workout tips

If you want a swimmers body, then.....swim lol.

Increase your normal cardio by 5-10 minutes I'd say, or up the intensity. Go for more of an endurance workout. Lower weights, higher reps, SHORTER rests, LONGER sessions.

You won't lose muscle mass if your caloric intake is higher than the energy you expend.

I always found working out in a gym to be a boring, miserable grind. I hated competing with meatheads to get on the few decent pieces of equipment. And by the time I factored in the driving involved, going to the gym was usually a two hour affair. So I stopped going. That's not to say that I don't excercise. I do. But I get my excercise other ways that I actually enjoy and that fit in more with my schedule, like running with my dogs, going for long bike rides, or doing yard work. I haven't been to a gym in years, and I can't say that my body has changed all that much. My advice is that if you don't actually enjoy going to a gym, don't go. There are other ways to get exercise. 

this is for you workout experts. I'm in fairly decent shape, 6'4 220 lbs. I have built up a decent amount of muscle, but still have some stubborn fat. My thing is that i HATE lifting weights. First of all it makes me super hungry and i end up eating more than i probably should. I don't want to look super big, just have a "swimmers body" i guess would be the best way to put it. Would a work out regimen of running, pushups(variable types), squats(non weighted), sit ups, and any other exercises i can think of maintain a good amount of muscle?, i seem to do much better controlling my diet when i don't do weights, but then i start feeling like im losing muscle, which drives me back to the weight room, i also love running, it relaxes me. Any advice would be appreciated. 

Just work long and hard, and if you're wet and tire at the end, that just means you did a good job.

I always found working out in a gym to be a boring, miserable grind. I hated competing with meatheads to get on the few decent pieces of equipment. And by the time I factored in the driving involved, going to the gym was usually a two hour affair. So I stopped going. That's not to say that I don't excercise. I do. But I get my excercise other ways that I actually enjoy and that fit in more with my schedule, like running with my dogs, going for long bike rides, or doing yard work. I haven't been to a gym in years, and I can't say that my body has changed all that much. 

bigfoot2045

this is for you workout experts. I'm in fairly decent shape, 6'4 220 lbs. I have built up a decent amount of muscle, but still have some stubborn fat. My thing is that i HATE lifting weights. First of all it makes me super hungry and i end up eating more than i probably should. I don't want to look super big, just have a "swimmers body" i guess would be the best way to put it. Would a work out regimen of running, pushups(variable types), squats(non weighted), sit ups, and any other exercises i can think of maintain a good amount of muscle?, i seem to do much better controlling my diet when i don't do weights, but then i start feeling like im losing muscle, which drives me back to the weight room, i also love running, it relaxes me. Any advice would be appreciated. 

lostfan132

I consider myself an expert, considering that's my hobby. 

I'm assuming given your post that you want to do this "supplement free" as in no fat burners, no pre-workout drinks, etc.

1. Any stubborn fat starts in the kitchen.  You'll need to learn 2 things.  (a) What are you eating that contains "bad" fat?  Cut it out completely.  There is such thing as "good fat" in your diet, you need it.  Eat cleaner, whole grains, green vegetables, lean meats like chicken.  Minimize your red meat (beef, lamb) intake.  (b) What would you say your calorie intake [what you eat in a day] is now?  For your size you could lose weight with 2200 calories or less I would guess.  You'll need a minimum of 1700 calories to maintain muscle on that frame, but 2500+ calories will keep that weight on.  

2. Pushups, Pull-ups (chin, lat, tricep), stair climbs or lunges.  Squats tend to make the muscle in your hips and part of your obliques (the side of your abs) larger, because it builds muscle.  You can maintain muscle with stair climbs or lunges without widening your abdomen and maintain strength.  Sit-ups, don't only do crunches and situps and twists.  You need to do leg raises or knee/leg lifts to really target your lower abdomen. Lat exercises increase width in your back (the swimmer look also known as the V).

3. Cardio.  Running is the best, and the best outside.  Treadmill should be a second option if your weather sucks.  Long jogs or runs help lose weight but don't burn fat.  Mix it up.  Parts of your run must be sprints.  Sprints tighten most if not all muscles in your body.  The high intesity is a fat burner special.

4. Swimmer's body comes from wide lats- the muscle beneath your armpits and around to your back.  Lat pullups as mentioned above, will do that.  They're tough, they're wide grip and they're nasty.  Most gyms have an assist if you're unable to lift yourself up so you can create that muscle.  IF you can go to the gym, ALSO DO lat pulldowns.

5.  I always recommend a gym.  For motivation. Better equipment.  And lifting.  You don't need more than an hour in the gym.  If you're doing that, you're doing it wrong.  Bodybuilders, or people who want to build hard without "the juice" (myself, lol) go longer because of the strain of heavier weights.  For tightening up your body and getting that fat out, you need high repetition sets with lighter weights.  You can do this 3 days a week, 5 or 7.  Some people claim they need the body to heal with rest, not really (my days off are the weekend)... here is my split for building, and i'll recommend a split for you.

Monday - Chest w/ light triceps for a burnout
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday- Arms
Thursday - Legs/ cardio if needed
Friday- Shoulders
Saturday- Cardio during cutting season + possible extra light arm day
Sunday - Cardio during cutting season

FOR YOU

Same split - with nothing heavy.  Sets should be 10-12 reps each and every time.  You should feel tight.  BIG DIFFERENCE, Cardio each of those days. 10-15 minutes, with 2-5 minutes of that to be sprinting.  Skipping, bicycle doesn't do sh*t for fat burning in that area and don't be misled.  They feel good, you might burn calories, but you won't get tighter and lose that stubborn fat.

You can do this without the gym- I think you should go though.  PM me for detailed workouts on those days.  Less than an hour including your cardio for high sets + eat right.  Spend some extra time on your lats during back day and bingo - swimmers build.

For scale I'm 6'0 and I'm a big 180lbs.  I'll cut to 170-175 for "beach season." I have a fast metabolism so gaining weight is tough and cutting is easy but I have my body down to a science now.  

[QUOTE="lostfan132"]

this is for you workout experts. I'm in fairly decent shape, 6'4 220 lbs. I have built up a decent amount of muscle, but still have some stubborn fat. My thing is that i HATE lifting weights. First of all it makes me super hungry and i end up eating more than i probably should. I don't want to look super big, just have a "swimmers body" i guess would be the best way to put it. Would a work out regimen of running, pushups(variable types), squats(non weighted), sit ups, and any other exercises i can think of maintain a good amount of muscle?, i seem to do much better controlling my diet when i don't do weights, but then i start feeling like im losing muscle, which drives me back to the weight room, i also love running, it relaxes me. Any advice would be appreciated. 

sonic_spark

I consider myself an expert, considering that's my hobby. 

I'm assuming given your post that you want to do this "supplement free" as in no fat burners, no pre-workout drinks, etc.

1. Any stubborn fat starts in the kitchen.  You'll need to learn 2 things.  (a) What are you eating that contains "bad" fat?  Cut it out completely.  There is such thing as "good fat" in your diet, you need it.  Eat cleaner, whole grains, green vegetables, lean meats like chicken.  Minimize your red meat (beef, lamb) intake.  (b) What would you say your calorie intake [what you eat in a day] is now?  For your size you could lose weight with 2200 calories or less I would guess.  You'll need a minimum of 1700 calories to maintain muscle on that frame, but 2500+ calories will keep that weight on.  

2. Pushups, Pull-ups (chin, lat, tricep), stair climbs or lunges.  Squats tend to make the muscle in your hips and part of your obliques (the side of your abs) larger, because it builds muscle.  You can maintain muscle with stair climbs or lunges without widening your abdomen and maintain strength.  Sit-ups, don't only do crunches and situps and twists.  You need to do leg raises or knee/leg lifts to really target your lower abdomen. Lat exercises increase width in your back (the swimmer look also known as the V).

3. Cardio.  Running is the best, and the best outside.  Treadmill should be a second option if your weather sucks.  Long jogs or runs help lose weight but don't burn fat.  Mix it up.  Parts of your run must be sprints.  Sprints tighten most if not all muscles in your body.  The high intesity is a fat burner special.

4. Swimmer's body comes from wide lats- the muscle beneath your armpits and around to your back.  Lat pullups as mentioned above, will do that.  They're tough, they're wide grip and they're nasty.  Most gyms have an assist if you're unable to lift yourself up so you can create that muscle.  IF you can go to the gym, ALSO DO lat pulldowns.

5.  I always recommend a gym.  For motivation. Better equipment.  And lifting.  You don't need more than an hour in the gym.  If you're doing that, you're doing it wrong.  Bodybuilders, or people who want to build hard without "the juice" (myself, lol) go longer because of the strain of heavier weights.  For tightening up your body and getting that fat out, you need high repetition sets with lighter weights.  You can do this 3 days a week, 5 or 7.  Some people claim they need the body to heal with rest, not really (my days off are the weekend)... here is my split for building, and i'll recommend a split for you.

Monday - Chest w/ light triceps for a burnout
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday- Arms
Thursday - Legs/ cardio if needed
Friday- Shoulders
Saturday- Cardio during cutting season + possible extra light arm day
Sunday - Cardio during cutting season

FOR YOU

Same split - with nothing heavy.  Sets should be 10-12 reps each and every time.  You should feel tight.  BIG DIFFERENCE, Cardio each of those days. 10-15 minutes, with 2-5 minutes of that to be sprinting.  Skipping, bicycle doesn't do sh*t for fat burning in that area and don't be misled.  They feel good, you might burn calories, but you won't get tighter and lose that stubborn fat.

You can do this without the gym- I think you should go though.  PM me for detailed workouts on those days.  Less than an hour including your cardio for high sets + eat right.  Spend some extra time on your lats during back day and bingo - swimmers build.

For scale I'm 6'0 and I'm a big 180lbs.  I'll cut to 170-175 for "beach season." I have a fast metabolism so gaining weight is tough and cutting is easy but I have my body down to a science now.