Women: Just Starting BB - Tracking Results

[Bladezz33]

(For motivation and support for beginners - tracking results by weekly weigh-ins and problems faced weekly)

Introduce yourself, the goals you wish to achieve and how you plan to achieve them.
(cut and paste)

Age:
Height:
Current Weight:
Approx. BF%:
Body Type:
Body Shape:
Goals:

Why did you start bodybuilding?

Area on your body you see most problem with developing or that bothers you most:

Why?

[Bladezz33]

Age: 37
Height: 5'6"
Current Weight: 154 lbs.
Approx. BF%: 23.6%
Body Type: Mesomorph
(link for explaination)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

Training for Your body type: (link)
http://www.femalemuscle.com/fitness/bodytypes.html

Body Shape: Pear (or Spoon) (link)
http://www.doctorcabot.com/bsdbook.htm
(not propmoting any site, just for your information and education)

Goals: Lose lower body fat (in hips thighs), reduce bodyfat to 18% (for now) increase muscle density and tone muscles.

Why did you start bodybuilding? To change the shape of my body (burn fat faster).

Area on your body you see most problem with developing or that bothers you most: Hips and Thighs

Why? Area hardest to lose fat and easiest to gain.

[Bladezz33]

Gynaeoid -- The "pear" shape; small torso, with the body flaring out at the hips and thighs. Tends to gain weight on the lower body.

Android -- The "apple" figure; big-boned frame and square torso. Often gains weight on the upper body.

Lymphatic -- Weight is proportional, as is weight gain.

Thyroid -- Fine-boned with long limbs; usually loses weight quickly and is often underweight.

[Bladezz33]

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: afolov:</font><hr> 1. What is the difference between cutting and bulking?
Cutting is the process of reducing your daily calorie intake and increasing your activity level in order to reduce your total body fat, often at the expense of some muscle loss. Bulking, on the other hand, involves upping your daily calorie intake in an attempt to build more muscle mass. Bulking cycles often increase the total body fat, and thus are followed by a cutting cycle reduce fat and show off the new-built muscle.

2. How long is an average cutting cycle?
The length of your cutting cycle depends entirely on you and your goals. If you start off at 225 pounds of body weight and 25% body fat, and wish to reduce the body fat to 12%, it could take you up to a year to achieve the goal. On the other hand, dropping down from 14% body fat to 10 might only take you three to five months.

3. Ok, I want to cut. Where do I start?
The first thing you need to do is figure out how many calories you are using up daily. This includes your basal metabolic rate and your activity level. Then, take that number, and subtract 500 calories from it. This will be your new caloric intake each day.
Do not reduce your calorie intake by 500 in one day. Take a week or so, cutting out about 100 calories daily, to allow your body to adjust to the new intake levels.
A quick and easy (albeit somewhat simple) calculator that will come in handy can be found here.

4. Are there any particular foods I should avoid while cutting?
You should stay away from simple sugars. This includes all pastries, table sugar, colas, honey, etc. If your metabolism is sluggish, you might want to cut out fruits from your diet as well, due to the high fructose content. Saturated fats should be avoided at all times, whether cutting, bulking, or maintaining. Same goes for trans fats, such as those found in french fries, éclairs, etc.

5. Should I do/up cardio while cutting?
By all means, do so. Doing any type of cardio will allow you to burn more calories daily, and thus, reach your goal faster.

6. Should I still lift weights while cutting?
In a word, YES! You will be losing muscle mass during a cut, due to the decreased caloric intake. This is an unwanted (though unavoidable) effect, as it slows down your metabolism. Following a weight-lifting regimen will slow down the wasting of the muscle, helping you reach your goal.

7. How much weight should I expect to lose on a cut?
1 pound of week is a good, safe goal. For the first two weeks, however, you might lose as much as 5 pounds a week - this is initial water loss, and is to be expected.

8. Any macronutrients I should focus on getting while on a cut?
You should most definitely up your protein intake, bringing it up to 40% of your daily calories if possible. Why? Multiple reasons:
- Satiety effect - when eating meals based on protein, you feel full faster and automatically eat less.
- Thermic effect - it takes more energy (calories) to break down protein than either carbohydrates or fat. The generally accepted figures for the thermic effect of micronutrients are as follows - Protein - 20%, Carbohydrates - 8%, and Fat - 2%. As you can see, a lot more calories are expedited on digestion of protein than either fat or carbs. With greater consumption of protein, your body automatically burns more calories throughout the day.
- Muscle-saving effect - higher protein intake helps you preserve muscle mass, which is crucial while cutting.

9. What about fat?
Fat consumption should also be increased during a cut, but only monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats; all other fats (including saturated and trans fats) should not be consumed, if possible. The reason for this fat increase is two-fold (besides for the fact that poly- and mono-unsaturated fats are good for you): one, having fats in your meals will allow you to feel fuller faster, and two, this will keep your Testosterone levels from plummeting. Testosterone is an extremely important hormone for both fat loss and muscle gain, and it's production (natural production) should be kept up at all costs.

10. That leaves me with very few carbs. I don't really have to limit my carb intake, do I? I love carbs.
Unfortunately, yes, you will have to severely limit your carb intake in order to have good results with the cut. Moreover, the carbs you do eat should be complex carbs (oatmeal, green fibrous vegetables), and not the simple carbs (sugar) you love so much.

11. Should I take a thermogenic? I've heard of this ECA thing, and it sounds good.
Most effective thermogenics combine ephedra (or ephedrine, or Ma Huang), caffeine, and aspirin (usually in the form of White Willow bark extract) to speed up your metabolism and burn more calories daily. However, they also raise your blood pressure and increase your heart-rate, which can be a great concern if you have any sort of blood-pressure or heart-related problems. Even if you're fully healthy, abusing the ECA stack or taking it incorrectly can have great side effects - even death. However, used properly with a great diet and exercise program, it can really help speed up your fat-loss. Overall, the choice of using it is up to you; consult a physician on the subject, and read this article before you make a decision.

12. What are some good foods for a cut?
A great list of body building foods can be found here and here.
<hr /></blockquote>

[Baby_Boyer]

Age:30
Height:5'2"
Current Weight:175.6
Approx. BF%:no clue
Body Type:between an endomorph and mesomorph
Body Shape:lymphatic
Goals:

Why did you start bodybuilding? mainly for weight loss and toning

Area on your body you see most problem with developing or that bothers you most: I miss my defined abs!

Why? once upon a time, I was muscular and defined. My aim is to get back to that!

[nikybaby]

Age: 22
Height: 5'6"
Current Weight: 165#
Approx. BF%: 22% (maybe as much as 25%, not too sure...)
Body Type: Mesomorph
Body Shape: Lymphatic (hourglass)--borderline gynaeoid (pear)
Goals: To lose fat and get cut. I really just want to feel good in my own skin and be healthy.

Why did you start bodybuilding? It started as a way to lose weight but I became addicted pretty quickly, now I am a slave to my body...

Area on your body you see most problem with developing or that bothers you most: My mid section: stomach, hips, butt, upper thighs... (maybe I AM just a gynaeoid...hmmm)

Why? I want to look good in a bikini for the first time ever. I have never felt that I haved a "good" body and I want to feel sexy. Luckily I have a boyfriend who thinks different [img]/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[nikybaby]

I like this idea- BTW!

[Philia2]

Okey, let's try:

Age: 28
Height: 5'11"
Current Weight: 152 lbs (69 kgs)
Approx. BF%: 14-15%
Body Type: Mesomorph
Body Shape: Today: Lymphatic (hourglass) Before: gynaeoid (pear)
Goals: To put on some muscle weight and loose the last inner thigh fat!!!

Why did I start bodybuilding? I stepped into a gym the first time now 10 years ago..... Just feeling curious. I never really stopped but it wasn't before around two years ago when I changed my diet (to eat a lot more proteins!!) that I started to get results.

Area on your body you see most problem with developing or that bothers you most:

lol my back!!!!! I'm tall and I got long muscles SO developping in mass is quite hard for me.... I secretly dream about having a bigger back!!!

Now what did I forget?

Goals? I was lucky to become French Fitness Champion last year but this year I'll not continue the "normal" competitions (I'm not muscular enough anyway!!) but do some modelling etc

[Libby2]

Age:35
Height:5'2"
Current Weight:124lbs
Approx. BF%:19%
Body Type:Ecto/Meso
Body Shape:Thyroid
Goals:15% with more muscle

Why did you start bodybuilding?

I love a challenge and the best place for me to challenge myself is in the gym. It forces me to focus only on my self and to push myself. By nature I am usually busy taking care of others, this is one arena that is purely for me and me only.

Area on your body you see most problem with developing or that bothers you most: Calves

Why? No matter how hard I train them, I don't think I was born with calf muscles! I see some girls with great definition in the calves...not me! Again a challenge.

[Bladezz33]

Basic Rules of Bodybuilding:

1. Have 5 to 6 quality meals a day. (40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, 20% fats)

2. If you find it hard to get in those 5-6 meals per day then substitute a meal or two with a meal replacement.

3. Drink 8 glasses or more of water per day.(This helps you to be hydrated and it helps you to cleanse your system of any impurities.)

4. Eat within 1 hour, after working out to help your body recouperate. Your body will need carbs and protein to help build muscle.

5. Take a mult-vitamin and multi-mineral.

6. Supplement your diet with high quality protein. Whey protein is the best). Get 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.
Spread out this protein over the 5-6 small meals that you are going to eat.

7. Try creatine monohydrate.(I get a great pump with this supplement and it makes me stronger)

8. Stay away from Junk Food.

9. Take one day per week and eat what you like.(Don't go crazy)

10. Workout with weights 3-4 days per week. Lift heavy using good form. (Be consistent for results)

11. Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes before working out. (Avoid Injuries by Warming Up)

12. Don't forget to breathe. (Believe it or not, a lot of people hold their breath) Breathe "out" with exertion.

13. Workout large muscles first (Legs, back, chest) before smaller muscles.

14. Don't throw weights around. Proper form should be followed at all times.(Avoid Injuries by using proper form)

15. Try stretching.(After your workout so that you are already warmed up, it helps recovery)

16. Mixup your Workout every 2 to 3 weeks.(Your body gets used to the same workout and your body will adapt) this also helps with boredom.

17. Keep your workouts to no more than 1 to 1 1/2 hours long.

18. Get a workout logbook for tracking your workouts, cardio, meals and supplements.

19. Get in some cardio work if you want to loose fat and help your cardiovascular system. A strong cardiovascular system will help you
with your workouts by giving you the endurance that you need. 3-4 days per week for 30-45 minutes per session is fine.
(Stairstepper, walking, running, biking, etc..)

20. Visualize your workouts going great. Checkout visualization here:
http://www.fitnesspros.com/articles/visualize.htm

21. Make sure that you get adequate sleep and rest. (This differs from person to person)

For detailed information and links go to source:
http://www.fitnesspros.com/basicrules.html

For support in reaching our goals!

Bladezz