The ESSENTIALS of losing fat and gaining muscle - YOUR DIET
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#1 STUNNA (05-04-2018)
#165
Whats the best way to get started in a routine? I've tried it multiple times but have yet to continue the trend. I know dedication is key but what makes it "fun" to get back into working out. What did you do when you first started?
#167
I'm lucky in that I had/have a gym partner, who also just so happens to live with me
I started going with with one of my basement tenants, for like 4-5 months. Then he got a girlfriend and stopped going but I continued on my own for a couple months. Then I got a roommate living with me upstairs- I've convinced him to sign up at my gym, so I'm partnered up again. A good workout partner is hard to find though. I got lucky twice. You keep each other accountable, or suffer being mercilessly called a bitchass if you don't go.
Seeing as that isn't an option for most, you just have to make it fun and not too demanding. Start slow and easy. 3 days a week. You're not gonna get huge right away even if you went 7 days a week. Just relax, enjoy the adult playground that the gym is and start also focusing on your food.
From there, after about 3-4 weeks, I'd bump it up to 4 days a week... then eventually 5. Also start zeroing more on your food and what you actually want to achieve (just get stronger, get leaner, get bigger, whatever- it all comes down to diet).
People tend to fail if they just go balls to the wall right from day 1. It's a drastic change to the everyday and causes people to burn out quick. I think it's better to make slow, progressive changes. It's supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a two month pumping iron frenzy. Other than that, you just have to convince yourself that it's fun and better than sitting on the couch doing nothing. I bring wireless headphones and use Spotify at the gym- I get to blast some really good music and find new artists from the playlists that Spotify puts together for me. I don't get to listen to music as much as I'd like, so that 90 minutes at the gym is pure euphoria.
Also... the eye candy walking around... shiiiiiet. Keeps a guy motivated
I started going with with one of my basement tenants, for like 4-5 months. Then he got a girlfriend and stopped going but I continued on my own for a couple months. Then I got a roommate living with me upstairs- I've convinced him to sign up at my gym, so I'm partnered up again. A good workout partner is hard to find though. I got lucky twice. You keep each other accountable, or suffer being mercilessly called a bitchass if you don't go.
Seeing as that isn't an option for most, you just have to make it fun and not too demanding. Start slow and easy. 3 days a week. You're not gonna get huge right away even if you went 7 days a week. Just relax, enjoy the adult playground that the gym is and start also focusing on your food.
From there, after about 3-4 weeks, I'd bump it up to 4 days a week... then eventually 5. Also start zeroing more on your food and what you actually want to achieve (just get stronger, get leaner, get bigger, whatever- it all comes down to diet).
People tend to fail if they just go balls to the wall right from day 1. It's a drastic change to the everyday and causes people to burn out quick. I think it's better to make slow, progressive changes. It's supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a two month pumping iron frenzy. Other than that, you just have to convince yourself that it's fun and better than sitting on the couch doing nothing. I bring wireless headphones and use Spotify at the gym- I get to blast some really good music and find new artists from the playlists that Spotify puts together for me. I don't get to listen to music as much as I'd like, so that 90 minutes at the gym is pure euphoria.
Also... the eye candy walking around... shiiiiiet. Keeps a guy motivated
Last edited by TacoBello; 05-02-2018 at 02:43 PM.
#168
On a serious note the reason why I started was due to family history.
my family is known for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & diabeetus.
Also losing my dad to colon cancer was a factor for me to lose weight and be more active.
believe it or not I used to weigh close to 300lbs and was terribly out of shape. I would get winded or cramp up on simple tasks.
In high school I was in pretty good shape having been on the swim team for a couple years.
i gained all the weight from college and probably from losing my dad.
My last year of college with so-so dieting and exercise I was able to get down to 240ish from close to 300.
then with proper diet and exercise (mainly cardio and portion control) I was able to get down to 170lbs from 240.
That said I've gained back a lot of weight. I'm bordering on 200lbs.
i would hope a good portion of it is muscle since I'm doing a lot of powerlifting. But there's definitely a lot of fat, especially in the midsection.
my family is known for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & diabeetus.
Also losing my dad to colon cancer was a factor for me to lose weight and be more active.
believe it or not I used to weigh close to 300lbs and was terribly out of shape. I would get winded or cramp up on simple tasks.
In high school I was in pretty good shape having been on the swim team for a couple years.
i gained all the weight from college and probably from losing my dad.
My last year of college with so-so dieting and exercise I was able to get down to 240ish from close to 300.
then with proper diet and exercise (mainly cardio and portion control) I was able to get down to 170lbs from 240.
That said I've gained back a lot of weight. I'm bordering on 200lbs.
i would hope a good portion of it is muscle since I'm doing a lot of powerlifting. But there's definitely a lot of fat, especially in the midsection.
#170
#173
Good for you Miz! Thats an amazing accomplishment to lose so much weight. I hover around 200 myself but being 6'4" I don't think it's too bad, yet. My belt is getting a little tighter than I'd like it. Winter's are always hard here to stay active with it being balls cold out all the time. During the summer I am always outside doing something to keep my heart rate up. I'll be spending some time in my kayak, on my bike and even hiking some state parks this year. At least that is the plan!
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Mizouse (05-02-2018)
#176
#177
#179
I'm lucky in that I had/have a gym partner, who also just so happens to live with me
I started going with with one of my basement tenants, for like 4-5 months. Then he got a girlfriend and stopped going but I continued on my own for a couple months. Then I got a roommate living with me upstairs- I've convinced him to sign up at my gym, so I'm partnered up again. A good workout partner is hard to find though. I got lucky twice. You keep each other accountable, or suffer being mercilessly called a bitchass if you don't go.
Seeing as that isn't an option for most, you just have to make it fun and not too demanding. Start slow and easy. 3 days a week. You're not gonna get huge right away even if you went 7 days a week. Just relax, enjoy the adult playground that the gym is and start also focusing on your food.
From there, after about 3-4 weeks, I'd bump it up to 4 days a week... then eventually 5. Also start zeroing more on your food and what you actually want to achieve (just get stronger, get leaner, get bigger, whatever- it all comes down to diet).
People tend to fail if they just go balls to the wall right from day 1. It's a drastic change to the everyday and causes people to burn out quick. I think it's better to make slow, progressive changes. It's supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a two month pumping iron frenzy. Other than that, you just have to convince yourself that it's fun and better than sitting on the couch doing nothing. I bring wireless headphones and use Spotify at the gym- I get to blast some really good music and find new artists from the playlists that Spotify puts together for me. I don't get to listen to music as much as I'd like, so that 90 minutes at the gym is pure euphoria.
Also... the eye candy walking around... shiiiiiet. Keeps a guy motivated
I started going with with one of my basement tenants, for like 4-5 months. Then he got a girlfriend and stopped going but I continued on my own for a couple months. Then I got a roommate living with me upstairs- I've convinced him to sign up at my gym, so I'm partnered up again. A good workout partner is hard to find though. I got lucky twice. You keep each other accountable, or suffer being mercilessly called a bitchass if you don't go.
Seeing as that isn't an option for most, you just have to make it fun and not too demanding. Start slow and easy. 3 days a week. You're not gonna get huge right away even if you went 7 days a week. Just relax, enjoy the adult playground that the gym is and start also focusing on your food.
From there, after about 3-4 weeks, I'd bump it up to 4 days a week... then eventually 5. Also start zeroing more on your food and what you actually want to achieve (just get stronger, get leaner, get bigger, whatever- it all comes down to diet).
People tend to fail if they just go balls to the wall right from day 1. It's a drastic change to the everyday and causes people to burn out quick. I think it's better to make slow, progressive changes. It's supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a two month pumping iron frenzy. Other than that, you just have to convince yourself that it's fun and better than sitting on the couch doing nothing. I bring wireless headphones and use Spotify at the gym- I get to blast some really good music and find new artists from the playlists that Spotify puts together for me. I don't get to listen to music as much as I'd like, so that 90 minutes at the gym is pure euphoria.
Also... the eye candy walking around... shiiiiiet. Keeps a guy motivated
Good stuff man. I befriended a good amount of people at my gym too because we all go around the same time. A lot of it has to do with sharing equipment and striking up a conversation. It's VERY helpful because you can work in with them on those really busy days and it makes the time fly. Makes me look forward to going to the gym on those days I'm blah.
I've done the gym thing for years off and on and have dealt with multiple partners who eventually faded. Stuff that keeps me going:
- Start off 3x a week and don't kill yourself that you won't go back
- Music def a plus and use your phone as a timer between sets so that you don't lose track of time and can be in and out
- If your form is fucked up, it will hurt or no gains, and then you won't want to go. Use YouTube and Google or ask here
- I ended up getting hooked to some YouTube guys that are entertaining and informative which adds to the motivation. They're not idiot bros. They've helped my form, routines, and diet. Some are just plain funny. Be careful with roided up dudes who swear their natty and overload you with a bunch of isolation exercises that get them big since drugs. You won't look like them!!!
- Stick with a program. Good chance you see gains if done right.
On a serious note the reason why I started was due to family history.
my family is known for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & diabeetus.
Also losing my dad to colon cancer was a factor for me to lose weight and be more active.
believe it or not I used to weigh close to 300lbs and was terribly out of shape. I would get winded or cramp up on simple tasks.
In high school I was in pretty good shape having been on the swim team for a couple years.
i gained all the weight from college and probably from losing my dad.
My last year of college with so-so dieting and exercise I was able to get down to 240ish from close to 300.
then with proper diet and exercise (mainly cardio and portion control) I was able to get down to 170lbs from 240.
That said I've gained back a lot of weight. I'm bordering on 200lbs.
i would hope a good portion of it is muscle since I'm doing a lot of powerlifting. But there's definitely a lot of fat, especially in the midsection.
my family is known for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & diabeetus.
Also losing my dad to colon cancer was a factor for me to lose weight and be more active.
believe it or not I used to weigh close to 300lbs and was terribly out of shape. I would get winded or cramp up on simple tasks.
In high school I was in pretty good shape having been on the swim team for a couple years.
i gained all the weight from college and probably from losing my dad.
My last year of college with so-so dieting and exercise I was able to get down to 240ish from close to 300.
then with proper diet and exercise (mainly cardio and portion control) I was able to get down to 170lbs from 240.
That said I've gained back a lot of weight. I'm bordering on 200lbs.
i would hope a good portion of it is muscle since I'm doing a lot of powerlifting. But there's definitely a lot of fat, especially in the midsection.
#180
One other thing, set a goal for yourself and find some metric of tracking progress to your goals. Nothing motivates more than results. There are plenty of apps that will track lift weights and such and a bathroom scale will track your weight easily.
On a serious note the reason why I started was due to family history.
my family is known for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & diabeetus.
Also losing my dad to colon cancer was a factor for me to lose weight and be more active.
believe it or not I used to weigh close to 300lbs and was terribly out of shape. I would get winded or cramp up on simple tasks.
In high school I was in pretty good shape having been on the swim team for a couple years.
i gained all the weight from college and probably from losing my dad.
My last year of college with so-so dieting and exercise I was able to get down to 240ish from close to 300.
then with proper diet and exercise (mainly cardio and portion control) I was able to get down to 170lbs from 240.
That said I've gained back a lot of weight. I'm bordering on 200lbs.
i would hope a good portion of it is muscle since I'm doing a lot of powerlifting. But there's definitely a lot of fat, especially in the midsection.
my family is known for heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & diabeetus.
Also losing my dad to colon cancer was a factor for me to lose weight and be more active.
believe it or not I used to weigh close to 300lbs and was terribly out of shape. I would get winded or cramp up on simple tasks.
In high school I was in pretty good shape having been on the swim team for a couple years.
i gained all the weight from college and probably from losing my dad.
My last year of college with so-so dieting and exercise I was able to get down to 240ish from close to 300.
then with proper diet and exercise (mainly cardio and portion control) I was able to get down to 170lbs from 240.
That said I've gained back a lot of weight. I'm bordering on 200lbs.
i would hope a good portion of it is muscle since I'm doing a lot of powerlifting. But there's definitely a lot of fat, especially in the midsection.
On another positive note, I'm down to 172 even in the middle of week 2. I may have to adjust my goal if I hit it quicker than expected...
#182
That's a common misconception. You will absolutely injure yourself if you end up going too high in the weight or having bad form but that's the case with anything. In my 2 years of doing CF, the only injury I've had was torn calluses on my hands. If you're ever in the MSP area, I'd be glad to take you with me to a class.
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BreezyTL (05-03-2018)
#183
crossfit gets a bad rap due to the numerous shitty trainers and gyms out there.
injuries really only happen with bad form, ego lifting and show boating
that said crossfit aint for me. I prefer to lift heavy shit.
#184
I can't justify the price of CF as it hits $200/mo in some areas vs $30/mo for a commercial gym. I get that they "push and motivate" you and many people need that. I used to do CF for free in my backyard by pulling the workout from the official site and scaling to my ability.
#185
I can't justify the price of CF as it hits $200/mo in some areas vs $30/mo for a commercial gym. I get that they "push and motivate" you and many people need that. I used to do CF for free in my backyard by pulling the workout from the official site and scaling to my ability.
#187
#188
This 100%. Every time I walk through the front entrance of my gym, I tell myself "check your ego at the door". Every day I'm there, I see guys trying to lift way beyond their realistic abilities, causing terrible form and as a result, activating 10 other muscles than the ones actually intended to be activated. Bros with twig arms, trying to curl 45 pound dumbbells, and are doing half the curl with their back Don't get me wrong- they still need to push themselves- but they need to do it with proper form and proper timing to make it worth the effort.
#192
This 100%. Every time I walk through the front entrance of my gym, I tell myself "check your ego at the door". Every day I'm there, I see guys trying to lift way beyond their realistic abilities, causing terrible form and as a result, activating 10 other muscles than the ones actually intended to be activated. Bros with twig arms, trying to curl 45 pound dumbbells, and are doing half the curl with their back Don't get me wrong- they still need to push themselves- but they need to do it with proper form and proper timing to make it worth the effort.
#193
And yeah this. I'm fucking addicted to these lifts. If you lack overall size in the sense that you want to get thicker this is the way to go. The problem I have with it though is it gets me so hungry and I've put on fat. I do cardio to keep up my cardiovascular health and athleticism but it's difficult too because you're so sore from these lifts. I could cycle off of them for a couple of months but I'm hooked. I just want to see how heavy I can go (EGO)
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Mizouse (05-04-2018)
#194
I need to figure something out for back squat. I agree.. it is super awesome.
My issue is I've had countless shoulder dislocations over a 4-5 year period, and as such, I for some reason have lost a ton of mobility in my shoulders. Stretching just doesn't do anything other than cause pain. That results in me not being able to hold a bar behind my neck, with my arms. I just can't do it. My shoulders won't rotate that far back for me to hold a bar behind my head.
I've tried using a V-squat machine, but, being 6'7", it was never designed for someone my height. I can only do so much weight on it before it feels terrible. I've resorted to doing leg press, first with my feet higher on the push pad to focus on quads, and then again with my feet lower, to push the quads. It isn't as effective as squatting though.
Feels good to be able to stack 5 plates on each side of the leg press machine, though Well.. until I saw a guy maxing out the machine with 8 plates per side
My issue is I've had countless shoulder dislocations over a 4-5 year period, and as such, I for some reason have lost a ton of mobility in my shoulders. Stretching just doesn't do anything other than cause pain. That results in me not being able to hold a bar behind my neck, with my arms. I just can't do it. My shoulders won't rotate that far back for me to hold a bar behind my head.
I've tried using a V-squat machine, but, being 6'7", it was never designed for someone my height. I can only do so much weight on it before it feels terrible. I've resorted to doing leg press, first with my feet higher on the push pad to focus on quads, and then again with my feet lower, to push the quads. It isn't as effective as squatting though.
Feels good to be able to stack 5 plates on each side of the leg press machine, though Well.. until I saw a guy maxing out the machine with 8 plates per side
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Mizouse (05-04-2018)
The following users liked this post:
Mizouse (05-04-2018)
#198
I need to figure something out for back squat. I agree.. it is super awesome.
My issue is I've had countless shoulder dislocations over a 4-5 year period, and as such, I for some reason have lost a ton of mobility in my shoulders. Stretching just doesn't do anything other than cause pain. That results in me not being able to hold a bar behind my neck, with my arms. I just can't do it. My shoulders won't rotate that far back for me to hold a bar behind my head.
I've tried using a V-squat machine, but, being 6'7", it was never designed for someone my height. I can only do so much weight on it before it feels terrible. I've resorted to doing leg press, first with my feet higher on the push pad to focus on quads, and then again with my feet lower, to push the quads. It isn't as effective as squatting though.
Feels good to be able to stack 5 plates on each side of the leg press machine, though Well.. until I saw a guy maxing out the machine with 8 plates per side
My issue is I've had countless shoulder dislocations over a 4-5 year period, and as such, I for some reason have lost a ton of mobility in my shoulders. Stretching just doesn't do anything other than cause pain. That results in me not being able to hold a bar behind my neck, with my arms. I just can't do it. My shoulders won't rotate that far back for me to hold a bar behind my head.
I've tried using a V-squat machine, but, being 6'7", it was never designed for someone my height. I can only do so much weight on it before it feels terrible. I've resorted to doing leg press, first with my feet higher on the push pad to focus on quads, and then again with my feet lower, to push the quads. It isn't as effective as squatting though.
Feels good to be able to stack 5 plates on each side of the leg press machine, though Well.. until I saw a guy maxing out the machine with 8 plates per side
And yeah this. I'm fucking addicted to these lifts. If you lack overall size in the sense that you want to get thicker this is the way to go. The problem I have with it though is it gets me so hungry and I've put on fat. I do cardio to keep up my cardiovascular health and athleticism but it's difficult too because you're so sore from these lifts. I could cycle off of them for a couple of months but I'm hooked. I just want to see how heavy I can go (EGO)
#199
I need to figure something out for back squat. I agree.. it is super awesome.
My issue is I've had countless shoulder dislocations over a 4-5 year period, and as such, I for some reason have lost a ton of mobility in my shoulders. Stretching just doesn't do anything other than cause pain. That results in me not being able to hold a bar behind my neck, with my arms. I just can't do it. My shoulders won't rotate that far back for me to hold a bar behind my head.
I've tried using a V-squat machine, but, being 6'7", it was never designed for someone my height. I can only do so much weight on it before it feels terrible. I've resorted to doing leg press, first with my feet higher on the push pad to focus on quads, and then again with my feet lower, to push the quads. It isn't as effective as squatting though.
Feels good to be able to stack 5 plates on each side of the leg press machine, though Well.. until I saw a guy maxing out the machine with 8 plates per side
My issue is I've had countless shoulder dislocations over a 4-5 year period, and as such, I for some reason have lost a ton of mobility in my shoulders. Stretching just doesn't do anything other than cause pain. That results in me not being able to hold a bar behind my neck, with my arms. I just can't do it. My shoulders won't rotate that far back for me to hold a bar behind my head.
I've tried using a V-squat machine, but, being 6'7", it was never designed for someone my height. I can only do so much weight on it before it feels terrible. I've resorted to doing leg press, first with my feet higher on the push pad to focus on quads, and then again with my feet lower, to push the quads. It isn't as effective as squatting though.
Feels good to be able to stack 5 plates on each side of the leg press machine, though Well.. until I saw a guy maxing out the machine with 8 plates per side
Also have you tried front squats? Another great squat variation that is very quad dominant especially vs low bar squats. Low bar tends to get more hips involved but you will hit your quads regardless.
If you mean low bar see above
Dem carbs. In a few weeks hitting a hard cut. Lots of life stuff going on this month.
#200
Jesus you're tall. Where is the bar sitting? You can try low bar squats as it's under your traps and more on your rear deltoids. However I'm not sure where your pain is. Also stretching won't increase the mobility in your shoulders. On the contrary, you should warm them up to open up your mobility and do shoulder mobility exercises. A search should help.
Also have you tried front squats? Another great squat variation that is very quad dominant especially vs low bar squats. Low bar tends to get more hips involved but you will hit your quads regardless.
Also have you tried front squats? Another great squat variation that is very quad dominant especially vs low bar squats. Low bar tends to get more hips involved but you will hit your quads regardless.