Stay/get back in shape...Vol: Motivation

Originally Posted by TheArchitect

QUESTION.....


I been working out for over a year now... tried different workout plans and have had some success... The issue is that my muscles are not 'showing' unless I flex. Right now I look so regular and my arms are flabby. Another thing is that I still have a medium stomach gut that wont disappear. ... I guess I am saying is that I really need help in getting into proper shape....Am I over training or being inconsistent? I work out Mon-Wed-Fri and do cardio on Sun Tues Thurs for 20 minutes of HIIT.

workout
Heres my workout I got from bb.com

My diet is very different since I work the afternoon-evening shift

Wake up 8am
Shredded wheat cereal + banana + skim milk
Workout
Post workout 10am
ISO XP whey protein + apple + peanut butter
Lunch 12pm
Egg+tuna + pickles
Snack 2pm
Fiber One bar
meal 4pm
Whey Protein
meal 7pm
Hard boiled Egg and almonds

Can someone really guide me in setting some concrete foundation so I can actually see a real change? I dont want to really bulk because I want to at least get a flat stomach/abs before I do lol... Im 5'9 152p btw.

Any help/info would be grateful...thanks.



just bumping for more info....thanks..
frown.gif
 
You say your muscles aren't showing, so more than likely you want to cut. How many calories are you taking in total? You gotta make sure what youre takingin is lower than your maintenance level.
 
Architect-

@ 5'9 152lbs, sounds like u dont have too much muscle to begin with.
My suggestion is to first put on more weight. Train harder and heavier and eat way more
Than ur eating now. Honestly those meals are way too skimpy to maintain much and u maybe
A hard gainer. Up ur cals, eat more( clean foods) and train harder. Just dont over work urself.

Whts ur age btw
 
^I'm not sure that's true for cutting. Although bulking means you eat more than maintenance, cutting doesn't mean eating under your maintenancelevels. Since you're exercising and such, that should burn off a few hundred calories. If you eat under, you're bound to lose more muscle that way.
 
Originally Posted by IICEMAN83

Architect-

@ 5'9 152lbs, sounds like u dont have too much muscle to begin with.
My suggestion is to first put on more weight. Train harder and heavier and eat way more
Than ur eating now. Honestly those meals are way too skimpy to maintain much and u maybe
A hard gainer. Up ur cals, eat more( clean foods) and train harder. Just dont over work urself.

Whts ur age btw
Im 22... I do want to get just a big bigger by putting on more muscle...but I know if I start to bulk, my stomach area (gut) is going to getbigger.. Right now, I still have that gut and I want to get rid of it first...or would it be better just to bulk up and then cut... My chest is still notthat developed too. I know I should eat more and I am....but I dont want to get more of a man-boob type of figure..

Thanks for the info everyone..
 
what's a healthy alternative for coffee?

i need something to keep me awake, but i know the all that sugar and caffeine can't be good for me everyday.
 
Originally Posted by jomitm

what's a healthy alternative for coffee?

i need something to keep me awake, but i know the all that sugar and caffeine can't be good for me everyday.
An apple.





(100% serious.)
 
Originally Posted by TheArchitect

Originally Posted by IICEMAN83

Architect-

@ 5'9 152lbs, sounds like u dont have too much muscle to begin with.
My suggestion is to first put on more weight. Train harder and heavier and eat way more
Than ur eating now. Honestly those meals are way too skimpy to maintain much and u maybe
A hard gainer. Up ur cals, eat more( clean foods) and train harder. Just dont over work urself.

Whts ur age btw
Im 22... I do want to get just a big bigger by putting on more muscle...but I know if I start to bulk, my stomach area (gut) is going to get bigger.. Right now, I still have that gut and I want to get rid of it first...or would it be better just to bulk up and then cut... My chest is still not that developed too. I know I should eat more and I am....but I dont want to get more of a man-boob type of figure..

Thanks for the info everyone..
alright, it sounds like you haven't done any serious training, so let me lay out some basics. if you eat more calories than you need withouttraining, they are converted to fat. if you are training hard and eating a lot, a good amount of those extra calories will go to repairing and rebuilding themuscle and lean tissues that will make you stronger/bigger. in general, the harder you train, your body will convert less calories into fat and more intomuscle and lean tissues.

when you start a good solid routine (something like starting strength or a basic weight training regimine), you will add muscle and burn fat at the same time,assuming you don't eat huge amounts of food. if you want the fastest results, start lifting hard, eating well, and getting good rest.

if you're worried about over-eating (though you shouldn't be too much at this point), focus on eating whole foods like chicken/turkey, fish, leanbeef/pork, eggs, lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, some grains. avoid soda, sweetened juices, processed foods, white bread/rice/flour. your carbohydratesshould come mostly from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. DON'T try to do a no/low fat diet, it's better to control your overall calorie intake. try to get in about 120-180 g of protein. supplements can help you get enough protein to build and keep from losing muscle.

eat breakfast as soon as you wake up, avoid skipping meals, and spread your meals out to 5-6 meals instead of 3 meals if possible. definitely eat an hour to 11/2 hours before working out and as soon as you can after your workout. add a multivitamin if you aren't eating a good variety of vegetables and fruits. i would throw in an omega-3 fatty acid supplement like fish oil, which will help with a number of things.

as far as supplements go, whey protein will help the most with your protein intake. have a serving after your workout. creatine will help you train harder,but isn't necessary when you're starting out.

focus the bulk of your training on these exercises: squats, deadlifts (make sure you learn the form... it's critical), bench press, pull ups, rows,military press. these lifts will use a lot of energy, so you should do them first in your workouts so you can get the largest benefit. you can do other liftsafter you do these main lifts. you may have to start with light weights, especially if you're learning the form, but you'll progress very quickly.

basically, if you follow even half of this advice, you'll put on muscle and lose some fat. you definitely shouldn't get flabby.
key points:
- train hard (workouts should get progressively more challenging)
- eat well. sometimes you have to force yourself to eat
- get a good amount of rest between workouts
 
Originally Posted by I3

Im going to buy somoe Fish Oil caps soon, apparently all you need in terms of EFAs?
EFAs are, like the name implies, essential. Fish Oil is an alright source, if you don't mind taking them like medicine. I personally hate totake vitamin supplements. I prefer to get my nutrients from whole foods. Flax seeds/oil, hemp seeds/oil and walnuts.
http://www.whfoods.com/ge...ame=nutrient&dbid=84

Originally Posted by wj4

Just curious...anyone drink that V8 veggie drink?
My dad likes it, but it's like Subway, a gimmick. Real, healthy juices are fresh. If you want any juice- orange, apple, carrot, etc.- youshould juice it yourself. If not, then the enzymes die and drinking the juice is just as good as drinking empty sugar or soda. If you want some vegetablejuice, juice some carrots, beets and ginger. It'll come out fresh and taste great.

Originally Posted by jomitm

what's a healthy alternative for coffee?

i need something to keep me awake, but i know the all that sugar and caffeine can't be good for me everyday.
Teas? Unsweetened of course. Green, black, red, chai, etc. etc. There are so many kinds of teas. Or, like durden said, try some fruit. Eating someberries always makes me more alert.
 
Originally Posted by NikeVandal

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Cut out all junk foods; candies, sodas, fast foods, fried foods, etc.
Try to cook all of your meals. That way, you know what's in 'em and you can control how they come out.
Look for some 'health foods' like:
Quinoa
Barley
Lentils
Beans
Peas
Greek Yogurt
Lean Proteins
hey what makes greek yogurt so healthy ??

i got some and it tasted horrible

compared to the other flavored yogurts
It's basically almost all protein. The Greeks take the yogurt and strain it so the fat and sugars strain out. It leaves you with high proteinyogurt. It's not really supposed to taste like candy. But the Greeks eat it with honey to make it sweet. It's an ideal post workout meal if youdon't want to take protein powders. Add a little granola to the yogurt and you're set.
Another good one I've heard is called Skeer. It's from Iceland with an even high protein content. I've never seen it, but you may want to check itout.
 
Originally Posted by verynecessary

Originally Posted by TheArchitect

Originally Posted by IICEMAN83

Architect-

@ 5'9 152lbs, sounds like u dont have too much muscle to begin with.
My suggestion is to first put on more weight. Train harder and heavier and eat way more
Than ur eating now. Honestly those meals are way too skimpy to maintain much and u maybe
A hard gainer. Up ur cals, eat more( clean foods) and train harder. Just dont over work urself.

Whts ur age btw
Im 22... I do want to get just a big bigger by putting on more muscle...but I know if I start to bulk, my stomach area (gut) is going to get bigger.. Right now, I still have that gut and I want to get rid of it first...or would it be better just to bulk up and then cut... My chest is still not that developed too. I know I should eat more and I am....but I dont want to get more of a man-boob type of figure..

Thanks for the info everyone..
alright, it sounds like you haven't done any serious training, so let me lay out some basics. if you eat more calories than you need without training, they are converted to fat. if you are training hard and eating a lot, a good amount of those extra calories will go to repairing and rebuilding the muscle and lean tissues that will make you stronger/bigger. in general, the harder you train, your body will convert less calories into fat and more into muscle and lean tissues.

when you start a good solid routine (something like starting strength or a basic weight training regimine), you will add muscle and burn fat at the same time, assuming you don't eat huge amounts of food. if you want the fastest results, start lifting hard, eating well, and getting good rest.

if you're worried about over-eating (though you shouldn't be too much at this point), focus on eating whole foods like chicken/turkey, fish, lean beef/pork, eggs, lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, some grains. avoid soda, sweetened juices, processed foods, white bread/rice/flour. your carbohydrates should come mostly from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. DON'T try to do a no/low fat diet, it's better to control your overall calorie intake. try to get in about 120-180 g of protein. supplements can help you get enough protein to build and keep from losing muscle.

eat breakfast as soon as you wake up, avoid skipping meals, and spread your meals out to 5-6 meals instead of 3 meals if possible. definitely eat an hour to 1 1/2 hours before working out and as soon as you can after your workout. add a multivitamin if you aren't eating a good variety of vegetables and fruits. i would throw in an omega-3 fatty acid supplement like fish oil, which will help with a number of things.

as far as supplements go, whey protein will help the most with your protein intake. have a serving after your workout. creatine will help you train harder, but isn't necessary when you're starting out.

focus the bulk of your training on these exercises: squats, deadlifts (make sure you learn the form... it's critical), bench press, pull ups, rows, military press. these lifts will use a lot of energy, so you should do them first in your workouts so you can get the largest benefit. you can do other lifts after you do these main lifts. you may have to start with light weights, especially if you're learning the form, but you'll progress very quickly.

basically, if you follow even half of this advice, you'll put on muscle and lose some fat. you definitely shouldn't get flabby.
key points:
- train hard (workouts should get progressively more challenging)
- eat well. sometimes you have to force yourself to eat
- get a good amount of rest between workouts
this should pretty much be end thread.
Its the same question over and over again in this thread. "I want to get big and not be fat"
roll.gif


You're men on here, eat like one. Stop being scared to eat and do compound lifts. Your not an entertainer so having a few extra pounds wont be the end ofthe world. It take time and alot of work to get where your trying to get...just stick with it.
 
My dad likes it, but it's like Subway, a gimmick. Real, healthy juices are fresh. If you want any juice- orange, apple, carrot, etc.- you should juice it yourself. If not, then the enzymes die and drinking the juice is just as good as drinking empty sugar or soda. If you want some vegetable juice, juice some carrots, beets and ginger. It'll come out fresh and taste great.
I just came back from Costco and bought a pack. I bought the mini ones that have 70% less sodium. I looked at the nutrition table and it seemsOK. 30 cals per can, 0 from fat. Nothing outrageously high from sugar, sodium, etc.

I also bought another 2 year membership to 24 Hr Fitness to keep on ice until my current membership expires in 1.5 yrs.
laugh.gif
I keep hearing Costco might bepulling the plug on the program because the profit made from it is very slim.

Funny thing to go off the thread Joe made about the preferred body type for men...it seems a lot of people on the bb forum aren't too fond of the BradPitt/David Beckham body type. I ran into a couple of threads where n00bs asked how to be like Brad in Fight Club and such and members replied with stuff like'this is a bodybuilding community'.
 
very neccesary- good stuff and good detail. Str8 foward and to the point with enough detail.
Simple old skool training is the best when starting out. Like u said, FOOD...its the best supplement out there.

I didnt start filling out until i started eating real home cooked food.
My fam is west indian and our cusine is very rich and wholesome ... I know not every state has access to cultural foods
But find a good mexican, west indian, indian, spanish, latin resteraunt and eat from there if theres no one to cook for you.
I dont know about other cultures so ill point out what i know. I suggest a mom and pop cause they usually cook as they would at home. Ill post pics later fromwhen i ate now and then to really eating... Even though i was training the same way...
 
A tip as im sitting here hungry as hell....i used to wonder how my grandparents would eat a slice of bread, drink tea and head off doing laborous work And notstarve to death.
Once in awhile id drink tea when i was younger but now i found it controls hunger quite a bit.

A nice cup of hot tea...usually caffinated and sweetened with a tbl spoon of honey always did the trick for me when im hungry and the
Vending machine is calling my name.

Just a tip for those whos dieting...
 
once you have a routine, your set but to get one it takes will and motivation. you gotta look at your outcome and set goals that you want to achieve.
 
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