Summer is coming! Lose weight get fit? Ask here.

[macallan25]

[CutiePie2000]

I compete in Figure, have had some level of success with it and these are the magic 3:

1) Resistance Training: don't be afraid to lift heavy. If you are a woman, you will NOT bulk up. If anything, you will get smokin' hot toned bodyparts.

2) Cardio

And MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL:
3) Eat Clean - the nutrition that you eat is 80% responsible for your body's appearance. (the other being 10% genetics and 10% training).

If you don't know what clean eating is, "Eat Clean Diet" by Tosca Reno is pretty good for learning what it's all about.

[RU OX Alum]

does anyone have any tips for getting over a plateu? I knew the last 15 pounds or so would be the hardest but eessh..

Seriously, what should I change in routine? Go more? go harder?

In gym: 5 days-one hour cardio, 3 days - weight training
In dojo: 5-6 times per week, various activties, including about 500 jumping jacks or more depending. Endless sit ups, I seriously loose track of those, however many push ups, until my arms fall off and reattach themselves then one more set.

and I want to loose another 15-20 pounds, i've lost like 55 pounds so far, this is the worst plateau ever.

[CutiePie2000]

I saw that you had 3 days of weights, so here is my suggestion.
Try 4 days of weight training with these splits:
Monday: shoulders and triceps
Tuesday: back
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: Leg Day (no skipping this one!!)
Friday: chest and biceps
Throw some abs in there (though not everyday).

To avoid plateau'ing, have a training buddy so you can lift heavy and have someone to spot you to give the full contraction. Also, make sure that you mix up your workouts...don't do the exact same chest and bicep exercises every single week.

And: eat clean. If you clean up your diet, the weight comes off very quickly. Buy yourself a lunch cooler, tupperwares and tote your pre-made homemade meals around. If you don't know what I mean by eating clean, befriend a bodybuilder.

[valkyrie]

RU OX, what kind of cardio are you doing and how hard are you working when you're doing cardio?

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by valkyrie

RU OX, what kind of cardio are you doing and how hard are you working when you're doing cardio?

I do step mill, it is a cross between stair master and a down esclator I do that on level 10 or 11 for 30-40min. Then I do row machine for about 10-15 mins. Then cool down with remaining time on the elpitical. I also take between 7 and 9 martial arts classes a week that vary in intesity.

And then weird stuff happens, like okay, I weighed myself like two days after xmas. I was 190lbs. My watch I just got did not fit, and I was going to have to have some links put in (came with watch). I never got around to doing that, I droped down to like 185 and then the week after that I was at199 and it took like a week and a half to get back down to 190, now I'm stuck there, and the watch spins around on my wrist. WTF? Did I loose fat and then gain some muscle? Can you have 15 pounds of water weight? Is it possible to be over-hydrated? I ask b/c I have to increase my intake because of Lithium.

Thanks Valk

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

And then weird stuff happens, like okay, I weighed myself like two days after xmas. I was 190lbs. My watch I just got did not fit, and I was going to have to have some links put in (came with watch). I never got around to doing that, I droped down to like 185 and then the week after that I was at199 and it took like a week and a half to get back down to 190, now I'm stuck there, and the watch spins around on my wrist. WTF? Did I loose fat and then gain some muscle? Can you have 15 pounds of water weight? Is it possible to be over-hydrated? I ask b/c I have to increase my intake because of Lithium.

I only just read your post now, but yes, it sounds like after Christmas, you might have been retaining some water (which, considering the foods we tend to eat at Christmas time is quite plausible).

Were you weighing yourself on the same scale, or do you have access to more than one scale (more than one at home, one at the gym, etc.). That can vary the reading also.

I don't know how lithium works in the body but a quick google of lithium and "water retention" brought up a bunch of medical articles about sodium levels and lithium in the body. Is water retention a side effect to taking lithium?

I would say yes that it's possible to retain 15 lbs of water. Right before a show, I shed 4lbs of water in about 2 days (thank you PVL Watertight).