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darkeningday
xXdArKenIngDayXx

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:20 pm
Posts: 6032
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 4:47 pm 
 

dystopia4 wrote:
What supplements do y'all take? I'm starting on creatine, and have never really done supplements at all before but now I want to get more serious about lifting.

Creatine and supps of that ilk are mostly useless unless you're doing 4-6 hours a day in the gym, with a professional weight trainer guiding your hands all the time. The occasional protein shake is all I'd recommend for the enthusiast level lifter.
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grauer_mausling
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2009 8:00 am
Posts: 1873
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 7:56 pm 
 

dystopia4 wrote:
What supplements do y'all take? I'm starting on creatine, and have never really done supplements at all before but now I want to get more serious about lifting.


Nothing any more. For some months I took whey protein powder but didn't notice any difference in terms of recovery etc. Never tried creatin because
it just basically only pumps you up by (sorry, I'm lacking the english term) "accumulating water in yout body" and while it may have visible effects
those will disappear if you don't keep taking it. Basically I think the whole supplement industry is just about stealing your money :wink:

What worked however was changing my diet by eating more in general and also taking care of eating protein-rich food. I eat lots of curd, chicken,
tuna and eggs combined with wholemeal bread, pasta, rice etc.
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Poisonfume
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:26 pm
Posts: 1227
Location: Greece
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 10:40 pm 
 

grauer_mausling wrote:
dystopia4 wrote:
What supplements do y'all take? I'm starting on creatine, and have never really done supplements at all before but now I want to get more serious about lifting.


Nothing any more. For some months I took whey protein powder but didn't notice any difference in terms of recovery etc. Never tried creatin because
it just basically only pumps you up by (sorry, I'm lacking the english term) "accumulating water in yout body" and while it may have visible effects
those will disappear if you don't keep taking it. Basically I think the whole supplement industry is just about stealing your money :wink:

What worked however was changing my diet by eating more in general and also taking care of eating protein-rich food. I eat lots of curd, chicken,
tuna and eggs combined with wholemeal bread, pasta, rice etc.


Creatine has worked in my experience. Maybe it was placebo, but my performance in the gym did increase a little when I cycled it. All it's meant to do is give you a little more oomph during the workout. You won't lose muscle or anything if you stop taking it. Creatine mono is generally pretty cheap (cheaper than whey protein) so it doesn't hurt to use it. Not anything essential.

I haven't been to a gym in almost half a year. Lost just over 10 kilos thanks to breaking my heel (badly) and the shitty eating habits that follow my heavy academic schedule at university. That's over a year of slaving away and hard work down the drain. I can still barely walk on my own two feet and am feeling weaker and unhealthier than I ever have. My goal is to get my shit together starting January 2014. No such thing as leg training anymore, though, and I don't know for how long...
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ModusOperandi
Metalhead

Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 12:52 am
Posts: 1553
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 2:15 am 
 

I'm a regular soda drinker (two 12 oz. cans daily, occasionally 3) and I want to cut back and potentially quit altogether. I have a plan in place of how I'm going to decrease the amount and/or frequency I drink but I'll need ample substitutes, of course. Good pre-flavored waters or anything I can add to water? Healthy juice recommendations that aren't overloaded with sugar? Plain water won't do it, I've tried, and I can't stand tea. Any suggestions?
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BarryLamarBonds
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:36 pm
Posts: 342
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 4:57 am 
 

ModusOperandi wrote:
I'm a regular soda drinker (two 12 oz. cans daily, occasionally 3) and I want to cut back and potentially quit altogether. I have a plan in place of how I'm going to decrease the amount and/or frequency I drink but I'll need ample substitutes, of course. Good pre-flavored waters or anything I can add to water? Healthy juice recommendations that aren't overloaded with sugar? Plain water won't do it, I've tried, and I can't stand tea. Any suggestions?


Just cut it out entirely, replace it with water, and watch the results happen almost overnight. Don't take shortcuts or reach for replacements.

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NikeOfSamothrace
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:34 pm
Posts: 561
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 2:28 pm 
 

I'm trying to get my own adjustable dumbbell set very soon, this guy I know is holding them for me and is giving me a sweet deal of 10-50lb set for 250 dollars (he originally spent 300 on them.) I like the privacy of my own home, plus I'm very cheap when it comes to memberships. It's also very convenient and you don't exactly have to wait around for a machine or worry what others will think of you. I started working out since March using random items I had at home. I started at 117 now I'm back down to 111-112.

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Atropus
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2013 3:02 pm
Posts: 679
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:10 pm 
 

First off for me is heavy duty weight loss involving heavy duty treadmill use before I even thing about building my muscle mass.

I'm still suffering the lingering mental and physical side effects of spending 80% of my life in an office in front of a computer the past 3 years, and I want to remedy that.

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PizzaLovingDenizenOfHell666999
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2013 6:37 am
Posts: 27
Location: Pakistan
PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 8:03 am 
 

As much as I love pizza, I'd love to keep the weight off. So I do work out.

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Exigence
Age: 29 (Wait, what?!)

Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:42 pm
Posts: 982
Location: New Orleans
PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:49 pm 
 

I kinda started my current strict diet very slowly.

2005 - gave up fast food
2009 - gave up soda...that snowballed into giving up white bread and anything with high fructose corn syrup...I had heard from a relative that someone they knew lost 100lbs by just doing that...

Now I'm 28, and I've been running/working out since I was 15. So while I was never 'fat' as an adult, there was always that desire to get cut up. So, this past year I tried one more thing...

2013 - cut out 99% carbs - no breads, no starches, no dairy, etc......all I eat is meat (turkey, chicken, fish, eggs), low sugar fruits and vegetables. Fat is good as well, no carbs in full fat mayonnaise....saved my life.

This worked like a charm. Within a month I could see results. Now friends and family think I'm weird with my strict diet, but GOD DAMN...it works. My only cheat days I use for going out and drinking. I look great, feel great, etc. In fact, one of my roommates who has been a friend of mine for almost a decade used to be really overweight. Slowly he got onto my diet and now he's dropped like 130lbs. Not kidding.

Most people are so attached to carbs (especially in bread and any crunchy snack food) and demonize fat. Fat is great, carbs are evil. Once you switch over, you don't even crave that other food anymore.

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Rattus
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:33 pm
Posts: 248
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 3:38 pm 
 

In terms of exercise I am really into anything that enhances my ability to do day-to-day tasks as I've always been a really practical person. I like running (combination of endurance and interval training), lifting (almost purely endurance), and I try to do some stuff that's more fun because ADHD can make it a bitch to enjoy the gym too much. :lol: Hiking, biking, yoga, going crazy with the old punching bag, etc, are great. I also want to take up hunting but being a student makes me too poor to afford the equipment, licenses, etc.

Since I have a level of expertise and have time to burn during the holidays, I've decided to respond to some stuff on here that I thought I could be of help with. I'm just a nice Canadian who happens to do work for a hospital in nutrition. :)

Ancient_Sorrow wrote:
... I've been too busy to work out every day...

You are not supposed to be working out everyday. Holy shit, serious damage to your body... Sorry, couldn't help my immediate reaction. You gotta have at least 1 rest day per week, preferably 2.
ModusOperandi wrote:
I'm a regular soda drinker (two 12 oz. cans daily, occasionally 3) and I want to cut back and potentially quit altogether. I have a plan in place of how I'm going to decrease the amount and/or frequency I drink but I'll need ample substitutes, of course. Good pre-flavored waters or anything I can add to water? Healthy juice recommendations that aren't overloaded with sugar? Plain water won't do it, I've tried, and I can't stand tea. Any suggestions?

I recommend first by replacing with juice, and then watering down the juice. Also, some milk and lots of water is good. You said you can't do plain water yet so try getting one of those calorie-free water-flavouring products you can find at any grocery store, like Mio, which you can just squeeze, and then you can just shake your water bottle. Obviously you want to gradually decrease the amount you use until you don't need it anymore. Carry the flavouring stuff and a bottle of water with you all the time. But if you're a runner (and serious about it), you might want to always drink sports drinks when you're at the gym and that's for basic physiological reasons. I create educational health literature for a hospital and this is some of the stuff I have recommended for patients. When you're changing your diet, your body also needs time to adjust. Also, specifically forbidding yourself from having any kind of food or drink will make it all too tempting... Just try to have it only occasionally. If it makes more sense to you, one dietitian who used to head CalorieCount (owned by the New York Times) used to say that after you have your total calories for a day figured out, you can have 10% of those calories on empty/junk foods, but the other 90% has to be on healthy, whole foods. Should make it easier to enjoy yourself a bit but be on the right track.

Sorry if this is awkwardly written lol
Exigence wrote:
2013 - cut out 99% carbs ... carbs are evil. Once you switch over, you don't even crave that other food anymore.

The reason why the optimal human diet is designed the way it is, is because of nutrient balance, making sure you don't get toxicity, etc. With a high protein diet of any sort, you could be risking a level of kidney damage, digestive problems, etc. And yes, fat is good too, but it's very easy to overdo and can make you feel quite lethargic if you overdo it. For an adult, more than 30% calories from fat is not a good idea... Also, the human brain, and many cells of the human body, need starches and sugars to run optimally, and the best sources are whole grains and fruits. These are needed for cell repair, stored energy in the form of starches that are converted to glycogen (necessary for anyone who does cardio or endurance exercise here, which should be a lot since many of you are into "cutting"), preventing many digestive ailments, and so much more.. And are an easier source of calories which are not lost during the process of digestion as compared to proteins. :) I wish people would stop thinking of visible results because then we'd have a society with a healthier attitude toward food, but I understand it's harder for people to focus on what they can't see.
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Exigence
Age: 29 (Wait, what?!)

Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:42 pm
Posts: 982
Location: New Orleans
PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 4:56 pm 
 

Yeah but I don't do moderation. All or nothing. Sometimes I allow myself a handful of almonds or a granola bar at work when there is nothing else. As for energy, an orange before going running is all the boost I need. I will never go back to any sort of grain, starch or dairy. It's filler calories and I can just as easily get what I need from fruits and vegetables. I do cardio every other day, very intense as well...my last best time was 5 miles in 34:12 which is fucking hard to maintain. So while I noticed the total drop off in energy when I first started....I used fruits instead and got what I needed.

Besides I was the kid who always just picked the meatballs out of the pasta anyway. I really enjoy the lifestyle and it is nowhere near as strict as some of the vegans I've worked with.

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Rattus
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:33 pm
Posts: 248
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 7:36 pm 
 

Exigence wrote:
Yeah but I don't do moderation. All or nothing. Sometimes I allow myself a handful of almonds or a granola bar at work when there is nothing else. As for energy, an orange before going running is all the boost I need. I will never go back to any sort of grain, starch or dairy. It's filler calories and I can just as easily get what I need from fruits and vegetables. I do cardio every other day, very intense as well...my last best time was 5 miles in 34:12 which is fucking hard to maintain. So while I noticed the total drop off in energy when I first started....I used fruits instead and got what I needed.

Besides I was the kid who always just picked the meatballs out of the pasta anyway. I really enjoy the lifestyle and it is nowhere near as strict as some of the vegans I've worked with.

Actually it's not just filler calories. Starches convert to stored energy in the body which help during physical performance. And milk contains a good amount of protein with a relatively low natural sugar content that has a low level of sweetness compared to other sugars, therefore not increasing your appetite much due to the brain's response to sugar... Not saying one ABSOLUTELY needs grains or dairy, but they are recommended for a regular person's diet to ensure they get the proper number of carbs without making things too complicated and overdoing/underdoing any vitamins, minerals, or energy-yielding nutrients like fat, carbs, and proteins (even vegetables can be bad in too high amounts due to vitamin toxicity, having too much of certain types of fibres which can lead to internal lacerations, etc). At the very least, don't be replacing these foods with simply protein and fat foods, as levels of fats and especially carbohydrates will be affected too much. In a high protein diet, if you're losing a lot of weight at first, it's generally because you are actually continuously dehydrating your body and starving it of your muscle's energy stores. Then there's also the generally high levels of fat (especially saturated fats), kidney problems, tiring your digestive system, etc...

If you continue to choose not to have grains or dairy, you definitely should look for alternatives that are nutritionally equivalent in some way. If you get unsweetened soy milk, that's quite decent to replace milk, and potatoes are really great for necessary starches. Your body needs starch in some amounts, so you can't really exclude that. Almond milk is not a sufficient replacement for milk due to the extremely low protein count. If you cook potatoes with some stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce/puree, and add lots of ground cinnamon, it is so awesome. I think I'm making myself hungry...

Edit: also, limiting your carbs can easily force your body into doing something which is basically your body eating away at your muscles because it is desperately trying to find some source of glycogen... Which your body creates from things like starches.
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Xeogred
Thunderbolt from Hell

Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:28 pm
Posts: 7154
PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 11:23 pm 
 

I'm about 6 months into DDPYoga and completely addicted at this point. Usually doing 4 times a week. Last year and previously I was pretty much in chronic neck/shoulder pain every single day, shitty diet and car accident years ago... now the pain is completely gone. That and this stuff is just incredible and fun. DDP is intense and in your face about it, even if I do appreciate the meditative aspects of most other yoga, but this guy is to the point and it's easy to see how I'm getting shape from this. There's definitely a good bit of slow big pushups in most of the videos, among other things. Also got a nice door pullup bar so I'm messing with that in between days at times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWQHvbvlkrM

My energy levels were weird recently so I started upping the protein intake too and damn I'm looking good haha. I'm a skinny guy so yoga is always going to make this weird, but I guess if I make sure to get more protein I can keep this shape up. I was just doing chicken at dinner, but now I'm making sure to get some good real protein in twice a day at least and doing some protein bars or whatever on the side.

I'm cool with dairy but might be a little lactose intolerant, so this year I got into the coconut stuff and love it at this point. Maybe I'll mess with some shakes/powders sometime. Cereal for breakfast is still my weakness, but I'm doing fine now (I just can't get into eggs much). I usually get in an apple, grapes, or berries, then Greek yogurt, protein bars, and peanut butter stuff for snacks. Then chicken and rice for lunch, and chicken or some other meat and awesome green stuff for dinner (I freaking love broccoli). There is no way this is a strength/mass focused diet, but hot damn I think I've got it down now and just feel amazing throughout the days lately.

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Rattus
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:33 pm
Posts: 248
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 8:58 am 
 

Xeogred: just be sure to up your protein intake pretty slowly. The human body adjusts digestive enzymes as your diet changes, but it can only do so at a given pace. If it can't digest it, you're going to feel it in places you don't want to feel it. Unfortunately I speak from a professional and experiential side. I'm not gonna say more here lol
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InnesI
The Goat Fucker

Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:19 pm
Posts: 2187
PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:56 am 
 

Exigence wrote:
I kinda started my current strict diet very slowly.

2005 - gave up fast food
2009 - gave up soda...that snowballed into giving up white bread and anything with high fructose corn syrup...I had heard from a relative that someone they knew lost 100lbs by just doing that...

Now I'm 28, and I've been running/working out since I was 15. So while I was never 'fat' as an adult, there was always that desire to get cut up. So, this past year I tried one more thing...

2013 - cut out 99% carbs - no breads, no starches, no dairy, etc......all I eat is meat (turkey, chicken, fish, eggs), low sugar fruits and vegetables. Fat is good as well, no carbs in full fat mayonnaise....saved my life.

This worked like a charm. Within a month I could see results. Now friends and family think I'm weird with my strict diet, but GOD DAMN...it works. My only cheat days I use for going out and drinking. I look great, feel great, etc. In fact, one of my roommates who has been a friend of mine for almost a decade used to be really overweight. Slowly he got onto my diet and now he's dropped like 130lbs. Not kidding.

Most people are so attached to carbs (especially in bread and any crunchy snack food) and demonize fat. Fat is great, carbs are evil. Once you switch over, you don't even crave that other food anymore.


I did much the same. When living at home I ate whatever was served. For much of my mid and late teens I did nothing physical and bulked up a little - never being fat but noticeably more full when going back and looking at pictures. I started to run. At first once a week and the results were kind of impressive. Even with such few times of training each month I lost much weight. I guess going from nothing to something really does show results quickly + I think its in my genes to get into shape quite fast.

I eventually turned up both the pace and frequency which culminated in a period of mental instability when running for me was the only way I could turn off my brain. It became a meditation of sorts. Then I did it for about 4 days a week - my legs/knees couldn't take more than every other day. During this time I became increasingly aware of my diet. At first, when I moved away from my parents, I gave up on fast food and soda. At around the same time I gave up on already-done-microwaved-foods. I cooked everything from beginning to end. Big improvement.

I started doing martial arts (BJJ) 2,5 years ago and when I decided to compete I realized I needed to loose a few pounds to make weight. I didn't wanna dehydrate so I looked up a more long term alternative and came across the same as you use (i.e. "cut out 99% carbs - no breads, no starches, no dairy, etc......all I eat is meat (turkey, chicken, fish, eggs), low sugar fruits and vegetables"). It did amazing for me as well. I lost 10-12 pounds.

I'm not super strict. When out with friends I can have a pizza and sometimes I make pasta or rice but I try to keep my general diet direction as describes above. I'm just over 30 now and I'm in the shape of my life. The big difference the diet made for me was that last step between me doing BJJ and being in great shape to me doing BJJ and looking in great shape. I'm not vain but I would lie if I said I don't care at all about looking healthy and in shape.
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Exigence
Age: 29 (Wait, what?!)

Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:42 pm
Posts: 982
Location: New Orleans
PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 3:42 pm 
 

The biggest thing, that people don't understand, is that you stop craving BAD food. I was playing cards the other night and everyone around me was eating pizza. It never even crossed my mind that I could have some. So it's not constant iron willpower as your body flushed the bad stuff out and only reacts to what is good for you.

To steal a bit from Doug Stanhope, if you put a bowl of water and a bowl of pepsi in front of a dog, he's gonna drink the water.

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InnesI
The Goat Fucker

Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:19 pm
Posts: 2187
PostPosted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:12 am 
 

Exigence wrote:
The biggest thing, that people don't understand, is that you stop craving BAD food. I was playing cards the other night and everyone around me was eating pizza. It never even crossed my mind that I could have some. So it's not constant iron willpower as your body flushed the bad stuff out and only reacts to what is good for you.

To steal a bit from Doug Stanhope, if you put a bowl of water and a bowl of pepsi in front of a dog, he's gonna drink the water.


My biggest revelation in regards to this was when I had given up on bad fast food altogether and then, after a year or so, went back and had some fries at some fast food joint. I could taste the fat and salt in a way I never had before. It was simply disgusting. I'm not saying this is the case with all fast food but to me that was a real revelation. I also never crave soda anymore. Never drink it at all. Water wins every time.
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I've also been called a satanist, communist, right wing, nazi-apologist, conservative dipshit, muslim (lover), PC, feminist, neoliberal, boot licker, verbal masturbator and an eternal low-key fascist enabler! Please add your projection too.
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Rattus
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:33 pm
Posts: 248
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:34 am 
 

Hehe, I'm gonna explain this one too... Your sense of taste actually also adjusts to dietary changes. :) Although the human brain generally responds well to some level of sugar. As long as it's sugar from a natural source, there is no problem.
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Diamhea
Eats and Spits Corpses

Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:46 pm
Posts: 9275
Location: At the Heat of Winter
PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:07 am 
 

Stop drinking soda or sugary drinks and watch the weight just fall off of you (If you drink them a lot).
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Solomon Grundy
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:48 pm
Posts: 18
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:34 pm 
 

Atropus wrote:
First off for me is heavy duty weight loss involving heavy duty treadmill use before I even thing about building my muscle mass.

I'm still suffering the lingering mental and physical side effects of spending 80% of my life in an office in front of a computer the past 3 years, and I want to remedy that.



I was where you are at. You can do the fitness thing, do it correctly, and do it in a reasonable amount of time with the proper mindset and understanding of what and how to do things.

First off: weight lifting is ESSENTIAL to weight loss. Fat does not burn calories. Contraction of skeletal muscle mass burns calories. The more skeletal muscle mass you have, the more likely you are to burn more calories.

Second, the folks that are talking about supplements such as creatine and the like, and saying they haven't helped, have likely not used them correctly. Whey protein, as suggested by others, is something I would consider essential to any serious exercise regimen. Taken as closely as possible to intense exercise, it has been shown to help recovery AND increase in mass and strength. If I'm correct, Creatine is a precursor and can aid in muscle growth, but is extremely hard on the kidneys and should be cycled under supervision by a legit trainer. Stuff like L-Carnitine and CLA, which aid in the development of lean muscle mass at the expense of fat cells, I would consider important for serious enthusiasts.

Third, what you do in your routine is important. If, as you say, working the treadmill to lose weight is a start, then start there. However, I would say that anyone with weight loss in mind should do a five-day a week training program. Three days lifting weights, and two days doing medium intensity interval training (e.g. the original Men's Health Spartacus workout, not the new-fangled P90-X psycho workout version). Then monitor your calorie intake. If you are about 5'10" or so and working a desk job, you should try and take in around 1,700 calories a day (adjusted for the amount of exercise you do). get an app on your phone called "My fitness pal". It helped me IMMEASURABLY in getting my initial diet together. I went from 200 down to 173 in about 4 1/2 months.

Getting in only 1,700 calories a day will be torture at first, but after a couple months it will feel normal (almost). The biggest diet devastators are sodas, alcohol and bread. Even cutting those things in half will pay dividends in your diet and weight loss program. Add stuff like grilled chicken breast and hard boiled eggs, salad, quinoa and high-nutrient-density vegetables like broccoli, Kale, watercress, etc will also help a lot.

Motivation is key, so get to it. Listen to Metal and check out the hot workout chicks while at the gym, also. I find that helpful! ;-)
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Xeogred
Thunderbolt from Hell

Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:28 pm
Posts: 7154
PostPosted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:48 pm 
 

Diamhea wrote:
Stop drinking soda or sugary drinks and watch the weight just fall off of you (If you drink them a lot).

Definitely the easiest first step anyone can take. I'm a skinnier guy myself and still lost almost like 10 pounds right out of my gut when I quit soda, it was crazy.

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Marky Mark
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 11:55 pm
Posts: 36
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:58 pm 
 

ModusOperandi wrote:
I'm a regular soda drinker (two 12 oz. cans daily, occasionally 3) and I want to cut back and potentially quit altogether. I have a plan in place of how I'm going to decrease the amount and/or frequency I drink but I'll need ample substitutes, of course. Good pre-flavored waters or anything I can add to water? Healthy juice recommendations that aren't overloaded with sugar? Plain water won't do it, I've tried, and I can't stand tea. Any suggestions?


I use to have a terrible problem with soda to. I sort of replaced that with carbonated water, which satisfies the need for the carbonation that soda has. One thing I must add is that you may need to get used to the bitterness. I used to hate it like most others but ultimately was able to enjoy it has trying it a few times.

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Arkhane
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:39 pm
Posts: 1820
Location: South Texas
PostPosted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 3:43 am 
 

Got a heavy bag for christmas. Gonna try to lose some weight that I have been gaining using that. Plus doc says my blood pressure is high and I'm only 24. Any tips? I'm studying taijutsu mainly.
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BarryLamarBonds
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:36 pm
Posts: 342
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 4:11 am 
 

Arkhane wrote:
Got a heavy bag for christmas. Gonna try to lose some weight that I have been gaining using that. Plus doc says my blood pressure is high and I'm only 24. Any tips? I'm studying taijutsu mainly.


Cut down on sugar and processed foods, and try not to stress out as much. Working the heavy bag will be a sort of cardio, but try to get some other forms in as well.

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MacMoney
Man of the Cloth

Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2002 10:17 pm
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Location: Finland
PostPosted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 9:30 am 
 

Arkhane wrote:
Got a heavy bag for christmas. Gonna try to lose some weight that I have been gaining using that. Plus doc says my blood pressure is high and I'm only 24. Any tips? I'm studying taijutsu mainly.


Any tips for what? It's all very general what you're stating here. If you want good advice that works out for you and what you aren't already doing and don't already know, you need to hand out a bit more info. Regular exercise and losing weight helps with high blood pressure. Another thing is cutting down on salt. High salt intake is pretty much the number one contributor along with lack of exercise and overweight to high blood pressure, of the things that you can control yourself. So cut down on processed foods and eating out. Start preparing your own meals and learn to use vegetables, spices and herbs well from the beginning. Vegetables will help you feel full while still losing weight and spices & herbs will help counteract the craving for salt that you're gonna get.

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Arkhane
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:39 pm
Posts: 1820
Location: South Texas
PostPosted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 8:17 pm 
 

Basically I do speed punches on the heavy bag in flurries of 5, 10, and 20. Breathe for 30 seconds then do it again. I'm mainly looking to improve stamina and speed while hopefully losing some weight. I'm at 209 pounds and rising, so I'd like to get back under 200.

Weight and BP aside, what are the best heavy bag exercises in yall's opinions to build speed and stamina? It doesn't matter if it's boxing exercises or MMA or women's aerobics or Krav Maga... anything. Whatever works best for you guys.
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Ooko
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:03 pm
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Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:34 pm 
 

I've been working out at the gym at my University, which as been nice. I have a couple of friends I've been working out with being that I don't know what I'm doing most of the time, and they're a great help. We run every day, and then do other various exercises which includes lifting at times. We do this six times a week, too. I've been really sore, but my arms are better than they were.

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Arkhane
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:39 pm
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Location: South Texas
PostPosted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 3:29 am 
 

I might post this in FFA, but has anyone checked out Skalligram's page on youtube? He gives personal philosophy views along with weapon and HEMA reviews and techniques.
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JopR
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:44 pm
Posts: 7
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:09 am 
 

Arkhane wrote:
Basically I do speed punches on the heavy bag in flurries of 5, 10, and 20. Breathe for 30 seconds then do it again. I'm mainly looking to improve stamina and speed while hopefully losing some weight. I'm at 209 pounds and rising, so I'd like to get back under 200.

Weight and BP aside, what are the best heavy bag exercises in yall's opinions to build speed and stamina? It doesn't matter if it's boxing exercises or MMA or women's aerobics or Krav Maga... anything. Whatever works best for you guys.


Skipping rope works great for stamina, for speed you need to be relaxed. If you keep constant tension on your muscles you will tire very quickly, but you won't be very fast.

This is also a great excercise, and usefull site.

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Thumbman
Big Cube

Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:47 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 11:32 am 
 

Solomon Grundy wrote:
If I'm correct, Creatine is a precursor and can aid in muscle growth, but is extremely hard on the kidneys and should be cycled under supervision by a legit trainer.

Sorry but that is not correct - creatine has not been show to cause damage to the kidneys. You absolutely do not need the aid of a legit trainer when taking it, it's one of the most flexible supplements to take.

Maybe someone here can give me some advice on this. I've been at a plateau with my bench press for about a month. I can do 8 reps on 165 with no real problems and do a few reps on 175, but am having a very hard time improving. I generally lift three times a week and have been recently taking creatine, but haven't been the greatest about remembering to take it everyday. How do I get my bench up?
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Diamhea
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:05 pm 
 

Try mixing up the approach, you'll be surprised how easily your body can adapt to certain lifting patterns if you do them enough. Try using dumbbells for chest press. You'll be surprised how much more difficult it is (you won't be able to hit the same weight at first) since the arms are being forced to work independently. This will bring up some of your lagging areas and if you are really that concerned about hitting a certain bench weight, this will help you reach it.
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~Guest 98976
Metal Pounder

Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:08 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:40 pm 
 

Diamhea, that's what I was going to suggest, was to work a muscle group that includes arms, or vice versa.

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awheio
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:00 am
Posts: 539
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:57 am 
 

I third the suggestion to spend some time using dumbbells for chest press. One thing I always thoroughly enjoyed, and which might have helped me move up, was to do drop sets -- you warm up to your max, and then take 5 pounds off each side, do some reps, drop another 5, etc. until you're just pushing up the bare bar. I've read that this is primarily a trick for bodybuilders, as opposed to power lifters, but it is encouraging all the same. You will be sore in the days afterward, and this reminds you that your muscles are growing again, and you should have more confidence when trying to push up your maximum later on.

I haven't been to the gym since the fall, since I have to walk there, and I don't want to walk there in the cold. About a year and a half ago, I started lifting and weighed about 140 pounds, and got up to 185 pounds fairly quickly. I wasn't terribly well rounded though, so I'm happy to have a break for a while.

Meanwhile, I have bought a couple kettlebells, which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to work out in privacy, or for anyone else really. I'm using those for conditioning and to round out some muscle groups while improving joints and so on. In a month or so, I'll be returning to the gym for heavy lifting again, and I hope that this hiatus to focus on conditioning will have improved me.

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Thumbman
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:55 am 
 

I will definitely try that in the future, guys. Seem to be over that plateau now (about time), was able to bench 190lbs today, but only 5 reps for each set. Looks like this creatine is probably working.
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Metal81
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:33 pm
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:34 pm 
 

Hey Dystopia, glad you broke through that plateau! I think everything that has been said was quite valid regarding approaches to breaking through. I have had a lot of success with creatine as well. I wanted to ask what your nutrition looks like? I have found that if I am not giving my body adequate fuel to recover from my workouts and build muscle, I don't make any progress. Do you have a target macro nutrient level you aim for? I feel like poor nutrition prevents progress more often than lack of effort/poor routines.

Regarding routines, I have found it to be helpful to throw lots of different combinations of weight/reps at my body to promote growth. If you are always trying to do sets of 8 at 165 maybe take it down to 155 for a week and try to knock out 3-4 sets of 15? I love the dumbbells suggestions too, very helpful. You might also try going heavy one week and then going lighter/more reps the next.

When you say you lift 3 times a week, do you do a 3 day split or do you do a full body work 3x a week? How much recovery time are you giving yourself between bench sessions? Perhaps you're not giving yourself enough time to recover between sessions? I run a 4 day split, allowing a full week between each specific workout which has been very helpful to me to date.

Hope that helps! Congrats again on hitting 190!

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Diamhea
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Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:46 pm
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:12 pm 
 

Nutrition is at least as important as working out, but you don't have to necessarily micromanage it to the point of absurdity. Reminds me of dudes at the gym walking around with a notebook writing down every little minute detail in their lifting throughout the day, and they are still tiny a year later. I guess regarding the nutrition, the most important thing to remember is the simplest: if you won't eat you won't grow/gain muscle.Your body can't build muscle without the means to properly do it. I made this mistake at first, busting my ass at the gym 4-5 times a week but was too paranoid about getting fat to eat enough. Once I realized I was being a dipshit, I made more progress in 6 months than my first 3 years. Also, to echo Metal81, try mixing up the approach if you feel you can't break through a certain weight. Try a lower weight with more reps, try different lifting approaches, anything to shock your body into growing. Our bodies are more resilient than we give them credit for, and can adapt to very strenuating lifting patterns quite quickly, but this also means it stops growing in response to it. I can go on all day, but I'll stop here for now. Good luck all.
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Leave a steaming, stinking Rotting Repulsive Rotting Corpse = LIVE YOUNG - DIE FREE and move on to the NEXT form of yourself....or just be a fat Wal-Mart Mcdonalds pc of shit what do I give a fuck what you do.

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Poisonfume
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:26 pm
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Location: Greece
PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:21 pm 
 

Diamhea wrote:
Nutrition is at least as important as working out, but you don't have to necessarily micromanage it to the point of absurdity. Reminds me of dudes at the gym walking around with a notebook writing down every little minute detail in their lifting throughout the day.


I do this. It's incredibly helpful, I write down weight and reps for each set of each exercise with a little note on how it 'felt'. I've always done it like this, I could never remember what weight I'm at in each exercise without my notebook.
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awheio
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Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:00 am
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:46 pm 
 

Poisonfume wrote:
Diamhea wrote:
Nutrition is at least as important as working out, but you don't have to necessarily micromanage it to the point of absurdity. Reminds me of dudes at the gym walking around with a notebook writing down every little minute detail in their lifting throughout the day.


I do this. It's incredibly helpful, I write down weight and reps for each set of each exercise with a little note on how it 'felt'. I've always done it like this, I could never remember what weight I'm at in each exercise without my notebook.


I'm no expert, and if it works for you, it works for you -- but I too find it a little strange. My approach can't work forever, but I've made a lot of progress with it: When I go to the gym, I just gradually get very psyched up, and while I have a fair memory of what my maxes are, I mostly construct a workout in my head as I lift. While I'm warming up, I get a good sense of how much I'll be able to continue lifting. Sometimes I'll pick up what I think is an appropriate weight, and I'll discover that it's just too heavy that day -- so I set it down and go lower. But overall, I think it would take me out of the "zone" to take breaks to write things down. I just choose a muscle group, show up, warm up, lift a bunch (in styles varying week-to-week), have my shake and go home.

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Poisonfume
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:26 pm
Posts: 1227
Location: Greece
PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:07 pm 
 

That sounds even stranger to me. I mean, most people go into the gym with a set routine in mind. Your method doesn't seem very efficient at tracking progress (since lifting is all about progressive overload). If it's working for you that's great, but I think you're in the minority in the way you train.

As for the notebook, my workout partner and I are the only ones in the gym that use one, but it's definitely helpful. I could draw you line graph of my progress thanks to it. The chief reason for it is to compensate for my crappy memory.
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Diamhea
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Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:46 pm
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:35 pm 
 

Poisonfume wrote:
The chief reason for it is to compensate for my crappy memory.


Well then there you go, whatever works at the end of the day. I've never had trouble remembering what I lifted every day, mainly because I never bounced around between dozens of exercises. I would always settle with the heavier compound exercises, and things like skullcrushers that are incredibly effective if you can isolate the muscle well. Switch it up every couple weeks/months or so as needed. I don't think I ever needed to do more than half a dozen different exercises per day, but of course I would have certain days like tricep/chest and bicep/back/shoulders that isolated on certain areas. Then rotate those occasionally. For example on chest/tricep, I would do chest first and cash myself out, then the triceps would already be taxed from their involvement in chest exercises so when I isolated them afterward it wouldn't be long before they were finished. Done with a partner until you can't do anymore, go home eat and sleep and hit the same body parts 4-6 days later. I cut my workout time in half, you'd be surprised how quickly you can get in and out if you know what you are doing. Work great for me and I have absolutely shit genetics/body type. Sorry if I came off as harsh, I'm just bitter from the huge fitness fad and how everybody thinks they know everything and overanalyze it all. Guess I'm old school in that way.
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nuclearskull wrote:
Leave a steaming, stinking Rotting Repulsive Rotting Corpse = LIVE YOUNG - DIE FREE and move on to the NEXT form of yourself....or just be a fat Wal-Mart Mcdonalds pc of shit what do I give a fuck what you do.

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