Toning up.

Hello there.

I'm just looking for some advice on toning up after losing quite a bit of weight.

I'm a 24 year old bloke who's gone from 21st 2lbs down to 17st 0lbs as of this morning! Mainly through eating right and lots of walking.

Firstly, GET IN THERE!

Secondly, I should probably start thinking about toning up now. I'm quite a big frame, so I don't think i'll get any lower than 15st 7lbs. The fat that remains is mainly on my belly, sides, upper arms and chest!

Press ups and sit ups probably?

But how many reps and what type? Very inexperienced on this score!

Any help would be marvellous.

Have you thought about kettlebells? Check out secret to shaping up thread, lots of us girls on there but it is generally considered a mans exercise (think men should increase reps and weight) if you search ketlebell workouts you'll find loads in fact there are some real good ones on you tube think there called 5 best kettlebell abs, 5 best kettlebell upper body ect

have you considered using weights?

thats the main toning exercises and they really work.

Hi there

Firstly I didn't know what weight to aim for. MY actual weight seems an arbitary number.... So I worked out my lean weight (that is all of me except body fat) which is 153lb. Then decided that I should have 15% body fat which is pretty low for blokes but obviously not athlete level. So my target weight should be 180lb and my body fat 15%. Just takes the guess work out of it...gives me a target.

Great to lose weight and toning up is also useful as a calorie burner. Are you intending joining a gym or is it just home based exercise?

Kettlebells work really well - you are better off with a range of weights probably 16kg and 20kg are mostly what I use, I dont do any exercise which needs 2 x kettlebells at once, save that for the gym and using a barbell. There are some very good workouts like P90 (or P90x), kettleworx, Insanity, Pavel Tsoutine Russian workouts etc.. which are programmes you work through. Downside is cost, upside is they are progressive. If you need a class there are some kettle based ones but harder to find locally an alternative is something like Les Mills or bodypump - cardio and strengh based

An alternative is to try the '300'. For the film 300 they designed a workout which can be adapted - Im following some of this as its a) cheap (bought a book off amazon for £4, it has programmes in it already written), I know how to exercise dont need instructions b) accessable and c) based on what works. I wont look like a spartan but ill get fit. I also do Olympic weights with plyometrics and some cardio work. Pilates also helps me as I have knee injuries

MartinD said:

Hi there

Firstly I didn't know what weight to aim for. MY actual weight seems an arbitary number.... So I worked out my lean weight (that is all of me except body fat) which is 153lb. Then decided that I should have 15% body fat which is pretty low for blokes but obviously not athlete level. So my target weight should be 180lb and my body fat 15%. Just takes the guess work out of it...gives me a target.

Great to lose weight and toning up is also useful as a calorie burner. Are you intending joining a gym or is it just home based exercise?

Kettlebells work really well - you are better off with a range of weights probably 16kg and 20kg are mostly what I use, I dont do any exercise which needs 2 x kettlebells at once, save that for the gym and using a barbell. There are some very good workouts like P90 (or P90x), kettleworx, Insanity, Pavel Tsoutine Russian workouts etc.. which are programmes you work through. Downside is cost, upside is they are progressive. If you need a class there are some kettle based ones but harder to find locally an alternative is something like Les Mills or bodypump - cardio and strengh based

An alternative is to try the '300'. For the film 300 they designed a workout which can be adapted - Im following some of this as its a) cheap (bought a book off amazon for £4, it has programmes in it already written), I know how to exercise dont need instructions b) accessable and c) based on what works. I wont look like a spartan but ill get fit. I also do Olympic weights with plyometrics and some cardio work. Pilates also helps me as I have knee injuries

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body pump is brilliant, not the easiest class (based on whatever weights you use, heavy or light) but it works. i do pump 3 times a week