Post: #26

(06-12-2014 02:35 AM)StrikeBack Wrote:  What's 900 calories compared to a burger? I've seen the size of US burgers lol

Plus really hard & long cardio sessions tend to make people super hungry and overeat calorie-dense foods.

Minus the food calories to get the difference that you actually burn. Then you take into account that each lb of fat is 3500 calories. That starts to get depressing at how much fat you do burn...

Don't need to work that hard to lose fat.

If it's a part of your sports though, go nuts.

900 calories is like... 2/3 of a burger! Anyway a healthy way to think about it, in my opinion, is to think "how much am I going to have to work to burn off the shit I'm about to eat?" If I'm thinking "this burger costs 2 1/2 hours in the gym" instead of "oh, it's only $6.50", I'm a lot less likely to indulge.

But yeah, no matter how you get there you have to carry a caloric deficit to lose fat. I just happen to like long, high intensity cardio workouts on top of my barbell and kettlebell workouts. I can watch movies and listen to audiobooks and just let my mind relax, which lets me make more productive use of the rest of my day.

Post: #27

(06-11-2014 10:53 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  I'm trying to cut down a bit. In fact I'm going to take a little break from weights and focus on cardio.

Try starting your weights session with a brief but intense cardio session, to get your heart rate into the training zone and get a bead up...then, launch into your regular program, but drop 10% to 20% off the normal weight.

Really focus on your form whilst increasing the intensity and add on one extra set per exercise. Your workouts shouldn't take any longer since you should be doing your sets quicker.

You'll get a great cardio pump, whilst maintaining muscle mass/tone.

Get some reputable intra-workout glutamine based drink into you (e.g. Xtend) to keep the stamina up.

I stuck to this very method a couple of years ago, and coupled with eating relatively cleanly, dropped weight very easily over the course of 6 weeks or so.

From there, if you're disciplined, bf % is easily maintained when going back to lifting 100% weight.

Post: #28

I don't see a downside of putting on muscle. Big guys make big shirts look good regardless. Look at old pics of Arnold or any bodybuilder in a huge xxxl t-shirt, still looks awesome IMO.

Really, most fitness models don't even look like they workout with their shirts on, but when it comes off, they look ridiculous. You workout to look good naked, get a tailor to fix the issues with pants. Most fitted shirts look solid on a muscular guy, focus on having the tiny waist and you're golden.

Post: #29

I know the feeling man.
I was skinny and started putting putting weight hard. After a Army course I came back and all my muscles were pushing against my clothes.
Carrying gear and simple being physical, slowly packs on muscle

Then I came back and said fuck it.
Started hitting the gym hard.
Some of my favorite pants.. that already had thin fabrik are tight on my thighs.

I feel a little self conscious wearing them.. cause i normally dont wear tight clothes..
And Im a lazy shopper..aka i hate buying clothes even if they are awesome...

the upside

but ive gotten complements and noticed women taking notice more.

They can see through your clothes and know the power you have in your pants.
Were i use to never wear sleeveless shirts.. i started more.. and WOW big different in how people approach me.

A man once told me.
Dont tailor your clothes to your body...Tailor your body to your clothes.

* of course this is meant for small guys trying to get big.. but i think it can be used for big guys that are growing. aso

Post: #30

The problem is if you bulk up a lot, are not cut and don't have your clothes tailored, you just look fat most of the year.

Post: #31

When I bulked up to 225 lbs (6'0 ft tall) this past winter, the biggest downside for me was the amount of effort it took to wipe my ass after one of the several shits I took in a day. Borderline sweating-type effort.

Itch around the rhomboid area? Couldn't reach it since my wider lats got in the way, so I'd do what bears do and find a tree or the like to rub my back on.

Post: #32

Fellas, all cardio is not equal. Please do not compare a long distance runner to a skier. One is an aerobic activity, the other is anaerobic.

There's a reason soccer, basketball, volleyball, sprinters, swimming, martial arts participants and athletes have different body types than marathoners.

If you want to retain muscle while dropping body fat, basically to look more cut, you've got to eat healthy and do more interval/burst training. Hiking, sprints, hills, jumping rope, box jumps, stairmaster, treadmill on an incline, etc, are better forms of cardio than jogging at the same pace for 30 minutes.

If you just want to lose a boatload of weight, sure running is fine, but to get cut and get the definition, you need more mixed cardio usually.

A reason why lifting weights helps is because by definition lifting weights is an interval workout. Do a set for 20-30 secs, rest, do another. Rinse and repeat.

Post: #33

So many downsides of putting on mass.
Inner thighs rubbing and causing rashes, no longer being able to scratch your back, not fitting into any decent fitting jeans, having to eat boat loads, not being able to fit the iphone armband around your arm.

I gave up on buying new clothes all the time and just bought some things a few sizes up. What's the point of buying nice clothes if you're going to grow out of them in just a few months time again?

Post: #34

Quote:So many downsides of putting on fat mass.
Inner thighs rubbing and causing rashes, no longer being able to scratch your back, not fitting into any decent fitting jeans, having to eat boat loads, not being able to fit the iphone armband around your arm.

Corrected it for you.

Post: #35

It's very hard to put on muscle without some fat gain...thread should probably be retitled, "downsides to bulking up."

Post: #36

(06-12-2014 09:17 PM)RexImperator Wrote:  

It's very hard to put on muscle without some fat gain...thread should probably be retitled, "downsides to bulking up."

It can be done if you're dedicated. Look at crossfit guys. Depends on what kind of routine you do, consistency and how clean your diet is. But lifting hard and a paleo type diet and you can add some serious strength while cutting your body fat %.

Post: #37

The down side for an ectomorph is how hard it is to eat as much as you need to to keep the muscle on, because you often aren't that hungry.

I am genetically 6' around 170 lbs with no weight training, but currently at 195lbs due to training. To get and stay at 200lbs (of muscle) is really, really hard.

Eating that much just kicks the shit out of your digestive system, and carrying that much muscle also increases how much you have to sleep

Post: #38

Sounds like a good problem to have, IMO.

Post: #39

Sounds terrible. The dark side of getting swole!
Next up...

- help my dick is too big
- got too much money and dont know what to do with it
- girls just want to use me for sex

Post: #40

For me;

- Bending at the knee for extended periods without stretching can lead to aches in the lower back and knee joints. Not bone ache just muscle tendons.

- Loose fit jeans are tight

- Need XL boxers now which still are a close fit

- Now need Vaseline between legs to avoid chaffing on hot days

Post: #41

I sweat a lot more while playing football now, more muscles more energy more heat I guess

Post: #42

I wouldn't even bother hitting up a tailor until you plateau.

I fluctuate body mass quite a bit and don't invest until I hit optimal weight... 200lb @ 6"4. You'll probably fluctuate quite a bit before you settle into your optimal mass.

Post: #43

(06-12-2014 08:22 PM)StrikeBack Wrote:  

Quote:So many downsides of putting on fat mass.
Inner thighs rubbing and causing rashes, no longer being able to scratch your back, not fitting into any decent fitting jeans, having to eat boat loads, not being able to fit the iphone armband around your arm.

Corrected it for you.

You "corrected" it wrong. It's cutting season, I'm at 10% bodyfat and I'm still experiencing these minor problems.

Post: #44

Suggestions for jeans that fit when you've got squat legs?

Post: #45

(06-12-2014 02:25 AM)weambulance Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 01:51 AM)StrikeBack Wrote:  You want to be down to about 12% or less (very doable). You're probably around the 20% mark.

Cardio won't do much to cut. You're better off moving around a lot (or just move your body a lot) and eat clean. My best cutting plan involves walking everywhere daily.

Weights will keep you lean and muscular. It's a common mistake to think cardio = cut, weight = bulk. Even the hardest cardio session doesn't burn many calories at all. I know chubby guys who kill everyone in hard kettlebell sessions but yeah, they're still chubby because they eat crap.

Whaaa? My typical rowing workouts (example: 2k warmup, 5k, 5k, 2k cool down) burn 900+ calories each. If you're doing joke cardio like 5 minutes on the elliptical, yeah, you're not burning much. But rowing, swimming, and XC skiing all burn around 14-15 calories per minute if you're not just loafing along. You just have to put in the time.

People stay fat because they eat like crap, that much is true.

Respect. What was your daily calorie intake?

Post: #46

(06-20-2014 01:43 AM)berserk Wrote:  Suggestions for jeans that fit when you've got squat legs?

Diesel. You might have to try the different fits but they're the only ones I've found that consistently have room for my thighs.

Uniqlo if you're willing to try on several of the 'same' size until you find one that's sized just right.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #47

How would you define "eat like crap"?

Post: #48

(06-20-2014 01:43 AM)berserk Wrote:  Suggestions for jeans that fit when you've got squat legs?

In the premium denim thread I made a few weeks ago, I mention in original post the brand I wear. They are very comfortable as they have 1% stretch material in them.

Post: #49

(06-20-2014 05:28 AM)Jukes Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 02:25 AM)weambulance Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 01:51 AM)StrikeBack Wrote:  You want to be down to about 12% or less (very doable). You're probably around the 20% mark.

Cardio won't do much to cut. You're better off moving around a lot (or just move your body a lot) and eat clean. My best cutting plan involves walking everywhere daily.

Weights will keep you lean and muscular. It's a common mistake to think cardio = cut, weight = bulk. Even the hardest cardio session doesn't burn many calories at all. I know chubby guys who kill everyone in hard kettlebell sessions but yeah, they're still chubby because they eat crap.

Whaaa? My typical rowing workouts (example: 2k warmup, 5k, 5k, 2k cool down) burn 900+ calories each. If you're doing joke cardio like 5 minutes on the elliptical, yeah, you're not burning much. But rowing, swimming, and XC skiing all burn around 14-15 calories per minute if you're not just loafing along. You just have to put in the time.

People stay fat because they eat like crap, that much is true.

Respect. What was your daily calorie intake?

I don't exactly count calories anymore in normal daily meals, I just try not to eat a ton--I wait until I've been hungry for a while, and take moderate portions and wait 10 minutes to see if I'm still hungry before getting more food. I eat good food, drink about 95% water, and stay conscious of my general nutritional needs, but I don't keep a food log or weigh portions or anything like that. I hate doing that sort of thing, I can never keep it up for more than a week or two.

I'm 5'11 and around 190 lb when I'm in good shape. A rough guess is 3100-3200 calories in training mode, 3400 in competition mode, and 2500-2700 in cutting mode. Right now I'm in cutting mode, as I have 30 pounds to lose. I can definitely feel the difference in my training, I'm weaker and slower, but I am also losing fat fast. I'll bump my intake back up around early September, but I really want to lose as much fat as possible this summer so I can get some decent fitting clothes before classes start.

Post: #50

(06-20-2014 06:59 PM)weambulance Wrote:  

(06-20-2014 05:28 AM)Jukes Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 02:25 AM)weambulance Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 01:51 AM)StrikeBack Wrote:  You want to be down to about 12% or less (very doable). You're probably around the 20% mark.

Cardio won't do much to cut. You're better off moving around a lot (or just move your body a lot) and eat clean. My best cutting plan involves walking everywhere daily.

Weights will keep you lean and muscular. It's a common mistake to think cardio = cut, weight = bulk. Even the hardest cardio session doesn't burn many calories at all. I know chubby guys who kill everyone in hard kettlebell sessions but yeah, they're still chubby because they eat crap.

Whaaa? My typical rowing workouts (example: 2k warmup, 5k, 5k, 2k cool down) burn 900+ calories each. If you're doing joke cardio like 5 minutes on the elliptical, yeah, you're not burning much. But rowing, swimming, and XC skiing all burn around 14-15 calories per minute if you're not just loafing along. You just have to put in the time.

People stay fat because they eat like crap, that much is true.

Respect. What was your daily calorie intake?

I don't exactly count calories anymore in normal daily meals, I just try not to eat a ton--I wait until I've been hungry for a while, and take moderate portions and wait 10 minutes to see if I'm still hungry before getting more food. I eat good food, drink about 95% water, and stay conscious of my general nutritional needs, but I don't keep a food log or weigh portions or anything like that. I hate doing that sort of thing, I can never keep it up for more than a week or two.

I'm 5'11 and around 190 lb when I'm in good shape. A rough guess is 3100-3200 calories in training mode, 3400 in competition mode, and 2500-2700 in cutting mode. Right now I'm in cutting mode, as I have 30 pounds to lose. I can definitely feel the difference in my training, I'm weaker and slower, but I am also losing fat fast. I'll bump my intake back up around early September, but I really want to lose as much fat as possible this summer so I can get some decent fitting clothes before classes start.

Does 2500-2700 calories in cutting mode help with maintaining weight?