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

[wawaweewa]

Originally Posted by I3

Originally Posted by wawaweewa


Complex carbs should be around 55-60% if you're training seriously/heavy.

Just nervous about the weight gain.. I know its a myth, but its subconcious - someone reassure me!

I try to do a cheap carb cycle, on workout days I eat more carbs than off/easy days.

Don't worry.
I'd rather be eating extra carbs than extra protein or fat. Extra protein or fat, no matter how "good" it is, is discarded by the body.

5 days out of the week, I eat 3/4 to a 1lb of whole wheat pasta or brown rice right before going to bed.
I wake up feeling amazing.

Without enough carbs, proteins and fats can't work at their most efficient state. So...

 

[al audi]

wawa is right though, sometimes people OD an are scared of carbs

 

[dr spaceman]

Mother *+*$%$+ jesus bread. must cop.

 

[al audi]

CARB MYTH #1

CARBOHYDRATES MAKE YOU FAT

The real culprit is excess calories. Calories, the fuel derived from all three macronutrients--carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat--increase thebody's ability to manufacture bodyfat. Carbs have gotten a bum rap because research shows that lower-carbohydrate diets are effective for obeseindividuals, who are extremely overweight and seldom exercise. For the individual trying to build metabolically active muscle tissue, carbs are a must-have.They fuel the body for exercise, help drive protein into muscles for growth and prevent the breakdown of hard-earned muscle mass. In addition, weight-trainingindividuals store a disproportionate amount of their carbohydrate intake within muscles, called muscle glycogen. Only after glycogen stores are full will carbsseriously impact bodyfat stores.

MYTH BUSTER: How many carbs you should eat depends on your metabolism and how hard you train, but a good starting point is about 2 grams per pound ofbodyweight per day.
CARB MYTH #2: EATING CARBS AT NIGHT MAKES YOU FAT


Many dieters restrict their carb intake at night, limiting them-selves to protein powder, poultry, fish and vegetables sometime after 5 p.m. The belief isthat carbs eaten at night will unequivocally be stored as bodyfat, which is generally true, as insulin sensitivity decreases at night. But here's theproblem: If you train after work at 7 p.m. and finish by 9, you must eat carbohydrates in your post-training meal to kick-start the muscle-building process. Ifyou avoid carbohydrates you'll fail to support the growth process and, worse, it could increase your cortisol, a hormone that can lower testosterone levelsand chew away muscle mass, causing a drop in your metabolic rate. That's the biggest concern, because when the metabolic rate declines, the body becomesreally good at storing bodyfat.

MYTH BUSTER: Consume 50 grams of carbohydrates (in addition to protein) to kick-start the rebuilding process in the meal following your workout. If youdon't gain bodyfat from eating that much, boost it to 70-80 grams.
CARB MYTH #3


Carbohydrates directly support muscle-building by fueling muscles, helping them to remain anabolic. Energy-starved muscles quickly fall out of an anabolicstate and fail to grow. Carbs also create a special hormonal environment that plays a critical role in growth--they initiate the release of insulin, whichincreases protein uptake by muscles. Insulin also helps muscles take in testosterone, the body's chief muscle-building hormone.

MYTH BUSTER: Besides eating enough carbs for the day, eat an adequate portion in your post-training meal, anywhere from 70-100 grams for growth andrepair.


CARB MYTH #4

YOU HAVE TO EAT LOW-GLYCEMIC CARBS TO GET RIPPED

The glycemic index is a tool that rates carbohydrates based on the speed at which they digest. In theory, faster-digesting carbs are more efficient atstimulating the fat-storing process. However, combining high-protein foods with fast-digesting carbs or fiber-rich vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower,spinach, mushrooms and green beans skews the index rating. For example, rice cakes--which are digested very fast--digest markedly slower when combined withsliced turkey, fat-free cheese or peanut butter, and even more slowly if you add a small portion of vegetables. Combinations like this change the index ratingon carbs, relegating the glycemic rating idea to mythical status.

MYTH BUSTER: The best meals for building mass and shedding fat come from combining different foods--starchy carbs, protein and vegetables--along with thesmall amounts of fat naturally occurring in protein foods.

CARB MYTH #5

MUSCLES HAVE TO BE FULLY CARB-LOADED FOR MAXIMAL MUSCLE GROWTH

Muscle glycogen--the collection of stored carbohydrates within muscles--provides fuel for hard training and supports recovery, but glycogen reservesdon't have to be topped off to maximize growth. You can run a car all-out on half a tank of gas, and you can train like Mr. O on less than "full"glycogen stores. Other factors play a large role in the muscle-building process, such as protein intake and meal timing: Eat 5-7 times a day to maximizenutrient uptake and absorption.

MYTH BUSTER: Eat a moderate-carbohydrate snack, about 30-40 grams of carbs with 20 grams of protein, an hour before training. A small bowl of oats withprotein powder mixed in is a favorite.

 

[i3]

Originally Posted by Joseph Camel Jr

Originally Posted by I3

Whole grain or Rye is just as good as whole wheat right?

Im getting sick of cutting, probably going to do it for another 6 weeks, then clean slow bulk til next year. Basically I want to strip down all the fat and %%@# accumulated over the years and build up a solid #@@!%+*%+%@$! base.

Can't wait to hit the gym either, if P90x taught me one thing, it was 'to bring it' lol.. sounds corny, but I can just imagine working out in the gym with a better mentality.

Do you guys perform supersets at the gym or take longerish breaks? I want to get my heart rate up whilst lifting so I hate resting..

depends on what im doing....no way i'm supersetting with squats dl's or even bench, but biceps+triceps are great to superset if you do an arms day, for example.

sometimes i like to rest a few min especially with heavy lifts....i can hype myself up pretty quick mentally before a set especially w/some music, so it's not a problem. if it's tough for you to do that then supersetting with a diff muscle group would be a good option. it would allow you to stay active w/an elevated heart rate and allow your muscles adequate recovery time in between sets.

i dunno about those but even whole wheat isn't as great as people think- it's a medium-gi carb not a low one like oats, brown rice, etc.

Yeah thats true. I remember last week I superset squats and lunges lol, probably a big mistake. I did a bit of research and you were correct, that supersetswork best with different muscle groups. So maybe i'll try squats then do a set of pullups. I sometimes jump-rope (1minute #%!) in between my sets ofsquats and lunges just to keep me warm and the heart rate up, and it lets me sort of shake it out before the next set.

Whats a good exercise to work on the traps? I know you guys wrote ages ago that upright rows would ruin you down the long run.. damn i've been doing themfor 2 years and no pain yetm but i'll probably stop.

 

[al audi]

PROTEIN MYTH #1

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

Muscleheads continue to eat more and more protein yet often miss the mark in understanding what causes growth. Sure, protein is a must, but higher-proteindiets are sometimes scant in carbohydrates. For muscle-building, you're better off eating more carbohydrates than protein because the two nutrients worksynergistically, upgrading the ability to drive aminos into muscles and resulting in growth.
MYTH BUSTER: Start with a minimum of 2 grams of carbohydrateand 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (see Protein Myth #3 for exceptions).


PROTEIN MYTH #2

ALL PROTEIN IS THE SAME

Nope, some proteins digest faster than others. Whey protein, egg whites and some fish rapidly reach the bloodstream while casein protein, red meat, poultryand whole eggs are slower. Faster-digesting proteins are best in the morning to reverse the overnight fast when the body sometimes falls out of a growth state.They're also best before and after training, when the body needs immediate sources of protein to help prevent muscle breakdown. At other times of day,slower-digesting proteins do just fine.
MYTH BUSTER: Have your whey protein shakes early in the day and after a workout, and save casein for later in theday.


PROTEIN MYTH #3

1 GRAM PER POUND OF BODYWEIGHT RULES THE DAY

We're told the body needs a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. Guess what? Though fairly accurate, that number is an estimate. When caloriesdrop, such as when you eat drastically less fat or reduce carbs to shed bodyfat, you'll need more protein, upward of 1.5 grams per pound, to keep fromburning muscle tissue for energy. Training intensity, frequency and duration play a role, too. The harder you train and the more muscle damage you incur, themore protein you need to rebuild those damaged fibers. If you train six days a week, you'll need more protein than if you trained just four times, and ifyour workouts are longer in duration, you might need to bump your protein above the I-gram benchmark.

MYTH BUSTER: Many who complain of inferior muscle recovery might just need more protein--between 1.2 grams and 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight daily.

PROTEIN MYTH #4

YOU NEED PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS TO GROW

Though fairly economical and extremely convenient, protein powders don't have to be part of a muscle-building diet. Muscle-building can be achieved withreal food. Just ask three-time Arnold Classic champion Jay Cutler: When he started out, he couldn't afford supplements, so he consumed up to 50 egg whitesa day and a couple of pounds of chicken, compliments of the farm he lived on as a 19-year-old. In the next two years, eating nothing but egg whites, chicken,oatmeal, pasta and potatoes, Jay gained an amazing 50 pounds of mass. Powders are good, but growth still boils down to eating sufficient protein, carbohydratesand calories to repair and fuel the body.

MYTH BUSTER: For convenience, many trainees find that alternating a solid meal with a protein shake is an ideal way to eat up to seven times a day.

PROTEIN MYTH #5

PROTEIN CAN'T MAKE YOU FAT

Excess anything--protein, carbohydrates or dietary fat--can make you fat. If you require 2,600 calories daily, meet that requirement yet still eat a chickenmeal and a protein shake above that amount, the excess protein will be sent to the liver, converted to glucose and eventually make its way to fat stores.Though protein seems to be a little less efficient at making bodyfat than dietary fat and carbohydrates, don't fall into the trap of believing protein isexempt from making and storing bodyfat.
MYTH BUSTER: Don't just count protein and carbs throughout the day; count all calories to ensure you won'texceed your daily caloric requirements.

Carbs: What to Eat and WhenWHEN?        WHAT?                 WHY?Breakfast    2 whole-wheat         Slow-digesting carbs             pancakes              for sustained energyLunch        Pasta with broccoli   Broccoli adds fiber and                                   vitamins; pasta offers                                   crash-free energyPreworkout   Oatmeal with fruit    Combination of slow-and(30-60 min.                        fast-absorbing carbsbefore)                            provides immediate and                                   sustained energyDinner       Brown rice,           Increases insulin sensitivity             black beans, veggies  to minimize carbs being                                   stored as fatBedtime      Multigrain bread or   Low-glycemic carbs keep(for mass-   bran muffin           insulin levels low and helpgaining)                           build muscle while you sleep

QUICK INTAKE
Consume 30-40 grams of carbs with 20 grams of protein an hour before training.
QUICK INTAKE

Save your fast-digesting proteins like whey, egg whites and fish for early in the morning, pre- and post-workout.

 

[aaclaire420]

I dont eat before I go to the gym, I normally wake up and just go. Eating before working out makes me nautious

My trainer I see every now and then is always telling me how bad it is to eat nothing so I'll try and eat a yogurt or something if I know I'm gonna gohard that day

dont worry you arent the only girl in here =)

 

[al audi]

Originally Posted by AAclaire420

I dont eat before I go to the gym, I normally wake up and just go. Eating before working out makes me nautious

My trainer I see every now and then is always telling me how bad it is to eat nothing so I'll try and eat a yogurt or something if I know I'm gonna go hard that day

dont worry you arent the only girl in here =)

why would you do that?

would you go out for a long trip knowing your gas tank is almost on E?

or would it make more sense to stop at the petro station first......?

 

[i3]

Thanks Al Audi for that!

 

[wawaweewa]

Originally Posted by I3

Originally Posted by Joseph Camel Jr

Originally Posted by I3

Whole grain or Rye is just as good as whole wheat right?

Im getting sick of cutting, probably going to do it for another 6 weeks, then clean slow bulk til next year. Basically I want to strip down all the fat and %%@# accumulated over the years and build up a solid #@@!%+*%+%@$! base.

Can't wait to hit the gym either, if P90x taught me one thing, it was 'to bring it' lol.. sounds corny, but I can just imagine working out in the gym with a better mentality.

Do you guys perform supersets at the gym or take longerish breaks? I want to get my heart rate up whilst lifting so I hate resting..

depends on what im doing....no way i'm supersetting with squats dl's or even bench, but biceps+triceps are great to superset if you do an arms day, for example.

sometimes i like to rest a few min especially with heavy lifts....i can hype myself up pretty quick mentally before a set especially w/some music, so it's not a problem. if it's tough for you to do that then supersetting with a diff muscle group would be a good option. it would allow you to stay active w/an elevated heart rate and allow your muscles adequate recovery time in between sets.

i dunno about those but even whole wheat isn't as great as people think- it's a medium-gi carb not a low one like oats, brown rice, etc.

Yeah thats true. I remember last week I superset squats and lunges lol, probably a big mistake. I did a bit of research and you were correct, that supersets work best with different muscle groups. So maybe i'll try squats then do a set of pullups. I sometimes jump-rope (1minute #%!) in between my sets of squats and lunges just to keep me warm and the heart rate up, and it lets me sort of shake it out before the next set.

Whats a good exercise to work on the traps? I know you guys wrote ages ago that upright rows would ruin you down the long run.. damn i've been doing them for 2 years and no pain yetm but i'll probably stop.

I've been doing upright rows forever ( bar touching my chin) and I'm fine too. Same with front plate raises (raising my arms all the wayup).
I've never felt any pain or discomfort. It depends on each individuals biomechanics. Some can do it, while others can't. Imo, upright rows are avery effective exercise. You just have to do it in a controlled fashion where it's only your arms bending at theelbows and keeping the bar touching your body all throughout the motion. The rest of your body should be stiff with just a slight bend at the knees.

As for exercises for traps.
I've found that static holds (BB) are great. It's just a great (sort of) compound exercise. Forearms, grip, and traps.
I'll usually do 3 sets of holding 45 sec to 1 min with fairly heavy weight. Have to use chalk though unless your gym has fairly new bars with good knurlingor you won't get the most out of the exercise.

Shrugs are good too but I do them with medium weight for high reps ( 15-20) most of the time.

The best exercise for traps is prob. just doing heavy DL's though. Nothing can really replace the stress that heavy DL's place on the traps.

There's another great excercise for traps but it's fairly specialized. The finishing position of the snatch places enormous stress on the traps and canbe done with very heavy weight.

 

[jordanpp30]

I've always wondered about Raisin Bran .... is it good for you ? I know its a lot of fiber but it's also OD on carbs.

 

[i3]

Yeah wouldn't pre workout be the most important meal of the day?

Working out ridiculously is how to get fit etc.. and how efficient/effective that goes depends on your fuel. Post workout too is important..

 

[al audi]

Originally Posted by JordanPP30

I've always wondered about Raisin Bran .... is it good for you ? I know its a lot of fiber but it's also OD on carbs.

i wouldnt eat this cereal but (based on ingredient profile) 45 grams of carbs to start your day is fine.........IF YOURE FOLLOWING THE SERVING SIZE

see most people just pour a bowl a cereal, just about every cereal on the market is 1 cup for a serving. not big at all........

 

[dr spaceman]

Yeah, to me not eating before a workout would be like going out on a hot day and not staying hydrated.

 

[i3]

Originally Posted by wawaweewa

Originally Posted by I3

Originally Posted by Joseph Camel Jr

Originally Posted by I3

Whole grain or Rye is just as good as whole wheat right?

Im getting sick of cutting, probably going to do it for another 6 weeks, then clean slow bulk til next year. Basically I want to strip down all the fat and %%@# accumulated over the years and build up a solid #@@!%+*%+%@$! base.

Can't wait to hit the gym either, if P90x taught me one thing, it was 'to bring it' lol.. sounds corny, but I can just imagine working out in the gym with a better mentality.

Do you guys perform supersets at the gym or take longerish breaks? I want to get my heart rate up whilst lifting so I hate resting..

depends on what im doing....no way i'm supersetting with squats dl's or even bench, but biceps+triceps are great to superset if you do an arms day, for example.

sometimes i like to rest a few min especially with heavy lifts....i can hype myself up pretty quick mentally before a set especially w/some music, so it's not a problem. if it's tough for you to do that then supersetting with a diff muscle group would be a good option. it would allow you to stay active w/an elevated heart rate and allow your muscles adequate recovery time in between sets.

i dunno about those but even whole wheat isn't as great as people think- it's a medium-gi carb not a low one like oats, brown rice, etc.

Yeah thats true. I remember last week I superset squats and lunges lol, probably a big mistake. I did a bit of research and you were correct, that supersets work best with different muscle groups. So maybe i'll try squats then do a set of pullups. I sometimes jump-rope (1minute #%!) in between my sets of squats and lunges just to keep me warm and the heart rate up, and it lets me sort of shake it out before the next set.

Whats a good exercise to work on the traps? I know you guys wrote ages ago that upright rows would ruin you down the long run.. damn i've been doing them for 2 years and no pain yetm but i'll probably stop.

I've been doing upright rows forever ( bar touching my chin) and I'm fine too. Same with front plate raises (raising my arms all the way up).
I've never felt any pain or discomfort. It depends on each individuals biomechanics. Some can do it, while others can't. Imo, upright rows are a very effective exercise. You just have to do it in a controlled fashion where it's only your arms bending at the elbows and keeping the bar touching your body all throughout the motion. The rest of your body should be stiff with just a slight bend at the knees.

As for exercises for traps.
I've found that static holds are great. It's just a great (sort of) compound exercise. Forearms, grip, and traps.
I'll usually do 3 sets of holding 45 sec to 1 min with fairly heavy weight. Have to use chalk though unless your gym has fairly new bars with good knurling or you won't get the most out of the exercise.

Shrugs are good too but I do them with medium weight for high reps ( 15-20) most of the time.

The best exercise for traps is prob. just doing heavy DL's though. Nothign can really replace the stress that heavy DL's place on the traps.

There's another great excercise for traps but it's fairly specialized. The finishing position of the snatch places enormous stress on the traps and can be done with very heavy weight.

Do you have any youtube videos or links? I always thought rack-pulls would be good for the traps. I should add a shrug during the top part of the DL.

 

[i3]

Originally Posted by Al Audi

Originally Posted by JordanPP30

I've always wondered about Raisin Bran .... is it good for you ? I know its a lot of fiber but it's also OD on carbs.

i wouldnt eat this cereal but (based on ingredient profile) 45 grams of carbs to start your day is fine.........IF YOURE FOLLOWING THE SERVING SIZE

see most people just pour a bowl a cereal, just about every cereal on the market is 1 cup for a serving. not big at all........

Yeah I guess once in awhile its ok, but its important to measure your food - I know its fussy and %$#!, ##+$ even my family gives me a double look##+$. Try eating oatmeal, I love that %$#!, could eat it all day. Either cook it with milk or water then add some whey and fruit. Perfect for pre and postworkout!

 

[al audi]

traps

seated high back row
dumbbell shrug/barbell shrug
cable shrugs
incline reverse lateral dumbbell raise
barbell pushpress
low cable rows to neck
dumbbell/barbell upright rows
cable upright rows
physio ball push ups

you can also use the smith machine

 

[wawaweewa]

Originally Posted by I3



Do you have any youtube videos or links? I always thought rack-pulls would be good for the traps. I should add a shrug during the top part of the DL.

Can't find any videos. It's basically just holding the barbell for time while standing in an upright position.


Personally, I wouldn't do rack pulls strictly for traps. It's basically an exercise where one can train the lockout phase of the DL by pulling moreweight than they would be able to pull off of the floor.
A lot of people have a problem with locking out DL's even though they can pull the weight off of the floor so they train rack pulls.

Technically speaking it's a great exercise for traps but it's not really for traps. If that makes any sense.
It can't be done every week either and when you do have a heavy DL or rack pull session you're basically out for 2-3 days (can't do any real heavysessions) because of not only your muscles just being bombed and needing to recover but your central nervous system is usually shot for a few days too.

It is a great exercise for traps when you do do it though.
When it comes to traps you just need overload the muscle group with isometric (no movement of the muscle itself) exercises.

Oh, and I forgot to add.
Snatch grip static holds are even better than clean grip.

 

[ericescobar]

Originally Posted by Joseph Camel Jr

breaking news guys

after extensive scientific testing i have discovered young jeezy's thug motivation 101 will add 5-10 lbs on any lift, guaranteed. works best when played at high volumes.

i beasted on the bench today thanks to mr 17.5

seriously though today was one of my best lifts since i started carb cycling....mass seems to be all there but strength def has taken a dip.

back to where i was before i started

feels good.

what do you use, iPodxarm band collabo? I don take my iPhone with me becuaee it's clunky. Which accessory is best? Arm band, fanny pack, yellow Walkman?

 

[aaclaire420]

Originally Posted by Al Audi

Originally Posted by AAclaire420

I dont eat before I go to the gym, I normally wake up and just go. Eating before working out makes me nautious

My trainer I see every now and then is always telling me how bad it is to eat nothing so I'll try and eat a yogurt or something if I know I'm gonna go hard that day

dont worry you arent the only girl in here =)

why would you do that?

would you go out for a long trip knowing your gas tank is almost on E?

or would it make more sense to stop at the petro station first......?

No I know its bad for me to work out without eating first... but just with me I will feel sick if I eat before working out.

Also, if I eat before I work out then arent I just burning what I just ate, not burning whats already on my body?

I'll normally go home and get cleaned up and thats when I'll have my biggest meal of the day

for me im just trying to lower my bf% a little....my goal used to be to loose 5-10 lbs and be more healthy but I started gaining muscle from being more activeand my weight actually increased (on the scale the numbers are higher but I feel like I look better?)

 

[keepzdasneakz]

Ah just came back from the gym...the only thing I like to see more than myself in the mirror are MILFs in the gym.

 

[jordanpp30]

Feel like this post needs more success stories/pics.

I started my journey in January '06 at 218 lbs. I was a lot bigger than what the pic may tell

Spring break '06 in Arizona - making progress.



Summer '06 - HARDCORE TRAINING



Fall '06


January '07

May '07 - you already know what it is with the ladies once you in shape

Spring '08- baseball season begins.
Spring break '08 - my only shirtless pic i can find in MIAMI. hairy chest FTW.

Summer '09
Alright so I started at 218 lb in January 2006, by Summer/Fall '06 I was at my LOWEST weight ever at 142 lbs. From Fall'06 - basically all of '07 Iwent to and stayed at 155. After baseball season in May 2008 is when I started to hit the weights a lot more serious and as of last week I am 176 lbs. Since Icant really lift as hard during baseball season(cant ruin the shoulder), gaining weight is pretty hard but I put in the work. CHEA !

 

[downtown43]

^

you play baseball for UMD? know Scott Swinson?

 

[al audi]

cool pics jordan

forget being brolic, im goin for the armani ad i just saw in GQ

 

[jordanpp30]

Just felt like adding another fat boy pic... john daly status

DownTown43 - asking if i know Swinson, is like asking if chase utley if he knows Cliff Lee or whatever.

I definitely know our ace pitcher.