Getting in shape

[Todd15Fastback]

Great post, Sean!!

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[detailz03]

I think it has been proven over and over that the whole insulin spike statement is false. At least to my desire it has

Not sure if you are familiar with Intermittent Fasting, if not give it a read. It is really great stuff and I feel my best when I do IF all the time. 16hr fasting window and a 8hr feed window if you will.

Here is a good guide on it:
http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

:shrug: I've done the big 3 meals and find it the hardest, most draining and difficult. It might just be on how my body is, but I feel more tired and dragged out if I don't break out my meals or snacks.

I've seen it around but never payed any attention to it since I'm still trying to bulk my way up to 180. But I'll definitely give it a read when I get the chance.

 

[anotherneon]

Cardio isnt needed to lose weight, its helpful to keep your heart healthy, but it ends there. In fact I would keep it to a minimum of a brisk walk 2 days a week. You're going to want to preserve your muscle mass when losing weight because your body is going to want to take it from you. To preserve your mass you need to increase protein to at least 1g/lb body weight and to get yourself involved with a solid weight lifting program, and not this old school body part spilt over the course of a week. A full body workout 2-3 times a week will get it done. Your biggest results will be made from diet, there is no need to eat whole grains and as clean as you think. Google if it fits your macros (IIFYM) it is very easy to follow and it works. Dont get hung up on all the magazines and articles as they arent accurate and are complete BS. I am sure I will get jumped on for this post but its the honest no bullshit truth. It isnt complicated, eat clean and exercise with weights by doing a full body routine,period. Lyle McDonald is very well known in the lifting/nutrition community and has amazing books that work and work well, but are very strict and take alot of discipline. Below is my testimonial he asked me to write.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ultimate-diet-20/

He also has amazing articles on his site that are very helpful.

Someone mentioned intermittent fasting, that is an amazing tool and I have been following that eating style for about 3 years now, again dont get hung up in the BS magazine articles that say eat 6 small meals a day. Another mention was crossfit. Crossfit is great as it gets people to exercise and its always somethign different when you show up to the gym, but it ends there. It is very dangerous as a beginner especially if you dont know what youre doing. Their mentality is go go go when your body is saying stop stop stop. I have seen a fair share of injuries coming from crossift, hell take a look at their injury section on their message board. Anything else you or anyone wants to know ill do my best to answer.

 

[detailz03]

Cardio isnt needed to lose weight, its helpful to keep your heart healthy, but it ends there. In fact I would keep it to a minimum of a brisk walk 2 days a week. You're going to want to preserve your muscle mass when losing weight because your body is going to want to take it from you. To preserve your mass you need to increase protein to at least 1g/lb body weight and to get yourself involved with a solid weight lifting program, and not this old school body part spilt over the course of a week. A full body workout 2-3 times a week will get it done. Your biggest results will be made from diet, there is no need to eat whole grains and as clean as you think. Google if it fits your macros (IIFYM) it is very easy to follow and it works. Dont get hung up on all the magazines and articles as they arent accurate and are complete BS. I am sure I will get jumped on for this post but its the honest no bullshit truth. It isnt complicated, eat clean and exercise with weights by doing a full body routine,period. Lyle McDonald is very well known in the lifting/nutrition community and has amazing books that work and work well, but are very strict and take alot of discipline. Below is my testimonial he asked me to write.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ultimate-diet-20/

He also has amazing articles on his site that are very helpful.

Someone mentioned intermittent fasting, that is an amazing tool and I have been following that eating style for about 3 years now, again dont get hung up in the BS magazine articles that say eat 6 small meals a day. Another mention was crossfit. Crossfit is great as it gets people to exercise and its always somethign different when you show up to the gym, but it ends there. It is very dangerous as a beginner especially if you dont know what youre doing. Their mentality is go go go when your body is saying stop stop stop. I have seen a fair share of injuries coming from crossift, hell take a look at their injury section on their message board. Anything else you or anyone wants to know ill do my best to answer.

Could you elaborate more on a fully body workout 2-3 times a week? I've seen programs like that, such as Strong Lifts? And it seems like there's portion of the body that is being missed, and the only thing focused on is just the major muscle groups like what power lifters do?

 

[anotherneon]

There's a ton of valuable advice in this thread. For someone who is fairly new to the fitness game, I think the old saying "keep it simple, stupid" applies so you don't feel overwhelmed. A few general principles to keep in mind, aside from my previous comments:

1. Eliminate all stimulants from your routine such as caffeine and nicotine. This would also apply to most of the pre-workout supplements on the market today.

2. Avoid all processed foods. A really simple rule of thumb for this one is that if it can be stored in the pantry and it won't go bad, don't eat it.

3. Increase your protein and water intake substantially. The exact amounts will depend very much on your current body weight and your goals, but it's safe to say they will both have to go WAY up compared to their current levels.

4. Don't overdo it in the gym. It doesn't matter if you're following a typical hypertrophy-based bodybuilding routine, 5x5 strength training routine, crossfit, polymetrics, etc. etc... whatever it is, don't kill yourself. This will only lead to over training (i.e. a loss in muscle mass) and very likely injury.

5. Sleep 7-9 hours a night if possible.

6. Many will advocate that you should eat a "meal" every 2-3 hours, however there are recent studies that show eating fewer, larger meals throughout the day is just as effective. On this point, do what works best for you based on your schedule. I personally would still opt for 6+ "smaller" meals a day.

7. Remind yourself on a daily basis that nothing happens overnight. Give yourself 3-6 months and stay disciplined.

FWIW, i've been ALL over the spectrum with regards to my physical build over the years. From growing up chubby, to being a very muscular lean, to bulking up and being told that I should compete in both strength and bodybuilding competitions. Not bragging (I def have nothing to brag about after the toll the last 5 years has taken on my body), but just trying to give a little perspective as to where my comments are coming from.

Good luck and keep us updated with the progress :cheers:

small doses of nicotine, like the gum, has proven to boost your metabolism without any health risks. One thing about meal frequency is as long as you hit your daily macros at the end of the day it doesnt matter when you eat.

 

[anotherneon]

Could you elaborate more on a fully body workout 2-3 times a week? I've seen programs like that, such as Strong Lifts? And it seems like there's portion of the body that is being missed, and the only thing focused on is just the major muscle groups like what power lifters do?

Which portion of the body is missed? A simple beginner full body workout that I would put someone on would be as follows

Workout A
Bench press 3x12-15
Row 3x12-15
Squat/leg press 3x12-15( better off with leg press because most people cant squat right)

Workout B
Pull up/lat pull down 3x12-15
Overhead press/shoulder press 3x12-15
Deadlift 3x10-12

 

[OppoLock]

Cardio isnt needed to lose weight, its helpful to keep your heart healthy, but it ends there. In fact I would keep it to a minimum of a brisk walk 2 days a week. You're going to want to preserve your muscle mass when losing weight because your body is going to want to take it from you. To preserve your mass you need to increase protein to at least 1g/lb body weight and to get yourself involved with a solid weight lifting program, and not this old school body part spilt over the course of a week. A full body workout 2-3 times a week will get it done. Your biggest results will be made from diet, there is no need to eat whole grains and as clean as you think. Google if it fits your macros (IIFYM) it is very easy to follow and it works. Dont get hung up on all the magazines and articles as they arent accurate and are complete BS.

IIFYM is my go-to, and I also used to do IF when I worked at the gym, but I think the whole idea of "eating clean" isn't geared around aesthetics or strength development. You could form a diet to fit your macros that consists of basic nutrients and junk food, but your long term health will benefit from eating clean and getting valuable vitamins, minerals, and all that other good stuff beyond basic macro needs. It's all probably stuff you know, this is just kind of an addition to what you posted.

 

[Anthony@HTM]

Fitness is all mental. As soon as you understand that your mind controls everything you will eat better, do physical activity and take care of your body.

I am 22 and did 4 years of football/ wrestling throughout highschool. I always struggled with weight. At 6'2" 230 and muscular I never looked horrible but this past November I hit 250 and promised myself that I'd stop making excuses on why its ok not to go to the gym, eat junk etc.

I used the Paleo lifestyle as a basis for what I eat. Basically a lot of protein, no carbs, no processed foods, no dairy etc.

No soda, no juice, only milk for my whey protein shakes, no caffeine.

My daily intake consists of two fruits in the morning.
Almonds to snack on during the day or more fruits.
Lunch (todays intake) consists of 1/2 pound of grilled pork chops, steamed broccoli and carrots.
Dinner since I am going out tonight will be sushi. The only rice I take in or carbs for that matter is from sushi which is very little.

All eating stops at 7pm, this is very important.

Workout
Monday 1.5 mile jog
Tuesday Gym for an hour, no sitting around with a 2 mile jog
Wednesday 4 mile jog
Thursday Gym for an hour, no sitting around with a 2 mile jog
Friday Gym for a light lift, high rep count
Saturday Light 1.5 mile jog
Sunday Rest day

I started getting back into running and lifting more and as of now less than 4 months later I am 208 down from 250. My strength and energy has increased big time. I threw out my whole wardrobe and have gone from XL shirts to Large and Medium as well as 36 waist to 34 waist.

My overall goal is somewhere between 190 and 200. I have not been under 200 since I was 11 years old.

At the moment I am at a 6 minute mile, and am planning to do a 7 mile marathon this upcoming May.

TLDR
Stop making excuses, make a plan and stick to it. DIETS DON'T WORK, lifestyle changes do.

For those of you with knee problems, I tore my meniscus in both knees and with this weight loss I have never felt better. When I began losing weight I did a lot of work on the elliptical which helped warm up my knees.

 

[Clink]

Geesus guys I got a side ache and am winded just reading all of this! I'm in the worst shape of my life right now so thank you to everyone for all the insight and methods used.

I know there are a ton of different ways to get in shape, but the single biggest one for me is the mental aspect.

Damn the fact that Girl Scout cookies just came in!

 

[detailz03]

Which portion of the body is missed? A simple beginner full body workout that I would put someone on would be as follows

Workout A
Bench press 3x12-15
Row 3x12-15
Squat/leg press 3x12-15( better off with leg press because most people cant squat right)

Workout B
Pull up/lat pull down 3x12-15
Overhead press/shoulder press 3x12-15
Deadlift 3x10-12

By miss I'm talking about hitting even the smaller muscle groups. Those are great for hitting all the major portions. But forgetting the smaller muscle groups or at least getting more in depth with them?

I suppose it depends on what your goals are.

 

[Grimace427]

Damn the fact that Girl Scout cookies just came in!

 

[Todd15Fastback]

By miss I'm talking about hitting even the smaller muscle groups. Those are great for hitting all the major portions. But forgetting the smaller muscle groups or at least getting more in depth with them?

I suppose it depends on what your goals are.

Core compound movements are all that are needed. I honestly don't believe any isolation movements are needed.

I know you see bodybuilders doing isolation type movements but if you aren't one of the professionals, no need for that. I think it is a waste.

Squat, deadlift, bench, military/overhead press, rows, chin-up/pull-ups. Add some HIIT once or twice a week and have a spot on diet...Boom..you will be in great shape.

 

[Farmundeh]

small doses of nicotine, like the gum, has proven to boost your metabolism without any health risks. One thing about meal frequency is as long as you hit your daily macros at the end of the day it doesnt matter when you eat.

The second part of your statement regarding nicotine is debatable, albeit much like anything that has to do with sports nutrition. The fact that nicotine is thermogenic doesn’t negate it’s side effects, such as what it can do to your CNS. Irrespective of the dosage, I don't believe it to be worth keeping in your diet.

Regarding your second point on marcos, I’m not a fan of that approach for multiple reasons including those touched upon by OppoLock. I worry about my "micros" just as much if not more than my macros. Agree to disagree.:cheers:

 

[Tamadrummer88]

IIFYM is my go-to, and I also used to do IF when I worked at the gym, but I think the whole idea of "eating clean" isn't geared around aesthetics or strength development. You could form a diet to fit your macros that consists of basic nutrients and junk food, but your long term health will benefit from eating clean and getting valuable vitamins, minerals, and all that other good stuff beyond basic macro needs. It's all probably stuff you know, this is just kind of an addition to what you posted.

This. Unless you're a competitive bodybuilder and you're getting ready for a show, then you don't need to be eating 6 meals a day or whatever. There is a ton of science that proves that eating 6 small meals a day to "stoke the metabolism" isn't any different than eating 3 meals a day with the same macros.

IIFYM is perfect for the everyday person looking to eat clean while still enjoying the same foods you love. I follow it and already in two weeks I've lost like 3lbs. I'm not looking to lose weight, I'm just looking to eat healthier and live a more healthy lifestyle than I did last year. I have horrible acid reflux and I've been noticing that eating a little cleaner has helped a lot. Still have to take my medication but other than that it helps a lot.

Oh, one key to dieting is water intake. I can't stress enough how important it is to drink lots of water. Aim for a gallon a day. What I used to do is take one of those gallon milk jugs and fill it. As long as I finish it by the time I go to bed I'm good.


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[Tamadrummer88]

Oh and Arnold Classic is in 15 days!!!!


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