Loosing Weight

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I'm 25 female, 5'5 tall and weight 142 pounds, I was around 160 pounds about 8-6 weeks ago, I took a diet from my dietitian 1200 calories a day and exercised 5 days a week, mainly brisk walking started 45 mins the first week and increased to 2 hours.
And about an hour I do some different exercise targeting my problem areas (breast lift-arms-calves) doing 100 times each.
Although clothes look great on me now, but what's underneath doesn't.
I still see fat and saggy looking areas.
I'm starting from zero again with the same diet plan.
What's wrong with my exercise plan? Why my body isn't lifting?
Please help.

ANSWER: Hello Lina

It appears to me that the amount of time you are talking about is not very long at all to see the results you want. It takes longer then this to correct issues that where created in a much longer time frame. I suggest patience and dedication and you will start to see results. Remember targeting exercise to specific areas is great but if you do not sufficiently exercise the supporting muscles you will not see the results you are looking for.The body needs a complete workout in order to develop properly. My suggestion for a workout is to start jogging if you are capable and do light weight high repetition training using dumbbells, and cables not the bar and not machines they will not shape your body as easily.
I also suggest planking and lunges on top of everything else. Another thing I noticed from what you wrote me was that you said you are doing 100 reps total, you need to do much more then this ,you have to work those areas until you can not correctly lift anymore.

Here is an example of my arm workout.

I start with 2.5 pound dumbbells and do 6 different exercises for 100 reps per set with no breaks between exercises. This totals 6oo reps. Then I move up to 5 pounds where I do 80 reps per set in the same way. I continue in 2.5 pound increments all the way up to 40 pound dumbbells.
Here is my breakdown of weight per reps. for my arm workout.

2.5 pound  100 reps    30      10 reps
5   pound   80 reps    35      8 reps
7.5 pound   60 reps    40      4-6 reps or till failure
10  pound   50 reps
12.5pound   30 reps  Total reps  456 per exercise  6 exercise for arms alone.
15  pound   25 reps
17.5----    20 reps  Total reps for all exercise equal 2736 twice a week
20 -------  20----
22.5        18-----
25   ----   16-----
27.5------  15------  

I hope this helps you feel free to write back if you need more advice.

Larry

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Larry,

Thanks for the information.  So you're saying I should do 30-45 mins of aerobic 3-5 times a week?
Plus 1 hour brisk walking 5 times a week?

Would that be it?

As for going over 100 reps isn't good in my point of view, after I achieve the results I want I will cut down a little bit on the workout, slowly of course.  I'm worried if I over do it and then "under do it" I would get saggy.

Two years ago I lost around 15 pounds same diet but my only exercise was using the stepper. (on wii fit) 7 days a week started 20 mins increased until 90 mins for 3 months.  You can't imaging how my body turned out.  Beyond perfect! I just can't do it anymore because it increased the size of my calves.
I don't know where's the secret in all of this?
Would doing aerobics do the trick? without using the stepper?

Answer
Hi Lina
Cardio should be down most days of the week for 30 to 45 minutes. When I say most day I really mean every day but if you miss one day that is not all that bad once in a while. As for the reps, high reps make you get that ripped / cut look. My example was just an example of what it takes to get there. It is possible to get there doing less reps but it will take much longer.

Good Luck

Larry

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