for anyone who is really muscular

[jjbswest]

I am wanting to start working out. I have so many friends that tell me, you have broad shoulders and back, if you worked out, you would be pretty big.
I am about 10-15 pounds overweight. I have friends who are built, but they say take weight gainer and workout. How can weight gainer work if I need to lose 10 pounds? What is the first thing I need to do? Exercise, anything you can tell me. By the way, if you look at the profile, it is my wife's,not mine. I am using her name on here.

[liftnlady]

well, what are your current stats..i.e age wwight, diet any type of exercise you do, or equipment you have access to. This will help guide you.

[rice_boi]

i don't really consider myself "really muscular" but maybe bigger than average... anyways, it would be great if you made a separate account for yourself so you can have your own journal, info, and so we won't confuse you for your wife hehe...

anyways, as for the weightgainer... i would lay off of them... they are usually packed with sugar (loads and loads of carbs), lots of the weight gained would be fat... check out bodybuilding.com and the forums there too... lots of useful info

it would be helpful if you posted your stats and maybe a picture (if you're shy, you can post a headless one haha)... and also mention your goals

you might want to pm trainerdan (imo he's huge!) goodluck! :)

[budlight]

Ok, I have my own username and am not using my wifes. I weigh about 172, and am 5'11". I don't know the first thing about what to do to begin. I want to be about 200 pounds but all muscle. I do have a little bit of a paunch to my stomach. Do I need to diet or will working out take care of it since it's not alot.

[mrschmelz]

I don't think you need to diet in the traditional sense of "losing fat" kind of way. However, if you REALLY want to add muscle then yes you probably need to change your diet. Because trying to gain muscle requires a "diet" just as strict as one when trying to lose fat....just a different one. At 5'11 172 I would personally try and bulk for a little bit, then do a cutting program like CKD to help remove any remaining leftover fat. But that is JMO. But if you are really unhappy with the current amout of fat you have, go ahead and check out the CKD forum on this site. Some useful information over there that may help you reach your goals.

[jjbswest]

what do you mean exactly when you say "try and bulk for a little bit"

[LisaS]

you can't really put on muscle the way that you want to and lose fat at the same time. Pretty much you can do one or the other. most folks will say to eat alot (but clean) and work out hard and gain the weight - most will be muscle but some will be fat - and then diet down or "cut" to lose the fat while maintaining the muscle. So bulk now - get up to 200 or even more, and then diet down to the leanness that you want. Just don't expect to put on almost 30 pounds of muscle over night - that's a long term goal.

[Trainerdan]

It's true. I always use a silly analogy when people ask me about bulking up ...

"Michaelangelo didn't carve David from a pebble. He used a big boulder."

In your case, I would say to start weight training (beginner's article is at top of this forum in the EXERCISE LINKS topic) ... get used to the moves ... after about 2 weeks, see how your body is adapting (feel of muscles, metabolism, etc) ...

Then, I would say start to get your calories to a level where they would encourage muscle growth (a.k.a. ANABOLISM).

Then the magic starts. ;)

[legwarmers]

mmmmmfooood. i'm doing a low carb bulk.

i personally prefer to be leaner when i bulk because it's pretty hard on the head otherwise and there's less to lose/you see the muscle more.

[Trainerdan]

But 8000 cals per day for 8 weeks is sooooo fun!

[legwarmers]

But 8000 cals per day for 8 weeks is sooooo fun!

lmao is that your bulking cals? i'm at 2600-2800 :)

ps - i posted some arm shots for you. play where's waldo with my triceps.

[Trainerdan]

yeah, I usually go around 6000 ... but when I just come off a heavy cut, I go crazy right after it for 8 weeks and do 8000 cals with a mad strength/dinosaur training phase ... then I drop to 6000 for a bit ... then start to transition for whatever goal I am looking for.

[legwarmers]

yeah, I usually go around 6000 ... but when I just come off a heavy cut, I go crazy right after it for 8 weeks and do 8000 cals with a mad strength/dinosaur training phase ... then I drop to 6000 for a bit ... then start to transition for whatever goal I am looking for.

nice!! i love telling people i could put back 3000 cals daily if i wanted to... :cool:

[liftnlady]

yeah, I usually go around 6000 ... but when I just come off a heavy cut, I go crazy right after it for 8 weeks and do 8000 cals with a mad strength/dinosaur training phase ... then I drop to 6000 for a bit ... then start to transition for whatever goal I am looking for.

nice!! i love telling people i could put back 3000 cals daily if i wanted to...

I am getting fatter just reading all these cals !!

[Trainerdan]

Off topic, but Lift ... I love your quote. It's so true. I remember saying before I would stop once I hit 225 ... I've seen 250 already ... got myself set to see 260 at 10% as my next long term goal ...

[fridayeyes]

While we're on the topic of cals and bulking....

I have been struggling a bit with diet. If I don't get 180 plus g of protein, I become unreasonably hungry (read: cranky!). 200 g makes me feel pretty good. The problem is the rest of the diet. If I try to hit ratios of 60/30/10, I'm looking at 2900 cals. Is that going to be a bulk or a cut or just plain stupid? If I eat to comfort, my ratios end up being more like 45/45/10 and cals around 2k. I'm in the window where I can bulk and cut at the same time, so I might as well ride it til it dies, right?

Any comments on diet?

(198 lbs/135ish LBM, 26% BF, HIIT 3-4x/week, lift big 3-4x/week)

Cheers,

Friday

[Trainerdan]

If you are still making progress with what you are doing, why change? Keep rollin rollin rollin.

When you stall, then make a change.

Just my thoughts.

[fridayeyes]

That translates to don't push the cals and let the protein/fat ratio be almost 1:1, right? I can handle that. I've been worried mostly because it's not the typical keto ratio.

"Keep rollin rollin rollin." RAWHIDE!


Thanks, Dan :)

Friday

[liftnlady]

I know it really hit home for me especially reading things from people who are in fitness and look the picture of perfection, and some that don't... it is always 10lbs, a little more muscle, some abs showing...always something that if we could just fix the problem all would be right with the world and usually it is a very arbitrary number (why is it always 10lbs ? )...well, that never happens cause then there are new goals and things to improve. I read a book once that had a great title...If it ain't broke, break it. I have kinda lived that way in my personal life as well as business, even if you think it is working for you and things are perfect, there is always room for improvement.

[RoseTattoo]

Could someone--one of you experienced, kind, articulate people--please answer a question I've had for a long time and have never been quite able to get my head around? :)

I am so confused about how to go about "cutting" as opposed to "bulking."

I would like to do both, but my main goal is to get rid of 6 pounds, minimum, of body fat.

I'm doing cardio AND lifting heavy, three times a week, as per BLF. Eating at my total daily energy expenditure minus about 20%. Diet includes 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

So what am I doing, cutting or bulking? LOL? I can't do both at once, right? Which should I pursue first, and exactly what do I eat to go about it?

Thank you. Please speak to me in words of one syllable, since I am so addled at this point. :p

[fridayeyes]

Hi, Rose!

Actually, if you are new to exercise and/or lifting, you CAN do both at once. Bulking generally requires an excess of calories, relatively low fat and some carbs with your protein (right folks?). After the 'newbie bonus' described above, people who bulk have to accept that they will put on some extra fat along with their extra muscle. That's why they switch diets later to strip off the fat and show off the new muscle.

Cutting generally requires a caloric deficit or a ketogenic diet. Cutting also tends to, but doesn't have to, remove a bit of muscle along with the fat.

Does that clear it up?

Cheers,

Friday

IMHO, ppl who can bulk while on a cutting diet should milk it for all it's worth! That's my plan right now. ;)

P.S. Did I read in another post of yours that the pant-o-meter is moving for you? Woo Hoo!! Don't be surprised if you end up looking like you're at goal w/o having lost as many lbs as you think you need to. You'll gain some muscle in the process.

[Trainerdan]

You are cutting. Continue to cut.

Bulking is (generally) the intentional overeating and heavy heavy training used to lay down lots of muscle mass. Usually brings some fat gains with it. AKA Off-season. Lots of lifting, powerlifts, minimal cardio. Everything geared towards muscle gains. Lots of food, lots of lifting, lots of rest.

Cutting is (generally) cutting (!) your calories to below maintenance to cause a loss of bodyfat. When cutting it is a huge success if you can manage to maintain or add lean mass while you lose fat. Everything geared towards fat loss and muscle maintenance. HIIT, fat burners, etc.

If your cals are at maintenance, you are maintaining. That's all I know about that one since I have never been there. :)

[RoseTattoo]

Thank you both. Mwamwamwa *I kiss your hands*

Finally, an explanation even I can understand, lol. :D

Friday, I'm not a beginner to lifting--just a beginner to lifting heavy. I lifted "girlie style" for almost 9 months. :( Then I fired my trainer. :D

OK, so I may lose some muscle mass as I lose fat, is that what you're saying? I guess I can minimize that somewhat by eating all the protein, right?
Is one gram per pound of weight enough?

And what kind of fat burners, dan? I'm only doing the green tea supplement right now.

Thanks again. :)

Yep, pant-o-meter is looking better. But darn being a female, one never knows what's water weight and what's real, lol.

[fridayeyes]

Rose, I doubt in your case that you will lose muscle. You will probably gain it from the change in your lifting. If you've only now started 'lifting heavy', you'll be getting the newbie bonus. ;) The losing muscle is more what happens to the big guys, and even there I'm only talking a pound or two.

[RoseTattoo]

K, friday, thank you again, now I kiss your feet. (Metaphorically speaking, of course). :D