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[RSTEIN]

I should eggs but I just can't get my head around them. They really, really gross me out. Not taste, but concept.

 

[lil smoke]

Simplify.

It takes me about a minute to make a lunch: plain lettuce in a tupperware, plain tuna in a tupperware, and water.

Why the lettuce. Isn't it just water? Fresh leaf Spinach?

I should eggs but I just can't get my head around them. They really, really gross me out. Not taste, but concept.

Yeah, one time I cracked one open and a dead baby chick poured out into the pan. You should eat eggs though. Tasty! :lol

 

[Mr.City]

Glanton, don't you worry about heatstroke when you train in the heat with those layers of clothing?

 

[Sniper McBlaze]

Yeah, one time I cracked one open and a dead baby chick poured out into the pan. You should eat eggs though. Tasty! :lol

Please say you are kidding because I just boil the shit and eat them whole. :S I don't want that shit in my belly!

 

[lil smoke]

Please say you are kidding because I just boil the shit and eat them whole. :S I don't want that shit in my belly!

No joke, but to relieve you, it was over 20 years ago. (showing my age)

Surely they have some sort of QC now, or at least the birds are healthier and not shitting out babies in their eggs :lol

 

[BigGreenMat]

This is from an old book by Bill Starr

"Biotin is one of the B complex group of which we know surprisingly little, but the facts that we do have are very useful to the athletes. Many athletes, in their quest to obtain large quantities of protein in the simplest manner,include raw eggs in a high protein milkshake. It is very convenient and easy to take.

Unfortunately, there is a potential problem of eating uncooked eggs and this is where biotin comes in. There is a substance in raw egg white called avidin which combines with the biotin and prevents the B vitamins from reaching the bloodstream. Cooking the eggs removes the avidin and the problem"

This is correct. Biotin and Avidin are high affinity binding proteins. Having a high amount of avidin will block the availability of biotin. I use Biotin Avidin binding in my work at a bio lab as a detection method. I, however, have no idea if your body does or does not have a way to free and break down these proteins once they are complexed. I'd imagine it would, but that might also negate any of the positive traits of biotin alone.

Yeah, one time I cracked one open and a dead baby chick poured out into the pan. You should eat eggs though. Tasty! :lol

Dude you were just looking to have some Balut.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Glanton, don't you worry about heatstroke when you train in the heat with those layers of clothing?

I'm pretty careful about my water intake. And I'm pretty comfortable with knowing my limits too, between being fatigued and being stressed.

 

[lil smoke]

Dude you were just looking to have some Balut.

Yummy. *looks at watch* Right in time for lunch.

Hey, what's the protein intake on these little Balut things? Pop a few before and after workout :lol

 

[Not a Jellyfish]

Alright been reading the OP and doing the dieting and it has been workign at pretty good. lots tuna salad and over really lean meats. starting to mix in some fruits. I am starting a light work out right now look at 5 sets of 5 of Push ups, Sit ups, Body Squats, Body Lunges, and Leg Lifts. Hopefully will have the chin up bar set up soon. Question is what is the best way to do this light work out? what order should I do the exercises? is it more effective if I mix and match? do like 1 set of push ups then a set of sit ups then back to push ups?

 

[Captain Glanton]

Alright been reading the OP and doing the dieting and it has been workign at pretty good. lots tuna salad and over really lean meats. starting to mix in some fruits. I am starting a light work out right now look at 5 sets of 5 of Push ups, Sit ups, Body Squats, Body Lunges, and Leg Lifts. Hopefully will have the chin up bar set up soon. Question is what is the best way to do this light work out? what order should I do the exercises? is it more effective if I mix and match? do like 1 set of push ups then a set of sit ups then back to push ups?

I would recommend rotating through them: pushups, situps, squats, lunges, jumping squats. Then catch your breath and repeat. But I'd up your reps if you can. If you're trying to do 5X5, you should know that that's meant for weightlifting more than bodyweight exercises. You might try for pushups (20), situps (20), squats (10), lunges (5 each leg), jumping squats (5). Change the numbers to suit your skill level, but 5 pushups is not the same work of doing 5 jumping squats or jumping lunges.

Also, you might buy an ab roller for your ab work, rather than situps. Ab rollers are great once you get the hang of them.

 

[Not a Jellyfish]

I would recommend rotating through them: pushups, situps, squats, lunges, jumping squats. Then catch your breath and repeat. But I'd up your reps if you can. If you're trying to do 5X5, you should know that that's meant for weightlifting more than bodyweight exercises. You might try for pushups (20), situps (20), squats (10), lunges (5 each leg), jumping squats (5). Change the numbers to suit your skill level, but 5 pushups is not the same work of doing 5 jumping squats or jumping lunges.

Also, you might buy an ab roller for your ab work, rather than situps. Ab rollers are great once you get the hang of them.

Ok thanks. I have just been really trying to take it slow because I have had knee surgery. I tried running a couple weeks back did it twice but too much impact for the knee. I will try upping the reps tomorrow. now when I up the reps really how many sets should I do then? I will definately look into the ab roller. actually I think my brother might still have his old one.

 

[Mr.City]

Wow, my pulling days are really showing my lacks of grip strength. I'd tried doing Romanian deadlifts and my hands started to feel like jelly around the 140 lbs mark (or 185 if you count the weight of the bar.) Same for my dumbbell rows( hit a new record of 40 lbs for each dumbbell) and pullups. I'm not giving up though. I suppose I'll just have to do some farmer's walks and dig out a couple of those hand grips devices.

 

[RumblingRosco]

What's your routine? What are you eating?

Breakfast:

Bowl of oatmeal with sliced bananas, strawberries, or whole blueberries. A dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract; no added sugar, all fresh fruit, and non-instant oatmeal. I'll have one hard boiled egg on the side and a large glass of milk.

-or-

2-3 hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of yogurt, a whole banana or some strawberries or some blueberries, and as before, a large glass of milk.

Lunch:

Big variety for my lunches, often times being left overs from the previous night or two worth of dinner. Lots of refried beans, pork and beans, deli sliced turkey sandwiches with cheese and whole wheat breads, brown rices, whole frozen chicken breasts boiled or skillet-cooked. Yogurt, fruit or a small salad, cottage cheese, or even a half a peanut butter sandwich will be any variety of my side dishes.

Today's lunch was a large sloppy joe sandwich on a wheat bun, a cup of yogurt, some Sunchips, and a big plate of brown rice and refried beans.

Dinner:

Lots of variety here. Always includes one starch, one veggie or fruit, and two proteins (usually one dairy and one meat/seafood). Last night was a cup of yogurt, two bean burritos with cheese, some brown rice, and a glass of milk.

Snacks:

6 days a week I whip up a protein shake mid way between lunch and dinner, consisting of
1/2 a fresh banana or a similar amount of blueberries and strawberries
1 cup yogurt
a "shot" of skim milk (about a 1/4cup I think)
1 tbsp of flax seeds
1 ice cube
1 scoop of protein powder (~20g of protein in this)
a dose of creatine on weeks where I'm taking that.

I also throw in an apple every day somewhere, and more milk/yogurt on most days as well.

I'll post my routine later on today or tomorrow when I have time. It consists of 3 full-body lifting days, as well as 1-2 two hour sessions of tennis a week, and another 1-2 hours of biking; in addition to ~30 hours a week of work (I'm a checker at a Walmart, not the most physical job but it's not just sitting at a desk either). Looking at what I eat, perhaps I'm just not eating enough. I do feel like my food intake has cut back dramatically since I've been home from college.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Breakfast:

Bowl of oatmeal with sliced bananas, strawberries, or whole blueberries. A dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract; no added sugar, all fresh fruit, and non-instant oatmeal. I'll have one hard boiled egg on the side and a large glass of milk.

-or-

2-3 hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of yogurt, a whole banana or some strawberries or some blueberries, and as before, a large glass of milk.

Lunch:

Big variety for my lunches, often times being left overs from the previous night or two worth of dinner. Lots of refried beans, pork and beans, deli sliced turkey sandwiches with cheese and whole wheat breads, brown rices, whole frozen chicken breasts boiled or skillet-cooked. Yogurt, fruit or a small salad, cottage cheese, or even a half a peanut butter sandwich will be any variety of my side dishes.

Today's lunch was a large sloppy joe sandwich on a wheat bun, a cup of yogurt, some Sunchips, and a big plate of brown rice and refried beans.

Dinner:

Lots of variety here. Always includes one starch, one veggie or fruit, and two proteins (usually one dairy and one meat/seafood). Last night was a cup of yogurt, two bean burritos with cheese, some brown rice, and a glass of milk.

Snacks:

6 days a week I whip up a protein shake mid way between lunch and dinner, consisting of
1/2 a fresh banana or a similar amount of blueberries and strawberries
1 cup yogurt
a "shot" of skim milk (about a 1/4cup I think)
1 tbsp of flax seeds
1 ice cube
1 scoop of protein powder (~20g of protein in this)
a dose of creatine on weeks where I'm taking that.

I also throw in an apple every day somewhere, and more milk/yogurt on most days as well.

I'll post my routine later on today or tomorrow when I have time. It consists of 3 full-body lifting days, as well as 1-2 two hour sessions of tennis a week, and another 1-2 hours of biking; in addition to ~30 hours a week of work (I'm a checker at a Walmart, not the most physical job but it's not just sitting at a desk either). Looking at what I eat, perhaps I'm just not eating enough. I do feel like my food intake has cut back dramatically since I've been home from college.

It actually doesn't look that bad, but you may need to ramp up your protein intake. Try to get 200g a day if you're not gaining. All that took for my arms to grow an inch was eating three good meals a day, drinking 1/2 to a full gallon of milk a day, a protein shake, and hitting full body lifts 3x a week like my life depended on it. I'm similar to you: most of my weight is in my lower body (pretty big legs) but my upper body is getting thicker. For your height and weight, however, you're right, 12.5" is a bit small. Let's see your routine, when you get a chance. If you don't want to insert a lot of milk into your diet (in my opinion, the EASIEST way to get a shit ton of calories and protein), look into getting a shaker/water bottle, filling it with milk, add a scoop of protein, and sip on it throughout the day (at work is when I do it) or throughout your workout. Your eating plan looks solid, but might not be enough for the sort of growth you want.

 

[yacobod]

In general, improvements in arm measurement are related to gains in lean body mass. A good rule of thumb is that for every inch you want to gain on your arms, you need to gain roughly 15 pounds of equally distributed body mass. In other words, to make significant improvements in your arms, you have to gain mass all over your entire body.

The human body is a finely-tuned machine that will only allow for a certain amount of asymmetry. Therefore, if you devote your training energies solely to building big arms, you'd eventually reach a point of total stagnation because you weren't training your legs. In other words, no wheels, no wings! Furthermore, if arms grew without some sort of concurrent development in the legs, most bodybuilders would have to walk on their hands.

http://www.t-nation.com/article/bod...bodybuilding_arm_measurements&cr=bodybuilding

 

[Anton Sugar]

Sounds about right! I gained 15 or so pounds and an inch on my arms.

What do you know...Poliquin knows what he's talking about! Whodathunkit?

 

[deadbeef]

does anyone have a weighted vest or an X-Vest? I'm thinking about getting one. Thoughts?

 

[Captain Glanton]

does anyone have a weighted vest or an X-Vest? I'm thinking about getting one. Thoughts?

I'm going to buy one soon. There are two sizes--40 and 100 pounds, so think carefully about which one's for you, because you can change the poundage just like you would on a barbell. And if you order online, be careful about the shipping charges.

They come recommended, but they're not for novices, for sure.

 

[RSTEIN]

I'm waiting for your impressions Captain. I really want to get one for jumping rope (and maybe running, although that worries me a bit).

 

[Captain Glanton]

I'm waiting for your impressions Captain. I really want to get one for jumping rope (and maybe running, although that worries me a bit).

After I move, I want to get an Xvest, a grappling dummy, and maybe even a sledge hammer and tire or something.

It'll be a month or two, though.

 

[Slavik81]

I've just started getting into shape. After 3 years of no exercise at all, I've lost a little over 10 pounds. And no, losing weight is not good. It means I'm replacing muscle with fat. I'm probably fatter than I've ever been. I'm ~21 years old, about 5ft 10in or 5ft 11in and weigh ~140lb. My hope is to get back up to 150lb, like I was when I was five years ago. My lung capacity has also been destroyed by lack of exercise and switching from a brass instrument to piano. It would be nice to get that back too.

So I've decided to run 2km (1.25 mi) every second day. There's also probably somewhere between 5-15meters (~15-45ft) of vertical elevation change across my circuit. It currently takes me 8min 45sec. Within the next couple weeks, I hope to cut that down to 7m 30s. By the end of 3 months, I would like to cut that further down to 6minutes 30 seconds.

Generally I try to keep running by listening to music. Steamline by Newton is my favourite running song. It's exactly 5 minutes long as is at about the right beats per minute. Totally mindless, too, which is good. It helps me shut my brain down and run without actively thinking. Thinking just makes the exhaustion more painful. Runner's High by The Pillows works quite well too, along with Yorri Gallop.

I also listen to Ready, Steady, Go!, and I'm undecided. It has the right bpm and the understandable lyrics are encouraging... but even just the presence of vocals seems to make it harder. Though, admittedly, I always love You're the Best by Joe Esposito on the final 150 meters or so, as that last bit is brutal. It's ridiculous as hell, but by that point, I'll take any encouragement I can get to keep running.

Any music suggestions? Or any suggestions on improving my plan?

 

[Barrage]

Aargh. I'm trying to reach the 1 g of Protein for every pound ideal (i.e. about 185 g per day) but I can't reach it.

I'll use yesterday as an example:
- Oatmeal w/ Bananas
-4 Egg Whites
-Foot Long Grilled Chicken Sub
-Protein Shake
-10 Shrimp (Frozen, not Breaded)

I tried, but I didn't even come close! I'm not sure what could help...a second Protein Shake, perhaps? Any high-protien foods I can add as a snack?

 

[BlueTsunami]

Aargh. I'm trying to reach the 1 g of Protein for every pound ideal (i.e. about 185 g per day) but I can't reach it.

I'll use yesterday as an example:
- Oatmeal w/ Bananas
-4 Egg Whites
-Foot Long Grilled Chicken Sub
-Protein Shake
-10 Shrimp (Frozen, not Breaded)

I tried, but I didn't even come close! I'm not sure what could help...a second Protein Shake, perhaps? Any high-protien foods I can add as a snack?

You could add a protein bar, throw in a shake in the morning for breakfast (in conjunction with your regular breakfast). Usually, dinner is when I have the food thats jam packed with protein (which comes from Turkey, Chicken, Lean Red Meat or Fish). You could probably throw in a can of Tuna fish for good measure (as another meal)

 

[deadbeef]

I'm going to buy one soon. There are two sizes--40 and 100 pounds, so think carefully about which one's for you, because you can change the poundage just like you would on a barbell. And if you order online, be careful about the shipping charges.

They come recommended, but they're not for novices, for sure.

Yeah, I know.. not a novice.

I like the X-Vests because it seems that you can vary the weight via 1-pound increments?

Anyway, I don't have much places to walk to, just around the apartment grounds, and thought this would help my GPP by doing laps with the vest on.

 

[Chichikov]

does anyone have a weighted vest or an X-Vest? I'm thinking about getting one. Thoughts?

I just got one, wrote some short impressions here.
In fact, right now, I'm dicking around at GAF, procrastinating the impeding date I have with it on the stairs of my building.

I'm going to buy one soon. There are two sizes--40 and 100 pounds, so think carefully about which one's for you, because you can change the poundage just like you would on a barbell. And if you order online, be careful about the shipping charges.

They come recommended, but they're not for novices, for sure.

At least where I got them they had 20, 40 and 84lbs models.
I got the 84lbs one, for people worrying about building up weight it should be noted that it works great even on lower weights.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Anyway, I don't have much places to walk to, just around the apartment grounds, and thought this would help my GPP by doing laps with the vest on.

That's pretty much what I plan to do with mine. Walk some laps, do some stairs, run a sprint and stroke out in the swampty heat ...

 

[RumblingRosco]

It actually doesn't look that bad, but you may need to ramp up your protein intake. Try to get 200g a day if you're not gaining. All that took for my arms to grow an inch was eating three good meals a day, drinking 1/2 to a full gallon of milk a day, a protein shake, and hitting full body lifts 3x a week like my life depended on it. I'm similar to you: most of my weight is in my lower body (pretty big legs) but my upper body is getting thicker. For your height and weight, however, you're right, 12.5" is a bit small. Let's see your routine, when you get a chance. If you don't want to insert a lot of milk into your diet (in my opinion, the EASIEST way to get a shit ton of calories and protein), look into getting a shaker/water bottle, filling it with milk, add a scoop of protein, and sip on it throughout the day (at work is when I do it) or throughout your workout. Your eating plan looks solid, but might not be enough for the sort of growth you want.

I love milk and was raised on that as my main beverage, so I am definitely considering tossing more of that in through out the day. As well, I'm going to figure out a way to work tuna in as a snack, either eating it straight from the can (is tuna from a pouch any different? I'm assuming no) or just making tuna salad (tuna + eggs = $$$, and mayo too I guess) and eating it on some bread.

Here's my routine; I tend to cycle through things on a weekly basis, I'll explain as I go. Going to list them in the order I'd perform them at the weight room; like I said, 3 full body work outs a week, every other day with a pair of days off after the third workout.

3x8 Preacher curls (one week with a barbell, the next week with dumbbells)
3x5 Squats (with a 1x7 warmup and a 1x7 cooldown)
3x5 Bench Press (one week with a barbell, the next week, a 3x8 workout with dumbbells)

After this point, I don't always do them all in this order, I mix them up as needed depending on what equipment is available or just what I feel like at that moment. I don't always complete every one of the following, leaving out 1 of the exercises depending on how my body feels.

3x20 Leg Raises, holding the position for several seconds (on alternating weeks, I'll put weights on a belt and have it around my legs, in which case I do a 3x10 routine)
3x8 Overhead Shoulder Press
3x8(each leg) Barbell Lunges
4x5 Dips (working up to 5x5, then going to add weights or possibly switch to a 3x8 routine, not sure yet, I currently don't have the upper body strength to do a full 5x5, especially this far into my workout)
3x8(each side) "Standing Side Crunch" (Not sure of the name, holding a dumbbell in my right arm and then 'leaning' to my left, the opposite then for the right side)
3x10 Weighted Decline Situps (I switch it to a 5x5 routine for some weeks)

Dumbbell Shrugs, Chest Flies, Dumbbell Bent-over Rows, and are added in at least once or twice a week, but rarely all three together. Just too much for my arms in one day.

Looking at my routine now that I have it fully typed out, I'm concerned I'm doing too many small-muscle group exercises, and need to add in some larger movements; cleans, deadlifts, military press, etc. I'm really intending to start deadlifting soon, but of all the exercises out there, that is the one that has me scared. Squatting was nothing, but deadlifts... I need to get some balls and man up. Also concerned my leg raises are too high as far as reps are concerned, and should just toss on more weight and keep it closer to ~25 total reps.

Any suggestions would be awesome.

 

[suffah]

What kind of milk do you guys drink?

 

[RumblingRosco]

What kind of milk do you guys drink?

I just buy the cheapest stuff at the store, fat free. My understanding is that skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk etc are all very similar as far as calcium, protein, and hormones are concerned. The fat difference really only affects the flavor and consistency.

 

[1stStrike]

I've started fasting to clean my body out a bit. Starting with 3 days of juice fasting then switching to water fasting until I meet my goal. I've never fasted before, but I imagine I'll be pretty hungry for the first week or two. I'm on the 2nd day of juice fasting now and, obviously, hunger isn't really a problem as the juice satiates you.

 

[Chichikov]

I've started fasting to clean my body out a bit. Starting with 3 days of juice fasting then switching to water fasting until I meet my goal. I've never fasted before, but I imagine I'll be pretty hungry for the first week or two. I'm on the 2nd day of juice fasting now and, obviously, hunger isn't really a problem as the juice satiates you.

I don't know about the science of cleansing through fasting, but from the perspective of losing weight and getting into shape, fasting is not a good idea.

 

[RumblingRosco]

I've started fasting to clean my body out a bit. Starting with 3 days of juice fasting then switching to water fasting until I meet my goal. I've never fasted before, but I imagine I'll be pretty hungry for the first week or two. I'm on the 2nd day of juice fasting now and, obviously, hunger isn't really a problem as the juice satiates you.

Wait, what is your goal here? "Cleaning" your body by just drinking juice and water? That's malnourishing yourself, not "cleaning." Sorry if I sound like a dick, but I have never understood the real benefits about doing this. And you want to do this for a few weeks at least? That seems like a lot more harm than good.

 

[jacf29]

I dont know about you but my workouts are my stress relief, It gets really difficult when you are busy but I'll tell you what I do. On weekends I usually cook something large I know I can have as one of my meals all week. Next I purchase a lot of tuna, to aid in a second meal. Then there are the 2-3 protein shakes a day.

That two hours can be used to quickly prepare the foods you need for the next day, it doesn't need to be extravagant, it takes me 30 minutes to put together foods for a day if i don't cook.

Things like chicken breast can be made way in advance. Salads can be a simple thing to pick up on the go, use your judgment you know whats healthy and wants not. Buying a can of nuts and spreading it out through the week is a quick and healthy snack as well. It sucks being stressed but its very possible, at least you are working out, that has to relieve some of it.

I'll try the making something large on the weekends. What do you suggest?

 

[Hitman]

Testosterone Nation site is a bunch of bull. I don't trust any website that advertises their own diet (Velocity Diet) and suggests that you drink supplements only to get your calories (supplements that just happen to be sold on their website). It all seems kind of shady to me, i would suggest no Gaffers try this diet. If you want a real diet with some real science to it that doesnt involve buying endless meal supplements read the Ultimate Diet 2.0. I read it and started the diet jus recently.

 

[1stStrike]

Wait, what is your goal here? "Cleaning" your body by just drinking juice and water? That's malnourishing yourself, not "cleaning." Sorry if I sound like a dick, but I have never understood the real benefits about doing this. And you want to do this for a few weeks at least? That seems like a lot more harm than good.

The idea of depriving a body of what society has come to view as so essential to our survival in order to heal continues to be a topic of controversy.

There's benefits to it, however you have to regulate it and do it properly. You are allowed to eat during a fast, however it mostly amounts to raw foods. The juice is all made from things such as carrots, celery, etc. in a juicer, not store bought juice. There's also several different kinds of fasting. Water fasting is the most extreme, but has the fastest results. Once you break the fast you slowly work your way back to solid foods after a few days. There's nothing wrong with fasting as long as you don't go to the extreme. I went to college with someone who fasted for a month at a time and he was fine. He had been doing it most of his life because of his religion.

 

[thestopsign]

Yeah, I know.. not a novice.

I like the X-Vests because it seems that you can vary the weight via 1-pound increments?

Anyway, I don't have much places to walk to, just around the apartment grounds, and thought this would help my GPP by doing laps with the vest on.

I have a lower weight, weight vest ~20 pounds. I use it for short distance running (up to 400m sprints), and body workouts like pull-ups, push ups, and bridges. I find that it starts to hurt my back on any other type of work out, but that might be personal. The actual vest is great for me as I only weigh ~150 at 5'10'' (I'm still growing height wise, though), but you might want a higher weight vest.

 

[beelzebozo]

Testosterone Nation site is a bunch of bull. I don't trust any website that advertises their own diet (Velocity Diet) and suggests that you drink supplements only to get your calories (supplements that just happen to be sold on their website). It all seems kind of shady to me, i would suggest no Gaffers try this diet. If you want a real diet with some real science to it that doesnt involve buying endless meal supplements read the Ultimate Diet 2.0. I read it and started the diet jus recently.

this echoes a lot of my feelings on the subject. even if we don't breach the subject of promoting their self interests by pushing an agenda that sells their product, the concept of taking a supplement to supply your body with calories when you could be eating foods and enjoying them seems completely bizarre to me. i understand that supplements function as some sort of "super" form of that food, providing vitamins and nutrients the foods couldn't, but i have trouble believing there aren't ways to get creative with your diet and eat good things that will get you the things your body requires.

 

[RumblingRosco]

There's benefits to it, however you have to regulate it and do it properly. You are allowed to eat during a fast, however it mostly amounts to raw foods. The juice is all made from things such as carrots, celery, etc. in a juicer, not store bought juice. There's also several different kinds of fasting. Water fasting is the most extreme, but has the fastest results. Once you break the fast you slowly work your way back to solid foods after a few days. There's nothing wrong with fasting as long as you don't go to the extreme. I went to college with someone who fasted for a month at a time and he was fine. He had been doing it most of his life because of his religion.

It seems like you know a lot more about this than myself, but I'm still not quite sure I understand this process. What does our society eat that by simply eliminating and focusing largely on homemade juice/water "heal"? I guess, I don't understand the use of the word "heal" in the explanation.

Anyway, I didn't understand that you were allowed to eat. I thought it was some plan on purely juice/water, which seemed dangerous. Raw foods, I guess that means a lot of veggies and fruits for you.

Goodluck on it, keep us updated here if you don't mind, on how you're feeling or anything in general you notice about your body, I'm kind of curious how something like this affects someone.

this echoes a lot of my feelings on the subject. even if we don't breach the subject of promoting their self interests by pushing an agenda that sells their product, the concept of taking a supplement to supply your body with calories when you could be eating foods and enjoying them seems completely bizarre to me. i understand that supplements function as some sort of "super" form of that food, providing vitamins and nutrients the foods couldn't, but i have trouble believing there aren't ways to get creative with your diet and eat good things that will get you the things your body requires.

The supplements on T-nation, in many cases, are really meant for the upper-tier of body builders that want to push themselves to the limit. Sure, some of the supplements aren't as "hardcore," but for someone like me that lifts 3 times a week and just wants to bulk up a little, but not be some beastly body builder, I'll never see myself purchasing those supplements.

Regardless of their supplement pushing, a lot of their articles are very informative and accurate, and at the least, can get people to think harder about their routine and goals. Supplement pushing doesn't negate the rest of their knowledge and credibility as a good source for weight lifting and body building information, in my opinion.

Just like anything though, it'd be silly to follow them as if they're the end all be all of bodybuilding. They're a helpful website, just not the only great place to read up on this stuff.

 

[RSTEIN]

I tried, but I didn't even come close! I'm not sure what could help...a second Protein Shake, perhaps? Any high-protien foods I can add as a snack?

For a regular person (i.e., working, maybe 1-2 free time a day for working out) it's almost impossible to hit 1g/1lb. You literally have to be eating all day or have at minimum 2-3 protein shakes a day. Or have really big ass meals, which isn't practical.

just got one, wrote some short impressions here.
In fact, right now, I'm dicking around at GAF, procrastinating the impeding date I have with it on the stairs of my building.

Cool. Where did you get the x-vest?

I've just started getting into shape. After 3 years of no exercise at all, I've lost a little over 10 pounds. And no, losing weight is not good. It means I'm replacing muscle with fat. I'm probably fatter than I've ever been. I'm ~21 years old, about 5ft 10in or 5ft 11in and weigh ~140lb. My hope is to get back up to 150lb, like I was when I was five years ago. My lung capacity has also been destroyed by lack of exercise and switching from a brass instrument to piano. It would be nice to get that back too.

So I've decided to run 2km (1.25 mi) every second day. There's also probably somewhere between 5-15meters (~15-45ft) of vertical elevation change across my circuit. It currently takes me 8min 45sec. Within the next couple weeks, I hope to cut that down to 7m 30s. By the end of 3 months, I would like to cut that further down to 6minutes 30 seconds.

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. You want to gain muscle mass and your plan is to... run? Running is great! Where are the weights? The meal plan?

 

[yacobod]

i think beverly international makes the best supplements, but they are on the pricey side

i think ON 100% whey is prolly the best bang for your buck for protein tho

 

[Jirotrom]

damn... im tired... 1 and half weeks left and i switch to cutting mode

 

[Jirotrom]

i think beverly international makes the best supplements, but they are on the pricey side

i think ON 100% whey is prolly the best bang for your buck for protein tho

agreed but go here for good prices and service...
www.1fast400.com

 

[Dark Octave]

There's benefits to it, however you have to regulate it and do it properly. You are allowed to eat during a fast, however it mostly amounts to raw foods. The juice is all made from things such as carrots, celery, etc. in a juicer, not store bought juice. There's also several different kinds of fasting. Water fasting is the most extreme, but has the fastest results. Once you break the fast you slowly work your way back to solid foods after a few days. There's nothing wrong with fasting as long as you don't go to the extreme. I went to college with someone who fasted for a month at a time and he was fine. He had been doing it most of his life because of his religion.

I fasted for 10 days a few weeks ago. 5 days just water and the other five was homemade juices from greens, carrots, apples, beats, and a bunch of other organic vegies. It took me about five days after that to work my way back to regular food. I lost 10 pounds in the process, but that wasn't the purpose of the fast.

A year earlier I did a 7 day water only fast. Not good times.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Testosterone Nation site is a bunch of bull. I don't trust any website that advertises their own diet (Velocity Diet) and suggests that you drink supplements only to get your calories (supplements that just happen to be sold on their website). It all seems kind of shady to me, i would suggest no Gaffers try this diet. If you want a real diet with some real science to it that doesnt involve buying endless meal supplements read the Ultimate Diet 2.0. I read it and started the diet jus recently.

I would suggest all GAFers read the diet for themselves, and perhaps also read the description of the philosophy behind it. I see no relation at all between the actual diet and your description of it. It's also bewildering that you refer to as "their diet," as if it's the only one discussed on a site with perhaps a few thousand articles on it.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

How far down did you dig? I've gotten Biotest powder up to my damn forearm sometimes.

And I find that Strawberry is a good safe flavor once you get past Chocolate and Vanilla. Green Apple is to be purged from the earth.

Oops. Missed this reply. Yes, I actually put my entire hand and digged down there for a few seconds and came empty handed. Maybe it's still down there.

Also, the strawberry mixed in with the oatmeal tastes pretty f'n good! :lol

 

[Jirotrom]

man you know what my favorite protein supp is... fn Syntha 6 strawberry flavor, tastes so damn good, and I got great results from it. Its just to expensive though

 

[Anton Sugar]

What kind of milk do you guys drink?

2%. If I notice I'm putting on a bit more fat than muscle, I get skim. If I stop gaining weight, I go to whole. So easy.

 

[Anton Sugar]

this echoes a lot of my feelings on the subject. even if we don't breach the subject of promoting their self interests by pushing an agenda that sells their product, the concept of taking a supplement to supply your body with calories when you could be eating foods and enjoying them seems completely bizarre to me. i understand that supplements function as some sort of "super" form of that food, providing vitamins and nutrients the foods couldn't, but i have trouble believing there aren't ways to get creative with your diet and eat good things that will get you the things your body requires.

I personally can't afford anything other than supplements to get my calories and protein requirements in. That, and I have a small stomach--I literally can't eat enough without supplements most of the time.

Also on the subject, yes, T-Nation does have some standard bodybuilding BS, pushing supplements, etc. But they are also a pretty damned good source of stories, articles, inspiration, and good routines. The staff has a mix of people that focus on strongman, weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. I'm liking the site the more I explore it.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I love milk and was raised on that as my main beverage, so I am definitely considering tossing more of that in through out the day. As well, I'm going to figure out a way to work tuna in as a snack, either eating it straight from the can (is tuna from a pouch any different? I'm assuming no) or just making tuna salad (tuna + eggs = $$$, and mayo too I guess) and eating it on some bread.

Definitely toss more in. It helps me to have a BIG cup--I have a cup that holds three cups of milk, and I drink two or three of those throughout the day, plus a thermos that holds four cups of milk (I drink that two times a day as well). Drinking a lot of milk is easy if you plug it in at the right times, and it made a HUGE difference for me.

Here's my routine; I tend to cycle through things on a weekly basis, I'll explain as I go. Going to list them in the order I'd perform them at the weight room; like I said, 3 full body work outs a week, every other day with a pair of days off after the third workout.

3x8 Preacher curls (one week with a barbell, the next week with dumbbells)
3x5 Squats (with a 1x7 warmup and a 1x7 cooldown)
3x5 Bench Press (one week with a barbell, the next week, a 3x8 workout with dumbbells)

After this point, I don't always do them all in this order, I mix them up as needed depending on what equipment is available or just what I feel like at that moment. I don't always complete every one of the following, leaving out 1 of the exercises depending on how my body feels.

You need a pulling movement--deadlifts, power cleans, or bent over rows are best. You say sometimes you leave out an exercise--don't, ESPECIALLY don't miss out on the squats, as they are what's going to make your body grow.

3x20 Leg Raises, holding the position for several seconds (on alternating weeks, I'll put weights on a belt and have it around my legs, in which case I do a 3x10 routine)
3x8 Overhead Shoulder Press
3x8(each leg) Barbell Lunges
4x5 Dips (working up to 5x5, then going to add weights or possibly switch to a 3x8 routine, not sure yet, I currently don't have the upper body strength to do a full 5x5, especially this far into my workout)
3x8(each side) "Standing Side Crunch" (Not sure of the name, holding a dumbbell in my right arm and then 'leaning' to my left, the opposite then for the right side)
3x10 Weighted Decline Situps (I switch it to a 5x5 routine for some weeks)

Dumbbell Shrugs, Chest Flies, Dumbbell Bent-over Rows, and are added in at least once or twice a week, but rarely all three together. Just too much for my arms in one day.

Looking at my routine now that I have it fully typed out, I'm concerned I'm doing too many small-muscle group exercises, and need to add in some larger movements; cleans, deadlifts, military press, etc. I'm really intending to start deadlifting soon, but of all the exercises out there, that is the one that has me scared. Squatting was nothing, but deadlifts... I need to get some balls and man up. Also concerned my leg raises are too high as far as reps are concerned, and should just toss on more weight and keep it closer to ~25 total reps.

Any suggestions would be awesome.

Pretty much. You definitely have the right idea with full body movements, but until you stop making progress, keep it simple. You could get away with just doing squat, bench/overhead press, deadlift (alternated every other workout with power cleans or rows), and some ab work. You can throw in some curls too if you want. But if you hit the big three HARD three days a week, and eat a lot...it's impossible to not grow.

 

[beelzebozo]

I personally can't afford anything other than supplements to get my calories and protein requirements in. That, and I have a small stomach--I literally can't eat enough without supplements most of the time..

the first part is unfortunate, but the second part is an enviable problem! do you agree, though, that someone could conceivably eat smart, enjoy themselves, and get the same results? granted, the sort of "results" i want from my diet and exercise are drastically different than most who frequent this thread or t-nation.