i don't know what to do

[myXcapade]

hey all
first of all i am new to everything. i am female and my stats are 150lb 5'8 with fat percentage of 32% and i want to change. i want to loose body fat and decrease the fat percentage also. by combining aerobic and strength training. but with weight lifting i just want to tone i don't want to bulk up at all. so does that mean i will use light weight and work with it for a long time and all i have to do is increase the sets and reps and not the weights. so do you have any suggestions

i also want to know if doing split days is okay for a beginner. i just need a fresh start and some good advices so any will be appreciated.
thanks
ashley

[sarah]

First of all- eat less calories than you expend. As a female, trust me on this, you will not "bulk." I'm female, and I recently started lifting. I've just tightened up all over. Unless you have an unusually high amount of testerone or take steroids, you're not going to bulk. Personally, I'd drop the money for a month with a trainer that can also help with your eating habits. Usually, they can teach you how to use equipment, how to eat properly, and design a program for you to continue on your own. My trainer is the best money I have ever spent.

[mitsuman47]

Good advice Sarah.

Being a female, you won't bulk up. Won't happen. I'm a 21 year old male, so I have MUCHO hormones running through me, and I still have a hard time bulking up. Start out with light weights (a few weeks) to give your joints time to get used to the load, then progressively lift heavier weights. Don't be afraid to go heavy.

I would recommend you do compound (multi-joint) movements such as: squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses, and rows.

I second the trainer idea. We can get you going, but it really helps to have someone there to show you the ropes. If you don't get a trainer, try to get a friend or someone from the gym to workout with you. They can help to make sure you are using good form, spot you, and can be a valuable motivational tool.

And for your diet, could you run us through what you eat on an average day? Including drinks and snacks.

[GqArtguy]

Here check out this link:

http://forums.menshealth.com/thread....1&thread=66093

there are article links and a forum link for women as well, check out, this will give you some guidance and knowledge.

[myXcapade]

Hi guys,
thanks so much for the replies there are really helpful to me. but i am still confused about the split days thing and as for nutrition well my former habits were mostly junk so now i ve turned it around. a little more of protein and less fat.
breakfast: toast with sardines
snack:protein shake
lunch: egg salad
snack: protein shake or bar
dinner: tuna and grilled vegetables

remember i just started this plan and i don't know if its okay. give me your views if i need to change anything.
thank you very much for lending me your ears
take care
ashley [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Jean-Paul]

Sardines? [img]tongue.gif[/img] Yech! Just remind whoever you are dating not to french kiss you after breakfast!

A split day basically means that you are going to split the bodyparts you exercise into different days. If you do this for three days in a week it is called a three-day split. If you work all upper body one day it is called an upper body split, and likewise with a lower body workout. For more info you may want to refer to this page:

http://www.jpfitness.com/workouts.html

Good luck and keep up the hard work. It will pay off!