Fitness

I lost 20 pounds early this year and guess what? I gained it right back. I kinda went ape crazy and this time I'm doing things differently. I read that lifting increase muscle mass and in turn helps to lose more weight/fat. I have been doing 30 minutes high intensity on the elliptical and also doing a lot of abs/arms/back on the weight machines. I have some questions:

Should I lift weights first or after the elliptical?

What kind of excerise involving free weights can I do for my love handles?

I would be doing this routine for another 2 weeks then im going to give the elliptical a break. But I do different routines on the elliptical.

Most people recommend weights first.....personally, I always do weights first. The muscles aren't as tired out then, and you can really get into the lifting....after a warm up of course. I find if I don't lift first, I don't lift at all haha.

You can't spot reduce, you have to lose all around to lose the love handles. But there are exercises to tighten up the muscles underneath....

weighted leg lifts....put a weight close to the lower back/upper butt and lift the leg.

Or side bends.....lying on the ground in a crunch position, bend sideways so that your shoulder and hips get closer together, squeezing the side abs, then go the other way. You can also do this standing, with weights. hold a dumbbell in each hand, and just bend at the waist one way or the other and come back up....you can prob find examples of both online somewhere!

Original Post by tdpinder:

Should I lift weights first or after the elliptical? Lift first.

What kind of excerise involving free weights can I do for my love handles? Squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, pull/chinups, rows

Also, stop using the 'weight-machines' they're bad for your joints and don't produce anywhere near the same results that free-weights do.

What I do is 5-10 minutes in the begining (on illeptical or treafmill) in order to warm up and than I do weights. At the end I do 30-40 minutes elleptical.

There are exercises for love handles, but doing exercises for spots doesn't cause losing fat on these spots.

You need to lose overall weight and this will happen also on your love hadles. Mu advice is to eat healthy and exercise regularly, after 2 weeks you will stat to see the first weight loss results.

Original Post by floggingsully:

Also, stop using the 'weight-machines' they're bad for your joints and don't produce anywhere near the same results that free-weights do.

I've heard this, and have been hesitant as I have no real experience and don't want to hurt myself (or the dreaded look like an idiot).  Do you know of any good tutorial sites that explain certain exercises using free weights? 

duplicate post.  silly work computer.

Stumptuous.com is an excellent site for weight info.

I normally start with 5-10 mins of cardio to get my heart rate up and warm up. Then I stretch and do light lifting to get my muscles warmed up to avoid injuries. 

I think rumiana is right. You need to lose overall weight. Do more compound workouts (deadlifts, presses, dip, ...) and lots of cardio. Workout almost an hour every other day and on non-workout days, you can do more cardio.