I'm almost at the end of p90x and I can only do about 3-4 pull ups with crap form. Makes me

I intend to work on pull ups the most when I'm done with the program

5/5/2011 11:51:51 AM

I'm getting a bit discouraged after looking at the pictures I posted and realizing that my strength-training workout today seemed harder than it's ever been.

I'm at a caloric deficit, but not too much of one. I've lost 25 lbs. Shouldn't my strength training be getting easier instead of harder? I use 5 kg (11 lb) free weights for the strength training, and there's a lot of pushups involved.

I dunno. Just annoyed by it I guess. I can take pride in the 25 lbs lost though. 11 more lbs and I'm under 200 for the first time since... well... nine years ago?

5/5/2011 12:59:08 PM

Quote :

"Well I think one of my goals a full year ago in the last beach body challenge thread was to be able to do 5 dead-hang pullups, so it's been a long time in the making. But I went from ~3 to 5 in the last month or so, so I'm hoping my new workouts are helping with that and I'll be able to keep getting better at it."

thats awesome. keep up the great work you and Joie definitely motivate me to want to keep going.

Morphine Boy don't get discouraged. you've come a long way in a very short amount of time. everyone's bodies change differently when it comes to weight loss. i think you're doing an amazing job. maybe if you feel like you should be progressing better, you can change up your diet some more. it seems like you change up your work out routine enough that your body shouldn't be too used to the routine by now.

5/5/2011 1:13:04 PM

I wouldn't really call lifting 11lbs strength training. I guess you could make an argument for it, but, IMO, you are doing weighted cardio.

If you are losing weight, you are probably losing some muscle mass too.

My recommendation: Join a gym and start doing some real strength training using a barbell or dumbbells. Squats, presses, pulls, and dead lifts should be your best friends.

You aren't going to do much to mitigate muscle loss with 11lbs of resistance. You need to be training ~60-90% of your 1Rep Max.

5/5/2011 1:37:49 PM

basic q: do you guys lift and do cardio or do cardio and then lift.

I do cardio then lift. trying to see if there are any benefits to switching.

5/5/2011 1:39:28 PM

Well I've been alternating strength training and cardio every other day for about 11 weeks now. I've upped the intensity (Power 90 has a Lvl 1-2 Cardio and Lvl 1-2 Sculpt and then a Lvl 3-4 Cardio and Lvl 3-4 Sculpt) only once.

You're supposed to ride 3-4 through until the end (90 Days), but I am considering skipping and going to the Power 90 Master Series which is a lvl 5-6 version of both workouts. I checked it out the other day and there are different movements so I would be doing something else. At the same time, the original program was designed for 90 days and I kinda feel like I should ride it out to the end.

I know that if I continue working and burning calories I will get my results. I'm just being impatient.

5/5/2011 1:42:21 PM

^^ i lift and then cardio. i find that it much easier to "push through" a cardio session when im wiped out rather than that extra #45 on the bar


^ x 4 , i need to get more motivated myself, exams wiped me out! im getting there )

Quote :

"And I can do 5 whole pullups now, which makes me happy."

damn Skwinkle. getchu some.

5/5/2011 1:48:07 PM

Quote :

"Squats, presses, pulls, and dead lifts should be your best friends."

Word. Today I realized I'm tired of fucking around when it comes to lifting. I just ordered Starting Strength. On a more positive note, this week I ran my longest distance and fastest mile so far (3.5 miles and 7:00 respectively).

Morphine Boy, not sure what you're doing but 25 lb is awesome progress.

^^^This was discussed on the last page, but here's what I think: whichever you do last is going to suffer and I don't know who the hell values the quality of their cardio over the value of their lifting.

5/5/2011 2:11:36 PM

Lift first, cardio second.

5/5/2011 2:15:22 PM

I don't feel my lifting suffers but when i lift 1st i can tell my cardio suffers.

5/5/2011 2:21:11 PM

in my opinion, its always better to do cardio second.

1. your heart rate is already elevated and your body is warmed up
2. for functional purposes, you will find everyday tasks and sports easier if you are used to doing cardio (running for example) with fatigued muscles. when you run when you are fresh, you feel like $1milliontexasbucks.

5/5/2011 2:34:31 PM

If your lifting doesn't suffer at all after cardio even if it's a strenuous session, that's probably because you aren't lifting very heavy (relative to your body's potential).

5/5/2011 2:37:37 PM

I don't do "cardio", but I will agree that it should be done AFTER weight training (when both are done in the same session). This does not pertain to 5-10 min of cardio as a warm-up.

5/5/2011 2:37:57 PM

Euro - Good buy! SS is one of my favorite training books. It is the best at teaching a beginner how to lift. I refer to it frequently for squatting issues with my clients.

GoldenGirl - Then you aren't lifting heavy enough

IMO, cardio isn't really necessary. Strength training is. It's much easier to achieve a calorie deficit by eating significantly less. Mainly by cutting out starches/refined carbs and replacing with protein.

Strength training is more important than cardio because it helps spare muscle mass as you lose weight. Resulting in higher fat loss. People need to realize there is a very big difference between weight loss and fat loss. Too much cardio will cut in to lean tissue.

[Edited on May 5, 2011 at 2:41 PM. Reason : )]

5/5/2011 2:40:07 PM

I do cardio first, then lift. These are my main two reasons:
- After I lift I'm dead to the world (or close to it) for the rest of the evening. I simply can't get what I'd consider to be a good cardio workout after lifting. I do feel like I can get a decent lifting workout in after cardio though. I just take ten minutes or so to cool down and do some stretching between the two.
- My main goal is to cut fat. Cardio seems to be the more effective tool for that. I think of it as a way to keep my HR up for a while after the cardio, burn a few more calories, and raise my metabolic rate for the next 24 hours or so. Strength gains or prevention of strength losses are icing on the cake.

I also enjoy lifting, so it makes it easier to push myself versus trying to push myself doing something I'm not really enjoying.

I'm not talking about exhausting yourself on cardio though. I might go 30 minutes of hard cardio + 10 minutes of stretching + 20 minutes of lifting. It seems like a good total workout.

I'm only in the gym about twice per week though, so take it for what it's worth. I swim 1-2 times a week, walk/jog 1-2 times a week, and go to the gym 1-2 times a week to keep it interesting.

[Edited on May 5, 2011 at 2:54 PM. Reason : s]

5/5/2011 2:44:09 PM

I have hardly been eating this past week

a few minutes ago I had to force myself to eat in order to not pass out. I don't think it's my meds. Normally I'm a stress eater so I'm a little confused. :\

5/5/2011 3:16:24 PM

oh no why??!?!??!

5/5/2011 3:20:24 PM

I don't know.

5/5/2011 3:31:34 PM

Morphine Boy - You're making significant progress. 25 lbs. is over 10% of your starting body weight, which is very, very impressive. People lose weight in different places, no one is the same. I wouldn't be discourage because you don't see it in places that you think you should see it.

Also keep in mind that you will be losing some muscle with your fat, so the fact that your lifting would be hurt a little bit.

5/5/2011 3:33:14 PM

oh noes.

are you stressed?

exams coming up or anything?

5/5/2011 3:37:13 PM

I finished exams on Tuesday, but I only had 1 real final (and 2 regular tests)... the week before was absolutely hell though.

I don't think it has to do with school though.

5/5/2011 3:52:34 PM

im sorry boo.
if you were int town id offer a dranky drink

5/5/2011 3:53:57 PM

^ It's actually pronounced "dranky drank"

5/5/2011 4:00:27 PM

I tried drinking some wine last night, but even then I was so exhausted/not into it I barely got through 2 or 3 glasses... over like 4 hours

5/5/2011 4:14:21 PM

awwwwww


we <3 you.

5/5/2011 4:14:43 PM

Quote :

"I just ordered Starting Strength."

yay!

5/5/2011 6:31:50 PM

i'm finally starting to feel motivated again to get shit done. going back to bootcamp tomorrow morning (the one that i loved so much from last summer) and i've been back on the bike this week plus running.

good to be back

5/5/2011 6:43:00 PM

The scale isn't telling me shit. The only thing telling me I am losing weight are my clothes. Pants I bought just last week that fit PERFECT are now falling off. They were the dark stain jeans and I don't know if other ladies agree but it seems like the dark stain wash ALWAYS shrinks when you wash it and these shits are falling off! Plus old clothes are fitting better & better every day.

As far as the scale goes, it depends on how much sleep I get. I can weigh myself at 7am and them at 9am and I'll lose a pound in between that time. pfft haha

I've done monthly measurements and I lost lots of inches everywhere but my shoulders??? According to the tape I went up four inches. I say there's no way that something was misread at some point but so far in one month I've lost 7" not including shoulder fuck up. lol

I've been hitting the gym three-four days a week. I'm hoping to get back at 5 once my schedule gets regular again. I'm pretty happy though. 24lbs. is a freaking feat! Can't wait to lose the rest! No matter how long it takes.

5/6/2011 12:04:03 PM

congrats Kiwi! it is an amazing feat indeed.

i wouldn't worry too much about your shoulders. and i hear ya on the pants. i bought 2 nice pairs of Joe Jeans a few months ago - now I have to wash them or throw them in the dryer to "shrink" them up almost daily because they fall off my waist and get baggy around my butt.

5/6/2011 12:46:11 PM

Squat Day:

Squat: 315lbsx1, 325x1x3, 275x3x2. Still crushing that double body weight squat
Power Clean: 135lbs 3x5
Sumo DL: 185lbsx15
Calves + Shrugs 3x10
Abs

Body weight up 1lb to 162lbs after a little cheat dinner of 4 slices of papa johns pizza. I am thinking I can get sub 160 within the next 10 days.

I am really pleased with my progress over the past 10 weeks. I've lost over 26lbs and have achieved a ripped 6pack for the first time in my life. My strength has also stuck around more than I anticipated.

Feel free to PM me or ask me on here if you'd like any guidance with your fat loss.

[Edited on May 7, 2011 at 12:31 PM. Reason : )]

5/7/2011 12:26:23 PM

I did something that wasn't very smart.

Thursday my evening workout was 20 minutes max rounds of 10 pushups, 15 crunches, 20 squats. My legs were pretty tight the next day. I hadn't largely been considering the fact that the next day I was setting out to climb a 6,684-foot mountain at noon. The first 5 miles were pretty steep, so tired legs plus altitude (which really threw me for a loop; I didn't think it would affect me too much) = pain. Did about 21 miles between then and early this afternoon though. Good times.

5/7/2011 7:45:50 PM

nutrition question


what are you guys typically taking in daily in grams of fat, carbs, and proteins?

I'm really trying to cut down fat, but i dont even really know what the normal intake is for men my age (28).

any advice?

5/7/2011 8:42:44 PM

It depends on your goals. Are you trying to add lean mass or are you trying to just burn fat?

5/7/2011 9:06:11 PM

I've added the lean mass already, i've switched my workouts to more fatburning mode.


also i had pizza for lunch.



actually how about you just tell me what it is for both so i know, thanks

[Edited on May 7, 2011 at 11:01 PM. Reason : word]

5/7/2011 11:00:04 PM

How does one switch workouts to "fat burning mode"?



I try to keep protein consistent @ about 230g (which is 1.5g per lb I believe)

after that I go with at least .5g per lb body weight for fat (as a minimum)

the rest could be filled in with whatever depending on calorie goals, although I typically keep carbs under 100g per day no matter what


I usually end up with high protein, super high fat, and lower carbs

[Edited on May 8, 2011 at 7:32 AM. Reason : food]

5/8/2011 7:30:31 AM

^ I like that.

Total Calories
When setting up a diet, I like to start with total calories... Initially 10-12x body weight for total calories per day to start. Depending on your daily activity (NEAT) and amount of training, this may need to go up or down, determine this if you haven't lost any weight after a week.


Protein
I usually shoot for 1-1.5grams of protein per pound of of BW. If you are very overweight, you can use lean body weight as your reference.

Fat
If you are eating meats as your protein sources, fat intake should be pretty intuitive. I'd supplement with about 3-8g of fish oil daily. Shoot for ~25-30% of calories from fat. 9calories per 1 gram of fat, so do the math. However, depending how deep you cut carbs this % may change.

Carbs
I like most of my calorie deficit to come from a reduction of carb based foods for a number of reasons. Depending on how active you are in endurance related activity, you may need more or less carbs.

My rule of thumb is this: cut out all carb based foods (excluding vegetables and some fruit) unless it is a training or very high activity day

If you can simply focus on staying hungry for extended periods and eat 2-4 meals a day that are based on a protein (meat) source and vegetables, you will do well. Stay away from processed, low quality, convenience based foods.

5/8/2011 9:32:49 AM

^^well idk if fatburning mode was necessarily the correct usage but what i meant was i spent 3 months doing almost pure lifting, little cardio, heavy weights

i am now running 10-15mi/week, and reduced to 50-65% max weights, high reps and high intensity workouts, lots of fast movement, core work, etc.

thanks though, ill take a closer look at what im taking in and compare. I think my protein/fat numbers are about in line w/you guys, but my carbs are def double what you're recommending. Need to trim that out

[Edited on May 8, 2011 at 11:53 AM. Reason : meh]

5/8/2011 11:50:47 AM

glad to see others eating super high fat diets as well.

5/8/2011 1:13:34 PM

my diet last 7 days

Saturday
Fat: 113g
Carbs 308g
Protein 99g

Friday
Fat: 181g
Carbs: 320g
Protein: 122g

Thursday
Fat: 40g
Carbs: 292g
Protein: 141g

Wednesday
Fat: 175g
Carbs: 492g
Protein: 102g

Tuesday
Fat: 51g
Carbs: 244g
Protein: 93g

Monday
Fat: 54g
Carbs: 239g
Protein: 134g

Sunday
Fat: 76g
Carbs: 275g
Protein: 68g




wow im not very healthy.....

5/8/2011 1:53:01 PM

any body experience stretch marks from getting big too fast (muscle wise) ? shoulder / arms ?

5/8/2011 3:53:54 PM

my belly when i was in college/taco bell

5/8/2011 3:56:51 PM

A little on my biceps from when I bulked up too fast in college (Fuck, like 5 years ago) to 205lbs...sitting around 174 now...hoping to slowly get back up to 185-190 this year.

5/8/2011 5:14:23 PM

on my ass when I first started lifting at 135.

[Edited on May 8, 2011 at 6:13 PM. Reason : gf at time noticed it ]

5/8/2011 6:13:37 PM

I got a few on my arms last year but they are pretty minor. Today I think I did some decent damage around the top of my shoulder. Hopefully they are not too bad. I guess we shall see.

I have them on my upper thighs from growing 5'7" -> 6' in about a year and change.

5/8/2011 6:44:37 PM

Anyone tried out the program at Forged Fitness (http://www.forgednc.com)? Looks similar to a Crossfit program. Can't find any prices on the website... (and/or the BJJ program)

5/8/2011 6:50:52 PM

ok, ive barely eaten anything today and im already at 150g carbs. F'ing chocolate chip cookies.


idk how you guys do it.

5/8/2011 7:51:27 PM

from the forged fitness front page..

...is that a girl??

5/8/2011 8:07:35 PM

I wore a size smaller shorts today! Making me down two pant sizes! That made me so happy ha.

Going to try and hit the gym 5 days a week next week. Need to see that scale move some more.

5/8/2011 9:16:27 PM

^^ I have come back to this thread like 4 times trying to answer that :-/

5/8/2011 9:39:53 PM

Whoever he or she is, they have a masive wedgey.

5/8/2011 9:58:29 PM