a gut is cardio. More running.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMI've started doing lower abdominal exercises 2 or 3 days ago but it still looks gross for now.

No one has ever seen improvement in 2 or 3 days.

It takes MONTHS to see physical improvement and YEARS to see "muscle definition." Yeah, some guys are lucky and have a genetic predisposition to be buff-- but we're FtMs. We don't have that lucky chemical in our body.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMMy question is.....is my stomach exercise working?! And will I ever be able to see a difference?

You'll have to be working with this routine for a couple months before you can be sure it's working. I'd have to say from what you've told us I think you should make some drastic changes.

Posted on: September 14, 2008, 04:22:17 PM

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Also, fat sits on top of muscle. So even if you build muscle, the fat will still cover it. This is one reason why cardio is so important.

Quote from: Elwood on September 14, 2008, 06:24:26 PM
Okay, I have a lot of suggestions to give you. I might sound a bit harsh, but I'm not trying to be.

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMMy workout schedule has been a little erratic, so I'll try to explain as best I can.

This is the first problem. Your work out routine must be consistent. Work out on specific days of the week for specific amounts of time, always.

I exercise 6 - 7 days a week, every morning if I can. The only reason it's been erratic was because I was commuting and I had to stop for a few days while I was packing and trying to move. Working out got a set schedule as soon as I was moved in to my apartment and I've only missed 2 days, days in which I didn't feel well enough to go.

Quote from: Elwood on September 14, 2008, 06:24:26 PM

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMQuestion 1
First I'd start with the 28 minute cardio warm up on the treadmill, which soon decreased to 15 minutes because I started trying to transition from power walking to running. I only do 15 minutes now, 5 minute warm up walk, then alternate between 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of power walking for 10 more minutes. I had to reduce it probably because of my sickle cell, I feel like my heart's gonna burst and I can't breathe after 15 and I don't try to push myself past that.

A 15 minute warm up is ideal. I wouldn't go over 20 for a warm up. You want to be running or at least jogging. Power walking doesn't do much good. If you can only run for 5 minutes it's better than walking for 15. You want to get your heart rate up. Gaining heart strength is what will increase your stamina. Because of sickle cell, you are going to want to start with small warm ups and take it easy.

You want to be hydrated. Drink a lot of water during and before. You also want to breath properly. There is a trick to how you should breathe when you're running. You've got to pace your breathing and hold a consistent rhythm that doesn't dry you out.

I would LOVE to have better stamina. Because I've had to reduce my treadmill time so much, I was worried that my endurance will never get higher than it is now. I read somewhere about the type of workout I'm doing for that, so I thought it would work for me but I'm not going anywhere.

Powerwalking was strenuous for me before so that's where I started. It's a little too easy for me now though...But running hasn't gotten any easier at all. I can only jog for 40 seconds before I begin to feel really really tired. After 3 or 4 jogging stints I am tired as hell. I don't know that 5 minutes of jogging sounds like a proper work out though....

Quote from: Elwood on September 14, 2008, 06:24:26 PM

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMI began with 50 sets of weightlifting for each part of my body at 18 pounds, shoulders (deltoids), biceps, triceps, all of my back, abs, thighs, calves.... It's been somewhat inconsistent since sometimes I'd do extra for my abs, or I didn't start thighs and calves until day 4 or 5. Today I moved up to 75 sets and I'm now at 30 pounds.

That's too much.

If you can do 50 sets, the weights are not heavy enough. You want to increase the weight and lower the sets.

My typical routine is 3 sets of 12 repetitions. That's a total of 36 "lifts" of whatever it is I'm doing. If it's easy and I feel like doing more sets, I will increase the weight the next time I work out. I usually only increase it a pound or two. Strength gain is gradual.

My friend spoke to me about this this afternoon actually. She said more weight, less reps = strength and muscle building. Less weight, more reps = tone building. She took a class where her coach said this. In that case, I will simply continue with my routine- I like my body the size it is, I would just be interested in having a little more definition to my shape. Not so much strength and bulkiness.

Quote from: Elwood on September 14, 2008, 06:24:26 PM

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMIs this a good work out routine? By which I mean I'm not doing anything wrong, correct? I do cardio, weightlift then leave. I try to do things gradually so my body doesn't hate me too much.

In short, no. It's a dreadful routine. I hate to be a jerk, but you need some suggestions.

Starting with cardio is good, that is the first thing you do. AFTER cardio and BEFORE weightlifting you stretch. You stretch all the muscles you are going to use that day. Then you lift weights. You must not do all your muscle groups in one day; you need to alternate. For example, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you could work your legs, abdominal group, and glutes, lower back and on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday you could work your arms, chest, upper back. You've got to alternate between muscle groups and give each muscle group a one day break between the next time you work on it.

You can also choose to stretch after a routine. I choose to work out 6 days of the week (if possible, sometimes it only is 5) and on Fridays I stretch out for Yoga. I think Friday will eventually end up being my cool off day, and I'll work out Saturday through Thursday. That way I am active everyday.

After it is all said and done, you can do a short cool down lap. I'd run one lap around the track, but since you're on a treadmill, I'm guessing, you could set it to a 5 minute cool down. A cool down is a really light jog, not a run.

It would be interesting to change up my routine. The end result of all of this exercise for me would be to have higher stamina/endurance (mine's REALLY low) and more definition to my body, less fat around the stomach.

In short, yes I do stretch before I do my cardio and after, so I have a pre-weightlifting stretch too. Treadmills have auto-cool downs after each workout, so there's a 2 minute cool down when I am done.

The only reason I train all parts of my body everyday is because I am OCD and want everything to look proportionate

Quote from: Elwood on September 14, 2008, 06:24:26 PM

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 02:28:53 PMQuestion 2

[...]

Abs on the other hand....are not so much changing. The machine I use says it works out your entire abdominal area, and I do it at 72 pounds now, but really I can only see a TINY difference in my upper abs, and none at all in the lower.

You're using machines? That's another problem.

Machines work on only the muscles involved in the motion. If you do sit ups, push ups, and free weights, you use more muscles. Muscles to keep things stable and straight. Muscles that hold your body in line. Push ups work the wrists, the arms, the chest, the lower back, the hamstrings. Bench pressing works only half that much, and if it's a bench press that is hooked to a machine it only works the muscles that push the weight and not the muscles that stabilize it.

I am a small guy. I did 70 sit ups last week. I continue doing sit ups at this point without weights. I also do crunches, leg lifts, and other abdominal workouts. All of these combined have given me slight definition (that currently only shows up when I flex). But it proves that lifting a lot of weight isn't necessarily required for muscle development. What is required is consistency, a nutritional diet, and a proper practice.

If you've worked out only 12 times since August 27th you shouldn't be seeing any progress. Especially not with a routine that really has no form to it. My suggestion is that you work with a physical trainer... They can really provide valuable feedback and give you what you need. I personally condemn using gym machines because they don't really work all of the muscles in a particular group.

Don't trainers cost money though? I am REALLY short on cash right now with my living situation, I can't afford that.

Again, I don't really want bulk and muscle, I just want the muscle definition. I like my body the way it is, with the exception of my stomach, so I don't want to get beefy per sei.

I only intended to start out with the machines to learn the motion for each different type of weightlifting so I could do it correctly, but I guess I got too comfortable with them. I was seeing results so it encouraged me to keep going to the gym, because free weights, sit ups, anything I have to do myself, I've always been bad at and it's been too discouraging to this day. I guess I will try it your way though. I can hear the voice of reason.

In short, I hope I didn't sound too negative in response to all of your comments.

Posted on: September 14, 2008, 09:19:29 PM

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Quote from: kephalopod on September 14, 2008, 05:47:15 PM

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I had to reduce it probably because of my sickle cell, I feel like my heart's gonna burst and I can't breathe after 15 and I don't try to push myself past that.

Dude, be careful not to overdo it. If your heart is seriously trying to make like a chestbuster out of Alien, you might want to cut back on it a bit. Not just for medical reasons, but also because if it hurts too much, it's hard to get up the motivation to keep doing it. (Seriously, this is exactly what prevented me from doing cardio effectively for years. I'd push myself too hard, collapse into a puddle of sweat and nausea at the end, and vow never again. Slow and steady buildup can be frustrating, but it works.)

I'm trying not to lol. (I've never seen alien by the way.) Running sounded fun to me until I started getting this fatigue, breathing issues, etc so I know where you're coming from in terms of motivation. I almost wanted to stop.....

Muscle definition is going to come from a combination of having the muscle there in the first place (bulking), and low body fat. You get the first by doing low reps, high weight - 8-12 reps should be the max you can do at that weight. And you're not going to get freakishly big doing that, it's just going to increase the size of your muscles a bit - not much pre-T.

Low body fat comes from cardio and watching what you eat. To bulk up, you'll need protein, stay away from simple carbs (like sugar, white flour). Again, bulking up, I'm not talking getting huge, it's just increasing the size of the muscles you're exercising. To get the body fat low, you need to decrease fat and increase fibre.

Like Elwood says, I don't see that you're doing yourself much good lifting a weight you can lift for 50 reps. At least increase the weight a little. And diet is an important part of it.

Dennis

What? You haven't seen Alien? Sacrilege! It is a Classic Of Our Times!

Really, take it slower than you think you need to. Stamina comes with time. It can take your lungs a couple of months to adapt to the stress of regular running. Don't sweat it if you can't do a lot at first.

Regarding weightlifting, I'm pretty well convinced that "toning" is a myth. Don't worry that you're going to bulk up without really trying to. Packing on muscle above and beyond the gains you'll see in the first few months of lifting is hard. It's not going to happen to you without either a rare genetic predisposition towards a Hulk-like physique, or a lot of really hard work in the gym designed to do exactly that.

Rest days are important. Really. If you don't take them, you're asking for an injury.

There are a lot of good resources out there on the internet for beginning training schedules for running and lifting. A couple of searches should turn up something.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Greetings- Bulking is definitely a different game than weight loss. I started with a weight loss work out 3 sets 12 reps lower weight. After I dropped my weight (diet was also important) I shifted to bulk, 3 sets 8 - 10 reps (Ususally 8 ). I go Monday Bi/Tri/ Abs, Tuesday Legs/ Shoulders, Wed Back /Chest, Thursday Bi /Tri /Abs, Friday Legs. Some weeks I switch up the order and try to do cardio 6 days a week. I also do cardio before and after. I add abs on other days also. It's important to switch up the exercises you are doing every 6-8 weeks so you are not doing the same bi/tri exercises for months on in, same with cardio.
Good Luck
Myles

Quote from: kephalopod on September 14, 2008, 09:27:15 PM

Regarding weightlifting, I'm pretty well convinced that "toning" is a myth. Don't worry that you're going to bulk up without really trying to. Packing on muscle above and beyond the gains you'll see in the first few months of lifting is hard. It's not going to happen to you without either a rare genetic predisposition towards a Hulk-like physique, or a lot of really hard work in the gym designed to do exactly that.

Me too, Keph. Never seen anyone look "toned" who didn't do high weights low reps. It seems like you're doing a low-efficiency cardio if you're doing 50 reps of low weight. Might as well go for a swim, a bike ride, or a run.

Dennis

Quote from: trapthavok on September 14, 2008, 08:22:47 PMThe only reason I train all parts of my body everyday is because I am OCD and want everything to look proportionate

I'm OCD too but it doesn't work that way...

Your muscles need to rest so they can grow/recover.

Thanks guys. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong til I asked. Now I checked out some books on it.

Excellent. I'm happy for you. Hope things go well.