FoH Body Improvement Competition #3.5 - July 1st

[Shutup]

Yea. I was about your weight when I started. I did protien shakes + heavy eating + a good work out regime 3-4 times a week and put on 10 pounds in like 5 weeks.

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by Usha Starchild

Also, For Ark or anyone else, what do you think about using Creatine during a fat burning? Some recommend it, some don't. I figure the fat will burn all the same, but the scale might not change much because of the water retention. After the cycle that shpuld drop off fast though right?

Creatine has no negative effects whatsoever on fat loss. The water retention from creatine is so overstated it shouldn't even be brought up. It can't do anything but benefit you, anyone who says otherwise is clueless.

[Tuco]

It won't be easy to put on 10lbs with good lean muscle mass, but it is doable. Not sure what Stardotstar's goals are, but you might be the first real gainer here! If star is trying to gain, the following will probably apply to you.

If you do this will will almost certainly achieve your goals:
1. Go to FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal and use that website.
2. Eat 3000 calories a day with 30% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbohydrates. Try to eat as much eggs, chicken, milk and beef as you can for your protein. Chicken is generally the healthiest meat, but I've seen stuff that says beef/milk helps you increase testosterone. Drink protein shakes how you want, my suggestion is:
Amazon.com: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Instantized Natural Whey Protein Powder, Chocolate Mint, 2.07-Pound Plastic Jars: Grocery
Because it tastes good. I also put in chocolate syrup in it because fuck it.
3. Eat 5 times a day minimum.
4. Drink a lot of water, carry around a 1 gallon jug of water everywhere.
5. Go to the gym 3 days a week with the following routine:
15 minutes warmup, 20 minutes weight lifting, 5-10 minutes cooldown.
6. Drink a protein shake in the morning and after your workouts (do it ASAP after your workouts, bring the protein shake to the gym).
7. For your workouts, have a push day, a pull day, and a leg day or something. You can read all you want to for workout routines, but ultimately you have to decide what works best for you. I know my muscles recover at different speeds than yours.
8. Be sure you do: Squats, deadlifts, bench presses and pullups. Don't push too much weight on your exercises until halfway through the second month.
9. If you want to, buy
Amazon.com: NO-Xplode (AVPT) 50 servings -fruit: Grocery
Amazon.com: Optimum Nutrition ON Creatine 2500 Caps, 300 Capsules: Grocery
Amazon.com: Optimum Nutrition Glutamine Powder, Unflavored, 35.2 Ounces: Grocery

NO Xplode does a bunch of shit that helps you have more energy for a short period of time, but it doesn't have caffiene I don't think? It's no magic potion but I think it helps personally.
Creatine (I'm a little rusty on this so go easy if I fuck it up) Increases the amount of creatine for your muscle which gives more energy to them. For lifting I believe it helps you do more repititions before your muscles have to use lactic acid.
Glutamine helps repair muscles, your body makes it naturally of course, but more is better eh?
You'll retain some extra water by your muscles if you use a normal amount of creatine.

Edit: Ark, take a look at my advice and make your changes and I'll put it in the OP for the weight gaining thread.

[arkk123]

Could edit that a lot of diff ways, but remove the NO-Xplode stuff and glutamine. Both are wastes of money. Nitric Oxdide products are the biggest consumer ass rapeage in the past 5 years. They do absolutely nothing to directly impact muscle growth. If you need a pick-me-up before the gym, buy a box of NO-DOZ and take one before you go. Unless you have AIDS or some serious disease, then you can use glutamine.

Anyone trying to gain weight should do cardio first thing in the morning to stimulate their appetite. Most of the times skinny guys who can't put on weight say its because they are just never hungry. Eat all fucking day. Eat fast food, etc. There is really a lot of detail you could add to a trying to gain weight section for the OP, but that is a good idea. Same with fat loss too.

[tikkus]

I just started lifting hardcore last week, going to the gym everyday. Currently the schedule is as follows:

Monday - Shoulders
Tuesday - Arms
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Chest
Friday - Back
Saturday - Forearms/Calves
Sunday - Legs

I'm weak as hell and have some extra body fat (When I started I was 210, this week after legs day I was 208... Gained two pounds during the workout).

I took a picture of myself when I first started and will probably take some again whenever I see some noticeable change. Probably won't participate in the competition but would like to show off my progress.

Just as an aside, last week I was doing squats with 95 lbs (Yeah I know, weak as hell), but in just one week I've raised that to 135. I know that squat returns are more than other work-outs, but its just really awesome to actually see progress, since this is the first time I've done serious weight training.

[Usha Starchild]

Originally Posted by tikkus

I just started lifting hardcore last week, going to the gym everyday. Currently the schedule is as follows:

Monday - Shoulders
Tuesday - Arms
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Chest
Friday - Back
Saturday - Forearms/Calves
Sunday - Legs

I'm weak as hell and have some extra body fat (When I started I was 210, this week after legs day I was 208... Gained two pounds during the workout).

I took a picture of myself when I first started and will probably take some again whenever I see some noticeable change. Probably won't participate in the competition but would like to show off my progress.

Just as an aside, last week I was doing squats with 95 lbs (Yeah I know, weak as hell), but in just one week I've raised that to 135. I know that squat returns are more than other work-outs, but its just really awesome to actually see progress, since this is the first time I've done serious weight training.

First of all upload the photo, we could use some more people in this. I don't think of it as a competition just motivation.

Second I would suggest changing up your workout routine a little, try and fit in one off day or you will burn yourself out quick or maybe just get bored.

Try the most basic of routines.

- Back and Bis (Pulling muscles)
- Chest and Tris (Pushing Muscles)
- Shoulders and maybe Traps
- Legs
- Off
- Repeat (or take a Pure Cardio/HIIT day

You can fit forearms in anywhere you like, they shouldn't take more than 3-4 sets especially if you do them on the same day as your biceps. Ab's are sprinkle here and there, maybe once every three days.

* also assume you meant to say you lost 2lbs during a workout not gained. that was all water, there is no way you lose fat weight in a workout.

[tikkus]

Originally Posted by Usha Starchild

* also assume you meant to say you lost 2lbs during a workout not gained. that was all water, there is no way you lose fat weight in a workout.

Na, I gained two pounds during the workout, started out around 206 and when I was leaving I weighted 208, I monitor the weight before and after the session.

Also, my regimen comes from a few buddies of mine that are training seriously to become body builders. One placed second in a competition and got to meet the governator.

Here are the pictures. Didn't take a flexing picture because there wasn't anything to see, I'll retake them next week.

[ToeMissile]

Originally Posted by Usha Starchild

How old are you? Putting on 10lbs of muscle should be pretty easy considering your current body weight and assuming you haven't worked out before.

- Just turned 29
- as far as working out, i've never really done any 'serious'/consistent weight lifting. Ran cross country/track in HS, and stay in pretty reasonable shape while in the Air Force ( 2-3 days a week of running ~30min + calisthenic type exercises).
- I've always had a pretty quick metabolism (though have definitely noticed it slow down some in the past few years, the joys of getting older!) especially if I'm working out regularly. The diet will definitely be a challenge for me.

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by tikkus

Na, I gained two pounds during the workout, started out around 206 and when I was leaving I weighted 208, I monitor the weight before and after the session.

Also, my regimen comes from a few buddies of mine that are training seriously to become body builders. One placed second in a competition and got to meet the governator.

Here are the pictures. Didn't take a flexing picture because there wasn't anything to see, I'll retake them next week.

You are a beginner, there is no reason to be lifting 7 days a week. I don't care who your buddies are or what they do. You aren't them, you are you, and you are a beginner.

There is no reason to have a day just to do forearms and calves. Do calves on one leg day(you don't need two), and you don't need to do forearms at all.

And whatever weight you gained or lost during a workout is water. It'd take a month or more to add 2lbs of muscle, and that is if you are lucky. Weight yourself once a day at the same time every day. Looking at your weight before and after workouts shows nothing. Fat loss and muscle gain doesn't occur during exercise.

[tikkus]

I'm doing it 7 days a week because I'm going with a friend and thats what he's doing.

Took this a few minutes ago, 8 days after the last photo was taken.

[Tuco]

Your forearms get plenty of workout from doing deadlifts and shrugs with heavy weights. If you really want to focus them, just put them on any workout (at the end!!!) and you can either grab the heaviest dumbell you can hold and roll it up and down in your hand, or get some plates and pinch them together.



For calf muscles, they're usually so well developed it's hard to hit them hard like your chest/biceps etc, but you can just beat the shit out of them as much as you can with some kind of calf workout



But don't worry about it too much. All fat people have well developed calf muscles!!!

If you enjoy working out that much, then whatever. I'm guessing you're trying to gain weight, and the only way you can gain muscle mass is by tearing down your muscles, then letting them rest with plenty of good food to build them up. Muscle is gained when you're resting and doing bench presses the day after squats is probably counter-productive to gaining for you.

[StarDotStar]

Not sure what Stardotstar's goals are, but you might be the first real gainer here! If star is trying to gain, the following will probably apply to you.

I'm definitely trying to gain. I was trying to lose my gut while also putting on muscle, but it wasn't going very well. I've upped the amount I'm eating by a decent amount, I think it is around 3000 calories. I am eating the same for lunch and dinner, but eating much more breakfast and two small meals after dinner (pre/post workout).

I'm 6'2", 185 (I've put on 3lbs since I started eating more).
I'm not really sure what a realistic goal is for a three month period, so I'm just going to work hard, eat a lot, and see what happens.

[tikkus]

Originally Posted by Tuco

But don't worry about it too much. All fat people have well developed calf muscles!!!

Yeah, if there's one day we skip its going to be forearms/calves. Any recommendations on foods to eat? I went to Kroger and got two packs of Tyson chicken breasts, I load them up with spices, bake them, and eat them with a banana and fiber bar after each work-out.

I'm trying to lose weight/gain muscle, which I understand is difficult to do at the same time, but we're doing cardio 3-4 times a week (rowing machines for the win, can't do cardio with high impact) and abs whenever we feel like it.

[Tuco]

Originally Posted by StarDotStar

I'm definitely trying to gain. I was trying to lose my gut while also putting on muscle, but it wasn't going very well. I've upped the amount I'm eating by a decent amount, I think it is around 3000 calories. I am eating the same for lunch and dinner, but eating much more breakfast and two small meals after dinner (pre/post workout).

I'm 6'2", 185 (I've put on 3lbs since I started eating more).
I'm not really sure what a realistic goal is for a three month period, so I'm just going to work hard, eat a lot, and see what happens.

It'll be virtually impossible to gain any sizable amount of muscle whilst simultaneously reducing your fat amount. The reason is because your body will be very unwilling to go anabolic and add muscle mass if you force it to go catabolic by having a caloric deficit.

Catabolism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anabolism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calories burned > calories consumed = caloric deficit = catabolism = losing gut
muscle teardown from heavy lifting + plenty of food = anabolism = big guns

My suggestion for the next three months is to do what toemissile is doing: gain as much as you can. Then see where you're at in three months and if you're happy with the amount of muscle you have, cut the weight.

Originally Posted by ToeMissile

Any recommendations on foods to eat?

It's up to you and your tastes. Honestly people worry about quality a little too much for gaining IMO. Yes, you will always have better results if you can stomach eating tyson chicken breasts every day. The problem is that if you keep eating 3000-3500 calories every day for the next week, at every meal except breakfast you really won't want to eat that bad. You have to /should force yourself to eat, and those fucking chicken breasts get old real fast.

The important things are eating a lot (3000 calories for you is a lot, don't worry about Joe-250lbs who says he needs 5000 calories) and eating enough protein. It's harder than I thought it was without sucking down protein shakes a few meals a day, which is bad (You need to eat solid food). You should have 30% of your calories coming from protein, 30% from fat and 40% from carbs.

The hardest thing for working people is getting 3 solid meals in a 9 hour work time. Not only do you have to spend a lot of effort planning your menu out every day, but you also incur the jokes of your co-workers who, especially if you don't look like a body builder, will snicker at you eating three times in 9 hours. Don't mind them, if you keep it up they'll be asking you for tips in three months.

For me, bagels + cream cheese or peanut butter, nuts, protein bars, meal replacement shakes(NASTY) and protein shakes were all staples of my snacks between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner. You have to find something that works for you, but the problem is that it has to have protein in it. Depending on your job you can just pack twice as much food as normal and eat it all through your day.

For foods for main meals, just go to your grocery store and look for foods high in protein. The more basic the food the better generally (Ex: Frozen french toast is worse than cooking some eggs and having toast and a cinnamon roll, even if they're the same ingredients / source ratio)

[Usha Starchild]

Tuco, where are your pics? I know the smith hammer is heavy, so you probably have massive arms!

Tikkus, I'm going to assume you drink lots of sodas and juices. Cut those out of your diet and you will see progress.

Originally Posted by arkk123

And whatever weight you gained or lost during a workout is water. It'd take a month or more to add 2lbs of muscle, and that is if you are lucky. Weight yourself once a day at the same time every day. Looking at your weight before and after workouts shows nothing. Fat loss and muscle gain doesn't occur during exercise.

Just to add to what Arkk said, try weighing yourself first thing in the morning before you eat and preferably right after you relieve yourself. This way your getting yourself on an empty stomach, empty bladder and an empty rectum/large intestine. You will have the most accurate measuments this way.