Weightlifting

[WidespreadMule3]

^Read something the other day that has stuck with me, "Abs start in the kitchen, not the gym." I'm not saying you're trying to just tone your guy, but a great diet will be key to cut down some.

[spoot388]

ya, diet is the biggest factor for abs. you could do 1,000 crunches a day but if you have belly fat, you're not going to see anything. iirc, abs begin to show at 8% body fat, then get more defined the lower the BF% is. to lose the fat, cardio will help, but you could spend an hour a day on a treadmill and cancel that out by eating doritos that night. its A LOT easier to cut calories in your diet than it is to work them off.

[fridge112887]

Back at it again:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1730411

[HR Pufnstuf]

Originally Posted by spoot388

ya, diet is the biggest factor for abs. you could do 1,000 crunches a day but if you have belly fat, you're not going to see anything. iirc, abs begin to show at 8% body fat, then get more defined the lower the BF% is. to lose the fat, cardio will help, but you could spend an hour a day on a treadmill and cancel that out by eating doritos that night. its A LOT easier to cut calories in your diet than it is to work them off.

I am not even looking for abs. I really guess I need to focus on diet and getting in my cardio at least 5 days a week.

Originally Posted by fridge112887

Back at it again:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1730411

Disgusting.

[dmbredsox36]

Hi guys - looking for some advice as the spring/summer approach.

I bulked up a little over the winter, added some nice muscle gains, and generally ate 'fair' - didn't go crazy bad, but also didn't anywhere near strict. Now I'd like to cut a little bit (midsection obviously). Is there a protein/carb ratio I should be aiming for to maintain or even add a little muscle while not gaining more weight/fat? I've started eating more rigidly, track everything I eat, upping my cardio/ab workouts, etc. Other suggestions? Just looking for advice. Thanks!

PS: The Cinnamon Bun flavored Combat Powder from MP, mixed with some light milk = ******** delicious.

[Lee3691]

Although this thread is focused on weight lifting, I was wondering if there are any experienced gym folk, who can answer a few cardio questions for me.

[RichieSSC]

Originally Posted by Lee3691

Although this thread is focused on weight lifting, I was wondering if there are any experienced gym folk, who can answer a few cardio questions for me.

Go ahead and fire at will Lee.

[fridge112887]

Originally Posted by dmbredsox36

Hi guys - looking for some advice as the spring/summer approach.

I bulked up a little over the winter, added some nice muscle gains, and generally ate 'fair' - didn't go crazy bad, but also didn't anywhere near strict. Now I'd like to cut a little bit (midsection obviously). Is there a protein/carb ratio I should be aiming for to maintain or even add a little muscle while not gaining more weight/fat? I've started eating more rigidly, track everything I eat, upping my cardio/ab workouts, etc. Other suggestions? Just looking for advice. Thanks!

PS: The Cinnamon Bun flavored Combat Powder from MP, mixed with some light milk = ******** delicious.

You'll see all kinds of ratios thrown around, but one of the most common ratios would be 40/40/20 (p/cho/f). I've never counted calories, grams, etc., so I cannot share what's worked best for me. Obviously keep your p/cho content higher on days in the gym and increase your fats while decreasing carbohydrates on your days off. Putting on muscle while not gaining fat is pretty difficult to do. Usually with one comes the other.

I also do not do protein powder, but if I did, I would check out truenutrition.com. There you can pretty much create your own from endless opinions. PLUS it's legit stuff.....none of this amino spiking or filler nonsense.

Originally Posted by Lee3691

Although this thread is focused on weight lifting, I was wondering if there are any experienced gym folk, who can answer a few cardio questions for me.

Yick. *leaves thread*

[KevinTH]

Originally Posted by fridge112887

You'll see all kinds of ratios thrown around, but one of the most common ratios would be 40/40/20 (p/cho/f). I've never counted calories, grams, etc., so I cannot share what's worked best for me. Obviously keep your p/cho content higher on days in the gym and increase your fats while decreasing carbohydrates on your days off. Putting on muscle while not gaining fat is pretty difficult to do. Usually with one comes the other.

I also do not do protein powder, but if I did, I would check out truenutrition.com. There you can pretty much create your own from endless opinions. PLUS it's legit stuff.....none of this amino spiking or filler nonsense.



Yick. *leaves thread*

So I'm trying to lose weight but gain some muscle also. At my heaviest I was at roughly 210. I'm now down to 195. I can't seem to get past the 195 mark. However, do you suggest to just lose weight first and then try to pack on the muscle? Let's say my desired weight is 175. Do you suggest getting down to that weight and then packing on the food and muscle?

Right now I do weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I do cardio on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (occasinally I fit some cardio into my weight trainng days). I'm also on a 1790 calorie a day (supposed to get me to lose a pound a week) diet and I've been doing two scoops of whey protein every day.

[Lee3691]

Originally Posted by RichieSSC

Go ahead and fire at will Lee.

Right now I am doing cardio (burning about 300 calories per session) 5x a week. I've improved my diet (which wasn't horrible), but interested to know it protein shakes and other supplements would be helpful. Looking to loose about 20 lbs.

[RichieSSC]

Originally Posted by Lee3691

Right now I am doing cardio (burning about 300 calories per session) 5x a week. I've improved my diet (which wasn't horrible), but interested to know it protein shakes and other supplements would be helpful. Looking to loose about 20 lbs.

I hear ya on some of the confusion as there is just so much info out there, let me share a little bit of my routine and what I know from others in the gym and what works for me.

I'm at the end of a pretty big cutting phase while exercising. From what I have back read about what you're doing, you would be in a cutting phase as well. Basically, you are burning through more calories then you are taking in, which is great, but let me guess, you are to the point where you are almost exhausting yourself where you feel like a zombie, right? Your big issue is this, how do you choose to use those calories. Cardio has huge benefits all around and we all pretty much know what they are. The fact is, if you are lifting hard and doing cardio hard, but not taking in enough fuel, something has to give. Same situation for me.

After my first month of cutting while doing a cardio/lifting routine, I dropped a good 15 lbs., but could tell I was not healthy. At this point, I chose to cut way back on cardio and pick up the lifting and cross training regiment. My weight has slowly decline over the last 2 months, but my muscle gains and definition on all parts of my body have really come through. At this point, my routine is 6 days a week with only 1 dedicated to cardio, however, I workout at a good hard pace.

If you are going to stick to your diet, think of it like this. Calories are like how much money you have to spend. You burn a large amount throughout your day so when it comes time for your routine you only have so much left. How you choose to spend those are up to you. But if you want definition and a nice core, your focus should be on strength and cross training. If your overall goal is more weight loss, your current routine is just fine. With all this being said, everyone's body is different and will react different. I was a college athlete and had a good base for strength to begin with so I knew my body could handle hard strength training.

Some general rules on diet. Lean Protein meals and a lot of them should always be your focus. If you have the chance, try and eat every 3 hours or so. White meat, egg whites, low fat red meat, etc...Don't forget carbs and fats, they provide energy, eat them in the morning up until the early afternoon and don't eat starches later at night. Your carbs and fats should come from good places like wheat/multi grain breads, peanut butter, avocados, etc...Veggies never count against you either, eat as many of them as you want! Your Whey intake sounds ok, maybe a bit much (2 scoops is quite a bit, don't go over that). Try and get the bulk of your protein from the foods I mentioned above.

Sounds like you are in a good spot, be patient and the most important thing is to stick to the diet and stick in your routine no matter what you decide. You will start to see some real results and at that point, it will become borderline addictive.

PM me if you have more questions.

Dustin

[fridge112887]

Originally Posted by KevinTH5

So I'm trying to lose weight but gain some muscle also. At my heaviest I was at roughly 210. I'm now down to 195. I can't seem to get past the 195 mark. However, do you suggest to just lose weight first and then try to pack on the muscle? Let's say my desired weight is 175. Do you suggest getting down to that weight and then packing on the food and muscle?

Right now I do weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I do cardio on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (occasinally I fit some cardio into my weight trainng days). I'm also on a 1790 calorie a day (supposed to get me to lose a pound a week) diet and I've been doing two scoops of whey protein every day.

As I mentioned before, the whole "lose weight and gain muscle simultaneously" concept doesn't really work out. In order for one to occur, the other must tag along. Generally, to gain true muscle, your calorie intake must exceed that of what it normally is. If I were you, I'd slowly try to lose weight while keeping most of the routine the same (or however you want to structure it). If you were to drop that weight and pick things back up, you'd just be on a constant seesaw and land back where you were. Remember, if you were to cut 50 kcals per day (3500/week), you'd lose a pound each week - or thereabout.



I don't know what whackjob started the whole "you need to eat 17 meals per day to stroke the metabolic fire", but that way of thinking needs to go away. Credible, scientific studies have proven this to be untrue. If you're diabetic and need to eat consistently like this to keep your blood sugars in check, then yes, by all means eat every few hours. If it helps you to keep track of your kcals/portions, fine, I'll let it slide. By it has nothing to do with metabolism. Personally I feel as though grazing throughout the day has played a large part in why every other American citizen is obese. Cows graze during the day. Look how that turns out for them. Eat you're two/three square meals and call it a day.

Concerning what Dustin (I think it's Dustin?) said about late night carbohydrates.....the "no carbs after 6 pm" is another wives tale and about as accurate as the issue I ranted about above. Google "carbohydrates at night weight loss" and you'll stumble across several articles and explanations as to why carbohydrates should not be feared during the evening hours.

Follow what Alan Aragon has to say. If you're going to listen to anyone about nutrition, it should be him.

[M. Steng]

Originally Posted by fridge112887

As I mentioned before, the whole "lose weight and gain muscle simultaneously" concept doesn't really work out. In order for one to occur, the other must tag along. Generally, to gain true muscle, your calorie intake must exceed that of what it normally is. If I were you, I'd slowly try to lose weight while keeping most of the routine the same (or however you want to structure it). If you were to drop that weight and pick things back up, you'd just be on a constant seesaw and land back where you were. Remember, if you were to cut 50 kcals per day (3500/week), you'd lose a pound each week - or thereabout.



I don't know what whackjob started the whole "you need to eat 17 meals per day to stroke the metabolic fire", but that way of thinking needs to go away. Credible, scientific studies have proven this to be untrue. If you're diabetic and need to eat consistently like this to keep your blood sugars in check, then yes, by all means eat every few hours. If it helps you to keep track of your kcals/portions, fine, I'll let it slide. By it has nothing to do with metabolism. Personally I feel as though grazing throughout the day has played a large part in why every other American citizen is obese. Cows graze during the day. Look how that turns out for them. Eat you're two/three square meals and call it a day.

Concerning what Dustin (I think it's Dustin?) said about late night carbohydrates.....the "no carbs after 6 pm" is another wives tale and about as accurate as the issue I ranted about above. Google "carbohydrates at night weight loss" and you'll stumble across several articles and explanations as to why carbohydrates should not be feared during the evening hours.

Follow what Alan Aragon has to say. If you're going to listen to anyone about nutrition, it should be him.

It's funny you say that, because I've found this approach works best for me when trying to maintain a healthy diet and have seen good weight loss results following this method.

I don't really think of eating frequently as "grazing". And yes, I agree that people who do graze tend to be obese- but they're not snacking on the right things. A fat lady eating potato chips at her desk in between her 2nd breakfast and 1st lunch obviously has more to worry about that metabolism stimulation.

But, for me, I really do find that I get hungry quickly. I'm a bigger guy (6'1", 235-240 lbs) but I'm fairly muscular. I get hungry a lot. By snacking, say on an apple with peanut butter, a protein bar, a banana, whatever, it helps me kick food cravings. My diet was absolutely terrible in college and I ate whatever I want, but I justified it because I was a football player and never thought anything of it. Those old habits die hard and I still have plenty of urges/cravings for shitty foods. The hungrier I get, the higher the propensity to say "fuck it" and order a cheesesteak or make a big bowl of pasta, because it's easy and convenient. Keeping those cravings at bay by never being too hungry is absolutely essential to people like me who don't have the self-control or the habit of staying full off of only 2 or 3 meals a day.

So, like I said earlier, to each their own I guess!

[dmbredsox36]

New site I came across thanks to Twitter. Looks they're just getting started, but definitely has potential/insight on all the supplements out there.

https://labdoor.com

[Devilspawn]

Originally Posted by dmbredsox36

Hi guys - looking for some advice as the spring/summer approach.

I bulked up a little over the winter, added some nice muscle gains, and generally ate 'fair' - didn't go crazy bad, but also didn't anywhere near strict. Now I'd like to cut a little bit (midsection obviously). Is there a protein/carb ratio I should be aiming for to maintain or even add a little muscle while not gaining more weight/fat? I've started eating more rigidly, track everything I eat, upping my cardio/ab workouts, etc. Other suggestions? Just looking for advice. Thanks!

PS: The Cinnamon Bun flavored Combat Powder from MP, mixed with some light milk = ******** delicious.

could always try this and adjust as needed:

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

[WidespreadMule3]

It's ironic that there's talk about "gain muscle, lose weight" happening in here. I've been trying that over the past few weeks and came to the realization not too long ago that it's impossible. I'm waayyy too hungry after lifting weights to not feed my hunger and it's obvious that my body is so hungry that I'd be hurting myself per se if i didn't eat. I'm realizing now I need to redirect my goals to gain muscle but lose fat. It's going to come down to me eating right. My biggest crutch is the actual food I eat. I don't eat a whole lot of junk food but I love chips and hot dogs. I end up eating a lot of simple meals like sandwiches and hot dogs for lunch and I know they're not great for me.

[LowEnd_Theory]

ATHLEAN-X

Found this guy's channel on YouTube. Really seems like he knows his shit and I like that he has an athletic focus at heart... been following his advice and philosophy and I've noticed a huge difference... gave my routines some new life as well.

[M. Steng]

So my buddy that does CrossFit religiously just went into the hospital last night with rhabdomyolysis. Anyone ever heard of this? Apparently it's when you over-exert a muscle so much that it begins secreting protein into the bloodstream and affects the liver and kidneys. I guess it's potentially fatal, but luckily he admitted himself into the hospital early enough where they caught it quickly. Apparently the level of the particular enzyme or whatever that your liver secretes as a result was at 60,000, where it's normally supposed to be between 100-200 (not sure about the measuring unit).

[WidespreadMule3]

Originally Posted by M. Steng

So my buddy that does CrossFit religiously just went into the hospital last night with rhabdomyolysis. Anyone ever heard of this? Apparently it's when you over-exert a muscle so much that it begins secreting protein into the bloodstream and affects the liver and kidneys. I guess it's potentially fatal, but luckily he admitted himself into the hospital early enough where they caught it quickly. Apparently the level of the particular enzyme or whatever that your liver secretes as a result was at 60,000, where it's normally supposed to be between 100-200 (not sure about the measuring unit).

Wow. That's freaky. Hope he gets better. Freaks me out because I've upped my workout routine pretty heavily. Guess Crossfit may be a little more intense though.

[M. Steng]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

Wow. That's freaky. Hope he gets better. Freaks me out because I've upped my workout routine pretty heavily. Guess Crossfit may be a little more intense though.

Thanks man. After doing some reading on it, it seems that it's pretty common in CrossFitters because of the repeated, maximum-capacity exertion that a lot of the exercises require. Good article on it here:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...omyolysis.html

That article also made me realize how douchey CrossFit people can be, like naming a children's exercise after the guy who won a lawsuit against them after becoming disabled doing one of their workouts. Get off your high horse type shit.

[WidespreadMule3]

People who do Crossfit always seem so cocky about it. I know that doesn't fit all people who do it, but it just seems like every one of them who does thinks their workout is superior to anything you do and that they are more physically adept/fit than anyone. They're always there to talk about it and will never let you forget that they do Crossfit.

[M. Steng]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

People who do Crossfit always seem so cocky about it. I know that doesn't fit all people who do it, but it just seems like every one of them who does thinks their workout is superior to anything you do and that they are more physically adept/fit than anyone. They're always there to talk about it and will never let you forget that they do Crossfit.

I generally find this to be true, that Crossfit people tend to brag too much about their workouts, but my buddy isn't really like that, which is the only reason I'm able to talk to him about it. Kid was a professional hockey player in Europe for three years, is in great shape.

But yeah, other than this particular friend, I find a lot of people I'm friends with on Facebook/Twitter are constantly talking about Crossfit. Something like a selfie with their shirts pulled up and a caption like "What'd your workout do today? #blessed #hardwork #noquit" or some kind of cliche shit like that. It's like, yeah, if I was 25 and unemployed and still lived with my parents I'd have enough time to look like that too, idiot.

[gonz085]

Originally Posted by M. Steng

I generally find this to be true, that Crossfit people tend to brag too much about their workouts, but my buddy isn't really like that, which is the only reason I'm able to talk to him about it. Kid was a professional hockey player in Europe for three years, is in great shape.

But yeah, other than this particular friend, I find a lot of people I'm friends with on Facebook/Twitter are constantly talking about Crossfit. Something like a selfie with their shirts pulled up and a caption like "What'd your workout do today? #blessed #hardwork #noquit" or some kind of cliche shit like that. It's like, yeah, if I was 25 and unemployed and still lived with my parents I'd have enough time to look like that too, idiot.

truthbomb

[KevinTH]

Originally Posted by M. Steng

I generally find this to be true, that Crossfit people tend to brag too much about their workouts, but my buddy isn't really like that, which is the only reason I'm able to talk to him about it. Kid was a professional hockey player in Europe for three years, is in great shape.

But yeah, other than this particular friend, I find a lot of people I'm friends with on Facebook/Twitter are constantly talking about Crossfit. Something like a selfie with their shirts pulled up and a caption like "What'd your workout do today? #blessed #hardwork #noquit" or some kind of cliche shit like that. It's like, yeah, if I was 25 and unemployed and still lived with my parents I'd have enough time to look like that too, idiot.

That's fantastic, and true.

[WidespreadMule3]

Can't figure out how to lose some belly fat. I know that abs start in the kitchen, but I'm not trying to get some crazy six pack or anything like that. I just want to lose some of the belly fat. I don't eat too crazy bad. During the week I mostly eat eggs, turkey, wheat (bread, pasta), raisin bran and triscuit kind of crackers. I will splurge on the weekends with a burger or some bbq or something like that. Not really sure why I'm putting on some weight aside from upping my workout a good bit.

[Devilspawn]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

Can't figure out how to lose some belly fat. I know that abs start in the kitchen, but I'm not trying to get some crazy six pack or anything like that. I just want to lose some of the belly fat. I don't eat too crazy bad. During the week I mostly eat eggs, turkey, wheat (bread, pasta), raisin bran and triscuit kind of crackers. I will splurge on the weekends with a burger or some bbq or something like that. Not really sure why I'm putting on some weight aside from upping my workout a good bit.

determine your correct macros for cutting and actually count them... you'll be surprised if you don't count them what you are or aren't getting daily from serving sizes to actual protein/carb/fat numbers... I recommended counting for 2-4 weeks and then you get a real sense of how much you really eat vs how much you should eat... most people under eat or over eat when they think they are eating enough and you need to eat enough even to lose...

sometimes picking the right foods is key too (foods have hidden sugars in them like bread, pasta and crackers which could affect you and you might not respond as well as you think)...

add more strength training and cardio when needed... strength straining= muscle gain=more calories burned=more fat loss in the long run... and it's muscle gain that you'll most likely never notice, but will be of great benefit to losing fat...

you store the most BF in your stomach from what you say so it's going to be the last to go, but eventually it will go... decreasing fat on your body is an every day thing not just "a during the week thing" if you catch my drift. So a cheat meal on weekends should still fit in your macros if you're serious about losing the BF along with curve your craving to do it repeatedly and fall off your goals...

[WidespreadMule3]

Originally Posted by Devilspawn

determine your correct macros for cutting and actually count them... you'll be surprised if you don't count them what you are or aren't getting daily from serving sizes to actual protein/carb/fat numbers... I recommended counting for 2-4 weeks and then you get a real sense of how much you really eat vs how much you should eat... most people under eat or over eat when they think they are eating enough and you need to eat enough even to lose...

sometimes picking the right foods is key too (foods have hidden sugars in them like bread, pasta and crackers which could affect you and you might not respond as well as you think)...

add more strength training and cardio when needed... strength straining= muscle gain=more calories burned=more fat loss in the long run... and it's muscle gain that you'll most likely never notice, but will be of great benefit to losing fat...

you store the most BF in your stomach from what you say so it's going to be the last to go, but eventually it will go... decreasing fat on your body is an every day thing not just "a during the week thing" if you catch my drift. So a cheat meal on weekends should still fit in your macros if you're serious about losing the BF along with curve your craving to do it repeatedly and fall off your goals...

Thanks man. I kinda figured it was something along those lines. I'm thinking too that the reason I've seen my weight increase lately is because I have upped my weight training so much the past 3 weeks. I've hit the gym hard the past 3 weeks than I have ever in the past 3/4 years. I'm trying to put on muscle mass and increase my size but I'd like to cut my fat down just so my hard work will show a little better.

[fridge112887]

Using a scale is a poor judgment when it comes to weight loss. Numbers on the scale fluctuate daily. Your best bet would be to go by how your clothes fit.

[LowEnd_Theory]

After the last three weeks, I realize how flimsy I got about lifting this winter. My motivation was pretty up and down... typically getting in 1-3 times a week, but really I just was bored and not very intense while I was in there. About a month ago I finally re-upped on protein powder, and did some research online to revamp my workouts and re-adjust my mindset. Going into the gym focused, really trying to be mindful of which muscle I'm trying to contract and work, and be effecient... its gotten me great results in a matter of three weeks. I'm realizing that to lift weights any other way is really a waste of time. Feels good to really be back in it.

I've been using videos on youtube from Athlean-X if anyone's interested. The guy used to be the personal trainer for the NY Mets, so he's got that athlete mindset, just very knowledgable in the way he breaks things down. There's a lot of guys I came across during my youtube research (guys like Mike Chang lulz), and this guys seemed most legit. All you have to do is look at the dude's body-- absolutely cut up.

Anyways, best of luck to everyone riding this warm weather energy thats been creeping in to get back in better shape than we were in this winter.

[fridge112887]

I desperately need to get something off my chest. I've witness this asshatery day after day, so I figured it's best to mention it here so none of you make the same mistakes as these fools I see at the gym. Unless you are at a powerlifting competition or have two spotters at each end of the bar, there is NO WAY to spot the squat. None. Having a "spotter" directly behind you while you squat is wrong for a few reasons. I'll start with the most obvious: it's incredibly awkward. Not only is the dude going ass to balls with you, but he's doing it in a synchronized, almost choreographed manner. If the gym is lacking in squat rack mirrors, you're unaware of just how idiotic you look. Then again, you don't need mirrors to know that it looks a bit strange to be grinding on another guy, similarly to how you would grind with your 7th grade girlfriend at the middle school dance, as they grunt their way through the lift while you piledrive his ass. Secondly, and most importantly: the spotter offers ZERO safety or assistance to the one squatting. If anything, the squatter is jeopardizing the spotter's safety. If the squatter cannot execute the eccentric phase of the squat, what help do you think pushing on the squatters elbows/arm pits to drive him/her up will do? If you answered zero help, you're correct. After all, the power comes from the legs, not your torso. What good will it do to pull from the pits if the legs cannot function? What happens if they have to ditch the bar or even worse, fall back with the bar? If you're behind them and not Ronnie Coleman, you're doomed. You'll wake up in the ER with an iron barbell surgically removed from your stupid face.

My takeaway point: do NOT spot the squat. The squatter either has it or he doesn't. If you squat in the rack and the safety pins/rails are up, that's all you need. Ditch the bar and try again. BUT if you workout at Planet Shitness, then everything I just said is irrelevant and you probably have no clue as to what I'm talking because Hitler is the CEO and doesn't want you to be healthy and squat. He only wants you to have another piece of pizza.