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[Psychotext]

Wait until you have kids and are jacked. They will find other excuses. Trust me.

Funnily enough, the last person to say something similar to me... I showed pictures of you.

Shut them up real quick.

Maybe I'm spinning my wheels, I don't know. I don't really know how many calories I should be eating day in day out. Don't even know what is an ideal routine to follow. It's all rather confusing, heh. I personally aim for about 2500 on training days, 1800 on rest days. I train with compound movements - weighted dips, bench, OHP, deadlift etc. I weigh 73kg (160lbs). Reference lifts: Deadlift 120kg x5, Bench Press 95kg x5, Weighted Dips 40kg x6, Squat 100kg x5, OHP 45kg x5 (lol)

More important than what you are lifting (those aren't terrible numbers) is what you were lifting, say, 3 months ago. If you're making progress, you're making progress.

 

[BumRush]

Strongman Saturday.

DB press 65lbs x 10 (working DB presses until at 85x10, then switching to circus DB)

Yoke run: 345 for 50 feet. Need to work speed badly, so that is a priority.

Sandbag loads: 54" bar X 3 and 62" bar x 1. Really happy with this.

http://youtu.be/Fl-Ok1CmxHE

Your sandbag form is on point dude. That was fast as hell.

Is that indoor gym area new or have you always used that and the garage?

 

[Sutton Dagger]

24,6', 165lbs and want to get to 144lbs
Is this a good idea?

You want to weigh 65kg....why? What are your goals?

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Your sandbag form is on point dude. That was fast as hell.

Is that indoor gym area new or have you always used that and the garage?

Thanks bro, and that's the other side of my basement on the opposite side from my bar/man cave. That's where my DBs airdyne bike and sit-up bench/roll out area are. It's also where my GHR and reverse hyper are going.

 

[Ape Gone Insane]

I feel like my progress has been somewhat shit. Physically I haven't seen a fantastic change in my physique. I consider myself skinny fat. I've basically tried to recomp over the past couple of months without any success. Body fat is still there, but no perceptible muscle gain. Though before Christmas I think I looked somewhat good (though doesn't seem to be the case now for some odd reason - haven't drastically changed my calories or training)

Maybe I'm spinning my wheels, I don't know. I don't really know how many calories I should be eating day in day out. Don't even know what is an ideal routine to follow. It's all rather confusing, heh. I personally aim for about 2500 on training days, 1800 on rest days. I train with compound movements - weighted dips, bench, OHP, deadlift etc. I weigh 73kg (160lbs). Reference lifts: Deadlift 120kg x5, Bench Press 95kg x5, Weighted Dips 40kg x6, Squat 100kg x5, OHP 45kg x5 (lol)

Some guidance needed...

What were your stats when you started?

Skinny fat is one of those situations where the middle step (in both going for a bulk or cut) will still make you look fat. Has your weight being going up? Have your lifts increased? If you're putting on the pounds, getting enough protein, eating at a decent surplus, sleeping right and making strength gains, you're putting on muscle. You might just need to cut at some point to see it.

Do you know your TDEE? I would have been tracking average weight in the first few weeks of a bulk to get a very close measurement and eat 300-500 over that to minimise any fat gain. Would personally keep calories the same on non-training days and recommend adding more volume and isolation exercises.

 

[BumRush]

At the (late) company Christmas party the topic of how much my wife and I eat and exercise came up. And once again the "wait until you have kids and we'll see what happens" comments came. It's starting to get really annoying and there's not much you can say back without sounding like a dick.

Show them the fit dads. Cooter is a dad and looks like he fell out of the movie Troy. Mikey is a dad and he has 0.01% body fat. Brolic is a dad and...well have you seen what brolic has done?? Seriously, yes, it does consume more of your time (as it should) but if the person is dedicated they will always find the time.

Thanks bro, and that's the other side of my basement on the opposite side from my bar/man cave. That's where my DBs airdyne bike and sit-up bench/roll out area are. It's also where my GHR and reverse hyper are going.

Very nice. My cardio is inside too. I couldn't imagine riding the bike or running on the treadmill in the garage.



I keep meaning to ask you. Does your wife lift too?

 

[Numb]

You want to weigh 65kg....why? What are your goals?

Get rid of as much fat as i can.
Don't have much muscles and body is big only cos of the fat it seems. Still want to have muscles but not as much fat.

 

[Spiritreaver]

Shins to bar or bust!

Yeah!! It's amazing how much higher I've been able to raise my legs since starting them.

You read the Krasinsky thread, too? I was thinking, "Damn, what he did did take effort, but it wasn't that insane."

Exactly! He looked pretty normal in that Men's Health shoot.

Why is that sad? It's a fact and if you have to get in shape with a deadline you better get the most out of it, meaning get professional help.

I agree that saying someone's juicing when they're lean and have put on some muscles is stupid. But hey, you'll find unknowledgable people everywhere

Hiring trainers doesn't make me sad. That makes sense. It's that just because some guy gets in shape quickly with the help of a trainer doesn't mean there's no hope of a person to get that look without that help. They just may not get it as quickly as that celebrity/model. That Krasinsky thread is full of people saying his look would take ages, or is impossible, to attain as a "normal" person because of lack of access to professional trainers/nutritionists and lacking the time to dedicate to fitness. That comes across as both ignorant and lazy to me.

I really shouldn't lament though. I think every few pages we have this same discussion again and again.

 

[GatorBait]

Cutting kinda sucks. I'm so ready to move to a maintenance/slow bulk phase where I don't have to consistently worry about maintaining a calorie deficit.

24,6', 165lbs and want to get to 144lbs
Is this a good idea?

I'm working my way down in weight on an aggressive cut - targeting 145 lbs as my final weight. As I'm getting closer, I'm thinking 145 lbs is about the lowest I could go and not sacrifice a lot of muscle/start looking somewhat emaciated. You're three inches taller than me (I'm 5'9") and shooting for the same weight. I don't know what you're body frame is like, but that low may not be realistic. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Numb]

Cutting kinda sucks. I'm so ready to move to a maintenance/slow bulk phase where I don't have to consistently worry about maintaining a calorie deficit.



I'm working my way down in weight on an aggressive cut - targeting 145 lbs as my final weight. As I'm getting closer, I'm thinking 145 lbs is about the lowest I could go and not sacrifice a lot of muscle/start looking somewhat emaciated. You're three inches taller than me (I'm 5'9") and shooting for the same weight. I don't know what you're body frame is like, but that low may not be realistic. Just something to keep in mind.

Thx
That's why i wanted to know if it was crazy
Should try to go low slowly till im close or is not better to do so?

 

[mdsfx]

Thx
That's why i wanted to know if it was crazy
Should try to go low slowly till im close or is not better to do so?

You could try starting with a 500 calorie defecit per day to see how that goes. I think that's the most common (losing 1lb per week).

As far as how much weight you want to drop, you'll have plenty of time to reevaluate that as you get closer to your goal.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Show them the fit dads. Cooter is a dad and looks like he fell out of the movie Troy. Mikey is a dad and he has 0.01% body fat. Brolic is a dad and...well have you seen what brolic has done?? Seriously, yes, it does consume more of your time (as it should) but if the person is dedicated they will always find the time.



Very nice. My cardio is inside too. I couldn't imagine riding the bike or running on the treadmill in the garage.



I keep meaning to ask you. Does your wife lift too?

On occasion, she's not consistent though.

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Get rid of as much fat as i can.
Don't have much muscles and body is big only cos of the fat it seems. Still want to have muscles but not as much fat.

Why not try and put on some muscle then? Are you lifting?

 

[mdsfx]

Show them the fit dads. Cooter is a dad and looks like he fell out of the movie Troy. Mikey is a dad and he has 0.01% body fat. Brolic is a dad and...well have you seen what brolic has done?? Seriously, yes, it does consume more of your time (as it should) but if the person is dedicated they will always find the time.

Pfffffffff... you must be talking about someone else.

 

[Numb]

You could try starting with a 500 calorie defecit per day to see how that goes. I think that's the most common (losing 1lb per week).

As far as how much weight you want to drop, you'll have plenty of time to reevaluate that as you get closer to your goal.

Why not try and put on some muscle then? Are you lifting?

Had a goal of losing 20lbs a few months back and made it to it from 175 to 155. Problem is that i climbed up quickly right after reaching the goal of 155. Was thinking this time making it to 145 and naturally getting stuck on 155 like i am with 165 right now. Goal is still 155
Mostly did cardio and diet with some 5x5 then

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Pfffffffff... you must be talking about someone else.

Awesome physique dude, do you actually know your body fat %?

 

[Psychotext]

Pfffffffff... you must be talking about someone else.

Would love to see some comparison pics at some point (most cut to current bulk).

 

[mdsfx]

Awesome physique dude, do you actually know your body fat %?

Thanks! 12.5-ish

Would love to see some comparison pics at some point (most cut to current bulk).

Most cut (I think) or maybe this one

 

[Spiritreaver]

Pfffffffff... you must be talking about someone else.

Followed

 

[Psychotext]

Cool, cheers.

 

[mdsfx]

Followed

Honored!
Ps- holy followers, dude.

 

[GatorBait]

Had a goal of losing 20lbs a few months back and made it to it from 175 to 155. Problem is that i climbed up quickly right after reaching the goal of 155. Was thinking this time making it to 145 and naturally getting stuck on 155 like i am with 165 right now. Goal is still 155
Mostly did cardio and diet with some 5x5 then

I actually ended up doing something similar to you. I had my 145 lbs goal and made it down to 148 before bouncing back up to 162 after a few months inconsistent diet/exercise due to lots of work travel.

I'd shoot for 155 again and see how you feel body comp-wise and decide if you want to decrease further from there. I will highly, highly recommend getting yourself on a regular weight lifting program now while cutting. My biggest regret is not lifting earlier (I actually just got into it 3-4 months ago). I think I look better right now at 155ish than I did at 148 last fall - I attribute that solely to the fact that I started lifting weights.

 

[Numb]

I actually ended up doing something similar to you. I had my 145 lbs goal and made it down to 148 before bouncing back up to 162 after a few months inconsistent diet/exercise due to lots of work travel.

I'd shoot for 155 again and see how you feel body comp-wise and decide if you want to decrease further from there. I will highly, highly recommend getting yourself on a regular weight lifting program now while cutting. My biggest regret is not lifting earlier (I actually just got into it 3-4 months ago). I think I look better right now at 155ish than I did at 148 last fall - I attribute that solely to the fact that I started lifting weights.

Thanks alot
Will give it a shot for afew months

 

[Dusk Soldier]

At the (late) company Christmas party the topic of how much my wife and I eat and exercise came up. And once again the "wait until you have kids and we'll see what happens" comments came. It's starting to get really annoying and there's not much you can say back without sounding like a dick.

"Wait until you hit XX years old, your metabolism slows way down." is another favourite people love to use.

 

[Psychotext]

Well, in fairness, it does get a shitload harder as you get older, but it's still possible to look damn good at pretty much any age.

Takes me months to do now what I could achieve in weeks in my twenties... but I keep at it.

 

[Cooter]

"Wait until you hit XX years old, your metabolism slows way down." is another favourite people love to use.

"I used to bench XX and squat XX but now I have a bad back. Now I do P90x." I swear I hear that one at least once a month. Half the men in the US have a back so damaged that they can't even weight train. They neglect the details however which is they only fire their P90x DVD up twice a year.

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Thanks! 12.5-ish


Most cut (I think) or maybe this one

How would I go about finding my body fat, most accurate/non expensive way?

That's pretty much my ideal physique, lean and muscular. I've got a long way to go but I'm so determined.

 

[mdsfx]

How would I go about finding my body fat, most accurate/non expensive way?

That's pretty much my ideal physique, lean and muscular. I've got a long way to go but I'm so determined.

Most accurate and non expensive do not go hand in hand. I was using the caliper method at the time. It's very inexpensive, but has its down sides. If you do that, you have to do it in an honest, consistent way. It's not 100% accurate, but I felt that it was close and if you try your best to use it the same way each time, you'll be able to measure progress.

 

[Dusk Soldier]

"I used to bench XX and squat XX but now I have a bad back. Now I do P90x." I swear I hear that one at least once a month. Half the men in the US have a back so damaged that they can't even weight train. They neglect the details however which is they only fire their P90x DVD up twice a year.

That used to be me haha.

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Most accurate and non expensive do not go hand in hand. I was using the caliper method at the time. It's very inexpensive, but has its down sides. If you do that, you have to do it in an honest, consistent way. It's not 100% accurate, but I felt that it was close and if you try your best to use it the same way each time, you'll be able to measure progress.

Yeah I guess you're right

What program you doing?

 

[mdsfx]

Yeah I guess you're right

What program you doing?

Eating maintenance calories while doing compound lifts followed by 400-500 calories worth of cardio each day (either running 5 miles or cycling at 155+bpm for 40 minutes). The lifting program was Strong Lifts 5x5 but I'm switching to 5-3-1 starting this week.

 

[SeanR1221]

Lol gotta love those comments. Don't worry about them. I've got 3 kids that keep me plenty busy. I don't ever miss a single workout due to them. On a rare occasion, they find a way to join me!

Also, kids will pick up on your habits (see exhibit "A" below). The fact that my kids ask for things like cucumber and cheese for a snack still blows me away, especially since we do have some junk food around. They've become my reminder on tough days to continue to eat well.

Dad Bonus: Your kids will tell you you're the strongest man alive and are constantly impressed by you. Greatest, most motivating fans ever.

Exhibit A.
Signed up for a race. Wife decided she wanted to tag along. Kids then said they wanted to enter the Kids Dash.

Wait until you have kids and are jacked. They will find other excuses. Trust me.

Hah! I have a three year old with autism. The amount of time, energy, and lack of sleep spent on him has been off the scale in the 10 months since his diagnosis. Yeah, it's been tough, but when it's important to you you find the time. You're one of the most dedicated I've ever seen, you'll be fine. Everyone here is right: people with insecurities justifying their own lack of dedication and hard work.

Show them the fit dads. Cooter is a dad and looks like he fell out of the movie Troy. Mikey is a dad and he has 0.01% body fat. Brolic is a dad and...well have you seen what brolic has done?? Seriously, yes, it does consume more of your time (as it should) but if the person is dedicated they will always find the time.

Agreed on all points. I think the biggest difference is this is our hobby and others see it as work and want to avoid it. The multiple fit dads in this thread prove its very doable.

In other food porn news I had to try the new chicken sandwich at shake shack. It was incredible. I'm tempted to go tomorrow and get it again

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Eating maintenance calories while doing compound lifts followed by 400-500 calories worth of cardio each day (either running 5 miles or cycling at 155+bpm for 40 minutes). The lifting program was Strong Lifts 5x5 but I'm switching to 5-3-1 starting this week.

Cheers mate, going to starting 5/3/1 in a couple of weeks too when I'm back at work. Next progress pic for me is planned for April, I hope I've lost some more body fat by then.

 

[mdsfx]

Cheers mate, going to starting 5/3/1 in a couple of weeks too when I'm back at work. Next progress pic for me is planned for April, I hope I've lost some more body fat by then.

Have you used a calorie calculator? Are you tracking your calories? That's how you'll get there.

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Have you used a calorie calculator? Are you tracking your calories? That's how you'll get there.

I'm not actually, I really should be hey. I've just generally been eating healthy but I think it's time I get as serious about the eating as my lifting. Advice on where to start? Will go check the OP again.

 

[mdsfx]

I'm not actually, I really should be hey. I've just generally been eating healthy but I think it's time I get as serious about the eating as my lifting. Advice on where to start? Will go check the OP again.

1. http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

2. Use a calorie tracking app like My Fitness Pal.

Don't worry about this being a lot of trouble. After your first day or two you'll realize it's not. DO IT!

 

[BumRush]

Pfffffffff... you must be talking about someone else.

The bulk went really well dude!!

 

[Sutton Dagger]

1. http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

2. Use a calorie tracking app like My Fitness Pal.

Don't worry about this being a lot of trouble. After your first day or two you'll realize it's not. DO IT!

So I just did the calculation (picked sedentary) and it came out at 2120 cals.

So I should eat to maintenance and my lifts and cardio will be the factor in losing body fat? Wouldn't I be too far below after doing a weight session and a 300cal cardio session (T25)?

 

[Cooter]

Dude!

 

[velociraptor]

What were your stats when you started?

Skinny fat is one of those situations where the middle step (in both going for a bulk or cut) will still make you look fat. Has your weight being going up? Have your lifts increased? If you're putting on the pounds, getting enough protein, eating at a decent surplus, sleeping right and making strength gains, you're putting on muscle. You might just need to cut at some point to see it.

Do you know your TDEE? I would have been tracking average weight in the first few weeks of a bulk to get a very close measurement and eat 300-500 over that to minimise any fat gain. Would personally keep calories the same on non-training days and recommend adding more volume and isolation exercises.

My lifts have gone up, slowly but surely, except OHP. Basically, last year (after I finished my exams in July where I basically didn't train for a long while) I could OHP 40kg, bench 80kg, squat 60-70, deadlift 100.

Sleep might be my biggest issue. I can't sleep until 3AM. Essentially I'm trying to follow a 'recomposition protocol', but I'm wondering whether it's better to fixate myself to eating at a surplus everyday as you have mentioned. What would yield more muscle over a fixed period of time? Yet at the same time, I do not have enough muscle to comfortable go on a cut (so I don't look like a twig).

 

[halfbeast]

quick question: what's a protein powder's general expiration date? I was going to clean my cupboards and am not sure if I should throw mine away. bought it somewhere in 2014.

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Best pair of workout headphones? Need to be Bluetooth, can't be in ears. Go

 

[BumRush]

Dude!

Yooooooooo. It's so sick bud.

 

[Psychotext]

Scoobaru.

 

[Ape Gone Insane]

My lifts have gone up, slowly but surely, except OHP. Basically, last year (after I finished my exams in July where I basically didn't train for a long while) I could OHP 40kg, bench 80kg, squat 60-70, deadlift 100.

Sleep might be my biggest issue. I can't sleep until 3AM. Essentially I'm trying to follow a 'recomposition protocol', but I'm wondering whether it's better to fixate myself to eating at a surplus everyday as you have mentioned. What would yield more muscle over a fixed period of time? Yet at the same time, I do not have enough muscle to comfortable go on a cut (so I don't look like a twig).

Normal bulking is going to yield leagues more muscle over time. I would drop the 'recomposition protocol' crap. You're trying too hard to skip the middle step and look good immediately and you have to accept it's not going to happen like that. As above, track your average weight. If it's not moving or is going down, you need to eat more. Get 7-9 hours sleep. Get in 0.8g per lb of body weight of protein. And keep adding more lbs/kgs to your lifts. Incorporate in isolations and other exercises to target each body part in addition to compounds. You've mentioned a plateau in overhead press, try dumbbells press and side lateral raises.

Then when you have built up some amount of muscle you can cut and not look like a weird skinny fat twig. Bulking will also be easier in future as the fat will be gone and clean bulking will have you start from a clean slate so you look relatively lean when bulking. You're just going to have to come to terms with looking fat and the muscle being hidden in your current bulk.

 

[Psychotext]

You've mentioned a plateau in overhead press, try dumbbells press and side lateral raises.

On a similar subject, I can now do more weight on Arnold press (with dumbells) than I can do with OHP... which doesn't seem right to me, at all.

 

[mdsfx]

The bulk went really well dude!!

Thanks, but I'm not yet sure whether it did or not. Definitely gained strength in my legs, which was my main focus, so hopefully when I'm more cut I see the difference.

So I just did the calculation (picked sedentary) and it came out at 2120 cals.

So I should eat to maintenance and my lifts and cardio will be the factor in losing body fat? Wouldn't I be too far below after doing a weight session and a 300cal cardio session (T25)?

If you think you'll burn more than 500 calories per workout, you can just eat more to make up for it so that your calorie defecit isn't too large. It's hard to measure calorie burn for weight lifting though.

Spoiler

I actually don't count it because I'm not convinced it burns as much as people think. *runs away*

 

[Psychotext]

Mine usually works out at about 450kcal for two hours worth I reckon. The actual calculators put it much higher.

 

[BumRush]

On a similar subject, I can now do more weight on Arnold press (with dumbells) than I can do with OHP... which doesn't seem right to me, at all.

Wait, really? Your shoulder is definitely fucked. That's really abnormal.

 

[Dusk Soldier]

quick question: what's a protein powder's general expiration date? I was going to clean my cupboards and am not sure if I should throw mine away. bought it somewhere in 2014.

The expiration date on a package of food is actually a guarantor of freshness.

The date means that if you open the sealed product before that date and you find that it has already expired that you are entitled to a refund or exchange.

So to answer your question, open the protein powder and look at it. If it's rancid throw it out, if not it's perfectly good to consume.