I was told by a friend that if I increase my toning and weight exercises that my I will get better results. I do ALOT of cardio. I try to stay away from weights because I'm afraid of bulking up. Currently I do 2-3-4 days a week of 45-60 minutes of cardio and one butt and gutts toning class a week. My friend told me that she thinks I do too much cardio. By the time I finish my cardio the gym is so packed that I can't do weights so I can't combine cardio and weights into one workout.

Should I be doing toning 2 times a week and cardio 3 times a week? I would like to get into a routine of doing a few arm and ab exercises at home everyday too. Does anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone use a workout tape at home once a week?

I don't want to feel like my entire evening is consumed by working out and I have to be at work by 7:00 a.m. so early morning activities are not possible.

Thanks for any suggestions you may give!

I would sugegst cutting back on the cardio. Why not move to weights 3 times a week and cardio 2-3. Doing too much cardio can have an adverse effect on weight loss. Adding weights helps to get a more toned lean look, plus it helps to increase muscle mass which means a higher metabolism.

Make sure to eat enough claories and protien to support that much exercise. What could be helpful is to look into Body for Life or Body RX. With the Body for Life you do weights 3 times a week for around 50 mins, and 20 mins of cardio 3 times a week. What makes it work is the high level of intensity. Both books should be available at your local library. Body for Life also has a web page you can visit for some information.

In what way does too much cardio stifle weight loss or fat burning? I was wondering the same thing about cardio vs. weights... I am only within 5 lbs or so of my goal weight but I still am SOFT around the middle and have fat around my midsection... what would be the best option then? Any suggestions would be super appreciated )

P.S. if it matters, I am still technically on induction... and I have not really been exercising... except last week I started doing cardio about 3 times a week... still trying to get consistent with that though.

it's really difficult for women to bulk up, even when using fairly heavy weights, without artificial help. I was pointed to this site when I started looking for info...tons of good stuff

A fitness instructor once told me that unless you work on toning your body, you will have the same figure at 120 lbs that you had at 200. Makes sense to me.

I am starting BFL just due to the fact that I have seen the enormous change it can have on others.

I've been trying to get this all sorted out, too. From what I'm reading, too much cardio while you are restricting food (i.e. in a calorie deficit) can lead to losing more lean muscle mass - not a good thing. Already, those of us who are losing weight are losing some lean muscle mass (though low-carb is apparently better for this than other weight loss plans, due to the protein intake).

Weight training, on the other hand, will help preserve the muscle mass you have while you continue to "diet". This is good because you will burn more fat as muscle requires more energy than fat. Plus you're toning up what you've got which helps make you smaller, if not lighter.

I've been told not to expect to GAIN much lean muscle mass while "dieting" because you must be in a calorie surplus to add muscle. But maintaining what you've got is critical.

I'm planning to focus mainly on resistance training with minimal cardio as warm-up. I'll boost cardio once I'm closer to my goal weight.

Any feedback from the experts on this plan?

I think Smidgie is right. I've lost over 45 lbs, and am definitely smaller. Have gone from a size 18 to a 10, but my figure still sucks. It's just a smaller version of my fat self. Flab factor remains high. My body fat percentage has gone down some, but not a lot - which tells me I'm losing more lean muscle mass than I'd like. Some of this is okay - I simply have less weight to carry around so will lose muscle mass accordingly. But too much is not good.

I'm really wishing I'd stuck with the exercise more. I let that part slide after the first couple of months. A forum buddy has similar stats to me, and is in fact a couple of pounds heavier, but she has been great about weight training and looks amazing. (You know who you are!).

You would probably guess she is 20 lbs lighter than me because she is so toned.

K.

Kaillean, I know it to be true just by looking in the mirror. Even though those 20 are gone, I still have trouble figuring out why my body still looks as though I haven't lost a pound! I have been working on abs, legs and arms for 3 wks now and what a difference. The weight isn't going down but my body is changing. Good luck.

That is a pretty accurate way to describe my body right now - a smaller version of my fat self. Same shape and everything... I am at a wonderful weight now compared to where I was when I started LCing... but I still have plenty of flab around the midsection that I need to get RID OF!

Yes, any experts out there know the right formula here?
And if toning is the answer... what does this entail? (I am weight-training challenged...)

BTW I am a 23 year old female if that makes any difference in the answer...

So far as I can tell (from MANY real life cases) BFL has helped tone and decrease body fat for all who have stuck with it. There is a forum in here all about it. I went in there and got the answers I needed, now I am just waiting for the book. I have already started my own modified weight training(using web sites about BFL) until it arrives and can see and feel the difference already. Try ebay for some great prices.

Advice: check out the forum and ask away. VERY HELPFUL!

Also, I believe it was LadyBelle (Thank You) who really got me hooked.

I have found that doing step aerobics increases the bulkiness of thighs more so than weight lifting. Have you thought of Pilates or a hatha yoga video/class? I have noticed a lean strength just from yoga. You definately use muscles holding those positions that you never knew you had!

So let me ask one more thing. I'm working with weights twice a week, doing Pilates once or twice a week, and walking briskly almost every day. Not sure if the walking is actually cardio efficient, but I sure enjoy it. Since I'm at goal weight, more or less, is there any problem with continuing the walking? Will it cause me to lose lean muscle mass (of which I have precious little )?

As mentioned above it is very, very, very difficult for women to "bulk up". Unless you do some rather unnatural things to yourself, you'll never have to worry about being the next Hulk-ess.