Which free weights for "toning?"

[SpeedKing9]

To get rid of the fat, jogging is the best way (suggestions welcome to this also), but what about toning muscles? What else should I go for besides these:

Bench press - Chest
Dumb bells - Biceps
Pulldown things - triceps
Squats - Upper legs
Lifting leg - stomach

What should I do for shoulders/back? Any other suggestions? Remember, I'm not looking to bulk up, but tone up muscles and have a slim 'basketball' build.

Also, suggestions for losing a gut in about a 4 month period? I'm 175 and 5'8.

[Biker]

Do pull-ups or pull-downs for your back. But if you want some serious power and over-all strength development, do dead-lifts.

Lose some weight, cut down on the carbs and load up on the protein with moderate fat intake. And drink plenty of water.

[JaredExtreme]

For toning you usually want to do many reps with light weights.

One of my favorites that always gets my bicepts tight is the machine where you sit down and and PULL a pair of handles directly into you. (I don't know what it's called hehe)

[SpeedKing9]

I keep hearing of this "cut the carb and increase the protein," but what exactly should I eat then? Can anyone give me an example? Isn't almost EVERYTHING carb? Does this mean not eating fruits, vegetables, etc... what should i eat that is high in protein, but not fattening? Some examples would help!

should i stay away from pasta, pizza, fried food, and start eating grilled chicken, salad, ______ (fill in the blank)

Please help, because I understand the concept, but some examples would really help.

[JaredExtreme]

Carbs are pasta, cereal, bread, and candy. Carbohydrates is a fancy way of saying sugar. Just because Carbs are sugar-based doesn't mean they're bad, in fact you need them. Carbs give you energy (unless they are also high in fats). I hang around with a lot of soccer players who recommend eating lean carbohydrates (like pasta) before games. In general, most people ingest too many Carbs, but they shouldn't be eliminated entirely from a diet.

Protein is responsible for muscle growth. Fish and chicken are the best for the body. Serious bodybuilders will consume one gram of protein per pound of body weight (example: 175 pound person = 175 grams of protein).

I have seen some good results taking a simple whey protein mix, but make sure you always get a chocolate flavor.

[BellyOfTheBeast]

How about circuit train with lighter weights?

[Szczepankiewicz]

You want a kick ass training regimine that will make you a STUD? Go talk to Matt Furey, and take your checkbook!


Seriously though.... the Scrapper workout is killer, and very painful, but it will tone you up!


You have push muscle groups and you have pull muscle groups.
Doing compound exercises for these muscle groups is the most time effective method for training.

Chest/triceps/deltoids.... do pushups, dips, and work with dumbells.

Bench pressing is for bench pressing. A really big bench does nothing for your overall ability to use these muscle groups. Dont' get me wrong I love to bench, it's a real ego boost to throw heavy iron and have the entire gym pause to watch you lift.

Squats (with or without weight) is KING baby! Is that correct grammar?

There are many paths to the destination you seek, and you have to find the one that will take YOU there.

Here is the workout. Try it, you'll hate it!

http://www.trainforstrength.com/workout1.shtml

I do believe that Scrapper is actually a member of this forum. Shoot him some questions.

SZ

[PentjackSilat]

Matt Furey is definitely someone to check out. Get Combat Conditioning and Combat Abs and you'll be on your way. I have both and use them like mad. Also, get Lifeline Cables and work with them. Much cheaper than weights with the same resistance, and using stabilizing muscles aswell. Don't use machines. Free weights are best. Machines don't work stabilizing muscles. Now, ofcourse stabilizing muscles won't give you that Hercules look, but you won't slip a disk when you try to sprint up some stairs. Also,check out Dr. Michael Colgan's "New Power Program." You might wnat to take a look at "Strength Ball Training" by Lorne Goldenberg and Peter Twist. Another good one is "Explosive Power and Strength" by Donald A. Chu. But to cut fat, Matt Furey is best for that. Now as for dieting, check out "Eat More, Weigh Less" by Dean Ornish. He's a medical researcher who stumbled onto a diet that made his test subjects lose weight and keep it off indefinately. It's not about cutting out carbs, but changing from Fast Burning Carbs to Slow Burning Carbs. Fast Burning (or carbs with a High Glycemic Index) burn through your system way to fast and are gone in an hour, leaving you hungry. Therefore making you eat more to satisfy your hunger and fuel you through the day. Slow Burning (or carbs with a Low Glycemic Index) take longer to digest and fuel you longer, thereby making you need less food. Fast Burners are Bagels, Pastas, White Bread, or any Bread not containing a WHOLE wheat. Slow Burners are things like Whole wheat bread and Pasta. Quinoa, tomatoes, strawberries. Go to www.glycemicindex.com to get a more complete list, and read "Eat More, Weigh Less." It even has 200 pages of recipes by gourmet chefs for healthy foods that taste great!
Hope this helps.
Oh ya! Also, foods with High Glycemic Indexs should be eaten right after you work out. Yout muscles are depleted of glucose and are trying to restore their supply. This is when you can cheat and eat your Pizza. I forget the name, but Dr. Bob's Guide To ????????? is an extension of Eat More Weigh Less. Different Author, and it includes the theme of eating in conjunction with exercising. E-mail me and I'll try and get you the Name and Author.

[SpeedKing9]

what about fruits and vegetables? aren't those full of carbohydrates? or is it a 'different' kind of carbohydrates?

[SpeedKing9]

and what kind of fish/chicken are you talking about? so, what about a grilled chicken sandwich and a fried fish sandwich? things like that?

[PentjackSilat]

Fruits are Fast Burning Carbohydrates. Anything sweet is Fast Burning. So far as vegetables go, it depends on the vegetable. Vegetables are mainly good for fiber. And the Mac Daddy of all vegies is the Sweet Potato. Very Nutritious. As far as fish and chicken, anything fried is way too high in fat. You can eat grilled, but once you fry it has enough cholesterol to stop a raging rhinocerous. You should eat fruits, vegies, grains/legumes, and protein with every meal. A 2.5 to 1 ratio of Carbs to Protein is best.

[SweepEm]

Hey guys, I don't know much about nutrition and diet.

I'm wondering where white and brown rice fits in.

If I had to guess it would be a slow burning carb.

[Flash]

You can build muscle. You can lose fat. That's it. There is no such thing as "toning".

If you want to emphasize the muscles you already have (I guess this is what people mean when they talk about "toning"), you want to lose the fat that's covering up those muscles. To do that, you will need to burn more calories than you are intaking. How you go about it while still eating enough to keep yourself alive (and keep your current muscle mass) is another thing altogether.

[Biker]

Fried foods are not the best, try to stay away from them. As far as chicken goes, go with grilled or baked. Same for fish. But if you fry something, try to pan fry it. Deep fried simply has too much fat.

Brown or long grain rice is generally better than white rice.

[PentjackSilat]

White rice is a fast burner because it is bleached and all the ruffage is stripped away. What makes something slow burning is all the ruffage that slows down digestion. Brown rice is slow burning, and the ultimate is wild rice. Anything white is a fast burner. White rice, white potatoes, white bread. Here's a trick the food companies employ to trick the consumer. If you get wheat bread, it is the same exact thing as white bread. Because both come from wheat. Now Whole Wheat is completely different because it is the whole wheat plant, whereas wheat is wheat, just not the whole wheat. It is a word game they play. You see wheat and think it's healthy, but if it doesn't say WHOLE wheat, it is the same as white bread, just not bleached. Now if you combine rice and beans, it gives you a complete protein. Which is something hard to get if you aren't eating meat. Soy is a whole protein aswell as Quinoa, an old wheat like plant that the Axtecs (Might have been the Mayans) used.