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fijiwp · 09-11-2007, 03:11 AM

I was wondering if anyone knew a good way to lose a couple unwanted pounds and knew any good ways to increase muscle definition (abs/arms/chest) for an experienced lifter/ex-athlete that isn't a real big fan of supplements/shakes... I'm 6'1'' about 205.... i've been done workouts that range from strickly cardio to weight training and a mixture of the both and nothing seems to get me to the point where i'm satisfied.... any suggestions??

ENIGMA · 09-11-2007, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fijiwp

I was wondering if anyone knew a good way to lose a couple unwanted pounds and knew any good ways to increase muscle definition (abs/arms/chest) for an experienced lifter/ex-athlete that isn't a real big fan of supplements/shakes... I'm 6'1'' about 205.... i've been done workouts that range from strickly cardio to weight training and a mixture of the both and nothing seems to get me to the point where i'm satisfied.... any suggestions??

Ill give you some info in a couple hours on my break between classes. Is there any reason you are against taking some protien shakes or basic supplements. You dont HAVE to take em, but a few staple supplements might help in the long run. Ill get back to this in a bit.

ENIGMA · 09-11-2007, 09:45 AM

Alright man, now that I have a minute I can try and help you out. First thing is first, I would never recommend an all cardio training regimen. Your going to want to work on a good lifting routine, and supplement that with cardio sessions. If you need some good excercises you can check out my workout logger. Losing weight ultimately comes down to diet. A good starting point is just a basic 40% protien, 40% carbs, and 20% fats ratio. When you see how your body reacts to that, you can adjust accordingly. I would recommend a good starting point for caloric intake be around 2500-3000calories/day. That is the range I am getting from a few calorie calcs, but they are not always accurate and I dont know your age so that could mess up the results. But that is a pretty decent starting point, and once you see how your body reacts to that intake you can lower/raise if you need to. To track your calories fitday.com is a good place and it will break down your protien/carb/fat ratios. I know you said you dont want to use supplements, but it can help you if used correctly. A protien shake will benefit you for a pre and post workout meal, as it can get difficult to get enough protien throughout the day eating whole foods. Not saying it cant be done, its just more convenient to make a shake real quick. Also you should be taking at least a multivitamin in the morning and I would recommend some type of flax seed or fish oil supplement to help get enough healthy fats in your diet. None of these supplements are harmful in any way, and they can make your life alot easier if used accordingly. If you have any more questions let me know, also using the logger and starting a workout log for people to see is a great way to keep yourself motivated to reach your goals.

**growstrong** · 09-11-2007, 10:34 AM

very well put ENIGMA... welcome fujiwp!

fijiwp · 09-11-2007, 11:05 AM

thanks for the advice enigma... ill give the diet and training you gave me a try before i start using any types of supplements... if i do decide to start using supplements is there any particular brand that sticks out above others that you've noticed or are they all relatively the same?...and glad to be with you guys growstrong

ENIGMA · 09-11-2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fijiwp

thanks for the advice enigma... ill give the diet and training you gave me a try before i start using any types of supplements... if i do decide to start using supplements is there any particular brand that sticks out above others that you've noticed or are they all relatively the same?...and glad to be with you guys growstrong

I like Optimum Nutrition whey protien, its fairly cheap and tastes pretty good. And I just use generic multivitamins and multi oils. Most whey protiens will be fairly similar, i would say just get something inexpensive to fill in the gaps in your protien intake. How old are you by the way?

muad33b · 09-11-2007, 01:31 PM

Popping in for a couple quick comments:

I too am down with the ON 100% Whey... $40/per 5 lb jug is about the best you're going to do for protein (in fact it's cheaper at Vitamin Shoppe then online for me)

Yes, you can get cheaper at allthewhey.com, but it mixes like crap (i.e. blender is a must) and doesn't taste that hot... and the ON stuff has some hydrosolate in there (isolate bonded to a digestive enzyme) to help get some protien in your system rapidly post-workout.

For ON, I'm into the Tropical Punch, sounds weird, but it tastes good... I'd also recommend picking up a tub of "Now Foods: Carbo Gain" which is pure maltodextrin (7 lbs for around $12-15), so you can add carbs to your post-workout shake. It's cheaper then gatorade or another drink if you do the math. You can get in the WMP (WaxyMaize Powder) here, which is a fast absorbtion carb that folks swear by, but I haven't tried it, so I can't recommend it...

The only other thing I would mention here is to stay away from flax. D_ (dinoiii/Dr. Houser) would tell you that it is pro-estrogenic, which is not what we lifters want... stick with the fish oils, and note that you should ingest a minimum of 4-6 grams of fish oils a day for efficacy... I grab the cheepo 180mg/120mg EPA/DHA stuff... but don't take any oils 2 hours before and after your workout, as they are anti-inflammatory, and one of the purposes of a workout is inflammation (x-factor tries to increase this)...