Well I used calipers and they reckon I'm 20% bodyfat. I'm 84kg, 5'10" and 29 years old so I'm not sure if I'm that much %, but I've always been pretty skinny before I put on the fat.
25% and above is considered obese.
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
Haha I'm nowhere near obese, that's for sure.
Still feeling unmotivated but just did my HIIT, felt even easier (ie. not as difficult) as last week.
This is so annoying, I want to start 5x5 straight away, but the Gym here doesn't have a squat rack. Have to wait till I get home in a month..
Although, the first month or so is meant to be easy weights with an almost empty bar, so I guess i'll be able to do it in a few weeks and get a head start..
Sound like a plan?
Although, the first month or so is meant to be easy weights with an almost empty bar, so I guess i'll be able to do it in a few weeks and get a head start..
Sound like a plan?
I think you could start right away. By the time you get home you'll be needing the squat rack.
²Jaekus wrote:
I think you could start right away. By the time you get home you'll be needing the squat rack.
And if your gym doesn't have a squat rack, change gym lol
It's the one at the airport, free, and I can't get to any others. I know it's not great, but it works for now.
I actually have about 6 more weeks here, so two weeks might do it.
I actually have about 6 more weeks here, so two weeks might do it.
Hmm, okay.
You could do lunges instead
You could do lunges instead
Or you could do front squats like this, be a lot safer - http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/d … clean-grip
I guess you could always use an overhand grip if you prefer.
I guess you could always use an overhand grip if you prefer.
Last edited by Jaekus (2011-01-04 06:57:44)
Guys, I'd like some advice.
I want to lose fat. But I want to gain muscle. Yes, we all do, but I've been trying to make both happen and whilst it is happening, the going is slow. A lot of reading I've done suggests that trying to both simultaneously, whilst possible, is difficult.
So I've decided to lose the fat first. I'm still getting stronger so that's not an issue. But the fat bothers me. I used to be pretty skinny growing up. Now I have flab. Anyway, if I go, say, 4 weeks of losing fat, followed by 4 weeks of focussing on bulking up muscle, is this enough time for both? Or do I need to give each more time (6-8 weeks per cycle)?
I want to lose fat. But I want to gain muscle. Yes, we all do, but I've been trying to make both happen and whilst it is happening, the going is slow. A lot of reading I've done suggests that trying to both simultaneously, whilst possible, is difficult.
So I've decided to lose the fat first. I'm still getting stronger so that's not an issue. But the fat bothers me. I used to be pretty skinny growing up. Now I have flab. Anyway, if I go, say, 4 weeks of losing fat, followed by 4 weeks of focussing on bulking up muscle, is this enough time for both? Or do I need to give each more time (6-8 weeks per cycle)?
just cut until you're staisfied with your new body fat ratio. There isn't really a definative timescale as varying subjective factors will come intp play i.e. diet, motivation, type of cardio etc
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
Ok, thanks. I've got some MAN - Scorch pills on the way, they're meant to be pretty good. Hopefully they quicken the process, cause I'm really over it (even though I'm not fat, it just sits around my gut - the rest of me is pretty lean).
Also, an interesting article. Bit of a lengthy read but to what I currently know, it makes sense - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art … B-hh.hydra
Also, an interesting article. Bit of a lengthy read but to what I currently know, it makes sense - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art … B-hh.hydra
Last edited by Jaekus (2011-01-05 07:26:50)
Uft, haven't been in this thread for a while. That is not to say I haven't been working out! I took a 1.5 week break to regain my energy from Xmas and order in new supplements. Just bought in:
Gaspari SuperPump250 Fruit Punch flavour
This shit is fantastic. Tastes better than BSN NO-Xplode, mixes better (NO-Xplode tends to have lumps in the powder and has large particles that you need to grab up whilst swirling the shaker bottle) and doesn't have as potent a taste (not that I really care about that, but it's a nice change). As for the pump, due to my body pretty much taking anything and not reacting to it I did notice an increased amount of energy. No buzzing, but certainly an increased pump with workouts.
ON 100% Whey - Choc Mint Flavour
Don't really need to praise this, as it is by far the best protein supplement you can get. I switched from Gaspari (I've been using Gaspari for close to 3 months now - Never buy Chocolate Peanut Butter. It's sickly after a while.) because I know ON does just a good a job and wanted to try the Choc Mint flavour.
Met RX Big 100 Colossal bar
This was an experiment. I've tried protein bars before (pHd Flapjacks) and I've been impressed, and these were recommended (I wanted the Supreme Carb Conscious Bar, but stock wasn't arriving for 3-5 days) so I decided to get a box. Wow, these things taste AMAZING. 30g of Protein, 46g of carbs and plenty of vitamins in a 100g bar. It's basically a meal replacement, and it's incredibly useful on the go or when you're too busy to cook for yourself. I advise trying some of these out if you have the cash, it will cost you less than cooking a meal for yourself. Definitely recommend.
I also got a free MET-Rx Super Whey Shot with my ON and decided to take it after workout today... Shit was that good. Tastes absolutely astounding and packs 26g of lovely protein in it. It's slightly thicker than water based protein shake, and it tastes delicious. I'm considering getting a pack, because it's also a great "during workout" drink to have handy. MET-Rx have impressed me so far...
If you're willing to experiment with the supplements you take (I always advise this, because everyone has different tolerance levels and everyone reacts differently to different mixes of substances) then I advise you switch it up. Don't go for anything that isn't recommended by "bodybuilding.com", but you get what I mean. My next stop is VPX nutrition and MRI Black Powder.
If you want to try something that is being recommended absolutely everywhere (took Creatine Product of the Year and Intra-workout product of the year) then go buy Gaspari SizeON.
That shit ain't cheap, but then again if it's winning awards left right and center you can't really say much about price if it does what it says...
If you're going to skim over this post because you think you can manage without decent supplements, or shit from MyProtein. DON'T. I've been down that road, I've been down the "all natural" road as well. Look, you'll notice results, but you're not going to get the same results as taking GOOD STUFF. Even if you're just doing light workouts and wanting to tone yourself, don't brush past buying simple ON 100% Gold Standard Whey, because you're not going to get that quality stuff anywhere else. Fact. If you're worried about the stuff that's in some of these supplements, then don't get the really intense one (i.e SuperPump250) if you feel you can manage ferocious workouts without it. But any decent Whey Protein/Casein/Egg protein blend/supplement is purely natural and good for you. It wont harm you, and when you read BCAAs and the rest, don't be put off. That stuff is really really good for you.
I should probably update my massive post.
Gaspari SuperPump250 Fruit Punch flavour
This shit is fantastic. Tastes better than BSN NO-Xplode, mixes better (NO-Xplode tends to have lumps in the powder and has large particles that you need to grab up whilst swirling the shaker bottle) and doesn't have as potent a taste (not that I really care about that, but it's a nice change). As for the pump, due to my body pretty much taking anything and not reacting to it I did notice an increased amount of energy. No buzzing, but certainly an increased pump with workouts.
ON 100% Whey - Choc Mint Flavour
Don't really need to praise this, as it is by far the best protein supplement you can get. I switched from Gaspari (I've been using Gaspari for close to 3 months now - Never buy Chocolate Peanut Butter. It's sickly after a while.) because I know ON does just a good a job and wanted to try the Choc Mint flavour.
Met RX Big 100 Colossal bar
This was an experiment. I've tried protein bars before (pHd Flapjacks) and I've been impressed, and these were recommended (I wanted the Supreme Carb Conscious Bar, but stock wasn't arriving for 3-5 days) so I decided to get a box. Wow, these things taste AMAZING. 30g of Protein, 46g of carbs and plenty of vitamins in a 100g bar. It's basically a meal replacement, and it's incredibly useful on the go or when you're too busy to cook for yourself. I advise trying some of these out if you have the cash, it will cost you less than cooking a meal for yourself. Definitely recommend.
I also got a free MET-Rx Super Whey Shot with my ON and decided to take it after workout today... Shit was that good. Tastes absolutely astounding and packs 26g of lovely protein in it. It's slightly thicker than water based protein shake, and it tastes delicious. I'm considering getting a pack, because it's also a great "during workout" drink to have handy. MET-Rx have impressed me so far...
If you're willing to experiment with the supplements you take (I always advise this, because everyone has different tolerance levels and everyone reacts differently to different mixes of substances) then I advise you switch it up. Don't go for anything that isn't recommended by "bodybuilding.com", but you get what I mean. My next stop is VPX nutrition and MRI Black Powder.
If you want to try something that is being recommended absolutely everywhere (took Creatine Product of the Year and Intra-workout product of the year) then go buy Gaspari SizeON.
That shit ain't cheap, but then again if it's winning awards left right and center you can't really say much about price if it does what it says...
If you're going to skim over this post because you think you can manage without decent supplements, or shit from MyProtein. DON'T. I've been down that road, I've been down the "all natural" road as well. Look, you'll notice results, but you're not going to get the same results as taking GOOD STUFF. Even if you're just doing light workouts and wanting to tone yourself, don't brush past buying simple ON 100% Gold Standard Whey, because you're not going to get that quality stuff anywhere else. Fact. If you're worried about the stuff that's in some of these supplements, then don't get the really intense one (i.e SuperPump250) if you feel you can manage ferocious workouts without it. But any decent Whey Protein/Casein/Egg protein blend/supplement is purely natural and good for you. It wont harm you, and when you read BCAAs and the rest, don't be put off. That stuff is really really good for you.
I should probably update my massive post.
I can agree that the MetRx bars are awesome. I prefer Supreme though. SIze on also rocks. I have used super pump but i prefer 1MR, Jack3d, or Hemo Rage.Zimmer wrote:
Uft, haven't been in this thread for a while. That is not to say I haven't been working out! I took a 1.5 week break to regain my energy from Xmas and order in new supplements. Just bought in:
Gaspari SuperPump250 Fruit Punch flavour
This shit is fantastic. Tastes better than BSN NO-Xplode, mixes better (NO-Xplode tends to have lumps in the powder and has large particles that you need to grab up whilst swirling the shaker bottle) and doesn't have as potent a taste (not that I really care about that, but it's a nice change). As for the pump, due to my body pretty much taking anything and not reacting to it I did notice an increased amount of energy. No buzzing, but certainly an increased pump with workouts.
ON 100% Whey - Choc Mint Flavour
Don't really need to praise this, as it is by far the best protein supplement you can get. I switched from Gaspari (I've been using Gaspari for close to 3 months now - Never buy Chocolate Peanut Butter. It's sickly after a while.) because I know ON does just a good a job and wanted to try the Choc Mint flavour.
Met RX Big 100 Colossal bar
This was an experiment. I've tried protein bars before (pHd Flapjacks) and I've been impressed, and these were recommended (I wanted the Supreme Carb Conscious Bar, but stock wasn't arriving for 3-5 days) so I decided to get a box. Wow, these things taste AMAZING. 30g of Protein, 46g of carbs and plenty of vitamins in a 100g bar. It's basically a meal replacement, and it's incredibly useful on the go or when you're too busy to cook for yourself. I advise trying some of these out if you have the cash, it will cost you less than cooking a meal for yourself. Definitely recommend.
I also got a free MET-Rx Super Whey Shot with my ON and decided to take it after workout today... Shit was that good. Tastes absolutely astounding and packs 26g of lovely protein in it. It's slightly thicker than water based protein shake, and it tastes delicious. I'm considering getting a pack, because it's also a great "during workout" drink to have handy. MET-Rx have impressed me so far...
If you're willing to experiment with the supplements you take (I always advise this, because everyone has different tolerance levels and everyone reacts differently to different mixes of substances) then I advise you switch it up. Don't go for anything that isn't recommended by "bodybuilding.com", but you get what I mean. My next stop is VPX nutrition and MRI Black Powder.
If you want to try something that is being recommended absolutely everywhere (took Creatine Product of the Year and Intra-workout product of the year) then go buy Gaspari SizeON.
That shit ain't cheap, but then again if it's winning awards left right and center you can't really say much about price if it does what it says...
If you're going to skim over this post because you think you can manage without decent supplements, or shit from MyProtein. DON'T. I've been down that road, I've been down the "all natural" road as well. Look, you'll notice results, but you're not going to get the same results as taking GOOD STUFF. Even if you're just doing light workouts and wanting to tone yourself, don't brush past buying simple ON 100% Gold Standard Whey, because you're not going to get that quality stuff anywhere else. Fact. If you're worried about the stuff that's in some of these supplements, then don't get the really intense one (i.e SuperPump250) if you feel you can manage ferocious workouts without it. But any decent Whey Protein/Casein/Egg protein blend/supplement is purely natural and good for you. It wont harm you, and when you read BCAAs and the rest, don't be put off. That stuff is really really good for you.
I should probably update my massive post.
I haven't tried Supreme, that's the ones I'm getting next.
Which one is the best out of the 3 you mentioned? For the past 3 years in Bodybuilding, NO-Xplod and Superpump have trumped everything else, but then again it's down to everyones tolerance. 1MR looks pretty good, especially as they say "only one scoop", but then again I try and not read into all the little "amazing" sentences that make you want to buy the product.
Which one is the best out of the 3 you mentioned? For the past 3 years in Bodybuilding, NO-Xplod and Superpump have trumped everything else, but then again it's down to everyones tolerance. 1MR looks pretty good, especially as they say "only one scoop", but then again I try and not read into all the little "amazing" sentences that make you want to buy the product.
Should I take supplements to gain weight, or is that just an "eat more" thing?
Right now I'm roughly...130-140 pounds, and wouldn't mind putting on an extra 10-30.
Right now I'm roughly...130-140 pounds, and wouldn't mind putting on an extra 10-30.
Also, for anybody buying in the UK/EU, I advise you purchase from dolphinfitness.co.uk
I've yet to find cheaper prices for all the products, and their delivery is fantastic.
I've yet to find cheaper prices for all the products, and their delivery is fantastic.
You can eat more, but if you can't gain by eating then try supplements.DefCon-17 wrote:
Should I take supplements to gain weight, or is that just an "eat more" thing?
Right now I'm roughly...130-140 pounds, and wouldn't mind putting on an extra 10-30.
Just played squash after a christmas/new year break. God I've missed it
I think I can... I never ate much until a year ago or so. Combining eating more with working out, I definitely noticed some improvement, but when university started I went back to eating less due to not having much money.Zimmer wrote:
You can eat more, but if you can't gain by eating then try supplements.DefCon-17 wrote:
Should I take supplements to gain weight, or is that just an "eat more" thing?
Right now I'm roughly...130-140 pounds, and wouldn't mind putting on an extra 10-30.
Now that my student loan is coming in for this term, I figure I should start eating more again.
how important is sleep to working out?
you get stronger and grow whilst resting, so i would say very important.HaiBai wrote:
how important is sleep to working out?
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.
Yeah, all your growth happens when you sleep. It's the only time the body can repair the muscles from the stress you put them under from working out.
There's a whole plethora of information on the net about it, but in a nutshell you want to eat a lot of protein, good quality complex carbs (brown rice, wholemeal bread, rolled oats/oatmeal - that kind of thing. Stay away from anything like white bread etc) and healthy fats (found in nuts, fish oils and olive oil, to name a few). There are different calorie ratios to go by when working out a diet, to suit different needs, but a general rule of thumb (that I've seen many recommend) 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats of total caloric intake. Bear in mind that a gram of both carbs and protein are 4 calories, and each gram of fat is 9 cals.
tl;dr: You want to be making informed food decisions so when you gain weight, you're gaining muscle and not heaps of fat with it.
Just make sure you read up a bit about good nutrition. Having a "see food" diet isn't the best, as you'll put on a lot of fat along with any muscle gains.DefCon-17 wrote:
I think I can... I never ate much until a year ago or so. Combining eating more with working out, I definitely noticed some improvement, but when university started I went back to eating less due to not having much money.Zimmer wrote:
You can eat more, but if you can't gain by eating then try supplements.DefCon-17 wrote:
Should I take supplements to gain weight, or is that just an "eat more" thing?
Right now I'm roughly...130-140 pounds, and wouldn't mind putting on an extra 10-30.
Now that my student loan is coming in for this term, I figure I should start eating more again.
There's a whole plethora of information on the net about it, but in a nutshell you want to eat a lot of protein, good quality complex carbs (brown rice, wholemeal bread, rolled oats/oatmeal - that kind of thing. Stay away from anything like white bread etc) and healthy fats (found in nuts, fish oils and olive oil, to name a few). There are different calorie ratios to go by when working out a diet, to suit different needs, but a general rule of thumb (that I've seen many recommend) 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fats of total caloric intake. Bear in mind that a gram of both carbs and protein are 4 calories, and each gram of fat is 9 cals.
tl;dr: You want to be making informed food decisions so when you gain weight, you're gaining muscle and not heaps of fat with it.
Did Zimmer do a super post about food a while back? I can't find it..