Welcome to the BF2s Workout Post. Here you will find everything related to "working out". From nutrition to mental goals. Hopefully everything you need will be here
Couldn't think of a better topic name.
The way the content works is the following
Steps will be in RED
Explanation of steps will be in LIGHT GREEN
Sub headers will be in LIGHT BLUE
Anyway, lets begin.
STEP 1
The most important thing about working out is your DIET. If you eat shit and work out, it's not gonna work for you. So DO NOT SKIP this section, as it will be the building blocks for your entire workout regime.
For everyone
Here is a breakdown of what you need to do in your diet.
You can try the GOMAD (Gallon of Milk A Day) method, but there are side effects (sleepiness, farting etc) but I've yet to find a better method of gaining weight.
DIET MYTHS EXPLAINED
- People say eating lots of eggs gives you high cholesterol
This is bullshit and utter bullshit. Your body cholesterol levels and the cholesterol taken in with your diet are very very far apart. Look it up if you don't believe. Eating eggs is something which I do every day. Greatest source of protein, brilliant in the morning. Take 3 or even 4. You'll be just fine.
- Eating lots of FATTY foods will make me fat.
This is even more bullshit. Fat content in foods - like nuts, cheeses etc - is good for you. In fact, I'd rather you eat more fat in your diet than carbs. It's not going to make you fat. Nuts are vital in a healthy diet (I recommend you eat lots) and they contain a hell of a lot of fat. Fats actually increase fat loss.
Saturated: Increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol is not bound to blood cholesterol. Real butter, whole eggs, red meat.
Monounsaturated Fats: Protect against heart diseases and cancers. Extra virgin olive oil, olives, mixed nuts.
Polyunsaturated Fats: Increase testosterone levels, promote fat loss, decrease inflammation, … Fish oil, ground flax seeds, mixed nuts.
- If I eat more, will I not naturally get fat?
No, not really. If you eat a lot more and don't workout, then yes, naturally you will put on bad weight... But if you eat more and workout, you will see that it's either a constant rise in muscle weight or your weight will drop (if you want to lose it). Basically, eating more whilst working out is a huge benefit because you get more nutrition to your body during the day. Don't worry about eating more, there's absolutely no problem in 5 healthy meals.
- Tinned tuna containts a lot of mercury
Actually, this isn't true. Whilst it does contain some amount of mercury, the levels are pretty insignificant as the cans/tins are processed in such a way that most of it is removed. You can eat tunas as part of a healthy diet and not get mercury poisoning. Normal tuna, from John West or Princess or the sort.
Now where's my diet guide?
Yeah yeah, whatever. I'll outline certain foods that should be implemented into your diet on a daily/weekly basis
Now, serious questions
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED
This is simple.
1 gram per pound of body weight per day
That's all you need. So you need 200g if you weight 200lbs. Simple as. Stick to it, it will be vital for developing your muscles. Take more if needed, it's not bad for you. Trust me, if you follow the diets and shit well, then you can hit that amount of protein in no time.
HOW MANY CALORIES DO I NEED TO TAKE IN A DAY?
Your body-weight in pounds x 18kcal = your daily caloric needs
Note that this doesn't apply for very large guys and very skinny guys. You should be eating less calories if you're large and more if you're skinny. Naturally.
But honest? Don't count the calories. With a healthy diet you don't need to and shouldn't.
SHOULD I TAKE SUPPLEMENTS?
This is a pretty important question, and there is no real answer to it. Supplements are never BAD per se, but sometimes they aren't necessary to build muscle. Of course, the best way to build muscle is to eat naturally and have steaks and all your protein intake from food solids - your body is not accustomed to taking in a lot of liquid nutrients - but it's very hard to keep that up for various reasons
1. It's expensive
2. It's time consuming
When I say natural, that isn't to say supplements aren't natural... They usually are, but your body finds it harder to process such liquids because it's used to digesting them.
What's my view on them? Take them if you don't have the money to buy lots of good wholemeal and protein full foods and you don't have the time. Also take them if your diet isn't having a large enough impact on your workouts.
I take them.
Now, what should I take?
There are hundreds and thousands of supplements out there, and many of them are a joke, but a select few you should be considering putting in your diet if you want. The two supplements I advise to take are:
1. Protein - casein protein and whey protein. One is slow acting the other is fast acting protein. Derived from eggs and milk.
2. Creatine - This supplement has been the target of controversial studies and other bullshit surrounding it. The fact is - all of it is unfounded. There is no evidence that a healthy intake of creatine a day gives you kidney problems or any other problems. It's a natural protein chain in your body that allows the faster intake of oxygen to the muscles which allows for growth and strength. Take 5G A DAY ONLY. No loading phases, not bullshit like that. Start off at 5G a day and maintain it at that. It works, and it's natural.
There are other supplements that could be considered, like Omega oils and Amino Acids, but they aren't necessary if you follow a healthy diet.
A few questions:
Do "fat burners" work?
This is hard to answer, but my honest answer is they don't. If you read any of the labels of workout fat burners, they always state you have to maintain a low calorific and healthy diet. They might contribute, but the contribution is miniscule to the price you pay. Don't do it.
Do weight gainers work?
Yes and no. Weight gainers are just a massive meal put in a shake, so you can gain weight with massive meals, but it's not as easy to swallow as an easy shake. I advise them only if you can't gain weight with the GOMAD exercise and eating a lot. It's worth a shot, definitely.
Anything else I should consider?
You can consider pre-workout shakes, which basically contain a "nitrous oxide" muscle boost that gives you a massive burn during a workout and contributes to lifting more during a workout. I've used them and they do make a difference, but I've taught my body to live without them because I can lift just as much with mental power. Do them if you want, but they're expensive and don't taste fantastic.
How should I take them?
This is up to you. Take protein shakes as if they were meals in themselves. I take one in the morning, with breakfast. One during the day if I can't get enough protein from my meals and one at night. Creatine should not exceed 5g a day.
Ok, so what should I look at?
There are only a few fantastic brands out there that don't rip you off and taste good and work well. Here are the ones I recommend for PROTEIN ONLY.
Optimum Nutrtion Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein - Tastes fantastic, works wonders and shakes well. Second best protein supplement out there.
Gaspari MyoFusion - Best chocolate taste EVER. Greatest protein supplement you can buy. Most protein in one scoop and it works perfectly. Do advise.
PhD Nutrition Pharma Whey - I personally haven't tried this, but I use other PhD supplements and they are nothing but top notch. Tastes will be fantastic.]
There are a few other brands that are renown for being good - Sci-MX, BN and USN. I haven't tried any of them, but I hear good stuff about them.
CREATINE
I can't really give many recommendations here, but try and find the purest form of micronised creatine. No capsule bullshit or anything that sounds ridiculous. You want pure creatine in it's best powder form - so you can mix it with shakes.
I personally take PhD Nutrition Pharmaceutical Micronised Creatine
Tastes of nothing, mixes very well and the effects are more than just noticeable.
You can try BSN CellMass if you can afford it. BSN really is for the pro pros that have the money though. It works wonders, but is incredibly expensive.
I'll continue this tomorrow. I'm exhausted.
Couldn't think of a better topic name.
The way the content works is the following
Steps will be in RED
Explanation of steps will be in LIGHT GREEN
Sub headers will be in LIGHT BLUE
Anyway, lets begin.
STEP 1
The most important thing about working out is your DIET. If you eat shit and work out, it's not gonna work for you. So DO NOT SKIP this section, as it will be the building blocks for your entire workout regime.
For everyone
Here is a breakdown of what you need to do in your diet.
- Drink water like there's no tomorrow. At least 3 litres a day, if not more.
- Eat healthily. That means no sweets, no soft drinks and no fast food.
- Remove sugar from your diet. There is no need for it. Only time it should be considered is 30 minutes prior to workout or during as an isotonic supplement. There is enough NATURAL sugars in the food you eat every day.
- Eat veg. Lots of it. Love it or hate it, you're gonna have to start eating your greens. They are vital for your entire body and are of utmost importance in keeping a balanced diet.
- When I say eat veg, I mean greens, not fruit. Fruit, although vital, is not required in such a proportion as greens. 1 to two fruits a day should suffice.
- EAT MORE
- EAT MORE
- EAT MORE - I cannot emphasise this enough. Even if you're fat and want to lose weight, eating more is still vital. You're going to have build muscle first before you lose large quantities of weight, and eating more speedens up your metabolism.
- Eat at least 5 times a day. That means - Breakfast, Mid morning snack/meal, Lunch, Post-workout meal, Dinner
- Never miss a breakfast. Seriously. Don't.
- Miss out on extra carbs. You don't need 'em. Most humans are carb intolerant.
- ONLY eat carbs for your post-workout meal. That is the only time your body requires them.
- Maintain the "5 meals a day" method. It will work, better than you expect.
- DO NOT CUT DOWN ON YOUR FOOD INTAKE. Cutting out carbs alone will give you a good enough base to start on.
- Eat starchy foods - Pasta, potatoes, brown rice. Everything wholemeal and eat a lot of it. You will put on weight fast
- Eat 6 times a day. Increase what you eat each day. Make them mini meals, not snacks.
- Drink milk. It's incredibly fattening and will make you gain weight fast. Full fat only
- Continue with a healthy diet, but just add in more carbs to your daily meals. Pasta for lunch, rice for dinner, 2 bananas and a potato for post-workout (note that I'm not adding the other foods you should be eating with this, this is just the EXTRAS)
You can try the GOMAD (Gallon of Milk A Day) method, but there are side effects (sleepiness, farting etc) but I've yet to find a better method of gaining weight.
DIET MYTHS EXPLAINED
- People say eating lots of eggs gives you high cholesterol
This is bullshit and utter bullshit. Your body cholesterol levels and the cholesterol taken in with your diet are very very far apart. Look it up if you don't believe. Eating eggs is something which I do every day. Greatest source of protein, brilliant in the morning. Take 3 or even 4. You'll be just fine.
- Eating lots of FATTY foods will make me fat.
This is even more bullshit. Fat content in foods - like nuts, cheeses etc - is good for you. In fact, I'd rather you eat more fat in your diet than carbs. It's not going to make you fat. Nuts are vital in a healthy diet (I recommend you eat lots) and they contain a hell of a lot of fat. Fats actually increase fat loss.
Saturated: Increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol is not bound to blood cholesterol. Real butter, whole eggs, red meat.
Monounsaturated Fats: Protect against heart diseases and cancers. Extra virgin olive oil, olives, mixed nuts.
Polyunsaturated Fats: Increase testosterone levels, promote fat loss, decrease inflammation, … Fish oil, ground flax seeds, mixed nuts.
- If I eat more, will I not naturally get fat?
No, not really. If you eat a lot more and don't workout, then yes, naturally you will put on bad weight... But if you eat more and workout, you will see that it's either a constant rise in muscle weight or your weight will drop (if you want to lose it). Basically, eating more whilst working out is a huge benefit because you get more nutrition to your body during the day. Don't worry about eating more, there's absolutely no problem in 5 healthy meals.
- Tinned tuna containts a lot of mercury
Actually, this isn't true. Whilst it does contain some amount of mercury, the levels are pretty insignificant as the cans/tins are processed in such a way that most of it is removed. You can eat tunas as part of a healthy diet and not get mercury poisoning. Normal tuna, from John West or Princess or the sort.
Now where's my diet guide?
Yeah yeah, whatever. I'll outline certain foods that should be implemented into your diet on a daily/weekly basis
Protein foods | Vegetables | Fruits | Vital foods |
---|---|---|---|
Chicken - Lean chicken, breast is the best | Spinach - Fantastic with cream | Apples | Nuts - IMPORTANT. Very. Great fat, great protein and great oils. Hazelnuts are best |
Tuna - Great source of lean protein and omega-3 oils | Green Beans - incredibly healthy. Steam them | Bananas - Great source of carbs when needed | Water - Self explanatory. At least 3 litres a day |
Tinned sardines - Easy to eat and nice alternative to tuna | Asparragus | Oranges - Great source of Vit C | Cottage cheese - Low in fat, high in protein and really tasty |
Now, serious questions
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED
This is simple.
1 gram per pound of body weight per day
That's all you need. So you need 200g if you weight 200lbs. Simple as. Stick to it, it will be vital for developing your muscles. Take more if needed, it's not bad for you. Trust me, if you follow the diets and shit well, then you can hit that amount of protein in no time.
HOW MANY CALORIES DO I NEED TO TAKE IN A DAY?
Your body-weight in pounds x 18kcal = your daily caloric needs
Note that this doesn't apply for very large guys and very skinny guys. You should be eating less calories if you're large and more if you're skinny. Naturally.
But honest? Don't count the calories. With a healthy diet you don't need to and shouldn't.
SHOULD I TAKE SUPPLEMENTS?
This is a pretty important question, and there is no real answer to it. Supplements are never BAD per se, but sometimes they aren't necessary to build muscle. Of course, the best way to build muscle is to eat naturally and have steaks and all your protein intake from food solids - your body is not accustomed to taking in a lot of liquid nutrients - but it's very hard to keep that up for various reasons
1. It's expensive
2. It's time consuming
When I say natural, that isn't to say supplements aren't natural... They usually are, but your body finds it harder to process such liquids because it's used to digesting them.
What's my view on them? Take them if you don't have the money to buy lots of good wholemeal and protein full foods and you don't have the time. Also take them if your diet isn't having a large enough impact on your workouts.
I take them.
Now, what should I take?
There are hundreds and thousands of supplements out there, and many of them are a joke, but a select few you should be considering putting in your diet if you want. The two supplements I advise to take are:
1. Protein - casein protein and whey protein. One is slow acting the other is fast acting protein. Derived from eggs and milk.
2. Creatine - This supplement has been the target of controversial studies and other bullshit surrounding it. The fact is - all of it is unfounded. There is no evidence that a healthy intake of creatine a day gives you kidney problems or any other problems. It's a natural protein chain in your body that allows the faster intake of oxygen to the muscles which allows for growth and strength. Take 5G A DAY ONLY. No loading phases, not bullshit like that. Start off at 5G a day and maintain it at that. It works, and it's natural.
There are other supplements that could be considered, like Omega oils and Amino Acids, but they aren't necessary if you follow a healthy diet.
A few questions:
Do "fat burners" work?
This is hard to answer, but my honest answer is they don't. If you read any of the labels of workout fat burners, they always state you have to maintain a low calorific and healthy diet. They might contribute, but the contribution is miniscule to the price you pay. Don't do it.
Do weight gainers work?
Yes and no. Weight gainers are just a massive meal put in a shake, so you can gain weight with massive meals, but it's not as easy to swallow as an easy shake. I advise them only if you can't gain weight with the GOMAD exercise and eating a lot. It's worth a shot, definitely.
Anything else I should consider?
You can consider pre-workout shakes, which basically contain a "nitrous oxide" muscle boost that gives you a massive burn during a workout and contributes to lifting more during a workout. I've used them and they do make a difference, but I've taught my body to live without them because I can lift just as much with mental power. Do them if you want, but they're expensive and don't taste fantastic.
How should I take them?
This is up to you. Take protein shakes as if they were meals in themselves. I take one in the morning, with breakfast. One during the day if I can't get enough protein from my meals and one at night. Creatine should not exceed 5g a day.
Ok, so what should I look at?
There are only a few fantastic brands out there that don't rip you off and taste good and work well. Here are the ones I recommend for PROTEIN ONLY.
Optimum Nutrtion Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein - Tastes fantastic, works wonders and shakes well. Second best protein supplement out there.
Gaspari MyoFusion - Best chocolate taste EVER. Greatest protein supplement you can buy. Most protein in one scoop and it works perfectly. Do advise.
PhD Nutrition Pharma Whey - I personally haven't tried this, but I use other PhD supplements and they are nothing but top notch. Tastes will be fantastic.]
There are a few other brands that are renown for being good - Sci-MX, BN and USN. I haven't tried any of them, but I hear good stuff about them.
CREATINE
I can't really give many recommendations here, but try and find the purest form of micronised creatine. No capsule bullshit or anything that sounds ridiculous. You want pure creatine in it's best powder form - so you can mix it with shakes.
I personally take PhD Nutrition Pharmaceutical Micronised Creatine
Tastes of nothing, mixes very well and the effects are more than just noticeable.
You can try BSN CellMass if you can afford it. BSN really is for the pro pros that have the money though. It works wonders, but is incredibly expensive.
I'll continue this tomorrow. I'm exhausted.