Question for people who know fitness
01-05-2010, 09:32 PM
#1
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Question for people who know fitness
As I posted in another thread, I needed to trim down and so I did the Get Insanity program.
My goal was not specifically to lose weight, but to lose BF%.
I started at 190 and 25%BF and have reached just past the halfway mark of the program and am at 170 and 18.5%BF.
Thing is, I don't want to lose any more weight (pounds), just reduce BF%. I would love to hit 12-14%.
Should I stop the cardio/plyometric program and get into the gym doing lot's of compound exercises (squat, military press, deadlift, overhead press...) or continue with the GI program?
I like having a 34" waist, and have lost a full inch off my neck, and dropped my coat size from a 43 to a 40. I am fairly comfortable with these proportions, but would like to increase the BF% loss, not the weight loss anymore.
Thoughts?
My goal was not specifically to lose weight, but to lose BF%.
I started at 190 and 25%BF and have reached just past the halfway mark of the program and am at 170 and 18.5%BF.
Thing is, I don't want to lose any more weight (pounds), just reduce BF%. I would love to hit 12-14%.
Should I stop the cardio/plyometric program and get into the gym doing lot's of compound exercises (squat, military press, deadlift, overhead press...) or continue with the GI program?
I like having a 34" waist, and have lost a full inch off my neck, and dropped my coat size from a 43 to a 40. I am fairly comfortable with these proportions, but would like to increase the BF% loss, not the weight loss anymore.
Thoughts?
01-05-2010, 09:48 PM
#3
Racer
Being in the military I have some tips. Don't stop the cardio at all. I have a soldier that need to lose some body fat. He also lost weight as well. Two months ago he was at 190 lbs. He also had to lose 20% body fat to be within regulation of the army. Also he is 5' 6". Right now he is at 170lbs and has lst mst of the body fat. He decrease his portion size will eating to. He does not eat any starches. All he eats is protien and veggies. I am vey impressed wih him to. And if you choose to hit the weighs then got light with more reps. Thats helps alot too. PEACE OUT!!!
01-05-2010, 11:44 PM
#5
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01-07-2010, 07:08 PM
#6
Site Lurker, Rare poster
Being in the military I have some tips. Don't stop the cardio at all. I have a soldier that need to lose some body fat. He also lost weight as well. Two months ago he was at 190 lbs. He also had to lose 20% body fat to be within regulation of the army. Also he is 5' 6". Right now he is at 170lbs and has lst mst of the body fat. He decrease his portion size will eating to. He does not eat any starches. All he eats is protien and veggies. I am vey impressed wih him to. And if you choose to hit the weighs then got light with more reps. Thats helps alot too. PEACE OUT!!!
First off, best way to lose BF is by building muscle, muscle takes over 50 calories more to maintain than fat. Muscle pretty much gobbles up the fat. Cardio is good for building stamina but hitting the weights is key. Low weight and high reps is not what you want to do. You will want to stick to fairly heavy weights and mid reps. I do 3-4 sets at about 8-12 reps depending on the weight to keep proper form. You will want to change your workouts every couple of months because your body will learn to adapt. It keeps it guessing and not being able to get used to a specific workout so it becomes more effective. Keeping and maintaining that muscle with a good workout is very important. The muscle also needs rest so I suggest not going 7 days a week. Your muscle grows when your body is at rest. I used to workout about 5 days a week to get back into strong shape which is fine but don't always do that. I switch up my workouts along with the amount of days I workout.
The best cardio to help you in your position would be HIIT which is high intensity interval training. You run fast 30 sec then jog 30 sec then run fast again and repeat. About 20-30 mins is great and is proven to actually boost your metabolism and keep it burning stronger later on after your workout. When you lose weight it's really when your body is at rest and not only in the gym. If you're happy with your size and depending on your fitness level you can adjust the cardio. Again, I suggest mixing up cardio from running, stairs, swimming etc.
Diet is critical too, arguably the most important. People who think they can just work out and still eat like crap are fools. Eating more protein is good for building muscle but you need carbs. No carbs and protein is like building a house with bricks but no mortar. People who entirely cut out carbs are living in the past. It's like those who believe that the best way to treat a sickness is to bleed or leech someone. Diet is key to not gorge, don't eat huge portions, and eat healthy options. Fruits, chicken, fish, steak, WATER, NO SODA, veggies, nuts. All of these are key. There are power foods out there that are tasty, affordable, easy to come by and keep you full and help. I love snacking on peanuts and almonds btwn meals. The fiber and protein help keep you full and don't allow you to eat huge meals.
There are so many approaches to what you want which is great and nothing is set in stone. Only key things you need to know is hit the gym since muscle burns fat, eat a healthy diet since that is key in dropping fat and building muscle and REST. Rest is very important for your body to get it's work done. I just gave you some options and information that I've seen work and use myself. GL
Last edited by sortudo7; 01-07-2010 at 07:13 PM.
01-07-2010, 07:16 PM
#7
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01-07-2010, 07:16 PM
#8
Site Lurker, Rare poster
Glad to see you're not so strung up on weight and BMI. Oh yea, as I'm sure you know, that muscle weighs more than fat. Worrying about weight is not important but more so your fat %. Look at football players and weight lifters. Most are in the 200+ range but look like solid muscle since they are low in BF. My friend is about 6'2'' and weighs 220 with 9% BF. Importance: Weight<BF%
01-07-2010, 07:20 PM
#9
Go Giants
34 inch waist....Pfft..
01-07-2010, 08:32 PM
#10
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01-07-2010, 08:37 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
This will work more so in the short term opposed to long term, even that isn't very healthy or smart. Long term this is not the proper approach at all imho. He will not be able to keep off the weight unless he maintains that diet and workout regimen as well as stay focused. The second he starts eating normal food again the weight will start creeping back. I've seen this happen so many times before.
First off, best way to lose BF is by building muscle, muscle takes over 50 calories more to maintain than fat. Muscle pretty much gobbles up the fat. Cardio is good for building stamina but hitting the weights is key. Low weight and high reps is not what you want to do. You will want to stick to fairly heavy weights and mid reps. I do 3-4 sets at about 8-12 reps depending on the weight to keep proper form. You will want to change your workouts every couple of months because your body will learn to adapt. It keeps it guessing and not being able to get used to a specific workout so it becomes more effective. Keeping and maintaining that muscle with a good workout is very important. The muscle also needs rest so I suggest not going 7 days a week. Your muscle grows when your body is at rest. I used to workout about 5 days a week to get back into strong shape which is fine but don't always do that. I switch up my workouts along with the amount of days I workout.
The best cardio to help you in your position would be HIIT which is high intensity interval training. You run fast 30 sec then jog 30 sec then run fast again and repeat. About 20-30 mins is great and is proven to actually boost your metabolism and keep it burning stronger later on after your workout. When you lose weight it's really when your body is at rest and not only in the gym. If you're happy with your size and depending on your fitness level you can adjust the cardio. Again, I suggest mixing up cardio from running, stairs, swimming etc.
Diet is critical too, arguably the most important. People who think they can just work out and still eat like crap are fools. Eating more protein is good for building muscle but you need carbs. No carbs and protein is like building a house with bricks but no mortar. People who entirely cut out carbs are living in the past. It's like those who believe that the best way to treat a sickness is to bleed or leech someone. Diet is key to not gorge, don't eat huge portions, and eat healthy options. Fruits, chicken, fish, steak, WATER, NO SODA, veggies, nuts. All of these are key. There are power foods out there that are tasty, affordable, easy to come by and keep you full and help. I love snacking on peanuts and almonds btwn meals. The fiber and protein help keep you full and don't allow you to eat huge meals.
There are so many approaches to what you want which is great and nothing is set in stone. Only key things you need to know is hit the gym since muscle burns fat, eat a healthy diet since that is key in dropping fat and building muscle and REST. Rest is very important for your body to get it's work done. I just gave you some options and information that I've seen work and use myself. GL
First off, best way to lose BF is by building muscle, muscle takes over 50 calories more to maintain than fat. Muscle pretty much gobbles up the fat. Cardio is good for building stamina but hitting the weights is key. Low weight and high reps is not what you want to do. You will want to stick to fairly heavy weights and mid reps. I do 3-4 sets at about 8-12 reps depending on the weight to keep proper form. You will want to change your workouts every couple of months because your body will learn to adapt. It keeps it guessing and not being able to get used to a specific workout so it becomes more effective. Keeping and maintaining that muscle with a good workout is very important. The muscle also needs rest so I suggest not going 7 days a week. Your muscle grows when your body is at rest. I used to workout about 5 days a week to get back into strong shape which is fine but don't always do that. I switch up my workouts along with the amount of days I workout.
The best cardio to help you in your position would be HIIT which is high intensity interval training. You run fast 30 sec then jog 30 sec then run fast again and repeat. About 20-30 mins is great and is proven to actually boost your metabolism and keep it burning stronger later on after your workout. When you lose weight it's really when your body is at rest and not only in the gym. If you're happy with your size and depending on your fitness level you can adjust the cardio. Again, I suggest mixing up cardio from running, stairs, swimming etc.
Diet is critical too, arguably the most important. People who think they can just work out and still eat like crap are fools. Eating more protein is good for building muscle but you need carbs. No carbs and protein is like building a house with bricks but no mortar. People who entirely cut out carbs are living in the past. It's like those who believe that the best way to treat a sickness is to bleed or leech someone. Diet is key to not gorge, don't eat huge portions, and eat healthy options. Fruits, chicken, fish, steak, WATER, NO SODA, veggies, nuts. All of these are key. There are power foods out there that are tasty, affordable, easy to come by and keep you full and help. I love snacking on peanuts and almonds btwn meals. The fiber and protein help keep you full and don't allow you to eat huge meals.
There are so many approaches to what you want which is great and nothing is set in stone. Only key things you need to know is hit the gym since muscle burns fat, eat a healthy diet since that is key in dropping fat and building muscle and REST. Rest is very important for your body to get it's work done. I just gave you some options and information that I've seen work and use myself. GL
I can certainly increase the protein in the diet, but I think I am going to finish out the Insanity program just to finish it, and see where I am at the end BF%. Then, probably get in the gym for lifting combined with regular plyometric cardio (I enjoy it now
).
01-07-2010, 11:31 PM
#12
This is what I do.
I usually do 1 minute fast, and 2 minutes jog though.
01-08-2010, 03:53 AM
#13
I shoot people
eat at least 170 of protein everyday, divided by 5-6 meals of course. and yes, start lifting weights, but I wouldn't cut back on the cardio tho.
However, I rather not get into the whole High or Low intensity arguement because my opinion doesn't seem to agree with most people... but then again... what da fuck do I know? I've only been a personal trainer for 11 years with hundreds of clients (actually morel like thousands) and been in the gym scene since 1986 with friends that were bodybuilders (2 got the IFBB pro card)... but whatever
However, I rather not get into the whole High or Low intensity arguement because my opinion doesn't seem to agree with most people... but then again... what da fuck do I know? I've only been a personal trainer for 11 years with hundreds of clients (actually morel like thousands) and been in the gym scene since 1986 with friends that were bodybuilders (2 got the IFBB pro card)... but whatever
01-08-2010, 01:32 PM
#14
Suzuka Master
HIIT and crossfit are good suggestions. I used to jog for 3 miles but lately I've been doing interval training with 1-2 min jumprope/1 set of weights x 6-10 sets or 2 min rope/25 pushups/30 situps x 5-6 sets. It's quick, gets the burn on, and has prepared me better for martial arts then straight up running. I also do the ab ripperX every now and then.
Remember, waist size is ALWAYS more important than weight
Remember, waist size is ALWAYS more important than weight
01-11-2010, 03:06 PM
#15
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Not sure what other people have said, but if you want to reduce bodyfat , yet maintain weight, some simple tips would be to :
Clean up the diet
Build more lean muscle - like you've mentioned, incorporate , squats, cleans, presses, deadlift's etc .
I would not ditch the ploymetrics/calisthenics as this will keep your heart rate up and is usually the best bet at reducing fat.
Usually when starting a new workout program, and having not exercised in sometime, this is easier to do . The closer you get to your goal, the more difficult it will become.
So, if there is anything you can cut out of your diet that you think is unnecessary (sugary foods, "bad" starches/grains" etc, or even late night eating), do it.
Second, if you feel your not working out at an intensity level your capable of, kick it up. Take your workouts to the next level. Push extra hard for those additional reps, go faster (while being safe of course).
Vary your workouts. Do not fall into a stagnant routine. Go heavy, go hard.
Clean up the diet
Build more lean muscle - like you've mentioned, incorporate , squats, cleans, presses, deadlift's etc .
I would not ditch the ploymetrics/calisthenics as this will keep your heart rate up and is usually the best bet at reducing fat.
Usually when starting a new workout program, and having not exercised in sometime, this is easier to do . The closer you get to your goal, the more difficult it will become.
So, if there is anything you can cut out of your diet that you think is unnecessary (sugary foods, "bad" starches/grains" etc, or even late night eating), do it.
Second, if you feel your not working out at an intensity level your capable of, kick it up. Take your workouts to the next level. Push extra hard for those additional reps, go faster (while being safe of course).
Vary your workouts. Do not fall into a stagnant routine. Go heavy, go hard.
01-11-2010, 04:28 PM
#16
Needs more Lemon Pledge
Thread Starter
^ thanks bud,
That was what I was thinking as well. I hit 17% BF% today and so, while the body weight is going down, so is the BF%. Soon, though I need to stop the weight decline but want to continue the BF% decline.
The diet is pretty good this far, but there are the small areas where I can do better. Even if it is all natural, peanut butter still has fat and calories...
That was what I was thinking as well. I hit 17% BF% today and so, while the body weight is going down, so is the BF%. Soon, though I need to stop the weight decline but want to continue the BF% decline.
The diet is pretty good this far, but there are the small areas where I can do better. Even if it is all natural, peanut butter still has fat and calories...
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