Fitness Question

First of all, you don't /need/ protein powder.

It's good that you're looking to concentrate on getting fitter now instead of expecting some miracle 'adonis-in-two-weeks' regime.

The first thing to do is make sure you eat the right foods. Pretty simple, but if you can cut out snacking then do so, and try not to eat for a couple of hours before you go to bed. Also, make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids (water). I tend to keep a glass by my elbow and just keep sipping at it throughout the day. (Interspersed with cups of tea, of course...mmm, tea...wait...where was I?)

In terms of fat loss Vs toning...For fat loss, you'll want to do some form of cardio exercise. This will also raise your general fitness levels, which is important to stay/look healthy. The toning..well, it depends on what muscles you want to tone.

If it's the abs, try doing crunches and oblique twists...but make sure you do them properly, only the shoulderblades and the upper-back should come off the floor. I tend to do 3-reps of 20 for each of those, but you can add more if you want. For that area, try dorsal raises as well, since that'll help your back and help to tone the backs of your hips.

Remember to stick to the exercises you choose to do, and alternate between cardio and toning. I go to the gym every two days, with three different regimes. If you can't do that, exercise twice a week, once focusing on toning and the other focusing on cardio.

And try to pick exercises you enjoy doing, otherwise you'll talk yourself out of it as much as you'll guilt yourself into actually doing something. -Chuckles- That was my main problem when I started exercising properly a few months ago.

Hope some of this made sense / helped a bit. ^_^

 

It takes A LOT of work to get to your 'after' picture. Your body fat percentage has to be VERY low for all of those muscles to be as defined as they are. You also have to have the muscles to begin with, so working out in a pretty serious way is also a requirement. And we're not talking just abs. He's got a nice chest, arms, shoulders...

That requires a varied and comprehensive workout routine.

I know I sound like a broken record - but I have been following the P90X program (mostly because my boyfriend already had it and the necessary equipment). It works a couple of muscle groups each workout (i.e. shoulders / back, shoulders / biceps / triceps, legs / back, etc...) as well as abs - and you push yourself in each of these sessions so that you 'feel the burn' on the last 3 reps of each set. The workouts take well over an hour - but you only do them every other day so that your body has time to recovery.

I never had it in me to figure out this stuff on my own - but following a program like this has been really effective. It doesn't have to be P90X. Check out men's health web sites for routines or buy a book. Something that you can follow.

And don't overdo it! Take it slow and work up to heavier weights or more reps. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither can your body be...