
Originally Posted by
kadinh
im a little bit older than you, but other than that we are almost the same when put on paper. but really weight doesnt matter.
175lbs of muscle = 175lbs of fat (for a lack of a better comparison)
175 w/ 20% body fat =/= 175 w/ 6% BF (see where im going?)
so dont worry too much about the weight. look to the mirror more and even BF calculations.
as to (as much as i hate the word) "tone" and lose the belly, there are 2 ways ou can go: lose fat 1st, or gain muscle (which raises your metabolism). i suggest, as you stated, losing the fat 1st.
the best way i have seen to do this is HIIT (high intensity intraval training) and steady state cardio. the steady state is pretty self explanitory (running at the same speed for the whole duration fo time). for the HITT, you can use a machine or sprint. you go about 60-70% your max (essentially jogging) for about 30-45 seconds, then go 80-90% of your max for 30-45 seconds. repeat this for about 15-20 minutes and you are DONE!
HIIT has been shown to increase fat oxidation for up to 6-8 hours (if i remember right). steady state cardio, studies show, stops burning fat a little while after you stop. but a mix of both is helpful to balance things out.
as for building muscle, that is a whole different story....
PS i hope i didnt bore you with all my typing.