For the fitness guru: How to up the ante?
Alright so I’m going to tell you my workout I have been doing for the past three months. I have seen some amazing results… and pushed myself farther than I ever have. Now my work out is easy and want to challenge myself again, what can I do to speed up the results? I went from 19% body fat to 17% body fat. Yet, I gained seven pounds of muscles (I have come to accept I gained weight because it is muscle).
I used to switch it up the first month:
M W F- Arms (10 lb dumbells), legs (20lb dumbbells) with free weights and the bike (bike 10 miles on the setting weight loss and resistance)
T and TH- Arms (chest press etc. 20lb), legs on the machines (160lb on leg press, 20 lb on the one where you sit and raise your legs
this one:
http://wpcontent.answers.com/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/LegExtensionMachineExercise.JPG/350px-LegExtensionMachineExercise.JPG
, hamstring 10lb) and run a mile.
I do 300 reps of different ab exercises.
Now for the last two months:
All days monday through friday- Everything I said before every day.
Arms I started to use 15lb dumbbells with one set of 20lb.
On the machines, arms I started on 30lb.
Legs, 30-40 with dumbbells depends on if I’m tired that day or not
The bike- 10 miles on the highest resistance
Still run one mile.
Hamstrings- 20lb
Leg press- 210lb
Leg extension- 40lb
I do butt workouts every other day. Calf on the leg press at 160lb I’m happy with were these two parts are at right now.
It’s gotten too easy and I have no idea why because I used to be the biggest pansy at the gym. I want to take advantage of how much energy and dedication I have. Ideas? Should I also incorporate pilates on the weekends? I don’t know I just want to see results faster, do more reps? Up the weight?
Also, I haven’t gotten sore anywhere on my body in the last three months except when I first started doing the ab workouts.
I also go to the gym at my apartment It has four machines so I’m a bit limited on what I can do.
When I do free weights on legs and arms I switch up my workouts a lot. Lunges, squats, anything I find on the internet I try on top of my regular routine, should I just have patience?


up the reps and weight. now your body is used to it and not being challenged to become better.
well, parts of what you wrote are confusing. For example you said you were doing arms but you said chest press (chest/bench press is for chest not arms).
also, we’d need to know your fitness goals, lose weight? burn fat? tone up? become physically fit? have a great body? Also, where are you starting from (besides 17% bodyfat) I’m assuming you are a female (cause of the light weights you are using) so 17% isn’t bad. How old are you? Picture?
It sounds like you need to mix it up…your body gets used to the same routine and you stop noticing results. You can vary the intensity/reps/weight (increase them). You can also try Interval training (sprint repeats, boot camp class, playing soccer or ultimate frisbee, running stairs/stadium, wind sprints, etc.) Also, you can try Zuzana’s workouts http://www.youtube.com/user/charliejames1975 . I highly recommend her…she has one of the most amazing bodies (on a female) that i’ve seen and she really mixes it up. Suscribe to her youtube channel