Is this an unhealthy way to lose weight? I'm only considering it because I've been working out for the past month or so (30-40 min of cardio every weekday and minor weights) and have not shed one single pound. Granted my issue was that I was not eating enough also.
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Fitness |OT7| #Swelfies, Trap Lords, and Quadzilla
- Thread starter FallingEdge
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Is this an unhealthy way to lose weight? I'm only considering it because I've been working out for the past month or so (30-40 min of cardio every weekday and minor weights) and have not shed one single pound. Granted my issue was that I was not eating enough also.
FallingEdge
Member
one more day then Vegas. gonna do nothing but gamble and eat
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Stop paying attention to the scale unless you are very obese. Once you get under 200, the changes will be much slower, and if you're working out your muscle gain may cancel out any weight changes from lost fat. Pay attention to the mirror.
I don't see how going from one starvation diet and chronic cardio lifestyle to another is going to do you any good, honestly, but that is just my personal feeling.
You'll lose weight but this is one of the healthiest ways to do it. You'll be eating enough times that your bodies metabolism will get really high. You might not feel that great when working out and such. If you need help getting through your workouts have some bread before lifting and you can even put some jam on it.
^Yeah what Zefah said. My friend only did this because he is competing. So this shouldn't be just a do it for the numbers deal. Just try it for a week and see how you feel. Usually being strict food wise all the time will make probably set you up for failure.
FallingEdge
Member
I wonder how many people are truly doing HIIT for 30 minutes.
The number of times you eat does not impact your metabolism. If anything, it is barely noticeable.
The number of times you eat does not impact your metabolism. If anything, it is barely noticeable.
CherryWoodFuton
Member
Does basketball count as HIIT?
RumblingRosco
Member
By my definition of HIIT... absolutely no one. I don't see how you can be working at near maximal capacity for more than 15 minutes, maybe 20 at the upper limit, even with the resting periods counted in there. Maybe I'm just a fat ass, but 10 (and maybe rarely 15) minutes is usually all I can take of HIIT before I start slowing down significantly.
I'd say no. It's certainly aerobic exercise and it is some what in intervals depending on the pace of the game, but I've never seen it classified as HIIT.
Thoughts on workouts right before bed? Hectic schedule today and I wasn't about to workout until really late, partially due to lack of time and partially due to lack of energy/motivation. But I forced myself to do so and finished up a little before midnight, when by rights I should be shutting down for the night. Also allowed myself a post workout protein shake, which is usually part of my routine but I questioned that too given the time.
What do folks here usually do when super late workouts are the only viable option for a given day?
What do folks here usually do when super late workouts are the only viable option for a given day?
RumblingRosco
Member
Get the super late workout in and finish it off with a snack/meal, then shower, then brush my teeth, then have the best sleep of my life. No harm done.
CherryWoodFuton
Member
Suck it up and just do it
At least that's what I do. I go in, lift my weights, then leave. Drink my protein shake, shower, take some melatonin and knock out
DoktorEvil
Banned
Ha. No one but elite athletes can do 30 minutes of legitimate HIIT. Many do a modified less strenuous version but 30 minutes is nuts.
Also, metabolism isn't correlated with eating frequency. Barely noticeable is correct. Every study I've read debunks this old gym tale. Further proof exists in my one man case study involving eating patterns. I've tried everything. It makes no difference.
While you should be able to get more than/around 8 reps after a deload or start the routine, you will eventually get to a point where you can only get five reps on the last set. That's ok.
GSLP is a basic 3x5 program. 5 reps is enough on all sets even though the last set is "as many reps as possible". So if the weight is currently so heavy that you can only get 5 reps, then ok. You can't expect to keep increasing the weight and to keep the amount of reps the same forever. Eventually the amount of reps on the last set will come down to five and then at some point you can't even get the required five on that last set. Then it's time to deload.
I'd say that if you're doing 30 min of HIIT, you're not actually doing HIIT. If you're doing it with the required intensity, there's no way you can do it for half an hour unless you're an elite athlete like you said.
MarkMclovin
Member
I think it depends on how you look at it. I mean, say you have been doing HIIT for 15 minutes, you're totally fucked, but you carry on for a few more rounds. Yeah you're going to be slower than when you first started, however if you are still putting in all that you got, it's still high intensity. You're still giving what you got left in the tank, you're just not as quick as you were when you first started. Whether or not it's a waste of energy by then, I've no idea. I keep hearing 15 minutes as the magic number, but I've wondered why.
30 minutes though, Jesus. No way could I do that. I feel like puking after doing my routine, which is at 18 and I can barely walk back to my house.
Psychotext
Member
Depends on your definition. If you're doing tabata then there's no way in hell you'd manage thirty minutes of it at full pelt.
This was what I did yesterday as my HIIT training (on a turbo trainer).
I was pretty much ready to give up by half way through the intervals.
However, proper tabata intervals are supposed to be "4-minute set of 20-second all-out efforts and 10-second recoveries repeated 8 times".
From one Leo to another all I gotta say is eat like the vicious lion you are!
If you're actually doing max intensity as you should then the average person shouldn't be getting more than 15-20 mins. When I was doing HIIT I would full out sprint and wouldn't be able to jog between sets, just walk, and still could only get 15 mins.
Band pull-aparts, face pulls + external rotations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CkFZJGBVTI
Stretch pec-minor and medial delt area of the shoulders plus shoulder mobility stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYBxvTMKZ8Q
EDIT: Not shown above are stretching your biceps and thoracic extension mobility stretches (I would take it easy with this one because I'm wary of giving out advice when it involves the spine).
Irobot82
Member
Perfect, thanks for the links!
My quads are fine, but I can't say the same for my hamstrings. I'm thinking about replacing every leg-curl machine for Romanian Deadlifts. I've noticed leg curls hit the knees quite hard, and they are already getting too much stress from all that jumping I do on body-combat. I had them x-rayed and the doc told me that my patellas are a bit to the sides (out of alignment I guess) but nothing too serious, it may explain why my roundhouse kicks are bad.
Squat plateau, I'll try to lower the weight (current: 180lbs) and squat deeper next time.
I never thought pilates/body-balance fitness classes were SO TOUGH with your core and hip muscles, I'll try to get in whenever I can to improve my hip mobility and core tightness.
Squat plateau, I'll try to lower the weight (current: 180lbs) and squat deeper next time.
I never thought pilates/body-balance fitness classes were SO TOUGH with your core and hip muscles, I'll try to get in whenever I can to improve my hip mobility and core tightness.
You can't cut out fats like that. I'd rethink this diet completely. Based on that breakdown you'd be hitting like 150g protein/ not sure about carbs/ 0g dietary fat. That's not healthy.
If you really really really need to drop that much weight quick then I'd suggest doing Lyle McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss Diet. It's basically only protein, veggies and essential fats. Since going that low in calories can actually be dangerous, unless done right, I'd suggest buying the ebook and going with that. You need to eat enough protein to protect LBM and you NEED to eat the essential amount of fat unless you want to die or something.
A diet made by an expert is always better and safer than something you cooked up yourself. What you want to do is something so drastic that you really need to do it right unless you wanna fuck something up. So either do a more moderate diet or get the RFLD book and do exactly like it says.
Hey guys. I'm still fairly new to the strength training game and am currently doing Starting Strength, but seeing how SS's routine is only 3x a week, I was wondering what I should do in the days in between.
I was thinking about doing cardio and an arm workout, what are the most effective exercises to build your arms? (Bi's and Tri's)
I was thinking about doing cardio and an arm workout, what are the most effective exercises to build your arms? (Bi's and Tri's)
Savor your rest days and enjoy them while you can because when you get up there in weight you'll be begging for more.
Don't do anything. Rest.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
There is a reason SS is only 3x a week. There is a reason the days in between are called rest days.
If you start changing the program, you'll no longer be doing the program. That's fine, of course, if that's what you want to do, but just don't go saying that you're doing the program when you've made changes, or getting disappointed when your progress comes to a halt really quickly.
I shall heed your advice, Swole-GAF.
I can still do Cardio, right? What about crunches and stuff like that?
The thing is, I've got a LOT of flabby extra subcutaneous fat to burn. I'm 5'11 and 210 pounds. That's not terrible but there's so much hideous flabby fat all over my upper body and I'd really like to get rid of it by the end of the summer. :/
I can still do Cardio, right? What about crunches and stuff like that?
The thing is, I've got a LOT of flabby extra subcutaneous fat to burn. I'm 5'11 and 210 pounds. That's not terrible but there's so much hideous flabby fat all over my upper body and I'd really like to get rid of it by the end of the summer. :/
Psychotext
Member
Diet. Read and repeat: "Abs are made in the kitchen".
If you want to do anything beyond that, do HIIT.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
Doing crunches and shit won't get you the results you seek. Like Psychotext said...diet. Stay the course. Diet right.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Unless you're packing a ton of muscle, it's extremely unlikely that you'll be getting rid of that fat by the end of this year, much less the end of summer. It's best to start with realistic expectations.
Honestly, if your primary goal is fat loss, then Starting Strength probably isn't the right program. It's still a good program for absolute beginners because it teaches the basics and ensures that you get your form in a decent place, which is the foundation that you need to progress with weight lifting, but the actual program as written by Rippetoe is very much a bulking program.
You certainly can gain muscle while also losing fat, but it's a difficult balance since the means to accomplishing both are somewhat counteractive to each other.
You're not going to find much agreement when it comes to diet, and for good reason. Context really is everything, and everyone's situation is different. You have to find what works and is sustainable for you personally. Going full keto may be the best idea for some, while others simply can't stand that kind of diet.
I'm not expecting abs to show or anything but at the very least I want to look good in a t-shirt. I've got massive love handles and lower belly fat in proportion to the rest of my body (and a huge butt and thunder thighs... I kind of lost the genetic lottery in terms of body type as I gain weight very easily in the most feminine parts of the body. I'm a guy.), it looks gross and I feel uncomfortable in my skin.
I figured if I started a strength training program and started a healthy low-carbish diet, I'd tighten up my upper body and lose weight at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone .
Let's see how my plan works out.
Psychotext
Member
Short answer is that if you want to lose fat then you need to be burning more than you're consuming. You can get into the details of which way is best to do that, and which methods retain most muscle... but that's the basic truth of the matter.
If you do weights whilst in calorie deficit then you probably wont gain much muscle, but you'll almost certainly lose fat. That said, you're probably best off not obsessing about it to start with, eating healthily and making some progress on building a bit of muscle.
If you do weights whilst in calorie deficit then you probably wont gain much muscle, but you'll almost certainly lose fat. That said, you're probably best off not obsessing about it to start with, eating healthily and making some progress on building a bit of muscle.
If the choice is between doing weightlifting on your cutting program and not doing weightlifting on your cutting program, DO WEIGHTLIFTING.
Some people get extremely preoccupied with doing things The Most Efficient Way in fitness. The most efficient way toward your genetic ideal may be taking a year off from letting anyone look at you, getting on GOMAD and lifting heavy, becoming morbidly obese, then cutting down severely, but who the hell wants to do that? Most people just want to look good naked.
Yes, you can absolutely make beginner gains on a cut. It's not going to be as fast as in a caloric surplus, but your body is a big bag of caloric surplus if you're pudgy. Just keep your protein up since your body can't synthesize it very well, and understand that you're not necessarily going to be able to add weight to the bar every time you're in the gym when you're doing a beginner program while trying to lose weight.
Some people get extremely preoccupied with doing things The Most Efficient Way in fitness. The most efficient way toward your genetic ideal may be taking a year off from letting anyone look at you, getting on GOMAD and lifting heavy, becoming morbidly obese, then cutting down severely, but who the hell wants to do that? Most people just want to look good naked.
Yes, you can absolutely make beginner gains on a cut. It's not going to be as fast as in a caloric surplus, but your body is a big bag of caloric surplus if you're pudgy. Just keep your protein up since your body can't synthesize it very well, and understand that you're not necessarily going to be able to add weight to the bar every time you're in the gym when you're doing a beginner program while trying to lose weight.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Oh, sure. I must have misinterpreted what you said, because I thought you were looking to get all cut by the end of summer. I bet you can get down to 180 or so pretty quickly.
And just as EviLore wrote, it's absolutely a better idea to do weight training even when your primary goal is fat loss. Your strength gains won't be as impressive while dieting down, but you will still gain muscle and look and feel better for your effort.
Just try not to get discouraged if you stall pretty quickly.
I love the encouragement, guys. Gonna go hard in the gym again today. <3
As for keeping a healthy protein intake, 1.5 scoops of Whey Protein (37.5g of Protein, 6g of carbs) and eating 4 eggs a day should be more than enough I believe.
I am not picking on "you" here. This concept is generally asinine at best and counterproductive at worst. Do not make the mistake of thinking you are special or unique, otherwise that little snowflake called your ego will start hemorrhaging excuses the instant you feel that the work is too difficult or that you aren't seeing results fast enough.
Imagine the converse statement, which nobody has made in the history of ever. "I gain weight very easily in the most masculine parts of my body and all this fat makes me look super fucking awesome". Nope. Not going to happen. Ever.
Unless you have some birth defect or inherited disease, you didn't lose a genetic lottery. You are most likely a healthy and functional human being with the same potential as anyone else. There is a lot of internal willpower that you can harness by "owning" that fact and living up to it. It is a great thing, after all.
Are there people who forgo lifting weights while cutting? The hell?
You should always lift heavy, regardless of whether you're bulking or cutting. It's probably more important to stick to your routine and lift heavy during a cut to help reduce muscle loss as possible. The one time last year when I decided to do a small cut, I continued with my routine and progressed all of my lifts.
More than enough for a workout, or for the day? That's about 65g of protein total, which might not even make the US RDA for a non-dieting individual (depending on your lean body mass). Common protein values for dieting men are .8 - 1.6 grams/pound (ideally lean body mass, but you can use goal body weight too).
Yeah I saw that and was like lol what?
I'm taking in about 1x LBM and it's twice that amount.
You're completely correct. In fact, for a long period in my life I let those thoughts take control of me which, just like you said, was very counterproductive. I would think that there was no point in trying to better myself because my body simply sucked. This led to a lot of inaction, which developed into depression, then anxiety. It was a brutal downward spiral.
It took a lot of effort to correct my mental state, although those feelings still do come out occasionally. The difference is that now I don't entertain those thoughts, I don't let them bring me down. And eventually, I'll stop voicing them.
wat. I'm supposed to be taking north of 200g protein per day?! How do you even accomplish that?
I actually started noticing my abs when I stopped my obsession with them, started eating more, shifted my heavy cardio routine into a more strength/volume focused one and started joining fitness classes (bootcamp, spinning, body-combat) with moderation.
So, yeah, heavy long-ass treadmill cardio, extreme calorie restriction, and a lot of reps with low weights made me skinny-fat several months ago.
I'm new as well and following SS (in 4th week) with the additions that are listed in the OP plus a little HIIT.
Extra work on day 1 is 3x8 pull ups + 15 minutes HIIT
Extra work on day 2 is ab work (I do the P90X ab ripper X plus some additional oblique stuff)
Extra work on day 3 are 3x8 bentover barbell rows, body weight dips, barbell bicep curls, and shrugs + 15 minutes HIIT
I am really needing the rest days and enjoying them immensely. I'm doing Tue, Thurs, Sat and that break from Sat to Tues is wonderful. I might end up adding some light stretching on Sunday.
I'll cut out other work if I start failing to add weight on the core lifts over time but it is working so far and the numbers keep going up, which gets addicting.
Red meat, chicken, turkey, bacon, eggs, tuna, whey powder, peanut butter, nuts, greek yogurt, cheese sticks, etc.
I get ~125g protein everyday through an omelette, 4oz chicken, 1.5 scoops of whey, handful of almonds, 2 tbsp PB, and a couple of ounces of cheese a day. If you want to cut back on fat and up the protein, you could always cut back on the cheese and nuts and up your intake of whey powder and non-fat greek yogurt.
Psychotext
Member
220g might be a bit over the top given what your body fat is, but you'd certainly want to be hitting at least 160g (though this could possibly be too high depending on your current body fat).
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