Exercise Routines!

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jonnythan said:
There are plenty like you but they are just generally vastly outnumbered by the crazies. Well, to be fair, a lot of people have found something that works but what they do is a pretty small subset of what is necessary. Clean eating, paleo, IF, Atkins, whatever. They all work because they adhere to basic principles: get the right number of calories and the right amount of nutrients, within certain ranges.
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Exactly man, they all work but many of those diets make you sacrifice things you enjoy like the clean eating and paleo diets. Most of the people that adhere to those kind of diets are the same ones that think strictly doing cardio and not lifting weights is what's going to get them "toned". I don't blame them though because most of what people do in regards to diet/fitness is what they heard from a friend or what they saw a bodybuilder do....and we all know the regular rules of diet that apply to us don't apply to them...*erhm* roids *erhm*

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speedyxx626 said:
Exactly man, they all work but many of those diets make you sacrifice things you enjoy like the clean eating and paleo diets. Most of the people that adhere to those kind of diets are the same ones that think strictly doing cardio and not lifting weights is what's going to get them "toned". I don't blame them though because most of what people do in regards to diet/fitness is what they heard from a friend or what they saw a bodybuilder do....and we all know the regular rules of diet that apply to us don't apply to them...*erhm* roids *erhm*

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100% with you. The biggest threat to compliance and sustainability is guilt. As soon as you establish a scenario where something someone desires is "bad" or "wrong" you set up a situation where their willpower will one day give up, they will do the "bad" thing, and then feel guilty about it. I see it all the time: a person on a clean eating diet eventually gives in and eats some ice cream, instantly feels guilty about it (even if it fit into appropriate calorie/nutrient goals) and feels like they've failed themselves and their diet. Guess what happens then.
 
jonnythan said:
100% with you. The biggest threat to compliance and sustainability is guilt. As soon as you establish a scenario where something someone desires is "bad" or "wrong" you set up a situation where their willpower will one day give up, they will do the "bad" thing, and then feel guilty about it. I see it all the time: a person on a clean eating diet eventually gives in and eats some ice cream, instantly feels guilty about it (even if it fit into appropriate calorie/nutrient goals) and feels like they've failed themselves and their diet. Guess what happens then.
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If I knew you in person we'd have the biggest bromance ever...Lol. Anywho, what goals are you going for OP? Is it strictly for improving your mood or do you have some kind of physical goal?

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Anyone have any cardio (or exercise in general) tips for someone who wants to lose ~35-40 pounds? I gained 40 pounds my freshman year (this last year), and I really want to lose it quickly (~3 months). Is that realistic? Should I start weight training after lose a little weight or combine it with cardio. I'm concerned because I read that 30-40 min/day of cardio will simply melt any muscle you've gained.
 
I Contr0lz I said:
Anyone have any cardio (or exercise in general) tips for someone who wants to lose ~35-40 pounds? I gained 40 pounds my freshman year (this last year), and I really want to lose it quickly (~3 months). Is that realistic? Should I start weight training after lose a little weight or combine it with cardio. I'm concerned because I read that 30-40 min/day of cardio will simply melt any muscle you've gained.
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1) Find something active you enjoy doing and do it 2 times a week.
2) Do some resistance training to preserve lean mass
3) Eat an appropriate calorie deficit
4) Eat enough protein (a gram a day per lb of lean mass)
5) Eat enough fat (0.3 grams a day per lb of total mass)
6) Eat a few servings of veggies a day

The end.

30-40 minutes of cardio won't melt muscle, but losing weight while doing no resistance training will.
 
I Contr0lz I said:
Anyone have any cardio (or exercise in general) tips for someone who wants to lose ~35-40 pounds? I gained 40 pounds my freshman year (this last year), and I really want to lose it quickly (~3 months). Is that realistic? Should I start weight training after lose a little weight or combine it with cardio. I'm concerned because I read that 30-40 min/day of cardio will simply melt any muscle you've gained.
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Actually weight training should be your primary form of exercise if you're trying to lose weight. When you do cardio you're only (mostly) burning calories while you're exercising. When you weight train you're burning while exercising, you're micro tearing muscle fibers and then burning a lot of calories when your body is repairing your muscles. Not to mention that when you have more muscle your daily caloric need increases (you're burning more calories). All it takes is 1 cupcake to undo the calories you burned while on the treadmill (or any other form of cardio)

I try to do cardio maybe 2-3 times a week mostly for the cardiovascular health benefits but if losing fat is your only goal then cardio isn't even necessary to be honest.

Edit: to maintain muscle it's important to not cut the weight too fast and to maintain a decent amount of protein in your diet. Personally, I try not to lose more than 2lbs per week.

Since you're losing weight I would recommend using weight that you can do for 6-8 reps for about 5 sets on compind lifts (bench, squat, Deadlift) and 10 reps for other accessory exercises. Key to maintaining strength is to not to too many reps and keeping the weight relatively high and the key to maintaining muscle mass is time under tension.

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I just want to add in here that yes you can lose weight while eating sh** as long as you burn more calories and fat than you intake, but that in the long term it's not good for you. I'm not saying starve yourself of all the yummies (God knows I can't give up my chick fil a fix lol), but you also can't eat that crap all the time. Some of you are making it seem like "Yeah, eat whatever you want, do cardio and lift, you'll be fine" and in 20 years it'll all come back to you lol
 
LilEngineThatCould said:
I just want to add in here that yes you can lose weight while eating sh** as long as you burn more calories and fat than you intake, but that in the long term it's not good for you. I'm not saying starve yourself of all the yummies (God knows I can't give up my chick fil a fix lol), but you also can't eat that crap all the time. Some of you are making it seem like "Yeah, eat whatever you want, do cardio and lift, you'll be fine" and in 20 years it'll all come back to you lol
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Who said that?? Lol I'm saying it's OK to eat the foods you like in moderation so that one day you don't lose your sanity and binge eat

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speedyxx626 said:
Who said that?? Lol I'm saying it's OK to eat the foods you like in moderation so that one day you don't lose your sanity and binge eat

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Lol idk someone said something about being on a diet of ice cream and oreos. Ppl who aren't as savvy may misunderstand statements like that, so I was just clarifying that just because you can eat like that doesn't mean you should. I wasn't attacking anyone, just adding that disclaimer lol 😉
 
LilEngineThatCould said:
Lol idk someone said something about being on a diet of ice cream and oreos. Ppl who aren't as savvy may misunderstand statements like that, so I was just clarifying that just because you can eat like that doesn't mean you should. I wasn't attacking anyone, just adding that disclaimer lol 😉
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No, no one said that. There's a difference between fitting some ice cream and oreos into your diet every day and "being on a diet of ice cream and oreos."

It's important to understand that these indulgent foods aren't inherently bad and there's absolutely nothing wrong with fitting them into your diet.
 
jonnythan said:
No, no one said that. There's a difference between fitting some ice cream and oreos into your diet every day and "being on a diet of ice cream and oreos."

It's important to understand that these indulgent foods aren't inherently bad and there's absolutely nothing wrong with fitting them into your diet.
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I'm not disagreeing with you lol I was just putting out there considering there were some newbies to this. I've seen ppl take things the wrong way from the internet. But I totally agree with not giving up everything for the sake of being "healthy"
 
I'm just catching up on the thread and reading it like this...
f_2a0ec29bef.jpg
 
speedyxx626 said:
There's so much BS out there in the fitness/diet industry. I'm one of the few people that has sifted through all that and has found what actually works (think my oreos and this bag of checker's in my hand would agree).

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I do IF myself, however, my diet is the normal fish/chicken and whole grain rice. No idea how you manage to work out with oreos and ice cream considering that they are largely empty calories. Since I swim almost 4 times a week, I would have no energy to do even a few simple laps--need to eat good in my eating window.
 
Theafoni said:
I do IF myself, however, my diet is the normal fish/chicken and whole grain rice. No idea how you manage to work out with oreos and ice cream considering that they are largely empty calories. Since I swim almost 4 times a week, I would have no energy to do even a few simple laps--need to eat good in my eating window.
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Never said it was a lot, just enough to put my cravings at ease, usually about 6-8 oreos. The rest of what I eat in the day is what you would consider "clean eating". My point is that it is possible to fit in a nice snack here and there and sometimes a nice outing

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jonnythan said:
I know a number of people who have been wildly successful on intermittent fasting plans involving one meal a day.

I could not do it, not by a long shot.
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I honestly can't stand doing the traditional 6 meals (for mice) a day. IF on a 20/4 fasting/eating window worked so much better for me. Granted, I only aimed to lose 10lbs (not including water weight).

On another note, life has prevented me from lifting for the last two weeks and I'm afraid to see what my lifts look like when I come back. I can physically see myself going soft already. 🙁
 
If history says anything about the future, this thread will get locked soon. :lame:
 
Just do 10 push-ups brah a day, you'll be swole in no time . Srs
 
speedyxx626 said:
There's so much BS out there in the fitness/diet industry. I'm one of the few people that has sifted through all that and has found what actually works (think my oreos and this bag of checker's in my hand would agree).

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Everyone trying to sell me a workout program is saying the same thing. How much?

"Actually works"
"Really works"
"F*cking works"
"Holy ****, you won't believe how well this works"
etc
 
WhippleWhileWeWork said:
Everyone trying to sell me a workout program is saying the same thing. How much?

"Actually works"
"Really works"
"F*cking works"
"Holy ****, you won't believe how well this works"
etc
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Not selling anything, I have nothing to gain by letting you guys know what works (not just for me btw).

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Breaking news:

Take in less energy than your body consumes and you'll lose weight.
 
WhippleWhileWeWork said:
Everyone trying to sell me a workout program is saying the same thing. How much?

"Actually works"
"Really works"
"F*cking works"
"Holy ****, you won't believe how well this works"
etc
Click to expand...
\

Lets hope you get a chance to workout without "that guy" disturbing you. You know that guy that hangs around the gym and thinks he knows everything about lifting and everybody's form sucks but his.
 
WhippleWhileWeWork said:
Everyone trying to sell me a workout program is saying the same thing. How much?

"Actually works"
"Really works"
"F*cking works"
"Holy ****, you won't believe how well this works"
etc
Click to expand...
I won't BS you, never. But do try this product called dextrose. lol 😛 The philosophy we have in bodybuilding is listen to your body. See what works for you. All these ppl on this thread are talking about is IF and IIFYM. For me that would never work for my body.
 
EMDO2018 said:
\

Lets hope you get a chance to workout without "that guy" disturbing you. You know that guy that hangs around the gym and thinks he knows everything about lifting and everybody's form sucks but his.
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Hahaha. Personally, I never try to correct anyone, it's just a waste of time for me. There is those old guys at my gym who are power lifters and they go around the gym giving advice to everyone, but they always pass me. 😉
 
fishieFDR said:
Loose a few pounds and toning up would be great, but I'm all in it for the stress reduction/increased focus. I assume cardio is best for this?
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You need to do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred! It's 3 levels, level 1 being the easiest. It's cardio and strength training, and you don't need a lot of space to do it in. There's also not too much jumping, none at all compared to Insanity. You do each level for 10 days before moving on to the next. All you need is a computer and dumbbells (I use 3lb, 5lb, or 10lb depending on the exercise). They're all on YouTube: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. I did this over 45 days, and my arms changed the most, and I can do REAL ACTUAL push-ups now.
 
runner28 said:
You need to do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred! It's 3 levels, level 1 being the easiest. It's cardio and strength training, and you don't need a lot of space to do it in. There's also not too much jumping, none at all compared to Insanity. You do each level for 10 days before moving on to the next. All you need is a computer and dumbbells (I use 3lb, 5lb, or 10lb depending on the exercise). They're all on YouTube: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. I did this over 45 days, and my arms changed the most, and I can do REAL ACTUAL push-ups now.
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off topic: Is that a guy dress as a woman in your avatar?
 
fishieFDR said:
No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?
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100%.
For me, it's mostly drinking tons of water.
I never really drank much soda, but cutting it out entirely made a surprisingly huge difference considering how little I did drink. Now when I drink it I actively feel thirstier.
And I mean literally better mental health when I eat home-cooked meals and drink water...mine is sometimes not so good, but then I force myself to take care of myself and that gets me 90% of the way to where I want to be, mentally.

Finding meetup groups doing the sport I love takes me well PAST that point into sheer satisfaction and happiness.
 
EMDO2018 said:
\

Lets hope you get a chance to workout without "that guy" disturbing you. You know that guy that hangs around the gym and thinks he knows everything about lifting and everybody's form sucks but his.
Click to expand...

I always pretend I can't hear a word anyone is saying and refuse to ever take out my earbuds. They usually get the hint.
 
Awesome Sauceome said:
Just bike/walk to work/school every day and take out bread, beer, and soda from your diet. It has made a miraculous different in my health over time. Look at it this way, some of the healthiest countries in the world (France, Japan, etc). The people just live healthier lifestyles. It is not a diet you need to be on, or an exercise routine, it is a genuine lifestyle that you live. Biking instead of driving, gardening on the weekend instead of sitting on a couch, tennis in the evenings instead of sitting on the computer. Those are the types of changes that can really make a difference on the long term scale. Same with food. Its not like you have to eat celery and cottage cheese every meal for the rest of your life, but I think because of the cost of foods, as a culture we end up with wayyy too many carbs (too much bread and potatoes) in our diets. And I think because of commercialization, coke and beer is the go-to drink, far too often. But that is not to say, some days I dont get lazy, and some days I dont drink beer haha, you have to live a balanced life.

I also agree with finding something you enjoy. If you dont have anything you enjoy, when in doubt, try racquetball. Get a friend, watch a couple youtube videos, join up at the YMCA and go crazy. I have played and taught a lot of sports throughout my life and none compare to racquetball. It has plyometrics (jump training) and you are essentially sprinting for an hour without realizing that you are sprinting. I first got into racquetball between my sophomore and junior year in college. Not only did I lose the freshman 15, I lost 35 other pounds that I didnt need. And I felt like I could run like a horse haha.
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Sorry for not replying earlier, but I totally agree. I could never cut out some things completely, but I do have a primarily beige-colored (potatoes/rice) diet that has me feeling bleh a lot. I think I'll get back into swimming or tennis/basketball (if I find someone to play with 🙁). I enjoyed them a lot in high school.
 
The Buff OP said:
Okay. Well to begin with, a nice fasted cardio in the morning is really good to get your mood going for the rest of the day. When I do morning cardio I get super hungry after it (duh) and I eat some oatmeal with fruit. Bananas are awesome to enhance your mood to a positive way. Cardio could be a jogging, walking on the treadmill (incline), riding a bike (if you have a mountain bike put some resistance to it), swimming, and the elliptical at a gym. I would of put stairs, but that exercises stresses me out lol. Weight training form is easy to learn by watching instructional videos on YouTube. For beginners I would do weight lifting 3x a week. Most ladies want tone legs, nice stomach, big glutes, and some arm definition (no flabby arms). Each of these body parts should be trained in different days, but you can do abs workouts after your other workouts are done. You get this mental focus and relaxation when you put your headphones and you lift.


Food does impact your mood a lot. If you eat fried food or anything that is junk food you will feel full for hours and lazy. If you eat clean and with portion size you will get hungry often, but that will help your metabolism fire up. I a;ways advice people not to jump on diets if they are not use to eating really healthy. 90% of beginners can't even stick to their new diet for 2 weeks straight. I would start by changing your whole lifestyle and little by little get rid of bad binges in your life until you have got use to eating more healthy meals.
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So cardio (treadmill/swimming probably for me) and then weight lifting later in the day 3x a week? Sounds very doable! 🙂
 
Theafoni said:
Swimming, you'll get a nice body pretty easily. Does you school have a rec center? The ymca or any other fitness centers is a good place to start, they have trainers there that'll give you decent advice.
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Yeah I think I a decided on swimming as I did it in high school and middle school. 😀
 
fishieFDR said:
So cardio (treadmill/swimming probably for me) and then weight lifting later in the day 3x a week? Sounds very doable! 🙂
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A lot of people find their lifting performance suffers if they do any sort of serious cardio earlier in the day. My general recommendation is that, on lifting days, either lift first then do cardio or lift only. Save your active stuff like swimming for non-lifting days.

And always leave at 1 or 2 days a week for genuine rest. No gym or pool.
 
jonnythan said:
A lot of people find their lifting performance suffers if they do any sort of serious cardio earlier in the day. My general recommendation is that, on lifting days, either lift first then do cardio or lift only. Save your active stuff like swimming for non-lifting days.

And always leave at 1 or 2 days a week for genuine rest. No gym or pool.
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Will do! Thank you 😀
 
PS dieting is about balance- cut and be jacked, or be less cut with the flexibility to cheat

I go back and forth throughout the year and fluctuate between 205-230, the holidays always get me
 
JT3 said:
PS dieting is about balance- cut and be jacked, or be less cut with the flexibility to cheat

I go back and forth throughout the year and fluctuate between 205-230, the holidays always get me
Click to expand...
Is cutting all about calories?
 
No.

Cutting is about 3 things:

1) An appropriate calorie deficit given your current leanness
2) Lifting hard to preserve the muscle you have
3) High protein intake (for muscle maintenance, protein requirements go up as calorie intake goes down)
 
jonnythan said:
No.

Cutting is about 3 things:

1) An appropriate calorie deficit given your current leanness
2) Lifting hard to preserve the muscle you have
3) High protein intake (for muscle maintenance, protein requirements go up as calorie intake goes down)
Click to expand...
Oh gosh, how do you figure out what is appropriate?
 
fishieFDR said:
Oh gosh, how do you figure out what is appropriate?
Click to expand...

It's not that tough really. You can use an online calculator, or a device like a Fitbit, to estimate the total number of calories you burn in a day. Then you eat 500 or so fewer calories a day. As you get really lean, you need a smaller deficit so you don't lose too much muscle mass.
 
jonnythan said:
It's not that tough really. You can use an online calculator, or a device like a Fitbit, to estimate the total number of calories you burn in a day. Then you eat 500 or so fewer calories a day. As you get really lean, you need a smaller deficit so you don't lose too much muscle mass.
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I see, but do I need to keep track of how much of it is protein, carbs, etc? My guy friend does this.
 
fishieFDR said:
Oh gosh, how do you figure out what is appropriate?
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I've been cutting weight on and off for prob close to 15 years, from HS wrestling to mixed martial arts. Carb cycling has always been the best way for me, and it fits into your lifestyle better.

You rotate through a high, med, then low carb day. If your bad one day reset for a low the next day.

Another thing to pay attention to is the glycemic index which is a scale for the rate your body breaks most carbs down, slower digesting carbs tend to be less likely stored as fat, but again like everyone is saying total caloric intake is your top priority.

Meal prepping ahead of time has been easiest for me. Buy tons of tupperware and premake your meals for a few days. The biggest problem is letting yourself get hungry; the animal instinct comes out and your more likely to cheat.
 
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