BF2S Forums Workout Programs & Diet

Squat is back/leg as well, but you're already doing it

Yeah, squats and deadlifts (Romanian included) are the some of the biggest compounds and the focus muscles worked are your quads (squats) and hamstrings/posterior chain (deadlifts). The also work a bunch of other muscles too, including the lower back. With squatting you're practically using your whole body, including your core.

I'm no expert so don't take what I say as gospel, but I've done relatively a lot of research since I started back in late October and have learned heaps. Hopefully some of this will help.


DIET

To lose fat, your diet is the biggest concern here. Simply put, if your diet is crap you won't lose the fat.
Because you want to lose fat you need to eat less calories than your body burns each day, so it then turns to your fat stores for fuel. This is known as a caloric deficit.
If you wanted to gain muscle (and bulk) you need to eat more calories than your body burns each day, so it has excess with which to build muscle. This is known as caloric excess.

I'll try to keep this simple.

First, we want to work out your maintenance level for the calories you consume each day, and then eat 300-500 calories under. This will mean your body will then have to burn excess fat for fuel, and a bit of muscle, though this muscle loss can be reduced/prevented by supplementing with BCCAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids) and/or Glutamine.

There are a few ways to work this out. The simplest way to calculate is get your bodyweight (in lbs) time 11, and then multiply by 1.3.
This means (175x11) 1.3 = 2,502
This is a rough estimate but puts you in the ball park of where you're at. So you'll need to eat a maximum of 2,000 2,200 calories each day.
You don't want to go too far under though, as this will put your body into starvation mode which makes your body try to store fat instead of burning it, plus you won't have enough energy.

Our primary caloric focus is protein, fat and carbs. You need all of these for a healthy diet, but if something is in imbalance (usually carbs and/or fat) then you'll put on fat.

As a general rule of thumb, eat 1 gram of protein per day for each lb you weigh. For instance, you said you weigh 175lbs, so eat 175 grams of protein every day. Protein is what builds muscle, and you'll need plenty of it, even just for recovery.
Next, you want to eat around 25% of your caloric intake in the form of healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, dairy). Fat contains 9 calories per gram, so 25% of 2,000 is 500 calories, divided by 9 = 55 grams of fat a day.
Whatever is left you'll want in the form of carbs (carbohydrates). Carbs give you energy.

Protein and carbs both contain 4 calories per gram, so 175 x 4 = 700 calories of protein, 500 calories of fat which leaves 800 calories of carbs each day.

This is a general guide. If you aren't losing weight, reduce the number of carbs you intake. If you reduce too much though you'll begin to feel tired more often.

You should aim to lose 0.5 - 2 lbs of weight a week if you aren't trying to build muscle and bulk up. If you're losing more you're not eating enough. If you're not losing weight, try some cardio (HIIT before breakfast is the best way for both fat burning and an increased metabolic rate).


TL;DR - for your bodyweight, try to eat no more than 2,200 cals a day, 25% fat, 35% protein, 40% carbs. If you aren't losing at least 0.5lb a week in fat, reduce this number down to 2,000 cals per day. Weigh yourself at the same time each week (first thing when you wake up, before eating or drinking) to monitor your progress.


WORKOUT

So, that's out of the way, to your question about gaining STRENGTH. I have only just begun a modified version of the Stronglifts 5x5 program (http://www.stronglifts.com), but I highly recommend you give it a try as many others have reported amazing strength gains as a result.

The advantages

• It's a simple routine (only 3 different exercises on any given workout day)
• You start off very light (empty olympic bar of 45lbs), but after 12 weeks, all going well, you'll be squatting 225lbs (including bar weight, plates by themselves at 180lbs) and increasing
• Because you start out light you can adopt perfect form for each rep (which is of utmost importance)
• It is primarily strength based but you will build muscle too
• You only need to workout 3x per week

Only a couple disadvantages:

• You need access to a gym, or buy your own power rack (at the very least a squat rack)
• It's designed for strength, not bulk. However, you will still gain muscle, so not really much of a con, unless your primary goal is to gain bulk over strength.

You can no longer download the eBook, however if you send me your email it I can email it to you.

Last edited by Jaekus (2011-01-14 12:12:36)

PrivateVendetta wrote:

Doing the 5x5 myself, just done day 3 so would appreciate another joining me.

what is it exactly?  i subscribed to the thing, but now i'm just being spammed with emails.

Yeah! 10lbs squat! Feeling so pumped!

@HaiBai I can mail you the report if you're serious, it's a all body routine that concentrates on 3 compound exercises a day and you add weight EVERY time you workout. Meant for strength building.

Started doing press ups with 20kg in a rucksack, much better

Last edited by Mekstizzle (2011-01-14 14:33:58)

presidentsheep wrote:

Any decent exercises to build definition at home with no equipment? Seems a bit crazy but i'm hoping you guys will have some ideas. I'm just sitting down all day studying or on the pc and it's making me feel like a vegetable.

At the very least invest in a set of dumbbells. They're easily stored and are relatively cheap. You can work pretty much all your body with them, though barbells are certainly better for some exercises.

If you want "definition", you need to decrease your body fat. Otherwise you'll just build muscle underneath the layer/s of fat you already have. Which some people don't mind, but you won't see muscles like your abs etc if your body fat % isn't low.

Yeah, your bf% is definitely low lol, I'm about 5'10 and only 10 stone or so and mine is low, I bought a 20Kg set off amazon for pretty cheap <£30 and they are the perfect weight for me, you can always take weights off, it's better to use weights too light than heavy for you, 20Kg should be just what you need though.

Something like this £25

presidentsheep wrote:

Jaekus wrote:

presidentsheep wrote:

Any decent exercises to build definition at home with no equipment? Seems a bit crazy but i'm hoping you guys will have some ideas. I'm just sitting down all day studying or on the pc and it's making me feel like a vegetable.

At the very least invest in a set of dumbbells. They're easily stored and are relatively cheap. You can work pretty much all your body with them, though barbells are certainly better for some exercises.

If you want "definition", you need to decrease your body fat. Otherwise you'll just build muscle underneath the layer/s of fat you already have. Which some people don't mind, but you won't see muscles like your abs etc if your body fat % isn't low.

I'm pretty sure it's low, my diet's fairly low in fat, i'm about 6ft and weigh between 8 and 9 stone.
Any advice on what weight to go for with the dumbbells? I'm fairly sure i've got a set of 1 or 2 kg ones somewhere in the house though i'm guessing they're fairly useless.

Get a 20kg set of ones with changeable weight plates. Then you can add weights if they're too light.
Or, get a gym membership and they'll have a whole range of dumbbells, from light right through to really heavy. Buying your own like this costs a LOT of money, however.

pirana6 wrote:

presidentsheep wrote:

I'm pretty sure it's low, my diet's fairly low in fat, i'm about 6ft and weigh between 8 and 9 stone.

wat?

I'm 6' 2" and I weigh 185 (13.2 stone) though I do consider myself on the skinnier side

It's just the way I'm built, been like it since I was little. 2 or 3 doctors have said it's fine. I eat a shit load I just never gain any weight, metabolism or something, dunno.

psheep, I have found eating a 200g pack of peanuts helps (I struggle putting on weight too), got like 1300 calories in them and I've noticed I gain weight if I try to eat a pack every other day etc.

E: plus they have a load of protein in them so it will help when you're using your dbells

Last edited by Sturgeon (2011-01-14 16:55:08)

pirana6 wrote:

presidentsheep wrote:

pirana6 wrote:

wat?

I'm 6' 2" and I weigh 185 (13.2 stone) though I do consider myself on the skinnier side

It's just the way I'm built, been like it since I was little. 2 or 3 doctors have said it's fine. I eat a shit load I just never gain any weight, metabolism or something, dunno.

oh yeah no doubt, i can eat straight crisco probably and i would have a heart attack before i gained 5 pounds but still that just seems weird. are your bones hollow or summat?

today I ate:
3 eggs on 2 slices of toast with half a can of beans and some mushrooms, can of tomato soup and a slice of toast, a banana, marmite sandwich, curry and chips, 4*weetabix with about half a pint of semi skimmed milk and an apple a banana and a nectarine sliced into it. Pretty average day.

edit: will try to eat a bag of peanuts a day, see if that makes any difference.

Last edited by presidentsheep (2011-01-14 16:58:46)