Ideas

[DOC]

I have been pushing myself hard and have dropped 40 lbs but, hit a brick wall. I still have 20 lbs to go and cannot seem to get it off. I have been in the gym 6-7 days a week for a long time with the following schedule.

Day 1 - Legs and Cardio for 45min

Day 2 - Abs and Chest then Cardio for 45-60 min.

Day 3 - Legs and Cardio for 45 min

Day 4 - Arms, Shoulders, Back an Cardio for 45-60 min

Day 5 - Legs and Cardio for 45 min

Day 6 - Cardio for min of 60 min

Day 7 - Light cardio for 30-45 min or rest depending on how I feel.

My calorie intake stays very regular at 1600 - 2000 a day spread out over the whole day.

For cardio I alternate between Elliptical, Bike, and recently swimming.

I have hit a stalemate and am looking for ideas on what to do next to continue.

[recondo82]

Well one thing to remember is that if you are pushing weights, some of your fat will be replaced my lean muscle. Depending on how long you have been doing this cycle, I'm sure that accounts for some of what you perceive to be the brick wall. It also depends on what you are eating to get those 1600-2000 calories. I suggest chicken breast (not fried) and steamed broccoli. I eat that twice a day, no breakfast and supplement in between with BCAAs and protein shakes (no carbs, no sugar). It's definitely not a fun diet and gets old, but at 46, I find it necessary to keep my girlish figure, lol. Depending on your age, the last fat to get burned off will be around your waist, and it can be a slow process regardless of how much cardio you do. You might try something like P90 for cardio, which will completely wreck you and give you a burn unlike any other cardio; it depends on how fast you want to lose that last 20.

Personally, I have found the elliptical and stationary bike to be a waste of time for me. They just don't get me the same burn or results as running, and I have only 25% meniscus in one knee so running is painful.

Most importantly, and again depending on age, you need to give your body appropriate time to recover so you don't injure yourself. You pull a hamstring or tear an Achilles and you will be doing nothing for months.

Finally, these are things that work for me. Different people get results in different ways. The best thing is to find out what works for you personally, try different things and change your diet around until you find the combination that works. It took me a few years to fine tune my training for my body type and metabolism. Good luck with that last 20!

[Bell]

Keep it simple. Eat less.

[Ops NCO]

Sounds like your body has adjusted to the current workout, thus it has stopped responding. Time to switch to a completely different workout regimen.

Have you tried the Tabata protocol? Whether used for weights or cardio, it's effective as all get out. Fast workouts, too.

[AFTAC85]

Keep it simple. Eat less.

and more often, i know for me its hard to follow a diet like that, but smaller portions more often boosts your metabolism.

[Bell]

and more often, i know for me its hard to follow a diet like that, but smaller portions more often boosts your metabolism.

And around 6 weeks it gives it up. If it goes in your mouth it goes on your body. Eat less.

[Rocket1972]

Sounds like your body has adjusted to the current workout, thus it has stopped responding. Time to switch to a completely different workout regimen.

This 100%. Any time you plateau and stop seeing results in a workout your body has adjusted. The results you will see are minimal or non existent at best. There are so many different workouts out there that you can google you can change it up really easy.

[ArticPara]

This 100%. Any time you plateau and stop seeing results in a workout your body has adjusted. The results you will see are minimal or non existent at best. There are so many different workouts out there that you can google you can change it up really easy.

+1 Switch over to kettlebells for a month or two, that will kick start the fat loss.

[Gato Rojo]

Sounds like your body has adjusted to the current workout, thus it has stopped responding. Time to switch to a completely different workout regimen.

This.

Have you tried the Tabata protocol? Whether used for weights or cardio, it's effective as all get out. Fast workouts, too.

As the frisky young actress said to the Portly Bishop, "Thanks for the tip!"

I just googled it, I can see how this would be a great way to drop some pork!

I've got the opposite problem. During my cancer treatments, I dropped from 192 of pretty solid muscle with a bit of fat (layer on my belly and love handles) to 154. In the first month after I started back to the gym, I got up to 160, and more than a year later, I'm still at 160 +/- a pound. I know, I need to eat more calories. sigh...