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'm not a big fan of machine work. They tend to not allow your body to move the way it was designed.
The elliptical as an example is not a natural way to move, so I have no idea why people would want to use it for cardio. Use the bike, treadmill or rowing machine instead.
If you want to build muscle you need to lift free weights with compound lits like the deadlift, squat and bench press. You should get training on technique for all 3.
High intensity interval training or HIIT is a great fat burner and can help build muscle/power if done properly. It is a process though, so don't sit on the bike and try to go all out for 30-45 seconds like the recommendations. Ease into it.
For the deadlift I would highly recommend using the trap bar. It is much safer than a barbell deadlift, and easier to learn. Start with light weights and work on technique. If you can't find a trainer, take videos and post on the thousands of websites out there that help people figure out their fitness goals. Reddit has a great community dedicated to this.
For the squat, I would highly recommend starting with body weight squats. Again, work on technique and increasing your mobility and range of motion in the hips/groin area. There are thousands of videos on YouTube and else where that give points on how to squat properly. Once you are comfortable with the body weight squat, get an Olympic bar(45 lbs), and start practicing with it. Technique, technique, technique. I ran Madcow last summer and got to a 405lb squat. Technique was so/so. I hit all my goals but ended up pulling a groin muscle and it has taken a full year to heal properly. Now I've started to squat again, and I do a LOT of body weight and olympic bar with no weights on it squatting.
I don't bench press personally, as I like the military or push press a lot more, but again, do research on how to do the lift properly. If you're going to bench, I would highly recommend finding a lift like the barbell row where you can 'pull' the bar to offset the 'pushing' you do with the bench. This helps from creating instability issues with your shoulders. There are a variety of other ways to work the upper body too. Any kind of press, pushups(thousands of ways to do these), pullups, kettlebell work, etc, etc. One doesn't necessarily have to bench in order to have a strong upper body.
Diet is also key. Learning what to eat and what not to eat is a process that you have to work at. Spend time researching online communities like reddit, bodybuilding dot com, John Stone Fitness Forums, Crossfit Forums, etc, etc. They all have great stickies for beginners that are loaded with great information. Diet will be the difference in losing weight/gaining weight. The best workout plan in the world won't help you gain muscle or lose fat if you're not eating right.
Make it a lifestyle choice.