A year is a good healthy pace for people who just started "dieting". If you're into fitness for competition purposes, yeah it's achievable in 3-4 months of hard dieting and consistent training. But let's be honest, most of us aren't competing and most of us aren't that disciplined and obsessive either, so most are not in a hurry to get to point B, but mainly to stay healthy and fit throughout our lives.

I think it's better to attain small goals over time, because what happens if you reach that body in 3-4 months, more than likely it's hard to maintain it. And then what?

7/23/2013 1:23:38 PM

Quote :

"A year? You could be ripped in 3 months or 4 months - right in time to be uncomfortably cold for winter."

Yeah well i'm currently at a 3500 Kcal deficit/week now so loosing 15 lbs in the next 3 months is definitely doable. If I get to 15% BF i should have noticeable AB definition. we'll see. i'm not too worried about the cold. it doesn't get very cold here. I was grilling out in flip flops and board shorts in 80 degree weather for New Years last year.

7/23/2013 1:38:08 PM

^^ Agreed. Small gains over time will serve us all better than trying to completely change our bodies Biggest Loser style in a matter of weeks/months. I guess if you can pull off a dramatic change in a couple months and sustain it, more power to you. Too many failures though with that strategy.



[Edited on July 23, 2013 at 1:38 PM. Reason : hj]

7/23/2013 1:38:34 PM

Quote :

"so most are not in a hurry to get to point B"

Fuck if I'm not. I just lack the willpower

[Edited on July 23, 2013 at 2:06 PM. Reason : I know that's what you're saying]

7/23/2013 2:05:34 PM

You can definitely achieve 15%. Hell youll be there in ~3 weeks. But the guy in the picture you posted is sub 10% with a lot of muscle. That would take a lot of work and discipline.

Going from 15% to 10% is not at all comparable to 20% to 15% Youve really got to want it to endure the hunger, fatigue, etc that single digits takes.

7/23/2013 5:30:18 PM

YES! MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper finally joined forces!!!

7/23/2013 9:28:55 PM

Armchair endocrinologists ITT

7/24/2013 11:12:47 AM

Sometimes it seems like there's not enough armchairs in the world for this thread.

[Edited on July 24, 2013 at 11:24 AM. Reason : does that even make any sense?]

7/24/2013 11:24:30 AM

Not really armchair. Im easily below 15% now probably 12%

Tried to push below 10% but its freaking hard to stick with it. Its brutal.

7/25/2013 4:10:41 PM

^ post a pic of your progress to lend some credibility to all of your talk.

7/25/2013 5:29:24 PM

So face spends $4,000 on alcohol per month (as pers his own post in CC) and is at 12% body fat. He also has tremendous knowledge in the realms of health and fitness, but somehow it partially escapes him because he spends thousands a month on alcohol.

7/25/2013 5:33:24 PM

$3,200. The bill total was like $4k. Not the alcohol

And yes im well below 15% im 6'0, 158 lbs dude.

7/25/2013 6:53:53 PM

I bet you're not 6 foot. 158 would be too skinny

[Edited on July 25, 2013 at 7:15 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2013 7:14:16 PM

That doesn't say much. I am 5f 7i and 140 lbs. but I am like 25% bf.

7/25/2013 7:16:41 PM

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2uny9p0&s=5

This is 158 six foot and this is 184

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2uny9p0&s=5

[Edited on July 25, 2013 at 7:22 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2013 7:21:20 PM

Im 6'0 on the money and I am pretty skinny.

Im not loaded with muscle or anything im around 140 LBM

7/25/2013 8:27:29 PM

^^ same pic

EAT people...if you wanna gain mass its not that hard to understand...lemme rephrase that EAT RIGHT.

7/25/2013 8:51:33 PM

I just moved to Baltimore and am trying out new gyms in the area. The one I like the most has a lot of strongman equipment, and I got to try out atlas stones today. I now have a new favorite way to do front squats! The stones sit easily on my arms and shoulders without pinching me, and it's easy to squat down low with one cradled in your arms.

7/25/2013 8:52:47 PM

I'm not quite 6'2" and when I ran cross country in high school my lowest was 154 skin and bones

7/25/2013 9:16:21 PM

Seduced by the Illusion: The Truth About Transformation Photos
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-dixon/weight-loss-secrets_b_3643898.html

DAMN

Before AND After... within one hour
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-07-24-ADixonTransform1.jpg

Quote :

"I decided to take my own transformation photos to see what was possible with just a few easy tweaks. About six months ago I was around 185 pounds and about 16 percent body fat. I was feeling particularly bloated on the day, so I asked my girlfriend to take a before shot. I then shaved my head, face and chest and prepared for the after shot, which was about an hour after I took the before shot. I did a few push ups and chin ups, tweaked my bedroom lighting, sucked in, tightened my abs and BOOM! We got our after shot."

Before and After... also within one hour
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-07-24-ADixonTransform2.jpg

Quote :

"Just a few weeks ago I took another series of photos in an attempt to be a little more deceptive. I wanted to show a series of progressions that look like a few months of hard work and dieting. I'm about 200 pounds and 19 percent body fat in this photo series. This took under an hour to produce."

7/26/2013 2:08:46 AM

^ I can pull that off if I shave my chest and do some push-ups, etc and get some sun. I'm built similar to that guy 6'0, 195 lbs, no idea on my body fat because I don't have a good way to measure it.

7/26/2013 11:42:11 AM

How does this look for a muscle building routine? I took a modified HCT-12 program 3 day split. I was a bit confused by all the information on what exactly cluster training is but from what I understand it's 3 doubles at 6rm for the primary lifts. And it flips between Upper/Lower/Upper and Lower/Upper/Lower each week. Sorry this is copy/pasted from a spreadsheet I made.

Monday – Upper Body
Bench Press (horizontal press) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Weighted Chin-ups (vertical pull) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Barbell Rows (horizontal pull) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Incline Bench (vertical press) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Closed Grip Bench (triceps) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Side Raises (shoulders) 1 set @ 6 rep maximum
Upright Row (shoulders) 1 set @ 6 rep maximum
Abs Varies

Wednesday – Lower Body
Squats 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Deadlift 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Standing Olympic Bar Curls 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Glute Ham Raisers 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Standing Calf Raises 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Preacher Curls 2 sets @ 6 rep maximum
Smith Machine Shrugs 2 sets @ 6 rep maximum
Abs Varies

Friday – Upper Body
Bench Press (horizontal press) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Weighted Chin-ups (vertical pull) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Barbell Rows (horizontal pull) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Incline Bench (vertical press) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Closed Grip Bench (triceps) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum
Side Raises (shoulders) 1 set @ 6 rep maximum
Upright Row (shoulders) 1 set @ 6 rep maximum
Abs Varies

7/26/2013 12:53:39 PM

No good gyms near south Durham or RTP? I find this hard to believe.

7/26/2013 1:42:51 PM

I live near rtp there are tons of gyms.... I go to O2 and I've loved it so far

But I don't use a lot of equipment

7/26/2013 2:28:06 PM

Took the dog out paddelboarding yesterday afternoon and this morning...and it's probably one of the best workouts I've had in a long time. Big time core workout. And if you're going against the current or there is a strong wind, good arm/shoulders/back stuff going on. We also took the boards out to the beach instead of dropping in at the creek...and carrying those boards a long distance does a number on your biceps/shoulders. I think we're going to pick up a couple boards now that we know the dog is fine with being on the boards with us. I'm pumped about having a great workout activity that I actually enjoy doing...and being able to do it on the water is crazy icing on the cake.

Also finished this morning with a stop by Lowe's to pick up 600lbs of Sakrete. Great way to finish the workout of loading and unloading 12-50lbs bags of cement.

7/26/2013 2:44:35 PM

There's too many options, that's why I'm asking. Probably going with the O2 at Fayetteville and 54 or the Fitness Connection on Emperor Blvd. O2 is closer but Fitness Connection is cheaper. A friend likes the fitness connection in North Hills but I haven't talked to anyone that's used the RTP location.

7/26/2013 4:48:47 PM

Quote :

"How does this look for a muscle building routine? I took a modified HCT-12 program 3 day split. I was a bit confused by all the information on what exactly cluster training is but from what I understand it's 3 doubles at 6rm for the primary lifts. And it flips between Upper/Lower/Upper and Lower/Upper/Lower each week. Sorry this is copy/pasted from a spreadsheet I made. Monday – Upper Body Bench Press (horizontal press) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum Weighted Chin-ups (vertical pull) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum Barbell Rows (horizontal pull) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum Incline Bench (vertical press) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum Closed Grip Bench (triceps) 3 doubles @ 6 rep maximum Side Raises (shoulders) 1 set @ 6 rep maximum Upright Row (shoulders) 1 set @ 6 rep maximum Abs Varies"

You should switch it up a bit so you're not always working at the same % of max. I also think you should do more volume on your accessory lifts; if your goal is to build muscle, then volume is king. You need to eat enough to support growth but you're doing a lot of doubles and not enough in the 5-10 rep range. What about something like this?

Mon:
Bench Press (Week 1: 3 sets of 3, Week 2: 3 sets of 5, Week 3: Work up to a heavy single, then drop down for a set of 3, then drop for a set of 5)
Chin-ups 3x5
Rows 3x3
Incline Bench 3x8-10 (Aim for fatigue)
Tricep Pushdowns or some other tricep movement 3x10
Side raises (3x12-15 - go high rep with controlled reps and low weight until it burns like hell)

Personally, I like to throw in more direct gun/shoulders/pec work. Drop sets with curls, shrugs, cable flies - whatever I can do to wear out those muscles.

I also don't do a pure upper/lower split, though. I started doing something like this:

Tuesday: Lower body strength (heavy doubles and triples on squats or deadlifts), Upper body volume (working mostly in the 6-10 rep range)
Thursday: Upper body strength (heavy doubles and triples on overhead press), lower body volume (good mornings, split squats, leg press, calf raises)
Saturday: Upper body
Sunday: Lower body

Throwing some full body workouts in, you can really up the frequency that you're doing each lift, but you're not pushing for hypertrophy for every muscle group every workout.

[Edited on July 26, 2013 at 5:25 PM. Reason : ]

7/26/2013 5:23:54 PM

I've lost about 12 lbs so far the past 7 weeks using Weight Watchers. I wasn't really doing too terrible with controlling my weight before, but I think it had been creeping up on me with lifting weights several times a week and really not controlling portions too much. Since then I've maintained my typical workout routine (3-4 days a week) with one or two running sessions (anywhere from 3-5 miles on off days). Now I feel and look much better by eating smaller portions and really look forward to those few times a week I can splurge on a relatively fatty meal and/or night of heavy drinking (which I know will be more frequent with football season coming). I think my ultimate goal is to to maybe shave another 10-15 lbs and get down closer to what I weighed in high school with more muscle.

7/26/2013 11:41:26 PM

Okay fuck it. Going to give this fat loss thing one final go to try to get lean before labor day.

Weighed in at 163.4 lbs and 19.1% on the scale. Realistically I think I look about 14-15% this morning but I did eat a lot and drink ~20 beers yesterday so hard to know whats just bloat.

Lifted today so tomorrow will probably be a more accurate starting weight.

Id like to see sub 16.4% on the scale because thats what I was at when I bought it in 2007. Dont think ive seen below that since.

Tried and failed twice on this final push, maybe this is my lucky round.

7/28/2013 10:51:44 AM

Too late, bro. Might as well start bulking so you have enough muscle mass to look decent for summer 2014.

7/28/2013 2:10:57 PM

How low do I need to cut to efficiently start a bulk without excessive fat but not stall in going too low BF?

[Edited on July 28, 2013 at 7:06 PM. Reason : I made my other point earlier]

7/28/2013 7:02:28 PM

Wow this guy is a fitness god... Any tww equivalents on here? I bet his core muscles are off the chart in density and strength.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1390178764538679

7/28/2013 7:40:34 PM

I never understood why someone would want to develop their upper body to that level with no apparent lower body development. Even gymnasts need leg strength for floor routines.

[Edited on July 28, 2013 at 7:51 PM. Reason : there's a group of street gymnasts like that in NYC that do cool videos]

7/28/2013 7:51:18 PM

They show him doing leg stuff at the end

7/28/2013 9:01:23 PM

this is one fine russian. i wouldn't know what to do with him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agZhwWlDWOU

7/29/2013 12:28:23 AM

acraw, this video will make your pants wet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bSRAXNa5PY

another diving video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Km-6_9KAqg

and another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwl7Oy39EYs

his wife for you to hate on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tclNmjnFdcI

dancing with the stars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eqjcPMs2Z8

dude is very powerful

660 lb deadlift
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOCh7MmD_B8

600x5 lb deadlift off blocks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVqAMd1ntt8

550 lb front squat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDVNM9Yto7E

510 lb clean and jerk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPO0LuDxXUE

495x5 lb squat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdREvkR6Yuk

495 lb push press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdN1Sg4j-Sk

451 lb snatch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkPWjpURboQ

341x5 lb snatch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MY_zu7YePc

his channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/44252005?feature=watch


[Edited on July 29, 2013 at 3:50 AM. Reason : haha, i was bored. btw, he totally looks like that baldwin actor, esp when his hair is wet]

7/29/2013 3:39:56 AM

Paul, you should cut to 10-12% before beginning a bulk. And around 15% stop. After 15% your body will hoard more fat.

7/29/2013 8:18:44 AM

what are some good exercises to strengthen grip?

7/29/2013 9:18:11 AM

According to http://rosstraining.com/blog/, anything with ropes or throwing a towel over the pull up bar and pulling on those.

7/29/2013 9:22:09 AM

thanks d357r0y3r, I will try to mix it up a bit more.

again noob to the terminology, can you explain what you mean here:

Quote :

"Bench Press (Week 1: 3 sets of 3, Week 2: 3 sets of 5, Week 3: Work up to a heavy single, then drop down for a set of 3, then drop for a set of 5)"

Do you mean 3 sets of 3 reps, 3; sets of 5 reps; max out then do a lighter 3 rep set, then lighter 5 rep set? Are drop sets where you start out really heavy with low reps, and then work with lighter weight on higher reps?

Should I be eating carbs before the workouts and then protein after or does it matter?

Any advice on protein powder, creatine, multivitamins, and fatty acid supplements?

I start tonight. If I have time I'll take some before pictures and hopefully if I stick with it like I want to, put up the before/afters in three months or so.

[Edited on July 29, 2013 at 11:29 AM. Reason : Thanks again!]

7/29/2013 11:26:11 AM

^ Yes he means 3 sets of 3 reps or 5 reps depending on the week. As for dropping, he means work up to your max, then drop weight for a 3 rep max, then drop weight again for a 5 rep max.

7/29/2013 12:14:34 PM

Quote :

"Do you mean 3 sets of 3 reps, 3; sets of 5 reps; max out then do a lighter 3 rep set, then lighter 5 rep set? Are drop sets where you start out really heavy with low reps, and then work with lighter weight on higher reps?"

Yeah, that's right. 3x3 and 3x5 is pretty straight forward, but I often do reverse pyramid training. For instance, on Saturday I worked up to bench press 240x1, then 225x3, then 210x5. The idea is that you are fresh on your top set, but then you can still add in volume/work with more sets.

Quote :

"Should I be eating carbs before the workouts and then protein after or does it matter? "

Honestly, I think overall macros are more important than nutrient timing. You definitely want some kind of protein or at least BCAAs before working out, and I like caffeine + fruit or some kind of sugar as a pre-workout. Post workout, you want plenty of carbs and protein.

Quote :

"Any advice on protein powder, creatine, multivitamins, and fatty acid supplements?"

Protein powder is fine and cheap, it just gets boring. I think I'm a non-responder to creatine; I never notice much of a difference on it. Multi-vitamins can make a difference if you're deficient in something, but if you're eating a lot of meat, fruit, and vegetables from quality sources, you probably aren't. Fish oil is widely accepted as a beneficial supplement, regardless of goals.

7/29/2013 2:55:56 PM

Quote :

"Honestly, I think overall macros are more important than nutrient timing"

I feel the opposite. it's more important to not eat anything before a workout that will pull energy towards digestion - no protein or starches - and to get a decent amount of protein and carbs in after the workout. This is true for weight training, but not so for low intensity exercise. eating after a cardio workout isn't nearly as important.

7/29/2013 3:49:27 PM

is it true that you can't drink alcohol at all while training? I don't mean during actual training, but having a couple glasses of wine with dinner or something. My friend told me it eliminates your gains completely and when I google it, all the bodybuilding forums trash people for even bringing it up.

7/29/2013 4:30:27 PM

I definitely don't like to lift after having eaten a lot. I can remember a couple months ago where I went to Moe's and ate a burrito and a ton of chips, and having absolutely no drive at the gym. I struggled to get from set to set.

I really meant in terms of muscle gain, nutrient timing isn't as important as making sure that you're eating enough overall. If your eating habits cut into training performance, that's very bad, but there seems to be a lot of variation between people. Some people like fasted training, but I can't do it. I feel too weak, even with some BCAAs. I prefer having a medium-sized meal a couple of hours before, but only about 25% of my total calorie intake comes pre-workout.

7/29/2013 4:31:44 PM

I work out in the morning, about an hour after I get up, so I generally don't eat anything before my workout. Maybe an apple about 30 min prior on days when my stomach is growling. Most days I don't think it effects me much as my strength is still there and usually I put up similar times as to when I work out at lunch. There have been times when I thought I was going to puke up the apple though.

7/29/2013 5:25:17 PM

I wouldn't eat a ton right before a workout. A few sweet tarts or something similar is optimal.

Otherwise try to get an hour or two after eating prior to working out.

You definitely want protein and carbs within an hour post workout.


As far as supplements go on amazon.com

A 10 lb bag of optimum nutrition whey protein is only $105 with free shipping and will last you a few months.

You should take creatine monohydrate it wont run you but $15 or so for a large bottle. Take preworkout and post workout for several days. And take once on off days. This will get you to saturation in a week or two without upsetting your stomach. Take it with a small amount of carbs (juice) preworkout and with your whey shake post workout to maximize absorption.

You should also take the following: (all cheap on Amazon)

Multivitamin
Calcium w/ vitamin d. Id aim for an 800mg calcium and 5, 000 iu vitamin d.
Fish oil. 6-10 g daily to reach saturation.
Caffeine. 200mg preworkout

Stick to full body workouts 3x per week. Do not do a bodybuilding split unless youre an advanced lifter with years of training.

If youre trying to gain muscle eat around 300 kcal a day over maintenance on workout days and 0-150 on non workout days depending on how much fat youre okay gaining.

If youre trying to lose fat its a different story altogether.

For your workouts you need to spend a few weeks in the 10-12 rep range to build muscle memory and tendon/ligament strength. Don't fuck with maxing out youll probably injure yourself right now and youre a beginner so there is no need. Youll gain strength from any non-retarded lifting regimen so stick to 2 sets of light weight and higher reps for now.

As for alcohol try to avoid it on days you lift. At the very least separate the lifting/eating as far as possible from weight training. I.e. lift in the morning if you can if you know youre drinking that night. Or move your workout to the following day. Your body cant synthesize protein while alcohol is in your system so dont lift weights then drink an hour later thats stupid.

[Edited on July 29, 2013 at 5:46 PM. Reason : a]

[Edited on July 29, 2013 at 5:47 PM. Reason : a]

7/29/2013 5:43:31 PM

^thanks, I was actually going to PM you because I thought you'd give good advice. Wish I had read this before yesterday.

[words]

My friend and I joined Fitness Connection together and got a decent discount on the sign up fees and we decided to work up to our 6rm and see what we could get up to one rep of on the main lifts in our routine - so it ended up being somewhat of a full body. He's overweight (not obese) and trying to burn fat, whereas I'm pretty lean (not ripped) and want to gain muscle with as little fat as possible.

I did in this order:

3 (6) sets of squats at 135 and feel like that's definitely pretty close to my 6rm. Honestly, balance was more concerning than the weight and I'm glad I had a spotter. Crazy to think I can bench more than I can squat right now.

Then we went to bench and I was trying to see whereabouts my max was there (this is the main lift I want to concentrate on) so I did 10 @ 95 to warm up; 6 @ 125; 3 @ 135; 1 @ 145; almost got 1 @ 155; dropped down and got 1 @ 150. I think if I had started out higher, I could have gotten 155-160 but it was weird trying to get that muscle memory back. Most I've ever done was 1 @ 200 and that was high school but overall, after not lifting a thing for 5+ years, I was happy. I'd really like to get up to 225 in three months, if that's possible.

Seated EZ bar curls - 10 @ 40; 6 @ 60; 6 @ 80; 4 @ 100; 2 @ 100. I was pretty happy with that, and curls are my favorite lift.

Upright Rows with EZ bar - 10 @ 40; 6 @ 60; 4 @ 80; 3 @ 80.

Then I did two sets of 25 on decline crunches, and 2 sets @ 100 on the ab machine (not sure what it's called, started seating and lean forward).

This is not the standard routine I want to do, but I figured we should try to find about the range of our 90% or so to gauge where to start next time. We should have done dead lift, but forgot. We both have an hour long session with a personal trainer (separately) on Wednesday to see where we stand physically and to modify/recreate the routine I had laid out.

I got good protein and made a shake post workout, got a fish/flax/some other oil combination and took those, and a multivitamin. I'll look into creatine today.

Eating a lot is an issue for me but I had a thick pork chop with white rice and teriyaki for dinner and I had eaten a turkey sub two hours before the workout. Drank tons of water (I drink at least a gallon a day anyway). I also bought greek yogurt, stuff for salads, and string cheese to munch on at work.

I did have two glasses of Chardonnay. In retrospect, it didn't even give me a buzz, so I'll probably not do that again on a workout day, although I'm brewing beer Wednesday (I'm lifting MWF) with my cousin and will probably have 2-3 of his homebrews so I hope that doesn't destroy my progress for the week.

I took measurements of waist, chest, arms and some before pics, but I won't post them until I have some results I can be proud of haha.

[Edited on July 30, 2013 at 10:24 AM. Reason : .]

7/30/2013 10:20:40 AM

Not bad. One day of lifting "heavy" at the beginning isnt a huge deal because youre relatively weak right now anyway. You just dont wanna maintain that type of lifting early on.

Youll stall quickly, form will suffer, and huge risk of injury.

Id drop the weight on squats a lot and concentrate on going LOW, and exploding upwards. Ive had to do that myself.

Also make sure youre stretching the hell out of your groin after squatting and on off days. Your quads are no doubt stronger than your stabilizing muscles and groin will injure quickly if you dont build up slowly and work on flexibility.

The first few weeks take it easy. Youll get strength gains with minimal effort so save the hard work for when you need it.

Eat. A lot. You need at least 1.3g proteim per pound of lean body mass. 1.5g x bodyweight is probably a good approximation if you dont know your LBM.

7/30/2013 5:48:58 PM

Weighed in today. Down 11.4 pounds!

7/30/2013 6:00:35 PM