*** The 2010 Gym Rats Thread ***

[Psycho Sonny]

imo 2 westy
your not really "fat" just not holding much muscle mass, even if you do shred the fat thats there you will just look skinny? im not sure what your goals are you haven't listed them, but i'd focus more on clean bulking, just set a calorie and macro target keep up light cardio and have a good solid weight training regime, if your diets good you should be able to build muscle but keep the fat at bay or even slightly lose it. It's a win/win situation tbh.

he is slightly overwieght then if his height and weight is right, with very little muscle mass.

he needs to lose 10 kg of fat to have a good base. clean bulking is definitely needed because he doesnt want to add more bodyfat on, the picture must be at an attractive angle or he is holding the weight well, but any more and it will start to show.

you should just start lifting and try to eat as healthily as possible, that way you will decrease your bodyfat and increase your muscle mass.

 

[-westy-]

he is slightly overwieght then if his height and weight is right, with very little muscle mass.

he needs to lose 10 kg of fat to have a good base. clean bulking is definitely needed because he doesnt want to add more bodyfat on, the picture must be at an attractive angle or he is holding the weight well, but any more and it will start to show.

you should just start lifting and try to eat as healthily as possible, that way you will decrease your bodyfat and increase your muscle mass.

Yep, height and weight are right, weighed myself literally as I wrote my post, and I've been the same height for years

I think I'm just holding the weight well, people always ask where my weight is, as I appear to be of "normal" body composition.

I try to eat as healthily as possible, should I be carb counting, or is that a bit extreme?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Yep, height and weight are right, weighed myself literally as I wrote my post, and I've been the same height for years

I think I'm just holding the weight well, people always ask where my weight is, as I appear to be of "normal" body composition.

I try to eat as healthily as possible, should I be carb counting, or is that a bit extreme?

take your hand and clench it into a fist.

this is the size of portion you should be eating 5/6 times a day.

even if it means taking 1 meal, cutting it in half and eating it 2 hours apart.

eating healthy isnt rocket science and its basic common knowledge. if your meals are well balanced, protein, carbs and minerals (fruit and veg) then you shouldnt need to count your carbs. as a rule though try to avoid carbs altogether after 6pm unless you are bulking.

 

[Smitho3]

I have been cutting now since Feb and dropped 52lb's down to 205lb. My target by November is to hit 170lb. At this point I will start a rotating 12 week bulk/cut cycle until I am satisfied with my progress. I am 6ft1.

I am a little concerned at my progress in the gym though. I seem to have hit a weight barrier in the last 2 months. I am curling 10kg free weight and machine benching 72kg's but havent been able to push more than 4 reps at the next level.

I dont know if my diet has anything to do with this, will I notice an increase in strength when I start bulking in november? I have never bulked before and only eat around 1800Cals a day ATM.

 

[UltimateBadger]

-westy- you must train your whole body. Don't become one of those upper body muppets with stick thin legs. Get squatting!

Smitho3 your diet is probably playing a part in your inability to step up to the next level. Eating only 1800cals a day and expecting your strength to keep going up all the time is unrealistic. If your goal is to lose another 35lbs then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Keep up the weight training but get some good quality intense cardio sessions in there. Oh, and ditch the machines and curls.

 

[Smitho3]

Smitho3 your diet is probably playing a part in your inability to step up to the next level. Eating only 1800cals a day and expecting your strength to keep going up all the time is unrealistic. If your goal is to lose another 35lbs then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Keep up the weight training but get some good quality intense cardio sessions in there. Oh, and ditch the machines and curls.

Thanks for the advise, I wont get so disheartened now that I know it is likely to be down to my diet.

I currently ride 3 miles a day to work (hilly) and do 20 minutes on the cross trainer before 45-50 minutes of weight training (Mon, Wed, Fri). I hit the Cross trainer really hard and seem to be able to push myself a little harder each time.

Do you think I should start using my barbell at home again (My gym doesnt have one unfortunately cheap leisure centre all I can afford)? My legs have always been large due to riding a lot but they could be better! I also worry about my lower back and abs not getting much of a workout, would deadlifting help work on these area's?

 

[semi-pro waster]

Do you think I should start using my barbell at home again (My gym doesnt have one unfortunately cheap leisure centre all I can afford)? My legs have always been large due to riding a lot but they could be better! I also worry about my lower back and abs not getting much of a workout, would deadlifting help work on these area's?

If you've got a barbell, a decent amount of weights and somewhere you can use it safely then I see no reason not to use it.

Deadlifting with good form will certainly help with your core strength so go for it.

 

[Smitho3]

cool, I have a 10kg bar and 70kg of weight to put on it. Will start deadlifting as well as going to the gym

Although highly embaracing and more than likely to cause many a photoshop thread I thought I would post a before and after. Now I must stress that the picture of me before is the only one I have that shows how large I was. Unfortunately It is also a picture of me before I went to work dressed as a fairy for wear it pink day (Cancer research) So aside from the obvious "OMG Gay" replies what do you think of my progress?




/Awaits onslaught

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

I also worry about my lower back and abs not getting much of a workout, would deadlifting help work on these area's?

Deadlifts will help your core but Zercher squats are the daddy imo. I'm sure they work muscles I don't even have!

 

[BennyC]

Snip/Fairy

Haha that fairy costume is full of win!

Lots of progress there, big change! Well done

 

[Barks]

Fellas just a quick one.

For cutting is the following correct:

- Cut down calories
- Maintain high protein intake
- Continue weights regime (as opposed to focusing solely on cardio)

in order to maintain as much muscle as possible?

I'm aware it's not ideal to massively cut down your calorie intake and it should be a gradual process but, on the other hand, does doing a ridiculous amount of exercise do more harm than good. I've been doing weights for ages but am in a habit at the moment of doing 5-12 mile runs but I don't want to undo all the hard work at the gym.

Cheers

 

[Barks]

Actually I've just answered my own questions by reading Gordy's guide again, but some confirmation would be nice

 

[Freefaller]

Just be careful you don't do a huge drop in calories, make sure it's gradual - taper it down to 500 cals over a few weeks, it'll make you crave less often and less likely to make you feel hungry.

Lower carbs, don't cut them out (there's no need to do this), you need them for energy, but just ensure they are good low GI carbs, and keep carbs to pre-workout and in the morning, no carbs (or minimal carbs at night.)

Keep decent volume in your workouts, and perhaps add some HIIT on "off" days.

Drink lots of water.

 

[Barks]

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

I'm only 21 so I'm still at that age where you can get away with murder with respect to how you treat your body but I've been working extremely hard to bulk up and it has definitely worked but I want to spend the next 3 weeks slimming down before traveling. Is that enough time to achieve anything for someone my age or am I best off forgetting about it and continuing to bulk, because that's exactly what I'll be doing anyway come October.

Many thanks,

 

[Steedie]

Been a while since I asked for advice on here, but I'm having serious diet issues at the moment.

I've been trying to lean bulk for a year. I'm constantly fine tuning it to make sure I'm eating enough to gain muscle with minimal fat gains. But I find I'm either not eating enough, eating too much. I just can't nail this diet.

Right now I'm the fattest I've been for a while. So enough is enough

Can anyone sort me a diet that will see me just gain slow and steady muscle, without the fat gains that come with a bulk

I'm currently eating this:

7am - 1scp Whey, small bowl of muesli or oats
10am - Tuna/chicken breast salad, rice cake
12pm (pre workout) - 1scp Whey, Banana and rice cake
2pm (post workout) - 1scp Whey 2 rolls, with tuna in
5pm - Usually chicken breasts (2) with wholemeal pasta or veg, sometimes steak instead of chicken
7pm - Alternates with 3x scrambled eggs without oil or handful of nuts with a shake
10pm - 300g cottage cheese

Training 3 days a week

I'm willing to completely change this. It's my weekly shop tonight so perfect chance to get new stuff in if anyone can recommend a diet. Even just tweaking that one

Thanks guys

 

[daztrouk]

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

I'm only 21 so I'm still at that age where you can get away with murder with respect to how you treat your body but I've been working extremely hard to bulk up and it has definitely worked but I want to spend the next 3 weeks slimming down before traveling. Is that enough time to achieve anything for someone my age or am I best off forgetting about it and continuing to bulk, because that's exactly what I'll be doing anyway come October.

Many thanks,

I'm in pretty much the same situation, needing to go travelling in a month, and want to get rid of the belly, without losing too much muscle during this time. I'd say i need to lose about 3 quarters of a stone. I planned to do HIT cardio exercise for 6 days a week, for the next 2 weeks, and take it from there, either continuing for an additional week (taking it to 3 weeks of cardio total) and then a week of weights, or just doing it for 2 weeks and then going back to the weights again for the last 2 weeks. Any opinions on this?

 

[cHk4]

7am - 1scp Whey, small bowl of muesli or oats
10am - Tuna/chicken breast salad, rice cake
12pm (pre workout) - 1scp Whey, Banana and rice cake
2pm (post workout) - 1scp Whey 2 rolls, with tuna in
5pm - Usually chicken breasts (2) with wholemeal pasta or veg, sometimes steak instead of chicken
7pm - Alternates with 3x scrambled eggs without oil or handful of nuts with a shake
10pm - 300g cottage cheese

Do you know the macros of this?

 

[Steedie]

I think when I worked it out before it came to about ~2900/3000. Don't know the amounts of protein/carbs/fat etc

 

[Buffman]

Just been for a good session in the gym, nothing like 9am deadlifts to wake you up . Managed to pull 120kg for 5 reps, 3 sets double overhand (I've yet to use mixed grip till now) then absolutely wrecked my hands so 2 sets mixed grip quite comfortably. Should I keep soldiering on double overhand (build up grip, and forearms? plus I'm not a big fan of mixed grip) and perhaps use chalk to prevent the bar slipping?

Also saw some complete ego lift throw weights all over the place (although he was lifting pretty damn heavy ), and he also was singing to the music on tv, I found it rather amusing.

 

[cHk4]

I think when I worked it out before it came to about ~2900/3000. Don't know the amounts of protein/carbs/fat etc

I know people who diet on 3,500kcals mate. Granted they are very big. I'm currently dieting on 2,500kcals with a stead fat loss so it doesn't seem too much in my opinion. Some may disagree.

How heavy are you? Also would be interesting to see the macros of that.

What whey do you use? What's the carb content? If it's low carb content then JMHO your post workout shake you should have something with carbs in it. I know you have your tuna rolls with it but I'd have Protein shake with WMS (roughly 50g carbs, 20-25g protein or more depending on what macros you want to hit) then 30 mins later have your tuna rolls.