Getting in shape

[Fingolfin269]

I'm sure it is your diet.

Answer these questions and I'll know if I am right!

1) How many calories did you consume every day over the past 3 weeks?

2) How many grams of protein on each of those days?

3) How many grams of carbs on each of those days?

4) How many grams of fat on each of those days?

5) How many meals did you eat on each of those days?

*Nutrition is the most important aspect of any 'get in shape' program. If you spend 5 minutes a day paying attention to your diet then it will make the hours you spend in the gym a lot more beneficial. Or you can spend hours in the gym and 0 minutes on nutrition and continue to feel like crap.

Do not increase your cardio until you understand the importance of nutrition. I can cut down to a super low bf % in no time only doing 20 minutes of cardio 3-4 times per week. It's all about what type of cardio you do, how much lean mass you have, and what your diet plan is like. You could sit on the treadmill for 14 hours a day and be fatter in two weeks because you jsut wasted away 5 pounds of muscle and thus decreased your body's ability to metabolize.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
Do not increase your cardio until you understand the importance of nutrition. I can cut down to a super low bf % in no time only doing 20 minutes of cardio 3-4 times per week.

That has a big effect, but you can't overlook the genetic factor. For me, I naturally have a high bodyfat percentage. I watch what I eat so I'm not fat, but I always had a "soft" look. For the past year I've eaten an extremely strict diet of chicken breasts, brown rice, and vegetables and I do loads of cardio. I eat 6 or 7 times a day. My friends think I'm absolutely complusive about it, because I am. Even so, I can only get my bodyfat to get down to around 13%. When I went on a cutting phase during the summer I got it down to about 12%, but it wasn't sustainable. I lost the fat but the muscle went away also. I just genetically cannot hold the lean physique. Keep in mind that I've always been thin, I just look soft. I consulted a guy I know, who is a bodybuilder, and he told me to read up on the effect of testosterone level. It was exactly my problem.

I took 1-AD and 4-AD for a while (legal then) and my lean muscle increased rapidly, while my bodyfat decreased rapidly. I stayed like that for a few weeks until I had to stop taking it. After a few weeks of not taking it my body returned to the way it usually is, since I couldn't sustain that physique with my natural T level.

Meanwhile my friend lays around his house eating potato chips and drinking beer, and he stays ripped all the time. He was 8% bodyfat last time we checked, while I was 11.5 (from the 1-AD). Such is life.

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: thefish8
Thanks everyone. Seems like I need to increase time I spend doing cardio and and then just wait it out. Thanks again.

With all the talk of increases, don't forget to give your body time to rest. You say you do this every day? Try giving yourself a weekend off and then see how you feel during your workout on Monday.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
I have found heavy workouts, esp with a lot of leg work burned more fat than anything. I am sure if I wanted to dedicate more than an hour or so to training cardio may surpass that in the long run....but I don't have time like I did to spend 4 hours+ a day training.

Nowadays when I want to get back in shape I stick to a 3-5 day a week plan (right now I am doing 45min workouts, total body 3x a week...5x a week 1 hour workouts on a split I find more gains)

I do pushups, bent rows, good mornings, curls, tri exts, military presses, upright rows, squats, side bends, crunches and leg raises. Quick home workout.

I also supplement currently with ephedra (now with guifaisen ), caffeine, a little aspirin, magnesium, potassium, a good multi-vitamin and lechitin. I eat two pretty well balanced meals (pita with tuna or chicken and vegetables for lunch, 4-6oz of a meat and more vegetables for dinner...during the weekend anything goes).

For the last 20 days I have lost 1lb per day. I want to lose another 10lbs (get to 175lbs at 5'10.5").

And here's the results

 

[alkemyst]

umm actually no Red Dawn, that was at the start of one of my 3 month cycles though.

A lot of guys love that pic for some reason. One of the reasons I stay seated while visiting ATOT.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
umm actually no Red Dawn, that was at the start of one of my 3 month cycles though.

A lot of guys love that pic for some reason. One of the reasons I stay seated while visiting ATOT.

LOL, sorry!

BTW, what do you do, get in shape and then let yourself go only to get back in shape a few months later? 3 months on, then 3 months off then 3 months on again? That can't be very good for your health.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Someone who is naturally gifted at 1000 ng/dl will have a very easy time cutting up and adding lean muscle to their body, while someone who is unlucky and only has 250 ng/dl will have a tough time getting in good athletic shape. T level is the single most important factor when it comes to building muscle or losing fat. Since you can't change that (legally), the best you can do is follow a strict diet and work out a lot.

Most people fall in an average level of testosterone and other growth hormones....making it a moot point. Obviously someone that over produces or under produces will have problems. Metabolism as a whole and genetics have a far more impacting scale on exercise gains.

If you decide to go on steroids all bets are off, they do work...medical rehabilitation is proof of that.

I tried pro-homones for a month and packed on muscle. These were (are?) still legal. It wasn't cheap and locally illegal steroids (due to this being an equestrian area) are actually cheaper.

My testosterone and metabolism are average, my workouts are pretty tough though and I find that the most important factor. I can go from out of shape to pretty decent shape in a couple months. Most people I see working out, just go through the motions without much thought other than 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 stop.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Most people fall in an average level of testosterone and other growth hormones....making it a moot point.

I agree with everything else you said but, how can you say it's a moot point? Without knowing what HIS hormone level is, it could either be a non-factor or a critical factor. But saying that it's a moot point just because most *other* people's is normal doesn't tell us anything in his case.

I agree with everything else though.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: alkemyst
umm actually no Red Dawn, that was at the start of one of my 3 month cycles though.

A lot of guys love that pic for some reason. One of the reasons I stay seated while visiting ATOT.

LOL, sorry!

BTW, what do you do, get in shape and then let yourself go only to get back in shape a few months later? 3 months on, then 3 months off then 3 months on again? That can't be very good for your health.

I wouldn't try to analyze my life like so many other's here. I get out of shape during certain periods (namely that one was regraduating college a second time). Getting out of shape to me is putting on 10-15 lbs, being in shape is getting down to a 10%ish bodyfat level.

During the summers I am in the best shape and during the winter I pack on some weight.

This is not the same as those that cycle 40lbs+ year to year.

Up until about mid 20's I was under 10% b/f constantly and in the gym / training at least 4 hours 5 days a week.

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
I'm sure it is your diet.

Answer these questions and I'll know if I am right!

1) How many calories did you consume every day over the past 3 weeks?

2) How many grams of protein on each of those days?

3) How many grams of carbs on each of those days?

4) How many grams of fat on each of those days?

5) How many meals did you eat on each of those days?

*Nutrition is the most important aspect of any 'get in shape' program. If you spend 5 minutes a day paying attention to your diet then it will make the hours you spend in the gym a lot more beneficial. Or you can spend hours in the gym and 0 minutes on nutrition and continue to feel like crap.

Yeah, diet is key. Unfortunately, thefish8, you can easily outeat a few cardio and weightlifting sessions, which you may well be doing as your appetite has increased from the added physical workload. Having struggled with weight throughout your life, you're probably going to have to pay closer attention to what you're eating than some people. Yes it sucks.

Getting rid of soda and liquid calories is the first step, you're on the right track. If this is the first time you've ever tried to change how you eat, it's understandable for there to be some time where you're figuring out what's good and bad and what needs to be eliminated. I'd encourage you to track what you're eating and and break it down as listed above, you'll see on paper what's tripping you up and what needs to go. Good luck.

 

[Chunkee]

if the chips arent flyin, its time to get a sharper axe or a softer log.

jC

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

I agree with everything else you said but, how can you say it's a moot point? Without knowing what HIS hormone level is, it could either be a non-factor or a critical factor. But saying that it's a moot point just because most *other* people's is normal doesn't tell us anything in his case.

I agree with everything else though.

Getting his testosterone level checked would be wasteful at this point.

My point on it being a moot point was in discussing this as a whole. It's like how many heavy people decide to check checked out for metabolism only to find they are normal, just over eaters.

 

[AsiLuc]

my 2 cents:
If your getting tired, don't just do exercise, do something fun! Play soccer, waterpolo, aggressive-inlineskating, icehockey etc.
Pick a sport you like that can make you really tired and do that. I'm amazed people just get tired to be in shape. If you do a fun sport and you don't overeat you'll always be in shape. Waterpolo works for me.