Please please help me achieve my fitness goals with a realistic plan!

Sounds like you're after some general weight loss, which is a case of eating less and moving more, really.

As for training your thighs and butt, it's be quite hard without some resistance (i.e. weights). You could make do with a dumbbell set off eBay though, like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dumbbell-Set-Vinyl-Gym-Weights-Fitness-Dumbbells-Free-Weights-10-20-30-40-50Kg/121263654246?_trkparms=aid%3D555019%26algo%3DPL.BANDIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20151005190540%26meid%3D9b2596244b2043e58ab05945bb81917c%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

With those you could do dumbbell/goblet squats, lunges, glute bridges and straight-legged deadlifts, you could also buy larger plates if needed at a later date for the sake of progression.

Thanks for replying! Yeah I could definitely do with some dumb-bells. How many squats a day would you recommend? I've heard of people doing 100 lol.

What about stomach exercises? Press ups? I'm worried I'm going to do them incorrectly and it will just be a waste of time.

Also yeah, I definitely don't consume much food but I'm on anti depressants which make it impossible to shift weight, slows down my metabolism :/. I'm trying to walk around instead of get the bus, and also run in the evenings everyday. Also you'd think eating a high protein breakfast would help but apparently eating proteins in the mornings interferes with the synthesis of serotonin (What the antidepressant does) so it messes with my depression... so annoying.

Well, if you're looking to add shape/fullness to your butt and thighs, you're just looking to increase the muscular size of your thighs and glutes. 100 reps is far too high for this purpose. heavy-moderate weight is much more effective. With these sorts of dumbbells, you may have a problem making small increases, so it might be a good idea to factor in progressive overload by increasing volume first.

So for example, on each exercise you might want to start with 3 sets of 8 reps with one weight, resting for 1-2 minutes between sets. Then when you can manage that without too much of struggle, move up to 3 sets of 9 reps on that exercise. Then 3x10, 3x11 and so on, all the way up to 3 sets of 15.
When you can perform 3 sets of 15 with that weight, increase the weight by about 15% and start over with 3 sets of 8.

Ab work is totally up to you. Push-ups are predominantly a chest exercise, with triceps and front deltoids also involved. You can google ab exercises and you'll find all sorts, just pick and choose and these can be done with just bodyweight for high reps Just remember that ab work will not burn fat off your stomach, since you can't spot-reduce fat. You lose fat by eating less calories than you burn. Might be harder because of your anti-depressants, but it'll still be possible!

As for a workout, you could for example train Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Monday and Wednesday would be weighted workouts and then Friday could be a bodyweight leg circuit. For example:

MONDAY

Dumbbell squats
Straight-legged deadlifts
Ab work

WEDNESDAY

Lunges
Glute bridges
Ab work

FRIDAY

Bodyweight circuit (example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIdxYCrqLQg)


If you wanna fit some general cardio in on another couple of days a week, go for it There's also a fitness FAQ in this sub-forum for more information on dieting and so on.

Hi there...

So basically, I'm trying to achieve my ideal body, but I can't afford a personal trainer, and don't really want to sign up to a gym as even that's pricey and I live super far from gyms - though I may start gymming if I really have to.

I was wondering if there's anyone with expertise who can give me realistic ideas as to what exercises I should do to achieve my goal.

My background: I'm not naturally sporty - I can't explain the extent to which I was awful at sport at school, always the last in the race, always the last to be picked. So yes, I struggle with exercise. To make matters worse, I smoked a lot before, which I've now quit. Basically quite an unfit person. I'm currently useless at press ups - find squats a lot easier for some reason. At the moment I generally do 40 squats a day.

My body currently: currently 54kg/8 and a half stone. I've naturally got quite a flat stomach, and most of my fat goes straight to my thighs and bum. Let's say I'm 'pear shaped'.

What I want: I want a super flat toned stomach, you know one of those beautiful stomachs. I want to lose weight off my legs and thighs. I want my bum to be perter and really train my waist, thigh, bum area, if that makes sense.

What's a realistic plan for me?

Thank you so much if you can help!!

X

It sounds like you want to do what most gym girls do. It's quite achievable. Most personal trainers will mislead you and have you doing shoulder workouts and stuff rather than focusing on lower body, because they're sickos who want to turn everyone into powerlifters.

Work on squats, certain deadlift variations, and there's this weird machine where you raise your legs back and up. I don't know what it's called but all the girls use it. They also do lunges holding weight plates. For men, traditionally you train about 3 sets of 8 reps on each exercise, maybe for women it's different.

You'll gain muscle in all the right places. Do other exercises too, but make sure your main focus is on exercises that hit the lower body and especially the glutes for what you're after... Really when you go to the gym, you will see all the same types of girls working their legs and ass all the time, and just copy the ones with nice bodies.

Not too sure about how newb gains work for women, but for guys usually you can eat identically and train and gain muscle while dropping body fat in the beginning stages.

If you want to lose body fat use the stairmill. Not only is it the best cardio machine for effort to reward ratio, but it will work on your glutes and leg muscles. Especially if you do long stride steps so take the steps 2 at a time.