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| quote: | Originally posted by Lucid
ok so let me introduce myself to this thread by saying i'm quite the gym n00b, lol... but i just started my routine last week and have been enjoying it so far. i'm not exactly on the same level as you guys, considering i'm a girl, so i'm not really looking to build huge muscles. i just want to get nice and toned and lose the bit of flabbiness that i've got in my tummy/butt/hips/thighs.
right now i'm 5'6 and 112lbs, not sure of body fat %.
i go to the gym every monday, wednesday, and friday... and switch muscle groups each day. i still don't know all the muscle names so bear with me. also i've only been doing 15 min of cardio on the elliptical trainer everytime i go because i'm COMPLETELY out of shape (i have not played any sports since high school and that was 4 years ago, and i was a regular smoker for the last 2 years or so). i'm working my way up to being able to do an easy 30-40 minutes.
monday: arms and chest, and 15 min of cardio
wednesday: legs and butt, and 15 min of cardio
friday: abs and back, and 15 min of cardio
i haven't changed my diet much but i eat fairly healthy. food is my weakness.
whereas you guys are trying to achieve a look similar to arnold schwarzenegger, i am trying to achieve a look similar to a Victoria's Secret model, heheh.
so i have a few questions, hopefully some of you could answer (orbax i know i talked to you a bit about this on msn but i figured i'd join this thread to get advice i could read back on)...
1. is it better to do cardio before or after weights?
2. i see some of you are saying you should use free weights rather than machines... does that really make a difference in my case or is that more for building bigger muscles, etc?
any other comments would be great!! like i said i am new to all of this but i hope to go far and really see the difference.
and uhhhh i don't think i'll be posting semi-nude pics on TA, sorry.
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alright....shit lets do this again hahahaha...what i was gonna say was...
i think you're a cool girl Lucid...so i'd love to help you reach your goals so feel free to ask any questions and welcome to, now the second edition, or the thread hehehe 
ok cardio...
cardio is gonna be your friend if you're looking to lean up obviously. couple things to keep in mind. it's great to start at that 15 mins, but you already seem to realize you should be doing more. i think that 40 mins is a great goal because really the first 15-20 mins of cardio you aren't really burning much fat at all, but instead you're using other sources of energy like the food you last ate etc. so once you get farther in time, you'll start to burn actual stored fat more effectively. this is also a reason a lot of people like to do cardio in the morning before they have eaten anything..basically to try and speed up the process hehehe. also another thing i'd keep in mind is that i wouldn't go too much over 60 mins...if you get to that point it'd probably be better to just increase speed and not add more time because eventually you'd start burning other sources besides stored fat like muscle and stuff...
ok abs...
i agree with orbax that you should increase doing abs to daily. just a couple of tips on targeting the right areas for achieving what you're looking for. as orbax said, definitely do some oblique work. by working those side abs you're gonna get that slender hourglass waist you want and probably the best ways to target that are gonna be a machine for obliques if your gym has one. you might know it, you basically sit on a seat and do a twist to the side motion...really a great machine. and let's not forget everyone's favorite...LOWER ABS!!! hahaha...my nemisis  . anyway, the best thing i've found, and really probably the best overall ab exercise is hanging leg raises. you can do them on like a pullup bar or whatever and if you add a little twist it's great for those obliques once again  . if you don't want to do the hanging ones you can always do them in a roman chair (those things where you hold yourself up and your arms rest on the pads hehe). i wouldn't worry too much about the top of your abs. if you do some of these exercises you'll be hitting them as well...
alright weight training for the ladies...
i'm agreeing with orbax on everything thing hehehe...but he's right free weights are great. first, weight training for ladies is all about slow, controlled, hi-rep, low weight movements. you're trying to build muscle endurance and doing between 15-20 reps of maybe like 3 sets each exercise is gonna be what you'll want to be doing. as i just said...really cocentrate on the form. that's the advantage of the free weights...you can go through the full motion and go slow and that is what is going to give your muscles that long sleek look instead of bulky (but really...you don't have to worry about that). so focus on the form first and controlling the weight...you'll still get a great burn and that's what you're looking for...
legs...
always something the girls are looking to get right? hehehe. well probably the best things you can be doing for legs is these machines designed to work your inner and outer thighs. you've probably seen girls using them before...hell i use them because they fucking work hahaha . great little machines and they will target your thighs in the way that you want. now...lets talk about something really important hahaha...
ASS!!! 
if you want a fantastic ass...i've got one exercise that'll do it up quick for you (and i'm sure orbax will back me up on this one )... walking lunges!! these are probably my favorite exercise for ass. just start out without weight and get the form down right. to really target the butt make sure you're pushing on the way up with the heal...you'll really feel it i promise heheh . after you get the form down maybe add some light dumb bells. also they have these machines i always see girls use for butt where you put your leg on this pad a push backwards and squeeze. hopefully you know what i'm talking about hehehe...anyway, i think that should cover that really well...
diet...
alright, well i won't say too much about food stuff because we all know how to eat healthy, but i will say drinking lots of water is gonna help you out. not only is drinking water all round good for you, but it also suppresses hunger. if you are constantly drinking water you aren't going to get hungry nearly as much which will make it easier to 1. stick to your food plan and 2. prevent you from sneaking into the cubboard for cookies! hhehe.
ok well i hope that is helpful..sorry to write a book. good luck with the training and like i said...feel free to ask us anything...we'll help ya out
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