Thread of diets and exercise

[brazed]

Everyone needs to switch to decaf.

There is almost no difference in taste between normal Illy and Illy decaf. If you want something warm in the mornings, then that's it.

I started on my detox today, then I'm switching to a new diet next week. Not that I wasn't eating well, but my new diet is based on numerous blood test and my current fitness, etc. My fitness has been increasing quite steadily and quite quickly the last few weeks. I'm glad I didn't cut down on weights, the combo of cardio and weights do wonders for me.

As to advice, well, that's always going to be hard to come by. Me and my friend have years of reading up on MULTIPLE approaches, trying them, figuring out what works for us, when they work for us, and so on. Nobody ever gave us definitive advice, you have to figure it out yourself. The biggest thing is to get started though. Once that's done, you can try different ones and see which exercises suit you better.

[Sir PaniCore]

Ok due to my university time table I need to change my workout schedule. I have limited time in between classes on some days so I thought this would work out:

Monday: Intense upper body strength training

Tuesday: cardio

Wednsday: Intense lower body strength training.

Thursday: cardio

Friday: General body strength training (whole body but not as intense as previous days)

Weekend: relax.

In between this I also walk/ cycle to and from my university every day. My goal is to gain muscle mass but still maintain my current fitness levels. Any thoughts?

Also, student budget; can't really afford supplements, so try not to suggest them.

[Toxxyc]

If you're to gain muscle mass you're going to have to limit your cardio a bit. Walking/cycling every day is enough. Remember to bulk up your body is going to need energy - and a lot of it (which is why supplements are recommended).

Which brings us to this point - you're going to have to eat. A lot. I read an article where the author (also a fitness guru dude) stated it simply - with every meal, eat what you would normally would, and some more. And then add a double cheeseburger. Not eating enough when exercising is going to cut into your energy levels during the day, instead of keeping them up. I found this pretty annoying when I lost my appetite due to work stress and I still exercised - I felt like I simply couldn't survive the day.

Not trying to suggest them, but I have to mention it:

USN's low GI protein shakes (Pure Protein IGF-1) helps a lot for me, it reduces muscle stiffness and soreness and it provides a constant protein source for when you're done exercising. I generally drink a double scoop with skim milk before bed after exercise, and then another double scoop with skim milk when I get up the next morning. That way I limit my intake as to not fly through the stuff, as it is pretty expensive. I reckon I can do two months on a 2kg and a 1kg combo though, which costs about R470~R500 depending on where you buy (Makro is a tad cheaper than DisChem). IF you are interested, consider buying the combo's with 2kg Strawberry flavour and 1kg Belgian Chocolate flavour. Vanilla tastes funny and chocolate becomes surprisingly easy to get tired off (and I'm a fairly large chocolate fan, mind you). Strawberry seems to mix a little easier (no cocoa in the mix) and it also doesn't get too thick too soon.

Anyway, your routine looks solid. I, personally, prefer a complete body workout every other day instead of targeting upper/lower body alternatively, but that's probably because my stamina sucks pretty bad and I use the leg exercises to rest my arms after some of the more ****ty exercises (close grip v-bar pulldown, bench press, butterflies) which I hate. I did a lot of cycling and ice skating in the past, so my legs are still pretty strong but my upper body looks like crap.

Then, when looking at your "weekend" description, you should remember (and yes, I'm taking your December holiday's description into account) that drinking is pretty much banned. Alcohol isn't good for someone trying to get fit. Not at all. I've dropped beer, ciders and pretty much most mixes thus far, but I still indulge in a shot of whisky on occasion (decent stuff, mind you), and that's my cheat. Not leaving my whisky, no chance in hell.

[Sir PaniCore]

The cardio is gonna be chilled though, it's not going to be intense. It's pretty much gonna be a way for my muscles to rest a bit from the intense strength training without letting them getting completely relaxed at the same time making my heart healthier seeing as an increase in muscle mass does increase the strain on yout heart.

Diet wise, I'll weigh myself weekly and increase or decrease my calorie count as needed.

[Toxxyc]

I've completely distanced myself from measuring my progress with weight. Personally I feel stronger and I look more ripped than before I started going to the gym (according to feedback from friends/family), but I still weigh 2kg's less than I did when I started. Measuring your weight is a method of determining heavy bulking, but it's something I don't really care for. I grow, and even if the scale doesn't show it, I know it and I accept it as is. I just eat more automatically, and what happens is what happens. Some of my t-shirts already no longer fit, so growth isn't an issue. What I lost around the stomach area and ass (holy crap, my ass shrank like crazy!) packed on on my chest (pecs and shoulders, mostly) and legs (upper and calves).

What Battlemoose told me makes sense - take before and after photos of yourself, and compare using them. If you notice more growth in a certain area, you can adapt and change your routines accordingly.

[Zoop]

I just realised I haven't eaten meat since last week Monday. Been eating just plant products. I feel pretty great, though, except for the fact that I probably have a protein deficiency now.

[Toxxyc]

I just realised I haven't eaten meat since last week Monday. Been eating just plant products. I feel pretty great, though, except for the fact that I probably have a protein deficiency now.

Protein shakes are pretty cool to use. They don't taste bad at all, and you do get some of them without any animal based proteins whatsoever. Low GI as well.

EDIT: And yes, protein is incredibly important.

[Zoop]

Eh, I could actually start eating protein rich foods again. The only reason I'm still just eating fruits and vegetables is because I've still got a ton of it lying around the flat. That and it's easier to eat it raw than to actually prepare food. :P

[Toxxyc]

I can't imagine eating only fruit and veggies without any meat. Don't get me wrong, I do love them both a lot, but no meat? Goodness no. I'd have raided the nearest Dros a looooong time ago... :D

[Yuri]

So I went against my own rules and bought myself this http://www.supplementworld.co.za/evo...scle-meal.html

I just had to, I don't think I can stomach another can of tuna :(

[Toxxyc]

Joined Virgin Active on Saturday. The new one in Montana in Pretoria just across the street from the Kolonnade. Firstly, it's MASSIVE. Huge, impressive and feature-packed. R299 a month and I'm suited to go there as much as I want, though only between 08:00 and 16:00 and then from 19:00 till closing (21:30). I just bought my water bottle (mandatory), swimming cap (mandatory, WTF?) and training shoes (needed them badly, got Adidas Falcon Elite's from Makro for R379 just now! :D). Protein shakes are topped up and I'm ready to tackle the weights!

So, how are everyone else doing? My update:

I visited the doctor two weeks ago about my dwindling health. I was informed that it's purely stress related, and I was informed that caffeine isn't working that along all that great either. Coffee? LIMITED. No more 8 cups a day, now it's 1 in the morning, maybe one in the evening. The rest is tea, and preferably Rooibos at that. I spoke to my boss, got a full-time assistant (she used to be part time) and now my workload is more or less halved. I have time to breathe, eat and to think, which is making me a lot more relaxed than I was about 8 months ago. I actually gained some weight since all the changes, and that's purely from being able to eat healthily again. I don't eat when I'm stressed, worried or anxious, so yeah. It helped. I can feel I picked up weight, and it's going to keep gaining, I hope. Now just to get into shape and the weight can keep packing! I'm starting at the bottom again, it's been 4~5 months since I touched any gym equipment so I'm not going to assume I'm in shape and hurt myself. Circuit training to start off with, and then I'll move to the more pronounced machines and exercises. I'm also going to do cardio, just have to decide if it'll be the treadmill, the spinning cycle or a good, balanced combination of both. I don't want it to cancel out my strength training though, so I'm not going to overdo it at all.

With regards to my eating habits? I basically doubled my diet. Whatever I used to eat, I can now easily manage twice that, all the time. It's like my body suddenly activated Turbo Boost and now NEEDS all that calories. YAY!!! :DDD

[wisp]

I just realised I haven't eaten meat since last week Monday. Been eating just plant products. I feel pretty great, though, except for the fact that I probably have a protein deficiency now.

:D havent had meat for nearly a year now , and no protein defiency so i think you'll be ok :D

I can't imagine eating only fruit and veggies without any meat. Don't get me wrong, I do love them both a lot, but no meat? Goodness no. I'd have raided the nearest Dros a looooong time ago... :D

:DDDDDDD...its easy , trust me , cant imagine ever eating meat again ever .

[Toxxyc]

OK, so I got "this pill" from a buddy who got it from his biokineticist. Basically - drink 2~3 45 mins before exercise. Double your output.

And it works. No side effects from this one time use thus far, except excessive sweating (which isn't a bad thing). Replace sweat with L-Glutamine drink and I'm ready to roll.

Man, I feel good.

[Flangenimblick]

I would never use pills or artificial supplements/stimulants/recovery agents. I just don't trust them.

Food I trust, for the most part, there are just too many unknown variables for "medicated fitness". And what if your body gets used to them and you go off them and then your body whacks out?

Nah, not for me man. But if it works for you...

[Wesley]

OK, so I got "this pill" from a buddy who got it from his biokineticist. Basically - drink 2~3 45 mins before exercise. Double your output.

And it works. No side effects from this one time use thus far, except excessive sweating (which isn't a bad thing). Replace sweat with L-Glutamine drink and I'm ready to roll.

Man, I feel good.

They're the ones that make you feel like Superman, don't they? The second time you take them you get itchy all over for half an hour and then your adrenaline levels go into overdrive. Wait until you start using the higher-performance ones. I never took them but dear lord, my one friend basically turned into the Hulk.

[BattleMoose]

I never took them but dear lord, my one friend basically turned into the Hulk.

This, sounds like a good thing?

[Toxxyc]

I'm actually scared of what I was able to do with those little pills. The name of the stuff is "Animal X" or something. It's not illegal or banned or anything, but it seriously works. However, I struggled a little to sleep last night. It contains a lot of caffeine, so that must be it. Anyway, my friend didn't report itching or stuff. Online reviews during the beta testing of the pills only mention people complaining of excessive sweating, and that's it. No itching or anything. All I felt it did for me was repair in insane times. I do the amount I can normally do, and within a few minutes I feel ready to do more. And then again more. And more. And so on. Don't think I'll be using them for long anyway, supplements =! Superman pills.

Anyway, I'm back on track with my gym cycles. Absolutely love it! :D

Oh, and Battlemoose, good to see you're back! :P

[Toxxyc]

So, yesterday I decided to do a session without those little pills. If you're following my Fitocracy you'd have noticed that I was able to more than double my output on Tuesday by taking two of them (recommended dose is three), and that I was a bit skeptical about taking them.

So, yesterday, I didn't take them.

Before the little pills I managed a leg press (it's the leg presses I love, seriously they're awesome) session of 2 sets, 66kg x 15 reps. With the pills I improved to:

15 x 66kg
10 x 79kg
10 x 86kg
5 x 100kg

Now, that's an improvement above anything else. And here's the kicker - yesterday, I managed this:

15 x 66kg
10 x 79kg
5 x 100kg
5 x 100kg
3 x 120kg
3 x 120kg

Now, all I can assume from this is that the pills worked. Like a bomb. I built strength and kept it (nothing else changed, not my diet or any other intakes, lifestyle or routine (except earlier bed the night before)). I know that this is extreme for a start, but I'm hoping to gain little by little from here on out. I'm going to be resting for today, the rest of the weekend and on Monday, and I hope to fully repaired by Tuesday, and then I'm going to test my one-rep max in the gym. I'm expecting something along the lines of 150kg's on the leg press, maybe 120kg's on the seated calf raise and then I want to also try the elusive BENCH PRESS I so much despise. I have to. It's building. Deadlifts and squats are still not in my routine, simply because the racks are always occupied when I'm there.

Oh, just a cool story: There I am yesterday, pressing my 100kg's on the leg press and I feel good. Then this dude comes sitting down next to me - thinner legs and all - and he starts packing weights on the leg press machine next to me (the inclined leg press machine). I start counting and I find myself stopping at 14 x 20kg's added to the machine's starting weight of 20kg's. 300kg's, and I thought "gmpf, showoff". Then the cool happened: He did the presses with his calves. CALVES. 300kg's lift on his CALVES. I just stopped trying to press my weights and felt like crap, and then used it as motivation and managed 120kg x 3 on two occasions! :D

[Cranky]

ok i must come across as super arrogant here but only 150KGs legg press? That surely cant be right? I had a very small friend that was able to do 150 and he is about 1.8 and 80 Kgs? As far as i have it you are a big boy 2 toxxyc? I mean i did more than double that when i was still playing rugby ( pre knee blow out )


Best i ever had was biltong. when Gymming ( fattless ) Huge amounts of protein and a meal replacement

[Toxxyc]

ok i must come across as super arrogant here but only 150KGs legg press? That surely cant be right? I had a very small friend that was able to do 150 and he is about 1.8 and 80 Kgs? As far as i have it you are a big boy 2 toxxyc? I mean i did more than double that when i was still playing rugby ( pre knee blow out )

Hehe dude I'm tall with big hands. My height is currently 188cm and I weigh 75kg's. So - I'm tall and skinny as hell, which is what I'm hoping to change ASAP. I'm starting to pick up weight now and I'm really hoping to increase overall strength along with it!