Nutrition Advice for healthy workouts

Connoisseur

Platinum Member
Sep 14, 2002
2,470
1
81
I was looking for advice on my current diet and how I can improve it (reasonably) to get to my target goals. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. TL/DR at bottom.

First some background: I'm 30, 6'0" and weight around 195-200 lbs (i haven't done a precise measurement since my scale broke). The past year, I've been very diligent (at least for me) with exercise. It was originally done to get my BP down (on meds since I'm genetically predisposed) but I got fairly addicted and started changing it up to get a bit stronger but also to get cut. I typically work out 4-5 days a week with 3 days of cardio/endurance circuits for about 45 minutes a day (burning around 500-600 calories) and 2 days of lifting (one day upper and one day legs) for about 1.5 hours a day. I know it's not much relative to some people but I work consulting in NYC and have a wife so I squeeze in as much as I can without alienating the missus and working around my schedule.

My diet isn't a 100% consistent every day but it's typically as follows:
Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with jam; 25g protein smoothie with skim milk and fruit
Lunch: Whatever I can find in the cafeteria. Usually some Chicken/Fish dish and a side of salad. I try to add some carbs (like with a sandwich or rice) but don't go crazy.
Snack/After Workout: 25g protein shake
Dinner: Cooked Chicken/Fish/Steak with a side of veggies and some carbs (brown rice, pasta etc.)
All in all i'd say I get about 100g of protein on an average day and around 2000-2500 calories. This varies as I do end up having social obligations throughout the week due to my consulting gig.

All this has allowed me to get a lot skinnier (went from a 36 to 34 waist), more toned and stronger than I was before but I think I'm hitting a wall.

Goal: I have some personal goals that I'd like to hit. Namely:
1) Slimming down even more around the waist (especially obliques)
2) Benching 225 for 10 reps set (I can do 225x4 right now)
3) Squatting around 300 lbs (I'm built like a swimmer. Broad shoulders but skinny girl legs)

If I can hit these targets, I'd consider myself extremely satisfied. I am NOT trying to get huge arms/pecs/legs. I don't want to measure them and I don't need massive guns. I'd rather err on the side of toned and fit. With that said, can someone provide input on my current diet and what I can do to hit my goals? Should I be getting more protein, less/more calories? Should I adjust my workouts (without significantly increasing the amount of time per work out)?

TL/DR:
1) Workout 5 x days a week. 3 x cardio/circuit 2 x weight lifting
2) Want to get more cut around waist and hit certain strength targets
3) Is my diet ok?
 
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Zivic

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2002
3,505
38
91
I'd rather err on the side of toned

Another guy wanting to "tone up"

I try not to be a dick, but it's hard to overcome what comes so natural to me..

NO SUCH F^CKING THING AS TONED!!!!

What you are attempting to say is you want to build muscle and lose fat....

when a person says they want to "be more toned" or "tone up" it is an obvious sign they are a newb or complete idiots... don't be either of those guys


 

Connoisseur

Platinum Member
Sep 14, 2002
2,470
1
81
Another guy wanting to "tone up"

No offense but I don't entirely agree with that. I agree that it's a combination of building muscle and losing fat but I was specifically saying that I don't want to look like the guy in your link.

For visual reference, i'd rather look closer to this:
http://www.allstarworkouts.com/wp-c...after-blade-trinity-and-amityville-horror.jpg

than the guy in your link. Did Ryan Reynolds gain muscle to look like that? Absolutely. Did he bench press 400 lbs and squat 500 lbs? Probably not.

I've seen your other thread. Good for you. But I don't want arms that'll tear up a t-shirt or legs the size of tree trunks. Call it a girly man all you want, but I'd rather look good in a fitted suit than a guy who looks like he's straight from Muscle Beach.
 
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
49,965
6,278
136
My diet isn't a 100% consistent every day but it's typically as follows:
Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with jam; 25g protein smoothie with skim milk and fruit
Lunch: Whatever I can find in the cafeteria. Usually some Chicken/Fish dish and a side of salad. I try to add some carbs (like with a sandwich or rice) but don't go crazy.
Snack/After Workout: 25g protein shake
Dinner: Cooked Chicken/Fish/Steak with a side of veggies and some carbs (brown rice, pasta etc.)
All in all i'd say I get about 100g of protein on an average day and around 2000-2500 calories. This varies as I do end up having social obligations throughout the week due to my consulting gig.

I'll cut to the chase & give you all my secrets:

1. You must be willing to cook
2. You must be willing to go shopping for ingredients
3. You must be willing to eat ALL the time
4. The easiest meal plan is lean meat + veggie (with more veggie than meat on the plate)

SociallyChallenged has a great food list here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=162171

So to start out with, you are not eating enough. Eat a small meal every 3 hours, starting when you wake up. You don't have to go nuts; just cut your sandwich and eat half at 10am and half at noon. Easy. My best results have been from simply doing meat & veggie combinations (salmon & carrots, chicken & broccoli, tuna & peas, 90/10 beef patty & sweet potato, turkey breast & cauliflower).

It just depends on how serious you want to get about it. I've been into H&F for about 5 years now and have had my ups and downs. My best results have come from having a great diet. I am one of the few people I know who gets great results because of this. I have a lot of friends who go to the gym all the time, but they don't eat right for their goals, so they miss out on their full potential. So: are you willing to go shopping, cook your meals, and eat meat/veggies every few hours? If so, you will be a pretty happy dude in a few months :thumbsup:
 

Pantlegz

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2007
4,627
4
81
No offense but I don't entirely agree with that. I agree that it's a combination of building muscle and losing fat but I was specifically saying that I don't want to look like the guy in your link.

For visual reference, i'd rather look closer to this:
http://www.allstarworkouts.com/wp-c...after-blade-trinity-and-amityville-horror.jpg

than the guy in your link. Did Ryan Reynolds gain muscle to look like that? Absolutely. Did he bench press 400 lbs and squat 500 lbs? Probably not.

I've seen your other thread. Good for you. But I don't want arms that'll tear up a t-shirt or legs the size of tree trunks. Call it a girly man all you want, but I'd rather look good in a fitted suit than a guy who looks like he's straight from Muscle Beach.

The point he was trying to get across is there is no such thing as 'toning muscle'. The only way to get a more athletic build is to lift more and cardio less especially if you're skinny to begin with. Cardio should be done after everything else, preferably HIIT, or maybe first thing in the morning if you're lifting later in the day. I consider myself to have an athletic build and I squat over 500lbs...
 

Zivic

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2002
3,505
38
91
No offense but I don't entirely agree with that. I agree that it's a combination of building muscle and losing fat but I was specifically saying that I don't want to look like the guy in your link.

For visual reference, i'd rather look closer to this:
http://www.allstarworkouts.com/wp-c...after-blade-trinity-and-amityville-horror.jpg

than the guy in your link. Did Ryan Reynolds gain muscle to look like that? Absolutely. Did he bench press 400 lbs and squat 500 lbs? Probably not.

I've seen your other thread. Good for you. But I don't want arms that'll tear up a t-shirt or legs the size of tree trunks. Call it a girly man all you want, but I'd rather look good in a fitted suit than a guy who looks like he's straight from Muscle Beach.
so just eat chicken and rice and do HIIT
 

mple

Senior member
Oct 10, 2011
278
1
71
No offense but I don't entirely agree with that. I agree that it's a combination of building muscle and losing fat but I was specifically saying that I don't want to look like the guy in your link.

For visual reference, i'd rather look closer to this:
http://www.allstarworkouts.com/wp-c...after-blade-trinity-and-amityville-horror.jpg

than the guy in your link. Did Ryan Reynolds gain muscle to look like that? Absolutely. Did he bench press 400 lbs and squat 500 lbs? Probably not.

I've seen your other thread. Good for you. But I don't want arms that'll tear up a t-shirt or legs the size of tree trunks. Call it a girly man all you want, but I'd rather look good in a fitted suit than a guy who looks like he's straight from Muscle Beach.

RR looks about 170-180lbs in that pic. Cut about 20 lbs and you probably won't be too far off
 

Phanuel

Platinum Member
Apr 25, 2008
2,304
2
0
180lbs for that? I'm 194lbs at the same height as him and at about 15-16% bf and I don't have nearly that amount of muscle. I'm figuring I need to hit 200 with <10% bf to look like that. *shrug*

Dumb question for diet though, should I be consuming the same number of calories on workout days vs rest days? Or do I adjust up and down my calories by the estimated calories burned during the workout. E.g. bulking at 15% of maintenance of 2300 = 2,600 + 300 workout = 2,900 on some days and then back down to 2,600 on rest days or do I just do maintenance + bulk % and call it a day?
 
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Zivic

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2002
3,505
38
91
180lbs for that? I'm 194lbs at the same height as him and at about 15-16% bf and I don't have nearly that amount of muscle. I'm figuring I need to hit 200 with <10% bf to look like that. *shrug*

there's nothing to him... i would say he's 150. SCRAWNY!

I have been in the 160-170 range and had a decent taper to me and was MUCH bigger through the shoulders and arms
 

Phanuel

Platinum Member
Apr 25, 2008
2,304
2
0
I'll weigh myself and take a picture tomorrow. I look scrawny and I'm the exact same height as him, 6'2", and am over 190 with just underwear on.
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
16,843
2
0
there's nothing to him... i would say he's 150. SCRAWNY!

I have been in the 160-170 range and had a decent taper to me and was MUCH bigger through the shoulders and arms

Indeed.

He has height going for him so that will distort his weight.

I'm 5'10 and 84.5kg 185lbs in this pic. About 10-11%
https://i.imgur.com/Y8RNyXo.jpg

Being *lean* means you are going to look as if you weigh a lot more, but most people don't unless they are infact tall or just huge.

200lbs and a real 10% and you are pretty f0cking big. Imagine another 10lbs of steak on my frame. I'd be a lot bigger!

Koing
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
16,843
2
0
True... I am short

Some people they have no idea what people weigh.

My mate's 6'2 and 96kg. This other guy thought my mate was 110-115kg! LOL.

Koing
 

Zivic

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2002
3,505
38
91
Some people they have no idea what people weigh.

My mate's 6'2 and 96kg. This other guy thought my mate was 110-115kg! LOL.

Koing

I have a guy that I work out with on occasion. he says to me that I'm looking a bit leaner and asks what I weigh... I says under 210. his reply "f^ck!" -> We are the same height and about the same weight. the 'f^ck' was his realization how much bigger I look than he does at the same weight. so yes, it can be hard to judge a person's weight. Look at Flexis Lewis. He competes in the 212 olympia. He is huge
 

JBT

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
12,094
1
81
What the heck dude, if I get you as my Secret Santa, you better send me a 3D-printed Koing action figure!

/puts down his box of cookies and goes to do a pity workout

lol right? Koing is the man!
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
16,843
2
0
lol right? Koing is the man!

Cookies are fine in moderation, just don't eat half a box every day of the week

I ate about 10 the other day. Why? I wanted to. I eat veg, cooked dinners etc. Job done. I obviously would get fat fast if I ate 20 biscuits every day of the week or it would dramatically ruin the rest of my calories if I was to even try and balance it out.

Koing
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
16,843
2
0
I have a guy that I work out with on occasion. he says to me that I'm looking a bit leaner and asks what I weigh... I says under 210. his reply "f^ck!" -> We are the same height and about the same weight. the 'f^ck' was his realization how much bigger I look than he does at the same weight. so yes, it can be hard to judge a person's weight. Look at Flexis Lewis. He competes in the 212 olympia. He is huge

Depends how experience the guy guessing has with what people actually weigh. Being lean really throughs people off their estimates.

Flex Lewis is 212 and COMPETITION SHREDDED. Off season a softer 230-235 and just huge.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B-lVDMqrP...s1600/JamesLewis-MD-Jan2013-PerBernal-745.jpg

200lbs is the bench mark for show ready guys. Most never get to 200lb show ready. It's a very humbling feeling to realise how far you have to go to get to 200+ and show ready LOL.

Koing
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
16,843
2
0
Holy god man! You could be the next terminator or something :thumbsup:

Im still plugging away at stronglifts but ive got a long way to go before looking anything like that...


Keep training and you will get to where you want to be

How much do you weigh and how tall are you? What are the rest of your lifts like?

Koing
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,604
15
81
Keep training and you will get to where you want to be

How much do you weigh and how tall are you? What are the rest of your lifts like?

Koing

Im 70kg and 5'9

Squats - 70kg (doing bill starrs rehab thing right now for squats, pulled a hip flexor digging a pond hole, was at 87kg before)
Deadlift - 97kg
Bench - 72.5kg
T bar row - 35kg (just started these, liking them better than the pendlay/bent over rows, gather its just as good a move to be doing)
Overhead press - 40kg
 

Zivic

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2002
3,505
38
91
Holy god man! You could be the next terminator or something :thumbsup:

Im still plugging away at stronglifts but ive got a long way to go before looking anything like that...

some tough love coming....

get rid of the b1tch mitts and you will be that much closer to your goals


edit:
you can wear them if they match your purse
 

Phanuel

Platinum Member
Apr 25, 2008
2,304
2
0
I wear my calluses as a badge of honor. But I probably also have a little too much callus from doing pullups and rows with an incorrect grip.
 
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