Help Me Set Up a Spring/Summer Plan

[helpmeownlife]

Hey guys. I have an idea in mind, although, I've never really had much experience in fitness and stuff so I've come looking for help. Currently, I weight 140, measure in a 5ft 5, and I'm 15. I'm at a healthy weight, but not a...'sexy weight' I guess. I want to lose the extra unattractive weight I have, and get as toned as I can by my deadline. I'd like to accomplish this by mid-summer, which is about 6 months...I'm going to guess and say that's very possible, but there's another thing. I don't really want any big changes to show until the summer starts. That probably sounds weird, but I would like to pull off a lot of changes over the summer, this being one, rather than over the final half of the current school year. Is there a way I could get some muscle now, and lose the weight and get extreme when the summer starts? I'm probably going to have tons of free time (I even do now), so...what cardio and work outs should I do, and when? I'm hoping this is an obtainable goal, what do you guys think?

[LegendaryStu]

If you don't want to lose much weight now then theres no point in doing much exercise now.

 

But i guess doing normal running or swimming at the moment to build up your endurance then break into the HIIT and the fat will strip right off.

 

As for weights.. It will take maybe a month or 2 before you see nay noticable changes in looks.

[stevepole]

Running and swimming is a nice idea. I would encourage you giving that a try.

[helpmeownlife]

Any other ideas?

[assassin_696]

I don't think there'd be too much harm in starting a strength training program with occasional cardio now. Muscle gains, especially in teenagers, tend to be slow so you might get frustrated if you left it before getting your body to that stage. Also strength training is probably slower for fat loss gains than intensive cardio, but would work well enough over the long time period you're talking about.

 

Something like Starting Strength or Stronglifts (google both). You're still quite young so focus on form and technique over the actual weight lifted for now.

 

In general my advice would be to focus on compound lifts 3 times a week (a 5x5 program is good) with cardio once a week to maintain aerobic fitness. So something like barbell squats, bench and deadlifts/cleans three times a week then whatever you want for cardio. Compound lifts work the full body and give you good all round strength and fitness, isolation exercises that bodybuilders use might be fine for a single muscle group but they don't give you a good base.