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  • Dedicated woman that needs the proper nutrition

    I am a 29 year old 5'9 140 (BF around 17%) pound female. I have been lifting for several years and have not even begun to see the results. One of the more serious bodybuilder guys at my gym - stopped me about a month ago and had an intervention. I was eating protein, carbs and good fats at all 6 meals (approximately 1300 calories = 50% pro 30% carb 20%fat). I lifted heavy 5 days a week and did high intensity spin 45 minutes 6 days a week.

    He said I was burning all of my muscle up – this is hard to understand because my butt and abs were still holding on to any fat that it could. I was doing so much cardio because I wanted to see abs and have low body fat. I was living like this for 2 years. I had headaches everyday and was always tired even with 8 hours of sleep.

    Now I am only lifting heavy five days a week. M- Shoulders/Traps/Biceps T- Back/Hamstrings W- Quads/Calves R- Chest F- Triceps. I have upped my calories to 1850 with a goal of 40%pro-40%carb-20%fat ratio. I have not had a headache in a month and have had more energy. I am increasing weights each week. I have also cut out cardio for a while but, I think I am going to start some moderate morning cardio 30 minutes. However, I still have not seen any muscle definition. My goal is to be in a figure competition. I want to put on lean muscle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am a very dedicated and meticulous person and I will follow through with any plan that I set my mind to. I just need help from someone that knows!!

    Sample diet shown below:

    M1- Whey protein, frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 tbsp flax seed oil, glutamine

    M2- Wheat english muffin, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 tbsp sugar free fruit preserves, and 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites (Fish Oil Cap)

    M3- 4 oz. tuna or chicken, orange, 1 cup green beans or lettuce (Fish Oil Cap)

    M4 - rice cake, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, apple

    M5 - (post workout) whey protein, 1/2 tbsp flax seed oi, glutamine

    M6 - 4 oz. chicken/lean steak/or fish, 1 cup lettuce or green beans, 1/2 cup red potatoes or wheat pasta or black beans, Fish oil cap, calcuim. multivitamin

    MINIMUM 1 GALLON OF WATER A DAY

  • #2
    Nutrient timing is the most important factor in designing a meal plan. Carbs, fats and your shakes need to be at certain places. Generally, carbs at the beginning of the day, fats at the end of the day, but it's much more complex that way.

    I could get into details, but it takes alot to come up with a truly solid diet. It is all based on activities, weight, BF, training frequency etc. If your goal is fat loss, it must change on a daily basis and is dependant on what you are doing that day as far as exercise.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by malibu barbie
      I am a 29 year old 5'9 140 (BF around 17%) pound female.

      Sample diet shown below:

      M1- Whey protein, frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 tbsp flax seed oil, glutamine

      M2- Wheat english muffin, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 tbsp sugar free fruit preserves, and 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites (Fish Oil Cap)

      M3- 4 oz. tuna or chicken, orange, 1 cup green beans or lettuce (Fish Oil Cap)

      M4 - rice cake, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, apple

      M5 - (post workout) whey protein, 1/2 tbsp flax seed oi, glutamine

      M6 - 4 oz. chicken/lean steak/or fish, 1 cup lettuce or green beans, 1/2 cup red potatoes or wheat pasta or black beans, Fish oil cap, calcuim. multivitamin

      MINIMUM 1 GALLON OF WATER A DAY
      First off, you need to get an accurate measurement of your BF. To make an estimate, is kind of a moot point just because we need to know what your lean body mass is. Your trainer is right- you were burning muscle because you simply were not eating enough calories to sustain your activity- let alone build lean muscle. Your body was holding onto anything you put in it.

      In regards to your training- you say you are lifting heavy, but how heavy? What does your training look like as far as sets/reps? There is also something else I may suggest is a very intense program and you actually train each body part twice a week, 4 days working out. However, DO NOT cut out cardio completely. Although you have been overtraining and your body has become complacent, if you add food now and stop doing cardio, you may be at risk to put on BF. Do 30 min 4-5 days a week. Do 3 sessions in AM, and 2 in PM. I would also change the method of cardio you were doing. Like stairs 3 mornings a week, and sprints for the 2 nights. Continually change your method of training and cardio, and your body will change along with it.

      As for your diet- IF you are wanting to put on lean muscle naturally, you are going to have to eat more food, plain and simple.

      Meal 1- how many gms of whey are you eating? I would totally drop the shake and switch it out for 5 egg whites, 1 whole egg. I would drop the fruit and add 1/2c. oatmeal AND 3oz of chicken or turkey. This meal is the most important of the day, and it is best to eat solid food here.

      Meal 2-HERE is where you should eat your shake w/ 3 strawberries, 1 tsp flax

      Meal 3- 6oz of chicken or tuna, 1/2 c. brown rice or sweet potato, 1c greens

      Meal 4- same as Meal 2

      PWO shake

      Meal 5- 6oz turkey, chicken or fish. Red meat 2x/week, 2c greens.

      Meal 6- 6 egg white omelet

      Time your meals about 3 hrs apart. Your 5th meal should be about an hour after your PWO shake. Also, keep your fasting time at 10 hrs for now.

      Do this diet for about the next 2-3 weeks, and get someone to gauge your BF each week. Have the same person do it at the same time. After about the 3rd week, let me know your progress, and we will probably add even more food.

      Comment


      • #4
        Red Squirrel Thank you

        Red Squirrel:

        Thank you so much for responding to me. I hold your opinion in the highest regards after reviewing this site .

        I am going to get my bf tested tonight and use the same person each time as you suggested. I will let you know what it is.

        I also will incorporate the diet modification first thing tomorrow AM. Do you still advise the fish oil caps 3xday?

        I do 4-5 exercises per bodypart, 4 sets of 10 (or to failure on the last 2 sets). I try to change up a couple of exercises each time, but I stick with the basic squat, dstraight leg deadlift, military press, bench press, preacher curl, skull crusher, tricep press, barbell row, lat pull downs, shrugs each time. Last week I increased my free squat to 105 for the first time. This week I will shoot for 135. I was stuck squatting 65 forever. Now I have the energy and confidence to keep putting weight on each time that I can complete a set of 10 reps.

        I am glad that you advised the cardio. I always feel better when I do cardio. I am also going to purchase a HR monitor to find out what my exertion level really is.

        The 4 day very intense program that you mentioned sounds interesting. How many sets/reps/exercises does this entail?

        I have been seriously considering taking AAS for some time now, but after reading your responses to so many others on this site - I decided that I have to get my nutrition right and then maybe... I think if I do get my nutrition correct that it could help. As I said already I am 5'9" tall and my muscles are so long - I need all the help that I can get. ( a trainer at the gym has called me a Praying Mantis when I wore green & a flamingo when I wore pink- so encouraging, huh?)
        Thanks for your help.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by malibu barbie
          Red Squirrel:

          Thank you so much for responding to me. I hold your opinion in the highest regards after reviewing this site .

          I am going to get my bf tested tonight and use the same person each time as you suggested. I will let you know what it is.

          I also will incorporate the diet modification first thing tomorrow AM. Do you still advise the fish oil caps 3xday?

          I do 4-5 exercises per bodypart, 4 sets of 10 (or to failure on the last 2 sets). I try to change up a couple of exercises each time, but I stick with the basic squat, dstraight leg deadlift, military press, bench press, preacher curl, skull crusher, tricep press, barbell row, lat pull downs, shrugs each time. Last week I increased my free squat to 105 for the first time. This week I will shoot for 135. I was stuck squatting 65 forever. Now I have the energy and confidence to keep putting weight on each time that I can complete a set of 10 reps.

          I am glad that you advised the cardio. I always feel better when I do cardio. I am also going to purchase a HR monitor to find out what my exertion level really is.

          The 4 day very intense program that you mentioned sounds interesting. How many sets/reps/exercises does this entail?

          I have been seriously considering taking AAS for some time now, but after reading your responses to so many others on this site - I decided that I have to get my nutrition right and then maybe... I think if I do get my nutrition correct that it could help. As I said already I am 5'9" tall and my muscles are so long - I need all the help that I can get. ( a trainer at the gym has called me a Praying Mantis when I wore green & a flamingo when I wore pink- so encouraging, huh?)
          Thanks for your help.

          Ok- I'll try to answer all of your questions...

          Hopefully someone at your local gym will have a pair of calipers to test your BF. The computer modules are ok, but the calipers are best because they can measure skinfolds and if and how much they drop each week, so you KNOW you're doing something right. They will also tell you where you hold most of your fat..(but most of us already know this, lol). The goal here is to keep your BF about where it is. Who knows- you may end up dropping once you get your metabolism going again. In fact, it's probable. Just because you are going to be constantly burning calories.

          Being that you are a tall girl, you need much more calories than you have been eating. And yes- actually take 2 fish oil caps with your shake meals as eating healthy fats w/ the shakes promotes better absorption of the protein.

          In regards to your training- if you want to do HEAVY training, start doing 6-8 reps at MAX weight. Do 3 sets for each movement. I think right now you are still doing too many sets. So, what ends up happening is you end up capping out your own potential strength by doing too many sets/ reps because you're worn out. Thus far inhibiting muscle growth. That's great that you are shooting for small personal goals- hopefully by tweaking your reps and sets you should be able to get 4-6 squats at 135. Each week though, push yourself to do 5 or 10 more lbs. I would also suggest changing up your actual movements.

          For instance, here is a sample workout-(3 sets, 6-8 reps- Max weight)

          Mon- Legs:
          walking lunges
          leg press
          extensions
          (alternate leg press w/ free squat)

          Tues- Back:
          Pulldowns
          Rows
          Pull ups
          Bent over BB rows

          Wed-
          Abs/ Calves

          Thurs- Chest:
          Flat Bench
          Incline DB press
          Flies

          Fri- Bi's/Tri's
          Bar curl
          French Press
          Concentrated Curls
          Dips

          Sat: Shoulders/Hams
          DB Shoulder Press
          Stiff leg DL
          Side raises
          Lying Leg Curls
          Reverse Flies

          * If you are wanting to do figure, you should cut out shrugs altogether. Only BBers need to have traps, lol.

          In about a month I will advise you of the 2 bodyparts/week workout. Right now, we need to get your body to start growing.

          I think it's a smart choice to hold off on AAS. Most women ask one or two questions and dive right in. It takes a bit longer to make changes naturally, and most women aren't that patient. I'm sure you're frustrated with your efforts only to have little or no result. Hopefully this will get you on the right track.

          Keep us posted on your progress; if you can push more weight than ever, if you lose BF, weight increases but BF drops, all of it. We have a good support team here and you have my utmost respect for being patient with this slow process.
          Last edited by redsquirrel; 07-26-05, 02:16 PM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Bodyfact actuals

            Red Squirrel:

            I got my bodyfat tested last night by the doctor at our gym. The results were as follows:

            1 Triceps
            12 Subscapular
            11 Supailiac
            20 Umbilicus
            17.5 Thigh
            Weight 141
            Age 29
            Body fat = 18.88%
            26.63 lbs. of Fat weight.

            I was pretty down last night after getting the results. I did not have the damn belly pooch 4 months ago when I went on a cruise. But that was when I was doing the extreme cardio with 1300 calories.

            Update on my progress:
            I am having a great week lifting and doing the cardio. I can lift much more weight when I don't have to do 4 exercises/ 4sets/10 reps! I find the 6-8 reps max weight very intense but not as time consuming as my previous regimen of 2 hours in the gym.

            I did not feel as much pump from the tricep portion of the tricep/bicep workout.

            I have been eating everything that you asked. I feel supercharged by the time that I get to work from the oatmeal! However, I am having a bit of difficulty getting down the last 6 egg whites at night. I have tried them hard boiled, scrambled and even omelet style. I started gagging the 2nd time that I boiled them. Any suggestions/alternatives?

            Thanks so much for your advice. I will post pictures and bodyfat stats next month.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by malibu barbie
              Red Squirrel:

              I got my bodyfat tested last night by the doctor at our gym. The results were as follows:

              1 Triceps
              12 Subscapular
              11 Supailiac
              20 Umbilicus
              17.5 Thigh
              Weight 141
              Age 29
              Body fat = 18.88%
              26.63 lbs. of Fat weight.

              I was pretty down last night after getting the results. I did not have the damn belly pooch 4 months ago when I went on a cruise. But that was when I was doing the extreme cardio with 1300 calories.

              Update on my progress:
              I am having a great week lifting and doing the cardio. I can lift much more weight when I don't have to do 4 exercises/ 4sets/10 reps! I find the 6-8 reps max weight very intense but not as time consuming as my previous regimen of 2 hours in the gym.

              I did not feel as much pump from the tricep portion of the tricep/bicep workout.

              I have been eating everything that you asked. I feel supercharged by the time that I get to work from the oatmeal! However, I am having a bit of difficulty getting down the last 6 egg whites at night. I have tried them hard boiled, scrambled and even omelet style. I started gagging the 2nd time that I boiled them. Any suggestions/alternatives?

              Thanks so much for your advice. I will post pictures and bodyfat stats next month.
              I'm so glad to hear you're doing well with the program we laid out for you. And, most importantly- don't get so down on yourself for the BF. Keep in mind- you are in the lowest part of the bracket for BF in women. Average BF for a female is 18-24%. Your current BF is simply a starting point. More than likely next week your weight/BF will be less! The only real reason to have your BF checked every week is to gauge your progress to make sure you're losing BF, and not losing muscle.

              I'm glad you are enjoying the workout. As for not getting a big pump from the arms workout, try adding another movement for bi's and tri's to that day for 2 sets of the same reps. It could very well be you're not lifting heavy enough weight...or, maybe you could change the exercises. I have had great success doing arms on the same day. When I first started working out, I did back/bi's chest/tris. With this workout, your arms are getting primary attention on this day, and secondary on back and chest days.

              In reference to the eggs....first off- do you like eggs? Have you tried adding a little mushroom and green pepper to it? Those are free items, and if you need them to get the eggs down, go right ahead. Another suggestion is Eggbeaters. They have a Garden Vegetable and Cheese and Chive- my personal favorite. They don't even taste like eggs! The Cheese and Chive is what might be a good alternative for you.

              Comment


              • #8
                Eggs will be better now

                I was eating the eggs plain. I am so happy to hear that I can prepare with veggies (bell peppers) or have egg beaters for an alternative!! That just made my day!!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Calves & Abs

                  I am really enjoying the program that Red Squirrel put me on. I am amazed at how much I am increasing the weights each week now that I have cut down the number of exercises, reps, sets. I have met my goal of increasing my squat to 135 pounds!

                  I am concerned about my ab and calves routine. I am not sore the next day. What do you recommend?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by malibu barbie
                    I am concerned about my ab and calves routine. I am not sore the next day. What do you recommend?
                    What is your current routine? I usually have no trouble getting those really sore!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Abs:
                      Hanging Leg raises 3 sets of 10-15
                      incline crunch (25 pounds) 3 sets of 15
                      incline leg raises 3 sets of 10
                      Cable crunch on knees(100 pounds) 3 sets of 10
                      standing side bends (25 pounds ) 3 sets of 10
                      ball crunch (to failure)

                      Calves
                      seated calf press (legs are straight in front of your body (295 pounds ) 3 sets of 10
                      seated calf raises 90 pounds) 3 sets of 10
                      OR
                      standing calf raises (235 pounds) 3 sets of 15

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Higher reps have worked great for me on calves. I can't find the thread, but there was a calf exercise written up that worked great for me and I use occasionally now. Basically, the idea was to choose a weight that you can do 20 reps with. The goal is then to do 70 reps as fast as you can. So, you would do 20 reps, rest for ~5-10sec, do as many more reps as you can, repeat... Guarantee that will leave you with some soreness as well as some immediate pain!

                        As far as abs, try holding a weight between your feet on the leg raises and bring your knees up toward your chest as far as possible. I think it's also much better to do those hanging from ab sling type things as opposed to resting on your elbows. Basically, I would recommend just adding weights and/or increasing reps. I've always done higher reps and used weights. For example, hold a medicine ball above your head during ball crunches, hold a plate weight behind your head during decline bench crunches, etc.
                        Let me know how the calf exercise goes!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks for the advice - I can't wait to burn my calves up.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Use this thread - Leankid has a great post in there on the second page...

                            http://www.superiormuscle.com/vbulle...664#post312664

                            :dancingne

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I just started trying this insane calf routine - it's done 6 days per week!

                              On day 1 - do six sets of 20 reps for a chosen calf exercise (ie: standing raises). A single weight is chosen for all sets (doesn't vary as you move through sets) and the first 4 sets should be fairly hard, but the last 2 sets should be extremely hard. In fact, on sets 5 and 6, you might not get 20 reps at first (but when you do get 20 reps fairly easily, increase the weight). Take only a 30-40 second rest between sets. Done right, you should be done in about 5 minutes.

                              Day 2, is 'pump' day. Standing on stairs or a small block, do 3 sets of 100 reps with only your body's weight as resistance (I just do this at home!). Use a nice, smooth up and down motion to pump the calves and get blood flowing through the muscles. Take a one minute rest between each set.

                              Day 3 - repeat of Day 2.

                              Day 4 - repeat the workout from Day 1, using the same weight, increasing the weight when 6 sets of 20 reps becomes too easy.

                              Day 5 and 6 - repeat Day 3 and Day 4.

                              Day 7 - REST!!

                              This is super intense and I cannot believe how sore I was after a couple of days!!

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