The ~New~ SWF GYM! Newbies and New Years Resolution Peeps Wanted!

[Teran]

Well, I'm a competitive swimmer, so swimming less is out of the question. How is Peanut Buttter as a food? I know that you want to maintain a diet of carbs, protein, and fat. So how is it?

Oh right, in which case I wouldn't be lifting heavy really, getting built will really **** with your swimming ha.

Peanut butter is pretty great if you don't get the highly processed ones, try to get the most natural one you can find, like, just ground up peanuts with maybe a tiny bit of extra oil that they add for consistency.

 

[Vixen]

Crowling, please stop doing isolated workouts, and do compound lifts only. >.>

 

[Crowing]

I am confused. Are dead lifts/squats/bench not considered compound lifts anymore?

What I listed for my schedule is merely the muscle group that we focus on. Each muscle group gets at least 1 compound lift and 1 isolation exercise.

 

[SharkAttack]

I ran a 5k this morning to celebrate the 4th of July, and finally broke under 19:00 after 2+ years of not doing it. I finished in 18:43. I felt good surprisingly for a majority of the run. It helped to pace off someone who I knew would be around the 19:00 mark. He wound up with a time of 18:35. Slightly before the 3 mile mark I passed him up, but he then took it to another gear and passed me with ease while I was running out of steam. The winner of the race ran in 14:55! That was just nuts and amazing.

 

[Teran]

Dropped my workout volume and now I'm getting new personal records with each week.

Feels good man.

 

[Thundermistress]

After taking my dog for runs on Tuesdays a couple of weeks in a row, he seems to think every Tuesday is now running day and bothers me until I take him. Which is good. We've upped from doing 3-4kms to 5kms every run, and I'd like to get my time for 5kms to about 30 minutes (averaging 35-40 mins at the moment), although a little hard when you've got a little dog that stops to pee all the time!

 

[SnackAttack]

I finally hit 200 on my squat, after much complaining and ********. I'm at 205 right now.

 

[NeverKnowsBest]

What's been going on everyone? I hope everyone is well.

Last Monday my gym closed for renovations. With that I finally had the balls and a reason to start Insanity. It's really kicking my butt. I feel that this is a really nice change of pace. At first I was just going to do Insanity for the week but now I'm thinking about taking a break from the gym and stick to the 2 month program.

This came at just the right time. I feel like I've hit a wall at 210-215lbs. I still am an avid runner but it's more or less for fun than for working out. I no longer have the drive to run hard. I just grab a friend and run/job with them for like 6 miles (which is nice, but I feel I need some HIIT to get past my wall.)

 

[Jane]

i'm about to start uni and i'm anxious about working out at their rec center. beautiful girls everywhere to distract me an muscley bros in packs to discourage me. my friend whose been working out there the past year says it mostly just serves as motivation, at least for him. guess i just gotta grow some balls and stop giving ****s

 

[SnackAttack]

Yeah, I'm still not 100% comfortable with going to the Gym at my university yet. Football players and bodybuilders and Kinesiology majors are all in there all the time and ****.

 

[S7GF]

I need some tips, guys.

Over this summer (I started in June), I was interval running 3 miles a day and regulating what I ate. Since then, I have lost about 20 pounds. I started at 202 lbs and now I'm at 180 lbs. I'm 5' 9.5" and a male, but I want to keep losing weight.

I stopped running due to a busy schedule and laziness. It's really hard to get back into exercising again, but I'm afraid the diet I'm on right now isn't going to take me far. Currently I'm eating "normally" (5 small meals a day) for 4 days and only eating 500 calories on the 5th day.

Ever since I was young, I hated how I looked. I don't want to live like this. What are some good ab exercises?

 

[theeboredone]

You're only eating 500 calories on the 5th side? How much are you eating on the other 4 days? That is way too low if you ask me, and is more of a health risk and an improper way to lose weight. If you are looking for a good set of abs, it won't matter much until your body fat dips to the 11% area. That can only happen with proper dieting (500 calories is no where near enough), and you might want to join a cardio oriented routine if you're too lazy to do it on your own. Zumba seems popular with a lot of folks.

If you had an idea of what your BF was, it would be nice in terms of achieving future goals. Furthermore, you're gonna have to find out what your "maintenance" calories are. This is what's known as you don't gain or lose assuming you don't do anything all day. Make your goal 10-20% less than maintenance. It would also factor in things like protein, carbs, and fats in regards to how much you need. That would be a much better way of going about losing weight.

And how much weight are you looking to lose? I recently started up again after a month of fasting and two weeks of injuries. Originally I was 167, looking to get to 175. Of course, I know there is a difference between being a lean 175 and not. I'm pretty similar to you in height.

 

[S7GF]

You're only eating 500 calories on the 5th side? How much are you eating on the other 4 days? That is way too low if you ask me, and is more of a health risk and an improper way to lose weight. If you are looking for a good set of abs, it won't matter much until your body fat dips to the 11% area. That can only happen with proper dieting (500 calories is no where near enough), and you might want to join a cardio oriented routine if you're too lazy to do it on your own. Zumba seems popular with a lot of folks.

If you had an idea of what your BF was, it would be nice in terms of achieving future goals. Furthermore, you're gonna have to find out what your "maintenance" calories are. This is what's known as you don't gain or lose assuming you don't do anything all day. Make your goal 10-20% less than maintenance. It would also factor in things like protein, carbs, and fats in regards to how much you need. That would be a much better way of going about losing weight.

And how much weight are you looking to lose? I recently started up again after a month of fasting and two weeks of injuries. Originally I was 167, looking to get to 175. Of course, I know there is a difference between being a lean 175 and not. I'm pretty similar to you in height.

Well the point of the diet is to fast on the 5th day basically. That's why it's called the "fast" diet. And I know it's unhealthy. I haven't calculated exactly how much I eat during the other 4 days, but I'd say around 1700-1800 calories. I also drink a lot of water.

I'd want to lose AT LEAST another 10 lbs. I'm wondering what some good ab exercises are because my fat seems to be located most in my belly area. I want to get rid of it.

I know I'm not dieting the right way. But you said to factor in things like protein, carbs, and fat. What exactly should I be eating more/less of? How do I know how much I should eat?

Exercising has just been so discouraging... I have broad shoulders, so I can't tell a difference when I look in the mirror even if I've lost 20 lbs. I know I need to get back into doing something...

 

[etecoon]

what are you eating? the makeup of foods is important, you store carbs as fat, cutting out added sugar and just eating actual food(stuff that grows in the ground and stuff that ate it) goes a long way

it also probably sounds contrived but eating more and lifting weights is good, the hormonal changes will help body composition and added muscle mass requires more calories to maintain

 

[S7GF]

It varies, but I usually eat some sort of cereal with milk in the morning. Between breakfast and lunch I might have a yogurt. Lunch varies. Between lunch and dinner, I might have a banana or a handful of blueberries, and again, dinner varies.

I need to do a better job of incorporating fruits and vegetables into my main meals. But I also practice portion control.

 

[Jane]

I'd want to lose AT LEAST another 10 lbs. I'm wondering what some good ab exercises are because my fat seems to be located most in my belly area. I want to get rid of it.

 

[Teran]

Lift more, HIIT cardio. Done.

 

[S7GF]

Lift more, HIIT cardio. Done.

Yeah, easier said than done. I swear to God I'm one of the laziest people in existence. I just need to get off my lazy ass. It's starting that's the hardest for me.

 

[SnackAttack]

Swimming is the best Cardio of all time. I may come across as biased, being a competitive swimmer and all, but it really is great. I think I may post before and after pics tomorrow after practice. Get hyped.

 

[Teran]

Yeah, easier said than done. I swear to God I'm one of the laziest people in existence. I just need to get off my lazy ***. It's starting that's the hardest for me.

Well that right there is the truth, but either you can sit there on your ****ing couch eating bonbons and talking **** about dropping the fat and getting the guns, or you can go out there and get the shred.

Honestly man, **** the perfect program, **** the routines, **** all that ****. Get your ass in the gym, and just DO. That's the key man, how many people I see in the gym with "bad form" or doing stuff that you wouldn't expect for their amazing bodies, but what are they doing? Work.

Work goddamnit.

Work.

 

[S7GF]

Well that right there is the truth, but either you can sit there on your ****ing couch eating bonbons and talking **** about dropping the fat and getting the guns, or you can go out there and get the shred.

Honestly man, **** the perfect program, **** the routines, **** all that ****. Get your *** in the gym, and just DO. That's the key man, how many people I see in the gym with "bad form" or doing stuff that you wouldn't expect for their amazing bodies, but what are they doing? Work.

Work goddamnit.

Work.

I admire your tenacity.

I actually got motivated and planned (calories, carbs in grams, fat in grams, protein in grams) a diet and exercise routine that I'm starting tomorrow. Busted out a wimpy calculator and put together a messy table of all that crap. I'm actually going to do it. Should go shopping also for all that food I'm going to need. I just have processed, ****ty foods here.

 

[theeboredone]

After a month of fasting, and a month prior to that of injuries...I really feel like I'm starting all over. Lost a grand total of 12 lbs in the past two months, and practically all the gains that came with it. Sitting at the "skinny fat" range of 18% BF and 150 lbs. Decided to go with Starting Strength, so I can get back to basics. I used to just do squats parallel, but am now doing the whole ass to grass thing. Diet has also been redefined so I can put on weight steadily, without increasing fat percentages.

 

[S7GF]

So when you're trying to follow a strict diet, how do you guys keep track of every little calorie, gram of fat, gram of protein, etc. you eat? I'm thinking about making a series of excel spreadsheets.

 

[theeboredone]

It's a bit difficult in some parts. I work in an office from 7-4, so I do go on snacks that I buy. Said snacks have nutrition info, that I chart everyday on my phone or mini eraseboard. Once you get into eating the same things, you don't need to chart it on a daily basis.

The tough ones are my mom's meals. It's one thing to count a cup of rice, but it's another when you try to count the seasoned/curry chicken lol. With that, I just go by a "minimum" calorie (gaining weight, so I expect the worse), I get a rough estimate based on how many oz of meat I have, and then figure it's about 10-15 grams of fat. Usually figure it's about 600 calories.

Most restaurants have nutrition infos if you look them up, so eating out shouldn't be a problem.

 

[etecoon]

I don't count calories and only loosely pay attention to what I consume on a given day. I feel like excessive sugar and lack of activity are the biggest reasons people have a lot of bodyfat, if you eat stuff you know to be healthy(vegetables, animals especially wild/grassfed-lots of seafood!, fruits, lots of water etc) and are physically active I think bodyfat more or less takes care of itself(unless you're really, REALLY trying to get to low BF%, like lower than 99% of the population, then micromanaging would be necessary)

 

[S7GF]

It's tough. I'm struggling to find foods that are extremely high in protein. Just imagining myself eating 242g of protein in one day makes it seem impossible. And I didn't buy the groceries I wanted to today. Turns out when my dad says we're going to go shopping on "Monday," it really means "Wednesday."

I've mapped out how much calories/protein/carbs/fat I need, but now I need to find the foods that will get me there. I'm going to start the diet next after I get the foods. What would you guys recommend as a good base of protein? Chicken, steak, beans, what else?

Also, I'm going to start exercising again, but not as rigorous as I left off. I'm going to work my way up again to harder and more strenuous routines.

 

[S7GF]

*Ignore this double post due to my computer.

 

[theeboredone]

I don't count calories and only loosely pay attention to what I consume on a given day. I feel like excessive sugar and lack of activity are the biggest reasons people have a lot of bodyfat, if you eat stuff you know to be healthy(vegetables, animals especially wild/grassfed-lots of seafood!, fruits, lots of water etc) and are physically active I think bodyfat more or less takes care of itself(unless you're really, REALLY trying to get to low BF%, like lower than 99% of the population, then micromanaging would be necessary)

Lol, if you go on bodybuilding.com, some people will swear by the mantra of "calories in and calories out" while hitting your macros. I mean, I guess they can say it, given they are still rocking six pack abs and what not. I believe someone here did post about a guy who lost weight despite going on a Twinky diet or something like that.

It's tough. I'm struggling to find foods that are extremely high in protein. Just imagining myself eating 242g of protein in one day makes it seem impossible. And I didn't buy the groceries I wanted to today. Turns out when my dad says we're going to go shopping on "Monday," it really means "Wednesday."

I've mapped out how much calories/protein/carbs/fat I need, but now I need to find the foods that will get me there. I'm going to start the diet next after I get the foods. What would you guys recommend as a good base of protein? Chicken, steak, beans, what else?

Also, I'm going to start exercising again, but not as rigorous as I left off. I'm going to work my way up again to harder and more strenuous routines.

You weigh 180, why are you trying to hit 242 grams of protein? Especially when you are losing weight? This is the formula I use for my nutrition. Taken from a sticky thread on Bodybuilding.com

Spoiler

3/Katch-McArdle:Considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean. Use ONLY if you have a good estimate of your bodyfat %.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

As these are only BMR calculations To convert BMR to a TOTAL requirement you need to multiply the result of your BMR by an 'activity variable' to give TEE.
The Activity Factor is the TOTAL cost of living, NOT JUST YOUR TRAINING. Think about it - if you train 1 hr a day - WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE OTHER 23 HRS?! So MORE important than training -- it includes work, life activities, training/sport & the TEF of ~15% (an average mixed diet).
Average activity variables are:
1.2 = Sedentary (Desk job, and Little Formal Exercise)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Light daily activity AND light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately daily Activity & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.2 = Extremely Active (Athlete in ENDURANCE training or VERY HARD physical job)

How Accurate are they?: They give rough ball-park figures and are still 'guesstimations'. So the aim is to use these as 'rough figures', monitor your weight/ measurements for 2-4 weeks, & IF your weight is stable/ measurements are stable, you have likely found maintenance.

Using the Above to Recalculate Based on Goals
You then need to DECREASE or INCREASE intake based on your goals (eg: lose or gain mass). It is not recommended to use a 'generic calorie amounts' (eg: 500 cals/ day). Instead this should be calculated on a % of your maintenance. Why? The effect of different calorie amounts is going to be markedly different based on someones size/ total calorie intake. For example - subtracting 500 cals/ day from a 1500 total intake is 1/3rd of the total cals, where 500 cals/ day from 3000 total intake is only 1/6th of the total. The results will therefore be markedly different on an individuals energy level & weight loss. Generally:
- To ADD weight: ADD 10-20% calories to the total above
- To LOSE weight: SUBTRACT 10-20% calories from the total above
Then monitor your results and adjust as required.

Macronutrient Needs
Once you work out calorie needs, you then work out how much of each macronutrient you should aim for. This is one of the areas that is MOST often confused but This should NOT be based on a RATIO of macro intakes. (eg: '30:40:30 or 40:40:20') Your body doesn't CARE what % intake you have. It works based on SUFFICIENT QUANTITY per MASS.

So to try to make it as simple as possible:
1. Protein: Protein intake is a bit of a controversial issue in nutrition. The general recommendations given in the 'bodybuilding' area are nearly double the 'standard' recommendations given in the Sports Nutrition Arena.
The GENERAL sports nutrition guideline based on clinical trials suggest that in the face of ADEQUATE calories and CARBS the following protein intakes are sufficient:
STRENGTH training -> 1.4 to 2g per KG bodyweight (about .6 / pound)
ENDURANCE training -> 1.2 to 1.8g per KG bodyweight (about .8 / pound)
ADOLESCENT in training -> 1.8 to 2.2g per KG bodyweight (about 1g / pound)
BUT researchers also acknowledge that protein becomes MORE important in the context of LOWER calorie intakes, or LOWER carb intakes.
Recent evidence also suggests that protein intakes of 3g/kg help with physiological and psychological stressors associated with high volume or intense training.
One should also note that ADEQUATE v's OPTIMAL is not discussed when it comes to hypertrophy v's performance.
And lastly - you need to consider thermogenics/ satiety/ and personal preference.

So - General 'bodybuilding' guidelines for protein would be as follows:
- Moderate bodyfat and training load = 2.2-2.8g per kg TOTAL weight (about 1-1.25g per pound)
- Very Low bodyfat or Very Low Calorie or High training load = 2.4 - 3g per kg TOTAL weight (1.1-1.35g per pound)
- High bodyfat, high calorie, or low training load = 1.6 to 2.2g per kg TOTAL weight (.75 - 1g per pound)
Anecdotally, as most find HIGHER protein intake better for satiety, partitioning, blood sugar control, and hypertrophy. UNLESS you have medical reasons for lower protein, or unless guided to use the GENERAL sports nutrition guidelines, I would suggest the BODYBUILDING values.


2. Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which controls free radical damage & inflammation. General guides:
Average or low bodyfat: 1 - 2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.40 - 1g total weight/ pounds]
High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ Kg LEAN weight [between 0.4 - 1g LEAN weight/ pounds]
Low calorie dieting - you can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.30g/ pound.
Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...


3. Carbs: For carbs there are no specific 'requirements' for your body so - but carbs are important for athletes, ACTIVE individuals, or those trying to GAIN MASS. [carbs help with workout intensity, health, & satiety (+ sanity)]. This means if you are an athlete involved in a good volume of training I would suggest you CALCULATE a requirement for carbs as a PRIORITY - then go back and calculate protein / fat:
Moderately active: 4.5 - 6.5 g/ kg (about 2 - 3g/ pound)
High active: 6.5 - 8.5 g/ kg (about 3 - 4g/ pound)

INTENSE activity: + 8.5g / kg (more than 4g/ pound)

 

[S7GF]

Lol, if you go on bodybuilding.com, some people will swear by the mantra of "calories in and calories out" while hitting your macros. I mean, I guess they can say it, given they are still rocking six pack abs and what not. I believe someone here did post about a guy who lost weight despite going on a Twinky diet or something like that.



You weigh 180, why are you trying to hit 242 grams of protein? Especially when you are losing weight? This is the formula I use for my nutrition. Taken from a sticky thread on Bodybuilding.com

Well this is just one of the days. I watched that video posted not too long ago on this thread which involved carb cycling, so I then looked into the "Zig Zag Diet." I found a neat calculator online, and it spit out a 7-day plan of how many calories I *could* eat during those days using that diet. Calculating the 50/30/20 and 30/50/20 rule for low calorie and high calorie days, one of those days has me eating 242g of protein.

I'll check out that formula right now.

 

[Teran]

High protein foods are easy:

Red meat (try getting lean cuts, lean ground beef if you can find it is convenient)
Chicken/Turkey breast
Fish
Eggs/Egg whites (don't completely eliminate yolks from your diet)
Dairy
Protein supplements like whey and micellar casein shakes
Peanut butter

**** iunno dude, the hard part about geting enough protein isn't the foods in themselves, it's cooking and eating enough of it. But really dude you're 18, you don't have to be as strict with calories as you think, just work out for a few months and you'll see.

 

[etecoon]

Lol, if you go on bodybuilding.com, some people will swear by the mantra of "calories in and calories out" while hitting your macros. I mean, I guess they can say it, given they are still rocking six pack abs and what not. I believe someone here did post about a guy who lost weight despite going on a Twinky diet or something like that.

it probably works if you really just force yourself to not eat but

1. then you also aren't getting as many vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals from foods. if you're concerned with health and not just aesthetics this is important

2. you'll be ****ing miserable because you're not eating

3. you'll lose muscle as well as fat

 

[S7GF]

High protein foods are easy:

Red meat (try getting lean cuts, lean ground beef if you can find it is convenient)
Chicken/Turkey breast
Fish
Eggs/Egg whites (don't completely eliminate yolks from your diet)
Dairy
Protein supplements like whey and micellar casein shakes
Peanut butter

**** iunno dude, the hard part about geting enough protein isn't the foods in themselves, it's cooking and eating enough of it. But really dude you're 18, you don't have to be as strict with calories as you think, just work out for a few months and you'll see.

You're probably right. I think as long as I'm eating the right foods and working out, I'll lose the weight. I might have been getting ahead of myself.

 

[Thundermistress]

I think when it comes to exercise, it's important to not be in it just for the weight loss (if that's your general angle). You need a shift in your mindset that it's for your health as well, and something that you want to keep up because your body feels good afterwards and there are long term benefits etc, otherwise it's much easier to find excuses to not exercise and you'll also get frustrated earlier (and fine more excuses not to work out) if you're not dropping weight like you want.

It's just important to be consistent, even if you're not doing a lot, as it'll build over time. I've probably said it a gazillion times in this thread, but I sort of unintentionally lost 10kgs/20lbs over a year or so and have kept it off for another 3 with a reasonable diet (although I could still afford to cut out a lot of sugar) and regular exercise (gym three times a week, and I've been now throwing in a 5km walk/run once a week on top of that).

I could definitely look into getting something a little more structured and properly planned out in regards to my routine, but as Teran said, the best thing you can do is just do something, anything, now.

 

[Teran]

Remember it's not so much about the poundage, but what the pounds consist of. If you're 200lb of solid muscle, that beats 170lb of flab. As TM said, it's about your health (which is pretty much reflected in the aesthetics), and the real key to getting there is also as she said, consistency.

When you see all these exercise fads with 3 month transformations, it's not necessarily because the routine is so great, it's because the person actually worked out for 3 whole months. So yeah, it's all about putting the work in. The time for talking is over goddammit!

 

[S7GF]

I think when it comes to exercise, it's important to not be in it just for the weight loss (if that's your general angle). You need a shift in your mindset that it's for your health as well, and something that you want to keep up because your body feels good afterwards and there are long term benefits etc, otherwise it's much easier to find excuses to not exercise and you'll also get frustrated earlier (and fine more excuses not to work out) if you're not dropping weight like you want.

It's just important to be consistent, even if you're not doing a lot, as it'll build over time. I've probably said it a gazillion times in this thread, but I sort of unintentionally lost 10kgs/20lbs over a year or so and have kept it off for another 3 with a reasonable diet (although I could still afford to cut out a lot of sugar) and regular exercise (gym three times a week, and I've been now throwing in a 5km walk/run once a week on top of that).

I could definitely look into getting something a little more structured and properly planned out in regards to my routine, but as Teran said, the best thing you can do is just do something, anything, now.

I do want to get healthy. I actually just set my alarm so I can wake up and run tomorrow morning. I find it easier to work out in the morning - I don't know about anyone else, but I feel I have more drive. Thanks for the advice.

Remember it's not so much about the poundage, but what the pounds consist of. If you're 200lb of solid muscle, that beats 170lb of flab. As TM said, it's about your health (which is pretty much reflected in the aesthetics), and the real key to getting there is also as she said, consistency.

When you see all these exercise fads with 3 month transformations, it's not necessarily because the routine is so great, it's because the person actually worked out for 3 whole months. So yeah, it's all about putting the work in. The time for talking is over goddammit!

I wish I was more muscular, but I'm not all flab. I used to be a bowler, so at least my right arm is pretty big, lol. I actually did the insanity workout last summer, and I lost 20 lbs off of that. And I didn't even finish it! I should find those DvD's again. Pretty sure my friend who used to live with my family took them, though... Oh well.

You're gonna keep me motivated, Teran. I just know it.

 

[theeboredone]

Greek Yogurt is also another nice item to have. 12-14 grams of protein, 0-2 grams of fat, and 12 carbs.

 

[Vixen]

Ew, awful macros. Get real greek yogurt with whole fat milk. More fat/prortein, less carbs. Better ingredients overall.

 

[theeboredone]

Lol, I just go with that Chobani brand. I have a set of macros that I need to hit, and the one I try to avoid going too much over on is fat. Mainly because my lunch and dinner are curry induced...which probably means quite a bit of fat.

What brand would you consider "real greek yogurt"?

Also, I forgot to mention S7GF, but try Cottage Cheese. Doesn't taste good on its own, but mix some fruit or put it on some toasted bread.

 

[Jane]

i love the taste of plain cottage cheese, but i tend to always add stuff to it. my favorite is sliced bananas, or blueberries, or granola.

 

[Teran]

I put 2 scoops of protein powder in my yoghurt and have it as a snack. 50-60g just like dat.