GG3 Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) I've been fighting a slower metabolism since I turned 30. I'm 34 now. I currently work out 5-6 days a week for 1 to 1.5 hours a day. I've been doing fast paced walking for 3-4 miles a day and weights. Occasionally when walking I will see a few people that are very muscular and fit out jogging. I'm not looking to become too muscular as I think it becomes too unfeminine. But I would like to be a little closer to that look. What would I need to do? I really hate running and jogging. Do I need to increase my weight lifting time? Increase the amount of time I work out overall? I'm not a junkfood or sweets eater or anything. I tend to eat pretty healthy with the occasional treat to keep it real. Does anyone here consider themselves super athletic? How much do you work out? Any advice for me? I forgot to add I have a sendentary office job and it is a real PITA working against a slowing metabolism combined with that. The couple of times I was off work for an amount of time, I dropped 10 pounds very easily and my legs got sleaker. Edited August 19, 2013 by GG3 Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) From what I can see, the duration(time) of your workouts are fine..What you do with that time is whats critical...Some people train for 2 hours a day and go nowhere, while others can spend 30-45 minutes and get fantastic results.. Give us a more specific beakdown of what you do in that time... Im a big believer in weight training for women..Dont worry about getting "Too bulky" or "too muscular"..(I wish I had a dime for every time a woman said that).Unless you are a genetic freak, or you are taking testosterone injections, all the weight training in the world wont necessarily bulk you up, but give you a more lithe and sculpted look-which is what you are after. I am of the opinion that weight training will give you more "bang for your buck" as far as appearance goes if you have limited time, but even then you should incorporate some cardio as well... Obviously diet is a big deal here too...Its too complex and diverse a topic to cover in one post, and there are conflicting opinions depending on who you believe, so Ill leave it alone..Suffice to say, keep protien up and limit junk and sodium laden garbage food..Avoid simple sugars as well.. I consider myself extremely fit for my age (late 40's)..Most people that would see me would think I live in the gym, but I "only" spend about 8 or 9 hours (max) a week in the gym, often times far less...I do train with very high intensity. I dont have a cell phone on me and dont say a word to anyone while I train. I train hard and at a brisk pace...IDK if that answers your question.. I do maintain a pretty strict "diet" though.. Some other posters will chime in I am sure and they will offer you more than I can...They have a more broad knowledge of this topic.. Good Luck TFY Edited August 19, 2013 by thefooloftheyear 1 Link to post Share on other sites
miss_jaclynrae Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) I just got in the kick of things, but I already have 2 classes a week of kickboxing through school. [1:30 each class, it is gets really intense too] On top of that I plan on working out everyday. Right now I am doing cardio every other day [my legs can't take two days in a row right now] and I work on abs and arms on the other days. I push myself for as long and hard as I can go. Yesterday was my first time to the gym in a few months and I ran a mile in 9min and walked half a mile and ran half a mile for and hour roughly after. [when you have time to pass it is easy, I watched a full tv show, made it easy to keep track of time.] I plan on running everyday as soon as my body can handle it, and doing weights every other day. [i will rotate different muscle groups to allow time to heal] I believe weights are great, I have areas I am focused on toning. My biggest thing is strengthening my legs though and my lungs, I hope to be able to up my time and distance to the point where I can easily run 4 miles. Right now I can do 1. I just hope to progress and tone. Diet has also played a huge role, I have officially cut out sugar [big deal for me, I consumed WAY too much sugars] and I watch my calories and don't eat red meat. Veggies and fruits and water are my snacks and main food source. I have never been one to eat fast food, so that was pretty easy for me. Edited August 19, 2013 by miss_jaclynrae 1 Link to post Share on other sites
miss_jaclynrae Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 BTW, I use myfitnesspal to help me see what I am doing everyday. It seriously helps you see what you are consuming and what you are burning. Link to post Share on other sites
Sunshinegrl Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 I do cardio for 45 mins to 1 hour every morning and lift weights 45 mins to 1 hour in the afternoons after work. I never do the same thing in the morning as I like to switch it up all the time and make it fun. I may jog, do 1/2 mile of lunges, tyson squats with a deck of cards, or i might do burpees and push ups or even skip like a little school girl. Afternoons I lift and I lift very heavy. I am the only woman in my gym that i know of that uses the squat rack and that's a crying shame. I see the "trainers" training women for 12 weeks straight and they never ever use a weight heavier than 10 pounds. I don't understand that logic. Cardio will only help you in your effort to create a calorie deficit. That's it. It is weight training that will SHAPE your body and give you those delicious curves and smooth lines you WANT. And since you are concerned about a slower metabolism, the WAY to fix it is to weight train. Adding more muscle INCREASES your metabolism. Don't be afraid of weights. Lift. Lift heavy and progress. That's my advice. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyjuan Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 I work out 6 days per week. 1 hour + per day. Usually 30-40 min of weights 15-30 min of cardio. A mix of HIIT and pyramid training on a bike. It's not so much about the length of time , more about the intensity. Tone is just having a low body fat % ( With some muscle of course ) Watch out for too much fruit, sugar in those bad boys. I stay away from bread too. I cut 300-500 under my caloric maintenance. Here is a calculator to help you find out yours Calorie Deficit Calculator - Calculate Your Weight Loss Calories! If you was thinking of taking a fat burner pill to boost your metabolism, don't bother. The only one I know works is the Grenade Thermo Detonator Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Not enough. I used to walk daily for half an hour outside and do weights (full body) an hour 3 or 4 times a week every other day at home. Now it's down to walking three times per week and weights 3x. Not gaining weight but my muscles aren't as nicely shaped as they could be. Link to post Share on other sites
EasyHeart Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Eat less. Trying to control your weight by exercising more is a losing battle. Exercise is for building your muscles (incl. your heart). Diet is for controlling body fat. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Author GG3 Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 Talking food now. How often do you allow yourself something unhealthy as a treat? Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Talking food now. How often do you allow yourself something unhealthy as a treat? All the time. I don't believe in depriving myself. However, there is a BIG difference between treating yourself and pigging out. As long as you don't go over your calorie average for the week, you should be fine. Unless you have NO self control -- those people have to totally deprive themselves, at least until they get to their goal weight. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Emilia Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Talking food now. How often do you allow yourself something unhealthy as a treat? Rarely. If you want to lose body fat, that needs to be your motto because you have wean yourself off sugar. That's where the women in the office I work in struggle, they eat chocolate and drink too much wine. I love wine and will have a glass or two in the evening with food but I have very little sugar in my diet and I cook with honey. None in my coffee/tea/etc and I control carbs in general. I don't eat junk food and cook for myself most of the time. I work out about 3-4 times a week for roughly an hour at a time but it's relatively intensive. I'm going back to circuit training for a while I think, it's what I enjoy the most. I think your training lacks intensity - judging by your original post. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
fucpcg Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 i am a 43 year old super athlete. i lift 4 days a week in the summer, 5 in the winter, as summers i dont lift legs. my workouts are hardcore and last about 2 hours each. my main summer activity is 3+ hours of beach volleyball, to go along with 2+ hours of hiking and swimming with dog. for me i eat like a bird in the summers, only making sure i get in my protein requirement, and a cheat meal every other day maybe. by end of summer my abs are just coming out. yes as you get older, it is much tougher to get that ripped look. if you want it, you need to learn/study nutrition, lift weights, and find activities you love that will keep you doing them for hours a day, otherwise you'll be miserable just to try and look good, that never lasts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
FitChick Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 you have wean yourself off sugar. That's where the women in the office I work in struggle, they eat chocolate and drink too much wine. I can lose weight and still eat some sugar. I have dark chocolate daily. Excellent for the heart. It's all down to calories. When I want empty calories, I eat sugar and don't drink alcohol. My problem is generally getting enough protein. So I try to have my sweet with protein, like in a protein smoothie. My current fave is from Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good cookbook, Bernardo's Pumpkin Pie Shake. Have no idea who Bernardo is but he created a delicious protein shake! If you like food and you like to cook healthful yet tasty dishes, this is the book for you. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
pink_sugar Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 (edited) If I am very good about watching my diet during the day, I allow myself a small treat for a dessert. I am also very good at portion control and only have a few "small" scoops of ice cream or cake. Key is moderation. My husband's grandparents were in phenomenal shape and always had dessert each day. But otherwise they were active and watched what they ate. Edited August 20, 2013 by pink_sugar Link to post Share on other sites
MrCastle Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 I work out 5 days a week. About 30-40 minutes of weight lifting, 25-30 minutes of cardio. Link to post Share on other sites
ascendotum Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I do 4-5 days a week for an hour in the gym. Jog along the beach in the morning on about 3 days a week. Do indoor rock-climbing + golf as well once or twice a month Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I only spend around 6-7 hours in the gym per week, though being generally active is not to be discounted. The amount of time you spend in the gym is of far less importance than what you do while you're there. Intensity is key. As far as diet goes, I eat according to what I perceive as "clean" (what does this mean, exactly?) about 90% of the time, with some daily allowance for treats such as dessert and alcohol. I shoot for around 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight per day, and basically just fill in carbs/fats appropriately according to what I did that day in terms of physical activity (more carbs on training days, less on rest days) and in accordance with my caloric goals. I definitely don't overthink it. I also shoot for drinking a gallon of water per day, which helps me feel and perform so much better. I second the advice about lifting weights. You're pretty unlikely to develop an "un-feminine" look without the use of additional hormone support. You are likely, however, to develop a sexy butt, legs, and arms! I've posted this here before, but the article series below does a decent job of explaining the basics when it comes to female-oriented diet/training (which, incidentally, is not much different from male-oriented training): How To Build Muscle: Women?s Edition Part 1 ? An Intro on Getting Started How To Build Muscle: Women?s Edition Part 2 ? Getting Acquainted With Strength Training How To Build Muscle: Women?s Edition Part 3 ? Setting Up Your Diet Link to post Share on other sites
MercuryMorrison1 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I'm doing my first run of P90x2 I just completed my third go of P90x1 a little over a month ago. Its an at home workout but the schedule is pretty rigorous. I work out 6 days a week for no less than an hour a day, some workouts require closer to 2 hours. On the seventh day (Sunday) which is technically the rest day, I just take it easy and jog on the treadmill for an hour or so. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
hopefulforlove Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 I work out 4 to 5 days a week at the gym.. I love working out helps my mind body and soul, its my drug of choice Link to post Share on other sites
Babolat Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 2 90+ minute days a week in the gym, 1-2 times playing tennis, 1-2 bike rides, toss in a hike/walk too. Link to post Share on other sites
Eternal Sunshine Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 About 3x a week. I either walk or ride my bike everywhere and I don't count that. I also don't count yoga. Link to post Share on other sites
joe86 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 I'm currently on a training plan with Run Keeper which has me running every other day, but I have been taking a walk on my rest days so get some time properly to myself. I haven't taken the bike out for a long time, but used to ride before I started running. Now running is just so much easier than all the extra stuff with a bike! Link to post Share on other sites
RonaldS Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 I play basketball 4x/wk...so typically 2 league games (40 min ea), 2 pick-up game days (4-7 games at 15 min ea). Then I will usually lift, do core or kettlebell, TRX, ropes, whatever after playing pick-up games. Then 1 other day, I do some sort of workout that is a combination of core, cardio, push and pull-ups, weights. I try to make that as intense as I can, like a stacked workout. Then 1 more day I will go light and just good around for an hour or so, and usually on Fridays I don't go to the gym. Eating? I just eat whatever I want. I've refined what I want, though, and that's the key. I don't pig out and my meals are normal portion size. And contrary to seemingly all of the advice you see here, my diet is easily 60%+ carbs. I'm not afraid of sugar. For instance, as I'm writing this, I'm enjoying a cup of coffee with cream and sugar as well as a big chocolate cupcake. Link to post Share on other sites
shiro757 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I get exercise at work, but I try to devote at least one or two days a week to exercise. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
atomicdog Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 15-20 min of weights every 2nd day. 1.5 hours of jogging 2 times a week. Random walking/jogging here and there. Link to post Share on other sites
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