Your training routine seems to be not very effective to tone up your body. Here is something I learnt last time when I am still an athlete and with a little bit of google’ing. There are lots of other ways to follow but here is the one I adapt to and found it fruitful. But after start working, my entire figure went wrong and now I am starting to put back all together back again. So here is the info I want to share.

Divide your workout into three parts. 1) Resistance workout 2) Interval workout 3) Supportive diet

1)Resistance training
For beginner, learn to workout using your own bodyweight or lightweight dumbbells (for girls) for the first weeks into the training.
Focus on upper and lower body in one superset to burn more carbs but will involve high intensity.

Example: Perform one superset – standard pushup then bodyweight squats in maybe 10 reps per action depends on your fitness. Do not rest between workouts until completion of one superset. Repeat for three times each superset. Then move on to the next combinations of superset such as a) stationary lunges superset with pull-ups b) burpess superset with plank. Workout all the supersets minimum of three times a week. If the upper body workout is too intense maybe can swap it using lightweight dumbbells.

2)Interval training
Long hours of steady cardio won’t bring you anywhere but instead it will slow down metabolism.
Interval workout consisting of moderate to high intensity cardio and will burn more calories per minute, thus will elevate your metabolism for hours.
You can jog, run, sprint, stationary bike, spinning bike, elliptical machine, rowing, stair climbing, mountain biking, swimming, etc. It is your choice. Just get yourself moving.

The rule to interval training
Always warm up for 4-6 minutes
High intensity: Perform one minute as fast as you can.
Moderate intensity: Slow down to a moderate pace for two minutes
Therefore, one round will last about 3 minutes.
Always cool down for 5 minutes
Warning: Do not perform interval training before resistance training. It can actually cause a negative effect on your routine.

For the first four weeks
Complete 3 rounds, 3 times per week around 19 minutes per session including warm up and cool down.
You can perform this during your non training days or right after your resistance training.

3)Supportive eating

Basic Rules:
Rule #1: Eat smaller meals throughout day.
Rule#2: Consume enough high quality protein every day.
Rule#3: Consume 25-35 grams of fiber each day
Rule#4: Avoid refined sugars and refined grains.
Rule#5: Consume an adequate amount of fat.
Rule#6: Keep yourself hydrated all day.

A supportive eating rich in lean protein is very crucial for numerous reasons. Protein is essential for repairing, building, and preserving your muscle. That is extremely important to help boost your metabolism.

Here are the top 12 sources of high quality lean protein:

1. White egg omelets (hard boiled eggs)
2. Lean skinless chicken and turkey (white meat)
3. Wild salmon
4. Lean beef
5. Tuna
6. Lean pork
7. Sardines
8. Skim milk
9. Cottage cheese (Fat Free)
10. Beans, nuts and legumes
11. Soy (Tofu)
12. Whey protein drinks.

Fiber absorbs water making your feel fuller and for much longer time. The list below are food that are high in fiber and packed in vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are essential muscle building and fat burning meal.

Top 12 Foods That Are High in Fiber:

1. Broccoli
2. Spinach
3. Yellow and red peppers
4. Cauliflower
5. Kale
6. Sweet potatoes
7. Brown rice
8. Plain Oatmeal
9. Tomatoes
10. Berries (extremely high in antioxidants which speed up your recovery)
11. Bananas (simple carbohydrates after working out.)
12. Legumes, beans and nuts

Just want to let you know that training following above methods will build up your muscle and abs effectively. So if you are into fitness only, do not involve into the programmed to intense. So happy workout.



This post has been edited by Tristan_11: Sep 19 2008, 01:48 AM

Well, is recommended to do resistance training first before doing any gym class or treadmill (interval training)

Reason:
1) It will burn more carbs because resistance training is a high intensity workout (stress your muscle) in a short burst.
2) Interval training after that will burn more calories per minute and will elevate your metabolism for hours and hours.

But with your working hours, rushing to the gym to attend the classes after work won't have enough time for you to do the resistance traning first. Maybe you need to look into that if you were to stick to this way of training

Whey protein is good for repairing and building muscle, remember to have it in the right amount because with your body stats, you are kind of fit. Unless you really want to build those muscle of yours. It might be scarry to some guys later on anyway is up to you.

Go to mahkota parade and somewhere around Nandos there is a shop (beside Nokia) selling all those whey protein drinks. They will recommend you a brand that suits your workout conditions.

Well, all the above statement is just my experience and some information i know. If that is a wrong technics, please enlighthen me.