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[SeanR1221]

Weight doesn't matter, it's your body fat %. Man boobs disappear once you drop fat. And you should grow or at least retain muscle when dropping fat.

You certainly should adopt a lifting program, preferably SS. I have lost 23kg in last 6 months and retained pretty much all my muscle, in fact grown my strength. Strength training has multiple benefits

- it increases you lean mass, which makes you look better at any weight than less lean mass
- it keeps your metabolism going with a very beneficial hormone response
- it reshapes your body so the balance shifts from your belly to shoulders (see my before/afters earlier in this thread)
- it's addictive like gaming, unlocking achievements

The routine that works for me below - everyone is different so try and find what works for yourself. I have set myself rules I am religious about, they go above everything else:

A. 2000 kcal / day
B. 200g protein / day
C. 24h fast twice a week (eg Mon 8PM to Tue 8PM), fast ending diner max 800kcal
D. Lifting 4 days a week. 3 x SS, 1 x Accessory
E. Spinning 4 days a week
F. Alcohol on max 2 nights a week, only one of them can have beer

This program has bought me from 118kg to 95kg. I am now in the final stretch of my fat loss, so I have adopted the Carb Nite routine. All previous rules apply, but two new rules

G. Max 45g carbs each day
H. Carb Nite once a week, 500g carbs and 4000 kcal

This should allow me to strip that last 6% of fat to get ripped while preventing starvation mode. I have never been ripped, and I thought I was always genetically destined to be the chubbier one among friends. This year I decided to stop believing that.

Matugi - fantastic arms. Def pump!

Damn that's a pretty devoted diet plan, between the fasting, calorie restriction AND carb restriction.

 

[Chittagong]

Damn that's a pretty devoted diet plan, between the fasting, calorie restriction AND carb restriction.

haha, what can I say, I didn't get the high-BMR card in the starter deck :-D

Carb restriction isn't actually entirely necessary really for me, it's more me getting bored with the cut and wanting to shed fat faster. Getting to pig out weekly is a nice bonus.

 

[SeanR1221]

haha, what can I say, I didn't get the high-BMR card in the starter deck :-D

Carb restriction isn't actually entirely necessary really for me, it's more me getting bored with the cut and wanting to shed fat faster. Getting to pig out weekly is a nice bonus.

Yeah I don't really get great results with carb restriction either.

I'll be doing

2000 cal diet
200g of protein
1 cheat meal a week (sensible, not going all out, but like some pizza or a burger)
Cardio 3x a week, probably elliptical or long walks.

I'll give that a go.

Oh and of course still lifting heavy!

 

[Chittagong]

Yeah I don't really get great results with carb restriction either.

I'll be doing

2000 cal diet
200g of protein
1 cheat meal a week (sensible, not going all out, but like some pizza or a burger)
Cardio 3x a week, probably elliptical or long walks.

I'll give that a go.

Oh and of course still lifting heavy!

Yep that's pretty much exactly my routine prior to wanting to mess for fun with Carb Nite. I will go back to it in a few weeks, I really love berries and porridge.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

How do you manage to get by eating only 45 grams of carbs per day? I've been on a strict cut (1700 calories) for nearly a month now, but I can't seem to stop eating over 100g of carbs every day. Hell, my morning oatmeal contains like 25 g of carbs or whatever it is.

 

[SeanR1221]

Yep that's pretty much exactly my routine prior to wanting to mess for fun with Carb Nite. I will go back to it in a few weeks, I really love berries and porridge.

I guess if you're being picky, restricting to 2000cal and 200g of protein would naturally restrict your carbs compared to the average person. I just can't put a set number on it.

 

[Chittagong]

How do you manage to get by eating only 45 grams of carbs per day? I've been on a strict cut (1700 calories) for nearly a month now, but I can't seem to stop eating over 100g of carbs every day. Hell, my morning oatmeal contains like 25 g of carbs or whatever it is.

It's a bit of a grind but gets easier once you find stuff that is actually enjoyable to eat

- Cheese and ham omelettes, the best
- Fage greek yogurt with Stevia and cinnamon
- Poached eggs, salmon and spinach with bernaise sauce
- Sashimi
- Salmon and steamed mange tout with remoulade
- Chicken breast, babyleaf salad and buttermilk sauce
- Whisky
- Peri Peri half chicken
- Vanilla pure whey shakes

You can pretty much forget fruit, berries and porridge while on low carb, which is why I don't enjoy it very much.

 

[Darren870]

How do you manage to get by eating only 45 grams of carbs per day? I've been on a strict cut (1700 calories) for nearly a month now, but I can't seem to stop eating over 100g of carbs every day. Hell, my morning oatmeal contains like 25 g of carbs or whatever it is.

Switch to eggs and cottage cheese instead of oatmeal. Thats what I have in the morning.4
My normal diet is very carb light. When I do go more carby its usually sweet potatoes.

Went out for steak tonight (Hawksmoor). Filet and Baked Sweet Potato. Delish! Going out for steak again tomorrow too. Will be doing some squats before hand.

 

[blackflag]

Looking at the web page it looks like the member price is now 34.00 :/

for quest bars? GNC...never again

 

[Deleted member 17706]

How do you manage to get by eating only 45 grams of carbs per day? I've been on a strict cut (1700 calories) for nearly a month now, but I can't seem to stop eating over 100g of carbs every day. Hell, my morning oatmeal contains like 25 g of carbs or whatever it is.

It's super easy for me, but I love fat, meat, fish, other protein, eggs, cheese, and leafy greens.

 

[SeanR1221]

for quest bars? GNC...never again

Nope! Petrie was right! 25.00. I bought 3.

 

[crpav]

Nope! Petrie was right! 25.00. I bought 3.

Well please summon this magical GNC genie then because I also do not get them for that cheap. After $10 off it comes to about $25 to $26. I was all hyped when people were saying they got theirs for $15 after coupon. Went in and NOPE, not even close.

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

Switch to eggs and cottage cheese instead of oatmeal. Thats what I have in the morning.4
My normal diet is very carb light. When I do go more carby its usually sweet potatoes.

Went out for steak tonight (Hawksmoor). Filet and Baked Sweet Potato. Delish! Going out for steak again tomorrow too. Will be doing some squats before hand.

I guess I need to just cut out oatmeal and fruits, as cottage cheese and hardboiled eggs are already staples of my diet.

But I've made great progress thus far so maybe not.

 

[ILoveBish]

Weight doesn't matter, it's your body fat %. Man boobs disappear once you drop fat. And you should grow or at least retain muscle when dropping fat.

You certainly should adopt a lifting program, preferably SS. I have lost 23kg in last 6 months and retained pretty much all my muscle, in fact grown my strength. Strength training has multiple benefits

- it increases you lean mass, which makes you look better at any weight than less lean mass
- it keeps your metabolism going with a very beneficial hormone response
- it reshapes your body so the balance shifts from your belly to shoulders (see my before/afters earlier in this thread)
- it's addictive like gaming, unlocking achievements

The routine that works for me below - everyone is different so try and find what works for yourself. I have set myself rules I am religious about, they go above everything else:

A. 2000 kcal / day
B. 200g protein / day
C. 24h fast twice a week (eg Mon 8PM to Tue 8PM), fast ending diner max 800kcal
D. Lifting 4 days a week. 3 x SS, 1 x Accessory
E. Spinning 4 days a week
F. Alcohol on max 2 nights a week, only one of them can have beer

This program has bought me from 118kg to 95kg. I am now in the final stretch of my fat loss, so I have adopted the Carb Nite routine. All previous rules apply, but two new rules

G. Max 45g carbs each day
H. Carb Nite once a week, 500g carbs and 4000 kcal

This should allow me to strip that last 6% of fat to get ripped while preventing starvation mode. I have never been ripped, and I thought I was always genetically destined to be the chubbier one among friends. This year I decided to stop believing that.

Matugi - fantastic arms. Def pump!

The carb nite diet says to not go over 30g of carbs other then on carb day. How close to 45g are you going daily? Also nowhere in the book does it mention fasting and you are doing it 2x a week. Why would it be good to not get the nutrients you need daily?

Also I was reading up on the ec stack and it sounds incredibly dangerous. How risky is it taking for someone on a low carb diet.

 

[Petrie]

Well please summon this magical GNC genie then because I also do not get them for that cheap. After $10 off it comes to about $25 to $26. I was all hyped when people were saying they got theirs for $15 after coupon. Went in and NOPE, not even close.

If you don't get a gold card you wont get that price.

 

[Mark1]

I suspect this question will have varying answers, but how long do the noob gains last for?

 

[Petrie]

I suspect this question will have varying answers, but how long do the noob gains last for?

6 months to a year I'd say you'll get what I define as noob gains.

 

[Mark1]

6 months to a year I'd say you'll get what I define as noob gains.

My gains stopped about 4 months in. I had no idea about some of the things I was doing wrong until I realised that spending lots of time in the gym inflicts your gains which really made me angry since I realised recently and had been doing that for months!

 

[Petrie]

My gains stopped about 4 months in. I had no idea about some of the things I was doing wrong until I realised that spending lots of time in the gym inflicts your gains which really made me angry since I realised recently and had been doing that for months!

that isnt noob gains stopping, that's poor programming.

 

[Chittagong]

The carb nite diet says to not go over 30g of carbs other then on carb day. How close to 45g are you going daily? Also nowhere in the book does it mention fasting and you are doing it 2x a week. Why would it be good to not get the nutrients you need daily?

Yeah I tried 30g, found it too jarring and monotonous. I upped to 40-45g and saw the same results. Mind you that I am a pretty large (6'2", 209lbs) and active person so your mileage may vary.

Fasting is a separate thing I want to do, and in my mind way, way superior to low carb or carb nite. The science of it is rock solid and the health benefits are monumental. I will continue to fast the rest of my life properly. If you think back human history in the hunter/gatherer era, fasting was commonplace and our natural selection has favoured physique benefitting of it.

Personally I have found carb nite to be largely compatible with my 5/2 fast, in fact fasting is even easier now that I don't feel carb depletion.

 

[iAmMaximus]

That feel when I just realized I ate half a jar of peanut butter in one sitting.

a spoon and a jar of peanut butter is a deadly combination.

 

[Mark1]

that isnt noob gains stopping, that's poor programming.

I wish I knew at the start. I'm really annoyed about it. It doesn't help the last programme i had was bad, I'm going to do Starting Strength since it's an acclaimed one.

 

[Satch]

omfg at the gym they have this little doohickey for seated calf raises, and two days ago i did 70lbs on it

but today i went and did it again and got up to 80lbs

this is so fun

 

[ILoveBish]

Yeah I tried 30g, found it too jarring and monotonous. I upped to 40-45g and saw the same results. Mind you that I am a pretty large (6'2", 209lbs) and active person so your mileage may vary.

Fasting is a separate thing I want to do, and in my mind way, way superior to low carb or carb nite. The science of it is rock solid and the health benefits are monumental. I will continue to fast the rest of my life properly. If you think back human history in the hunter/gatherer era, fasting was commonplace and our natural selection has favoured physique benefitting of it.

Personally I have found carb nite to be largely compatible with my 5/2 fast, in fact fasting is even easier now that I don't feel carb depletion.

I am 5'11 myself and last I weighed myself I was 283lbs. I was 337 14 months ago before i started working out. Interesting that you got up to 45g of carbs and no ill effects. I truly do not miss carbs in the slightest. I make oopsie bread for burgers and sandwiches. I can go about 15g or so carbs a day and be fine. I might try upping the carbs a tad then.

I am just worried about a 24 fast and what effect it would have on muscle loss from your body going into starvation mode. There has to be consequences imo. I tried IF before and it did not work out for me but I was eating carbs when I tried it last. Keep up the great work btw. Your results are always motivating for myself.

omfg at the gym they have this little doohickey for seated calf raises, and two days ago i did 70lbs on it

but today i went and did it again and got up to 80lbs





this is so fun

I do 100 strait of the sitting calf raises. Gives a nice burn.

 

[FallingEdge]

Heads up: Pretty good deal on Elite Dymatize protein powders at Vitacost.

Picked up the Cafe Mocha and Rich Chocolate flavors (5 lbs each) for $70, with free shipping and no tax.

The 15% discount is already on.

"Add to Set & Save" for an additional 10% (which you can cancel later).

Use "shopfun" at checkout for another 10% off.

Thanks dood! Got me cafe mocha and vanilla.

 

[moocow]

I know my last few posts have probably been about me whining about my surgery, but shit I can't get excited at the gym. It's hard knowing that after a month of careful lifting I might finally reach only half of my previous working weights. This is all on top of the fact that I am and will continue to lose muscle and size in the progress. How is someone supposed to stay motivated and excited?

 

[Satch]

I do 100 strait of the sitting calf raises. Gives a nice burn.

how do you even manage??? i do 8 in a row and want to cut my legs off at the knee

i got up to 13 and was like nope.jpg

i really hope they make my calves explode in size though... ive been wanting them to be bigger since highschool, but could never commit to it before now

 

[FallingEdge]

how do you even manage??? i do 8 in a row and want to cut my legs off at the knee

i got up to 13 and was like nope.jpg

i really hope they make my calves explode in size though... ive been wanting them to be bigger since highschool, but could never commit to it before now

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_answer_for_massive_calves
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html

have fun!

 

[Cooter]

New PBs!

190x4 OHP
&
Weighted dips
45x15
90x12
135x10
180x4

Feeling jacked!! Must have been those 8 Quest bars!

 

[mehdi_san]

The first looks like a smith machine. I can't read Japanese but google translate says it is.

If it is then you wouldn't need two barbell sets I guess. Unless you wanted one for dead lifts and one for benching. If you stay with two then get this for squats too:

http://www.fightingroad.co.jp/top/detail/asp/detail.asp?scode=F-b06

I am not really a fan of smith machines or adjustable dumbbells, but saying this is for your work gym and you are under a budget and size constraint then it might be worth it.

If you aren't stuck to that website then I would look for another one that has a cage like I showed. This will replace the smith machine, the benching racks and then squat racks (above).

While movable racks are good for people that know what they are doing. You don't really want someone down there putting to much weight on the bar then not being able to get it back up and tumbling. While it would make a good youtube video its not something your company would want. Those safety racks looks pretty sturdy though. Hard to judge from a picture but I've seen some dodgy ones that I don't think anyone in their right mind would go near

So tell me if I got this right, but if I can find where to buy a power cage, I can get 1 barbell set to go with it, and I could do all the main exercises with it? Squats, benching, lifts?
It sounds very efficient but it also means there would be only one machine, and I don't wanna have to wait when someone else's using it.
So I'm thinking maybe I should try to find a power cage like you said, for almost everything, and also have an extra squat rack and bench rack so that we can have more than 1 person training at a time.

Would something like this work?
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B004PXRWKY/

This one looks a bit better actually:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00AIET90K/

 

[Deleted member 17706]

3rd day complete!

Felt almost like I had a pulled muscle in my right thigh area near my groin (not too painful, but a weird feeling) and it affected my squats. I had to drop it from 105 lbs (last work set) to 95 lbs to do a full three sets.

Luckily I was still able to see some gains on my bench presses and dead lifts (still a pathetically low 100 lbs and 120 lbs respectively).

Then again, according to this: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-journal/WLSTANDARDS.pdf my numbers are pretty much where they should be at the untrained level for my weight, so I'm not gonna feel too bad.

Looking forward to Saturday as it's going to be another carb nite. The plan is to gorge on plenty of rice and meat.

 

[Satch]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_answer_for_massive_calves
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html

have fun!

oh god, thank you

now i dont feel so bad about doing calf raises so slowly

 

[rando14]

step 1) get pretty fat
step 2) stay fat for like 2 or 3 years
step 3) lose weight
step 4) enjoy your huge calves!!

 

[Matugi]

Guys I'm going through another mental issue where I'm so worried that I might have gyno because I still have a lot of fat on my chest despite cutting 13 pounds to this point :|||

 

[Nelo Ice]

So fitgaf, I'm on I think like my 3rd week of the SS routine from the OP and tomorrow is the 2nd routine since I started on a Wed so my schedule is kinda off but besides that I'm going rock climbing for awhile tomorrow. So I'm wondering if I should actually do the routine still or skip it then just start it on Saturday or Sunday again.

 

[_Isaac]

Also, this is why I love lifting in the morning--everything to myself!

Wow. How early do you get in?

 

[FallingEdge]

Was gonna do some HIIT tonight but just too tired. Will do it tomorrow.

oh god, thank you

now i dont feel so bad about doing calf raises so slowly

Yeah, calves are really hard to grow. Extremely stubborn and you have to work really hard to show any progress. I hate it. My tiny calves =(

step 1) get pretty fat
step 2) stay fat for like 2 or 3 years
step 3) lose weight
step 4) enjoy your huge calves!!

This works too.

 

[Cooter]

Yeah, calves are really hard to grow. Extremely stubborn and you have to work really hard to show any progress. I hate it. My tiny calves =(

Screw calves. No woman has ever spoken these words, "I would sleep with you but your calves are a major turnoff!"

 

[rando14]

Screw calves. No woman has ever spoken these words, "I would sleep with you but your calves are a major turnoff!"

Biiiitch my calves are glorious!

Spoiler

I mostly like the looks, big quads/hams with minimal calves doesnt look aesthetic to me ;\

 

[_Isaac]

Biiiitch my calves are glorious!

Spoiler

I mostly like the looks, big quads/hams with minimal calves doesnt look aesthetic to me ;\

Yeah and people make fun of you because sometimes you'll be wearing shorts and only your skinny calves are exposed. "haha friends don't let friends skip leg day!"

 

[Cooter]

Yeah and people make fun of you because sometimes you'll be wearing shorts and only your skinny calves are exposed. "haha friends don't let friends skip leg day!"

These shoulders can take jealous people making fun of my calves. My comeback is usually, they're strong enough to squat 430 or these are sprinters calves, they'll gladly smoke you in a 40 if you'd like.

 

[Satch]

Screw calves. No woman has ever spoken these words, "I would sleep with you but your calves are a major turnoff!"

we're thinking those words though

 

[Noema]

I'd gladly trade my bigger-than-average calves for non-puny forearms any day.

Any day of the week.

 

[Cooter]

we're thinking those words though

Haha! But you still sleep with him.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

"Hey bro what do you do for your calves? they're all swole and vascular"

mfw I don't even train calves.

 

[FallingEdge]

Screw calves. No woman has ever spoken these words, "I would sleep with you but your calves are a major turnoff!"

true but...

Yeah and people make fun of you because sometimes you'll be wearing shorts and only your skinny calves are exposed. "haha friends don't let friends skip leg day!"

exactly. Hey FallingEdge, I heard you work out, why are your calves so small???

CMON MAN

These shoulders can take jealous people making fun of my calves. My comeback is usually, they're strong enough to squat 430 or these are sprinters calves, they'll gladly smoke you in a 40 if you'd like.

I still be working on my back.

And I saw a vein in my bicep today. woooooooooo.

we're thinking those words though

satch plz

 

[abuC]

We talkin calves?

All natural, didn't start hitting them until 3 months ago and I was able to dunk as early as 9th grade long before I started weight lifting.

 

[Chittagong]

I am 5'11 myself and last I weighed myself I was 283lbs. I was 337 14 months ago before i started working out. Interesting that you got up to 45g of carbs and no ill effects. I truly do not miss carbs in the slightest. I make oopsie bread for burgers and sandwiches. I can go about 15g or so carbs a day and be fine. I might try upping the carbs a tad then.

I am just worried about a 24 fast and what effect it would have on muscle loss from your body going into starvation mode. There has to be consequences imo. I tried IF before and it did not work out for me but I was eating carbs when I tried it last. Keep up the great work btw. Your results are always motivating for myself.

Thanks! Yeah best try different things and see what works. Everyone's body and metabolism is different. I know people who absolutely can't fast but find low carb super easy. I am exactly the opposite, I can now fast absolutely no problem (first two weeks were harder) but find low carb a bit tough. Listen to your body, track results and try variations.

It will take 48-72h fasting to get to starvation mode, that's why 24h IF works so well, you get the hormonal kick and it in fact boosts your metabolism, or so the studies say. So definitely won't eat your muscle if the week around it is sane. What did get me into stalling is continued calorie and carb restriction, which is why I now do a weekly refeed (today yay!). Doing the refeed is a massive cognitive dissonance of course.

 

[blackflag]

Felt particularly pumped at the gym today. Really made some big progress on my arms recently. Feels good, man.



Thanks for the info, blackflag. I'll definitely look into it. Do you have to be 18 or older to buy it?

Yeah I believe you do have to be 18

 

[ILoveBish]

how do you even manage??? i do 8 in a row and want to cut my legs off at the knee

i got up to 13 and was like nope.jpg

i really hope they make my calves explode in size though... ive been wanting them to be bigger since highschool, but could never commit to it before now

I'm a big dude losing weight while working out so my calves are pretty huge. For 100 straight I started with 2 plates and it took about 4 sessions before I could do 100 straight without stopping. I'm now at 3 plates with 100 straight. Just takes time to build up to that point like anything else.

New PBs!

190x4 OHP
&
Weighted dips
45x15
90x12
135x10
180x4

Feeling jacked!! Must have been those 8 Quest bars!

Beast mode.

Thanks! Yeah best try different things and see what works. Everyone's body and metabolism is different. I know people who absolutely can't fast but find low carb super easy. I am exactly the opposite, I can now fast absolutely no problem (first two weeks were harder) but find low carb a bit tough. Listen to your body, track results and try variations.

It will take 48-72h fasting to get to starvation mode, that's why 24h IF works so well, you get the hormonal kick and it in fact boosts your metabolism, or so the studies say. So definitely won't eat your muscle if the week around it is sane. What did get me into stalling is continued calorie and carb restriction, which is why I now do a weekly refeed (today yay!). Doing the refeed is a massive cognitive dissonance of course.

Very interesting info, thanks. I will try to wrap my head around a 24 hour fast. Off to make my low carb breakfast, butter hot wings with Greek dip sauce. Oh the suffering.