-- Weightlifting & Nutrition Thread -- v9.0 Optimized

[dustyape]

Damn! But I'm not hater, why are you trying to gain more weight?

2 weeks ago I decided to get into some powerlifting. Ive been lifting in the only gym in NYC that has the proper equipment(monolift, chains, bands, ghr, reverse hyper) coliseum gym. I have to change my squat stance and work on my bench(which sucks). So I need to get to 220 to lift in the next meet.

[epikbeat]

2 weeks ago I decided to get into some powerlifting. Ive been lifting in the only gym in NYC that has the proper equipment(monolift, chains, bands, ghr, reverse hyper) coliseum gym. I have to change my squat stance and work on my bench(which sucks). So I need to get to 220 to lift in the next meet.

Shit, that sounds mad crazy. Good luck, to the both of us. :)

[Figcoinc]

I think you're relying a little too much on long-distance cardio. Also might wanna have better balance in your lifting days.

How much time do you have to lose the weight?

I would hope to lose this weight in 3 months. It could be 4 months. Just depends if I do decide to go into officer boot camp. I need to lose it anyway. I figure the longer I go the harder it would be for me to stick with it.


Figcoinc,

I'd probably get more protein in your diet. I'd also try and get some healthy fats such as from salmon, olive oil, etc. If you are serious eat 6 smaller portioned meals throughout the day. Eat lots of veggies and drink the water. Might want to start to take a fish oil supplement. Avoid your processed foods and you should see results.

Honestly, I believe the best starting program is Starting Strength. Fast and quick results.

That sounds good. I need to run though since I will experience that in boot camp.


Do NOT lift right after cardio. I suggest you space the two apart as far as possible, such as running in the morning (on an empty stomach to really burn the fat away) and lifting at night.

Why? It's cuz running takes away glycogen, which is a vital substance required for muscle building. Lifting without glycogen will be useless and even hurt your gains (as in you'll lose muscle). Takes a good 12 hours for glycogen stores to start up again, so run in the morning and lift at night.

Good shit, cutting soda and fried crap is a nice start, but don't go overboard. Try lean meats such as chicken breast and fish, they really help you keep, and even gain muscles during cutting phases. You don't want your body to start cannibalizing itself.

And dude, by all means run, like everyday. Because bootcamp will basically be that. 5 hour jogs will be commonplace there. Also, ramp up the push-ups and sit-ups, because you'll be doing them 100's at a time. You're not going to Mr. Olympia, you're going to bootcamp, so get your body use to the stuff that the sergeants will have you do. Those roid-heads will not last a minute in bootcamp. You need your body to crank out those push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, morning marathons like a machine.

I think I will do that. Wow, my laundry time is going to go up 2x. :rofl: I seriously need to ramp up the pushup/situps. I am very weak right now. I can do 25 situp straight, but the pushs up are HARD. Like 10 is a good set. Pisses me off because I used to be real strong. Like benching 275 4 times strong. That was over a decade ago. :sad:

I will run everyday. I just have to watch my knees. I got jumper knee braces though. This is going to be hard. I was a swimmer not a runner. I will still swim, but running is going to be 95% of my cardio.


Fig,

Careful with the knees, especially if you plan on running 5+ days a week. Pick out a good running shoe. If one leg is stronger than the other, put a knee strap on the weaker one. It will help keep your legs properly aligned as you run and reduce the chance of "runner's knee".

I got some mid-grade Asics. I have some knee straps too. Thanks for the tip. I will put it on my left leg since it is the weaker one. I have ankle spurs too. It sucks, but I will do what I can to help with that too.

[huynhs87]

Dusty what kind of numbers do you have? I'm kind of interested in competing too.

[Soldier Zero]

Hey Figcoinc, to really improve running, don't forget quality weight training.

Leg strength, balance, power, and all that what not is important to help you run well. It's your muscles that are going to keep moving you forward, so don't let cardio become the extreme bulk of your program.

[CWheezy]

Man, don't worry about having certain numbers or whatever.

The powerlifting community is competitive yes, but if you hit a pr with like a 300 squat, they will still cheer you on.

Its not like do or die, just go out and smash some weight

[dustyape]

Dusty what kind of numbers do you have? I'm kind of interested in competing too.

deadlift 485 (this friday I will hit 500)
squat 350 (still workin on the low bar technique)
bench (I still havent maxed on this lift yet)


Man, don't worry about having certain numbers or whatever.

The powerlifting community is competitive yes, but if you hit a pr with like a 300 squat, they will still cheer you on.

Its not like do or die, just go out and smash some weight

quoted for truth.

[Weeks]

So I was doing some bench today and I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder afterwards. It went away after about an hour, but I'm afraid to go and try doing bicep curls tomorrow. Do you think I should be okay? It's just a bit sore right now

[mooyang90]

So I was doing some bench today and I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder afterwards. It went away after about an hour, but I'm afraid to go and try doing bicep curls tomorrow. Do you think I should be okay? It's just a bit sore right now

Looks like you weren't properly warmed/stretched out. Yea, it should be O.K, just make sure to start of with low weight/high reps to get blood flowing into those muscles before going into the heavy reps.

[Ryad]

But an eye bleed sounds so much more impressive.

Haha. I'll be honest i thought it was an eye bleed too at first, in my head I thought "No fucking way"

[NHTRAN328]

Anyone have any advice on how to prevent shin splints? Even if try to warm up and stretch before and after my runs I can;t avoid it after 3-4 days of constant running...

I've also tried just taking it really easy and do only 1.5 miles per day... so far no luck... I'm too old now to just run through the pain...

[Capn Spanky]

I bought a logbook to log my progress. I am going to do 25 push ups, and 25 situps every morning and night. I am taking a multivitamin, and going to take that supplement "Animal Flex" for my joints.


My friend is in the Air Force academy right now. For his basic he was doing pushups in sets of 100. I would recommend trying to do more than 50 pushups a day and I would also consider switching to crunches instead of situps. Also, as mentioned earlier, pullups play a huge role in your boot camp training as will running. From what I understood about running at West Point Military Academy, they divide up into running groups based on speed and stamina. They then run alot. The number stated previously (5 hours, IIRC) seems like a brash hyperbole. According to my friend Luke, who went through basic training at West Point, their runs are around 6 miles.

Of course, I don't think basic training is exactly like boot camp, just similar. Good luck!

[Jorant]

Anyone have any advice on how to prevent shin splints? Even if try to warm up and stretch before and after my runs I can;t avoid it after 3-4 days of constant running...

From my experience, it's all about the shoes. I have a pair of shoes that I ALWAYS get shin splints in. Another pair, I can run all day long with no troubles... so, look into some good running shoes to start with.

[Figcoinc]

My friend is in the Air Force academy right now. For his basic he was doing pushups in sets of 100. I would recommend trying to do more than 50 pushups a day and I would also consider switching to crunches instead of situps. Also, as mentioned earlier, pullups play a huge role in your boot camp training as will running. From what I understood about running at West Point Military Academy, they divide up into running groups based on speed and stamina. They then run alot. The number stated previously (5 hours, IIRC) seems like a brash hyperbole. According to my friend Luke, who went through basic training at West Point, their runs are around 6 miles.

Of course, I don't think basic training is exactly like boot camp, just similar. Good luck!

Yeah I have a long way to go if I am going to go into officer boot camp. I am so weak right now that even 10 pushups is hard for me. I know I am supposed to say I can do higher, but I am being honest. I figure though with every morning doing this 25 will be easy in 2 weeks, and then I will push to 50 plus.

When it comes to running I need to push it. My knee got fucked up yesterday. So I might try to go to the gym and swim. Anything to push my endurance until I can put my feet on the track again.

I am not on a hard time limit, but if I can get to weight by end of June (losing 50 pounds) then I will be happy. I know it is possible, but hard. If it takes 4 months though then so be it.

[Slide]

Check out this youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961

This guy knows his stuff. Some great guides and training tips, aswell as nutritional stuff. The nutritional label reading, and the calorie intake stuff is something that I'm currently trying to follow. I like staying in shape.

I'd like to thank what's left of my military discipline lol

[Figcoinc]

Check out this youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961

This guy knows his stuff. Some great guides and training tips, aswell as nutritional stuff. The nutritional label reading, and the calorie intake stuff is something that I'm currently trying to follow. I like staying in shape.

I'd like to thank what's left of my military discipline lol

That guy is pretty good. I think I will take his advice on pushups. I seriously need to get that going. I won't feel like I am getting anywhere till I can run 2 miles straight, and got 25/25 push/situp per day. It may take a couple weeks to get there, but I am going to push for it.

[DaDesiCanadian]

I've finally go back into working out seriously, and it's such a good feeling.

I'm really really terrible at working with bodyweight. I struggle with pullups, both widearm and closegrip. I know the only way to get better is to keep doing them, but it's such a bitch. What would be the best pullups for working out your back?

[Slide]

That guy is pretty good. I think I will take his advice on pushups. I seriously need to get that going. I won't feel like I am getting anywhere till I can run 2 miles straight, and got 25/25 push/situp per day. It may take a couple weeks to get there, but I am going to push for it.

Good shit man.


I've finally go back into working out seriously, and it's such a good feeling.

I'm really really terrible at working with bodyweight. I struggle with pullups, both widearm and closegrip. I know the only way to get better is to keep doing them, but it's such a bitch. What would be the best pullups for working out your back?

Just do them all. Try this, do widearm with your left hand palm facing you, and your right hand palm facing out. Then switch grips. Then repeat the same thing for closer grip. Then on most days just do them regular, with your palms facing away, doing widearm and close grip regular. Just do them both and seperate the days.

One things for sure is that I should start doing pull ups again, haven't in a good while.

[Disciple of Ryu]

Anyone have any advice on how to prevent shin splints? Even if try to warm up and stretch before and after my runs I can;t avoid it after 3-4 days of constant running...

I've also tried just taking it really easy and do only 1.5 miles per day... so far no luck... I'm too old now to just run through the pain...



I will run everyday. I just have to watch my knees. I got jumper knee braces though. This is going to be hard. I was a swimmer not a runner. I will still swim, but running is going to be 95% of my cardio.


I would suggest trying the Couch to 5k program: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml. That's what I've been doing. Granted I've never been in shape and you're already running but you still might be pushing your body too hard. It also suggests taking a day off between each run to heal up.



Ok folks I may be getting into the Military in a couple months. If I lose around 45 pounds I should be ok. I know it is not going to be easy at all, but I am tough enough to do it. I asked for help prior, but to be honest I needed a goal. Not one of those "just to lose weight" type goals. Something that would hold me accountable type things.

This was my plan and you guys can tell me what is what.

Mon: Cardio for 1 hour. Then work on Legs.
Tues: Cardio for 2 hours.
Wed: Cardio for 1 hour. Then work on abs/back.
Thurs. Cardio for 2 hours.
Fri: Cardio for 1 hour. Then work on Arms/Shoulders
Sat: Cardio for 1 hour
Sun: REST


That is way too much exercise. I haven't been working out for long but like you my goal was/is to lose weight and get in good shape. I only exercise for 30-60 minutes. When I first started I was trying to do 2 hours of exercise but I was always feeling pain and discomfort in my knees but since toning it down I've been fine.

When I posted here asking for help a little under 2 months ago I received none and was met with hostility instead. However I stuck to my guns. I've been using running (the couch to 5k thing) and using various exercise dvds. Yeah, I know fad workout videos are taboo here but it works for me. I don't really have a set routine, I just do whatever I'm in the mood for. I'm down 20 pounds since I last posted here so I'd say it's working, lol.

My point, I guess, is that it doesn't really matter what you do as long as you are eating healthy and getting a good workout. Just stick too it and the pounds will come off. There is no need to kill yourself by over doing it. 3-4 months is plenty of time to get into great shape.

[Capn Spanky]

That guy is pretty good. I think I will take his advice on pushups. I seriously need to get that going. I won't feel like I am getting anywhere till I can run 2 miles straight, and got 25/25 push/situp per day. It may take a couple weeks to get there, but I am going to push for it.

I think I just misunderstood you when you said you were doing 25/25. As long as you keep adding to your number of reps everything should be fine, especially if you're giving yourself four months to do it. 2 miles really won't take that much time to work up to. How fast do you want to do it in though? I ran for about 3 months and managed to get my 2 mile time down to 12:30. Prior to that, I had no competitive running experience, and my mile time was about 9:30 / mile. I think it's good that you're being realistic with you're goals and I'll support you in any way I can. No cash donations though. :tup:

[Figcoinc]

I think I just misunderstood you when you said you were doing 25/25. As long as you keep adding to your number of reps everything should be fine, especially if you're giving yourself four months to do it. 2 miles really won't take that much time to work up to. How fast do you want to do it in though? I ran for about 3 months and managed to get my 2 mile time down to 12:30. Prior to that, I had no competitive running experience, and my mile time was about 9:30 / mile. I think it's good that you're being realistic with you're goals and I'll support you in any way I can. No cash donations though. :tup:

Well my first goal is endurance. Right now I am trying that couch to 5k thing. Since I am so heavy (232 pounds) I want to concentrate on endurance then speed. I will pick up speed when I can feel that I can hit a run endurance wise. Then push it up to the next level. I figure a ladder approach will work with running.

Be able to make 2 miles straight, then make that two miles faster, work up to three miles straight, speed up the 3 smiles, and pretty much keep that rhythm.

I figured 3-4 months is a ton of time to drop from 232 to 185, but I want this to be lifestyle changer for me. My body is very weird. I have to push myself hard to get myself going. When I played Water Polo I was very fat. Then I pushed the hell out of myself, and was in great shape by the end of the season. Then I kept pushing hard, and could do a triathlon easily.

I know now that is in my past. I want to be in shape, but unlike my early 20's late teens I am not doing it to "win" anything. I am doing it for my possible career, and for my health.

I failed in the past because I had the whole, "I must meet a certain weight to win" attitude. Now it is about my life, my future, and me accepting I have gotten older. I just know lurking beneath this 230 pounds is my old self. A little older, a little slower, a little weaker, but still good enough to tackle any physical challenge with ease.

[NHTRAN328]

From my experience, it's all about the shoes. I have a pair of shoes that I ALWAYS get shin splints in. Another pair, I can run all day long with no troubles... so, look into some good running shoes to start with.

Yea that was teh first thing i looked into i even went to an orthopedist. Recommended me some shoes and it fixed it for 2 weeks and it came bck...

I don;t know i'm stumped... Running is the only cardio for me that actually helps me lose weight also...

[DeathReaper47]

Here's something that always concerned me: calorie intake vs burned. If only eat 1000 calories a day(which isn't really a whole lot), and a do a stationary bike for 35 minutes, burning 500 calories, am I still only gaining weight? Do have to do exercise to the point of burning 1005 calories a day to see any kind of progress?

[HaiDuongRiceMan]

Your body burns calories doing a lot of things, not just working out. For example, you'll burn calories just sleeping.

So no, you won't have to ride that bike for an hour plus.

[jin11]

I've finally go back into working out seriously, and it's such a good feeling.

I'm really really terrible at working with bodyweight. I struggle with pullups, both widearm and closegrip. I know the only way to get better is to keep doing them, but it's such a bitch. What would be the best pullups for working out your back?
I believe the best version of pullups/chinups to work out your back would be the regular wide grip pull up.

It works the "Latissimus Dorsi" just grab as wide as you can do, and tie up your knees. If you want to get better at pullups, try using the assisted weight machines if your gym has one.

But yeah, besides that I don't think there's any other advice I can give. For me a close grip pull up works more towards my biceps, so I do those when I'm working on my biceps.


Here's something that always concerned me: calorie intake vs burned. If only eat 1000 calories a day(which isn't really a whole lot), and a do a stationary bike for 35 minutes, burning 500 calories, am I still only gaining weight? Do have to do exercise to the point of burning 1005 calories a day to see any kind of progress?

There's a couple of things that need to be adjusted in this picture though. Eating 1000 calories is VERY unrealistic. YES possible, but you just would not have any energy and be tired all day long. Instead think of a more realistic number such as 2500 or even 2000.

The general rule for losing WEIGHT - burn more calories then you intake.
The general rule for burning FAT - burn about 3500 calories (1 lb of fat) at a moderate heart rate.

Depending on what your goals are, you have to follow the one that fits you best. Go at low to medium intensity if your new, and trying to get rid of fat.

Losing weight is more so for bodybuilders, or pro-fighters who try to make weight classes, and end up losing a bit of muscle to sacrifice for their cardio. While fat burn is a more long, slower process.

Just my 2c.

[DeathReaper47]

Ok thanks guys, 2000 sounds like a pretty good number. I was wondering if I had to starve myself to get to a good weight.

[Ryad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5groVHlMkRE

[Anti-Freak]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5groVHlMkRE

crazy, back in school i kinda went nuts lifting. my max at the dead lift was about 600... nearly shit my self ha

[Soldier Zero]

He made that deadlift look like nothing, ridiculous.

Found this (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFitCast) a little earlier, pretty good videos for instruction.

[tech master]

seriously, looked like he could have added some more weight on that dead lift. thats just crazy

[huynhs87]

Woot 320 x 5 squat tonight. It's gonna be insane a new PR. It's the last week of the loading phase and man has it been tough. It really pushed me further than I thought I could go.


Squat Rx is a good series

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C03D688F10C4DE1F

[dialupsucky]

Since teh search thing at SRK is ghetto as fuck now I cant search to tell or not... But has anyone gone through the p90x thing? How did it work for them? I just started myself...


http://community.webshots.com/album/571273065SrfTOm


Anyone have before after pics of them and how it worked out?

[KaizenStrife]

Since teh search thing at SRK is ghetto as fuck now I cant search to tell or not... But has anyone gone through the p90x thing? How did it work for them? I just started myself...


http://community.webshots.com/album/571273065SrfTOm


Anyone have before after pics of them and how it worked out?

Im barely doing p90x..im on my 2nd week..I use bands though(20lbs)

[Figcoinc]

I have some sucesses to say. I am still working out, and training. I am up to doing 30 minutes at 5.0 speed on the treadmill.

I also lost some weight. I was 234 when I first started. Now I am at 224. Slowly but surely I will lose this weight. :tup:

Here is my problem. I am slowly but surely getting my situps up. I can not do a lot at one time (30 or so per set), but I am having a horrible time with pushups.

I have tried doing chest exercises with weights, and doing pushups against a chair or something. I can only do 15 to 20 at a time. I feel so fucking weak. Any tips on getting that number up, or at least exercises that will help gain strength in that area? I know when I lose weight it will be easier, but I would like to do more than 15 at a time. :bgrin:

[Soldier Zero]

Here is my problem. I am slowly but surely getting my situps up. I can not do a lot at one time (30 or so per set), but I am having a horrible time with pushups.

I have tried doing chest exercises with weights, and doing pushups against a chair or something. I can only do 15 to 20 at a time. I feel so fucking weak. Any tips on getting that number up, or at least exercises that will help gain strength in that area? I know when I lose weight it will be easier, but I would like to do more than 15 at a time. :bgrin:

You could try push up variations or increase the range-of-motion by elevating yourself on something like cinder blocks (1 under each hand, 1 to put your feet up).

[CWheezy]

Why are you doing pushups and situps again?

[huynhs87]

I think he's preparing for the military.

Hmm, I used to not be able to do too many pushups because my chest was really really weak. Like when I started benching, board presses, rack presses, etc. I was struggling really hard. Keep doing pushups and incorporate other chest exercises.

Oh, try weighted situps. Change up the incline/decline. Cable crunch. Swiss Ball and other variations.

[DBR x Justice]

dont know if poster incorporated that there are 3 different body types.

The ECTOMORPH

* Definitive "Hard Gainer"
* Delicate Built Body
* Flat Chest
* Fragile
* Lean
* Lightly Muscled
* Small Shouldered
* Takes Longer to Gain Muscle
* Thin

The MESOMORPH

* Athletic
* Hard Body
* Hourglass Shaped (Female)
* Rectangular Shaped (Male)
* Mature Muscle Mass
* Muscular Body
* Excellent Posture
* Gains Muscle Easily
* Gains Fat More Easily Than Ectomorphs
* Thick Skin
The ENDOMORPH

The body of the extreme endomorph is round and soft. The physique presents the illusion that much of the mass has been concentrated in the abdominal area. This may or may not be true. The arms and legs of the extreme endomorph are short in length and taper. This may give the appearance of stalkiness. The hands and feet of the endomorph are comparatively small, and the upper arms and thighs are often more developed than the lower parts of the arms or legs. The body has a high waist.

http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/bodytypeinformation.html



i am 16, not done growing but my bones are very little except i can DB PRESS 65 and put up heavy weight in all exercises. like i said im nojt done growing, but if i had to call myself one of three body types i would say ectomorph (damnit...)

[donaldducktm]

Thoughts on this?

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Whey-Protein-Complex-with-BCAAs-Glutamine-and-Glutamine-Precursors

[Soldier Zero]

Thoughts on this?

http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Whey-Protein-Complex-with-BCAAs-Glutamine-and-Glutamine-Precursors

Probably wanna try for one that comes with digestive enzymes in it or buy them separate & mix'em in yourself.

[fistoftheryustar]

is it possible some guys just get bigger pumps than other guys? like say two guys work out and reach maximum pump, so they are swoled as fuck. but one guy gets 20% increase in the size of his muscle, while the other guy's muscles look 30% bigger at max pump. how often does this happen? is it possible some guys just get a bigger look when they reach the same level of pump?

[BlodiaVulcan5]

hiya again. I've reached my weight goal of 170 @ 5' 7-8" tall, but i've still got a belly to shrink. exactly a year ago i weighed 284lbs, so i pretty much loss 100lbs. I'm currently on a Building up routine for gaining muscle, which is coming along, but the thing i'm concerned about right now is my mid section. From losing all that weight, the "sections of fat" are still present, but what can i do to trim that down so i that my pants fit better?

Should i adjust my diet to burn more fat? Or what i'm really looking for is what exercises should i do to crunch my stomach down a bit? I need it to be less squishy and more firm, but i'm not looking for the rock-hard ab look. I've only been doing regular sit-ups (straight rotation from laying down to sitting up) for awhile, and there really hasn't been a change. I need a couple more exercises to focus on my stomach.

[Weeks]

i started out doing super shit on the benchpress
now i'm doing almost double, which is good improvement for me.

but on the biceps, i'm barely seeing any improvement in weight i can lift. any ideas? i've been doing preacher curls, bicep curls, and the boat-type pulling thing

been a month and a half since i started

[thurst]

i'm about to hit the gym for the first time in a long ass time, i never really had any program i would pretty much just do whatever the person i was going with was doing. that said, are there any really simple workouts that i could do? i'm not really trying to be walking around writing shit down in the gym.

last time i went to the gym i was maxing at:
bench: 210
squat 220-225
deadlift: ???
curls: 50

my goal was to bench my weight and i almost got there (i was 215 at the time), but i got sick and then i graduated so i lost easy access to the gym so what's a good goal to have strength wise?

[Biggzy]

i started out doing super shit on the benchpress
now i'm doing almost double, which is good improvement for me.

but on the biceps, i'm barely seeing any improvement in weight i can lift. any ideas? i've been doing preacher curls, bicep curls, and the boat-type pulling thing

been a month and a half since i started

I would suggest lifting heavy on back exercises. Things like rows, bent over rows. Also, I do this thing after I shower where I take a towel and wrap it around my waist and do some curls with it. It sounds retarded but I get the best pump, better than any bicep exercise I do in the gym.

[Soldier Zero]

what can i do to trim that down so i that my pants fit better?

Should i adjust my diet to burn more fat? Or what i'm really looking for is what exercises should i do to crunch my stomach down a bit? I need it to be less squishy and more firm, but i'm not looking for the rock-hard ab look. I've only been doing regular sit-ups (straight rotation from laying down to sitting up) for awhile, and there really hasn't been a change. I need a couple more exercises to focus on my stomach.

Re-adjusting diet would definitely be good. What you did 4-6 weeks ago won't be as effective now. Reverse crunches, low-pully cable woodchops, and BB rollouts are ones I like for midsection.


i started out doing super shit on the benchpress
now i'm doing almost double, which is good improvement for me.

but on the biceps, i'm barely seeing any improvement in weight i can lift. any ideas? i've been doing preacher curls, bicep curls, and the boat-type pulling thing

been a month and a half since i started

Super close chin-ups are pretty taxing on the arms IMO.


i'm about to hit the gym for the first time in a long ass time, i never really had any program i would pretty much just do whatever the person i was going with was doing. that said, are there any really simple workouts that i could do? i'm not really trying to be walking around writing shit down in the gym.

last time i went to the gym i was maxing at:
bench: 210
squat 220-225
deadlift: ???
curls: 50

my goal was to bench my weight and i almost got there (i was 215 at the time), but i got sick and then i graduated so i lost easy access to the gym so what's a good goal to have strength wise?

stronglifts.com has a straight-forward program for free.

[-Beat-]

Woot 320 x 5 squat tonight. It's gonna be insane a new PR. It's the last week of the loading phase and man has it been tough. It really pushed me further than I thought I could go.


Squat Rx is a good series

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C03D688F10C4DE1F
:tup: Good videos, and keep it up on the squats!
I just did 265 x 6 ass-to-grass squats on my last set.

[huynhs87]

hiya again. I've reached my weight goal of 170 @ 5' 7-8" tall, but i've still got a belly to shrink. exactly a year ago i weighed 284lbs, so i pretty much loss 100lbs. I'm currently on a Building up routine for gaining muscle, which is coming along, but the thing i'm concerned about right now is my mid section. From losing all that weight, the "sections of fat" are still present, but what can i do to trim that down so i that my pants fit better?

Should i adjust my diet to burn more fat? Or what i'm really looking for is what exercises should i do to crunch my stomach down a bit? I need it to be less squishy and more firm, but i'm not looking for the rock-hard ab look. I've only been doing regular sit-ups (straight rotation from laying down to sitting up) for awhile, and there really hasn't been a change. I need a couple more exercises to focus on my stomach.

Well, if you want to get rid of fat you have to burn fat from your whole body. You can't have spot reduction so what I personally did for fat loss is lift very heavy using compound exercises. I do interval training which is early morning sprints. Lastly I changed up my diet to be very clean, fibrous, and high in protein. Again with ab exercises, there are tons. Personally I do this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izDf0MCR2DU


my goal was to bench my weight and i almost got there (i was 215 at the time), but i got sick and then i graduated so i lost easy access to the gym so what's a good goal to have strength wise?

A good measure for strength in the aforementioned lifts I think are:

1.25x body weight bench press
1.5x body weight squat
1.5x body weight deadlift
.4x body weight for curls

You may be lagging in some areas but don't get discouraged and keep at it.


Lastly, cutting sucks. Stupid summer time.

[BlodiaVulcan5]

I run 2 miles everyday (average 20 mins), and 1 hour weightlifting mon/wed/fri. My diet consists of 3 small healthy meals a day, and 1 regular meal with the family, and also drinking a protein shake. I think i should change it up a bit and add more fiber. I just did a test run of that ab circuit in the video you provided, and man do i feel it. Upper abs mostly. I like it, i'll add it on to my routine.

[Capn Spanky]

For those interested in Body Transformation Challenge # 2:

http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=187959

[tech master]

after a good work out, how long are you supposed to sleep that night? My body usually sits there craving for 12 hours but i feel like a complete bum when i do that.

[huynhs87]

Hmm I shoot for 8 hours but that never happens so I compensate with green tea lol.

[Soldier Zero]

after a good work out, how long are you supposed to sleep that night? My body usually sits there craving for 12 hours but i feel like a complete bum when i do that.

7 1/2 to 9 hours is good. It's possible to sleep too much causing a lethargic feeling.

[tech master]

7 1/2 to 9 hours is good. It's possible to sleep too much causing a lethargic feeling.

well aside from feeling all shitty, are there benefits to resting longer? I usually have no problem waking up after 8 hours but lately i've been having some reaaaally good workouts and it seems like my body is screaming for 12 hours of sleep haha.

[Soldier Zero]

well aside from feeling all shitty, are there benefits to resting longer? I usually have no problem waking up after 8 hours but lately i've been having some reaaaally good workouts and it seems like my body is creaming for 12 hours of sleep haha.

No idea, but I'll take a guess and suggest you might not be supplying enough food for the demanding workouts? Just a thought. You could test it out by increasing food and keeping sleep at around 8 hours then see how you feel after 3-4 days (or even a week).

[Frozen Wings]

Apparently the FDA is recalling all Hydroxycut products due to potential liver damage:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_he_me/us_med_diet_pill_recall

There have been 23 reports of liver damage, with one death. Makes you wonder how many of those 23 were taking more than they should.

[LongSh0t]

I'm a skinny guy trying to bulk up for the summer. If I did a full body workout 5 times a wek instead of only 3 times a week, would I get bigger, faster gains? Or, do muscles need more rest? My desk jobs demands that I do a lot of sitting during the day. If I were more active, I wouldn't consider working out more than 3 times a week, but...

[Epicurus]

I'm a skinny guy trying to bulk up for the summer. If I did a full body workout 5 times a wek instead of only 3 times a week, would I get bigger, faster gains? Or, do muscles need more rest? My desk jobs demands that I do a lot of sitting during the day. If I were more active, I wouldn't consider working out more than 3 times a week, but...

NOPE. You don't make muscle in the gym, you make muscle as you rest after hitting the gym. 5x a week fullbody is overkill even for guys on roids with super genetics.

3x a week, mon/wed/fri is ideal for a skinny guy.

keep the reps low 7-9 and the workout intense.
eat a lot.
sleep 8hrs.

protein eat it and drink it.

[huynhs87]

I'm a skinny guy trying to bulk up for the summer. If I did a full body workout 5 times a wek instead of only 3 times a week, would I get bigger, faster gains? Or, do muscles need more rest? My desk jobs demands that I do a lot of sitting during the day. If I were more active, I wouldn't consider working out more than 3 times a week, but...

Also, don't bro it up at the gym. Add these three lifts and push yourself hard.

1. Squat. Do it a lot and squat heavy.
2. Deadlift. Once a week, and go as heavy as you can.
3. Bench. Great lift.

Eat a lot as well. Like a lot a lot because for me the term skinny implies difficulty putting on mass. Post your program up and routines. Maybe we can help.

[Seta]

My bench is really weak and it feels like I've plateaued at a really low weight (max is about 150 lbs and I can only rep 135 5-6 times before failure). It's been like this for the last few weeks and it doesn't seem like I'm making any progress. It does seem like my triceps are the first muscle to give out and the muscle that gets really, really tired after a set. My chest is pretty sore after the workout but not nearly as sore/tired during the workout so I'm not sure if it's a tricep weakness that's causing me to stagnate here. Any tips on increasing my bench press? I make progress in almost every lift (albeit slow. assuming the corticosteroid medication I'm on is halting a lot of progres) except the bench press which actually feels quite depressing.

[Rhio2k]

Dammit, I can't find time to get more than 6 - 6 1/2 hours of sleep...and when I have more time available to me, I still drift awake after around 6 hours, then go back to sleep until...well, until the alarm goes off.

[Soldier Zero]

My bench is really weak and it feels like I've plateaued at a really low weight (max is about 150 lbs and I can only rep 135 5-6 times before failure). It's been like this for the last few weeks and it doesn't seem like I'm making any progress. It does seem like my triceps are the first muscle to give out and the muscle that gets really, really tired after a set. My chest is pretty sore after the workout but not nearly as sore/tired during the workout so I'm not sure if it's a tricep weakness that's causing me to stagnate here. Any tips on increasing my bench press? I make progress in almost every lift (albeit slow. assuming the corticosteroid medication I'm on is halting a lot of progres) except the bench press which actually feels quite depressing.

Supplement with dips?

A good bench press technique is also vital. Make sure you're squeezing the bar as hard as possible and trying to rip it apart. This activates your lats more and creates a more stable base to bench off from.

[SEbastard]

I'm a skinny guy trying to bulk up for the summer. If I did a full body workout 5 times a wek instead of only 3 times a week, would I get bigger, faster gains? Or, do muscles need more rest? My desk jobs demands that I do a lot of sitting during the day. If I were more active, I wouldn't consider working out more than 3 times a week, but...

You could also do a 3 day split, twice, that way you have a lot of rest between workouts (on a per bodypart basis) No way should you do full body like that.

As a skinny guy though, nutrition is going to be your biggest concern. Make sure you are taking in a fuckton of calories per day to grow.

[huynhs87]

My bench is really weak and it feels like I've plateaued at a really low weight (max is about 150 lbs and I can only rep 135 5-6 times before failure). It's been like this for the last few weeks and it doesn't seem like I'm making any progress. It does seem like my triceps are the first muscle to give out and the muscle that gets really, really tired after a set. My chest is pretty sore after the workout but not nearly as sore/tired during the workout so I'm not sure if it's a tricep weakness that's causing me to stagnate here. Any tips on increasing my bench press? I make progress in almost every lift (albeit slow. assuming the corticosteroid medication I'm on is halting a lot of progres) except the bench press which actually feels quite depressing.

Dips are a good supplemental exercise. For me, my bench was getting stuck because I think my front delts were weak. I supplemented with rack presses, and incline bench. I do tricep work as well. Also make sure you have good bench form. Feet firmly on the ground, your lats press into the bench, chest up, back arch, and keep your elbows tight and close.

Also if you are having trouble busting the plateau doing a lot of reps can help stimulate neural gains. Most newbie gains are neural. I would either do some sort of progression program or do something like 3x10 @ 115, since just stimulating the muscle will help at this level.

[LongSh0t]

My bench is really weak and it feels like I've plateaued at a really low weight (max is about 150 lbs and I can only rep 135 5-6 times before failure). It's been like this for the last few weeks and it doesn't seem like I'm making any progress. It does seem like my triceps are the first muscle to give out and the muscle that gets really, really tired after a set. My chest is pretty sore after the workout but not nearly as sore/tired during the workout so I'm not sure if it's a tricep weakness that's causing me to stagnate here. Any tips on increasing my bench press? I make progress in almost every lift (albeit slow. assuming the corticosteroid medication I'm on is halting a lot of progres) except the bench press which actually feels quite depressing.

Hey thanks. I came to this board about two years and got some great advice. I gained 10 pounds and managed to keep it, however, I never took nutrition seriously. Also, life kept me from going to the gym consistently. I’d go for a few months straight, but then had to quit when work and school got too hectic. Now that the summer is here, I mean to take this very seriously (it’s swimsuit season and I’m single, lol) now that I have time.

I’ve just finished my recovery period from my inactivity. Starting this week, every MWF, my routine looks like this:

Bench Press
Leg Raises (on a bench. Not strong enough to do them hanging. Thinking of doing some crunches too)
Leans (for the oblique’s)
Behind-the-neck press
Sitting cable row
Deltoid raises
Pulldowns
Shrugs
Calf raise
Deadlift
Hack squat (machine)
Curls
Triceps extension (I use a machine for this. Free weights make a ligament/tendon in my left elbow snap and it hurts)
Wrist curls

As for my diet, I eat every two or three hours. It’s something like:

7:30 – Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal or Cheerios/Kashi
10 – a can of low sodium V8
12:30 – Lunch (usually brown rice, chicken, black beans and tomatoes OR a turkey sandwich on “protein Plus” bread with a banana)
3 – more oatmeal
5 – Protein Shake
6 some apple juice (for gym energy)
7 – another shake
9 – dinner (usually a wild card. I try to make it chicken and veggies)

If I get hungry in-between, I try to eat a banana or a protein bar. I read somewhere that high protein diets cause the pH level of blood to become more acidic, hindering muscle growth. Therefore, I try to eat bananas to use the potassium to restore pH balance in the blood.

So how does that look? I’m on the right track, aren’t I?

Thanks again.

[gguseila]

Hey thanks. I came to this board about two years and got some great advice. I gained 10 pounds and managed to keep it, however, I never took nutrition seriously. Also, life kept me from going to the gym consistently. I’d go for a few months straight, but then had to quit when work and school got too hectic. Now that the summer is here, I mean to take this very seriously (it’s swimsuit season and I’m single, lol) now that I have time.

I’ve just finished my recovery period from my inactivity. Starting this week, every MWF, my routine looks like this:

Bench Press
Leg Raises (on a bench. Not strong enough to do them hanging. Thinking of doing some crunches too)
Leans (for the oblique’s)
Behind-the-neck press
Sitting cable row
Deltoid raises
Pulldowns
Shrugs
Calf raise
Deadlift
Hack squat (machine)
Curls
Triceps extension (I use a machine for this. Free weights make a ligament/tendon in my left elbow snap and it hurts)
Wrist curls

As for my diet, I eat every two or three hours. It’s something like:

7:30 – Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal or Cheerios/Kashi
10 – a can of low sodium V8
12:30 – Lunch (usually brown rice, chicken, black beans and tomatoes OR a turkey sandwich on “protein Plus” bread with a banana)
3 – more oatmeal
5 – Protein Shake
6 some apple juice (for gym energy)
7 – another shake
9 – dinner (usually a wild card. I try to make it chicken and veggies)

If I get hungry in-between, I try to eat a banana or a protein bar. I read somewhere that high protein diets cause the pH level of blood to become more acidic, hindering muscle growth. Therefore, I try to eat bananas to use the potassium to restore pH balance in the blood.

So how does that look? I’m on the right track, aren’t I?

Thanks again.

Not sure if you're doing all those exercises each day but you'll definitely want to cut it down a little bit. Usually about 6-8 works for me.

Just from my experience, I usually lead off with at least 2 of the big 3 [bench, squat, deads] and finish off with 4 or 5 other exercises. You can rotate the ones you got listed.

Maybe throw in some whey first thing in the morning along with breakfast.

Just random thoughts but I like what you got there.

[Trix]

Ok, so before last Thursday, I hadn't worked out in like 3 1/2 or 4 months, yet I ended up benching the most I've ever had in my life. Granted, I was pretty much doing 1 reps and increasing the weight, but still, it felt so damn good.

Most of this was probably due to the fact that at my work (warehouse), which I've had since last August, it's lifting in and of itself, cuz I sometimes carry heavy boxes or a lot of little boxes and shit, or push a lot of shit.

But yeah, that felt damn good, and I'm goin back to the gym now at least twice a week, and keep tryin to bulk up, then do some cutting. Don't underestimate a good hardworking job I guess. lol

[LongSh0t]

Not sure if you're doing all those exercises each day but you'll definitely want to cut it down a little bit. Usually about 6-8 works for me.

Just from my experience, I usually lead off with at least 2 of the big 3 [bench, squat, deads] and finish off with 4 or 5 other exercises. You can rotate the ones you got listed.

Maybe throw in some whey first thing in the morning along with breakfast.

Just random thoughts but I like what you got there.

Those are the exercises I do each time I hit the gym. I would like to cut down the amount of different exercises I do, just for the sake of time. However, doesn't muscle mass begin to decrease after three days of inactivity? If I rotated, that would mean I wouldn't get any gains (or, at least, they would be slower), right?

[Soldier Zero]

As for my diet, I eat every two or three hours. It’s something like:

7:30 – Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal or Cheerios/Kashi
10 – a can of low sodium V8
12:30 – Lunch (usually brown rice, chicken, black beans and tomatoes OR a turkey sandwich on “protein Plus” bread with a banana)
3 – more oatmeal
5 – Protein Shake
6 some apple juice (for gym energy)
7 – another shake
9 – dinner (usually a wild card. I try to make it chicken and veggies)

If I get hungry in-between, I try to eat a banana or a protein bar. I read somewhere that high protein diets cause the pH level of blood to become more acidic, hindering muscle growth. Therefore, I try to eat bananas to use the potassium to restore pH balance in the blood.

So how does that look? I’m on the right track, aren’t I?

Thanks again.

Hey.

Balancing acidic foods with alkaline foods is usually done with vegetables. I'm not sure how they're classified, but I read it in Metabolism Advantage.

Some all natural peanut butter once a day would be good too with the V8 or protein shake at 5. Just do one serving, I think it's like 2 tablespoons.

Also, breakfast looks somewhat small compared to your other 2 big meals, it might good to add something else to make it a more filling meal.

Hope that helps.

[huynhs87]

Hey Longshot, do you know how many calories that is? If you calculated your base metabolic rate, and what you are eating is below that number, it's going to be very difficult to gain. Just shoot for 10% more than the base metabolic rate and you should be golden for bulk.

[Pablo_the_Mex]

I tried eating oatmeal for breakfast. That lasted about a week. It was pointless because I would be hungry within an hour. I still don't know what a good yet healthy breakfast consists of yet. IMO, breakfast should be a beastly meal. If you are going to splurge on one meal of the day it should be the first.

[Black Chanler]

Generally speaking, how long do you think 1lb of whey would last?

[LongSh0t]

Hey Longshot, do you know how many calories that is? If you calculated your base metabolic rate, and what you are eating is below that number, it's going to be very difficult to gain. Just shoot for 10% more than the base metabolic rate and you should be golden for bulk.

I think it comes out to be around 1600-1900 calories a day.
But normal people need at least 2000, right? I'm guessing ya'll will advise me to eat more. I've been going for "cut" gains, so I've been avoiding fatty foods. What could I add or replace in my diet then?

[huynhs87]

@ Pablo

I usually eat 4 eggs, and maybe some oatmeal. Eggs are fantastic, also you can add a protein shake if you'd like.

@ Black Chanler

I buy 5lb jugs and use 2 scoops in every shake every day and that equates to about 30 days. So I'm guessing 2 weeks if you use 1 scoop every day and 1 week if you use 2 scoops every day.

@ LongShot

That 2000 calorie mark is just a benchmark. It is by no means concrete for healthy people.

Using the Harris - Benedict Formula
BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age) is for men.

Then you factor in activity level so you multiply that by

1.0 for sedentary
1.2 for very light activity
1.4 for light activity
1.6 for moderate activity
1.8 for high activity
2.0 for extremely high activity

For me mine is ~3050. I eat about 3000-3200 calories a day and have been maintaining weight since.

[SEbastard]

I tried eating oatmeal for breakfast. That lasted about a week. It was pointless because I would be hungry within an hour. I still don't know what a good yet healthy breakfast consists of yet. IMO, breakfast should be a beastly meal. If you are going to splurge on one meal of the day it should be the first.

Did you eat anything with the oatmeal? Some fats, some protein?....

3 large whole eggs, a bowl of oats with some berries or banana should keep you full through lunch.

[Zero]

It's been a long time since i posted here, but I figured now would be a good time to start again.
...I got the P90X system.

...I may post periodically, but I'll at least post on Day 90 and let you know how it went.


That's really great to hear that you're sticking to the guide in all areas. I went through 90 days of P90x ... I only wish that I had some dumbbells to use instead of resistance bands because I know I could be even better if I did. Still, keep up with it, it really does work.


Good luck man. This last week I know two friends who just started P90X as well.

Thanks for the replies guys. I just finished P90X and I'm very pleased with the results. I lost about 30 pounds and 3in off my waist. I'm starting my 2nd cycle today, this time, I'm doing doubles.

I'm really excited about this program. I think this is the one that'll get me over this hump I've been working on for the past 5 years and get myself physically where I want to be by this fall.

So ya, I recommend it.

[LongSh0t]

What about all of the cholesterol in eggs? Three of them exceed the DV for cholesterol.

My BMR comes out to about 1700-2050 (depending on the definition of activity).

I guess you can't cut and bulk at the same time, so I should try to eat more calories. Could I add a PB&J sandwich to my daily diet? Any limits on the type of PB or J?

When I do want to work on cutting, would I have to do straight up cardio, or something else?

[Halvie]

What about all of the cholesterol in eggs? Three of them exceed the DV for cholesterol.

My BMR comes out to about 1700-2050 (depending on the definition of activity).

I guess you can't cut and bulk at the same time, so I should try to eat more calories. Could I add a PB&J sandwich to my daily diet?

When I do want to work on cutting, would I have to do straight up cardio, or something else?

Just eat the whites

[Laishin]

longsh0t...did u gain (or bulk) by just having 2k calories of food?

Because it sounds like you're an ectomorph, but you want to work on cutting? :looney:

[LongSh0t]

longsh0t...did u gain (or bulk) by just having 2k calories of food?

Because it sounds like you're an ectomorph, but you want to work on cutting? :looney:

Yah, I'm an ectomorph. Back in the day when I gained, I ate all kinds of shit with no regard: cake, candy, ice cream, cheeseburgers, cheese steak, hot dogs w/cheese in 'em, Burgerking triple stack value meals, etc. and I gained. My appetite doesn't really suit my look. But, my peers were eating healthy and looked better than me. I've got a sort-of Mr. T. type build happening. My upper-body is kind of cut (but much wimpy-er than Mr. T) and I've got a pot belly (but a size 30 waist, WTF?). Originally, I only wanted to be stronger. Now, I'm more interested in getting sexy. Therefore, I've removed as much fat as I can from my diet (i.e. no more candy, cheese, or beef and more grains and veggies). But I guess I need more calories, (not more fat) to do this right.

Now that I stop to think about it, the only part of me that really needs cutting are my abs and, to a degree, my thighs... I guess that will come with my current routine and diet?

[maelstrom218]

So. . .is it possible to get cut and gain muscle mass at the same time? Because recently I've been on a weight gain diet (i.e. high fiber/protein/eat anything like cheese, peanut butter, burgers), and obviously this kind of diet isn't really conducive to a low body fat %.

So I've been thinking about doing hardcore cardio in the mornings. . .except I'm concerned that it would cut into possible weight gains. Any ideas on how to accomplish both?

[SEbastard]

What about all of the cholesterol in eggs? Three of them exceed the DV for cholesterol.

My BMR comes out to about 1700-2050 (depending on the definition of activity).

I guess you can't cut and bulk at the same time, so I should try to eat more calories. Could I add a PB&J sandwich to my daily diet? Any limits on the type of PB or J?

When I do want to work on cutting, would I have to do straight up cardio, or something else?

Dietary cholesterol having an effect on blood cholesterol is a myth. It's recently been debunked in numerous publications (do a google search, or pick up a MNF or flex recently).

Saturated fat and trans fat have more of an impact on blood cholesterol levels, by far.

I forget the numbers, but there was a recent study that showed weight lifters eating 3 whole eggs a day put on significantly more mass than those that didn't. It's kind of the new thing, if you look at 90% of sample menu diet type things in fitness mags, they usually do 3 whole eggs mixed with 3 egg whites.

If you are truly that worried about it though, have some egg whites or egg beaters instead, and add a spoonful of natty peanut butter (or almond, sunflower, etc butters) into your oatmeal....will keep you full longer.

Or just be lazy like me and throw some chocolate whey, peanut butter, half a banana, and 1-2oz of dry oats in a blender, and move on with your day.

[SEbastard]

So. . .is it possible to get cut and gain muscle mass at the same time? Because recently I've been on a weight gain diet (i.e. high fiber/protein/eat anything like cheese, peanut butter, burgers), and obviously this kind of diet isn't really conducive to a low body fat %.

So I've been thinking about doing hardcore cardio in the mornings. . .except I'm concerned that it would cut into possible weight gains. Any ideas on how to accomplish both?

Going on a mass phase isn't really an excuse to eat all the shitty food you want. Eat more calories, but eat solid whole food sources.

Figure out your baseline calorie level for maintenance, then add 500 to it. After a week or two, if you are gaining weight, but not fat, then keep plugging along. Not gaining much, add a couple hundred more cals. Putting on too much fat? Drop a few cals.

If you are truly trying to put on muscle, I wouldn't do more than 20-30 mins of light cardio, just to get your heart rate up.

You can add muscle and lose fat at the same time, it's kind of a bit half assed both ways, rather than doing one or the other really well, but many people do it. Do a search for some of the forum posts using google talking about "body recomposition" ala lyle mcdonald, and others.

All depends on what your main goals are though.

[Malfreds]

Hey there.
I'm having a good routine of jogging at nights (6 per week) but still I have a couple of free hours to do something and I want to start some WL, but my concern is that I finish the jogging tired and I don't know how to start WL.
What do you recommend? The good thing is the gym is 5 minutes walking from my home.

[maelstrom218]

Going on a mass phase isn't really an excuse to eat all the shitty food you want. Eat more calories, but eat solid whole food sources.

Figure out your baseline calorie level for maintenance, then add 500 to it. After a week or two, if you are gaining weight, but not fat, then keep plugging along. Not gaining much, add a couple hundred more cals. Putting on too much fat? Drop a few cals.

If you are truly trying to put on muscle, I wouldn't do more than 20-30 mins of light cardio, just to get your heart rate up.

You can add muscle and lose fat at the same time, it's kind of a bit half assed both ways, rather than doing one or the other really well, but many people do it. Do a search for some of the forum posts using google talking about "body recomposition" ala lyle mcdonald, and others.

All depends on what your main goals are though.

Cool, thanks for the tip. Yeah, I don't really eat shitty food in general. . .I eat fast food once every two weeks as a kind of cheat day to put in extra calories--mostly because I'm stuck at 165 and going nowhere. I'm not looking forward to cardio though. . .I have a low tolerance level for that unfortunately.

[Laishin]

Yah, I'm an ectomorph. Back in the day when I gained, I ate all kinds of shit with no regard: cake, candy, ice cream, cheeseburgers, cheese steak, hot dogs w/cheese in 'em, Burgerking triple stack value meals, etc. and I gained. My appetite doesn't really suit my look. But, my peers were eating healthy and looked better than me. I've got a sort-of Mr. T. type build happening. My upper-body is kind of cut (but much wimpy-er than Mr. T) and I've got a pot belly (but a size 30 waist, WTF?). Originally, I only wanted to be stronger. Now, I'm more interested in getting sexy. Therefore, I've removed as much fat as I can from my diet (i.e. no more candy, cheese, or beef and more grains and veggies). But I guess I need more calories, (not more fat) to do this right.

Now that I stop to think about it, the only part of me that really needs cutting are my abs and, to a degree, my thighs... I guess that will come with my current routine and diet?

oh haha, I always thought ectomorphs have the luxury of eating anything. Guess I'm wrong. I'm an ectomorph myself and have always considered the mass junk food route to rake in the calories. But never tried as it makes me 'sick'. Gonna stay away from that route now that I saw your post.:sweat:

For what you're trying to achieve, tossing in a few hours of cardio (light) a week should help. I play 2-3h of soccer a week and there's a noticeable difference in my abs. I'm not sure whether it's the same for you, but all the fats that i take in seems to appear in my abs.

[Debaser]

So when trying to lose weight and gain muscle is it best to focus on dieting and cardio to lose the weight first, or should you just focus on gaining muscle and let the muscle burn the fat away?

[LongSh0t]

So when trying to lose weight and gain muscle is it best to focus on dieting and cardio to lose the weight first, or should you just focus on gaining muscle and let the muscle burn the fat away?

That’s a good question. I would think building first. Muscles increase in size and push fat out of the way. Afterward, use cardio to trim it off. However, I don’t know what I’m talking about. :sweat:

Thanks for the diet advice everyone. I’m adding a protein/meal replacement bar to my morning oatmeal. Picked up some Natural Peanut butter and Organic Jelly to make sandwiches with. The peanut butter looks messed up, I wonder how it will taste. Since there was some talk of fast-food earlier, I think the chicken grilled stuffed burritio (fresco style) at Taco Bell is pretty good. Very filling, only 16 g of fat and 30g of protein. Also, Turkey franks (0 g of fat) chopped and mixed with baked beans also seems great for high protein/low fat.
I really like the idea of starting a split routine. Are you supposed to split between upper and lower body, or can you mix and match any exercises? Would this be good:

Monday Wednesday Friday:

Leg Raises
crunches
Bench Press
Leans
Behind-the-neck press
Sitting cable row
Deltoid raises
Pulldowns
Shrugs
bicep Curls
Triceps extension
Wrist curls

Tuesday Thursday Saturday:

Calf raise
Deadlift
Hack squat

Could I move the ab/oblique work outs to Tuesday/Thursday Saturday, or do they count as upper body?

[gguseila]

Those are the exercises I do each time I hit the gym. I would like to cut down the amount of different exercises I do, just for the sake of time. However, doesn't muscle mass begin to decrease after three days of inactivity? If I rotated, that would mean I wouldn't get any gains (or, at least, they would be slower), right?

The good part is that the big 3 exercises are compound and workout the majority of your body. So there's not much need to worry about the 3 days of inactivity, providing you are lifting heavy. That's why you gotta keep them as you lead off and the backbone of your workouts.

I think others would agree with me that if you are spending more then an hour or 1h15m lifting you aren't doing it right.

Lifting heavy with less exercises will lead to better results, IMO

[nmbr1krush]

Question -

Are dumb bell squats just a beneficial as regular squats? My gym doesnt have a squat rack or a barbell bench all they have are smith machines. I just started a weight lifting program. And right now I seeing where my max is. But Im building a program and want to know if going the dumb bell route is better than using bars or will produce the same results.

[Epicurus]

Question -

Are dumb bell squats just a beneficial as regular squats? My gym doesnt have a squat rack or a barbell bench all they have are smith machines. I just started a weight lifting program. And right now I seeing where my max is. But Im building a program and want to know if going the dumb bell route is better than using bars or will produce the same results.

not as good as bar squats, but better than nothing

throw some lunges in there

[TheEvilChinaMan]

It seems like people are asking about bulking and looking thin at the same time and i just want to chime in my experiences and knowledge.



facts:
-to see your abs, your body fat must be around 7% and lower.
-the loss of body fat means the loss of fat everywhere on the body, cant just target one spot
-looking ripped does not equal being strong, anytime you cut weight expect to lose strength
-if you want size and strength fast, deadlift higher than your body weight (lifting heavy= more strength=emptier stomach=bigger appetite)
-Now the best kept secret, work out your damn shoulders! it will make your waist look smaller!


Now i see a bunch of new guys trying to do full workout routines which is great but you can't throw a beginner into the advance trials. Start out easy, start your first month with just three lifts bench, squat and deadlift. mix and match two of them for three workouts a week (ie. bench-squat monday, squat-deadlift wednesday, bench-deadlift friday). It is three simple lifts that in a months worth will give you the best gains. These lifts works all the major body parts, chest, back and legs to each of their fullest. Honestly if you havent worked out much doing these three in a month's time will show results. As for supplements, just stick with your protein, try to understand your body first before getting all fitness crazy.


btw if you can't bench 135lbs and you weigh more than 135lbs. Keep doing 4 sets of 10 push ups till you can do 40 straight push ups. There is no point in benching if you can't rep your body weight in push ups.

[LongSh0t]

btw if you can't bench 135lbs and you weigh more than 135lbs. Keep doing 4 sets of 10 push ups till you can do 40 straight push ups. There is no point in benching if you can't rep your body weight in push ups.

I'm gonna try this. My bench is weak.

[SEbastard]

So when trying to lose weight and gain muscle is it best to focus on dieting and cardio to lose the weight first, or should you just focus on gaining muscle and let the muscle burn the fat away?

Get your diet down first. Do cardio + weights though. Cardio is good for burning fat, but weights will add muscle (which will burn calories resting) and you also get a residual calorie burning effect for up to 36 hours after a weight training session (it's just a few extra calories an hour, but it adds up) cardio doesn't do that.

[TheEvilChinaMan]

I'm gonna try this. My bench is weak.

Half the reason why some people can't bench high is because their arms lack the proper stability. Doing push ups allows your arms and chest feel a bit of resistance and also getting use to a push/pull motion.

The human body is capable of adapting to an environment. We grow callouses to protect our skin, we grow more hair to keep us warm, we grow more muscle in the face of conditioning. The body will adapt to the environment provided (meaning that if you cheat on a lift then no shit it you wont have an awesome body, you didn't lift!).

[Halvie]

Question -

Are dumb bell squats just a beneficial as regular squats? My gym doesnt have a squat rack or a barbell bench all they have are smith machines. I just started a weight lifting program. And right now I seeing where my max is. But Im building a program and want to know if going the dumb bell route is better than using bars or will produce the same results.

What kind of gym doesn't have a squat rack or a barbell bench? Do you live in a hotel?

What do the dumbells go up to at your gym?

[nmbr1krush]

Its Planet Fitness and all the have is smith machines and Ive read bad things about those. The dumb bells go up to 100 pounds I believe maybe more. Will have to check today.

[huynhs87]

Smith machines are worthless imo. Using a barbell would force you to use stabilizer muscles to control the weight instead of having the machines do it for you. Squats on a smith machine are done at a strange and unnatural angle.

Eggs are fine. If you really are worried then just eat the whites. Eggs have had a bad rep due to the cereal industry saying it raises levels of LDL and what not. Our bodies need cholesterol anyways for daily function.

Don't shy away from fat either. Your body needs healthy fats. Omega 3s from fish, or fish oil and stuff from like cashews and other nuts.

I just deadlifted 365 by 3 and it felt amazing. This week is the last week of my program and hopefully I can hit 375 deadlift.

[Halvie]

Its Planet Fitness and all the have is smith machines and Ive read bad things about those. The dumb bells go up to 100 pounds I believe maybe more. Will have to check today.


You should pretty much be fine then if they go that high...I was guessing they topped out at 50 or something considering what you said before.

DB Bench is a great lift and you can do lunges which were recommended before.

Why not join the Y? Assuming you guys have those around you.

edit: Do any of your gyms have those plate loaded seated dip machines? Only time I have ever seen one was my my HS gym...still can't believe that it was the best gym I have seen...would have thought the college gyms I have been to would have been light years better. .

[w1r3d]

So how about I've been looking at the wrong side of the scale for months now? I had been feeling good about staying in the same weight ~"162", but it turns out I had been looking at the "kg" side. I've gained 10 lbs since I stopped working out and eating decent (recently my diet has consisted of chick-fil-a and vietnamese food). Needless to say, today I signed up for the fitness center at work, and tomorrow I start cutting back on my food intake (mainly plan to drop chick-fil-a, and get the Viet food with the most veggies for now). Ugh. :/

[huynhs87]

So how about I've been looking at the wrong side of the scale for months now? I had been feeling good about staying in the same weight ~"162", but it turns out I had been looking at the "kg" side. I've gained 10 lbs since I stopped working out and eating decent (recently my diet has consisted of chick-fil-a and vietnamese food). Needless to say, today I signed up for the fitness center at work, and tomorrow I start cutting back on my food intake (mainly plan to drop chick-fil-a, and get the Viet food with the most veggies for now). Ugh. :/

Sorry to say but Vietnamese food isn't that great. We have tons of it at home but what I eat barely resembles anything Vietnamese. But yes for the current situation that would work.

[w1r3d]

^You mean not great as in taste? or as in nutrition value?

I love Viet food in general. I've been eating it thinking it must be good/ok for you since I hardly see any fat Viet ppl around lol. I'm aware it's high in sodium, which is one reason I've been thinking about cutting back on it as well. :\

Btw, I see you're Vietnamese (last name Huynh?). I was thinking of sticking to bun bo xao, since it seems pretty safe in terms of veggies/beef ratio. Any other balanced dishes you can recommend, let me know. =)

[huynhs87]

^You mean not great as in taste? or as in nutrition value?

I love Viet food in general. I've been eating it thinking it must be good/ok for you since I hardly see any fat Viet ppl around lol. I'm aware it's high in sodium, which is one reason I've been thinking about cutting back on it as well. :\

Btw, I see you're Vietnamese (last name Huynh?). I was thinking of sticking to bun bo xao, since it seems pretty safe in terms of veggies/beef ratio. Any other balanced dishes you can recommend, let me know. =)

Haha, well I don't mean that it's bad for you. I kind of formed the idea that Vietnamese food makes you weak. The ratios of macronutrients tend to be all out of wack. I mean all of it is good but, I eat like 40/40/20 ratio of protein/fat/carb and stuff like bun bo xao is like tons of bun with like 3oz of beef.

I do eat some Vietnamese food post workout and try to skew the ratios towards what I do. Bo Luc Lac, Goi Bo, Goi Ga or any Goi. I eat Chao Tom with no Banh Trang.

[LongSh0t]

Monday Wednesday Friday:


push-ups
Behind-the-neck press
Sitting cable row
Deltoid raises
Pulldowns
Shrugs
bicep Curls
Triceps extension
Wrist curls


Tuesday Thursday Saturday:


Leg Raises
crunches
Leans
Calf raise
Deadlift
Hack squat


Sunday:
Rest


Just reposting to check and see if is an effective split routine :wonder:

[KaizenStrife]

Uhmm.. question...What are good workouts that boosts up your metabolism..

Should I work out for metabolism first??then do the Muscle workouts??

[TheEvilChinaMan]

Just reposting to check and see if is an effective split routine :wonder:

if you want to do a proper split routine, start with this kind of guide line.

this is 6 workout days one day of rest.

Monday
-Legs and calf
Tuesday
-Back, biceps and shoulders
Wednesday
-Chest and triceps
Thursday
-Legs and calf
Friday (rule of thumb about fridays, curls for girls, you go out on friday night, look good for friday night!)
-Back, biceps and shoulders
Saturday
-Chest and triceps
Sunday
-off

Now for the workout themselves, try anything, as long as you get a minimum of 3 lifts per body part. Try to make at least one body part get one more extra lift and then trade off the following day. This is basically to constantly give your body different kinds of stress and stimulus. Ex. Wed chest is barbell bench but Sat is dumbbell bench.

The body parts are separated like this to provide effectiveness for the muscle group, your biceps will only be as strong as your back and shoulders. Your bench will only be as strong as your triceps. The splitting here is for mass effectiveness in strength and size.

I will state right now, only plan for something like this if you have the time. There is no point in planning for lifting 6 days a week if you only get in 4. I will tell you right now, if you do this consistently for 3 months with a good heavy diet, expect some damn good results (ie my personal experience 175lbs to 204lbs, my triceps were huge then).

[TheEvilChinaMan]

Uhmm.. question...What are good workouts that boosts up your metabolism..

Should I work out for metabolism first??then do the Muscle workouts??

Metabolism is your body's ability to break down matter into usable energy sources. If you want to increase your metabolic rate, then eat breakfast. I am unsure of what you want from your metabolism. Ask what you want from your body, I can help much better from there.

[KaizenStrife]

Metabolism is your body's ability to break down matter into usable energy sources. If you want to increase your metabolic rate, then eat breakfast. I am unsure of what you want from your metabolism. Ask what you want from your body, I can help much better from there.

Ohh...Well I want to do MMA and right now im 6"2' and 220lbs of fat

People said that if you raise your metabolism youre gonna lose weight??
So yeah What should I do to get fit??

[TheEvilChinaMan]

I can work with that.

"so yeah what should i do to get fit?"
-go to mma classes would be the first step

just doing mma classes will get you into shape, the art forces you to be in shape if you want to compete.

If you just want to lose some weight, watch what you eat (fast food= no no). Muscle building helps in fat loss. running does wonders.

I'm guessing from your height and weight that you have thin frame but pack alot of weight in the stomach area and legs. At your height and weight i fear that if you just lose weight right now you just become a skinny guy. Start with some MMA classes see where that takes you first. Become active first then get into the details. it is possible to gain weight and keep a low body fat, but gain lean muscle is the hardest thing to do.

[KaizenStrife]

I can work with that.

"so yeah what should i do to get fit?"
-go to mma classes would be the first step

just doing mma classes will get you into shape, the art forces you to be in shape if you want to compete.

If you just want to lose some weight, watch what you eat (fast food= no no). Muscle building helps in fat loss. running does wonders.

I'm guessing from your height and weight that you have thin frame but pack alot of weight in the stomach area and legs. At your height and weight i fear that if you just lose weight right now you just become a skinny guy. Start with some MMA classes see where that takes you first. Become active first then get into the details. it is possible to gain weight and keep a low body fat, but gain lean muscle is the hardest thing to do.


Thanks for the tips bro...Well I do some arm,shoulder,back and chest exercises like everyday So I guess thats not enough...And yeah form shoulder to shoulder im 24" so is that thin??

[TheEvilChinaMan]

I only said thin because you considered your weight as being fat, which to males mean "i got a big belly, i want a six pack!" One of my friends is the same height but ten pounds heavier than you but has a very endomorph frame. His upper body just had nothing on it, his weight was the belly down. I was just speculating. wrong choice of word on my part.

Being 6'2'' you are no way considered small.

write out what your work out routine is , from there we can see what you are doing and what needs to be done. Getting into shape is as much as lifting as what you put in your stomach. If you cut out fast food, soda, alcohol, and microwavable foods, you'll see your stomach shrink.

[KaizenStrife]

I only said thin because you considered your weight as being fat, which to males mean "i got a big belly, i want a six pack!" One of my friends is the same height but ten pounds heavier than you but has a very endomorph frame. His upper body just had nothing on it, his weight was the belly down. I was just speculating. wrong choice of word on my part.

Being 6'2'' you are no way considered small.

write out what your work out routine is , from there we can see what you are doing and what needs to be done. Getting into shape is as much as lifting as what you put in your stomach. If you cut out fast food, soda, alcohol, and microwavable foods, you'll see your stomach shrink.

I do
(With one foot on chair)
12x Pull ups
12x Chin ups
12x Wide Grip Pull ups
12x Close grip Pull ups

I use 20's
16x Bicep Curls
16x Out bicep curls
16x inner bicep curls
16x palms down curls
16x Tricep kickbacks
16x tricep pushup
16x Military pushup
16x wide pushups
16x normal pushups
16x Front raise
16x Lateral raise
16x Upright rows
16x backflys


thats pretty much it... I dont have a bench and a bar so i cant bench but what i do is I get the pull up bar and wear a back pack with books

I run at school every Thursdays(mile), Play basketball everyday, when I get home I use the bike(gym bike??one that stays put) and yeah I make protein shakes out of eggs,milk,ice cream..yeah

[thurst]

idk what shoulder to shoulder means, is that the as chest measurement? if so i'm 6'1 and about 43" so if you're 24" you literally have the chest of a frail little girl and judging from your workout i dobut that's the case lol

[KaizenStrife]

idk what shoulder to shoulder means, is that the as chest measurement? if so i'm 6'1 and about 43" so if you're 24" you literally have the chest of a frail little girl and judging from your workout i dobut that's the case lol

I dont really know..estimate of how long is it from one shoulder to another...I just imagined holding two shoes lol

[RisingStars]

@Kaizen -
i really don't think its a good idea to use milk / ice cream in your protein shake if you want to cut fat (skim milk might be okay). And using raw eggs doesn't do you much good either. Invest in some good whey protein, chances are it'll come out cheaper than milk/ice cream/egg mix. (I use ON Whey, can get it for cheap at GNC if they have a sale + if you have a gold card, or you can find it cheap online).

If you really wanna do MMA, don't worry too much about your biceps. Pull ups, chin ups, and training will be enough for it.

You'll definitely want to throw in some core work, it's probably the most important thing standing and on the ground.

[Pat the Great]

i've been doing BJJ, MMA, and various other combat sports for about 5 years now.

IMO, anyone without a particularly athletic background who is looking to start MMA should do these three things and quit worrying so much about everything else for the first two years:

1. join the MMA gym and start training. rigorously. developing technique is far and away the most important part of the sport, and the time that takes the longest. so if you're really into starting MMA, quit making excuses like "i'm going to get in shape first, then sign up for the MMA gym", because you have no idea what kind of shape you need to be in until you start practicing. ditch all your other workout sessions whenever they could possibly conflict with your training schedule. (weights, cardio, whatever - if they take up a time slot you could use to go to practice, THEN GO TO PRACTICE. that will get you in shape AND better at the sport more easily than a weightlifting routine or diet.)

2. get your nutrition in order. IMO sherdog.net's diet and supplementation forum is the easiest starting point. read the faq and get the basics down - don't worry too much about supplements other than whey protein and maybe creatine in the beginning.

3. do burpees. lots of them. if you don't know what they are, google it. if you think you're doing a lot, you're probably not. do more of them. faster. and with better form.

there are plenty of workout routines that can improve your MMA performance, but a lot of them require specialized equipment, technique, and a space that's ideally suited for them. which means you're probably not going to do them, so quit making excuses. you can do burpees in fucking prison, for god's sake. and that kyle maynard guy just fought an MMA match with no arms or legs, so you can bet he somehow figured out how to do a burpee with the stubs. burpees are the closest simple bodyweight workout that can both A) blast your ass in just a few minutes and B) simulate the cardio demands of an MMA fight.

if any of these three sounds like it's too much to deal with, you're probably not cut out for MMA.

[BlodiaVulcan5]

how do you guys keep yourself motivated? What do you think of, what "mental place" do you go to when you're at the gym?

[LongSh0t]

snip.

Okay, I think I’m getting this now. A split like that would only require that I be in the gym for less than an hour a day, which I should have time for. I could fit the ab workouts in on chest/triceps day. When you say, “get a minimum of 3 lifts per body part” do you really mean to only be able to lift the weight 3 times, as in, three sets of three reps? I thought 3 sets of 8-12 reps was standard.

And I know I should switch up the type of exercise to progress, but for my own clarification, my first two weeks would look like this:


Monday
(Legs and calf)
Calf raise
Deadlift
Hack squat

Tuesday
(Back, biceps and shoulders)
Behind-the-neck press/military press
Sitting cable row
Deltoid raises
Pulldowns
Shrugs
Curls

Wednesday
(Chest and triceps)
Push-ups/bench press
Triceps extension
Wrist curls
Leg Raises
crunches
Leans

Thursday
(Legs and calf)

Friday
(Back, biceps and shoulders)

Saturday
(Chest and triceps)

Sunday
(off)

This sounds really great. I can’t wait to start on it.

[LongSh0t]

how do you guys keep yourself motivated? What do you think of, what "mental place" do you go to when you're at the gym?

For me, I think of the consequences: I'd be stuck in a rut. I am very determined to excel and become a better person than I am right now. Only good can come from pushing myself and lifting that weight or foregoing that cheeseburger, so I do.

...or I think of Hajime no Ippo. That show is pretty damn inspiring.

[Ryad]

Do you guys know a good full-body 2 day split program that focuses on strength?

[huynhs87]

how do you guys keep yourself motivated? What do you think of, what "mental place" do you go to when you're at the gym?

It may be kind of scary but my motivation comes from rage. My ex broke up with me for some really stupid shit after 3 years. That crushed my soul but I got over it with time. I channel that angst and depression into the gym. I don't necessarily feel it presently but I try to remember what it was like. And then any other girl drama, I had some recently that pissed me off and sent me back to the gym to get it all out. The only problem with this is that there might be some spillover rage.

@LongShot

My split is like this since I need the rest in between days

Thursday
Squat
Bench
Row
Romanian Deadlift
Situps

Saturday
Deadlift
Incline Bench
Pullups
Situps

Monday
Squat
Bench
Row
Rack Press
Biceps
Triceps

Tuesday/Friday/Sunday

Hill Sprints (these suck)

[Soldier Zero]

*snip*

First and foremost, how many days do you want to be lifting? With that in mind, that allows you to choose a program to your specific needs.

Second, what equipment do you have access to? This gives an idea of what kind of exercises are possible with what you have to work with.


Uhmm.. question...What are good workouts that boosts up your metabolism..

Should I work out for metabolism first??then do the Muscle workouts??

There's no reason why you can't raise your metabolism while building muscle. In fact, you can raise your metabolism, build muscle, and get stronger for MMA. Following an effective regimen with the right foods will do wonders alone.

Now, since you only have dumbbells and a pull-up bar, you have to get a little innovative. I see your routine doesn't include any leg work, which is important I assume for any physical sport. Along with that, since you don't have much weight, you're going to have to mess around speed work/power-based exercises, rep progression (increasing by 1 rep every), and/or set progression (increasing by 1 set every week).

Rep progression would look as follows for weighted pull-ups:

Week 1 - 2 sets of 6 with 20lb. dumbbell in the backpack
Week 2 - 2 sets of 7
Week 3 - 2 x 8
Week 4 - 2 x 9

So on and so forth. Now let's take a look at the same example, but instead with set progression.

Week 1: 2 x 6
Week 2: 3 x 6
Week 3: 4 x 6
Week 4: 5 x 6

Simple and effective.

Power work would be doing clapping pull-ups without any additional weight. If that's too difficult, then simply trying to pull yourself up the bar as quickly as possible can be something to do before trying that.

I could keep going, but I don't want to ramble. :sweat:


Do you guys know a good full-body 2 day split program that focuses on strength?

What kind of strength are you looking for? Sport specific?

[KaizenStrife]

Thanks for the tips...

Uhmm about protein shakes, I dont have that whey mix so what should I put on my shake while I'm waiting to get my whey mix??

And if I get the mix what do I do with it?? Mix,Milk,Cream??

[Epicurus]

Thanks for the tips...

Uhmm about protein shakes, I dont have that whey mix so what should I put on my shake while I'm waiting to get my whey mix??

Well you won't have much of a protein shake without whey. You could try mixing some eggs with milk and sugar/vanilla...or something




And if I get the mix what do I do with it?? Mix,Milk,Cream??

If you have no problems with milk, then it's a strong thing to add to your shake, you can also add some heavy cream for more calories.

I like to make smoothies with my whey. Frozen fruits, bananas, carrots, flax powder, veggies, peanut butter...whey....mix that shit up!

[TheEvilChinaMan]

LongShot:

“get a minimum of 3 lifts per body part”

three lifts per muscle group. ie. back day= (deadlift, pull ups, one-arm dumbbell rows) that is what i mean. The reps and sets is what set by you. if you want to get strong quick do a 5x5. sets and reps is all about experience, i know my body does well with a 5x5 and a 3x8 with warm ups.

You say you cant wait to start. Why havent you just started already? Lifting doesnt need to be a Monday to Friday thing, just start now before something else gets in your way. However you have plan and that's a great start. Log your workout routine, it helps, it will show you your progress (ie every lift and the weight you did).

BTW a workout should not take you more than hour or hour and a half. So fi you can do an hour a day that is GREAT!


KaizenStrife:

read up on Soldier Zero and Pat the Great both have put out some great advice.


As for protein, honestly those things are everywhere. local foodmart has muscle milk, just get that stuff. It good quality. As for me though i like to mix it up, i got like different flavors and what not, so i never get tired of the flavor.

Motivation for me is to be Un-American. I dont want to have diabetes, heart problems or such before im 30. I want to run for miles, I want to kick ass in sports, I want to be the best I can be.

[Black Chanler]

bought some soy protein today (because it was cheap). I've heard it is not as effective as whey, but how big is the difference?

[LongSh0t]

LongShot:

“get a minimum of 3 lifts per body part”

three lifts per muscle group. ie. back day= (deadlift, pull ups, one-arm dumbbell rows) that is what i mean. The reps and sets is what set by you. if you want to get strong quick do a 5x5. sets and reps is all about experience, i know my body does well with a 5x5 and a 3x8 with warm ups.

You say you cant wait to start. Why havent you just started already? Lifting doesnt need to be a Monday to Friday thing, just start now before something else gets in your way. However you have plan and that's a great start. Log your workout routine, it helps, it will show you your progress (ie every lift and the weight you did).

BTW a workout should not take you more than hour or hour and a half. So fi you can do an hour a day that is GREAT!

lol, when I wrote that I couldn't wait to start, I was sitting at work. I literally couldn't wait to start within the next few hours.

Do you really mean 3 types of lifts for each muscle? In groups it makes sense (i.e. your example of the back) because a lot of body parts are three muscles (e.g. shoulders = anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoids; back = trapazius, latisimus dorsi, and the erectors) but what about singular muscles like biceps and triceps? If I lift until muscle failure, doesn't that mean the muscle is "done for the day" and trying to lift more would be overworking it? Or do you mean do 1-2 sets of 3 different types of lifts for biceps/triceps?

[LongSh0t]

bought some soy protein today (because it was cheap). I've heard it is not as effective as whey, but how big is the difference?

I believe it has to do with the rate it is metabolized by the body. Whey is faster than soy, so it is superior.

[Ryad]

What kind of strength are you looking for? Sport specific?

Well to be honest, I am trying to go for the all around athletecism thing. If I had all the equipment I would try crossfit. I am trying to hit all those aspects of fitness. Strength being one of them.

Thing is if I stretch myself too thin, I can't afford a lot of time to target each thing. Obviously, the best thing would be to find something that targets a bunch of those elements and do a bunch of those. Maybe MMA, maybe another sport. I'm open to anything atm.

Been working out on and off for two years on DeFranco's regimen. Did a bit of gymnastics. I play sports randomly now and then.

[HeaT]

Well to be honest, I am trying to go for the all around athletecism thing. If I had all the equipment I would try crossfit. I am trying to hit all those aspects of fitness. Strength being one of them.

Thing is if I stretch myself too thin, I can't afford a lot of time to target each thing. Obviously, the best thing would be to find something that targets a bunch of those elements and do a bunch of those. Maybe MMA, maybe another sport. I'm open to anything atm.

Been working out on and off for two years on DeFranco's regimen. Did a bit of gymnastics. I play sports randomly now and then.

for overall body strength for athleticism, i would a mixture of these...

deadlifts (all variations)
squats
bench
snatch
power snatch
hang and clean
power clean
lunges
standing press
overhead squats
overhead lunges
power clean and jerk

im outi

Roberth

[TheMaidenMasha]

Alright guys, I'm a bit concerned. In the last week or so while doing cardio or even walking down the street ive been getting these little "pains" (but they dont really hurt) at the back of my knees/bottom of the hamstring area. It doesnt really hurt but just feels weird at moments. Am I fucking up my ACL or MCL? Is this cause for alarm or should I just take it easy for a while with the leg workouts or do more stretches?

Anyone have experience with these kind of injuries?

[TheEvilChinaMan]

but what about singular muscles like biceps and triceps? If I lift until muscle failure, doesn't that mean the muscle is "done for the day"


My bicep day for looks like this.

two armed Bicep cable pulls 4x10
incline seated hammer curls 4x10
dumbbell bicep curls 4x8

I dont really lift till failure when it comes to arm workouts. But the point of the three lift per muscle group is to find lifts that fits your needs. This is where you must do some trial and error, find out which lifts feel right and which lifts you can do properly.

My chest day involves four lifts for my chest.

incline bench press 5x5
dumbbell bench press 4x10
dumbbell pec flys 4x10
giant ball push ups 4x of as many as you can

these are mine. They might not work for everyone but for me i know they work.

[TheEvilChinaMan]

Alright guys, I'm a bit concerned. In the last week or so while doing cardio or even walking down the street ive been getting these little "pains" (but they dont really hurt) at the back of my knees/bottom of the hamstring area. It doesnt really hurt but just feels weird at moments. Am I fucking up my ACL or MCL? Is this cause for alarm or should I just take it easy for a while with the leg workouts or do more stretches?

Anyone have experience with these kind of injuries?


Mostly likely you are just putting a new kind of stress on your knees, something they havent felt before. And no, you are not hurting you ACL or MCL, if you did anything to those, trust me, you will know (you will be in pain you had no idea existed).

For now just make sure you take it easy and get some joint support from trader joes. Fish oil is a must aswell.


Ryad: If you want athleticism, start playing sports. Find something you love to play, from here it will help you in what you want. If you cant figure out what sport, try rugby. You run alot, you get to hit people, its a great sport to get into. Plus the people that play it will force you to get into shape. Also the fact that you did gymnastics would put you ahead of most of us in body strength department, i wish i did gymnastics when i was young. I want some damn super sized shoulders and backfliping abilities!

[RisingStars]

Ryad, rippertoe has a great 2 day split strength program. Try searching for the starting strength wiki, but it is basically split into
Workout A:
Bench
Squat
Deadlift

Workout B:
Bench
Squat
Press or cleans or snatches, etc.

[The Green Trench Coat]

how do you guys keep yourself motivated? What do you think of, what "mental place" do you go to when you're at the gym?

just got out of the gym actually.

My trainer shows me the thunder cat symbol sometimes when i'm about to do some real heavy lifting


Other times if i'm struggling he'll say "Go level3 son!!"


but mostly i close my eyes and picture what i want to look like and just go for it.

[The Green Trench Coat]

I dont really lift till failure when it comes to ....


Failure is deceptive anyway. just pick a number and shoot for it.

[donaldducktm]

Probably wanna try for one that comes with digestive enzymes in it or buy them separate & mix'em in yourself.
Sorry for late reply...Thanks..

I ended up getting this for $24 w/free shipping.

http://www.nutraplanet.com/product/all-the-whey/whey-protein-blend-5-lb.html

[Ryad]

...
Heat, I wish I knew how to perform ollie lifts. I would be all over that. But I am worried I would teach myself incorrect technique.


...
Haha, nah dude. When I said a bit of of gymnastics, I meant like 8 months' worth. I too wish I had started it when I was a kid. Instead I did a lot of karate, which has its merits in terms of fitness but otherwise... Taking gymnastics is part of this new resolution of mine. It was in this last school session. It certainly trains certain muscles I never knew existed, and destroys upper body. I try to keep it 2/week but over this summer (different town) only once a week.

I agree with you. Sports are a must. I just dont want to specialize. I want to play all sorts of shit every now and then whenever the opportunity arises with friends (soccer, table tennis, paintball, climbing), intramurals etc... So far I am thinking continue gymnastics, take up mma and play w/e with friends/intramurals sports... If I could find an ollie lifting club, I would throw out working out altogether.

Still seems like a lot :S
My body probably won't recover from all of that. Goddamnit I want to do too much.
Watch my school marks drop haha


...
Thanks rising. I'll look into that.
From what you are saying though, squats and deadlifts on the same day?

Thanks everyone for your input!

[Soldier Zero]

Ryad, some powerlifting/Olympic lifting hybrid program would be good.

If you really can't find any place for a CSCS instructor, trying yourself can't be that bad. This youtube user (http://www.youtube.com/user/mhbuitrago) puts up great videos on instruction.

I learned from a CSCS coach, but even then, he only taught me the extreme bare bone basics of O-lifts. As a result, it took me a couple of months to really clean up my form and get it near decent.

[huynhs87]

Ryad, rippertoe has a great 2 day split strength program. Try searching for the starting strength wiki, but it is basically split into
Workout A:
Bench
Squat
Deadlift

Workout B:
Bench
Squat
Press or cleans or snatches, etc.

I definitely vouch for the effectiveness of the Starting Strength program.

[Weeks]

I'm hitting a bit of a plateau on my bench press. anyone got any suggestions?

[Dhalsimowns]

My MMA buddy is sponsored and gets free hemp protein. wtf does this do? Could it possibly be everything I can imagine?

[supreme jd]

I'm hitting a bit of a plateau on my bench press. anyone got any suggestions?

take a two week break

i have a question: am i supposed to be increasing my weight every week? i do four sets and increase my weight every set (6-8 reps, 4-6 reps, 2-4 reps, 1-2 reps) some weeks i notice i can't increase my weight, but i can increase my reps, and the next week i'll be able to increase my weight. is this the proper way to gain strength and muscle mass?

[SEbastard]

My MMA buddy is sponsored and gets free hemp protein. wtf does this do? Could it possibly be everything I can imagine?

Same as any veggie based protein, though it has a bit higher fat content than others.

[KaizenStrife]

I feel so happy today lolol...I just ran at school and got 8 laps(= 2 miles) in 20 mins...

That was my first cuz i usually run 5 laps in 20
I just had my mind set to...Nike...(Just do it, just do it, just do it)

[Rikidozan]

I'm hitting a bit of a plateau on my bench press. anyone got any suggestions?

What kinda Chest rutine are you doing at the moment?

[TheMaidenMasha]

GAH im on a bench plateau too and its driving me crazy. I cant get up over 205! Its been like 3 months. But im hitting chest 2 times a week, maybe when i go back to once a week i can do 2 plates.

Creatine?

[Rikidozan]

GAH im on a bench plateau too and its driving me crazy. I cant get up over 205! Its been like 3 months. But im hitting chest 2 times a week, maybe when i go back to once a week i can do 2 plates.

Creatine?

Luckily I haven't reached any plateau in quite a while, however talking about Creatine I'm up for a rematch. Been some years since I've taken it.

Btw. try benching with dumbbells instead of a barbell. You can't bench as much with dumbbells, but I experienced huge gains.
I bench with a barbell on Mondays and dumbbells on Thursdays.

[Soldier Zero]

i have a question: am i supposed to be increasing my weight every week? i do four sets and increase my weight every set (6-8 reps, 4-6 reps, 2-4 reps, 1-2 reps) some weeks i notice i can't increase my weight, but i can increase my reps, and the next week i'll be able to increase my weight. is this the proper way to gain strength and muscle mass?

I wouldn't say there's always a proper way, but definitely more than one way. If it works for you, getting you closer to your goal, and simple, stick with it. :tup:


I'm hitting a bit of a plateau on my bench press. anyone got any suggestions?

&


GAH im on a bench plateau too and its driving me crazy. I cant get up over 205! Its been like 3 months. But im hitting chest 2 times a week, maybe when i go back to once a week i can do 2 plates.

I've recently tried 1-hand assisted push-ups. Seeing as how I'm not beast enough to do the regular 1-handers, I grabedb something to elevate one hand while the other was placed regularly on the floor. Now emphasis was shifted more from one side to the other, but you can still keep balance with the nonworking side. X amount of reps on one side, then switch. Make sure you have your feet spread out a bit compared to normal push-ups.

Just a suggestion since I tested them out last weekend. Other ways are dips, floor presses, using bands, chains, speed bench, and probably some other stuff I have no idea about.

If you can add some weight to regular push-ups, that would be great. 3/8" chains at Home Depot are $3.10.

[Capn Spanky]

I feel so happy today lolol...I just ran at school and got 8 laps(= 2 miles) in 20 mins...

That was my first cuz i usually run 5 laps in 20
I just had my mind set to...Nike...(Just do it, just do it, just do it)

Congrats. I need to get back into running shape. I used to be fast. What happened?

[jabhadouken]

I'm hitting a bit of a plateau on my bench press. anyone got any suggestions?

Not knowing your routine, I'd suggest barbell bench - heavy weights, 6 sets of 5 as your primary lift to get that chest re-ignited.

If you have a good fly machine (one of those where you get a good range of arm arc/motion) I'd mash the hell out of that as your secondary, doing heavy at a normative range (2-3), then whatever else you do for chest, then go back and go lighter on the flys with a 5-max range.

Oh, and work on your forearms.

That alone will shoot your bench up (like 20 pounds, I've found) if you've been neglecting them.

[Weeks]

thanks everyone for the suggestions. I've been doing bench press 3x8, barbell bench 3x8, random bench press machines or pushups. two times a week. i made rapid progress my first month and a half but i've slowed down quite a bit the last few weeks


Not knowing your routine, I'd suggest barbell bench - heavy weights, 6 sets of 5 as your primary lift to get that chest re-ignited.
Yeah I've been doing a barbell bench. Someone suggested i do them one arm at a time coz it works out more secondary muscles?




Oh, and work on your forearms.
Sounds like a good plan. what are some good forearm workouts :china:

[supreme jd]

Sounds like a good plan. what are some good forearm workouts :china:

i only know of wrist curls

[Soldier Zero]

thanks everyone for the suggestions. I've been doing bench press 3x8, barbell bench 3x8, random bench press machines or pushups. two times a week. i made rapid progress my first month and a half but i've slowed down quite a bit the last few weeks

Yeah I've been doing a barbell bench. Someone suggested i do them one arm at a time coz it works out more secondary muscles?


Sounds like a good plan. what are some good forearm workouts :china:

Might want to try different rep ranges; 4x6, 5x5, & 6x4 are all in the 24-rep range, but you will go heavier according to which you use.

Ditch the machines for their free weight versions.

Indirect forearm exercises can be doing anything that requires you to hold on pretty damn tight. Ones usually for me are heavy chin-ups, power cleans, walking DB lunges, and overhand-grip deadlifts.

Direct exercises are farmers walks and crazy stuff here (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=68011F82592A6442).

Also, make sure you're focusing on improving back strength (lats & traps) to help improve your chest. They're pretty important muscles in the bench press.

[danomighty]

all on machine
Benchpress 260lb x 2 sets of 30
Lat pulldown 160lb x2 sets of 20
Pec Deck 100lb x2 sets of 20
should press 160 x2 sets of 20
abductor 300lb x1 set of 20
adductor 300lb x1 set of 20
sit ups 30 set
e bike around 30mins=500ish calories

and every other day I ddr around 500 calories,i dont know how accurate ddr cal counter is?

I eat around 2000-2500 calories a day,I'm 6.1 and weigh past high 200's.

any suggestions? :smile:

[Capn Spanky]

all on machine
Benchpress 260lb x 2 sets of 30
Lat pulldown 160lb x2 sets of 20
Pec Deck 100lb x2 sets of 20
should press 160 x2 sets of 20
abductor 300lb x1 set of 20
adductor 300lb x1 set of 20
sit ups 30 set
e bike around 30mins=500ish calories

and every other day I ddr around 500 calories,i dont know how accurate ddr cal counter is?

I eat around 2000-2500 calories a day,I'm 6.1 and weigh past high 200's.

any suggestions? :smile:

Just add some HIIT and you should be good to go.

[HeaT]

thanks everyone for the suggestions. I've been doing bench press 3x8, barbell bench 3x8, random bench press machines or pushups. two times a week. i made rapid progress my first month and a half but i've slowed down quite a bit the last few weeks

Yeah I've been doing a barbell bench. Someone suggested i do them one arm at a time coz it works out more secondary muscles?


Sounds like a good plan. what are some good forearm workouts :china:

do you squat??? if not start squating, it should help your bench too...

im outi

Roberth

[Weeks]

Yeah i've been squatting once a week, have been slacking on that lately tho

[Black Chanler]

I know I have been asking a lot of noob questions, but should I only take protein the days I am lifting, or should I do it everyday?

And how many times a day should I take a protein shake? one guy said twice a day, another guy said like 3 or 4 times.



I lead a very active lifestyle so I know a lot of calories are appropriate (since I am trying to build some muscle), because if I am not lifting I am either playing ball or skating.

[fistoftheryustar]

3 -4 times if youre effin huge already and can afford it. actually some protei nshakes are weak. it depends on the amount of protein. you want to get good protein through out the day. i think there is a limit to how much protein your body can take before its a waste, which is why they say to take it through out the day so your muscles are getting nourishment often.



anyway does anyone know why some people are stronger even if their muscles arent that big? i mean huge guys are obviously going to be strong. but then there are the dudes who are randomly really strong. im short like 5'4 and weigh 135, yet i find myself being able to lift more than most of the big dudes at the gym. i have been working out all my life but more like callisthenics, not with weights. and technically, cant you not get incredibly strong with calistenics?

[Soldier Zero]

I know I have been asking a lot of noob questions, but should I only take protein the days I am lifting, or should I do it everyday?

And how many times a day should I take a protein shake? one guy said twice a day, another guy said like 3 or 4 times.



I lead a very active lifestyle so I know a lot of calories are appropriate (since I am trying to build some muscle), because if I am not lifting I am either playing ball or skating.

Aim for 1g-1.5g of protein for every pound you weigh. You should be attempting to get the majority of that through regular food, but break out the shakes if it helps pick up the slack.


anyway does anyone know why some people are stronger even if their muscles arent that big? i mean huge guys are obviously going to be strong. but then there are the dudes who are randomly really strong. im short like 5'4 and weigh 135, yet i find myself being able to lift more than most of the big dudes at the gym. i have been working out all my life but more like callisthenics, not with weights. and technically, cant you not get incredibly strong with calistenics?

From the top of my head, I think it has to do with how well you recruit your muscle fibers. There are some fibers that aren't even used unless it's a life-or-death situation.

[danomighty]

Just add some HIIT and you should be good to go.

any good HIIT work out programs?

[RisingStars]

anyway does anyone know why some people are stronger even if their muscles arent that big? i mean huge guys are obviously going to be strong. but then there are the dudes who are randomly really strong. im short like 5'4 and weigh 135, yet i find myself being able to lift more than most of the big dudes at the gym. i have been working out all my life but more like callisthenics, not with weights. and technically, cant you not get incredibly strong with calistenics?

I think you see this alot in how powerlifters easily out lift body builders, despite the fact that they look much "smaller". Something about hypertrophy and training your muscles for different things.
Chances are Fist you are just a hard worker, whereas all those big dudes at the gym don't know how to lift.

[TheEvilChinaMan]

its simple.

you move weights less distance than taller people. a 6'9'' person is going to have much more trouble squatting compared to a 5'6'' person.

There is a reason why the BEST body builders are under six feet in height.

[DragonSama]

I'm trying to lose weight and to do it I'm thinking of eat a granola bar for breakfast, then another one for lunch then a sensible dinner. The bars are only 140 calories and I feel pretty full after eating them. So I think/hope this will work.

[asr10 user]

Maybe someone here can give me some help. Im 6'2, large frame and trying to lose some weight. I started the year trying to go from 255 to 180. Ive been doing the same split routine on and off for 4 months, and have gone down to 225-230, but ive been stuck at about 230 for a month, ive even stepped up the split routine intensity wise, but did the same muscle groups on the same days, so today I switched to a new full body routine.

Question is, I plan on doing full body M/W/F, is it ok for me to run 3 miles on T/TH ? Or should I use T/TH to rest and do cardio on the weekend?

And since I switched to a new routine so quickly, would it be better for me to take a week off and rest, and then start the new full body?

I just finished the first day, and I can tell my body is feeling the effects of working so many different things out. I plan on doing this for 4-6 weeks, and then maybe going back to splits or doing something totally different, any suggestions on what else I can try?

Old routine was going to the gym everyday except Sat, and doing cardio on T/TH/SUN. I dont think I was resting enough cause I would be tired as hell all the time.

[asr10 user]

Ooops.

[Capn Spanky]

any good HIIT work out programs?

Google has a few great ones you could try. It's mostly Sprint for 30 seconds, jog for a minute. Wash rinse repeat.

[TheEvilChinaMan]

I'm trying to lose weight and to do it I'm thinking of eat a granola bar for breakfast, then another one for lunch then a sensible dinner. The bars are only 140 calories and I feel pretty full after eating them. So I think/hope this will work.

two steps to losing weight from over eating.

1. food journal track what you eat.
2. make your own food. because you probably dont have a deep fryer, your own cooked food might be better for you.


Another way too is to change up your eating habits. If you often eat while watching tv, just try a protein bar or protein shake. or try other alternative, pickles, carrots, fruits or others.

Losing weight comes down to this, what you are eating. If its fast food more than 2 times a week, dont expect to lose weight. The only reason any person has extra weight is because of overeating. YOU MUST acknowledge that, you must accept that you have indeed been overeating. Once you understand that start buying cook books and throw out your microwave. Learning to cook will keep you lean, plus you can make quality food all the time!

[Dhalsimowns]

Anybody tried hemp protein?

[TheEvilChinaMan]

Anybody tried hemp protein?

I hear very good things from hemp protein, especially since that it contains large amounts of fiber.

I've yet to try it, i might in the future, just to see if it works, but i hear the taste is horrific, but the shits are clean. Also the price is a big downside per serving.

(try a diet of a daily intake of 30 plus grams of fiber, your shits become so compact and tight and you wouldnt have to fucking clean your ass, its an awesome feeling)

[Soldier Zero]

I'm trying to lose weight and to do it I'm thinking of eat a granola bar for breakfast, then another one for lunch then a sensible dinner. The bars are only 140 calories and I feel pretty full after eating them. So I think/hope this will work.

Don't count on it. It simply isn't enough nourishment for the body, with or without exercise. Doesn't matter how many calories they are because 2 bars is 280cal + 700 (random # for dinner) = 980 calories. Now, the general recommendation for any adult by the FDA is 2000. By that number, you're severely under. You have to do a more reasonable approach.

But, let's say you do follow this plan and succeed in losing the amount of weight you were hoping for. Congratulations! Now what? Do you continue eating like this forever? You have to, right? How else will you maintain this goal you achieved? I mean, if you do increase your calories again, you're going to gain weight. Do you really want to have the majority of your week consisting of granola bars and 1 sensible dinner a night?

In my opinion, it doesn't sound too satisfying.


Maybe someone here can give me some help. Im 6'2, large frame and trying to lose some weight. I started the year trying to go from 255 to 180. Ive been doing the same split routine on and off for 4 months, and have gone down to 225-230, but ive been stuck at about 230 for a month, ive even stepped up the split routine intensity wise, but did the same muscle groups on the same days, so today I switched to a new full body routine.

(1) Question is, I plan on doing full body M/W/F, is it ok for me to run 3 miles on T/TH ? Or should I use T/TH to rest and do cardio on the weekend?

(2) And since I switched to a new routine so quickly, would it be better for me to take a week off and rest, and then start the new full body?

(3)I just finished the first day, and I can tell my body is feeling the effects of working so many different things out. I plan on doing this for 4-6 weeks, and then maybe going back to splits or doing something totally different, any suggestions on what else I can try?

(4)Old routine was going to the gym everyday except Sat, and doing cardio on T/TH/SUN. I dont think I was resting enough cause I would be tired as hell all the time.

(1) Whatever floats your boat. I usually like to rest on the weekend or doing something. See what's most convenient for you and do what you enjoy. You could even do Th/Sat instead or Tues/Sat.

(2) Sure, go for the break! I always take 1 week (sometimes 2) after 3-4 weeks of lifting. Just keep your diet in check cause it's hard to slip when you're not exercising in conjunction (at least for me it is).

(3) After 4-6 weeks, you can take a week off then cycle through it one more time. Suggestions can be plenty, it all depends on what you're looking for.

(4) Aim for 7 1/2 hours of sleep minimum, if possible. Also, if you're not eating enough, it could be the reason way you may be tired. Not enough energy for all the demand you're putting on your body can slow it down.

Hope that helps! :tup:

[300 lb Eugene]

more randomness at the gymz

http://s26.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid26.photobucket.com/albums/c107/supersoniccheesy/oooops.flv&fs=1&os=1&ap=1

[Epicurus]

omg, theres a chinese grocery where they sell bags full of dark chicken meat--i bought 10lbs of chicken for 8bucks

;]

[RoninDRE-X]

My left arm is significantly smaller than my right arm. How should I fix that?

[Rhio2k]

(try a diet of a daily intake of 30 plus grams of fiber, your shits become so compact and tight and you wouldnt have to fucking clean your ass, its an awesome feeling)

Soooo...what's goin' on there? You're, what, shooting out coils of rope or bales of hay?

[Epicurus]

My left arm is significantly smaller than my right arm. How should I fix that?

alternate hands when you jack it

also you might want to do more dumbbell exercises and concentrate on getting your reps in with the left arm and not stressing to much about the right arm

barbell exercises tend to favor your strong hand and your weaker hand does less work, so often the left hand won't grow at the same rate. try dumbbells and go easier on your right arm, harder on your left

[KaizenStrife]

I need help on my diet and stuff...

Ok so I'm lactose intolerant and I dont know what kind of whey to buy...What to do with it and when to drink it...I have AEM carb control ready to drink thingy...idk what thats supposed to do but my friend told me to buy it. Do I need to take any supplements?? I want to lose weight and build muscle but I dont know what to eat and stuff..

[TheMaidenMasha]

Well Balanced Diet, eat from all foodgroups, avoid high fat content obv, get your protein. AND EAT ALOT.

losing weight and build muscle at the same time is an oxymoron, it doesn't exist.

Put on the weight and muscle and then cut the fat. Or you can take hydroxycut and kill your liver lol

I think there's lactose free protein, try soy protein.

Beans have alot of protein also.

[KaizenStrife]

I'm 225 lbs so I need to lose weight...i lost some fat but im gaining weight..idk why but I was 220 yesterday

[TheMaidenMasha]

oh

I assumed you were not fat. My bad lol

Still its hard to build muscle while dieting to lose weight.

Do alot of cardio/aerobics on top of Moderate weight training.

or actually fuck it, i dont know lol

[Soldier Zero]

Na, the muscle being built can help burn the fat away. It's strenuous activity, so the energy demand is gonna gobble up the extra fat.

Just lift regularly. If you're gaining muscle, but look less pudgy in the mirror, it's progress in the right direction, right? Don't worry about what the scale says because it doesn't take into account muscle weighs more than fat.

*EDIT: No one saw that. >_>

[TheMaidenMasha]

Doesnt muscle weigh more than fat?

[huynhs87]

It most definitely does. I think it was an honest mistake.

[Soldier Zero]

Yeah, my mistake, lol.

[tech master]

I'm 225 lbs so I need to lose weight...i lost some fat but im gaining weight..idk why but I was 220 yesterday

Its really important to weigh yourself the same time every day. The best time would be in the morning right when you wake up. At this time your stomach should be empty and your readings will be the most accurate.

I personally weigh about 4-6 lbs heavier at night than i do in the morning.

[gguseila]

I'm 225 lbs so I need to lose weight...i lost some fat but im gaining weight..idk why but I was 220 yesterday

It's probably some difference in water weight, it can fluctuate a lot. Look at the longer term like a week or a month or something like that.

[KaizenStrife]

I tried out for football today and my hearts doing like double bass shit...I weighed 215 after....goddamn..i started throwing up with nothing and its like orangish color...what is that?

[300 lb Eugene]

im now 280 lb eugene
:party:

[tech master]

I tried out for football today and my hearts doing like double bass shit...I weighed 215 after....goddamn..i started throwing up with nothing and its like orangish color...what is that?

HS football? College ball? league team?

How much did you weigh before the try out? 5-10 lbs is a lot to be losing in one session. Make sure you hydrate during physical activity. I can see losing a couple lbs in water weight during a session, but thats if you don't hydrate during a pretty extreme session.

The orangish shit in your vomit, was it kinda yellowish rather than orange? It was probably bilirubin. I think it usually only shows up when you have nothing else in your stomach.

[Trix]

I tried out for football today and my hearts doing like double bass shit...I weighed 215 after....goddamn..i started throwing up with nothing and its like orangish color...what is that?

Ah, I miss the good old days of 2-a-days of high school ball. Wait a minute, no I don't. lol

But yeah, just make sure you're drinking plenty of water and/or gatorade. Coaches for my team made sure there was plenty of water bottles and shit on the sidelines, and we also had like a hose line off to the side where we could just sort of rinse our faces off and stay refreshed.

[donaldducktm]

Gaining muscle helps trimming fat easier. If you lift regularly and do cardio, you're bound to lose weight.

[kz0060]

I got some questions bout post-workout meals. I've been reading some interesting stuff on insulin spike and am a bit confused. From my understanding, you want to consume carbs that can readily convert to glucose, help reducing muscle breakdown. Also, it's optimal to take protein at the same time as the carbs as they'll travel faster thru ur body.

What I'm not too clear on is am I suppose to take simple carbs or any food with high GI or are they one in the same? Is eating white rice after workout okay then? I've also read some mixed stuff about using fruit and juices for insulin spike b/c fructose isn't quite effective. I know there's these dextrose stuff but I'm just curious bout whole food.

[Rhio2k]

I got some questions bout post-workout meals. I've been reading some interesting stuff on insulin spike and am a bit confused. From my understanding, you want to consume carbs that can readily convert to glucose, help reducing muscle breakdown. Also, it's optimal to take protein at the same time as the carbs as they'll travel faster thru ur body.

What I'm not too clear on is am I suppose to take simple carbs or any food with high GI or are they one in the same? Is eating white rice after workout okay then? I've also read some mixed stuff about using fruit and juices for insulin spike b/c fructose isn't quite effective. I know there's these dextrose stuff but I'm just curious bout whole food.

Plain bagels, white bread, rice oughta do it, pasta, etc. Simple carbs.

[Truong]

Or stop making it so complicated and just drink 500ml of chocolate milk after lifting. Add more protein powder if needed. 50+ grams of carbs, and 18 grams of slow digesting protein.

[AkumaTX]

Alright so I started working out again and have been at it for the past 1 1/2 months, but i also started today to take vitamins as i have never taken any besides the flinstones ones when i was a kid. I went to GNC and bought GNC Mega Men® Performance & Vitality Program 30 day package. Anyone take this stuff or recommend anything else?

[alits]

I started biking again today, and went for a 1 hour ride. Felt like I was gonna die after I was done.

[Soldier Zero]

Alright so I started working out again and have been at it for the past 1 1/2 months, but i also started today to take vitamins as i have never taken any besides the flinstones ones when i was a kid. I went to GNC and bought GNC Mega Men® Performance & Vitality Program 30 day package. Anyone take this stuff or recommend anything else?

All I've heard is the one with iron included might make you feel queasy.

[BlodiaVulcan5]

just got out of the gym actually.

My trainer shows me the thunder cat symbol sometimes when i'm about to do some real heavy lifting


Other times if i'm struggling he'll say "Go level3 son!!"

but mostly i close my eyes and picture what i want to look like and just go for it.

Ah, that sounds like what I do. I just picture what my goal is and just push through toward it. I've also thought about certain people and who they deserve to be with, and most times it helps me go for broke.

Anywho, i took a few pics today of my progress. What do ya'll think? I started with practically zilch muscle mass in January after my trim down phase. My routine consisted of running 2 miles cross country Sun/T/Th/Sat and 1 hour lifting + 1 mile after M/W/F. I'm changing it up for the summer (when my gym memb. starts again) to allow for 2 hour lifting days and less running. I'm 5'7" 170 lbs.

[Rhio2k]

Or stop making it so complicated and just drink 500ml of chocolate milk after lifting. Add more protein powder if needed. 50+ grams of carbs, and 18 grams of slow digesting protein.

Just 18? shouldn't he be shooting for...oh, round number...50 grams of protein postworkout?

[Soldier Zero]

Beats me, but I'm cutting the peri & post workout shakes. It's getting costly to get the quality stuff (hydrolyzed whey w/ enzymes) from trueprotein.com. Comes out to like $60, then fish oil's been about 50 something at Costco for 2000 capsules of the 300mg ones.

I'd rather stick with the fish oil and cut out the protein. I'll just eat more after I lift, should be a decent substitute for the time being.

[thurst]

so my gym doesn't have 1.25kg weights, what's tht best way to deal with this when trying to move up in weight?

i'm trying to do the stronglifts 5x5, as of now i'm at 1x bodyweight and deadlift squat (95kg/210lb) and almost there onthe bench (80kg/~165lb)

[Truong]

Just 18? shouldn't he be shooting for...oh, round number...50 grams of protein postworkout?

20-25 is all your body needs post work out. All these insane, astronomical numbers the "experts" are recommending you are bullshit and full of hidden agendas. Unless you're 300+ pounds, your body isn't gonna digest or even need 50g+ of protein in one sitting. You'll just piss most of it out and waste your money.

Much like eating smaller meals but more often through out the day, it just makes sense to take your protein in moderate amounts, more often through out the days. 20 grams every 2-3 hours, I would think be much more effective and easier on your body than gulping down 50g every chance you get.

[SEbastard]

so my gym doesn't have 1.25kg weights, what's tht best way to deal with this when trying to move up in weight?

i'm trying to do the stronglifts 5x5, as of now i'm at 1x bodyweight and deadlift squat (95kg/210lb) and almost there onthe bench (80kg/~165lb)

Buy chain links of different weights from the hardware store, hang them over the bar.

[Soldier Zero]

20-25 is all your body needs post work out. All these insane, astronomical numbers the "experts" are recommending you are bullshit and full of hidden agendas. Unless you're 300+ pounds, your body isn't gonna digest or even need 50g+ of protein in one sitting. You'll just piss most of it out and waste your money.

I'd assume it varies a little bit depending on how much muscle mass you have, no?

[VG Emblem]

So, green vitamins, veggie pills. Which do you guys recommend? I'm terrible at getting vegetables in my diet, so they're pretty essential to me. I've been using Garden of Life's "Perfect Food Super Green Formula" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWIBBM/ref=ox_ya_oh_product) but the price went up and there's probably a better one out there.

Help me out.

[SEbastard]

So, green vitamins, veggie pills. Which do you guys recommend? I'm terrible at getting vegetables in my diet, so they're pretty essential to me. I've been using Garden of Life's "Perfect Food Super Green Formula" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWIBBM/ref=ox_ya_oh_product) but the price went up and there's probably a better one out there.

Help me out.

http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_Details.aspx?cid=25&pid=6859

[Soldier Zero]

So, green vitamins, veggie pills. Which do you guys recommend? I'm terrible at getting vegetables in my diet, so they're pretty essential to me. I've been using Garden of Life's "Perfect Food Super Green Formula" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWIBBM/ref=ox_ya_oh_product) but the price went up and there's probably a better one out there.

Help me out.

I used this (http://www.amazon.com/Greens-Plus-9-4-powder/dp/B00012NG5I) one for a bit. First few tries, disgusting, but then you get use to it. Vitamin Shoppe carries it, but try ordering/buying during a sale.

[VG Emblem]

Thanks for the responses, but nothing in capsule/pill form?

[Soldier Zero]

Thanks for the responses, but nothing in capsule/pill form?

Here (http://www.amazon.com/Greens-Plus-360-veggie-caps/dp/B00014DN04/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1245124169&sr=8-5) ya go.

[VG Emblem]

Hmm, I'm reading up on that and it seems legit. Cheaper, too. I'll bite.

[Soldier Zero]

Serving size is 12 capsules a day though, so don't think it lasts almost an entire year. :rofl:

[fistoftheryustar]

is it possible for a very short person (5'1 - 5'4 range) to gain 10 lbs in a week? whether it be a mix of fat and/ or muscle

[Capn Spanky]

is it possible for a very short person (5'1 - 5'4 range) to gain 10 lbs in a week? whether it be a mix of fat and/ or muscle

You could put another very short person on your shoulders. Two problems solved!

[fistoftheryustar]

hm.. but not rly :looney:

[Rooks4]

What up Suckahs. So i've now met 2 people using P90X and they both rave about it.. One is an older guy who just kinda started, but the other guy is a little younger than me and RIPPED TO SHREDS in good shape. He thinks it's a great program.

Any opinions? I hear all I'd need is a pullup bar, some pushup handles, and some hand weights. I got a bench press setup at my parents house that has 2 dumbells with plates, so I would only need the PUllup/Pushup stuff. Any testimonials from SRK? What's the nutrition plan like? From the bit i've read, it seems pretty good. Plenty to eat, plenty of snacks, just gotta stick to the workout routine like 7days a week.

Throw me your opinons, pls. (or post me toa link, if it's already been covered in the last 260 pages :P)

[Pablo_the_Mex]

What up Suckahs. So i've now met 2 people using P90X and they both rave about it.. One is an older guy who just kinda started, but the other guy is a little younger than me and RIPPED TO SHREDS in good shape. He thinks it's a great program.

Any opinions? I hear all I'd need is a pullup bar, some pushup handles, and some hand weights. I got a bench press setup at my parents house that has 2 dumbells with plates, so I would only need the PUllup/Pushup stuff. Any testimonials from SRK? What's the nutrition plan like? From the bit i've read, it seems pretty good. Plenty to eat, plenty of snacks, just gotta stick to the workout routine like 7days a week.

Throw me your opinons, pls. (or post me toa link, if it's already been covered in the last 260 pages :P)

I looked into it, and it is a beastly program. If you stick with it I can see how people get fucking shredded on that thing. I have seen the work out plan but not the meal plan. However you should be eating healthy already for maximum results. Over an hour of that shit for six days out of the week.

All you need is a pull up bar or bands, weights, and a yoga mat. There is a torrent out there but it is 50 gb. Maybe worth a shot.

[fistoftheryustar]

p90x works because it jolts you into doing something extreme that you feel is different from the rest. none of this, start with 2 jumping jacks and work uintil you feel comfortable doing 3 whole jumping jacks. its pretty awesome and uses BW exercise

[Pablo_the_Mex]

Yeah it is essentially some prison cell workout.

[Rooks4]

p90x works because it jolts you into doing something extreme that you feel is different from the rest. none of this, start with 2 jumping jacks and work uintil you feel comfortable doing 3 whole jumping jacks. its pretty awesome and uses BW exercise

BW exercise?

Honestly, its an hour of work a night... Which isn't that big of a deal.. and if it works my ass off, more power to me. In the comfort of my own home, plus I don't have to eat like a goddamn weirdo or count carbs and shit like that. Eat healthy, work out, win.

I think im gonna go take a look at that torrent . . .

[tech master]

everyone i know who did the p90x program has had great results. from what i've seen in the commercials, it looks pretty legit.

[Pablo_the_Mex]

everyone i know who did the p90x program has had great results. from what i've seen in the commercials, it looks pretty legit.

Yeah, probably the only infomercial where the shit looks like it works. I mean damn, 90 days is a long ass time and the dvds walk you through it. Hard to fail.

[jabhadouken]

BW exercise?

I'm going to guess "body weight" exercise - as in, working against your own.

[starboy]

I did P90X for a month or so then got bored. If you're overweight/out of shape it's going to kick the shit out of you. To be honest, you probably won't finish a full workout for a few months since it's all Body Weight Exercises.

Sample Exercise:
Chest/Back
6 min warmup
1 min standard pushups
1 min wide grip pullups
1 min military pushups
1 min normal grip pullups
30 sec rest
1 min incline pushup(feet on chair)
1 min pullups w/ hands touching in middle
1 min wide pushup
1 min other back exercise(forgot)
30 sec rest
etc etc etc

Kinda like crossfit. I got bored with weights then tried this for a month or so, then went back to weights. It's fun, if you have a strict diet with this program, you will definitely lose some weight. If you're looking to gain weight it's probably not for you.

[fistoftheryustar]

I'm going to guess "body weight" exercise - as in, working against your own.


bingo.

those are my fave exercises. but yea p90x looks legit bc it pretty much just guides you and tries to pump you up. if you look at the other infomercials, it almost feels like they are trying to give you a magic pill. p90x is open about being extreme. just like tae bo is legit in the cardio department, i think this is the one for getting muscular.

also im quite jealous of the results of the p90x users. ive been working out for a long
time and im so hating on the russian guy (the one with the beard) for being more muscular than me. im so jealous haha. if i had to recommend a workout program that was from an infomercial, i'd go with p90x. if you had to look at all the infomercial programs out there, which do you think an athlete would go for? "samba dance?" "darrens dance grooves" haha no.

i think in the past page we've figured out why it works and what makes it legit

[SEbastard]

Beats me, but I'm cutting the peri & post workout shakes. It's getting costly to get the quality stuff (hydrolyzed whey w/ enzymes) from trueprotein.com. Comes out to like $60, then fish oil's been about 50 something at Costco for 2000 capsules of the 300mg ones.

I'd rather stick with the fish oil and cut out the protein. I'll just eat more after I lift, should be a decent substitute for the time being.

Why would you drop pre/post drinks entirely? You are going from the fastest digesting, most expensive, option out there to nothing..........why not take the middle ground and just take a blend? Allthewhey is only like 1g carbs and 1g fat. It really isn't going to disturb the speed of absorption that much, and it's dirt cheap.

Costco is a killer deal on fish oil, especially when the coupon comes out every other month for 3 bucks off. I think I still got like 6-7 bottles from last time. TP is pretty reasonable as well, $25 for 1k.

[Gumpool]

hey guys....I need some help on increasing my god damned appetite....the training part I got down and I have nice results from it...I would have even greater results if I just could stuff food in me....

and I don't wanna hear about "eat as much as you can" well I tried that...bang appetite gone....I need some tips on how I can fool myself on eating more...if you understand what I'm sayiiiin'

thnx

[iTCH]

Gumpool. Are you trying to gain weight.

I go 2 the gym EVERY DAY, and my PT (personal trainer) told me that if i wanted to gain weight to eat 1.5 - 2x the amount of calories everyday... I normally would eat around 2300 calories, but i maintained my body weight because of my HIGH metabolism, but then i increased that from 2300 --> 4000 --> 4550 calories a day... and i gain about 1 lbs - 1.5 lbs every week.

Eat lean food, but break them into 6 meals a Day... (that's a meal almost every 4 hours), or whenever is best for you... my meal plan is

8 am --> breakfast (heavy) eggs, oatmeal, OJ,
12 pm--> snack (light snack) protein bars, whatever healty
2 pm --> lunch (heavy) chicken/turkey (lean meats)
4 pm --> snack (light snack) light salad (not that much dressing "it's not healthy)
8 pm --> dinner (heavy) (same for lunch)
10:30 or 11 --> snack (light snack) yogurt, apple sauce, pb-j sandwich

hopes this helps

Oh yeah, make sure u drink enough water, eat fiber, get all your proteins, get your oils, get your vitamins A, C, D, zinc, carbohydrates... and other essential stuff... antioxidants like raspberries, blue berries, are good 2... helps fight cancer...

[Soldier Zero]

which do you think an athlete would go for?

I think an athlete would go for a regimen more specific to their sports' needs. I'd say P90X is a simple program for anyone looking into fat loss.


Why would you drop pre/post drinks entirely? You are going from the fastest digesting, most expensive, option out there to nothing..........why not take the middle ground and just take a blend? Allthewhey is only like 1g carbs and 1g fat. It really isn't going to disturb the speed of absorption that much, and it's dirt cheap.

Costco is a killer deal on fish oil, especially when the coupon comes out every other month for 3 bucks off. I think I still got like 6-7 bottles from last time. TP is pretty reasonable as well, $25 for 1k.

I was using ON's 100% Gold (5lbs.) which would be around 40 something dollars. For the good stuff, extra 10, but then trueprotein.com's S&H is like another 11. :arazz:

It would make sense to take the middle ground, but IMO, it's not significantly cheaper to just settle for the so-so product.


hey guys....I need some help on increasing my god damned appetite....the training part I got down and I have nice results from it...I would have even greater results if I just could stuff food in me....

and I don't wanna hear about "eat as much as you can" well I tried that...bang appetite gone....I need some tips on how I can fool myself on eating more...if you understand what I'm sayiiiin'

thnx

How much do you usually eat in one day? What's a day of eating look like for you?

Knowing where you currently are with your intake, helps give more details on how to change. A random tidbit is the more intense a workout, the hungrier your body will be later for food.

[Gumpool]

Gumpool. Are you trying to gain weight.

I go 2 the gym EVERY DAY, and my PT (personal trainer) told me that if i wanted to gain weight to eat 1.5 - 2x the amount of calories everyday... I normally would eat around 2300 calories, but i maintained my body weight because of my HIGH metabolism, but then i increased that from 2300 --> 4000 --> 4550 calories a day... and i gain about 1 lbs - 1.5 lbs every week.

Eat lean food, but break them into 6 meals a Day... (that's a meal almost every 4 hours), or whenever is best for you... my meal plan is

8 am --> breakfast (heavy) eggs, oatmeal, OJ,
12 pm--> snack (light snack) protein bars, whatever healty
2 pm --> lunch (heavy) chicken/turkey (lean meats)
4 pm --> snack (light snack) light salad (not that much dressing "it's not healthy)
8 pm --> dinner (heavy) (same for lunch)
10:30 or 11 --> snack (light snack) yogurt, apple sauce, pb-j sandwich

hopes this helps

Oh yeah, make sure u drink enough water, eat fiber, get all your proteins, get your oils, get your vitamins A, C, D, zinc, carbohydrates... and other essential stuff... antioxidants like raspberries, blue berries, are good 2... helps fight cancer...

this is what I am talking about...this is much appreciated....:wgrin:




How much do you usually eat in one day? What's a day of eating look like for you?

Knowing where you currently are with your intake, helps give more details on how to change. A random tidbit is the more intense a workout, the hungrier your body will be later for food.


right now I eat horribly 4 times a day probably...since I don't have any obligations right now I just sleep away the days and stay up late at night.....but gonna start working next week so it will change

[fistoftheryustar]

I think an athlete would go for a regimen more specific to their sports' needs. I'd say P90X is a simple program for anyone looking into fat loss.

read what i typed again. i was saying of the routines you see on the infomercials. OF COURSE an athlete wouldnt do p90x to get their specific needs. read it again and youll get what i was saying.

[yah yaahh b*tch!]

I lift weights and do a shitload of cardio, but my results are going pretty slow. Its because I refuse to change my shitty diet right? Its high in fat and sugar. But its also extremely high in protein.

Im trying to get close to a "football player" build so is this good or bad?


Can I take protein shakes or those workout pills? Im trying to fast track this shit. Heres what my body looks looks like:

http://i43.tinypic.com/dgia8x.jpg

[fistoftheryustar]

lol hahaha is that spam? why u naked dog?

just keep eating right ( they say atleast 1 gram of protein per lb) and make sure you are always shocking your muscles.dont let your body get bored with the same thing over and over

[yah yaahh b*tch!]

Yeah people keep asking why am I naked, the only way you can see the V-cut thing is if i pull down my boxers a bit. No homo.


What do you mean by "shocking" exactly?

[Cyberfrost849]

I lift weights and do a shitload of cardio, but my results are going pretty slow. Its because I refuse to change my shitty diet right? Its high in fat and sugar. But its also extremely high in protein.

Im trying to get close to a "football player" build so is this good or bad?


Can I take protein shakes or those workout pills? Im trying to fast track this shit. Heres what my body looks looks like:

http://i43.tinypic.com/dgia8x.jpg

Hey man i have almost the EXACT same build as you and the SAME situation. I run on a treadmill for about a half hour burning about 300-350 cals after i lift weights and i do this every other day. Thing is i havent much cash on me for food so im oblidged to eat what my parents give me which is pure junk.

I wouldnt trust workout pills i mean if their reliable ive never went there but protein shakes deffinately. What i do to get bigger and what YOU could do is maybe exercise early in the morning(basically first thing when you wake up in the morning BEFORE breakfast) so the energy you run on is the fat in your body directly and afterwards have a protein shake and eggs. Im not too sure about you fast tracking cause weight loss takes time, but hey if you keep at it you will lose the weight. Hope i helped...

[fistoftheryustar]

Lol really you dont need to pull it down man.

As you work out your body gets stronger and used to the exercise. You need to add more weight when this happens or switch up the intensity. If you did the same or even just similar workouts for 4 months, youll notice a plateau effect and your gains in terms of strength or physique dotn seem to improve like they could be improving. Switch up your routine

[yah yaahh b*tch!]

I didnt take that picture for SRK, it was for someone before hand lol.

But yeah youre right. I dont get comfortable at all, only been 2 months and Ive already increased my weight and reps.

[fistoftheryustar]

YEah for me if its been 2 weeks and I notice my muscles look smaller, instead of just upping the weight I'll try different exercises. There are always multiple exercises for the same muscle group that shock the body when you get used to the same routine.

[yah yaahh b*tch!]

Yeah your muscles do get smaller, and you feel even weaker than before for a small amount of time.

I remember my science teacher who was also a physical trainer said something about your muscles breaking down when you work out.

[SEbastard]

I lift weights and do a shitload of cardio, but my results are going pretty slow. Its because I refuse to change my shitty diet right? Its high in fat and sugar. But its also extremely high in protein.

Im trying to get close to a "football player" build so is this good or bad?


Can I take protein shakes or those workout pills? Im trying to fast track this shit. Heres what my body looks looks like:

http://i43.tinypic.com/dgia8x.jpg

You trying to buik up, or diet down? If bulk, drop the cardio, cept maybe 20 mins 3 times a week. If trying to diet down, get your diet in order. If trying to do both.......good luck beyond the first 6 months training to fast track anything.

[yah yaahh b*tch!]

Im not trying to "diet down" im just wondering is my attempt at gaining muscle + bulk being hindered by my shitty diet.

Shitty diet as in more fat and sugar than I need, I get more than enough protein and whole grain.


EDIT: but I AM gaining weight, and Im also getting definition, a lot faster than I thought I would be. My chest is spreading like shit.

[fistoftheryustar]

A shitty diet is sometimes better than what most people would call a "Healthy" diet in terms of bulking up. Ideally you want to bulk clean, but if you look at the high school football players that had bulk and some fat, they didnt eat special protein bars and lean meats... they probably ate whatever shit was there. If you have great metabolism, fats and sugars could be good for you.

My friend has super metabolism and he should be much more massive than me, he's been working out harder and longer than me. But he doesnt eat enough. He gets full after half a meal PLUS the metabolism, so it kills his bulk.

What do you mean by shitty diet? You mean a fat man's diet with lots of protein?




Edit: Also guys WTF--

I wanted to get up to 145 lbs like the guys on WEC (MMA organization.) Im short as hell, like 5'4. Anyway last week I weighed myself a few times and it consistently noted that I was 136-137. All of a sudden this week I weighed myself and its 146-147. How is it possible to gain this much weight so quickly? I weighed myself many times on the same scale and it kept showing me at 146. Its awesome but I dont want the fake boost, if its not real. Even with barely any clothes on its showing me at 146. This is one of the biggest surprises in general for me.

[BlackShinobi]

I just started P90X 3 weeks ago and I like it. I gave myself a do over on the first week because i did so bad. For me getting used to working out and hour a night is still a bit of a shock to my system but the program works they sell it on infomercials but its not some insta magic way to get in shape you have to follow the program.
It may be easier for people who are already in shape but for my out of shape ass its a workout and a half. beating my previous numbers and the fear of having to do the same thing next week after taking a week off keep me from slacking off.

the people on the dvds help motivate you too. How the hell can I not get through this plyo workout when the dude on one leg is doing it? I refuse to be worse at Plyometrics than a guy with a fake leg.

[iTCH]

I think I might start making some vids and putting them on youtube... or atleast take some pics... i really dont like hearing my voice on camera...

but i want 2 try that p90x thing tho... some of my friends parents has started during that program, and i can already tell a big difference... but i dont know how much it cost... im not that big into info mercials...


Gumpool... your welcome for the info bro... any more questions... leave me a shout out or pm me...

[yah yaahh b*tch!]

What do you mean by shitty diet? You mean a fat man's diet with lots of protein?



Pretty much. I eat a lot of carbs ..a lot. Like pancakes and potatoes, and cereal. But I eat a shit load of ham, chicken and fish too.

I just wanna get bigger, I think ill stop when I hit a plateau from not eating right.

[Soldier Zero]

right now I eat horribly 4 times a day probably...since I don't have any obligations right now I just sleep away the days and stay up late at night.....but gonna start working next week so it will change

I'm assuming you're trying to bulk and I figure you're a skinny/lanky guy. You might want to try for a minimum of 5 meals. I know 6 is ideal, but if you're not using shakes or anything, then you need to get a little creative. Variety runs out quick when you make 6 meals a day, and so does the effort to continuously make food.

Make stuff in batches like grilled chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, cut up vegetables, and then you won't have to spend as much time making a meal. Reduced fat cheese is also easy for more protein with less fat in sandwiches/wraps. Whole wheat pitas are good if you get tired of bread. A meal should look roughly like:

protein source (usually meat) + either whole grain carb source or fats + vegetables and/or fruit

Don't skip on the veggies or fruit, you get your vitamins and antioxidants from them. If you do a hefty amount of carbs + fat in one meal, you're gonna be feeling full from the combination. A peanut butter sandwich with a glass of milk is plenty of carbs, fats, and protein, but you're stomach's gonna be feeling heavy.

If you need extra calories, take a shot of olive oil.

These are just quick tips.

[Pat the Great]

Edit: Also guys WTF--

I wanted to get up to 145 lbs like the guys on WEC (MMA organization.) Im short as hell, like 5'4. Anyway last week I weighed myself a few times and it consistently noted that I was 136-137. All of a sudden this week I weighed myself and its 146-147. How is it possible to gain this much weight so quickly? I weighed myself many times on the same scale and it kept showing me at 146. Its awesome but I dont want the fake boost, if its not real. Even with barely any clothes on its showing me at 146. This is one of the biggest surprises in general for me.

your weight fluctuates all the time, mostly based on hydration levels and physical waste. for the BJJ worlds, i had to cut about 7-8lbs while minimizing water weight loss (weigh-ins are right before the match, so no time to rehydrate) - the next day, after eating a lot, i was back up to where i was before the cut. so don't think you just put on 10lbs of fat or muscle. you didn't.

[AkumaTX]

is jogging/walking 6 miles everyday with light weight lifting enough to lose weight? I used to be heavily in shape but i enjoy running more than weight lifting.

[starboy]

is jogging/walking 6 miles everyday with light weight lifting enough to lose weight? I used to be heavily in shape but i enjoy running more than weight lifting.

Depends on what you're eating.

When it comes to losing weight, results come from 99.9999% diet, .000001% work.(okay not that extreme, but you get the point).

I stayed at 250lbs by exercising EVERY day of the week for a few years. In Sept I decided enough was enough and I went on atkins. That's it, still exercised the exact same amount everyday. Now I weigh 178lbs and am getting lean like a mofo!

[AkumaTX]

trying to eat fruit salads subway etc etc nothing like burgers or such. trying to stay under 1500 calories and currently weight 229.