Quote:
Originally Posted by savemedrzaius
I've been working out for 4 months, 3 times a week. I notice a difference but I don't think any one would notice. It's not huge. My arms and chest look stronger to me.
Should there be a huge difference in 4 months?
Basically for the last 7 years I have done very little exercise on a regular basis. When I go to the gym my routine is similar to the OP. I do almost every machine in there. The thing is I'm 183 cm, 70 kg but my core is really soft. I'm skinny-fat, so don't know if I should do cardio because my face already looks quite thin.
Any advice?
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I hope this isn't too long winded...
The answer is relative to your goals. Any form of exercise that burns calories is going to contribute to a caloric deficit, but your workouts and diet need to be very strategic if you want to see the best results with regards to leaning out and muscle toning.
As I mentioned in my previous post, it can be very difficult to lose fat while simultaneously gaining heaps of muscle. That said, people that lose a large amount of body fat will look more muscular and ripped, not because they have gained a large amount of muscle mass, but simply because the loss of fat has revealed all of the muscle that has naturally been there all along. A carefully structured diet and workout plan will help someone minimize muscle loss while still losing weight.
There are 3 approaches that many people take when it comes to fitness and nutrition- bulking, cutting, and maintaining. Imo, most beginners that are starting overweight and looking to achieve a more ripped/muscular look should start on a cutting plan. This typically means a high protein/moderate carb diet that ultimately leads to a daily caloric deficit. A regular cardiovascular and weight training routine that contributes to a caloric deficit and tones existing muscle is obviously vital to this approach. The Arnold workout plan of hitting one muscle group per workout is still the most popular approach, but full body workouts that focus on fundamental compound exercises is becoming increasingly popular. Regardless of which method one follows, leaning out to achieve a more muscular and toned look will only occur with weight loss. The high protein/moderate carb diet aims to minimize muscle loss while maximizing fat loss. Regardless, discovering your own personal BMR is critical to this approach, as it will you allow to know what your caloric deficit numbers, and macronutient levels, should be. A big discussion in itself.
The bulking approach to fitness is the plan people take on when they are looking to gain muscle mass. Imo, it doesn't make sense for one to start this approach unless they are already very lean. Whether one likes it or not, bulking means gaining weight in the form of fat and muscle- a high protein/high carb diet that leads to a caloric surplus. Once an individual has made the appropriate muscle gains, they typically follow it up with a strict cutting plan that looks to considerably decrease body fat while minimizing muscle loss (for an overall net gain of muscle). The weight lifting and cardio routine is typically quite different in a cutting vs bulking approach, but that is also another big discussion.
Imo, it doesn't make much sense for overweight beginners to start with a bulking or maintenance approach. Certainly naturally skinny individuals that are already in the single digit body fat percentages can begin with bulking, but the majority of individuals starting at the gym are immediately looking to lose weight and decrease body fat. Many big and muscular gym goers are constantly in a state of bulking, which is why they look quite muscular, but puffy at the same time.
Anyway, as much as the scale is frowned upon by individuals, I believe it is still the best tool for measuring results. If you aren't losing or gaining relative to your goals, your body is likely not changing much- or it is changing very slowly. I really think the ability to lose fat while gain muscle is a very rare occurrence and people should pick cutting or bulking plan to fit their goals- with the knowledge of course that one usually follows the other. Maintaining kind of speaks for itself, but still follows a specific workout and diet plan.