Hi everyone. You may recognize me from my posts or my alias. As some of you know, I'm a "workout-a-holic" on the most part. I'm getting back into the swing of things in the gym. I'm posting this to see if there's anyone thats SERIOUS about working out (EG: body building).

I'm trying to focus on my workouts again. Trying to add mass and lose the fat. I'm not going to ask the same old boring question.. " do I do aerobics or lift weights.." (ho hum). What I'm looking for is someone that's been working out and has goals/or met goals of a body builder.

What I'm looking for is information on what workouts are working for you and what your diet looks like. I think with consistant, hard exercise and plenty of protein and suppliments I should do ok to get there. I just want some firsthand perspective on this.

So if you're a body builder or perhaps a power lifter (no aerobics weenies or weekend warriors please), please give me your .02 worth on this one. I'd like to reach my goals as fast as possible, so experience is what I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance!

Drat, hit the button too soon. I'm no body builder, but my co-worker is. These are some url's he and I discuss, we steal workout ideas from here and there. The first site is aimed right at body builders, the others are a couple of 'hard core' workout sites, some of these workouts kick serious butt. Good luck with the bodybuilding!


http://www.testosterone.net/

http://www.crossfit.com/

http://www.dragondoor.com/

http://www.bootcampfitnesskc.com/sandbagshouldering.htm

http://www.maxercise.com/Press/15_Grueling_Minutes.htm

I am not sure I am qualify to answer you call here.. But, I do lift weights 4 times a week for the past 2.5 years and I am not sure how serious you consider it.

I do workout with a personal trainer which was a body builder for years (she is 65).. I do not take "suplaments" or "juice", not even protein powder. I do it to get stronger, increase my endurance and to feel better. I lift heavy (for my shape and age), and work really hard.

Take a look at my routine and if you like to chat, drop me a PM...

Hey Coolcat I don't dare call myself a bodybuilder yet, cause I'm still pudgy but I've been hitting the weights seriously now for almost a year and have made decent progress all around: strength wise, inch and fat loss, read my gym log, it's all there. I've met some goals, not all yet. It's a never ending quest!

The best advice I can give you is:

1. Listen to your body. If you feel you need more carbs, eat em! If you need an extra rest day, take it.
2. Don't over do the cardio. two to three times a week of HIIT should do the trick nicely and still burn some fat. You don't want to burn muscle, and we all know too much cardio is catabolic.
3. Nutrition is everything. Eat as clean as you can and make sure you get in adequate protein. Don't forget your PW nutrition.
4. I find glutamine & creatine to be essential. Try it if you haven't.

And abcbodybuilding.com is one of many good sources for information, watch out for the LC bashers though.

If you've been working out for some time now (ie, lifting heavy weights) you might find your dual goal of losing fat and gaining lean mass delivers more frustration than anything. Most of the bodybuilders I've chatted with call this "serving two masters". Newbies can do it, however. That newbie window usually lasts anywhere from 6 to 9 months. I hit the wall around 8 months into my workouts.

As DL pointed out, the key is in the nutrition. 80% of any program is what you put into your body. The exercise isn't going to give you the results you're looking for if you're eating crap. That being said, eating to gain lean mass and eating to lose fat are pretty much opposites (assuming you're not a newbie, again).

You might want to check two of the success stories here - Dan and Karen's (the first one when you click on "Success Stories" up atop the forums in orange highlight) and Trainerdans. Dan hangs out here occasionally - he'll answer posts in his success stories thread (and you can tell from his story he's been very successful). Trainerdan isn't around much anymore - but his posts are, and his 'baby' is - the CKD forum. I would recommend a stroll through both.

Best of luck,
Nat

I may or may not fit the criteria you're looking for, but might be able to offer a tidbit here or there. My workout partners are very serious bodybuilders. I work in a gym and I also train at another, so I'm in the atmosphere daily. I have also had exposure to the pro-scene, however would prefer to stay out of that arena of discussion. I am by no means into "bodybuilding" myself; just happen to have fallen into the environment. I see what works. Send me a PM if you'd like to discuss further.

P.S. Depending on where you are visiting in Wisconsin, I could offer you a kick-butt workout ...

Wisconsin??! darn!! I am looking for a new trainer..

My own 0.02, in a rambling way...
First, gaining muscle and losing fat are two different things. Unless you're a beginner, forget about it happening. It might, but I wouldn't count on it. Concentrate on one or the other. If you're looking to be a bodybuilder, and your BF is over 12%, lose fat first. Otherwise, you'll be looking at a longer diet come competition time. Contest time you have to be 5-6% MAX, and lower if you can swing it. The best natural bodybuilders stay within striking distance of contest shape all year round.
Losing fat...well, we are on the low-carb board. CKD, TKD, Atkins, whatever, find what works for you. I can't tell you what works for you. I've had success with TKD, CKD, and isocaloric diets - generally, *my opinion* is that you'll need to increase your protein intake on a diet, keep your fats somewhere around 25-30% minimum, and make up the rest of your calories in low GI carbs.
Once you're lean enough, hold your new bodyfat level for minimum 6-8 weeks prior to bulking up. If you try to roll right into a mass-gaining cycle after a diet, you'll pack a greater amount of fat on with the muscle. Let your body stabilize.
Gaining muscle...I do not believe that low-carb is the best way to build muscle. Building muscle requires carbs. Even a CKD, with the weekly carb-up, is not optimal *in my opinion* for gaining muscle. However, just throwing carbs back in after a low-carb cycle is going to play havoc with your body - and when I say "play havoc" I mean "give you your love handles back". Add the carbs back in slowly. 25-50g a week, to whatever carb intake level you want.
Supplements...for gaining muscle, I came to a lucky discovery two years ago...that is that supplements are not necessary to gain muscle. Throw your muscle mags in the garbage and say Hallelujah! Long story short, I was in an environment where I had plenty of access to food - lots of it, and healthy food. I ate like a hoss and lifted 6 days a week, each bodypart 3 times a week -- and got stronger and bigger EVERY SINGLE DAMN WEEK!! The biggest controlling factor in whether you gain muscle is your food intake. Period. Supps are nice, but if you're spending more time looking over the shelves at GNC than looking over your old lady, give them a rest.
Next up - workouts...

Workouts. To gain muscle, my philosophy is "ya wanna look strong, get strong. BE strong." Heavy movements. Squat, deadlift, barbell rows, power cleans, stiff-legged deadlifts, weighted dips, weighted chins, bench press, overhead press. Move some iron. Avoid the machines. Avoid the Smith machine. Pick exercises that involve a bar and plates, or a set of heavy DBs. Pick weights up from the floor whenever possible. (Obvious exception being squats and bench, but clean the weight into position for overhead press or pick the weight up off the floor before starting rows or SLDLs.) Reps, sets, workout split - there's a million ways to skin the cat, and most of them will work at one time or another for you; just remember to keep forcing the poundage up. Plateaus - go light for a week or two, then back the weights down from the plateau and start pounding them back up. Don't cut your lifts short - squats are past parallel. Dips are down until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. If you bounce on your bench or overhead press, record it as such, i.e. "bounced"; don't confuse it with what you can really lift. You should be to squat in the 4s with a belt and knee wraps only, dead in the 4s, bench 3+ (raw), overhead press in the 2s. When you can do that, and your BF is in the low teens, you'll be an animal.