Thread: Getting trim for the summer

Hi

I'm 6'2" and 77kg so pretty slim build. I'm pretty skinny but do have a slight roll of fat on my stomach and slight man boobs and also have a slightly sunken chest which makes them look worse. I don't particularly want to bulk up too much but I do want to loose the fat on the stomach and the man boobs ready for the summer sun.

I've been doing about 30mins running and 30mins weights about 3 times a week for the last 3-4 months and I've definatley lost a bit of weight and gained some muscle but I want to step it up a bit and improve results. In particular I want to firm up my stomach and pecks. Any suggestions on routine and what I can take to trim down fat and build muscle? Also, how long till I can start to see the results?

I've never done much working out before and never used any supplements so any help would be great.

Thanks

I don't know enough to give you sound advice but from what I know step your cardio up and take either l-glutamine or bcaa's I think there called to avoid fat loss.
If you get your diet and supplements up no doubt someone on here will pick it apart and give you a good in depth guide.

There's a fantastic workout called German Body Composition endorsed by strength coach Charles Poliquin. This workoput allows you to gain muscle and lose fat efficiently, whereas cardio loses fat whilst losing all that muscle you've worked so hard to achieve. If you do this properly 3 times a week, it is said that you can lose 0.5% body fat every week.

Firstly, read the following link I have provided which explains the science behind GBC. Understanding it will aid you when performing the exercises:

http://www.trulyhuge.com/news/tips63j.htm

The basics: Split your body down into upper and lower body. Then split these down. for upper body, you have 3 main groups:
-Chest
-Back
-Shoulders

For lower body, you can split your legs down into 3 groups:
-Quadriceps
-Hamstrings
-Calves

It doesn't matter which combination you use, but one of the lower body must be mixed with one of the upper body, and you must work out all 6 muscle groups per workout.

This workout is done in supersets (always with lower body first) and all exercises must be done time under tension (so the tempo is 1 second up and 4 seconds down). Pick weights which aren't your maximum, but one which you can do 12 good reps time under tension whilst struggling on the last rep and feel the stretch. It's usually 60% of your normal maximum lift.

Rest periods are important. When starting off, keep your rest periods to 75 seconds. Bring a stopwatch to the gym with you. If you aren't strict on your rest periods, then you are wasting your time.

Back to supersets; start off with lower body, then upper body. One example of a superset would be 12 reps of deep squats immediately followed by 12 reps of dumbell shoulder press. Only after completing this can you rest for 75 seconds. After this, repeat. Do that 3-4 times before moving onto the next superset. If you work it out, it comes to 3 supersets since you are doubling up the 6 muscle groups.

Try do this 3 times a week. look up on youtube exercises you don't know the technique for and give me a call if you are confused about something. I've come up with 3 days worth of workouts. Remember, if you're not drenched, in pain, feeling sick and have a headache by the end of the workout, you simply aren't doing it properly!

Day 1:
Superset 1 (x3-4):-
-12 reps deep squats
-12 reps dumbell shoulder press
Superset 2 (x3-4):-
-12 reps straight leg deadlift
-12 reps seated row
Superset 3 (x3-4):-
12 reps calve raises
12 reps chest press

Day 2:
Superset 1 (x3-4):-
-12 reps walking lunges (12 on each direction)
-12 reps bent over row
Superset 2 (x3-4):-
-12 reps deadlift
-12 reps bench press
Superset 3 (x3-4):-
12 reps calve raises
12 reps military press

Day 3:
Superset 1 (x3-4):-
-12 reps leg press
-12 reps pullups/chin ups
Superset 2 (x3-4):-
-12 reps static lunges (12 on each side)
-12 reps dips
Superset 3 (x3-4):-
12 reps calve raises
12 reps machine shoulder press

If your're feeling ambitious, finish your workout with a set of cleans. that'll be sure to finish you off.

It's always good to monitor your body fat percentage.

Diet is also everything. CUT OUT CARBS AFTER 5PM!