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Anonymous
sup /fit/?

I'm just curious... I need to get rid of a little fat, define my v-cut and build my biceps up some more.

Can /fit/ and it's members recommend me some exercises/diet plans?

I've got a treadmill and a bowflex extreme 2
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
its*

I'm getting a picture of my back right now
>> Anonymous
>>348334
holy shit

posture, man.
>> Anonymous
sell your bowflex and buy some free weights

srsly
>> Anonymous
Hahaha, alright. Lemme go take a pic standing straight up. I didn't know I was over like that.
>> Anonymous
It's actually my mom's bowflex... And I'm going to get a gym membership once I get my license so I'll have access to a lot more equipment.
>> Anonymous
I don't' know how to use the Bowflex because I don't have one, so you'll have to read the manual on how to do specific exercises.

The key though isn't which exercises your doing, it's HOW you're doing them. The best routine I've found so far (and the one I've been getting awesome results from) is a 5x5 program.

Work on a four day schedule:
Day 1: Biceps and Chest
Day 2: Triceps and Back
Day 3: Shoulders and Abs
Day 4: Legs and Forearms

For each day, pick two different exercises for each muscle group (that's four exercises per day if you can't do math). Alternate them of course (Bicep, Chest, Bicep, Chest, DONE!)
>> Anonymous
For the exercises, you do five sets and target five reps each set.
Set 1: Pick a weight you think will challenge you and start doing reps. If you can pass 10 without feeling much, just stop. If you fail or start to lose form, also stop.
Set 2: Remember how many reps you did on set 1? If you passed 10 easily, add more weight, a lot more and try again. If you were able to do between 7-9 complete reps before failing, add some more weight. If you got 5 or 6 reps before failing, keep the same weight, if you couldn't complete at least 5, take weight off.
Set 3, 4, and 5: Follow the same rules as set 2.

The goal is to continuously pick weights that are going to challenge you. You want to really start feeling the weight by the fourth rep and you should barely be able to complete a sixth.

Repeat that for the next exercises.

You WILL be sore the next few days, and after all four days, your whole body will be sore. This is good, because it's rebuilding itself (which takes energy and raises your metabolism).

If you find that it's too rough at first, feel free to only do one exercise per muscle per day, or if you have to leave a break day between each.
Ease into it baby.
>> Anonymous
>>348351

Won't this just bulk me up? I kind of want to get toned, as well. Should I do a medium weight and do like 30 reps of it?
>> Anonymous
>>348361
No, that won't do anything. That many reps will help your endurance, but won't do much to change your shape.

5x5 CAN be used to increase mass, but to do so you need quite a boost in protein intake after each workout (one of my friends takes a protein shake after each, I can't afford that shit). That will add more muscle volume (more mass in more space). Without the extra protein, your muscle density goes up (more mass in the same amount of space). This makes them just as much stronger.

The added benefit of more density is that your resting metabolism goes up as well. Just walking from one location to another consumes more energy for larger muscles than for smaller muscles. This is what achieves the mythical "toning".
>> Anonymous
>>348374

I don't really get where you're coming from on the whole "mythical toning" thing... so if you have denser muscles you will tone faster?
>> Anonymous
Also some more information:

You can't really choose where you want the fat to fly off from. Your body does that on it's own (1 million crunches may have some effect on your abs or absolutely zero effect). The way to get rid of fat is to make as many muscles stronger as you can. As I said before, boost your metabolism.

Once your muscles are stronger, you can start some epic cardio work like HIIT sprint training (which is sort of not cardio anyway). The epic cardio + strong energy demanding muscles = huge metabolism increases. That's how you get rid of the fat.

You can probably start the epic cardio a month or two after starting.
>> Anonymous
>>348379
Yeah, "toning" is a term they like to throw around in equipment commercials and on book covers. There's no simple excercise you can do to tone your arms or your abs. Toning is a combination of low body fat % and larger muscles. Larger muscles come from lifting and low body fat % comes from high metabolism, dieting, or combining the two.
>> Anonymous
Oh, I also have a swimming back ground. I swam during high school and did club for a while...

As I said, once I get my license I'm going to join a gym and also start swimming again because I was in amazing shape back then. Hopefully when I start swimming hardcore again I drop a few pounds in fat and put on some in muscle.
>> Anonymous
>>348361
In order to "get toned" you will need to add some muscle mass

You won't get xbox hueg unless your working out for four hours a day and taking a crapload of steroi..eeeeer...suppliments
>> Anonymous
>>348392
Swimming is perfect cardio. Try and find a way to alternate between high intensity swimming and low intensity swimming for the best results.

If you start the cardio after your muscles are more dense, you'll get quicker results because of the extra energy demand.
>> Anonymous
>>348402

Well, with a club I'd be doing a low intensity warm up, high intensity sets with a low intensity cool down at the end. I used to be as skinny as a bean pole until I joined swimming. I put on a ton of muscle in 3 years.