tl;dr We revisit the basics of getting in shape. We learn how to fix our diet and what physical activity to do.
One thing I love about this sub is the absence of sugar coating. With regard to getting in shape, it's true we won't sport a six-pack year-round without some serious dedication. However, due to our proclivity for the categorical imperative this sometimes comes across as, "Count calories, track macros, supplement, train six times a week and learn Muay Thai or you might as well not bother." The problem is attempting to change so many habits at once is a recipe for failure.
It is my hope this guide will set beginners for the course towards a better body, rescue some from analysis paralysis and remind others of the basic principles of getting in shape. To this end the ideas are presented in order of increased difficulty so that they form a natural progression.
Diet
As this editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine so eloquently puts, "You cannot outrun a bad diet." A healthy weight is primarily a function of a good diet, not physical activity. I assume many of your meals already are home-made. In any case, let's see what we can start with.
Easy Habits
Cut Out Sugary Drinks
Please find the caloric contents of some popular drinks in the table below.
drink | serving | calories | sugar |
---|---|---|---|
Coca-Cola | 1 can | 140 | 39 g |
Orange Juice | 1 cup | 112 | 26 g |
Apple Juice Unsweetened | 1 cup | 114 | 28 g |
Lipton Citrus Green Tea | 1 bottle | 120 | 32 g |
Gatorade Thirst Quencher | 1 bottle | 80 | 21 g |
One serving of any of these drinks delivers a non-negligible amount of calories and your daily allowance of added sugar as per the NHS. Do yourself a favour and cut them out. Replace with water, coffee and tea. I like Rooibos tea in the evening because it is naturally caffeine-free.
On a side note, alcohol is caloric too. If you're the type who fancies wine for dinner or a beer after work, the NIH urges you to reconsider your habits (PDF).
Stop Snacking
You know that snacking is bad. For example, a snickers has 250 calories. Healthy snacks are no excuse. Just stop. The opposite of mindless snacking is mindful eating - slow down when eating your meals.
Eat Your Greens
If your plate is usually a mixture of red, brown and yellow, you might want to add some leafy vegetables. They're good for you and fill you up. Before buying fresh vegetables was part of my shopping routine, I started with frozen broccoli and spinach, as well as the occasional lettuce. I season my salad with a simple vinaigrette instead of dressing: 3 tablespoons of rapeseed or sunflower oil, 1 tablespoon of white vine vinegar, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of jam or honey. Don't lick out the salad bowl though. As /u/OneTouchHowMuch points out, 1 tablespoon of it equals to 120 calories.
Next Steps
So you've picked the low hanging fruit, seen some results and wonder how to take your efforts to the next level. No need to rush through the following list at once. Only do what you need to to keep achieving results. You'll need a bodyweight and a digital food scale. The next steps are of a quantitative nature and won't work without them.
- Track your bodyweight. Weekly weigh-ins work well as they hide the daily fluctuations of your weight from you. The trend is what is interesting. Weigh-in Wednesday is easy to remember.
- Use a calorie tracker like myfitnesspal and religiously log whatever goes into your mouth for a week. If you're puzzled as to why your weight is not moving in the direction you want, the amount of calories you actually eat might surprise you.
- Should you prefer to hit a certain number of calories or have some weight goal, myfitnesspal will use your estimated TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) to tell you how much to eat, not factoring in your eventual weightlifting. This calculator however, will.
Remember your body can't create muscle mass out of thin air. If you want to increase your mass, you will need to eat more than before. Conversely, the surplus of food you eat won't dissipate into nothing either. If you want to lose mass, you will need to eat less than what you've been eating.
Outlook
Protein goes well with weightlifting, as it is the building block of muscle. Around 1.5g of protein per kg of bodyweight is a good target. You will hear higher numbers, but according to the scientific opinion of the EFSA the necessity for an even higher protein intake is debatable (PDF, c.f. Sec. 5.2.1).
Then there is bulking and cutting. The idea of bulking is to train hard and promote muscle growth by eating above your TDEE. A common number seems to be an extra 500 calories per day. The fat you gain alongside the muscle is then removed during a period of dieting. You need discipline to not overdo your bulk and gain too much fat, and also not lose too much muscle, strength and willpower during the cut. I'm not qualified to give advice on this topic but if more qualified TRPers want to chime in on the benefits of bulking and cutting for beginners, they're very welcome.
Exercise
And by exercise, I mean weightlifting. The benefits of it are many. Most notably for us, weightlifting builds muscles.
Weightlifting
First Steps First
If you're weak, you will benefit most from a full body free weights routine performed three times per week, like the infamous Starting Strength or better yet, Phrak's Greyskull variant. I'm not saying this because I want to deny you the joy of doing biceps curls but because no other mainstream programs will have you perform your favourite exercises as often. Because of the magic of linear progression, no other programs will make you stronger faster. They are also supremely time efficient. If you can't ask or pay somebody to teach you the lifts, I find youtube to be a valuable resource. Look for videos by Johnny Candito or Omar Isuf.
You follow these programs until you can't sustain the fast progression any more. Typically, this takes a couple of months. For instance, I ended up with a with a bodyweight squat, 3/4 bodyweight bench press and 1.5 times my bodyweight of 80kg deadlift after two months. I was still progressing on the deadlift, but had deloaded my squat twice and my bench press thrice. I've since been told that I was probably not eating enough. That's possible.
Progressing Beyond Beginner Programs
When you've exhausted your easy so-called newbie gains, you will have to put in more work to progress. Now is the time to add an exercise or two to your program, slowly increase the volume and learn about periodisation. This strengtheory article describes the process better than I ever could. The same author also delineates how to progress to intermediate programs in the article What To Do When You’re Done With Your Linear Progression Strength Training Program. The takeaway is that there are plenty of things you can try before you have to start adding training days.
Cardio
Due to their minimalism, the beginner programs leave plenty of time for cardio. Half an hour on the stationary bike at 60%-70% of your max heart rate after working out will do wonders for your life as well as your weightlifting. As will swimming or running. Or rowing. Or HIIT (high intensity interval training). Boxing classes start with fitness and will kick your ass.
Alternatively now that the weather is picking up, playing outdoor sports becomes an option again. The running and sprinting involved in football (soccer) is great for fitness and cardiovascular health.
Either way, while lifting is inevitable there are plenty of ways to do cardio. The adaptations to steady state cardio are different from those to high intensity workouts but unless you're training to compete in some sport, it doesn't matter that much. Just pick something you enjoy and don't disregard the chance to do something with friends.
What about Summer?
Unless you're an Aussie, you have two months until summer. In that time frame you can gain 4 pounds of muscle or lose 8 pounds of fat. In principle, reducing your caloric intake to lose fat will prevent you from gaining muscle (the opposite is true as well). The good news is that as a newbie without significant muscle mass you can chase both muscle gain and fat loss to a certain degree.
Summary
Like the Chinese proverb says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." Fix your nutrition and start lifting. If you're already lifting, assess your progress honestly and go back to the basics if you need to. If you're already making strength gains, you may want to add cardio. If you're already doing all of this without seeing progress you need to log your food intake. If you are seeing progress you will either be nodding right now or preparing to destroy me in the comments. In any case, I hope somebody finds this guide useful.
Kafin8dst8 8y ago
Great post! I will definitely use the strength program you linked to get stronger.
PUA_Wanna_be 8y ago
I snack on carrots without limitations during my cut. Any problem with that?
nonderivative 8y ago
You'd have to eat approximately 4 carrots to consume 100 calories. But it's the principle of it I was arguing against. Also, what do you do when you don't have carrots on hand?
VancouverSucks 8y ago
The baby carrots are soaked in chlorine, don't eat those. That's why they have that white film on them.
PUA_Wanna_be 8y ago
Only eating full-size carrots that I peel.
VancouverSucks 8y ago
Fuckin rights. Organic I hope.
PUA_Wanna_be 8y ago
There is no non-organic food.
"Organic" is just a bullshit label.
niczar 8y ago
There's plenty of healthy snacks. Nuts, cheese, ham. Plenty of fat and proteins. Very satiating.
GavinSkulldrinker 8y ago
This is more about bulk weight LOSS than gaining muscle mass, but I thought I'd share my personal experience losing weight.
I used to weigh 260 lbs. I college, I was up to 280 at one point. I'm 6' and solidly built, so I carried it fairly well, but still not an acceptable state. Then I spent a summer on an internship at a nature center on an island in the great lakes. Absolutely no women there, but no fast food either. Dropped 30 lbs over the summer on hiking, swimming, and better diet. dropped 20 more over the past two years; I consider just keeping it off an achievement. I worry that I might be reaching the lower limits of my weight; genetics are against me. But I'm going to hit the gym again this year, add some muscle, drop some fat. and get a bit more strongfat. Anyways, things that worked for me:
the hardest part of any exercise has always been keeping at it for an extended period if time. I just get BORED. Audiobooks and podcasts help with that; collect some offline content to listen to, or consider investing in cell service with a good data plan.
Improve the QUALITY of what you eat; make a production of it. Make an event, and the lack of quantity won't feel as bad. On the island, twice a week I'd pack chicken breast, green bell peppers, and charcoal, bike two miles to the beach, cook the chicken on one of those public grills, swim for an hour, and bike back.
Cheat. Try to get an ADD diagnosis. I actually have a mild focus problem; just 15 mg of slow-release aderall balances me out, but ALSO totally kills my urge to snack and munch. 5-10 mg taken tactically will probably do for most people, and its way less terrible than workout-prep energy drinks.
Don't buy cooked unhealthy food. No easy snack foods apart from veggies. everything in your kitchen is locked behind the effort of having to cook it.
Ditch the microwave. Nothing healthy is cooked in a microwave.
Ditch soda. I made a rule where I would only buy soda in GLASS BOTTLES. Buy actual good stuff. never have more than a bottle or two around at a time, and keep it warm. Bottle has to be put in the fridge ahead of time.
Don't try to make dietary changes you won't be able to maintain. If you can't handle the idea of not eating greasy fried food again for the rest of your life, don't even try. just eat LESS of it. And don't fetishize bad food or use it as a "reward." That's retarded.
KM31548 8y ago
I was under the impression you had to stop when you hit some serious poundage on those big lifts, like 300 ib squat, 400 ib deadlift 225 bench etc. Then you move on to other programs. Currently I'm 155 pounds and I
Squat 165 3x5 ATG, recently switched to parallel to progress faster, BB row 110 3x5, bench 135 3x5, pullup BW 2x5 1x7, deadlift 215 1x8, OVHP 85 2x5 1x6, I've deloaded a few times on squat and twice on bench, and a shitload on ovhp.
Is it cool if I stick to phraks forever? I'm just looking to build a good body and nothing competition worthy. Or would I get more results switching?
EDIT (sorry for the format, tried to put in bullets but it didn't turn out good)
Refigerator1043 8y ago
You don't "have" to switch to an intermediate program until you can no longer make progress with simple linear progression. For some reason everyone wants to switch to an intermediate/advanced program early, but if you're smart, you ride LP as long as possible because that's going to produce the quickest results. You're making workout-to-workout gains instead of weekly or monthly gains.
I have shitty genetics and I LP'd my way to a 450 squat, 500 deadlift, 275 bench just by eating a lot and training hard. At 155 lbs, you probably have quite a way to go with LP just by training hard and gaining weight, unless you're like 5'0 tall.
KM31548 8y ago
Great! I'm hoping to ride it out as long as possible. I'm 6'1'', so I have a lot more weight to gain. As a skinny fat though, I'm worried about how much more fat I'll gain in comparison to muscle. Would this be an issue or will I still end up looking great in the end?
Refigerator1043 8y ago
6'1? If I was you I would get to 230+ before even thinking about that.
KM31548 8y ago
Damn, you saying I'm gonna have to stay tubby for a few years?
Dopebear 8y ago
Finally, a TRP post that isn't all about sexual game. I'd like to recommend fasting as well. Great for your body (healing, if you will) and is the healthiest, easiest and overall best way to lose the last bit of stubborn fat.
PeluzaHT 8y ago
I´m from Argentina. Hey, we do exist. Southern hemisphere is not just Australia, and not everyone is american.
Luckyluke23 8y ago
we just had our hottest march on record. we don't NOT have summer here, it just gets a little cooler. ( i saw rain yesterday for the first time in FOREVER)
great post man very informative.
PaulAJK 8y ago
This is all fair enough, but I hate to see that old "you can't build muscle and lose fat at the same time" shiboleth repeated. You certainly can, and dozens or even hundreds of studies confirm it. It's not as easy as building muscle on a surplus, but it can be done.
Losing fat and adding muscle are two entirely seperate body processes. People seem to think they're related, two opposite ends of the same pole, but they're not.
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
You can build strength and lose fat, but building muscle at a caloric deficit is extremely limited, even with proper macronutrients. The extent to which your strength increases also becomes incredibly capped. I learned this when I lost ~120 pounds years ago, where I dieted for a year and a half or so. Your lifts definitely cap off until you start bulking, where you see significant improvements.
seeing_red_ 8y ago
Bulking and cutting is a traditional method used by top tier bodybuilders to look perfect before a show.
Most lifters should be lean bulking and then recomping (not cutting but eating at maintenance) so that they can constantly improve.
nonderivative 8y ago
Mind linking a review or one or two of those studies if you find the time? I'll definitely update the guide if that turns out to be broscience.
Edit:
I found this which shows that athletes were able to increase lean body mass when aiming for a weight loss of 0.5 kg per week, but not 1.0 kg per week. That's promising.
I'll try to do some more digging tomorrow.
morsX 8y ago
I have been trimming fat and gaining muscle mass for the last 2 years. Went from 220 lbs @ ~33% body fat in late 2013 to 180 lbs @ ~19% body fat currently. I cycle mass gain and fat burning week to week, usually in 2 week cycles. I find I lose about half a pound of body fat per cycle.
PaulAJK 8y ago
There's a few cited here... http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/gain-muscle-and-lose-fat-at-the-same-time/
nonderivative 8y ago
Hm. From skimming the abstracts, it seems one cited study is about protein distribution and another is about number of training days. I'll give it a more thorough read tomorrow. Thanks in any case!
Stayinghereforreal 8y ago
If you want to be in shape for summer, be working out from September through August, and eating right.
Being in shape is not a seasonal thing, it is a lifestyle.
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-xanax- 8y ago
This is the only answer. If you have to tell yourself you don't want to go, fucking do it anyways. Make it a habit. The brain likes habits. Good or bad.
vverons 8y ago
This is the correct answer. Started in November and lost 16lbs already. It's a process
nonderivative 8y ago
You are absolutely right. It is a lifestyle thing. But why not use swimtrunks season as extra motivation to get started or train hard?
cosine88 8y ago
Because swimtrunks season is a lousy motivator. It might sound good in your head, but ultimately external motivators will fail you. Find an internal one instead. Like wanting to be healthy for the sake of being healthy, or for the sake of a sport.
ColdEiric 8y ago
Swimtrunks are an excellent specific goal. Human brains, hearts and stomachs don't understand calories or measurements well enough, but everyone can tell if he or she looks good naked. Or in swmtrunks/bikini. That's why it is an excellent motivator.
I want to look good in swimtrunks. Tell me that isn't true to you.
cosine88 8y ago
You fail to recognize the point.
Fat people all want to look good in swimsuits too.
It fails to motivate the vast majority to actually change. They eat some veggies today and go nuts on fries and soda the next day, because it is ultimately an external factor.
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kremer5 8y ago
truth. I'm ripped year long. Don't ever think about "oh shit, summers coming up!". I was ready last september
randarrow 8y ago
I diet all winter and spring and look forward to summer/fall.
MUTHAFATHAGENTLEMAN 8y ago
Seriously. I thought we weren't about chasing "quick fixes" here.
Put in the work, train some discipline and improve your physique.
nonderivative 8y ago
Like you say, discipline is trained. We have all started somewhere. If the early results from quick fixes encourage you to push yourself harder and bring on bigger changes to your life, isn't that a good thing?
That being said, I outlined some pretty standard nutrition and exercise advice so calling this "quick fixes" is disingenuous.
MUTHAFATHAGENTLEMAN 8y ago
I appreciate the post, I'm not disrespecting your effort because we all know this place is run for free by people like you.
However, summer is basically here. People need to understand that you're not going to get in shape in 2 months. Yeh, you might see some gains, but you're not going to see gains and then still have time to cut properly.
nonderivative 8y ago
You're calling me out for overreaching/click baiting. Fair enough. You're right. Nobody will go from morbidly obese to superhero in two months. Or a year.
To save face, I'd argue most of us are only a couple of kilograms away from looking better without a shirt on than our peers. You can make a difference in two months. And you can lay the groundwork for future greatness.
MUTHAFATHAGENTLEMAN 8y ago
Hopefully we are that close. :P Unless there's a buncha fatties on here we don't know about.
DBsix 8y ago
To those having trouble with form on the compound movements - squat, deadlift, bench press, barbell rows etc., look for Alan Thrall's channel on YouTube. He has by far the best form videos I have ever seen, and I have seen loads. Check out his How To Squat video for starters. I would link it but I am on mobile and it's a pain. Also, it is very important to learn form on these lifts since you will eventually want to be moving massive weights on them. On those weights bad form can badly injure you and end your lifting career, or if you are luckier give you small aches here and there all over your body and make sleeping in your favourite position a pain. So it is best that you learn correct form right when you start so that you learn it right the first time and train your body and mind overtime to do them right without having to think about it too much. Then you won't have to worry about it as much in the future and can just concentrate on progressing to heavier weights all the time.
nonderivative 8y ago
Link to the playlist for the lazy. Totally forgot about Alan Thrall.
WillKane 8y ago
Totally agree- Alan Thrall's videos have shown me things that even Rippetoe didn't mention.
bonekeeper 8y ago
Mark Rippetoe's videos are a pretty good guide too on the big lifts.
sickofbeingaffraid 8y ago
Is there any more informations on greyskull program? I will get my first gym membership this friday and I don't understand what's written;.. I live in a very small town where gyms are not popular at all and I'm affraid if I hand it to the coach he won't even know what the english terms means.
nonderivative 8y ago
The original program is called Greyskull LP and is described in this book. You don't really need it though if you plan on following the version posted above.
Just note that by alternating, it means change from one workout to the next. So one time it's bench press, the next time you're in the gym its overhead press.
sickofbeingaffraid 8y ago
I am totally ignorant about lifting. I just plan on following TRP's advices.
redpillat40 8y ago
100 pushups
100 situps
100 squats
10 km run
Do this every day.
One Paaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnch!!!!!!
DennisReynoldsAMA 8y ago
Or you can go to the gym and work out a different body part a day for 6 days a week. It's fun to break personal records you get stronger and you meet a lot of people. Lifting will get you bigger and more Aesthetic than doing push-ups and sit-ups.
Axoc 8y ago
Don't forget to finish the pushups even if your arms start to make weird clicking noises.
redpillat40 8y ago
And don't forget to eat three meals a day. A banana for breakfast is fine.
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ChadThundercockII 8y ago
It seems you didn't get it.
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vandaalen 8y ago
Better:
slothsenpai 8y ago
And lose my hair in the process, no thanks!
redpillat40 8y ago
You could try the cyborg route then.
evileddy 8y ago
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYk3eo_CAAAJM3N.jpg
Herculius 8y ago
Why would this make you lose your hair?
I assume I am missing a joke.
SmilingWatermelon 8y ago
Its a joke among nerds, be glad you don't get it haha
Kingoffistycuffs 8y ago
You are indeed missing the joke Sr. This is from the anime one punch man, it's an adaptation made from a very popular online comic strip. Sitama the main character can defeat any enemy in the show with one punch(hence the name) when asked by his companions what training he underwent to become so strong that was his answer. He also went from a full head of hair to bald thanks to what actually gave him his powers. It's a good show and I'd recommend watching it, as long as you don't mind subtitles.
limenuke 8y ago
Gain powers to destroy everything, ever.
Well, except maybe a fly.
ChadThundercockII 8y ago
The mosquito has some of his blood in it. So, it was as strong as he was.
limenuke 8y ago
WHOA. When was this explained?!
ChadThundercockII 8y ago
They didn't explain it in the anime or the manga. It's a fan theory.
vonboyage 8y ago
Situps are bad for your back.
DarkExecutor 8y ago
Sad that you're downvoted for telling the truth
DeputyDelicious 8y ago
the post was pure joke and he took it seriously.
vonboyage 8y ago
Kinda seriously. Not everyone wants to look like a body builder and for a lot of people running is terapeutical, kinda like meditation.
Squats and pushups are not a good plan for every day, but they surely beat doing nothing, you get my point. I wouldn't trade it for my 3 day plan at the gym.
ChadThundercockII 8y ago
The comment was a reference to an anime. The OP wouldn't consider doing that himself
circlhat 8y ago
You make it seems as carbs carry the same weight as fat, if you eat 10,000 carbs a day and 0 fat and 0 protein you will become malnourished but you will not gain as much weight as you think.
Your body can convert carbs to fat but this process is not efficient.
The entire reason we associate carbs with weight gain is because carbs spike your insulin which acts as a shuttle for protein and fat , fun fat body builders use insulin to increase this shuttle so they can load up on more protein.
Fun fat 2: If you eat little carbs and high fats you won't get fat because your body won't be able to store it, this is what keto diet is all about, however its far healthier to eat high carbs low fat diet , easy to maintain , you can almost eat all the carbs you want without gaining weight just don't add fat.
A soda + french fries is the death nail for many people and a great source of weight gain, if they just had the soda they would be fine.
chinawinsworlds 8y ago
Is it even possible to look good with cardio alone? Or cardio mixed with body weight training?
dj10show 8y ago
This was me during my freshman year of college. I looked like I was on that Auschwitz time.
chinawinsworlds 8y ago
Did you do any strength at all? If so, that's sad, I don't really want to do weightlifting.
dj10show 8y ago
I did starting my sophomore year, and it made me take that next step playing sports. Not to mention I became way more attractive.
You're not going to have your life handed to you on a platter. You don't have to weightlift, but you know what you're going to be giving up in doing so.
name600 8y ago
commenting to come back to looks good.
Beam_Me_Up2016 8y ago
Sugar. Those numbers on that table are meaningless if you can't put them in perspective. Exactly how much sugar is the 39g in a can of Coke? Well at 3g of sugar per sugar cube, that means a can of Coke is a whopping 13 sugar cubes!
Regarding the fitness plan, we are all experts (this is the internet after all) but I think planks are noticeably absent here. A tight core combined with low body fat will have you tight like a tiger.
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UncleSniffy 8y ago
so basically more protein and less calories will promote growth in muscle mass while losing fat?
Marsupian 8y ago
Props for mentioning phraks greyskull variant. My favourite beginner program.
get_real_quick 8y ago
Great post. Informative, straight to the point, devoid of anger or bullshit. Post more.
Extract 8y ago
Now see, THIS, this is the kind of post I like.
Not another post bitching about how "men are in a disadvantage in today's word", not another post mumbling about a million things you should do (which are usually the same basics repeated here at least every week) but an actual, well defined sensible guide for improvement that will also have noticeable short term results.
For a better chance at gaining muscle while losing weight at the same time, check the "keto" and "ketorecipies" subreddits.
Blaat1985 8y ago
If you can start now you can be in shape in summer 2017.
xBonerDetective 8y ago
Not if you throw a couple peptides into the mix.
randarrow 8y ago
Didydrogen phosphate butches!
EnlightenedViking 8y ago
How about getting a nutrition coach? There is one at my boxing gym who is absolutely shredded...so is her husband.
I know most fitness competitors have diet & nutrition coaches - do any of you?
[deleted] 8y ago
Hello, I'm going to tell you how to be fit without exercising much at all.
You just have to fix your posture.
You have to do loving-kindness, and it's best to do it all day continuously without halt.
Breathe from the middle of your chest and expand the love energies. It might hurt a little for some persons but stick with it.
Your chest should be lifted as much as possible while walking as tall as you can so your butt flexes automatically all the way, lifting it through the full range of butt motion without any effort.
Why is the butt so important? Because that's your access to superhuman strength and libido out of this world.
Do this for awhile and see if you have become a bit thicker or tighter or both.
Do loving-kindness. This is my advice to you. If any questions and more information on either loving-kindness or exercising, please ask.
stawek 8y ago
Nothing new here and basically repeating the same advice everybody hears all the time. If this worked there would be no fat people in the world, cause this is what everybody tried and failed.
Want advice from me? much simpler
Remove all high carb foods from your diet. No: sugar, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sweet fruits, fruit juices.
All the carbs come from low carb vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens. Eat 2lb of those vegetables a day.
Exercise daily. Doesn't matter what exercise as long as you enjoy it and don't overdo it. If it hurts don't do it.
Snacking is bad for you. Eat your meals at the same time every day. If you do it this way you will be hungry at your mealtimes and those veggies will taste great.
KermitTheeFrog777 8y ago
I like this approach. This will take you 80% of the way. You can crank up the advanced techniques later.
BEATS_WOMEN_PRO 8y ago
Man, you can get seriously fit just doing pushups and squat thrusts and squats and crunches and running every day (not really recovery is important they say but how the fuck do you survive military if that's the case?) even if you eat like shit. So don't eat like shit and you can get even more fit
BaconEggsAndSleaze 8y ago
Uh, ok
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nivekx 8y ago
Solid post mate but i have a question I dont know if this belongs in asktrp but i'll ask anyway
Im 6'1 24 years old and i went from 228 to 219
the pics are taken 6 months apart I started stronglifts 2 months ago before that I never lifted a weight before in my life and most of the progress u see there is from lifting not from the cardio i used to do
My diet is on point i track my macros using my fitness pal but I dont know if i should eat at a deficit or surplus using stronglifts, i mean im not skinny but with clothes i dont look fat at all, im afraid that if i bulk i'll end up fat again
Any pointers?
nonderivative 8y ago
Good job fixing your diet. For now, I'd keep eating at a deficit if I were you.
idontwanttostart 8y ago
For the first time in a long time, I appreciate a fucking trp post. that's right, I said trp is a circle jerk. So good...rather great post. thank you for not making it about pussy and women but about being a better man.
Newlyredd1 8y ago
"Unless you're an Aussie, you have two months until summer"
No change in temperature nowadays anyway. Only bad thing about Aus.
[deleted] 8y ago
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Blaat1985 8y ago
Somatypes don't exist. It has been debunked ages ago.
SigmundRoidd 8y ago
Haha. Catabolic*...I'd be a fuckin corpse if we went catatonic everytime I slept.
landon042 8y ago
Useful for bodybuilders on loads of drugs but they already know this. For a natty you won't make much progress either way. Rich piana said he used to wake up in middle of the night to get in protein so his body isn't without it for 8 hours. On simple test e beginner cycle it is useful to eat right before bed I notice difference but naturally it won't do much
Trail_of_Jeers 8y ago
Likewise if you are an endomorph, get rid of Lactose. It's insulinemic but low glycemic. Cheese is ok, especially hard, dry cheeses. Everything else should get tossed.
sassypaella 8y ago
You are spreading broscience. Firstly, you won't go catabolic while asleep, as that would mean your body has already consumed your glycogen stores. And that won't happen overnight, ever. You are not starving.
'Naturally skinny' people eat less. Somatotypes are a myth.
Metalgear222 8y ago
ok got it but you don't think the research behind casein is worth mentioning? For skinny people who don't eat a lot I find it to be pretty fitting for those trying to bulk, regardless if somatotypes are real or not.
sassypaella 8y ago
The research behind caseine says nothing about it helping with catabolism, as people buying protein are not starving for weeks. It has some benefits, but it's not cheap at all. As easy as checking examine.com
Skinny people who don't eat a lot are skinny because they don't eat a lot. Of course taking calories, be it casein, chocolate or beer, will make you gain weight. It doesn't mean casein is special or good.
DBi 8y ago
I drink orange juice because it keeps my throat clear, if I don't my throat gets sore and mucus filled. So I drink about two cartons a week. This has been a constant for about two/three years now, do you have any suggestions for alternatives?
grewapair 8y ago
Sounds like acid reflux from hiatal hernia.
UtopianfreeMan 8y ago
Try taking large doses of vitamin C. Multiple 0.5-1 gram doses in a day.
DBi 8y ago
I'll give it a try, thanks.
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Dopebear 8y ago
Personally not every juice is terrible as many health-nuts claim. If you can find 100% natural juice (not watered down, filled with sugar and other bullshit) it's great--it's literally just juiced fruit (ie oranges)
As always, do the hard lift of turning the carton over and looking at the back. If it has bullshit in it, skip it. If it's just 100% fruit(s), try it out.
But again, I don't drink these regularly.
FromBPtoRP 8y ago
Actually it is. All of them. It's pure sugar (yes, fructose is sugar). It's only good when you consume it in the form of a fruit as it has fibers in it.
DBi 8y ago
Do you think if I just switched to actual oranges that would be enough?
FromBPtoRP 8y ago
Give it a try. But it would be few times healthier. Eating fruits in moderation - good, drinking juice - bad. Anyway, if you still want to drink it, one glass there and there won't kill you.
Momo_dollar 8y ago
Try this for weights and drastic increase in heart rate. Pick a weight that you can do 8-10 squats, but not your 8-10 squat max ie less then what you would use for standard 8 or 10 x 3,
Trip sets ( so no rest between the exercises) 8-10 squats, then 10 calf raises, then 20 kb swings. Then rest for 1-2 mins and repeat do around 3 sets first time. By round 2 or 3 your heart will be pounding, by the time your done your legs, lower back, glutes will be feeling very worked.
Don't have a clue how many calories it burns, only did it once cos I was pressed for time, but the way my heart was pounding during and after I'm guessing it was a lot. Also the effect on the worked muscles felt very good, both a pump and doms the following day.
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drqxx 8y ago
I would like to add
trp_principiante 8y ago
Contrary to your advice I advocate daily weigh ins. I've been doing them for 3 years and I quickly realized that "daily weight fluctuations" are actually diet lapses. You literally see pizza on your scale the next morning.
nonderivative 8y ago
The research agrees with you. Regular self-weighing is linked to successful weight loss and maintenance. In that article, they also cite a review which finds that "weekly and daily self-weighers held a 1–3 BMI unit advantage compared with individuals who did not weigh themselves as frequently". So between the two, I chose weekly because it requires less buy in from the reader.
Edit: I will try them for myself though.
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Marsupian 8y ago
It's only useful if you plot it in a graph and look at trends. Letting fluctuations in water weight influence your actions or emotions is silly. Trends over weeks are meaningful data to increase or reduce intake.
trp_principiante 8y ago
That's why I do it at the same time (after morning shower before breakfast). This way I minimize random things in my measurement. It is actually quite consistent once you try it.
EdmondDaunts 8y ago
Daily weighing also helped me realise I was dropping too many calories on rest days. When I upped calories slightly the weight started to drop again. Plus I lifted better with some extra calories.
I know eating can raise your metabolism a tiny bit but it was certainly a strange experience. But I only saw it because I was tracking every day.
supergilbert 8y ago
What works for me so far is intermittent fasting. I can't cur carbs and I hate counting calories. Fasting is much simpler and I can shed fat more easily. Also, working out fasted feels much better.
trpthrowaway001 8y ago
How do you figure? To me, working out on an empty stomach feels terrible
WarmApfelPi 8y ago
OP, I'm glad you mentioned Rooibos. If I eat too much sugar or am fatigued, I get drowsy, and it is irreplaceable at helping me get it under control. I mix mine with green tea.
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Metalgear222 8y ago
for the first 2 months maybe. Then you'll need extra resistance. Weight vests or have a buddy push on your back
Baldr12 8y ago
You can do a progression up to one arm push ups.
landon042 8y ago
Used to have partner put 25 plate on back, but shit is hard getting ready then actually pushing up. Rather bench and screw that
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OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
Add in oil to your calorie chart. It's the most concentrated calorie source known to man at 4000 calories per pound. Meaning just 1 tablespoon equals 120 calories. Cutting out oil completely is a big step in losing weight. Yes, that means olive oil and coconut oil, too.
Shamlei 8y ago
Big step in losing weight ? What about people on keto who swear by olive oil and have a low fat % ? Better cut out on carbs imo.
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Trail_of_Jeers 8y ago
Cutting sugar is more important. Sugars soak up water and activate insulin, causing fat storage. On a ketogenic diet, Dr. Eades found that caloric limits were vastly different for his patients.
OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
it's cutting refined everything that's important. refined sugars. refined fats. refined protein.
The problem of overeating stems from eating concentrated foods which are way easier to overeat. You can eat a pound of salad (100 calories) with a chicken breast (280 calories) and have it come out to about 380 calories AND feel incredibly full. You might not finish it.
3 tablespoons of oil is 360 calories which is easy to eat if its added to food. Same goes for refined carbs. Refined sugar is about 50 cal/tablespoon. So you can easily consume refined foods compared to whole foods.
Which will make you feel full? Which gets you to eat more calories unintentionally?
sp0radic 8y ago
Carbs > insulin response > uneven blood sugar levels > fat storage > low satiety.
Fat > Way better source of energy.
Trail_of_Jeers 8y ago
The fat will make you feel full. Carbs will make you eat more calories unintentionally. Your example, 1400 calories of greens and meat, will make you sad and hungry.
landon042 8y ago
Why I eat loads of rice crispies on big bulk
OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
sounds like you have it all figured out. best of luck.
kremer5 8y ago
Fat is important. Cutting oils out of your diet wouldn't be smart, even if you're trying to lose weight. It isn't as simple as calories in, calories out, even though that is what most people preach. 2k calories of junk food is far different than 2k calories of healthy proteins and fats and carbs
OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
where I did I say/imply that fat is not important? Do you think that people will have 0% fat in their diet unless they consume refined oil?
Concentrated refined foods are unhealthy. Refined sugar is unhealthy. Refined fat is unhealthy. Refined protein is unhealthy. Any time you refine/process a food, you increase the concentration of calories and remove nutrients/fiber.
The more carbs, proteins, fats that you eat from WHOLE foods, the better. There are plenty of healthy sources of fat from whole foods without needing to drink refined oil.
Redjatis 8y ago
I disagree. Olive and coconut oil are one of the healthiest sources of fat available.
Secondly you should never cut out one type of macro. Cutting out just your oils is going to fuck with your ratio's, which is going to lead to worse health.
Furthermore most people aren't weightlifting to lose weight, they are weightlifting to gain muscle, so your advice is useful for a very few.
If your over your calorie limit, you should cut out processed foods. Once you are not eating processed foods, and only whole foods, then you need to cut whatever is inflating your ratio's improperly.
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sp0radic 8y ago
Coconut oil is basically a superfood. Add it to your coffee, eat it straight, whatever, that shit is godly.
kremer5 8y ago
Unrefined olive oil? Unrefined coconut oil? Unrefined Avocado oil? Unrefined walnut oil? ect...
Are these unhealthy things?
I don't disagree that refined foods are typically unhealthy. I never mentioned refined foods, so not sure where your coming from.
OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
Unrefined fat would be eating the actual olive, coconut, avocado, and walnut instead of ripping apart the whole food to extract just the fat.
kremer5 8y ago
that's not how these foods are marketed, just so you know. so, semantics i guess.
OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
of course, because the goal is to get us to buy the product.
this video explains it in more detail. If you have 5 minutes to watch, it seemed to make sense to me.
kremer5 8y ago
i'm not watching the video for the sake of time, but by definition everything is technically refined to an extent. fruits are just the reproductive component of certain plants. so really, a strawberry is just the refined product of the strawberry plant. so again, semantics.
OneTouchHowMuch 8y ago
Oh come on, now you're being ridiculous. We're talking about whole, natural foods compared to processed foods not some esoteric concept.
ClimbingTehLadder 8y ago
Two disagreements - weight tracking and snacking. Let me elaborate. Weight tracking, for many people, is a lose-lose activity. If you're doing well with losing fat you might think "ah, great I can have a break day or something" followed by a binge, possibly lasting a week. If you're not losing much at all the motivation really drops and again, you might binge. I've lost 50 lbs over the past 8 months and weigh myself only when I go to the doctor (or a recent work physical). Last weigh in I had lost 26 lbs from the weigh in before that.
Snacking is GOOD if you're really low calorie (I'm currently ~1300-1750 per day, depending on if I do cardio or lift). I snack to feel decently full with a banana, or like 15 cashews, or some oatmeal (plain, not the sugar filled packets), etc. The reason snacking is great - your "meals" can be really low calorie, like 400-600 calorie max.
nonderivative 8y ago
Good on your for finding something that works for you. That is all that matters in the end. However, regular self-weighing is linked to successful weight loss and maintenance. That doesn't disprove your success! It just means weight tracking is more likely to help with weight loss than what you are suggesting.
ClimbingTehLadder 8y ago
I appreciate the positive response and I'll keep that study in mind whenever I give people advice (if they ask) in the future thanks
TheCarm 8y ago
Great guide. I was 235 pounds playing football in high school, a fat 235. I quit that and just focused on fitness and lost 60 poinds in a matter of 4 months. Bulked to 185-190 and looked great. Unfortunately i got a girlfriend and over a year i regressed back to 215 and lost motivation.
These basic principles are what have kept my motor running in my goal to get back to what i used to look like. Sometimes this weight loss thing aint so hard as ya think
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
That sounds pretty unhealthy as far as weight loss goes, and I'd be willing to bet that the extreme measures you took to lose that much weight includes muscle loss as well. To the people who need to lose weight reading this, don't go over 2 pounds a week for weight loss or you'll suffer for it.
TheCarm 8y ago
Youre probably right. I just turned 19. I worked a manual labor job in the FL heat with long shifts and no meal. Id eat small snacks throughout that I brought. Oatmeal for breakfast and meats, veggies, or pasta for dinner. This was 4 days a week, i hit the gym in the off time.
But ya it was a lot of weight very quickly. But it saved myself from just going through life knowing im fat and ill always be fat. It opened my eyes to a new way of living. Being attractive to women and all that.
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
Dude how did you manage Florida heat? That shit is disgustingly humid and unbearable.
TheCarm 8y ago
Grew up here, i love it. Hate the cold
MegaSuperCritic 8y ago
Making a comment after reading 5 lines.
Having a six pack is not being in shape. I have a six pack but I am definitely not in shape.
I just can't gain enough fat to cover my abdominal muscles.
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
Yep. Being skinny and having abs means nothing; unless you're actively bulking/cutting and have sizeable muscles to show for it, it's all pointless.
ChadThundercockII 8y ago
Look up Pavel Tsatsouline. The strongest lightweight person you'll ever see.
SunshineBlotters 8y ago
My problem is the bench press. 5lb increments (2.5 on each side) is too much for me. Im that weak. I dont know how to fix that.
fartag1994 8y ago
Eat more and do more reps of whatever weight you can do. It wil eventually gp up.
nonderivative 8y ago
How often per week do you bench?
To expand on what /u/fartag1994 says, if you currently do 3 sets of 5 reps, try adding reps until you hit 3x8. Then increase the weight - you should be able to hit 3x5 on the new weight. You could also do it the other way around 5x3 -> 4x4 -> 3x5 -> increase weight and do 5x3 again.
It's called a double progression (because you progress on reps and weight).
SunshineBlotters 8y ago
Every other day. But I am doing stronglifts 5 x 5 so under that plan I would only be benching twice a week.
I never heard of double progression so I'll start doing that tonight. Thanks.
redpillat40 8y ago
If you're using MyFitnessPal, you can edit your macros to get your protein intake to the right levels. Keep an eye on these because if you update your goals it will rebalance your macros.
nonderivative 8y ago
Damn, never noticed. Thanks! For reference, the link is
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals/daily_nutrition_goals
I found it under My Home > Goals > Daily Nutrition Goals.
redpillat40 8y ago
It only lets you do 5% increments unless you go premium, but it's close enough.
Strike48 8y ago
This Chrome extension let's you set your macronutrient goals by the gram even without premium. I've been using it for a while and it's perfect. Give it a try.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/myfitnesspal-macro-settin/glpkdgpldbbdpjbpimehpkpgdicibgpi
Alpacash 8y ago
Bulking and cutting for natties is bullshit. Stay lean year around once you have made your noob gains.
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
Oh? And how's that? I've been a natty my entire life and I've seen good progress via bulking/cutting without becoming a roidhead.
Yeah that's not what noob gains are at all, and given that most of the western male population is overweight, staying lean is a pretty tall order for them.
chrisindub 8y ago
What can you do in two months?
Perhaps if you went full zero carb diet, and did weights 5 days a week.
ChadThundercockII 8y ago
Zero carbs is pure torture. Keep them low and natural. Your body needs the energy from carbs, and it will lose weight while on carbs.
chrisindub 8y ago
Yes.
Eat all the carbs you want.
I'll see you this summer. Lol
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bumbuff 8y ago
Full zero carb is nearly impossible.
and expensive.
chrisindub 8y ago
You're right.
Just eat all the carbs you want and save money.
I'll see you this summer.
bumbuff 8y ago
So, you're going to eat purely meat?
chrisindub 8y ago
My diet is low carb,
but if I want to drop weight really fast while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible....
I run a caloric deficit and eat/drink almost entirely protein.
Accomplished by eating exclusively meat along with whey protein and casein protein drinks.
Try to stay about 1.5-3 grams of protein per kilogram body weight.
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CS192837465 8y ago
I'm 6'3 and 152 lbs, just barely over the underweight line.
My metabolism is super fast, I eat incredibly clean (I make everything basically from scatch) but how do I massively increase my appetite and retain what I eat while working out this summer for the next 4 months?
It seems most advice is for losing weight when you are a fat fuck instead of a skinny like me.
swedsson 8y ago
I'm 6'1 and was 156 lbs last summer, my metabolism is also fast as fuck. I assume it's because of my body type and because I'm young (20), maybe you are too. I started lifting last summer, beginnging in early july. In september when I had a job and apartment sorted out I thought fuck this, I want some results, I need more carbs. I started with adding eggs to my breakfast, getting more rice/pasta for my lunch I brought to work, and another meal when I got home before the gym. That's an advantage too the fast metabolism, we don't have to wait as long as many others between eating and lifting. Also, homemade gainer which is protein powder and pure carbs in the form of maltodextrin two or three times a day, all this in addition to a normal dose of creatine before workout and drinking a shitload of water.
Needless to say I gained a lot of weight in a small amount of time, I don't remember exactly but I'd guess 8-10 lbs in 6-8 weeks. Wich was more than I'd ever weighed, and that was a nice confidence boost. After a while I started skipping the gainer completely, and cut down on the creatine.
Just recognized your situation as something similar to mine, and wanted to tell you that it is very possible to gain weight. You just have to make the necessary sacrifices. I'm up to 183 lbs and feel great, no longer trying to gain weight, just trying to keep my muscle and to feel good.
ZeReaperofZeath 8y ago
You can either take in liquid calories (make a protein shake after workouts) because they are easier to consume, or eat more.
What I did was eat 4-5 meals a day, each one about 600 calories. It will suck, you will feel like puking the fuck out but it's worth it in the end.
ItsTheHomeWrecker 8y ago
Start tracking everything you eat. I guarantee you are actually eating much less than you think.
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
That's largely a myth. The largest metabolic differences found in some studies were about 300 calories IIRC. Might be noticeable for diets, but more or less doesn't matter a lot.
For the most part this doesn't mean shit. Stop buying into the fake shit these organic "health nuts" sell.
Deal with eating for the sake of your physique; if you don't you don't see progress, end of story. Just like the fat dude has to learn to eat less, you have to learn to eat more.
CS192837465 8y ago
By this I don't mean I buy everything with the words "natural", "organic", "latest health fad", I despise everything of the like.
By this I mean I don't buy boxed chicken fingers, premade stuff and trash food, I buy a huge pack of fresh chicken breasts and fresh vegetables from the market then make a meal out of it.
SwallowRP 8y ago
Go to the "gainit" subreddit. A good one is the "GOMAD" diet to gain weight.
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Marsupian 8y ago
Metabolisms don't differ that much from person to person.
Make a plan to eat more food and when desperate turn to liquid calories and high calorie foods.
What I did when I was skinny was add 2 egg sandwiches a day (with cheese and ham or bacon). Easy to make and helps get the protein in. A protein shake with something like peanut butter, banana or chocolate can also work. Also just force down an extra plate and add a glass of milk somewhere.
CS192837465 8y ago
I guess my one limiting factor is that I feel sick if I have anything more than a glass of milk/juice and a small bite to eat in the morning before 10am.
At noon and the evening, I'll devour anything, but I feel terrible every time I have a large breakfast before work or school.
ImTheMVPBRAH 8y ago
You don't have to eat breakfast if you don't like it. Maybe check out intermitted fasting
Marsupian 8y ago
Than eat that food after noon. If it's a time constraint put more effort into meal prep. Stop making excuses and start getting big.
thor_away92 8y ago
Hey OP maybe throw in some wisdom to chase numbers on the barbell vs visual gains.
You could bench 190 one week and hit 205 next month and be twice as chesty.
UncleSniffy 8y ago
but what if I just want visual gains to begin with?
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Trail_of_Jeers 8y ago
If you are very overweight, don't worry yet about looking cut: Canned vegetables are fine. As you slim down you may want to go for healthier vegetables, moving to frozen and then fresh. The worst thing you can do is buy fresh and let them rot.
Lunchmagnet 8y ago
Good post but how do you deal with the temptations? Temptations to snack on sugary shit? Temptations to skip a workout or a run because it's raining or you're tired? I've been trying to keep to a regular fitness regime since January but I keep slipping back into my old ways. Can anyone suggest a way to cope with a moment of temptation or weakness without giving in?
nonderivative 8y ago
First, create an environment that doesn't tempt you. Make it easy for yourself to do the right thing. Don't keep snacks in the house other than maybe a pack of gums. Eat enough during your meals. Pack your gym bag the day before.
When it comes to following a regular fitness regime, I had the same problem in 2014 as you have now. I tried long enough, and eventually it clicked. Keep trying. Habits are not formed in a day. I will say that starting strength helped immensely, because seeing the numbers rise so quickly motivated the hell out of me, whereas the over-long plan I got from my gym was shit.
stawek 8y ago
Food cravings are dealt with by stuffing your face with good stuff. Eat a pound of broccoli and even looking at that mars bar will make you sick.
It is much easier to do something good than to avoiding the bad. For the former you only need your willpower in the few seconds when you start doing it, for the latter you need to keep yourself from doing it 24/7.
This is why you should take every chance where doing something will prevent you from doing something bad. Like eating lots of healthy food. Like preparing healthy meals in advance, so they are there when you feel like going for fast food. Eating good meals at the same hours of the day to reduce snacking. Drinking water to reduce appetite and snacking. Exercising.
xBonerDetective 8y ago
Picture on your fridge of your goal physique.
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
Sure-- my way when I lost weight years back was the idea that "food is fuel." I'd find things to keep me busy during the times that I was bored enough to just fill the time by snacking. After about a week or two of doing this you start seeing food more as a necessity than as a luxury, and that's the important distinction that you need to start building up if you're coming from a life of just eating shitty foods for fun.
landsoul 8y ago
I had this same problem with starting up a routine until about 2 months ago. These are the things that seriously helped me:
Rinse and repeat until you have a body like Ryan Gosling.
randarrow 8y ago
Figure out your triggers. Does stress make you eat sweets? Are you prediabetic (what is your fasting glucose)? Do you always eat sweets at a certain time/event? Are you craving a specific sweet, like orange juice, which might have other benefits like vitamin c? Are you craving liquid sweets, meaning you are dehydrated? Do you have an infection or other condition which might make you crave sweets? Are you otherwise deficient in a nutrient? Do artificial sweeteners trigger real sugar cravings? Are you getting enough healthy snacks throughout the day?
TheDefendorr 8y ago
There are no tips man you either want it or you fucking dont. When you realize how bad you want something you wont have a problem.
Redasshole 8y ago
Stuff yourself with fruits when you have an temptation.
BrunoOh 8y ago
If you go to a supermarket, be sure to eat before you go. It's much easier to not buy temptations if you're not hungry.
RedBigMan 8y ago
Never go shopping on an empty stomach. It's been shown that even for non-food related trips people who are hungry will overspend and/or overbuy in general.
ClimbingTehLadder 8y ago
The sugary shit is tough. Do at least 1-2 weeks no sugar stuff (candy, ice cream, donuts, muffins) and you won't miss it much. If you do miss it, it's OK to reward yourself once a week or so. Also just have a really small doses - personally, I keep chocolate chips in the house for those times I have a craving and it's really effective to have just like 6 of them to stave it off. No ice cream.
Unless you legitimately feel like shit, just force yourself to do it. There's no excuse outside of being sick to not get some serious exercise/lifting in at least every other day - ideally 5x a week though. So if you just don't feel like lifting, just fucking do it. Within 10-15 minutes you'll feel good and be happy you pushed yourself to not be a lazy bastard.
landon042 8y ago
I plan on eating the jello cups 10 calories and it's sweet I think. Read on bodybuilding forum while ago
Dronitto 8y ago
What about skinny fat? Its the worst physique ever
trumpisafaggybeta 8y ago
Losing your fat is the first step, always, before you bulk.
wow_omg_thats_crazy 8y ago
I use a very similar routine based off stronglifts and muscleforlife.com, but i think it should be noted that this is for getting stronger not for building a better physique. If you are a beginner then it will not necessarily matter for the first couple of months. After 6 months or so if you decide your main goal is a better physique then you will want to switch to only squatting once a week, plus add more isolation like incline bench press, curls, and lateral raises.
GOATmar 8y ago
To add to this post:
Foam Roll every single day. If you're serious about your fitness, do so extensively, all body. If you're short on time, do no less than 15 reps on each roll. It hurts at first, but stick with it and by next week it won't. You're a fucking man, not a pussy. Invest in a tennis ball also, to reach certain tissue:
http://stronglifts.com/soft-tissue-work-release-your-pain/
BOOST YOUR FLEXIBILITY in order to perfect your squat form and skyrocket your strength (and thus muscle) gains:
Do Toddler Squats for 5 minutes daily
Do 8 "Squat 2 Stands" warm ups before squatting the empty bar
Do 3x10 Shoulder Dislocators afterwards
Decompress your spine often! http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/stronglifts-spinal-decompressions.pdf
EAT WHOLE ((AND ORGANIC) FOODS, CUT 100% OF THE PROCESSED BULLSHIT OUT. You are what you eat, you cannot out train a terrible diet. If you think you can dirty bulk like a maniac while trying to increase your squat naturally to 3 plates, you're out of your mind. Bad food = bad mood. Also means bad recovery. From now on, if you're trying to really gain strength quickly, look great and also feel great, stick to farmer's market fruit & veggies. Stick to lean organic meat like chicken, wild caught salmon and sirloin beef.
If you think organic food is too expensive, guess what. Get a job or food stamps to afford it. Your long term health later on will fuck you literally 10 times more costly if you decide to cheap out on your diet today. You can be frugal everywhere else, never on your healthy foods.
More tips & Tricks for heavy lifting:
http://stronglifts.com/squatting-big-weights-essential-tips/
How to avoid knee injuries and annoyances:
http://stronglifts.com/10-tips-to-stop-your-knees-from-popping-and-cracking/
Remove calluses and tears:
http://stronglifts.com/deadlift/calluses/
As you notice, I'm just pulling out links from Mehdi of stronglifts.com. It's because the fucker is legit. Here's his archives:
http://stronglifts.com/archive/
Read and absorb all of it.
Good reads like
What to do when you miss a workout:
http://stronglifts.com/missed-skipped-workout-stronglifts-5x5/
Squat Tip Sheet:
http://stronglifts.com/wp-content/uploads/stronglifts-squat-tips.pdf
I'll probably add to this post later when I outline a basic, fairly cheap diet that works for me.
SwallowRP 8y ago
Good read except organic. 'Organic' is bullshit.
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jarking 8y ago
Great post. Im gonna have to get on the foam roller bandwagon. My buddy swears by it to help with muscle pain/soreness.
I think a good book for any person wanting to start getting fit is the Mens Health Big Book of Exercises. Tons of pictures showing proper form, nutrition advice, workout plans, pretty much all you need to get started. The core section is awesome...really showed me how important planks are to overall fitness.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mens-Health-Book-Exercises-ebook/dp/B008ET9G18
dmystery 8y ago
As a vegetarian, I've always found sorting out my diet to be quite diffucult. Most guides including this one seem to suggest that getting a ripped, lean bod with the 6-pack is 80% diet, 20% exercise.
Problem is that being veggie since birth is that I feel like I need Carbs to be "full". I've recently started lifting (5x5) but am currently only benching bar, I've also started Boxing which really helps as a "pick me up"/endorphin boost and in terms of energy levels so far I've been fine. Genetics seem to make my fat-deposit areas to be belly and thighs. I've searched Youtube/BodyBuilding.com but have yet to find a decent Vegetarian student budget friendly, low carb, high protein diet. I've recently started eating good quality sushi Salmon for Omega-3s and Fish oils (cardiovascular health and whatnot) so don't know if I should just up the ante on that rather than other meat substitutes.
I feel vegetarian guys underestimate the effects of soy substitutes on men's health. It inhibits Testosterone productions and raises Oestrogen levels. Both of which can reduce gains, lead to man-boobs and lead to overall drive decreases (motivational + sex). Rice milk and coconut milk are decent but expensive and taste crappy. I got my levels checked out with the doc and whilst my T levels were normal, I just came up Anaemic so have started Iron supps too. Anaemia + B Vitamin deficiency also seems to be common amongst vegetarians and afro-carribean/asian guys.
Caffeine works wonders as an appetite suppressant but seems to causes crashes/jitters afterwards. Right now I'm trying one meal replacement a day with a Nutribullet (2 teaspoons coffee, 2 bananas, nuts, berries, honey, 1/2 water, 1/2 milk) for lunch.
redpillat40 8y ago
I did keto for a few months, and when you're limiting your carb intake to 25g or less, it's surprising how full you feel when you're consuming that much protein and fat.
nonderivative 8y ago
Low carb vegetarian? That sounds like a challenge. Fish sounds good. You could also increase your consumption of yoghurt, eggs and cheese. Luckily, you're not a vegan. Are avocados expensive where you live?
Just curious, what do you eat for dinner usually?
kremer5 8y ago
Eat more fat if you're having problems with fullness. Eggs would be good to throw in your diet if that isn't a restriction of yours
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nostress20 8y ago
What exactly do you find difficult? I'm vegan and have no problems whatsoever. Also lifting and currently bulking, even without soy. You just have to do the research and apply it.
I've got my blood tested a few months ago and everything is fine. If you have an iron deficiency or anything else, it's probably because of an unbalanced diet. Spinach, oatmeal and shrooms all have iron in it for example
I agree about soy in general, even if some papers show that phytoestrogens don't have an effect on testosterone levels, others talk about how too much consumption could be troublesome. Better to abstain here, nothing is lost
Metalgear222 8y ago
Never eat on taste, start the habit of looking at food as fuel. Taste of something lasts in your mouth for MAYBE 30 seconds. Food stays in your body for 17 hours.
sp0radic 8y ago
Switching to keto made me see carbohydrates like drugs. Maybe it's just my addictive personality, but I've got a problem with binging that simply doesn't exist if I'm on keto.
kremer5 8y ago
Listening to taste is important. When I eat a food too much, it just doesn't taste good. To me, this indicates that my body is sick of it and needs a different source of fuel. So, it's not something to completely ignore
RGIIIsus 8y ago
Food is not like a workout. You don't need to surprise your body with new food. If you're getting the right nutrients and macros in, you could eat the exact same thing every day and it won't be negative in any way.
kremer5 8y ago
Eat the same thing every day and you run the risk of developing food allergies. I was eating loads of PB every day and wound up developing a nut intolerance. Same thing with eggs.
The "right" nutrients are dynamic; your body is never static. Sometimes it will need X MG of X vitamin, other times it won't. It isn't about "surprising" your body, it's about giving it a variety of micronutrients. You also run the risk of nutrient imbalances, particularly minerals. If your zinc/copper ratio is off, you'll have issues. Eat liver every day and you'll die from vitamin A toxicity. Just as examples. It's not a smart thing to eat the same food every day; there really is no argument for it besides efficiency
winnaling 8y ago
Arnold Schwarzenegger said he only consumed 1g per pound of bodyweight. I'm going to guess he knows what he's talking about. Only consuming half of that is enough for most people who lift.
IllimitableMan 8y ago
1g per pound of body weight = eat 200g of protein if you are 200lbs
1.5g per kilogram of body weight = if you are 200lbs, you're 90.7kg so halve that (45.35) and add it to the 90.7 = 136.05gs of protein
In case you got lost there, eating 1.5g of protein per kg means you'd eat 136g protein a day if you were 200lbs. If you ate 1g of protein per LB, you'd eat 200 grams of protein at 200lbs. With OPs formula, you eat 64g of protein less per day than if you follow the conventional 1g per LB advice.
I think you thought he was saying to eat 1.5g of protein per LB, but he isn't, he's saying per KG. There's 2.2lbs to a kilogram, which means this formula works out at consuming less rather than more protein Arnie consumed.
Arnie was on roids anyway, I wonder if that affects the amount of protein necessary to gain mass. If I had to guess, I'd assume you could build more muscle with less protein if you were on roids.
Redpillwhiterabbit 8y ago
Ehh... Only once he got to america. Still a massive success before (military days). And probably, you utilize the fuel more efficiently on roids... So you build faster but the actual volume should be the same... Or else the roids are wasted lol
orilyrily 8y ago
Also, whenever I read the 1g per 1lb (or other variations) an important distinction was that it was LEAN body mass. So someone with a lot of fat lets say the person weighed 330lb - would not be trying to eat 330g of protein.
kremer5 8y ago
steroids increase protein synthesis, so one on adequate doses of steroids would more effectively utilize protein than one that is not
IllimitableMan 8y ago
Interesting to know, thanks!
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flamboyant_fenian 8y ago
I'm 18 6'1 100 kilos. Should I go for the low carb 1200 calorie diet or start bulking and lifting weights to increase my muscle and lose fat?
Evodus 8y ago
Lift weights either way. I'd definitely recommend cutting still, however not that extreme of a diet. 1800 calories should be fine. Carbs are necessary, so don't completely cut them. However cut sugars as much as possible. The lower the GI of the carb, the better. Rice & oats are prime examples of low GI healthy carbs.
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quicklogaccount 8y ago
I've been wanting to share some nutrition shit I read over the years for a while, this place is as good as any.
For those willing to nerd around it, take a look at insulin and hormone modulation through eating. Not rocket science, works wonders. No time to seek articles but it goes like this:
No simple carbs. Integral only. There's tasty stuff in there.
No sugar. You'll have plenty even if you don't use it.
The idea is, be ALWAYS properly fueled with carbs or else you go economic and stop burning it.
Don't overeat carbs or your insulin will increase, you'll consume your muscle's glycogen and that's bad for gains, and you'll go in economic mode afterwards too.
Get used to look at carb's Glycemic index. Here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index
That said, use some calculator to assess your daily caloric intake and desired deficit. Eat it with this formula, good enough if you won't get a pro:
Starters: Eat a bit every three hours, 10% of your intake on the little meals you need between the big ones. The first little meal AFTER a complete one is FAT only. The following, carbs+fat, if you need it. You shouldn't need it. Have one before training even if you don't need it, make it like the little one you NEED and the one before training are equally spaced from the closest big one.
1 -Get carbs and fat on breakfast (complete);
2 - Lunch is COMPLETE, carbs + fat;
3 - Dinner is NOT complete. No carbs before sleeping. Have a little one before dinner.
Before training, half an hour: Make a little meal with HIGH glycemic value carbs. Have money to spare? Get some BCAAs for here. Or a good whey, it'll have lots of BCAA too, but some of the way won't be optimally used.
After training: High glycemic value carbs, you have to replenish your muscle's spent glycogen fast. Protein comes here too and it should be easy to digest as you can have. Whey comes here.
Have time to separate cardio and lifting? LOW glycemic value carbs before cardio.
Will you be lifting for more than one hour / will you lift AFTER you do cardio? Might be nice to get some high glycemic value carb in the middle so you replenish muscular glycogen.
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