Workout Thread II

[zoony]

of losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously.

Except for people who stand to gain from telling you otherwise, I think you'll find that acheiving both goals simultaneously will more than likely lead to not gaining significant ground on either goal.

But hey, you may be one of the lucky ones so if you're motivated and want to give it a try, go for it. I think your best chance though for success would be to study up on nutritional timing and employ those concepts.

Interesting-

so really, if I want to lose weight (fat), I really should be focusing on cardio, and probably lay off the weights?

Is there a risk of burning thru muscle instead of fat if you don't do any weight training? And could the weight training help to build some confusion for your cardio routine, sort of a cross-training effect?

[Skinz4Life12]

i take a Omega 3 Fish Oil pill every night after dinner

[Skinz4Life12]

i normally warm up with 10-15 minutes of cardio followed by 12 sets for each muscle group that i work that day (2 muscle groups a day)

then depending on how i'm feeling i will add in 6 sets of core work.

this routine has honestly helped me pack on lean muscle while staying defined in my core area

[PleaseBlitz]

I tried convincing my mom of this- and to have a little olive oil. She would hear nothing of it. Convinced, like so many Americans, that fat is fat is fat is fat- and its all bad. "But mom- monounsaturated fat actually lowers your cholesterol"- she wasn't hearing it.

I read an article (I think it was Men's Health?) that claimed the lack of healthy fat intake in the American diet is a big part of our heart disease and obesity epidemics... while in places like Italy and Spain where they pretty much drink olive oil it's not a problem.

Just give her an avocado. They are packed with healthy fat, even though they are a fruit.

[KDawg]

I wouldn't warm up for more than 5 minutes. It takes away from the energy you have for lifting.

5 minute general warm up

lift

then do your actual cardio.

[TheKurp]

Zoony, DEFINITELY keep up the weight-resistance training if your primary goal is to lose weight.

While on a calorie-deficit program designed to lose fat you also want to minimize lean muscle loss. I'd continue to approach resistance training as though you were trying to build muscle but with the mindset that it's okay to plateau and it's okay not witness any significant gains in muscle size and strength.

[Skinz4Life12]

I wouldn't warm up for more than 5 minutes. It takes away from the energy you have for lifting.

5 minute general warm up

lift

then do your actual cardio.

yea i was worried about that too but i recently started back up on a supplement that gives me energy to burn.

i may switch it to the end of my workout

[KingGibbs]

Zoony, DEFINITELY keep up the weight-resistance training if your primary goal is to lose weight.

While on a calorie-deficit program designed to lose fat you also want to minimize lean muscle loss. I'd continue to approach resistance training as though you were trying to build muscle but with the mindset that it's okay to plateau and it's okay not witness any significant gains in muscle size and strength.

Hey Kurp (or anyone else). I've done exhaustive research on what my calorie intake should be and all of the formulas I've used generally agree with each other based on my BMR and activity level. My daily cal needs are 3000 to maintain and 2400 to lose weight. Should I stay with that or go lower in cals?

[TheKurp]

My daily cal needs are 3000 to maintain and 2400 to lose weight. Should I stay with that or go lower in cals?

How many meals a day are you eating?

I think there are enough conflicting studies to safely say that while the mechanics aren't entirely understood, for a number of people spacing out 3000 calories (for example) over 3 meals produces different results than consuming the same amount of calories over 6 or 7 meals.

Some will argue that eating more meals throughout the day speeds up metabolism. While a popular belief, I think this may be headed for "myth" category.

It's pretty well established that the higher the muscle-to-fat ratio, the higher the metabolism . Ergo, it's not that eating frequent meals speeds up metabolism, but providing the right combination of carbs and proteins during periods right before and after exercise which leads to better muscle recovery and energy usage (glycogen) during exercise. Better preserved muscle mass and of course, increased muscle mass will lead to better metabolism and thus, more success at losing fat - assuming a clean diet.

Dr. John Ivy at the University of Texas has conducted studies over the last 30+ years on exercise nutrition. Google his name if you want to learn more.

The bottom line is, before you start seriously reducing the number of calories in an attempt to forge past a plateau in fat loss, I think spreading out your meals into more frequent meals is worth a try. Some swear by the success they've had doing this - although I doubt few understand why it works.

[fwo40]

How many meals a day are you eating?

Some will argue that eating more meals throughout the day speeds up metabolism. While a popular belief, I think this may be headed for "myth" category.

It's pretty well established that the higher the muscle-to-fat ratio, the higher the metabolism . Ergo, it's not that eating frequent meals speeds up metabolism, but providing the right combination of carbs and proteins during periods right before and after exercise which leads to better muscle recovery and energy usage (glycogen) during exercise. Better preserved muscle mass and of course, increased muscle mass will lead to better metabolism and thus, more success at losing fat - assuming a clean diet.

Dr. John Ivy at the University of Texas has conducted studies over the last 30+ years on exercise nutrition. Google his name if you want to learn more.

The bottom line is, before you start seriously reducing the number of calories in an attempt to forge past a plateau in fat loss, I think spreading out your meals into more frequent meals is worth a try. Some swear by the success they've had doing this - although I doubt few understand why it works.

Any thoughts on programs like "Eat Stop Eat"? The creator debunks the importance of eating to metabolism and even claims that metabolism does not significantly slow until more than 72 hours have passed without food.

If that's true it wouldn't necessarily matter how many meals you ate, as long as you hit your calorie goals and possibly the somewhat minor benefits of protein consumption directly after workouts.

[KingGibbs]

Thanks Kurp. I do use the "frequent" method.

Example.

Preworkout-Oatmeal with a scoop of whey.

Post workout-Protein shake w/ scoop of whey, cup of egg whites, 1/2 cup of OJ and 1cup of blueberries.

Lunch-Lean turkey breast or turkey burger on whole grain w/slice tomatoe.

Snack-Granny Smith apple w/ 2-3 TBSP of PB

Dinner-Spinach chicken breast salad with 'matoes, 1/2-1 cup of black beans, 1/4 cup of almonds, jalapenoes and 2-4 TBSP of olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Snack-Clif protein bar or glass of milk

[#98QBKiller]

Interesting-

so really, if I want to lose weight (fat), I really should be focusing on cardio, and probably lay off the weights?

Is there a risk of burning thru muscle instead of fat if you don't do any weight training? And could the weight training help to build some confusion for your cardio routine, sort of a cross-training effect?

Another thing that I learned not too long ago is that when trying to preserve muscle while losing fat, it's best to use high-intensity cardio as opposed to 30+ minute, medium-paced jogs.

I've been cutting for several weeks and I've had success doing short but very intense cardio sessions on my weight training days plus two additional cardio sessions on non-training days.

It saves a lot of time and seems to help me burn fat faster than my old cardio routine (lots of time jogging).

They way someone put it to me:

Compare the body types of marathon runners to sprinters and tell me what you see. Marathon runners are usually thin with little muscle mass or definition, while sprinters tend to be built with more muscle mass and plenty of definition.

[KingGibbs]

Another thing that I learned not too long ago is that when trying to preserve muscle while losing fat, it's best to use high-intensity cardio as opposed to 30+ minute, medium-paced jogs.

I've been cutting for several weeks and I've had success doing short but very intense cardio sessions on my weight training days plus two additional cardio sessions on non-training days.

It saves a lot of time and seems to help me burn fat faster than my old cardio routine (lots of time jogging).

They way someone put it to me:

Compare the body types of marathon runners to sprinters and tell me what you see. Marathon runners are usually thin with little muscle mass or definition, while sprinters tend to be built with more muscle mass and plenty of definition.

I laugh (not at you) everytime I hear this comparison. Why? Comparing a marathon runner that trains for hours and many miles per day/week to someone doing a few hours of steady state cardio per week is ridiculous. There's no comparison.

[#98QBKiller]

I laugh (not at you) everytime I hear this comparison. Why? Comparing a marathon runner that trains for hours and many miles per day/week to someone doing a few hours of steady state cardio per week is ridiculous. There's no comparison.

What do you mean there's no comparison? Sprinters train just as hard (I would argue harder) and they require extensive weight training to build up parts of the body that help with speed.

[jrockster21]

Interesting-

so really, if I want to lose weight (fat), I really should be focusing on cardio, and probably lay off the weights?

Is there a risk of burning thru muscle instead of fat if you don't do any weight training? And could the weight training help to build some confusion for your cardio routine, sort of a cross-training effect?

NO NO NO NO!!! Weight training is excellent for burning fat. I am living proof of that.