I'm in weight loss mode at the minute and do a 30 minute cardio workout 3 days a week (running, treadmill, crosstrainer, etc).

I normally follow up with 30 seconds of the plank to strengthen my core, as I also play football (soccer) 3 times a week.

I'm thinking 30 seconds might be too little, and am considering doing three 1 minute holds for a total of 3 minutes (it's all about the multiples of 3, symmetry with 30 minute cardio workout!).

However, my question/fear is this: I do NOT want to put on any added bulk/weight, even if it's in the form of muscle. I just want to strengthen and tone as I'm losing weight. So, will 3 minutes of core training be sufficient, or will it be counterproductive?

Thanks in advance.

Anyone?

Steve?!

Why would you mind adding a little muscle? But, you don't need to worry about building up any real bulk doing planks a few times a week. You're worrying too much about nothing.

Well I wouldn't mind adding any muscle, just so long as it was 'internal'.. By that I mean it doesn't add to my shape.

I'm trying to slim and trim myself down and adding any muscle that increases my size is almost as undesirable to me as adding fat.

However, I'm fine with 'hardening' my body as I lose weight, which is why I do the core resistance excercises, hopefully with the aim of hardening and toning, but not building muscle, if that makes sense.

Btw I should add that I also 'do the plank' after football as well, which means 5-6 times a week.

You're looking at things in the wrong light if you ask me.

For starters, you're dieting. That means insufficient calories to maintain what you currently have. So worrying about adding enough muscle to 'alter your shape' is silly.

Secondly, 'hardening up' is a function of adding/maintaining muscle and losing fat. Simply making yourself smaller won't get you to the endpoint you desire.

Unless said endpoint is a smaller, yet still soft version of your former self.

Well if I'm honest my overall goal is to lose weight down to my target weight....then tone up once I reach that point. Not sure if that's the most 'efficient' way of going about it. Just the way I decided to do it, one thing at a time.

I'm not overly concerned with 'hardening up' at the minute, if I mistakenly gave that impression. It's really the least of my worries right now. The main reason I do the core resistance work is because, as I said, I play team sports, and I want to be 'stronger' in the game. There's a lot of running around, twisting, turning and changing directions in football!

BUT I don't want to achieve greater strength by 'doing weights' per se, for all the reasons I outlined above. Now, obviously I'm aware that doing a few planks isn't going to make me super strong. And again, that's not my main objective. Numero uno priority for me is weight loss and trimming of body shape. However, if I can also 'toughen up' a little bit along the way, by doing light resistance work, then so be it, but that is completely secondary to my current objectives.

Hope this makes my reasoning a little clearer!

But why?

It's said over and over around here how that's not only inefficient, but also potentially futile.

Losing muscle isn't the best idea if you're interested in keeping a healthy functioning metabolism.

This shouldn't only be about some arbitrary number on the scale at all.

So let me get this straight...

Your interested in the performance of your core in relation to football, but could give two shits with regards to muscle mass?

FYI, muscle mass is one of the primary contributors to performance.

Lose muscle = lose performance.

What reasons are you referring to? I just read though this thread again and nothing stood out to me as a reason.

Right now I'm confused about what you want.

What's your primary goal or concern.

Some number on the scale?

How you perform on the football field?

Health?

Physique?

What?

I'm responding as I read through this, obviously.

With regards to the above quote, my apologies. I know you specifically asked for my advice and I don't really have any. I'm just not a fan of promoting/endorsing such behavior.

Simply losing weight for the sake of meeting some number on the scale makes absolutely no sense to me.

No offense intended... you are free to do what you will. It's just not my thing. I can't think of one benefit to that ideal. Can you enlighten me?

You do realize that heavy resistance training doesn't = automatic muscle growth, right?

Not sure where to start...

First of all, sometimes it's difficult to get context across over the internet. I probably should state that I have a fairly muscular natural physique (not 'bulky' muscular, more slim(ish) with decent definition). I've done my research and am well aware of the role that muscle plays in boosting metabolism and thus calorie burn, which is why it is not in my interests whatsoever to lose muscle, I simply don't want to build any more than what I have already that will add additional bulk to my figure.

Now I'm obviously not as much of an expert on this as you are, so maybe my regime is faulty-at-source, but given I already have a decent muscle mass, I'm primarily concerned with losing fat and maintaining existing muscle mass, not losing or building it. And besides, I do a lot of running and play team sports regularly, I reckon that probably does a decent job as it is of maintaining muscle, as a natural side effect.

If I can sum up what I'm trying to do here, and what prompted this thread in the first place, I want to burn as much excess fat off my body as I can, down to my target weight (at which point I'll take a look in the mirror and reassess ), whilst maintaining (and hopefully strengthening) my existing muscle mass along the way.

Where are you researching?

If you research the right places, you'll find that you're not going to add appreciable amounts of muscle in the face of eating hypocalorically.

As I already stated above.

So I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Can you elaborate?

You will lose it if you don't train properly.

You will not build it if you're in a caloric deficit.

These are my points.

No.

Okay. I've stated my opinions and you can do what you want with them.

Thanks Steve, as ever you've been enlightening.

I see what you're getting at now, as I am in calorie deficit (as much as 1,000 some days) from maintainence, I cannot physically build muscle on modest resisance workouts. So to answer my original post in this thread, a couple of minutes plank holds at the end of my cardio sessions will have a negligible effect on muscle growth. Is this correct?

As for losing a little muscle, tbh I wouldn't mind too much, I'm aiming for a slender figure at the end of the day, that's my main goal and I've never been a big fan of the overly muscular look. Not that that's me, but I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over losing a little bit.

That said, when you say "train properly" what would you recommend insofar as maintaining, strengthening and toning muscle, as you burn fat and lose weight? Pushups, situps, squats? Really don't want to do weights (yet)... [although if that's your opinion, feel free to state it...]

Negligible at best considering it's an isometric contraction while dieting, lol. What you'll get from it is increased strength and stability in the core.

I'd love to see a picture of your physique. Do you have one posted here someplace?

I'll say this and leave it alone...

I've yet to meet someone in all my years of doing this who truly could stand to lose muscle in order to improve their health, physique or performance. Not saying it doesn't exist.

I just haven't seen it outside the realms of bodybuilding.

I'm not dismissing the idea that there is a faction of men out there who want to look skinny with no muscular definition. I've just not run into them until now.

That said, when you say "train properly" what would you recommend insofar as maintaining, strengthening and toning muscle, as you burn fat and lose weight? Pushups, situps, squats? Really don't want to do weights (yet)... [although if that's your opinion, feel free to state it...][/QUOTE]

Weights, lol.

Trust me, I'll always state my opinion freely. It's the only way to remain honest with myself and to others.

For optimal results, whatever they might be, I find training with weights 2-3 times per week to be most beneficial using a total body emphasis each day.

lol I'm no bodybuilder, I can tell you that! Haha there's a chance I may have oversold myself a tad! To put my ideal look into context - David Beckham. I'll say no more for fear of the laughter tearing apart the internet!

Well you've allayed my fears about my core resistance work anyway, I'll up it and do more than a paltry 30 second hold per session.

Can you please advise on the sorts of weight training exercises you'd recommend? FYI, the areas of fat I most want to burn are on my stomach, 'glutes' (ass!) and thighs.

Beckham is a stud, so no reason to laugh there. He's also blessed with a bit of genetics to say the least, lol.

To obtain that look, most mortals would need a combination of good diet, cardio and weight training.

Well keep in mind that weight training won't do anything about burning specific areas of fat on your body. That's simply not the way it works.

In terms of what exercises: I stick with the big, compound lifts.

Legs: Squats, deadlifts, romanians, bulgarian split squats, lunges, step ups, SHELCs, single leg work, etc.

Chest: Various angled bench pressing with barbell and/or dumbbells

Back: Various rows using machines, cables, BBs and DBs

Shoulders: Various overhead presses and rotator cuff work

Diet, check. Cardio, check. That's all good. Weights...not so much, but can work on that.

In terms of specific areas, I'm aware you can't spot reduce per se, I meant that question more in terms of muscle tone in the region, which in a best case scenario (speculation..) would have a positive impact on fat burned in that region.

For whatever the reason, it is what it is. You know what's optimal and should progress toward it. Doesn't mean you have to do everything optimally right this minute. As always we are a work in progress.

Just don't get lazy and never add in the resistance training. The reason I harp on it is I've seen far too many people end up unhappy with their final results b/c they're skinny fat and it's a sucky place to be after you've worked so hard.

That's why I'm never sure why people think 'muscle building' is something you should do after you lose fat. It simply doesn't work like that.

Diet, weight and cardio work synergistically to produce the best results in terms of fat loss and muscle retention.

Not quite.

If adding muscle to particular spots on your increased the fat burning of said particular spots, then spot reducing would be happening essentially.

And you're forgetting that you're not really going to be adding any appreciable amounts of muscle even if what you're suggesting really happened since you're in a caloric deficit.