Toning

[Misanthrope]

I know there are a bunch of fitness buffs in here, and I thought I'd turn to your learned minds rather than relying on my own frantic Googling.

At the start of next year my girlfriend (an American lass) and I are going our separate ways so she can go back to the US and I can head back for another tilt at teaching in Korea. It'll be the first time I've been single since early 2008.

Obviously, sadness aside, I want to look good for my imminent return into singularity. While I haven't let myself go (and in fact have improved my weight and fitness) since we started dating - I'm still not where I'd like to be weight or build wise.

I'm naturally broad shouldered with a frustrating metabolism, and I'm looking to drop about 5kgs and then tone up. My family physiology naturally tends toward the muscular, and I've managed it in the past through blind luck.

Anybody got any good advice of the dieting or exercise variety that could help me turn my beer belly into something a little more flat and toned by the time I return to the rat race of single life in February?

 

[macavity]

meth.

:sarcasm:

 

[Thomas]

Yeah. Meth would fix you up quick smart.

Watch out for the bugs though. Under your skin.

But seriously, watch what you eat...do some cardio and HIIT and hit the gym. Also, cut down on the booze. And pray to Jesus. Jesus loves skinny people.

 

[Misanthrope]

Jesus loves skinny people.

Lies. Explain the Holocaust.

 

[Thomas]

Lies. Explain the Holocaust.

Jews?

 

[macavity]

seriously, I am shedding (very slowly) - and for me what is working:

• diet (getting better ... still got a sweet tooth though)
• weights (increase resting metabolism)
• high intensity interval training (I do boxing and spin)

I know your diet is pretty right, perhaps mix up all that running with a heavier weights program and a few HIIT sessions a week. Hit me up if you want a gym template.

The HIIT is what has really made the difference for me. I plateaued for ages but am dropping again since starting doing more interval stuff.

I could probably shed the pounds quicker if I gave up / scaled back the weights, but I am looking long term - and I reckon you look better with a bit of muscle in the right places rather than just simply being skinny. Plus I love the gym.

 

[Thomas]

I'm shedding slowly too. I try not too look at the scales which barely move but my pants fit better and I am cinching in my belt.

I definitely can back up the HIIT. Also, I do a fair bit of cross training. I keep my body guessing. I've also started doing some cross country running through our local forests. Nothing like a bit of hill work to keep the body humming.

Generally I go to the gym 2 to 3 times a week and work alternate upper and lower body on differing days. I also run 3 times a week. My running program is:

1 long run just under 'race pace'. My race pace is a pace just above my comfort zone.
1 speed/VO2Max run where I do a shorter run but do it as fast as I can.
1 session of interval training. Typically involves 30 minutes of 2 minutes at almost top pace followed by 2 minutes of rest.

Each week I stretch out my long and short run by 10% in distance...sometimes I go a little further though.

 

[macavity]

I'm shedding slowly too. I try not too look at the scales which barely move but my pants fit better and I am cinching in my belt.

Over past 12 months I have gone from the largest to the smallest belt notch on my belt - about 5 inches off the waist.

the scales will fluctuate 3kg for me week to week (between 109-112kg), with no noticeable difference in my appearance / fitness. I hate the scales.

Briefly got stable below 110 before I went on a 6 week holiday to the US... came back at about 112, and am again inching down. Most people guess my weight at 90-95 (I'm 6'2), so I must hide it reasonably well.

P.S. don't tell him to run more, the boy is already forrest gump!

 

[Thomas]

Not run more. Run smarter. Running long LONG distances doesn't burn fat...it burns everything. Muscle and fat. Run at a higher intensity.

And yea, the scales can be a merkin.

 

[bazza]

Just lift heavy stuff and do some HIIT.
Do plenty of squats and deadlifts

I like that you have a good 6 months of notice of you breakup

 

[Danish]

Won't being a foreigner living in Korea give you an automatic sex appeal to the ladies anyway?

 

[Joker's Wild]

Mis, all you need to know is right here www.crossfit.com

 

[Alpha]

Heavy compounds

Hiit

Calorie deficit