# Training for definition not bulk - newbie advice pls



## alant1000 (May 24, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I've been a regular at the gym for around 8 years now, and am happy with my shape and size although my training is getting dull and i want to aim for something new. I'm not a body builder, more your regular bog standard trainer.

A bit about my size -

I'm 5"6'

I weigh 62 kg

I'm pretty much in good proportion with about 12% body fat

Chest is 36"

i'm 29yrs old

I have been on the same kind of weights now for a few years, and my objective isnt really to get much bigger as i am happy with my size, I just want to get more ripped and defined (think Bruce Lee not Arnie!!). Of course i realise that fat loss is going to to make a big difference especially with abs, but what is the technique to rip more than bulk muscle - or is there no such technique?! I sometimes hear the rules about the number of reps, drop sets etc when bulking but am i meant to be doing higher reps? Or to muscle burn? To be honest at the mo my reps stop when i am puffed out, not when the burn kicks in. I train 3x per week, chest and tri's: back, shoulders and bi's: legs and lower back are the different sessions.

Activity include among others:-

Chest / tri's:

1x15 / 2x 10-12 press ups with hands on 1 medicine ball each, and feet together on puffed up side of bosu ball, dead straight back

1x15 / 2x 8-10 bench press with 15kg each end

1x12 / 2x 10 cable fly's 45kg

3x10 incline dumbell press, 14kg each

3x10 Skull crushers 7.5kg each end of w-bar.

Back / Biceps

1x12 / 2x10 lat pull downs narrow or wide grip, 55kg (alternated)

1x15 / 2x10 seated single arm row per arm 20kg

1x15 / 2x10 chin ups with -5kg setting

3x10 single arm bicep curl 10kg balancing on hard side of bosu ball, only 1 dumbell to create more inbalance

3x10 bar bell bicep curl 20kg

Legs and lower back:-

4x10 Dead lifts with 25kg each end of bar

3x10 single leg extension 25kg per leg then 1x final 45kg burn both legs

3x10 squats 25kg each end of bar

3x12-15 squats balanced on hard side of bosu ball holding 6kg dumbells out in front of me on each arm

I'm looking for some warts and all critisism of my program.. the PTs at my gym are all great but when i ask them they say i am doing the right things, but i want someone to tell me the truth that maybe my program isnt great, and to achieve the ripped look i need to change reps, adopt drop sets, etc???

Should i be going for the burn on the same weights, or burn on lighter weights, maybe 15 reps not 10's? Or maybe heavier weights x8 reps?

Form, ripped look and core strength are really important to me, more so than getting bigger.

thanks


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## trickymicky69 (Oct 1, 2004)

if you want definition its the calorie deficit not the number of reps that will do it


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## cellaratt (Jul 16, 2008)

trickymicky69 said:


> if you want definition its the calorie deficit not the number of reps that will do it


Agreed^^^^^You will find your answerers in your diet not your routine....Welcome to the board...


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## alant1000 (May 24, 2008)

cellaratt said:


> Agreed^^^^^You will find your answerers in your diet not your routine....Welcome to the board...


really, thanks no one has really mentioned my diet before so thats interesting - so you mean eating less of everything, eating less fatty foods (the obvious choice), or eating more but just low nutritional fat foods?


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## trickymicky69 (Oct 1, 2004)

alant1000 said:


> really, thanks no one has really mentioned my diet before so thats interesting - so you mean eating less of everything, eating less fatty foods (the obvious choice), or eating more but just low nutritional fat foods?


Fat isnt the obvious choice and should make up a fair chunk of your diet. Just make sure its good fats and not the rubbish fats found in junk food etc.


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## chrismac (May 4, 2008)

Post your daily diet up.

Any pics?


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## alant1000 (May 24, 2008)

chrismac said:


> Post your daily diet up.
> 
> Any pics?


No pics yet i'm afraid but i'll try and sort. My daily diet in hindsight probably isnt fantastic, but not a complete disaster.... typical day would be...

Breakie 7:30 - cereal, something like Frosties with full fat milk

around 9am - banana, apple and maybe a croissant on an off day, about 3 cups of tea before lunch with 2 sugs and full fat milk.

Lunch - usually a sandwhich with something like Turkey, cheese, lettuce and mayo on white / Tuna Mayo on white. Maybe once a week something like a pub lunch bangers and mash styleee.

between lunch and tea - a banana or some fruit, another couple of cups of tea

Supper / tea / dinner etc... Sonething like Spag bol, chilli con carne, meat,potatos and 2 veg or usually once a week a salad like a WHOLE mozzarela ball and a punnet of cherry tomatoes with olive oil.

Between tea and bed - a cup of tea, sometimes cheese and buscuits etc.

I only ever use olive oil / oilve oil spreads, but also only use full fat milk.

OH GOD - when i have to document my diet like this it does actually look pretty poor. Am i going to have to downgrade to green top milk and upgrade to brown bread here?? :cursing: . What are the instant bad bits you can spot?


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## chrismac (May 4, 2008)

Well firstly - Where is the protein????

You only have about 1 to 2 meals a day with it in.

Its near impossible to maintain a lean body without eating it.

You need to eat some form of protein every 2-3 hours, aim for 30-40g per serving from fish, meat, cottage cheese, eggs, etc.

You should be consuming between 1-1.5g protein per pound of lean body mass.

You have very little o3's and o6's..... Where are the EFA's?

Your diet IMO is very bad for what your goals are.

Cut all the crap out of your diet and eat oats, wholemeal products, potatoes, pasta, fresh green veggies, etc.

You get out what you put in.


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## alant1000 (May 24, 2008)

chrismac said:


> Well firstly - Where is the protein????
> 
> You only have about 1 to 2 meals a day with it in.
> 
> ...


you are right, its good to hear an honest appraisal. Its quite difficult to eat a decent full meal, for lunch as an example, as i'm in field sales so lunch tends to be a bakery i drive passed or sarnies from Sainsbury's etc, so do you reckon Protein shakes are worth while, not as a substitue for the real thing - but at least as a start point?? I did creatine for a while (V12) and it definitely worked, but i know that creatine and protein shakes are not the same. Which protein shake would you recommend?

I am going to start cutting out the white bread i reckon.

I forgot to mention i take 1000mg cod liver oils daily, but do try and eat oily fish a couple of times a week.


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## chrismac (May 4, 2008)

I am a VOIP engineer which involves alot of customer meetings and being on the road - however I manage it!

Preparation is the key.

I prep all my meals the day/s before and stick them in a cooler so there is no excuse not to eat.


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