Help me tone up.

[Hogosha]

Hey all, I really want to look good for this summer, I'd like decent abs, chest and biceps.

Does anyone know how I can achive this?

I have access to free weights and a weights bench, also a sit ups bench.

I'd also like to know what foods there is that will also help.

Thanks.

P.S I'm 5'10'' and 9.2 stone.

[DJmma]

yea...you gotta work out. lol I work out 3-4 times a week. in the last month i had large muscle gains. for abs, i do sit-ups, i do other excercises. I also do bycicles, flutter kicks, and a couple others. for chest, I do flies, and bench press. for biceps, i do curls with both curlbar, and dumbells. I'd also recomend doing your triceps, and maybe shoulders. dont just do certain muscles. I'd say do a full body work out. thats what i do.

[elbows_and_knees]

1. you must remember that there is no such thing as "toning up". "tone" is nothing more than residual tension in the muscle, even while relaxed. this is a result of regular weight training.

2. low bodyfat % - proper diet.

These two things combined will give you the look you are after.

[MizuRyu]

Well, focusing on certain parts tends to not work out, because your body hates growing a specific area... it can, but it doesn't do it effectively. This being said, you have to train the entire body for BEST results. Always stick to cores (squats, bench press, press, lat pulls, etc), but if you want to put emphasis on certain parts add things such as:

Weighted crunches quickly followed by back hyperextensions, also weighted

Bench press, incline and decline quickly followed by T bar or bent over rows.

Preacher/concentration curls quickly followed with overhead tricep extension.

The reason you follow the exercises with another exercise on the opposite side is to encourage uniform growth, which benefits both fields. Try and keep the reps at 5-10 and the sets at 3, NEVER working to failure... you always want to keep a little left in the tank. Work 3 days a week with a one day rest period between: MWF type stuff.

If you want a little boost, you can try supplements. I personally follow every workout with a 40 gram whey protein shake, and take 70 grams of casein before bed.

Be sure to eat right though... lots of lean proteins, veggies and fruit. Nothing beats a good chicken breast salad : )

My 2 cents.

[Hogosha]

I have come up with a workout, tell me how it is please.

30 Dumbell Flys

30 Leg Raises (Bench)

30 Situps

30 Bicep Curls

30 Situps

30 Bench Press

30 Bicep Curls

All reps of 10. I dunno what else to add.

[MizuRyu]

10x3 alone should be enough, no real reason to add another 3 sets of the same exercise later in the regiment unless you want small muscles with a slight increase in speed. don't forget your back and legs. Add squats and rows at the very least, add weight to your situps, and only train 3 days a week.

"A tree, in order to have strong branches, must have a strong trunk."

[DJmma]

I have come up with a workout, tell me how it is please.

30 Dumbell Flys

30 Leg Raises (Bench)

30 Situps

30 Bicep Curls

30 Situps

30 Bench Press

30 Bicep Curls

All reps of 10. I dunno what else to add.

hmmm...well I'd add more. and also, you should be increasing weight each set usualy. i usualy do 4 or 5 sets of each:

1st set: 15 light weight warm up. (you want to warm up your muscles)

2ns set: 12 increased weight. (shouldnt be too light, but not too heavy)

3rd set: 12 of the same weight as before.

4th set: 10 increase weight again.

5th set: 6-8 increase the weight even more.(you should be very tired)

example: bench press

1st set: 15 reps of 70 lbs

2nd set: 12 reps of 100 lbs

3rd set: 12 reps of 100 lbs

4th set: 10 reps of 120 lbs

5th set: 6-8 reps of 140 lbs

also...

I would add more exercises. here are the exercses i do...

WORKOUT PLAN:

LEGS:

leg curl

leg press

BICEPS:

curl bar

curls(dumbells)

TRICEPS:

tripple tris(crul bar lying flat on your back)

behind the head tris(dumbells)

SHOULDERS:

lateral raises(dumbells)

front raises(dumbells)

upright rows

military press

FOREARM:

wrist curl

LATS:

one arm rows(dumbells)

BACK:

widegrip pull-ups

TRAPS:

shrugs

ABS:

situps

bycicles

flutter kicks

other exercises with medicine balls

CHEST:

flies

bench press

pushups

[Hogosha]

Cheers guys.

[elbows_and_knees]

I dunno... call me old fashioned, but I don't like either of the workouts you guys posted - there are way too many isolation movements involved. This is not conducive to building "functional" muscle. you want compound movements, like the bench press, squats, deadlifts and cleans. Isolation exercises are more body building oriented - they have different goals than the average ma. for ma training, compound is the way to go.

[DJmma]

ah ok. im not familiar with the difference. I just know this way of lifting, since it is how my swimming coach lifts with us. I should learn more about compound lifting though.