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[ezrarh]

^^^ Thanks. I just don't want to get overweight.



In short I want to be strong and health. I don't want to be a mountain of muscles but I'd like to have some real definition in my arms. I don't need to run a marathon but I'd like to able to jog for sometime without getting tired.

Like others have said, what you want is pretty simple. A beginner strength program based on compound exercises and some cardio would suit you fine. You can either run after your lifting or on the off days. I would mix up the cardio with some HIIT work as well. That and general clean eating.

Also, take it from a guy who lifts a lot of heavy weight and doesn't do that much cardio at the moment - it's very hard to become a mountain of muscles if you don't eat a lot like I do and even then, it's still hard.

 

[FallingEdge]

They should make creatine monhydrate flavored tacos. Nothing better than the sandy, granulated, no taste taco.

When a supplement says it is unflavored, it should taste unflavored. Taste like nothing. Basically, taste like creatine. I tried some unflavorved BCAAs once and it was the worst thing I have ever had to drink. It was awful and I was pissed I had a whole container to go through.

I ought to sue their candy asses and get justice in this world.

WE THE PEOPLE.

 

[MrToughPants]

Ain't that the truth.

It is amazing to see how much better I feel when eating lower carb. No more bloat. yaaaay.

I always feel better after eating a shit load of carbs. I only bloat from my morning oatmeal shake.

3300 cals of carby goodness

Everything but the steak is soaking in pure Quebec maple syrup .

/Canadian

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Speaking of eating mountains, managed to cram down 2800 calories today - that's the most I've managed to eat without resorting to unhealthy fast food (lol chinese take aways):

315g of protein, 80g of fat, and 200g of carbs.

I didn't really mean to consume that much protein, I'm glad I don't have any kidney problems.

 

[shamanick]

I always feel better after eating a shit load of carbs. I only bloat from my morning oatmeal shake.

3300 cals of carby goodness

That looks amazing.

I've been bulking for the first time ever for the last month or so and I've had trouble eating enough "clean" food so I've started incorporating peanut butter sandwiches into my daily diet. I'm really paranoid about getting fat again though so I feel guilty every time I eat one, haha.

 

[ConradCervantes]

So as someone new to this culture, is there an ideal weight to which I should aspire? I'm 5'7" and 155. I don't know my body fat, but I've heard BMI is a horseshit metric to measure oneself.

 

[Bruiserk]

I always feel better after eating a shit load of carbs. I only bloat from my morning oatmeal shake.

3300 cals of carby goodness

Everything but the steak is soaking in pure Quebec maple syrup .

/Canadian

How often do you eat that?

 

[rando14]

So as someone new to this culture, is there an ideal weight to which I should aspire? I'm 5'7" and 155. I don't know my body fat, but I've heard BMI is a horseshit metric to measure oneself.

Not really. I judge myself not by how much I weigh but how I look in the mirror. Weight fluctuates a lot anyways so don't put too much into it.

 

[ConradCervantes]

Not really. I judge myself not by how much I weigh but how I look in the mirror. Weight fluctuates a lot anyways so don't put too much into it.

That's a good philosophy. I quit drinking soda after a semester full of twenty-hour days and replaced it with obscene amounts of water, and I feel like I'm retaining a lot of it.

 

[SeanR1221]

I'm saving that for Sunday.

Will easily eat $15/$20 worth of food from Taco Bell and do not care. SO GOOD.

I want to, but I'm also hitting the sushi buffet on Friday.

I ate 8 eggs today. Youalreadydead.jpg

 

[MrToughPants]

How often do you eat that?

I usually eat a huge meal when I get home from work. I work a physical job so I need the calories to just maintain my weight, 195 @ ~10%. Bf might be lower I looked shredded today lol. I'm often in a crawl space moving around on my stomach doing plumbing and having to do muscle ups to get out of the hole. I don't lose muscle mass lifting once or twice a week (not lately) as long as I eat enough.

 

[Bruiserk]

I usually eat a huge meal when I get home from work. I work a physical job so I need the calories to just maintain my weight, 195 @ ~10%. Bf might be lower I looked shredded today lol. I'm often in a crawl space moving around on my stomach doing plumbing and having to do muscle ups to get out of the hole. I don't lose muscle mass lifting once or twice a week (not lately) as long as I eat enough.

I meant those foods specifically. Those look like frozen waffles.

 

[Ezduo]

What cardio routines do some of you guys do? And if they're on a treadmill/stationary bike can you trust the heart rate monitors? I choose the cardio option on the machines but it never really seems that hard, I feel like I should be running/biking faster but the machine will actually start to force me to slow down if it says my heart rate is too high.

 

[MrToughPants]

I meant those foods specifically. Those look like frozen waffles.

I eat EVERYTHING...Seriously, I ate half a bag of Cheetos Crunchy (the 310g bag) before making that meal. I was just feeling lazy after work and wanted to sit down and munch. I haven't sat down since 8am not even for my lunch.

I really don't care what I consume as long as they're calories and there's some protein in my diet.

Had 2 Big Macs and that Bistro Chicken sandwich, 2 super sized fries and coke from McDonald's yesterday along with 1L of milk for supper.

 

[sphinx]

see you guys in the next thread!

this was a nice "first class" thread for me, looking forward to learn and understand more of this in OT5

 

[otapnam]

What cardio routines do some of you guys do? And if they're on a treadmill/stationary bike can you trust the heart rate monitors? I choose the cardio option on the machines but it never really seems that hard, I feel like I should be running/biking faster but the machine will actually start to force me to slow down if it says my heart rate is too high.

I used to like cross country mode - it doesnt react to your heart rate. Just up the speed to what you can handle and youre good to go

 

[Gibbo]

hey gents, i injured my ankle about a month ago, and it still hurts slightly when i run. before this i could run 16km- but im now struggling with even 5km. is there any good form of cardio for those with foot injuries? i work in a fast paced desk job- and i love my asian food; so im in danger of gaining weight.

 

[EviLore]

hey gents, i injured my ankle about a month ago, and it still hurts slightly when i run. before this i could run 16km- but im now struggling with even 5km. is there any good form of cardio for those with foot injuries? i work in a fast paced desk job- and i love my asian food; so im in danger of gaining weight.

Elliptical, cycling, swimming

 

[zychi]

I'll see if I can get some video on Friday

Stats;

Age: 22
Weight: 155lbs
Height: 5'10"
Body fat: Around the 20% mark

This makes no sense. I'm the same size and weigh more, and I'm not ripped or anything. Just using a bm calc, you should be 13% not 20%

Unless you're super wide? I have no idea how you have 20% body fat at that weight and height.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

This makes no sense. I'm the same size and weigh more, and I'm not ripped or anything. Just using a bm calc, you should be 13% not 20%

Unless you're super wide? I have no idea how you have 20% body fat at that weight and height.

Muscle mass and frame size. Where are you getting the 13% figure from? You can't calculate someone's bodyfat % without measuring them with calipers or putting them in a bod-pod or the like.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Played around with 4-2-4 tempo (4 seconds up, 2 seconds hold, 4 seconds down) to make each set last, adding more bang to the set. Charlie horse central.

 

[zychi]

Muscle mass and frame size. Where are you getting the 13% figure from? You can't calculate someone's bodyfat % without measuring them with calipers or putting them in a bod-pod or the like.

http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/body-fat-percentage.php

Its different if he's talking about BMI. Maybe it was a typo? I'm not trying to be negative, the math just seemed totally off to me, as he weighs way less than me, and doesn't seem like he should have that much fat if he's only 155 at 5'10.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/body-fat-percentage.php

Its different if he's talking about BMI. Maybe it was a typo? I'm not trying to be negative, the math just seemed totally off to me, as he weighs way less than me, and doesn't seem like he should have that much fat if he's only 155 at 5'10.

It's entirely possible Caramello's bodyfat estimate is incorrect, but without any measurements or even pictures you can't really know otherwise. That calculator requires a waist measurement which wasn't provided. Even if it was, a waist measurement isn't enough to accurately calculate bodyfat % from. Without calipers, hydrostatic weighing or a DEXA scan your best bet for determining bf% is probably a visual estimation.

 

[velociraptor]

Speaking of eating mountains, managed to cram down 2800 calories today - that's the most I've managed to eat without resorting to unhealthy fast food (lol chinese take aways):

315g of protein, 80g of fat, and 200g of carbs.

I didn't really mean to consume that much protein, I'm glad I don't have any kidney problems.

315g protein? How did you manage that!

 

[Cudder]

315g protein? How did you manage that!

Not hard on a 2800cal diet! I get 215 per day while eating only 1970calories.

 

[LeroyPantwether]

I ate 8 eggs today. Youalreadydead.jpg

hah i did that yesterday, turns out i quite enjoy eggs. So i went to the market and bought seven dozen , also bought 5 gallons of milk and one gallon of chocolate milk ../SS bulk , i'll be damned if i don't gain weight

 

[Mayyhem]

I always feel better after eating a shit load of carbs. I only bloat from my morning oatmeal shake.

3300 cals of carby goodness

Everything but the steak is soaking in pure Quebec maple syrup .

/Canadian

That's 3300 calories? Damn, maybe my calorie guessing isnt as good as I thought. I wouldn't have guessed close to that number. Is it those waffles that are sending it that high?

 

[SquiddyCracker]

315g protein? How did you manage that!

Two 90g 90% Protein shakes - 162g
300g of Cottage cheese - 32g
850ml of skim milk - 27g
6 veggie sausages - 68g
1 can of baked beans - 18g

Throw in 8g of trace protein from the non-protein rich stuff I ate, and you end up at 315g. I could probably have skipped out on one protein shake, but they are pretty tasty and I like having one before bed, and one in the morning.

On a vegetarian diet, it's an alright amount of proteins, but it's mostly thanks to my new protein powder.

 

[Zoe]

That's a good philosophy. I quit drinking soda after a semester full of twenty-hour days and replaced it with obscene amounts of water, and I feel like I'm retaining a lot of it.

Retaining water is more a consequence of your diet than how much water you're drinking.

 

[entremet]

I always feel better after eating a shit load of carbs. I only bloat from my morning oatmeal shake.

3300 cals of carby goodness

Everything but the steak is soaking in pure Quebec maple syrup .

/Canadian

I love your posts lol. Still bulking?

 

[MjFrancis]

I love your posts lol. Still bulking?

I think he's just trying to maintain what he has. With his line of work I completely understand.

 

[cryptic]

Anyone have experience squatting in boots? I can get a nice pair cheap.

I ask because I'm starting to worry about slipping while squatting in socks or dropping weight on my toes during a DL.
Thanks.

 

[rando14]

Anyone have experience squatting in boots? I can get a nice pair cheap.

I ask because I'm starting to worry about slipping while squatting in socks or dropping weight on my toes during a DL.
Thanks.

slipping? dropping on your toes during DL? the bar cant even touch my toes...

 

[Cudder]

Anyone have experience squatting in boots? I can get a nice pair cheap.

I ask because I'm starting to worry about slipping while squatting in socks or dropping weight on my toes during a DL.
Thanks.

Are you doing the splits on the way down on your dead lifts?

 

[TheCrow]

He probably just lifts sumo. I wouldn't deadlift in boots because of the heel, instead just get some converse.

 

[ConradCervantes]

Retaining water is more a consequence of your diet than how much water you're drinking.

Well, I'm trying to up my protein levels. Start off the day with five scrambled eggs and usually have a strawberry smoothie for lunch or dinner. I snack on granola bars in between. As far as calories go, I've been trying to keep it below 2000 by cutting out soda and junk food.

 

[cryptic]

Are you doing the splits on the way down on your dead lifts?

No but sometimes when I pull with all my back my legs just kind of get lost there and stretch out to the sides as I get into the no arm handstand. I was taught this allows all the muscle growth to fully circulate when I stand back up.

Spoiler

I started reading other forums again and became worried. I'll stick to socks. Squat shoes are too expensive. Forgive me I've been out of the gym and have had too much free time.

 

[BlueScrote]

Has anyone ever gotten foot cramps after squatting? I got crazy cramps after squatting barefoot on tuesday. After I was done with my sets I put on my shoes and my feet starting cramping up unless pressure was on the toes.

I think it may be indicative of not keeping pressure on the middle of the foot during the lift itself.

 

[Cudder]

No but sometimes when I pull with all my back my legs just kind of get lost there and stretch out to the sides as I get into the no arm handstand. I was taught this allows all the muscle growth to fully circulate when I stand back up.

Spoiler

I started reading other forums again and became worried. I'll stick to socks. Squat shoes are too expensive. Forgive me I've been out of the gym and have had too much free time.

Wait, your feet slide as your lifting?

 

[Ripclawe]

Two 90g 90% Protein shakes - 162g
300g of Cottage cheese - 32g
850ml of skim milk - 27g
6 veggie sausages - 68g
1 can of baked beans - 18g

.

I am trying to hit 250 grams and can barely tap 200. Good job though the shakes would have me running to the bathroom

 

[Szu]

Arnold actually posted this video on reddit.

http://youtu.be/g9uUR7w63EQ

I'm not the biggest fan of Crossfit, but this guy is definitely doing it right.

However, I think he's cheating since he's clearly a T-800 in disguise.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Recently got this app for my phone that helps you increase your reps in pull-ups. Currently 2/3 of the way through the 25 pull-ups program, and it's a hell of a workout for your arms (forearms and biceps).

Today's routine was:

8 pull-ups

45 sec rest

8 pull-ups

45 sec rest

9 pull-ups

1 min rest

8 -pull ups

45 sec rest

9 pull-ups

Got to the final set and only completed 5 pull-ups. :/

I seriously recommend you guys give it a try. You can download it here.

After each workout it asks you if the routine was "too easy," "just right," or "too hard," and it adjusts the program accordingly. Pretty cool. I've got a push-up one as well that works the same way.

 

[Cudder]

Yeah those guys have apps for sit ups and push ups as well which I've used. Its simple but it definitely works in helping you progress.

 

[Noema]

Holy shit, I tried a different brand of Lactose-free milk and my digestive tract didn't like it.

The current magnitude of my farts could cause extinction events.

 

[Caramello]

This makes no sense. I'm the same size and weigh more, and I'm not ripped or anything. Just using a bm calc, you should be 13% not 20%

Unless you're super wide? I have no idea how you have 20% body fat at that weight and height.

I'm slightly below 20% according to estimation and also my scales.. Waist size estimators I've used put me at 23% so it's in that ball park.

It's possible, it makes sense and I don't particular care for your tone. I'm squating 100lbs, benching 80lbs both 3x5. Clearly my lean mass is low.

Edit: I'll add that a lot of my excess fat is around the mid section so it's possible that the methods I'm using are a little off and it's only an estimation but believe me when I say a visual approximation is spot on 20% and other methods I've used back that up.

 

[BankaiZaraki]

I'm still a little lost about what kind of routine I want to set for myself. I worked out 3 days straight but without no real guidance as to what days I should be working which muscle groups. I'm thinking of doing SS as almost all of you recommend it. Also quick question-After you get accustomed to lifting a certain amount of weights, when should you change your weights to do a heavier set?

 

[balddemon]

I'm still a little lost about what kind of routine I want to set for myself. I worked out 3 days straight but without no real guidance as to what days I should be working which muscle groups. I'm thinking of doing SS as almost all of you recommend it. Also quick question-After you get accustomed to lifting a certain amount of weights, when should you change your weights to do a heavier set?

1. Do SS.
2. You up the weight by 2.5-10 lbs per exercise per workout.

 

[Noema]

I'm thinking of doing SS as almost all of you recommend it. Also quick question-After you get accustomed to lifting a certain amount of weights, when should you change your weights to do a heavier set?

It doesn't work like that. SS is a linear progression. It means that each workout is always going to be heavier than the last.

When you begin the program, you have to pick your starting weights. You start with just the bar to warm up and get a feel for the movement. Then you gradually add weight, probably in 10lb increments. Do this until you find a weight that is challenging, but not heavy enough that you have to grind it to do three sets of 5 reps with that weight.

So suppose your starting weights look something like this:

Squat 100lb
Bench 85lb
Press 65lb
Deadlift 135lb

Your first SS workout (assume it takes place on a monday) would be called "A" and it would look something like this:

Squat 100lb 3x5
Bench 85lb 3x5
Deadlift 135lb 1x5

These are your working sets. Working sets are 3 sets of 5 reps accross (with the exception of the deadlift, which is only 1 set of 5), which means you don't change the weight between sets. This doesn't include warmup sets. For a 100lb squat, for instance, it would look like this with warm ups:

45lbx5
45lbx5
75lbx3
100lbx5
100lbx5
100lbx5

The next workout (on Wednesday), which we'll call "B" would look like this:

Squat 110lb 3x5 (we've added 10lb since the last workout)
Press 65lb 3x5
Chinups (3 sets of as many reps as possible).

Then on Friday we repeat "A", except it's a bit heavier:

Squat 120lb 3x5 (we've added another 10lb)
Bench 90lb 3x5 (we added 5lb since monday)
Deadlift 145lb 1x5 (we've added 10lb).

So this week we've done ABA, and next week we'll do BAB, etc. And every workout we're adding weight to the bar. At first you'll be adding 10lb to the lower body lifts per workout and 5lb to the upper body lifts. After a while, that'll have to change and you'll be adding 5lb per workout to the lower body lifts, and 2.5lb to the upper body lifts.

For further information: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program

 

[balddemon]

Haha I almost posted "Noema will be here to explain more in-depth shortly."

 

[Imm0rt4l]

I wish I did starting strength way back when. currently doing a split that switches from hypertrophy to strength. I'm just now realizing that Layne Nortons PHAT has the same principles, so I might look more into his routine.