"Toning"

[Saga]

My question wasn't answered in the abs thread a page back, so I figured I'd ask it here. I got back from my annual check up this morning and after consulting my doctor about losing any more weight, he told me I was pretty much at my optimum weight for my height and bone structure, and it's time to start "toning" (using the term loosely cause I know it's wrong) and building muscle. He said the little bit of fat I have left will get burned off during this next phase of my exercising. Currently, I'm 165 lbs, 5'7", I've been working on losing fat since February and have since lost 35 pounds. I'm know a lot when it comes to losing weight, but clueless when it comes to toning, which is the point I'm at know...I've been reading up on HIIT, can that serve a double purpose (lose that last bit of fat + tone muscle with weights and crunches after a session of HIIT)? Is that probably the best route to take right now?

[Ninjadik]

You should try a full body workout first to get your body working as one as well as building a solid foundation. HST works really well, you might want to check it out.

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

This will definitely get you tone as well as increase your strength all around.

[Meat]

max-ot is really the best for putting on muscle. Toning is a myth, you cannot lose fat and put on muscle at the same time, not naturally anyway.

[Ddz]

Swimming works wonders on your entire body and it's easy on your joints. I swam in high school on the team, and I was in the best shape of my life.

[Saga]

max-ot is really the best for putting on muscle. Toning is a myth, you cannot lose fat and put on muscle at the same time, not naturally anyway.

I know, that's why I said I used the term very loosely. Thanks for all the suggestions though, especially MAX-OT, it looks really interesting...been reading up on HST, too, so I'll do one of those tomorrow.

[Boyiee]

max-ot is really the best for putting on muscle. Toning is a myth, you cannot lose fat and put on muscle at the same time, not naturally anyway.

I know, that's why I said I used the term very loosely. Thanks for all the suggestions though, especially MAX-OT, it looks really interesting...been reading up on HST, too, so I'll do one of those tomorrow.

What are you trying to exactly do? Get a sixpack? Look like your on roids? Just be thin, fit, and sexy?


Thin Fit and sexy = Play alot of Tennis, Swim alot, and Box box box box box, run everyday (1-5miles) and continue doing situp workouts. Crunches, reverses, add weight, leg lifts, get everything.

[Saga]

max-ot is really the best for putting on muscle. Toning is a myth, you cannot lose fat and put on muscle at the same time, not naturally anyway.

I know, that's why I said I used the term very loosely. Thanks for all the suggestions though, especially MAX-OT, it looks really interesting...been reading up on HST, too, so I'll do one of those tomorrow.

What are you trying to exactly do? Get a sixpack? Look like your on roids? Just be thin, fit, and sexy?


Thin Fit and sexy = Play alot of Tennis, Swim alot, and Box box box box box, run everyday (1-5miles) and continue doing situp workouts. Crunches, reverses, add weight, leg lifts, get everything.

Combination of sixpack + fit look.

[Exoduso]

There's an in-between too you know lol.

I've been going to the gym for about 2 months now, and I don't plan on looking like on 'roids, but I want to also build some nice mass (but again, no one wants to look hulk-hogan-like..)
And i'm working with a personal trainer because of the surgery I had, so I'm also building a nice six-pack in the process heh.

My problem is different though, I need to gain weight and I seem to have a hard time doing it (even with weight gainers and eating a fuckton of food..)

[Koga]

Swimming works wonders on your entire body and it's easy on your joints. I swam in high school on the team, and I was in the best shape of my life.

QFT.
Swimming is the best form of exercise and if you are really smimming then you are burning calories and building muscle at the same time. More so in your arms, chest and legs then your abs but with enough swimming you wont have a gut if thats a problem.

[Serif]

Swimming works wonders on your entire body and it's easy on your joints. I swam in high school on the team, and I was in the best shape of my life.

QFT.
Swimming is the best form of exercise and if you are really smimming then you are burning calories and building muscle at the same time. More so in your arms, chest and legs then your abs but with enough swimming you wont have a gut if thats a problem.

Also include the back, your lower back will be very built if you swim.

I used to swim 2 miles a day until I broke my right hand. Also if you are going to go for tone, it is all about diet. I don't know how much I can say it but DIETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

I was 6'6" 225 and tone but when I started swimming and actually watching my diet I dropped down to 205 and was in the best shape I would say in my life.

[Ddz]

Swimming works wonders on your entire body and it's easy on your joints. I swam in high school on the team, and I was in the best shape of my life.

QFT.
Swimming is the best form of exercise and if you are really smimming then you are burning calories and building muscle at the same time. More so in your arms, chest and legs then your abs but with enough swimming you wont have a gut if thats a problem.

Also include the back, your lower back will be very built if you swim.

I used to swim 2 miles a day until I broke my right hand. Also if you are going to go for tone, it is all about diet. I don't know how much I can say it but DIETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

I was 6'6" 225 and tone but when I started swimming and actually watching my diet I dropped down to 205 and was in the best shape I would say in my life.

Yes swimming will give you a muscular upper body and a small waist, creating that upside-down A look. Swimmer bod ftw! I'll try to get my mom to send me a pic of myself back then. Don't bank on it though haha.

[Ivaden]

There's an in-between too you know lol.

I've been going to the gym for about 2 months now, and I don't plan on looking like on 'roids, but I want to also build some nice mass (but again, no one wants to look hulk-hogan-like..)
And i'm working with a personal trainer because of the surgery I had, so I'm also building a nice six-pack in the process heh.

My problem is different though, I need to gain weight and I seem to have a hard time doing it (even with weight gainers and eating a fuckton of food..)

How're you doing ab workouts? I know we had similar surgeries and I've always been told to avoid crunches/sit-ups/etc.

[Exoduso]

There's an in-between too you know lol.

I've been going to the gym for about 2 months now, and I don't plan on looking like on 'roids, but I want to also build some nice mass (but again, no one wants to look hulk-hogan-like..)
And i'm working with a personal trainer because of the surgery I had, so I'm also building a nice six-pack in the process heh.

My problem is different though, I need to gain weight and I seem to have a hard time doing it (even with weight gainers and eating a fuckton of food..)

How're you doing ab workouts? I know we had similar surgeries and I've always been told to avoid crunches/sit-ups/etc.

In the beginning I couldn't even move my back, so all I did was put my hands over my head and pretend to be trying to do it... after a while though I got more control over my lower back, so I started just doing sit ups where I just have my arms hanging around doing nothing and pulling myself to a seating position, then going back down... and recently I started doing regular sit-ups with my hands over my head and going all the way up... it just takes time I guess, the more I went to the gym and worked on my back muscles the more control I regained over them, not to mention I have absolutely no back pains anymore (I used to have them if I would be bending for a few seconds usually, the muscles were just not doing anything for a pretty long time.)

Not sure which surgery you had, but I had scoleosis, and so I have 2 long rods in my back now (going from the shoulder blade area--but in the middle of the back-- all the way down to about 3/4 through the bottom of the back), which limits my bending positions to the point where I can't bend my back at all... however, even though the back itself doesn't bend, the more I worked on my back muscles (especially the lower back), I regained much of the movement that I thought I had lost after surgery.

I've also been doing crunches and having no trouble with them at all.

It depends when you had your surgery too... it's been 2 years (exactly actually heh, my surgery was on the 24th of August..), so I got the clear to go to the gym about a year ago from the doctor, I just didn't do anything up until a few months ago. He basically told me I can do everything I want except for military press (and actually pull anything from the ground all the way up to above your head), so I've been avoiding though but working pretty much on everything else.

[Ivaden]

There's an in-between too you know lol.

I've been going to the gym for about 2 months now, and I don't plan on looking like on 'roids, but I want to also build some nice mass (but again, no one wants to look hulk-hogan-like..)
And i'm working with a personal trainer because of the surgery I had, so I'm also building a nice six-pack in the process heh.

My problem is different though, I need to gain weight and I seem to have a hard time doing it (even with weight gainers and eating a fuckton of food..)

How're you doing ab workouts? I know we had similar surgeries and I've always been told to avoid crunches/sit-ups/etc.

Not sure which surgery you had, but I had scoleosis, and so I have 2 long rods in my back now (going from the shoulder blade area--but in the middle of the back-- all the way down to about 3/4 through the bottom of the back), which limits my bending positions to the point where I can't bend my back at all... however, even though the back itself doesn't bend, the more I worked on my back muscles (especially the lower back), I regained much of the movement that I thought I had lost after surgery.

I had scoleosis as well as a few vertebrae slipping to the right which resulted in pinching my spinal cord, giving pains down my right leg. I have two rods and two screws in my lower back (the entire portion of my lumbar spine, and the first part of my pelvic spine) fusing them straight and together.

I can actually do crunches on an exercise ball with no problem at all, but really they don't seem to do much. I was told to avoid straight crunches and sit-ups so the ball was the alternative, but maybe they were being cautious because I was so young (was 13, just turned 14 right after the surgery -- 19 now).

[Exoduso]

Yeah well, i'm also 19 but I had my surgery done when I was 17, so maybe it's a little different for me.

I had a pretty severe angle, about 62 degrees, and it was brought down to 19 after surgery.
I think you should be okay with sit-ups as long as you take it slowly and do it little by little... I already have a six-pack (although it's not as good as I would like it to be, but it's definitely there and noticeable ) from working out for only 2 months... I dedicate around 15 mins to abs every workout and I go to the gym 3-4 times a week depending on my schedule.

I have 4 screws at the bottom of my back too, the whole back used to bother me a lot until recently but ever since I started working out i've been feeling a heck of a lot better (I'm still afraid of working on my back muscles and stuff like that, but that's why I got the personal trainer to get me through it safely...) I also have a pool at my house so I've been swimming almost every day since I could get out of bed after I came back home from surgery, so that's always been a plus.