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Thanks! Do I really have to eat 1 gram of protein for every pound I weight though? That would be like 110 or 115 grams of protein a day and it seems a lot.. I would have to eat a lot of chicken haha. Would 50 or 60 grams suffice?
60grams would be fine for a woman your size, imo. Just as long as you have a calorie surplus. Most people (especially guys on steroids) overshoot/overkill their protein intake.
Try to eat a food or beverage high in protein about 20 min before, and again immediately after, your strength-training workout.
Twenty minutes before a workout would not allow time for protein to be digested, so it would not do your body any good during the workout. Carbs, especially simple carbs, are digested and are beneficial 15 to 30 minutes before exercising.
60grams would be fine for a woman your size, imo. Just as long as you have a calorie surplus. Most people (especially guys on steroids) overshoot/overkill their protein intake.
How much of a calorie surplus? I don't want to gain weight in the process.. Is it possible to get muscular and toned without adding bulk?
How much of a calorie surplus? I don't want to gain weight in the process.. Is it possible to get muscular and toned without adding bulk?
Yes, if you eat clean and exercise!
Don't worry about adding bulk, it's probably not gonna happen depending on your genetics. Shorter women and men might appear bulky when they start packing on muscle, but it takes years of hard training to do so.
If you are eating 5 to 6 small meals a day and eating good clean food, don't worry too much about counting the calories. Stay away from all sugar, bread, white rice, tortillas, fruit juices, soda and you will be fine.
A good balance of meat, eggs, nuts, fruit and veggie's along with good water is all you need to do.
How much of a calorie surplus? I don't want to gain weight in the process..
If you do a muscle-building workout, you may gain weight in the form of muscle. Muscle is more dense than fat, so it takes up less space. This means that you can gain muscle and still look trim.
How much of a calorie surplus? I'd suggest eating very little extra at first. If you get the results you want, you know you're okay, and you haven't packed on fat in the process. If you're not getting the muscle gain you want, you can increase your food intake by just a bit more, and keep doing this until you get the results you're seeking.
With this kind of slight tweaking it may take longer to find the optimal food intake, but fitness needs to be a way of life if it's going to be effective. Think in terms of your whole life, and it's okay if it takes a bit longer to find the right combination of food and exercise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kgordeeva
Is it possible to get muscular and toned without adding bulk?
With the usual weight-training workout plans, there are three basic results possible where muscle is concerned: increase in strength, increase in muscle mass, and/or greater muscle definition. Increases in strength and mass result from the direct effects that weight-lifting workouts have on muscle tissue itself. Definition results from having low enough fat levels so the muscle fibers become visible under the skin.
People often use the word "toned," but it's a vague term. When someone talks about getting "toned," I kind of picture a supple, lively glow to the muscles, and modest but noticeable, athletic-looking levels of muscle development and definition. What someone else means by "toned" might be different from the image I picture.
Women generally will not gain huge amounts of muscle mass from working out with weights. The exceptions would be professional bodybuilders and the like who use steroids, and those very few women whose natural builds are large and heavyset--basically the kind of women who might compete in the Olympics in weightlifting or the shot put or such. It's highly unlikely that you have to be concerned about getting very bulky.
Work out with relatively heavy weights, eat right, and get enough exercise overall to keep yourself trim, and you should gain a nice trim athletic appearance that would fit my picture of "toned."
Certainly diet is important but from your post, I would suspect you are fairly new to weigh lifting/body building.
I would not worry too much about building mass, definition etc for awhile. It can take several months if not years to a 'ripped' body.
For now I would work on a balanced diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables. Perhaps for one meal, an hour or so before you work out, try a smoothie. Use ingredients like almond milk, protein powder, flax seed, powered peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, strawberries, blue berries, peaches, spinach, cucumber, etc. Not all at once Find some combinations you like.
I would work toward exercise 5 days a week. Rotate muscle groups so they have time to rest and rebuild bigger and stronger. Consider something like:
Monday - Chest and Biceps
Tues/Thur - Abs/legs
Wed - Back and Triceps
Friday - Shoulders and forearms
Find 5 exercises you like in each muscle group. Target maybe 3 sets of 10 reps each. Each day that is 10 different exercises. Be focused. Know what muscle you are working. Use good form. Use weight that challenges you toward the end of set but not so heavy you can't maintain good form. Sometimes body weight is all you need for some exercises like push ups for the chest. If you find 3 sets of 10 become easy, its time to bump up the weight. Staying focused, logging your progress and setting up each exercise all add time. A work out like this will probably take about 1 to 1.5 hours. Add another 30 minutes if you tack on a cardio.
Throw in some cardio like jogging, swimming, bike riding a few times a week.
Continue to eat healthy, be persistent about your exercise routine and you will see results in 4-6 weeks.
Track your progress. Take measurements of your arms, thighs, waist etc. Note your weight and reps: 30x3x10 or 30 pounds x 3 sets x 10 reps. Some times it might be 30x10 30x8 30x5 .... or 30 pounds x 10 reps then 8 reps then 5 reps. That's OK. Next week you might do the same exercise and its 30x10 30x10 30x6 .... you can see you are making progress. Seeing your muscles get bigger on your body, on paper and generally seeing the progress you have made are strong motivators to keep at it.
After several months and you have made significant progress, you will learn what works for you. Talk to other body builders for ideas. Then perhaps it will be time to start refining your diet and routines to perfect you physique. But first, build a life style, a foundation, then you can start detailing.
Certainly diet is important but from your post, I would suspect you are fairly new to weigh lifting/body building.
I would not worry too much about building mass, definition etc for awhile. It can take several months if not years to a 'ripped' body.
For now I would work on a balanced diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables. Perhaps for one meal, an hour or so before you work out, try a smoothie. Use ingredients like almond milk, protein powder, flax seed, powered peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, strawberries, blue berries, peaches, spinach, cucumber, etc. Not all at once Find some combinations you like.
I would work toward exercise 5 days a week. Rotate muscle groups so they have time to rest and rebuild bigger and stronger. Consider something like:
Monday - Chest and Biceps
Tues/Thur - Abs/legs
Wed - Back and Triceps
Friday - Shoulders and forearms
Find 5 exercises you like in each muscle group. Target maybe 3 sets of 10 reps each. Each day that is 10 different exercises. Be focused. Know what muscle you are working. Use good form. Use weight that challenges you toward the end of set but not so heavy you can't maintain good form. Sometimes body weight is all you need for some exercises like push ups for the chest. If you find 3 sets of 10 become easy, its time to bump up the weight. Staying focused, logging your progress and setting up each exercise all add time. A work out like this will probably take about 1 to 1.5 hours. Add another 30 minutes if you tack on a cardio.
Throw in some cardio like jogging, swimming, bike riding a few times a week.
Continue to eat healthy, be persistent about your exercise routine and you will see results in 4-6 weeks.
Track your progress. Take measurements of your arms, thighs, waist etc. Note your weight and reps: 30x3x10 or 30 pounds x 3 sets x 10 reps. Some times it might be 30x10 30x8 30x5 .... or 30 pounds x 10 reps then 8 reps then 5 reps. That's OK. Next week you might do the same exercise and its 30x10 30x10 30x6 .... you can see you are making progress. Seeing your muscles get bigger on your body, on paper and generally seeing the progress you have made are strong motivators to keep at it.
After several months and you have made significant progress, you will learn what works for you. Talk to other body builders for ideas. Then perhaps it will be time to start refining your diet and routines to perfect you physique. But first, build a life style, a foundation, then you can start detailing.
Take care, be safe and good luck.
Thanks for the advice!
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Find some combinations you like.
