Quote :

"was there somewhere around state that does the bodpod? those things (from my friends who are athletic trainers) say they're the most accurate."

http://www.bodpod.com/clients/locator

I went to the one at ECU. Pretty damn cheap ($20 for me).

[Edited on July 5, 2011 at 3:48 PM. Reason : asdfasd]

7/5/2011 3:47:56 PM

I'm personally savoring this moment of "I said what everyone else was thinking."

[deep breath]

Okay so this whole trip back to America from Hungary has not been good for me. It's all been about personal choices, I know. In Hungary I have a schedule. I go to work, I get off work, I come home, eat lunch, waste 30 minutes and work out. I also am in charge of my diet over there as I never eat out and when I do, there are a lot less options so I'm used to knowing where to go and what I can eat etc.

Now that I'm home, there was the initial "Holy crap eat whatever I want 'cause I'm in UHMURICA" week, then I had a week where I went to the grocery store and got all my own food and worked out consistently.

That's pretty much when my fitness ended.

I have been traveling up and down the east coast for about a week and a half. I'm leaving again tomorrow to be gone for another few days. Then I come home for two weeks before my wedding, then I travel constantly again until I go back to Hungary in August.

That being said, I've gained about 12 lbs. and it's been sitting right there. It seems that it's mostly in my cheeks.

I can't wait to go back home (?) to Hungary and get in my groove again. Plus when I move back to America next year (more than likely), I won't be traveling non-stop and I won't be with my parents that never cook food themselves.

/endvent

7/5/2011 4:04:11 PM

^ i feel like i've been in your situation. the "well once i...." or "when i go back to...." moments.

but i know that they're just excuses for making shitty choices. taking the easier road etc etc etc. (i've totally been doing that the past few months - hence my weight gain ) so time to make some tough choices dude!

7/5/2011 4:08:58 PM

I curl in the squat rack

[Edited on July 5, 2011 at 5:07 PM. Reason : come at me bro]

7/5/2011 5:07:11 PM

Morphine Boy try not to stress too much and just take it one day at a time. I know you said you've been traveling a lot but maybe you could try to curb some of the bad eating with some healthier options. Trust me, I know how good the bad options taste but I think youll just continue to feel bad/defeated about the situation instead of tackling it head on.

I think it's great that you're continuing to work out! That's usually the hardest thing to do while traveling. I had to travel a lot for my job for a while and I know when you're out to eat and the options seem endless the yummy but not good for you options always stick out. Maybe you can try to balance it. Eat the steak but make sure it's top sirloin (or something lean) and then just have steamed veggies with it. Or if you want the mashed potatoes, get the grilled salmon and then only have a couple of bites of the potatoes.

7/5/2011 5:13:50 PM

Yeah, try not to beat yourself up - we all fall off the wagon sometimes.. and traveling makes it harder to stick to your guns. One thing that always helps me is just taking baby steps. Like instead of trying to go hardcore the next time you go out, try to pick one of the healthier sides or stick with water instead of beer (hopefully that makes sense)

7/5/2011 5:49:46 PM

yeah don't worry about it too much!

i've been on a downward slump for a little while now and trying to get myself out!

7/5/2011 6:05:33 PM

Morphine Boy - you should be taking it one day at a time like everyone above has said. However, it's obvious from your posts that you are using your time in the US as an excuse to treat your body badly and eat anything/everything you want. You should be using this time to learn how to eat properly and not gain those 12lbs. while you're on vacation and not working out like normal.

7/5/2011 7:41:23 PM

Some one PM'd me this question. My response was long and thought it would help people out here...

Q: can you explain a little more about the fat loss and lean muscle?

i'm just getting into doing more serious exercising and need to burn off fat but trying to find the right balance. currently just involved in p90x and cardio through running/cycling

A:

I'm not really a big fan of p90x or large amounts of cardio for fat loss...

They both can work well, but IMO, it takes a lot longer and you have to really kick your own ass with it.

Ideally, you want to lift heavy to stimulate protein synthesis (read: muscle building) while not causing too much wear and tear on the body (recovery requires calories). Running a lot and doing p90x tends to beat the crap out of you, requiring calories, which you should be limiting, for recovery. If you are doing too much activity, your body is going to start pulling energy from muscle to feed itself.

I was already in halfway decent shape (read: strong but around ~20% BF) so this method should be easier someone who is more overweight... this is what I did to lose 2.5lbs a week for ~10weeks straight:

I lifted weights 4x a week. Splitting upper/lower body and alternating each work out. I've been lifting for a bit and I am pretty strong so I can handle lifting that frequently. If you are new, I'd probably start with 3 days a week doing full body or just rotating upper/lower.

These workouts need to be heavy but with low total work load. In order to lose weight, you have to be in a calorie deficit. If you are in a deficit, your ability to recover from high amounts of work is compromised. So keeping it heavy, but low reps is key. I am talking about sets of 3, 5, 6s, and no more than 8s. An occasionally higher rep set can be done, but don't make it the norm.

Now the important part: dramatically increasing protein while lowering total calories to below maintanance. Most people will find success with removing carb based foods out of their diet. I recommend strictly meats and vegetables (no starches like rice or potatoes!). Shooting for 1gram of protein per pound of body weight. You can allow yourself some carb based foods like bread and starches on your training days, preferably ~2hours around your training time.

If you can stick to meats and vegetables, you will automatically create a calorie deficit unless you have some sort of metabolic/hunger disorder. High protein and high fiber foods will fill you up much faster and will have lower calories than traditional foods. This is why most fat people generally eat shitty processed foods which are high in sugar and fat. The food is convenient, delicious and cheap; creating the perfect storm for over eating. Combine that with a sedentary lifestyle and you get fat.

Weigh yourself every 1-3days to gauge progress. Realize that the weightloss will not be 100% linear, but you should be seeing down ticks every 1-3days. If after 3 days and no weight loss; do 1 or 2 things: 1. reevaluate your food intake or 2. add in some light cardio (e.g. walking, light jogging or cycling), about 15-30minutes worth a day. Recheck scale, rinse repeat.

Make sure you are trying to up your weights after hitting your target rep amounts, I recommend reverse pyramid training, 5/3/1 or 3x5s.

If you want to read more on this style of dieting check out: http://www.leangains.com or google cyclic ketogenic diet or carb cycling.

7/5/2011 9:08:24 PM

Matt, what have you heard about intense (12-15 mins) bouts of ultra high intensity work vice long, slow bouts of cardio?

Is the recovery need with calories the same, or since the duration is so short, can you throw those in and still see gains?

7/5/2011 9:24:21 PM

HIIT is useful for calorie burning...

I suppose it depends on what you are doing.

If you want to retain the most strength/muscle, then you have to lift heavy. The heaviness of the weight is going to dictate how much work you can do in 10-12minutes.

We also need to define what you mean by "intense". When I say intensity I am referring to a % of your 1rep maximum. High intensity generally 65-100% of your 1rep max in regards to weight lifting.

My opinion: doing HIIT is better than long slow distance if you have the capacity to handle it. I wouldn't recommend it to severely de-conditioned people. You, Maximus, sound like you've been lifting awhile and have decent work capacity so you can get away with HIIT and recover ok from it; other people probably not so much.

7/5/2011 9:38:03 PM

Quote :

"Morphine Boy - you should be taking it one day at a time like everyone above has said. However, it's obvious from your posts that you are using your time in the US as an excuse to treat your body badly and eat anything/everything you want. You should be using this time to learn how to eat properly and not gain those 12lbs. while you're on vacation and not working out like normal."

I feel like I just got pwnt in a good way. Valid point Wadhead1. I'll post in here in a couple days to see if I've followed through with this motivation.

And one of the reasons I didn't like posting in this thread anymore is because words like "protein synthesis" got thrown around. How about "I lost an inch off my ass." instead?

7/5/2011 9:48:39 PM

I meant like, sprinting or intervals. Not lifting. More like general conditioning to augment my own ...wait for it... beach body.

Thats what I was referring to in my question.

7/5/2011 9:56:16 PM

Sure, sprinting or HIIT running can help burn some more calories. But like I said it goes back to your work capacity and how you are setting up your diet.

Sprinting can take a lot out of you, so you will have to feed yourself to support it. Sprinting and other anearobic lactic work has been shown to release high amounts of growth hormone which is great. But like I said, if you can't recover from it, you are going to hit a wall and most likely lose more muscle than you should be.

With all that said, I like to take a less is more approach. In other words, allow your diet to take care of the deficit, rather than trying to work it all off. Lift heavy to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, eat high protein for satiaty and tissue requirments, and eat low calorie so your body is forced to use fat as a fuel.

It is MUCH easier to not eat 300 calories than it is to burn it off exercising.

7/5/2011 10:07:37 PM

Quote :

"I feel like I just got pwnt in a good way. Valid point Wadhead1. I'll post in here in a couple days to see if I've followed through with this motivation. And one of the reasons I didn't like posting in this thread anymore is because words like "protein synthesis" got thrown around. How about "I lost an inch off my ass." instead?"

Morphine Boy - Do you not like to use science and information to achieve your goals?

Protein Synthesis is the process in which cells build proteins. The term is sometimes used to refer only to protein translation but more often it refers to a multi-step process, beginning with amino acid synthesis and transcription of nuclear DNA into messenger RNA, which is then used as input to translation. (via wikipedia)

Are you intimidated by big words or concepts that seem foreign? I really fail to see why using the vocabulary of physiology should turn anyone away from this thread. Especially people who can use that information productively.

7/5/2011 10:16:10 PM

Assuming it's mostly accurate, I've found the last 8ish posts interesting, and useful. As long as we can stay away from the weight lifting centric talk, and more towards this type of information, I'm betting most will be ok with it.

7/5/2011 11:30:51 PM

I'll put my own thoughts in, since once of maximus's responses to a question of mine was a catalyst for this whole debate about what's appropriate for this thread.

Personally, I appreciate having some of the more experienced lifters doling out advice liberally here. Not so much because they can lift gigantic quantities of iron, but because to reach that point they've educated themselves on physiology and done a lot of reading about how to "get the most" out of their workouts.

That said, not all of us have the same goals or level of motivation to max out our physical potential as humans, and that has sometimes been forgotten recently. The folks who are actual physical trainers tend to be more well-rounded in their advice in this regard, because they routinely deal with people with different goals, dietary requirements, injury histories, and current abilities.

I don't mind advice at any level as long as it's well-reasoned. I'm a nerd about everything in my life and love to learn, so I don't just want to know what to do; I want to know why I should do things that way and how it will work for me. I've read a lot of good exercise science and physiology articles based on googling more information on biological and nutritional terms posted in this thread. I also learn a lot from reading responses to other people's questions, so for that reason, I don't care if answers are dumbed down a lot--describing what jump squats are, for example. We're all at different levels of fitness and experience, so that might be painfully obvious to some but not all. If something is over my head and not described, I can look it up and usually find a tutorial or youtube form video (some of which are laughably bad).

With maybe a few exceptions, we're not each other's personal trainers or workout buddies, so we don't know what level we're all at. So for people giving advice, be courteous and professional, not condescending, no matter what the question is. For people receiving advice, don't take it personally if someone answers on a level far below where you are; the responder may just not know that you've been lifting for years, or they might be responding in a more general way so that other people can learn from the same answer.

7/6/2011 12:30:11 AM

^ I think that's rather accurate... I do remember there being a bit of the whole tough love thing in the last thread (from last year) which I was helpful, but I can see your points

7/6/2011 10:06:57 AM

Matt, have you noticed any real... cognitive (might not be the right word) issues with using lean gains?

ive been looking into doing something like LG/IF, assuming i can fit it into my schedule. however, my main concern is that when i dont eat in the mornings i get kinda spacey/loopy and am worried about decreased performance at work. i do a lot of safety work at a high hazard chemical plant, where small mistakes can have big consequences. i dont want to be in some weird physiological/brain state and make errors.

it's going to be basically impossible to stop the eating period by like 7pm, too.. i've read a version that the LG guy put together for morning workout people too, and it's kinda interesting. wondering about getting imbalanced with lifting at like 5am during the middle of the fasting period.

7/6/2011 10:55:47 AM

I've dropped just about 10 lbs, I dont want to post my pictures though, I feel very self-conscious
Anyways, I've been running and cutting out my extra calories but now that it's turning humid up here I think I need more in door stuff to do.

Anyone have experience with the Jillian Michaels DVDs? I've been thinking about trying the 30 day shred dvd.

7/6/2011 11:07:27 AM

^ rock on about the weight loss

have access to a pool? i LOVE getting in and swimming during the summer - and it can be an awesome upper body workout (i don't use my legs given most of my swim training is for triathlons)

7/6/2011 11:09:25 AM

Brandi had the 30 day shred video and I would occasionally use it... she'll kick your ass.


Another good option is Exercise TV on demand - I know it sounds silly, but look up the Bridal Body Burn video and be prepared to hurt. Just thinking about that set makes me cringe.

7/6/2011 11:11:08 AM

My fiance LOVES the 30 Day Shred DVDs. She says she really gets a workout in them and really likes Jillian's approach. Give it a go and see what happens!

7/6/2011 11:11:18 AM

thanks guys! I guess I'll see what happens!

I dont own a bathing suit, I'm too self-conscious to swim but I'll also check out Exercise TV

7/6/2011 11:33:11 AM

nevermind. im gonna be nice.


[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 12:15 PM. Reason : dfgfg]

7/6/2011 12:00:08 PM

Pilgrim Shoes:

I didn't really notice much of a cognitive decline. However, I've never really been a sugar addict.

There have been reports of people feeling a little off, grouchy, spaced out or loopy for a couple weeks as their body gets more effecient running on fat/ketones. This is due to the fat burning enzymes/pathways ramping up and becoming active.

I recommend giving it a shot. I love IFing. I can go practically all day feeling energetic with out eating. Of course I get hungry, and I do eat a lot, it is just within my feeding time window.

Concerning the feeding window, it's not a do or die or absolutely rigid thing. It can fluctuate a little from day to day. The important thing is to go a substantial amount of time with no calorie intake (14-18hours, including sleep).

The benefits of combining weight training and fasting are many: Increased insulin sensitivity, positive nutrient partitioning, increased alertness and cognitive function (once your body adapts to ketone bodies) due to higher release of norepinephrine, growth hormone release, and favorable fat tissue loss in total weight loss.

Another side benefit is cell autophagy... It is theorized that fasting initiaties autophagy in cells; which is pretty much a mechanism where the cell locates, breaks down and consumes its damaged parts. It is one theory as to why caloric restriction has been proven to extend to life expectancy in rats.

I understand your nervousness with the cognitive decline given your work conditions. I suggest giving it a shot and having some fruit on standby to eat if you are feeling very off.

7/6/2011 12:33:43 PM

Quote :

"The important thing is to go a substantial amount of time with no calorie intake (14-18hours, including sleep)."

Question: Something like diet soda has no calories -- does that count or does the fact that it's loaded with sodium and caffeine counteract what you're going for?

Also, how damaging could chewing a piece of gum (that has something like 5 calories) be?

7/6/2011 12:45:02 PM

I usually feel more alert when I'm hungry. It is probably some kind of evolutionary thing that keeps you on your toes when looking for food. After I eat I get tired and rest while I need to digest it. IF combined with caffeine was quite a ride.

7/6/2011 12:46:44 PM

Quote :

" * No calories are to be ingested during the fasted phase, though coffee, calorie free sweeteners, diet soda and sugar free gum are ok (even though they might contain trace amount of calories). A tiny splash of milk in your coffee won’t affect anything either (½-1 teaspoon of milk per cup at the most - use sparingly and sensibly if you drink a lot of coffee). Neither will sugar free gum in moderation (~20 g)."

http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

ty for the response, matt.

i've got a two week beach trip lined up, leaving next week. i'll likely start doing LG after that. it'd be dumb to start it, then immediately break it.

[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 12:49 PM. Reason : e]

7/6/2011 12:48:34 PM

You're welcome. I like to spread the word on Leangains and Intermittent Fasting because it flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Also because it works beautifully for *most* people. Some people can't do it and a traditional approach may be better.

Quote :

"I usually feel more alert when I'm hungry. It is probably some kind of evolutionary thing that keeps you on your toes when looking for food. After I eat I get tired and rest while I need to digest it. IF combined with caffeine was quite a ride."

This is due to the release of catecholamines and norepinephrine. Very similar substances to adrenaline. And yes, speaking from an evolutionary standpoint, this would make sense because when you are hungry, you hunt, and you have and advantage if you are feeling sharp.

7/6/2011 1:29:29 PM

Moving is a ridiculous workout I need a back massage like whoa.

7/6/2011 1:37:45 PM

Quote :

"This is due to the release of catecholamines and norepinephrine. Very similar substances to adrenaline. And yes, speaking from an evolutionary standpoint, this would make sense because when you are hungry, you hunt, and you have and advantage if you are feeling sharp."

This is my impression of MattJMM2 right now.

7/6/2011 2:13:58 PM

Really? Stop being a hater and maybe learn a bit and you can reach your goals.

Here is a recent pic of my beach bod (warning: it's pretty gratuitous, not nude, but def a lot of skin): http://i56.tinypic.com/2ibfed0.jpg

7/6/2011 2:36:03 PM

Warning: man in underwear

(For real though, I don't think anyone will care if you post a pic in boxer briefs)

7/6/2011 2:37:44 PM

On another forum I visit, a leg shot was requested so I hiked up the boxers.

7/6/2011 2:38:31 PM

Out of context that sounds incredibly awkward

7/6/2011 2:39:52 PM

http://tinyurl.com/4ms47fx <-- guy who asked for the leg shot

7/6/2011 2:49:25 PM

lookin good matt





[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 3:03 PM. Reason : i'll just make a new post]

7/6/2011 2:50:39 PM

That's how the internet is though... You've got to be careful when you get advice on the 'net because it's often just keyboard jockeys who are regurgitating some crap they read elsewhere on the net, possibly from another keyboard jockey.

However, you also can't take the word of someone who's got a ripped up body either. A lot of fitness products/information are marketed using fitness models who take anabolic steroids, have 5+ years of training under their belt, or supreme genetics (or a combo of these).

I encourage everyone to do the reading and research on the basics of human physiology and make sure you know how to critique research trials, because a lot of them are severely flawed. Most studies are funded by supplement/food companies, and the funding will influence research/data parameters.

There is no easy way get in the best shape of your life. It takes time, hard AND smart work, and most of all consistency.

Many of the people I work with fail at their diets, simply because they can not consistently remove grazing/snacking from their lifestyle. They are brainwashed in to thinking it's healthy and important to eat constantly, when it's not necessary and often leads to over calorie consumption.

7/6/2011 2:57:38 PM

Thanks Joie.

Currently, I am probably about 6-8lbs heavier than that picture. As I've gone off my cut and have resumed a slow weight gaining diet.

Fortunately, the weight gained is mostly water, a little muscle and tiny bit of fat.

7/6/2011 3:00:25 PM

for what it's worth:
i also wanna add that goals are different for everyone.


before the wedding i purposely stopped lifting for a while and lost some muscle tone.
i was essentially trying to be more skinny fat.
yes my goal was to lose muscle and gain a little fat.
i know it sounds horrible, but i kinda knew what i was in for.

i was able to shrink a bit off of my waist and gave me a more definite curve

i've also realized that the people who think that it's gross i did that (ewwwww you gave up muscle for fat?!) are hard core muscle enthusiasts. (guys and girls)...which is understandable.

most people either don't care or think it looks pretty good


[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 3:12 PM. Reason : nk]

7/6/2011 3:04:09 PM

I love snacking.


^ and you are gorgeous

7/6/2011 4:09:44 PM

Joie - I agree with you that people have different goals.

But, IMO, if you look at it a little deeper its usually the same goals just on different points on a fitness continuum. (This is in regards to aesthetic fitness, performance goals are going to be affected by the sport and advantages given by certain body composition and strength to weight ratios.)

For example... I often hear from the ladies that they are scared of getting bulky or looking like she-hulk. The reality is they will never ever get close to that unless they take anabolic steroids or peptides.

Most people in general say they want to "tone up" or "get lean" or get bigger muscles.

These are functions of 2 things: Losing body fat and/or building muscle.

So yes, some people may have different goals, but the path to get to any of them is generally the same and is facilitated if they have the most efficient plan. It is simply the stopping or satisfaction point that varies between people.


[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 4:18 PM. Reason : 0]

7/6/2011 4:13:11 PM

I don't want to sound argumentative, but my ultimate goal wasn't to look leaner or more muscular... I honestly just wanted to feel better, physically. And I wanted to work hard to keep my insulin resistance in check and subsequently eliminate it. Looking leaner was just a bonus :\ (an obviously that'll happen if you become healthier)

7/6/2011 4:15:01 PM

^IMO, that would fall under performance goals.

7/6/2011 4:19:26 PM

I really like doing cardio more than I like lifting weights but I've found that I also really love BodyPump (a Les Mills class)

[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 5:00 PM. Reason : better with smiliey faces]

7/6/2011 4:58:56 PM

I'm focused on performance goals, gaining more core stability and strength to improve my triathlon and long-distance cycling times. But doing intense cardio for 3-7 hours at a time makes it harder to actually gain muscle mass, so I'm skipping this triathlon season to focus on bulking up. That means I can't really test how well I'm doing on the performance goals right now, so I'm substituting weight, lifting ability and appearance as metrics for progress. I weighed in at 180 lbs the other day (Quinn, consider yourself officially called out) but I still don't think I'm where I want to be, so I'm gonna keep at it for a few more months and start back on to my cardio regime in the fall.

It's hard to figure out what my target weight and body composition should be, though. I'm trying to add very functional strength, so that every pound I add will help me be faster. But at the same time, every pound I add is another pound I have to lug around for hours, and that can take its toll on endurance.

Anyone have any thoughts on how those competing forces balance out for endurance sports? All I know is that I started on the extreme end of skinny, so I suspect I'm still at a net positive state where I should keep bulking a while longer.

[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 5:02 PM. Reason : ]

7/6/2011 5:01:57 PM

Quote :

"For example... I often hear from the ladies that they are scared of getting bulky or looking like she-hulk. The reality is they will never ever get close to that unless they take anabolic steroids or peptides."

you are right

and i'm pretty sure 100% of the girls in here agree with you
has anyone here said that? (honest question-or are you referring to outside of here? )

and for what it's worth. my goal right now is to maintain, maintain, maintain.


[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 5:14 PM. Reason : ]

7/6/2011 5:02:42 PM

You look great MattJMM2! I like that although you are super muscular you are also well proportioned. I get kind of grossed out when I see dudes with these giant bicep muscles to the point where they can't put their arms down at their sides.

I don't have much to report from my end. Still doing bodyrock. Still running after. Still sweating harder in those 30-35 minutes than I do in an hour of P90x. I've also been super sore all week so go me.

7/6/2011 6:30:34 PM

Quote :

"has anyone here said that? (honest question-or are you referring to outside of here? )"

Look in the title of this thread for an example.

7/6/2011 6:47:52 PM