Ok, i'm getting confused...

[Asa Samuel]

Theres so many different workouts and diets and all sorts of THINGS that people say are the best.

I want to get more muscle "definition" as i have tough abs but theres that layer of fat over them, i do want to build up my arm muscles more though, and shoulder muscles. I want to start working out and have tried to explore different ways but i'm just getting confused.

I know that its not worth doing anything if my diet isn't right but i need someone to tell me, or somewhere to find out what i should eat instead of people saying "Well you could eat this because it has 20g of this but only 10% this so instead you could have this becuase it has 30g of this, its 10% this 23% this and has only 2g of this" it just gets confusing when you're trying to start out.

I have a weight-free workout book but i have noone to ask if its any good or not, i dont want to have to spend alot of buying loads of different weights, but one thing i do have is one hell of alot of free time, so going to the pool is easy as i have to time for it.

I thought about doing the 22 minute workout scheme in the book, which is done three days a week and then i could do swimming in the off days but now i'm not sure if this is even the right thing to do anymore.

What should i do? How should i start? Where can i find out straight about a diet?

Thanks,
A very frustrated Bass Junkie.

[TheDarkReaver]

go to a gym.

[EricF]

The only way to get muscle definition is to burn off the layers of fat hiding the muscle. The most efficient way to burn fat is aerobic exercise. Regular aeorbic exercise (30+ minutes, 3+ times per week) also has huge benefits for your overall cardio-vascular fitness. Alternate days of cardio and weight-lifting with a day of recovery (no exercise - lots of sleep if you can) once a week, and you'll see some results pretty fast.

Many people don't understand that the body builds strength when its resting, not when you're exercising. Your workout is actually tearing the body down. At rest, your body adapts by making itself stronger to better handle that stress the next time. I've seen it too often where people workout everyday for weeks in a row, pushing themselves to get stronger, only to get injured, sick, or just exhausted. If you don't give your body a chance to rest, it will make the time for you eventually (that's not a good thing).

As for food, eat a sensible balanced diet, and don't stress too much about specifics. Don't starve yourself - your body needs fuel for the workouts as well as recovery.

[Tsal]

Try the official gym & weightlifting thread, for start. But you are missing the point - it's not what kind of exercise you do, but that you do exercise.

[vbsurfer3001]

Short Answer:

Calories Consumed<Calories Burned=weight loss

[Asa Samuel]

The workout book i have consists of two sets of 9 techniques, and recomends 5 reps of each technique for beginners, and doing the workouts like this: A B A one week B A B the next and so on, so i thought as a week i could do:

Monday workout, Tuesday swimming, Wednesday workout, Thursday swimming, Friday workout, sat/sun swimming, sat/sun rest.

Does that sound any good?

It also has three diet "plans" depending on when i'm working out, heres the one for if i was working out in the morning:

Meal 1: pre-workout snack

• 150ml whey protein shake (or)
• Banana and hard-boiled egg (or)
• Cereal with skimmed milk

Meal 2: breakfast
(immediately following workout)

• Egg-white ommlette with vegetables (or)
• Bowl of porridge
• Orange juice

Meal 3Mid-morning snack

• Yoghurt and fruit(or)
• 300 ml whey protein shake and fruit

Meal 4 lunch

• Salad with grilled chicken and olive oil dressing (or)
• Tuna or ham sandwich on wholemeal bread

Meal 5mid-afternoon snack

• Unsalted peanits of chashews and an apple (or)
• Meal-replacement bar (or)
• Low fat yoghurt

Meal 6 dinner

• Grilled salmon, chicken breast or sirloin steak
• Green salad with olive oil dressing

There are also two other plans for if i work out at lunch or after work, but as for that one do you think thats a good plan to follow?

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by EricF

The most efficient way to burn fat is aerobic exercise. Regular aeorbic exercise (30+ minutes, 3+ times per week) also has huge benefits for your overall cardio-vascular fitness. ... As for food, eat a sensible balanced diet, and don't stress too much about specifics.

YES.
WHAT HE SAID.

[vbsurfer3001]

If the workout you are describing is lifting free weights, then no, I don't think it's going to get you the results that you want.

You need to separate the exercises based upon muscle groups and locations, ie chest, shoulders & back in one workout, biceps, triceps, forearms & abs in another and then quads, hams & calves in still another. Mon, Weds, Fri on the weights, Tues, Thurs, Sat in the pool doing laps.

4-7 sets of 8-12 repetitions in each exercise with enough weight so that you work to failure in the last sets. In other words, use enough weight so that set #6 you can only do 5 repetitions before the weights have to be lifted from you. Not working the muscle to failure is wasting your time at your age, you can recover & build very quickly.

[Asa Samuel]

No, its not using weights at all, and it takes about 22 minutes to complete a workout.

[vbsurfer3001]

Originally Posted by Bass Junkie

No, its not using weights at all, and it takes about 22 minutes to complete a workout.

Then I'm VERY sure it will not get you the results you're looking for...

Nothing good comes easy, if you are looking to get a six-pack body without 2-3 hour workouts, it's not gonna happen.