The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

Right now leg day is 2 days due to volume of legs. Just too taxing to hit the entire leg group in a single day.

Sunday - Quad focus

4x15 Leg Extension
4x15 Squats - lighter controlled
4x15 Seated Calf raise super set with 4x12 lying hammy curl
4x15 goblet squat
4x12 leg press wide isolation

Abs added in 9 sets roughly

Wednesday - Hammy Focus

4x20 seated hammies
3x15 stiff leg deadlift
4x20 leg extension Super set with 4x20 calf raise
3x12 steps walking lunges
3x15 lying hammies super set with another calf variation

Abs added in 9 sets roughly

For my height, could use another 5 leg days a week - ugh.

Also doesn't help I can't hit squats heavy due to my IT band issue.

 

Once upon a time I used to kill legs on leg day. Squats, leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, calf raises and sometimes would throw in hacks squats. Yes my legs were strong but honestly I think in the end I was just overtraining. I also typically did not take any kind of supplements. Without competition goals-at least for now-I'm leaning more toward strength and endurance rather than just strength/size training. So I've upped my reps, lowered my rest times, TRY to get some mild cardio in once or twice a week (although that has sucked the last couple weeks!) with a 1 1/2-2 mile brisk walk with a 22lbs vest on, and trying to mix my training so body parts get hit 2-3 times a week but in different ways. I remember days when I trained more like you do, and I can honestly say I don't miss them much! lol

 

Alright guys could use some nutritional/workout advice. I've lived on my own for the past year working my first job out of college. Lots of sitting in an office environment for the first time ever. Found out that I can gain weight pretty damn quickly if I'm not careful. Guess I knew that already but thanks to high school sports and staying pretty active during college, and getting home-cooked meals and walking several miles a day between classes, it was never a problem.
Over the past year I've been lifting weights consistently. Not much cardio besides going on a 2-3 mile run every once in awhile. When I went home last month everyone noticed/commented that I'd really built up, but I'm having trouble getting/staying lean. Getting confidence to whip my shirt off, that sort of thing. Right now I'm 5'10 and 180 or so. Kinda stocky. I'm on my way but it doesn't hurt to ask. My question is this:
1. What's the best plan for the gym to continue building muscle but lean down at the same time? Anything I should know beyond continue lifting weights with additional cardio mixed in?
2. What dietary tips do you guys have? Right now I have the basics. Minimal junk food, no fast food, pretty much zero sugar. I use whey isolate after lifting weights. What I do know is that my metabolism could use some help. Thanks!

 

If you're carrying around more body fat than you want, eat in a very slight caloric deficit until you're as lean as you want to be. You're not going to pack on muscle while in a deficit, but all your gains aren't going to run away either. Don't be scared of losing weight. I'm 2 weeks into a cut right now and feel very strong.

To gain muscle... Once you're as lean as you want to be, SLOWLY add back the calories to put yourself in a mild caloric surplus.

You're not going to gain and lose at the same time. One requires more fuel than you burn, the other requires the opposite.

 

Ok that makes sense. Would doing more cardio/running more be enough? I'll burn more calories that way for sure. Aside from that, any tips for deficit without feeling like I'm starving all day?

 

The first thing you need to do is start tracking your food intake. Otherwise, you’re just guessing. Why waste your time not knowing if you’re doing right?

Use an online macronutrient calculator to find a good estimate of what “maintenance” is for you. You’ll want to get about gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. Split the rest of the Calories between carbs and fat however you find works best for you.

After you figure out what maintenance is, start chipping away at the carbs and fats very slowly. You want to lose about a pound per week. If you’re losing weight, don’t change anything. If you stay the same weight for about a week, knock off 10g carbs or 5g fat. Eventually, your metabolism will slow down and you’ll have to cut your intake down another bit.


Repeat until you’re lean.

 

You WILL feel hungry at times when cutting. Part of it. It’s ok to feel hungry. Drink water or go for a walk when you want to fall off the wagon. Be smart with your meal timing. Eat foods that are filling.

 

Everything that has been said is spot on.

Track your food in some manner. Some people aren’t calories or macro trackers and if thats not you then measure your food and keep a journal something to help you be more aware of your nutrition.

If you want to avoid hunger in a cut, keep your fat intake up. I’ve not been hungry on a cut in a long time and I’m pretty lean (under 10%). I truly believe why so many people get cravings and are hungry on a cut is they consume too many carbs in relation to fats. Carbs don’t keep you statient they stimulate hunger. Fats are higher in cals so those foods people forgo in place of something low calorie and voluminous to make them feel full. I think that ends up being a mistake.

Cardio is great to burn extra calories. I think you need a good mix of cardio and lifting to stay balanced in your workout routine and have good fitness but you burn more calories lifting than cardio so don’t over focus on cardio.
HIIT cardio is best for calorie burn. More low intensity cardio (like running a few miles) is less advantageous to burning cals.

Workout doing what you like. If you enjoy it, you’ll make it part of your life, if you hate it well you’ll quit lol. Pick a routine and a diet you’ll stick with long term. Thats more important than doing things “by the book”.

 

Ate 4 cookies today at work, punished myself with a 4 mile run.

 

*rewarded

 

I love cookies, but I hate running more. Haha.

 

Went to the fair tonight. Watched my kids destroy a funnel cake while my wife ate ice cream. I didn’t even have a bite. Eyes on the prize.

 

I got me a big ass burger after this bike ride. WORTH IT

 

Chest today. 10 mins row to warm up. Regular bench pressed. Incline DB bench. Flies on the bench for 2 sets then 2 on the physio ball. Some pull-ups and some abs. I’m exhausted. Had a delicious NY strip for dinner to replenish

 

You can eat whatever you want after a workout right? Isn’t that how this works?

 

I don’t track my food at all. So yes, yes I can! Hooray for high metabolisms!

 

Also, @PackCon having this desert beer. Imperial BBA stout with cinnamon and coffee. Hits the spot.

 

Jealous as fuck. My metabolism is slowballs but god dang I get hungry as fuck after riding for a while like this so I eat whatever I crave lol

 

I can pretty much eat whatever I want and not gain anything. But I eat 90% healthy. I’ve been pretty much eating paleo with a few exceptions the last 2 months. Even before that I still ate pretty good. I’ve just cut out a lot More processed foods. Except beer. I drink all the beer as pictured above

 

Thats quite a foo foo glass.