Toning up for summer

cyborg · 20 Mar 2007 at 21:52

I have seen the sticky at the top of the page, and its a bit overcomplicted for what I want. Im just over 9&1/2 stone and 5"10. Aswell as tone id like to gain weight. I don't want to be athletic, or have arms the size of my head, I just want to tone.

I was thinking alternate days of working out (work out, skip a day, work out) all this at home, i've no time for gym, and its usually a motivation killer for me. Is this too little, too much?

Anyways, i do: push ups, sit ups, weights (both curls and lifting infront of body), squating and using my arms to pull my body up with the bed posts(back facing towards bed). What other excercises can I do at home without needing equipment?

Thanks

Skull · 20 Mar 2007 at 21:57

First of all, have you got a six-pack?

Second, how is this complicated: "Eat, Exercise, Rest?"

One More Solo · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:27

Before someone gets upset, you can't tone, you either gain muscle or lose weight. For most people "toning" means losing some fat to increase muscle definition, which means creating a calorie deficit. What's your diet like?

sniper007 · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:37

Everytime I read a thread like this I always see people come on and get irate about the term "toning" especially the people that are in the know on this sort of stuff. Why is this? If the guy says he wants to tone up, thenhe wants to tone up. Whats wrong with that? Is it just that its such a loose term? Surely to the majority of people it means become more muscular? I just dont see whats wrong with people saying it thats all

Not that I was jumping at you "One more solo" just I see it a lot.

Styles · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:50

No you have it wrong. People get irate when one suggests they are lifting weights merely to tone up. E.g, I am lifting in the 15-20 rep range to tone up I don't want to get big. Which makes no sense what-so-ever. You can put on mass, and then drop your bodyfat %, which will show off your muscle and give you a more defined look.

Heaven Can Wait · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:50

im pretty sure that to most people toning is loosing weight to show muscle that you already have.. in which case the OP doesn't want to tone.

To the OP, morba/chong will be along soon to link you to the workout from home.

chrisd · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:52

sniper007 said:
If the guy says he wants to tone up, thenhe wants to tone up.

Usually what people mean by 'toning', is reducing your body fat% to make your muscle mass more defined; i.e 'cutting'.

This is achieved by having a calorie deficit.

Styles · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:54

cyborg said:
I have seen the sticky at the top of the page, and its a bit overcomplicted for what I want. Im just over 9&1/2 stone and 5"10. Aswell as tone id like to gain weight. I don't want to be athletic, or have arms the size of my head, I just want to tone.

I was thinking alternate days of working out (work out, skip a day, work out) all this at home, i've no time for gym, and its usually a motivation killer for me. Is this too little, too much?

Anyways, i do: push ups, sit ups, weights (both curls and lifting infront of body), squating and using my arms to pull my body up with the bed posts(back facing towards bed). What other excercises can I do at home without needing equipment?

Thanks

You need to decide what's more important. You can:

1. Gain weight by following a good weight lifting routine and eating well, you will gain a little fat to, which can be lost at a later date whilst retaining the muscle you have built. For the bulk you will be consuming more calories than you will be burning, and eating a protein rich diet.

2. Drop your bodyfat % to look more 'defined'.

To be honest, at 9 1/2 stone and 5'10" I cannot see that you will have much, if any, fat to loose? My suggestion will be as always, bulk for a while (Step 1), and then cut if you wish to have a more 'athletic' body. By the sound of it you need to add some muscle first, and you won't turn into a machine overnight. You can simply lift until you reach your desired results and then maintain.

Skull · 20 Mar 2007 at 22:54

But if the guy is 5'10 and of average build he's waaay underweight. Unless he's 15. - Gosh DARNIT!

cyborg · 20 Mar 2007 at 23:36

Yes Im underweight. So I get the general idea I need to improve my diet. Protein intake? Nuts, eggs and meats? Im terrible with food (explains why im 9&1/2stone I bet your thinking). But I get bored with the same foods each day.

eggs and toast or cereal for breakfast
sandwhich/bap or soup for lunch + mullar rice
dinner (could be anything)

^ thats what I eat currently

Things I think I could add:

More fruit
... I need some help here

Skull · 20 Mar 2007 at 23:41

Moooore foooood. Hell if you just make yourself a bowl of pasta with cheese in addition to what you're eating already that'll be a start.

A2Z · 20 Mar 2007 at 23:42

http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/article-mass-gaining.aspx

cyborg · 20 Mar 2007 at 23:58

Actually looking at the sticky its not as complicated as I first thought. Few questions though. Im already underweight, will working out now be worse? Is there any negative effects of the protein shakes? I think my main problem will be finding time to eat so much.

Styles · 21 Mar 2007 at 00:13

cyborg said:
Actually looking at the sticky its not as complicated as I first thought. Few questions though. Im already underweight, will working out now be worse? Is there any negative effects of the protein shakes? I think my main problem will be finding time to eat so much.

Protein shakes with oats are your friend if you have limited time. It takes me less than 2 minutes to make a shake. You will not suffer any negative effects with protein shakes. Sort out your diet before you begin to train. Diet is 80% of your results, nail this and you're on the right road.

WantoN · 21 Mar 2007 at 00:50

S7yl3s I've not been in SA for ages, and you jump on these threads fast than I do. How do you mix oats into a shake? I dunk a couple of bananas in and blend it myself.

To the OP. You don't have to eat masses and masses, but you do need to eat more, and focus on foods rich in nutrients. Whey Isolate (my shake of choice) and other protein shakes just allow you to consume large amounts of protein which you could otherwise obtain from a diet (albiet eat so much I doubt you could cope)

Do a search, there are loads of threads like this, with lots of information, S7yl3s has posted in loads and I've added to a few lately with lots of stuff too.

Ant :cool:

alexakasloth · 21 Mar 2007 at 08:12

WantoN said:
S7yl3s I've not been in SA for ages, and you jump on these threads fast than I do. How do you mix oats into a shake? I dunk a couple of bananas in and blend it myself.

Blend them in a food processor or by them finely blended from myprotein

Morba · 21 Mar 2007 at 10:05

Heaven Can Wait said:
im pretty sure that to most people toning is loosing weight to show muscle that you already have.. in which case the OP doesn't want to tone.

To the OP, morba/chong will be along soon to link you to the workout from home.

or the hotel workout which can be modded for home when you have no gzm equipment ÖD
im having to use a modified version of my hotel workout because this german hotel is pants! thank god ive got a 35kg suitcase (when full) which i can use for a couple of basic lifts

ffs, damn german kezboard!!

to the OP, lack of motivation is a killer, this can be combatted a few wazs, quickest is to set some SMART goals, this way zou will see better results which will keep zou motivated. at zour weight, adding a good few pounds of lean mass will make zou look a lot better

Styles · 21 Mar 2007 at 10:14

WantoN said:
S7yl3s I've not been in SA for ages, and you jump on these threads fast than I do. How do you mix oats into a shake? I dunk a couple of bananas in and blend it myself.

I do spend maybe a little too much time browsing the SA. As for the oats, $loth is correct, I buy them from the supermarket and blend them. You can buy 'Ultra Fine' oats from MP but they are much more expensive.

B@Th*nG · 21 Mar 2007 at 10:24

cyborg said:
Yes Im underweight. So I get the general idea I need to improve my diet. Protein intake? Nuts, eggs and meats? Im terrible with food (explains why im 9&1/2stone I bet your thinking). But I get bored with the same foods each day.

eggs and toast or cereal for breakfast
sandwhich/bap or soup for lunch + mullar rice
dinner (could be anything)

^ thats what I eat currently

Things I think I could add:

More fruit
... I need some help here

stop whinging for a start, and start EATING... your gonna have to be a little bored and maybe uncomfortable cos you is well stuffed with phat munch... but it's gotta b done son. my mate oli was the same "i wanna get bigger" and he ran all day and swam and didn't eat enough... he just got smaller. EAT EAT EEEAAATTTTT, and lift. that's it

B@Th*nG

Styles · 21 Mar 2007 at 10:40

cyborg said:
eggs and toast or cereal for breakfast
sandwhich/bap or soup for lunch + mullar rice
dinner (could be anything)

^ thats what I eat currently

Things I think I could add:

More fruit
... I need some help here

The guy above is correct, but I'll put it better.

You need to draw yourself out a diet plan. So I want to be eating xxxx calories a day which would be xxxg Protien, xxxg Carbs, xx/xg Fat. Then you need to split that between approx. 6 equal sized meals which will be eaten 2-3 hours apart.

Breakfast will need to have a healthy serving of protein and contain some decent complex carbs. And basically follow that rule throughout the day. Once you have sorted your diet out and began lifting, you will need to take pre and post-workout shakes, meals. But for now you will need to get used to eating more.

It is boring at the very start, but that's only because you're not used to eating enough. You will probably be lucky if you're hitting 1000 - 1300 calories most days which is ridiculous, take it up to 2000 for the first week, then 2500 the next week and so on until you notice yourself beginning to add more weight and return to a healthy weight.