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[charlesr]

Has anyone got any recommendations for dropping that final stone or so?

After a few weeks of doing the same thing - same weights, same exercise - your body becomes attuned to doing them, so you get less benefit for your effort. If the weight isn't coming off, then doing the same thing isn't going to help. The only way to change your body is to change your routine. Try something new. Joining a gym might do it, but you have know what you are doing to get anything out of a gym, so if not, be prepared to hassle the instructors and pay for some personal training so you learn something (if you don't learn, then the trainer is carp).

1) Your calorie intake sounds very low. Try eating more so your body can recover its glycogen levels after the exercise. Replenish within 2 hours of the exercise and preferably within 30 mins, to ensure you have enough energy for the next session

2) "I do about 30 mins of aerobic and 30 mins of weights a night" - the aerobic exercise is fine as long as you ensure there's at least 24 hours between sessions, so don't do a night and then a morning straight after. However, doing weights every night is pointless. It takes at least 48 hours to recover from an well designed weights session - longer if you are going for muscle growth rather than toning. If you are doing weights every night, ensure they are working different parts of the body on alternate nights.

My recommendation for losing the last bit would be to continue doing the footy on sat and sun, cos that's fun and easy to do. Then during the week do 1 45-60 minute cardio session (see, changing the routine) and then a couple of days of weights for 20 mins. Do 1 weights day on the Monday and another on the wednesday and make the tuesday the cardio day. Rest on thurs and fri - do NO exercise. Leaving you fresh to go for it at the weekend footy.

[Crisp_Rapper]

wasn't feeling particularly sporty this evening so i put blade 2 on and cycled at a steady 20mph for a good 25-30 minutes... i only stopped when the guy from next door complained that the bass was rattling his bed upstairs

hint taken i turned it down and just relaxed to watch the film.

[Dazzla]

...My recommendation...

Thanks for all the info I've give the routine you mentioned a try, I'll see if I can grab some different weight routines off the net. I'm not too experienced on working different muscle groups and I've only got a set of 20kg York dumbells and I've lost the chart.

For aerobics I only have one of those stepper things, like the lateral thigh trainer, along with my walk home each day which is around 4 miles. Not really sure how I can mix that up. I'll give it all a try though, thanks

[charlesr]

Let us know how you get on.

Ideas for weights:
5+ mins warm-up.
Remember that things like squats are weights exercises on major muscle groups (legs). E.g. sit against wall with knees at 90? until your thighs burn. Rest. Repeat once (or twice). Or if you want a more dynamic squat, holding your 20kg weights and squatting down (important: all the weight should be through your heels - if you feel weight on your toes, your knees are probably going too far foward during the squat, so stick your bum out and keep your back straight - you should feel it in your glutes (bum) and thighs, not in your knees or back - if those are feeling it, progress with caution or forget about holding the weights).
Normal Press ups - if you can do more than 20, then try doing 3 REALLY SLOWLY and never go less than 90? on the elbow.
Tricep press ups - hands close together, fingers pointing forwards, elbows against hips. Push up and then lower down until elbows go just past the hips. Repeat. This is hard and do last in normal weights routine.
Shoulders: Sit on chair. Hold weights. Elbows straight out from body, hands straight up. Push weights up till they touch at the top, return to start position (again don't drop elbows below 90?). Keep back straight and pull stomach IN ALL TIMES.
Back: Lie face down, superman style. Raise left leg and right arm, keeping shoulders back and down (i.e. don't thrust arms forward). Hold for a few seconds DONT LET THE PELVIS WOBBLE - it should not move or sway. Lower slowly. Opposite. Till burn.
If anything hurts STOP. Do not attempt more on that muscle. Wait till the next day to see how it feels before trying any more. If it still hurts, leave it as long as it needs. Don't mess yourself up.
Finish with stretch of any muscles exercised.

[charlesr]

Crisp. Got a link to the turbo? I need to get one.

[Zanzaki]

Guys, do you know if it's a bad sign if you've been dropping like 4 pounds a week several weeks, even though you don't train that much and you're still eating? It's not muscles that are going away, just...fat, almost melting off me. I am overweight, and I could use to loose the weight, it's just that...suddenly, about a month and a half ago I just started dropping in weight, really fast, without any reason really. It just seems wrong, and bad.

[charlesr]

Tapeworm? Scales broken? Eating different stuff? Getting more action in the sack? Something must have changed. Give us a clue.

[JazzFunk]

You aren't on Prozac or any antidepressants? I went on Prozac five years back and lost about 3 and a half stone in two months (14.5 stone down to 11 stone.) I quit 'em yonks ago but I haven't regained the lard. (Though, in all fairness, they did make me hyperactive and prone to doing over 200 sit-ups a day!)

[Zanzaki]

Not on any meds, not doing anything special. The only thing I can think of was that it kinda started after I quit my job. Was a janitor at a gym, worked 3 hours every night, made me a bit messed up, slept in two periods each day, which in turn made me feel like a zombie all day long. Can't see how that would affect me now though

[112]

does anyone know how to measure the percentage of fat in yah body? i think the norm is like 15%, but ive heard otherwise. I think Michael Jordan had like 2 % body fat once; Bruce lee was like that too.

112

[rumbletum]

IF you don't want to buy any equipment to measure it, theres a useful website here that can give you a good estimate like

[charlesr]

8% is the normal safe lower limit for the average bloke. Body builders go far less during competition periods, but your cell walls have trouble regenerating (amongst other things) at lower %. I'm normally around 9-10% and I'm a skinny runt.

[112]

bloody hell, i jus guessed a few measurments and i have a 20% body fat! FFS! im fat! Need to do somat about that and fast! I have a wedding to go to in July!

i think i need to go home and do thi properly, im guessing im about 13% as i have a bit of a belly and chubby cheeks.

112

[rumbletum]

Have you got near visible stomach muscles? If not, you're probably not 13%.

[Crisp_Rapper]

Crisp. Got a link to the turbo? I need to get one.

i can't find it on the website, must be a store only deal... it's the basic elite turbo and it's a great little piece of kit, ?80.

• Updated model, replaces the previous Mag Alu; no price rise
• New magnetic resistance unit ? 5 levels of adjustment; lighter flywheel for general use
• Red Frame, with curved legs for extra foot space
• Aluminium roller
• Spring plate for resistance unit
• Handlebar lever adjustment ? 5 levels and fits 31.8 mm bars
• Quickthread hub clamp assembly
• Pre - assembled
• Includes Q/R