Hey there
I was wondering if you could give me some advice on these supplements.
I am 17 years old and I am going to the gym 2 or 3 times a week for medium/heavy workouts, doing a 15-30 minute run and then weights for an hour or so.
After going to the gym it takes me about 3 days to recover.
I have just bought a tub of whey protein (2lbs). It is called MetrX supreme whey.
Here are the main ingredients:

Whey protein isolate
• Whey protein concentrate
• Branched chain amino acids(BCAAs)
• 39g per 2 servings

I also have nutrisport creatine bombs.
I am quite worried about the creatine as many people have warned me of kidney problems so I am quite apprehensive about taking these.
The serving size for the whey is supposed to be 10g (2tsp) is this correct, and how often should I be taking it?
Also, for the gym, what type of workout should I be doing to gain muscle quickly, keeping in mind that I want to become leaner as well?
Please could you give me some advice on the safety of these supplements, and what dosage I should use, and how I should use them in conjunction with my workouts.

Thanks a lot for your time.

I take Creatine a lot from M.Tech and its great. Powder form is probable better as you can take it after your done with your work out it just gets into you system better.

With the creatine. It should be a two week loading stage, where by you take it 2 times a day 1 as soon as you get up and 1 right after the gym

Why Protein as well is a very good thing to take. Although it tastes awful :( I like the bars better.

You are 17 and you are still growing, lots of people say its unsafe and don't do it. But I have been taking that stuff for years and I'm perfectly fine. Plus I have a great body to show for it.

With creatine you got to work out really really hard. So your muscles can eat all that good stuff up come repair time. It say stack up your days to 5 times a week.

2 to 3 isn't that much and you shouldn't be taking that stuff on shuch a low training system.

You wanan do 15 minutes of cardio to start with. Then jump onto the weights do chest and guns 1 day.. 4 sets of 10 starting low and getting high on the wieghts by the end of the sets you want to feel like your chest and arms are falling off. That will ripe your muscles and let the creatine and whey do its thing. Very important that is. Because if your not working out hard enough your just going to get fat of the stuff.

Then the next day do legs give your upper body a reset it only takes muscles 24 hours to repair. Then the day after do Lats and lumbo. Your back
Then the day after do sholders tries and bies again

All the time do be doing abbs as well.

And to end up each gym season do 30mins cardio or 40 depending on how you feel

Your looking at spending at least 2 hours in the gym.
Working out really hard. You will bulk up with in 2 weeks

Hope this helps :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TrueFaith

I take Creatine a lot from M.Tech and its great. powder form is probable better as you can take it after your done with your work out it just gets into you system better.

With the creatine. it should be a two week loading stage, where by you take it 2 times a day 1 as soon as you get up and 1 right after the gym

Why Protien as well is a very good thing to take. although it tastes awful :( i like the bars better.

You are 17 and you are still growing, lots of people say its unsafe and dont do it. but i have been taking that stuff for years and im perfectly fine. plus i have a great body to show for it.

With creatine you gotta work out really really hard. so your muscles can eat all that good stuff up come repair time. it say stack up your days to 5 times a week.

2 to 3 isnt that much and you shouldnt be taking that stuff on shuch a low training system.

You wanan do 15 mins of cardio to start off with. then jump onto the weights do chest and guns 1 day.. 4 sets of 10 starting off low and getting high on the wieghts by the end of the sets you wanna feel like your chest and arms are falling off. that will ripe your muscles and let the creatine and whey do its thing. very important that is. because if your not working out hard enough your just gonna get fat of the stuff.

then the next day do legs give your upper body a reset it only takes muscles 24 hours to repair. then the day after do Lats and lumbo. your back
then the day after do sholders tries and bies again

all the time do be doing abbs as well.

and to end up each gym season do 30mins cardio or 40 depending on how you feel

your looking at spending at least 2 hours in the gym.
working out really hard. you will bulk up with in 2 weeks

Hope this helps :)

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Hi Truefaith
Thanks for the quick and eloquent reply.
I have spoken to various people from the gym and they all say creatine has some side effects as I am still growing, so I assume that it's best to use whey then, as I have bought a 3 month supply of it. I assume whey will not affect your growth?
Anyway, I am going to the gym 2-3 times a week for a hard workout, as you said I do heavy weights until my arms feel like they are about to come off! I don't think I need to go any more than that as I only go to the gym to do heavy workout. At home, I have a chin-up bar, push up bars, a chest expander and a chest compressor(power bow)
I received a lot of these at christmas, and I have been going to the gym 1-2 times a week for about a year and I feel great improvement in both strength and fitness.
I am only thinking of using the protein shakes to boost recovery as I feel I am doing enough in the gym etc already. Is this advisable?
Also I have been told by various people that it is better, for building muscle, to do sets of 5reps rather than 10? What do you think?
I am looking for significant improvements within 3 months, which is how long I have the shakes for, to see how effective they are. Primarily I would like advice on his to maximise my improvements in this time.
Thanks very much for your time

Hey Terry

The Recovery part is very important as you well know. And the Protein put onto that is very helpful. You want to take it 3 to 4 times a day that's a good loading stage for it. And while you work out it will all feed into your muscles.

Now with building

Ok there are many many different ways to do this. It depends on the person really. If you do 5 sets and totally kill you self. You may not be getting enough blood or movement and your heart will race up way to fast. And some blood flow might be lost in your muscles.

The thing I like about a 10 set is. You can pack up the pounds but 10 each stage. This really puts a lot of pounds on your muscles and you work them for longer. Plus it makes you much stronger

You can do this.

Say chest OK

Set 1 -- 10 reps --- at 140 pounds
Set2 --- 8 reps --- at 150 pounds
Set 3 -- 6 reps -- at 160 pounds... by this time you should be really feeling it
Set 4 -- 5- reps - at 170 pounds

Then this is the part I like after your done with that your chest will be really saw.. so what you do now is what they call the dead zone.. put some light weight ons
And do this

1-- set Until complete burn out -- 30 pounds

That way you will get tons of blood into your pecks. Or any body part your working on. And you won't hurt yourself if you burn out. You can put it back on the rack and rest for a few minutes

Do this with all your mueslis groups for a 2 weeks. Then mix it up again. Because you know the body loves to get use to work outs.

And on some days do Dead lifts.. that is pretty much the best way of building muscle because you are working out everything in your body. If you go crazy at that. It will make you so much stronger to lift even more pounds
Remember to pound the shakes.

Id take the creatine as well. Its not going to stunt your growth. The thing that would is if you use too much weights and the cartilage between the bones, get too much strain
But as I say your 17 and most mem stop at 18 to 20 anyway.

Creatine is vital for muscle repair and growth.

If you follow this plan for a month remember to change your work out days a bit every 2 weeks. You will be stronger and probable add an inch all over to your muscles

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TrueFaith

I take Creatine a lot from M.Tech and its great. powder form is probable better as you can take it after your done with your work out it just gets into you system better.

With the creatine. it should be a two week loading stage, where by you take it 2 times a day 1 as soon as you get up and 1 right after the gym

Why Protien as well is a very good thing to take. although it tastes awful :( i like the bars better.

You are 17 and you are still growing, lots of people say its unsafe and dont do it. but i have been taking that stuff for years and im perfectly fine. plus i have a great body to show for it.

With creatine you gotta work out really really hard. so your muscles can eat all that good stuff up come repair time. it say stack up your days to 5 times a week.

2 to 3 isnt that much and you shouldnt be taking that stuff on shuch a low training system.

You wanan do 15 mins of cardio to start off with. then jump onto the weights do chest and guns 1 day.. 4 sets of 10 starting off low and getting high on the wieghts by the end of the sets you wanna feel like your chest and arms are falling off. that will ripe your muscles and let the creatine and whey do its thing. very important that is. because if your not working out hard enough your just gonna get fat of the stuff.

then the next day do legs give your upper body a reset it only takes muscles 24 hours to repair. then the day after do Lats and lumbo. your back
then the day after do sholders tries and bies again

all the time do be doing abbs as well.

and to end up each gym season do 30mins cardio or 40 depending on how you feel

your looking at spending at least 2 hours in the gym.
working out really hard. you will bulk up with in 2 weeks

Hope this helps :)

---

I'm sorry, but the majority of this answer is false. Let's get a few facts straight first:

1. DO NOT load your creatine. It is a complete waste of time and money. This was an old theory YEARS ago when creatine first came out, to help saturate the muscles quicker. Your muscles are a sponge. They will be totally saturated with creatine in approx 28 days, whether you load up or not.

2. Creatine does absolutely nothing to your kidneys or liver, in a negative way. Creatine is NATURALLY produced by the body EVERYDAY... approx 2g worth. You also get it naturally from red meats, dairy products, etc. So how can it be harmful to your body when it produces it naturally? Creatine is used for muscle CONTRACTION. Your body NEEDS it to function. Along with sodium and potassium, creatine helps you lift harder and heavier.

3. Whey protein is a "food". Biologically, it is VERY good for your muscles during the repair stages. Your body will absorb more protein through shakes than it will with chicken breasts, fish, red meat, etc. Powder, naturally, is a better form than bars... it isn't processed as much. Stick with your shakes as an alternate source for protein, along with solid foods as already mentioned.

4. Just because you are taking creatine, it doesn't mean you have to workout out "really really hard". DO NOT put your body into a catabolic state. Damage your muscles too much, and it means less time in the gym for you. Overtraining will also kill your motivation, make you feel tired, and kills your appetite... 3 workouts per week is fine. I would even push for 4. Cut out your cardio. Cardio BURNS calories... you WANT calories to help you add weight, NOT lose them.

5. I will say it again, DON'T do cardio! Only do 15min prior to your weight training to get your heart going and your blood pumping. Calories are precious...

6. Spending 2 hours in the gym is a huge no-no. ONE hour tops! Get in and GET out! You do not GROW in the gym... you grow OUTSIDE of it. Put in your workout, and go home and eat eat eat. That's where your body repairs, adapts, and grows.

7. DIET! Diet is more important than workouts or any supplement you will take, ESPECIALLY protein! You protein intake should be higher than normal. You need calories to grow, and as long as you eat clean, you WON'T get fat.

Here are some basic rules to follow:

a) Consume calories at 14 times your body weight. So if you weigh 180lbs, you need At least 2520 calories per day to grow. As your body weight goes up, modify this number. Remember, the magic number is "14". You are 17 yrs old, and your metabolism is probably through the roof. It's hard to gain weight right? You need to fight your metabolism with good calories.

b) Comsume protein 1.5 times your body weight. So again, if you weigh 180lbs, you need At least 270g of protein per day. You need protein to repair muscle tissue. Carbs and fats won't do it alone. Protein and amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue.

I have been bodybuilding for 13 years now. I went from a skinny 147lb 17 yr old, to the 265lbs I am today. Trust me!

I hope this helps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MassNutrition

I'm sorry, but the majority of this answer is false. Let's get a few facts straight first:

1. DO NOT load your creatine. It is a complete waste of time and money. This was an old theory YEARS ago when creatine first came out, to help saturate the muscles quicker. Your muscles are a sponge. They will be totally saturated with creatine in approx 28 days, whether you load up or not.

2. Creatine does absolutely nothing to your kidneys or liver, in a negative way. Creatine is NATURALLY produced by the body EVERYDAY... approx 2g worth. You also get it naturally from red meats, dairy products, etc. So how can it be harmful to your body when it produces it naturally? Creatine is used for muscle CONTRACTION. Your body NEEDS it to function. Along with sodium and potassium, creatine helps you lift harder and heavier.

3. Whey protein is a "food". Biologically, it is VERY good for your muscles during the repair stages. Your body will absorb more protein through shakes than it will with chicken breasts, fish, red meat, etc. Powder, naturally, is a better form than bars... it isn't processed as much. Stick your your shakes as an alternate source for protein, along with solid foods as already mentioned.

4. Just because you are taking creatine, it doesnt mean you have to workout out "really really hard". DO NOT put your body into a catabolic state. Damage your muscles too much, and it means less time in the gym for you. Overtraining will also kill your motivation, make you feel tired, and kills your appetite... 3 workouts per week is fine. I would even push for 4. Cut out your cardio. Cardio BURNS calories... you WANT calories to help you add weight, NOT lose them.

5. I will say it again, DON'T do cardio! Only do 15min prior to your weight training to get your heart going and your blood pumping. Calories are precious...

6. Spending 2 hours in the gym is a huge no-no. ONE hour tops! Get in and GET out! You do not GROW in the gym... you grow OUTSIDE of it. Put in your workout, and go home and eat eat eat. Thats where your body repairs, adapts, and grows.

7. DIET! Diet is more important than workouts or any supplement you will take, ESPECIALLY protein! You protein intake should be higher than normal. You need calories to grow, and as long as you eat clean, you WON'T get fat.

Here are some basic rules to follow:

a) Consume calories at 14 times your body weight. So if you weigh 180lbs, you need ATLEAST 2520 calories per day to grow. As your body weight goes up, modify this number. Remember, the magic number is "14". You are 17 yrs old, and your metabolism is probably through the roof. It's hard to gain weight right? You need to fight your metabolism with good calories.

b) Comsume protein 1.5 times your body weight. So again, if you weigh 180lbs, you need ATLEAST 270g of protein per day. You need protein to repair muscle tissue. Carbs and fats won't do it alone. Protein and amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue.

I have been bodybuilding for 13 years now. I went from a skinny 147lb 17 yr old, to the 265lbs I am today. Trust me!

I hope this helps.

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Hey
Thanks a lot for the reply.
Anyway, something I haven't added is that I am not skinny. I have a little bit of fat, and I want to tone up as well as gain muscle mass.
My goal is to lose 5kgs fat and gain 5kgs muscle mass in a period of a couple months.
Do you think this is possible?
Terry

Is it possible? At the same time? That's a little sketchy. You can accomplish either one or the other in a 2 month period. The reason why I say this is because of diet, and what your meals and timing consist of. Also, to help lean you up faster, you would need to do more cardio, which I said NOT to do in my previous post.

Simply put, if you want to add the mass, eat more carbs and cut out your cardio. If you want to cut up and lean out, then eat less carbs, more protein, and do more cardio. I have only see this happen to a select few because they either had GREAT genetics, or were using a (or a few) performance enhancing drugs.

I would focus on one or the other. Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MassNutrition

Is it possible? At the same time? That's a little sketchy. You can accomplish either one or the other in a 2 month period. The reason why I say this is because of diet, and what your meals and timing consist of. Also, to help lean you up faster, you would need to do more cardio, which I said NOT to do in my previous post.

Simply put, if you want to add the mass, eat more carbs and cut out your cardio. If you want to cut up and lean out, then eat less carbs, more protein, and do more cardio. I have only see this happen to a select few because they either had GREAT genetics, or were using a (or a few) performance enhancing drugs.

I would focus on one or the other. Good luck.

---

Hey
Thanks again, do you think if I lose the pounds first it will be easier to gain muscle, or do you think that if I gain more muscle my metabolism will increase accordingly and it will just be easier to lose weight? I am not fat or overweight, just could do with some trimming. I mean if I go to the gym and do my weights I should become leaner anyway right?

With me I love lifting heavy wieghts. Cardio isn't fun for me. But yeah if you do want to trim down cardio is the best way.

Bulking up like mass said is a very good way of gaining mass and its more fun you find you eat more and have more engery. Than people on a high cardio low carb faze.

At the end of the day my friend as I said there are so many options you have to find what's best for you :) and what your body works with


Regards

Quote:

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Originally Posted by terrysiau

Hey
thanks again, do you think if I lose the pounds first it will be easier to gain muscle, or do you think that if I gain more muscle my metabolism will increase accordingly and it will just be easier to lose weight? I am not fat or overweight, just could do with some trimming. I mean if I go to the gym and do my weights I should become leaner anyway right?

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Absolutely! Gain the muscle first, then lose the fat. It will be SO much easier to burn off any stored fat when your metabolism is high. By increasing muscle mass first, you will be inceasing the muscle to fat ratio, given that you DON'T gain fat while bulking up. This is easily accomplished with a clean diet (complex carbs, good sources of protein, and essential fats).

Don't neglect your fats! Your omega 3-6-9 fats are very good for you, and believe it or not, they will help you lean up as well. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are my top choices, or you can buy a blend such as Udo's Oil that has the entire complex of 3-6-9.

Also, you will find that your strength will be much higher if you decide to gain the muscle first. Its called "cellular-leverage". With the added weight behind you with the few extra pounds you have, you will be able to push more, push heavier. It's a double whammy... you gain muscle FAST, and burn some fat at the same time... Good luck!

Quote:

---

1. DO NOT load your creatine. It is a complete waste of time and money. This was an old theory YEARS ago when creatine first came out, to help saturate the muscles quicker. Your muscles are a sponge. They will be totally saturated with creatine in approx 28 days, whether you load up or not.

2. Creatine does absolutely nothing to your kidneys or liver, in a negative way. Creatine is NATURALLY produced by the body EVERYDAY... approx 2g worth. You also get it naturally from red meats, dairy products, etc. So how can it be harmful to your body when it produces it naturally? Creatine is used for muscle CONTRACTION. Your body NEEDS it to function. Along with sodium and potassium, creatine helps you lift harder and heavier.

---

I'm confused. Is creatine good to take after working out, or no? It helps you lift harder and heavier, but you say DO NOT load your creatine, it's a complete waste of time and money. To take or not to take creatine?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jasonfnorth

I'm confused. Is creatine good to take after working out, or no? It helps you lift harder and heavier, but you say DO NOT load your creatine, it's a complete waste of time and money. To take or not to take creatine?

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I'm sorry, I should have clarified myself a little clearler in the previous post... Creatine is amazing to take AFTER a workout. Your serving after a workout should be about 5g, regardless of bodyweight. I have ventured off over the years and have tried 10g and even 15g servings of creatine AFTER a workout, and found no difference in strength or cell volumization.

5g of creatine after a workout is a "serving". When I mentioned "loading", it means taking 4 of those "servings" per day, spaced out evenly throughout the day, for one week. That's 20g of creatine a day, over the course of 7 days. This is called a "loading phase", which theoretically is suppose to saturate your muscles in a shorter period. Your muscles cannot absorb that much creatine over such a short period.

So as I said, DON'T bother "loading", I find it to be a waste of money. All you need to do is take your one 5g serving AFTER your workout, or first thing in the morning upon wakening on an empty stomach on non-workout days... Good luck!

Quote:

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you will be inceasing the muscle to fat ratio, given that you DON'T gain fat while bulking up. This is easily accomplished with a clean diet (complex carbs, good sources of protein, and essential fats)

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Thanks a ton for that clarification on Creatine! Your posts are VERY helpful. I'm also curious if you wouldn't mind elaborating, or pointing me to a good online resource to learn about the correct diet you mention for building muscle? You make a very good point about how the right diet (kinds of foods, and proper amounts) is critical... how do I arrive at what that diet is? Should I be eating a lot of fish, chicken, rice, veges, etc.. And how much if I weigh 200 lbs, and workout for an hour 3-4 days a week? ETC...

Thanks much,
Jason

Forget it, I'm finding lots on the web, such as:

Bodybuilding Nutrition - Sample Bodybuilding Diet

(I just hope it is good advice)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jasonfnorth

Forget it, I'm finding lots on the web, such as:

Bodybuilding Nutrition - Sample Bodybuilding Diet

(I just hope it is good advice)

---

This is a pretty good source for information to start with. Work with some of the information there to build a diet for yourself. Pick a diet which best suits your needs (ie. Bulking up, leaning out, dieting, or pre-contest). My diets change drastically from 16 weeks out BEFORE a contest, to the contest day itself.

Some rules-of-thumb I tell my clients is:
1. Multiply "14" by your bodyweight. This number will give you your basic caloric intake per day, based on your bodyweight. This amount of calories will help with muscle growth without over exceeding where it might add on bodyfat.

2. Eat 5 to 6 small meals per day, to help spread out those calories and proteins to keep your body in a steady state of muscle growth throughout the day.

3. Your protein intake should be the same as your bodyweight (ie. If you weight 200lbs, then eat 200g of protein per day). Again, spread this amount out over the course of the day with those 5 or 6 small meals (that adds up to about 33g to 40g of protein per meal).

The rest I'm sure you can piece together with the site you just found. Good luck!

Hi. I have been reading these posts and found them really helpful and I like the way you answer questions and give honest advice compared to some other sites where people just seem to rather argue and debate than actually answer the question. I am in the same situation. I am 17 and am working out. I'm considering whey protein and creatine and the method of lowering the reps but upping the weight is my preferred method in the gym. The thing is I have no proper routine, I just go from machine to machine without any real thought. Don't get me wrong I put in a good workout but there's no real structure to it. I want to bulk up as I am quite skinny but the thing is I am not willing to do this at the expense of my cardio fitness. I play Gaelic football and muscular strength and cardio are both equally important. I want to bulk up but also get that ripped look because hey who doesn't want that. Ant suggestions on finding a happy medium? Any suggestions are welcome. Cheers

Hey Cul,
I started this thread about two years ago and have made a lot of progress since. The advice I would give you is that if your body is used to going to the gym and has gotten into the habit of healing from workouts quite quickly, I would advise segregating muscle groups during each workout. In other words, you could do three sessions a week: one on only shoulders, one on back and biceps and one on chest and triceps. This will help you build much more mass and help with toning too. You should aim for 45-60 minute sessions and you should really push those muscles.
I also play football and tennis quite competitively so I have managed to fit those in my rest days.. ie

Monday - Shoulder workout
Tuesday - Football match
Wednesday - Chest/Triceps
Thursday - Tennis training
Friday - Back/Biceps
Weekend - one cardio/sport day, one rest day

Also obviously eating correctly is essential.. more protein, less carbs and definitely less fats.

Hope this helps

Quote:

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Originally Posted by terrysiau

Hey
thanks again, do you think if I lose the pounds first it will be easier to gain muscle, or do you think that if I gain more muscle my metabolism will increase accordingly and it will just be easier to lose weight? I am not fat or overweight, just could do with some trimming. I mean if I go to the gym and do my weights I should become leaner anyway right?

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I find this post very interesting as it seems to deal with the situation I am in.
I am 21 years of age and have been going to the gym 4 or 5 times a week for the last month.My workouts normally last between 1.5 to 2 hours.
I am 6ft tall and weigh in at just under 14 stone. I have a little bit of body fat in the chest and belly areas which I want to loose and tone up.

I have been receiving lots of mixed advice about what to do in terms of weights/cardio and mixed advice also about different supplements. I am watching what I eat carefully. I take whey protein, flax seed oil, multivitamins etc. and eat a high protein diet with lots of chicken and tuna. I have been trying to cut out carbs as much as possible.

I have been mixing things up between my cardio and my weights focusing on different muscle groups etc. and working on a treadmill/punchbag other days.
What I want to know is whether I should stick with the weights or focus more on cardio. I am concerned that I may build up muscle in my chest area but that the fat will remain on the outside so I will be strong but not very defined?

Should I try to loose as much weight as possible first through cardio... then go flat out at the weights to gain more definition. Or will the weights help to burn off this fat and help me to get lean and toned in the process?

Basically, should I try to lean down with cardio... then add muscle mass. Or will I automatically lean down from lifting the weights?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It depends on where you are now. If you have a lot of fat, then you need to lose it. If you are very skinny, you need to build muscle.

When you start in the gym, it's possible to do both, build muscle and lose fat at the same time, so make the most of this honeymoon period.

Lifting weights is a form of cardio. If your heart is not racing after a squat or deadlift session, you are not doing it right.

Ideally, I would suggest three days in the gym, concentrating on compound lifts like squat, bench, deadlift, military press, dips, lunges, stiff leg deadlift, pull-ups, rows, wood chopper. Lift heavy. You won't get too muscular, but you need to push out of your comfort zone to make progress.

Two hours in the gym is too long. If you are doing heavy compound lifts, you should be out of the pit in under 45 minutes. Even with warm-ups, and stretches and cool-downs, you shouldn't be much longer than an hour.

Then do three days of cardio. Try different kinds - running, cycling, rowing, spinning, punch bag. etc. Some days do HIIT, other days do longer sessions of moderate intensity.

One rest day.

Don't forget the fats. You need those as part of your diet, as well as plenty of veg. I'd take fish oil instead of the flax oil. Flax oil is more expensive, goes rancid easily and doesn't have such an available form of Omega 3.

Firstly thanks very much for the speedy reply.

I don't have a lot of fat. Just some belly fat and a bit on my chest. Nothing too major but I would still like to loose it. I wouldn't class myself as either skinny or fat... somewhere in the middle.

My heart does definitely be racing especially after dead lifts which I spent quite a while on in order to get the technique correct.
I do the majority of weightlifting techniques you suggested (dead lifts, bench/chest/shoulder presses, arnold press, lat pulldowns etc. etc. the list goes on. I try to alternate between shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest, forearms etc.
For cardio I do a lot of punchbag work and treadmill work (I follow an incline treadmill plan alternating between jogging, running, sprinting etc. not just maintaining the same consistent pace)

Will it be easier to loose the fat once I build up some muscle mass or would you recommend that I lean down first through cardio. I have been told NOT to do cardio and weights at the same time as the cardio could cancel out the muscle building effects. Should I concentrate on one or the other or should I alternate between the two.