[The Reactionary Tree]

I think it means he goes to the gym six times a week instead of three. Doubling your volume will give you the gains you seek... if you can handle it and have the motivation to push yourself.

[Saweeep]

(01-26-2015 03:12 AM)The Reactionary Tree Wrote:  

I think it means he goes to the gym six times a week instead of three. Doubling your volume will give you the gains you seek... if you can handle it and have the motivation to push yourself.

I've always found working each body part twice per week gives the best results for me mentally and physically; one mostly strength workout the other hypertrophic.

Size gives what i would call external-confidence i.e others treating you differently.

Strength gives one inner-confience i.e. knowing you are beastly and can do physical shit.

[ThrustMaster]

Mon, Wed, Fri training schedule 3 days on, 4 days off

vs

Mon-Sat training schedule 6 days on 1 day off

(01-26-2015 01:44 AM)OBJ Snakebite Wrote:  

(01-20-2015 12:42 AM)ThrustMaster Wrote:  

I started fat. 5'9"+ 30+% bf at like 198lbs, in my early forties. Did Starting Strength and went Paleo, took 2 years to be "normal" the last two years however have been amazing. I'm actually ripped now. I started 3on4off then switched to 6on1off in the past two years. Made all the difference. I probably train 10-11 hours a week. I'm now 185lbs @ 8% bf

Please explain "3on4off", "6on1off".
I'm also doing starting strength, but the program mandates 3 times a week, workout A, workout B alternating.
Thanks.

[Menace]

ThrustMaster I'm like you in terms of height and age but opposite end on weight. Inspiring transformation. This shit takes years.

[ThrustMaster]

All I can say brother is stick with it - it'll be worth it.

(01-26-2015 07:16 PM)Menace Wrote:  

ThrustMaster I'm like you in terms of height and age but opposite end on weight. Inspiring transformation. This shit takes years.

[Cheetah]

How much do genetics play a role when it comes to how much work someone needs to put in to get a good body?

[Merenguero]

I think it depends on four things, genetics, diet, how athletic you have been throughout your life, and how much work you put in in the gym. I was always athletic up until law school, but I started slacking as far as health and fitness during my first two years of law school. At the beginning of third year of law school, I had the highest body fat I have ever had, was over 200 pounds, and had no muscle on me. Around halloween of that year, I stopped drinking, started eating healthy, and started doing cardio and weights every day. In less than two months, I was under 180 pounds, I had much lower body fat, and had some muscle on me. I have kept up with it pretty well since then and that was back in 2001. I think the fact that I was always athletic before law school was a huge help. A person in his 30's or 40's who was never athletic would need more time to get into shape.

[Menace]

Merenguero I think you're right about that. Sadly I was never athletic so it's going to take me a while. Your muscles and body probably have a sort of memory of their prior condition, so you're not staring with square one. Anyway better late than never.

[Old Fritz]

A few months. Just had to drop the weight

[Saweeep]

(01-29-2015 07:26 PM)Cheetah Wrote:  

How much do genetics play a role when it comes to how much work someone needs to put in to get a good body?

Well genetics play a part in everything physical.

There are the three well known body types but most people are a mix.

It really depends on what you mean by a good body, I think. And what you want to do with it.

If I compare my best friend and I:

He is 5'11, small boned but has wide shouldered and narrow hip bone structure. He's naturally very lean but at the same time can put on muscle relatively well. It only takes him a couple of months to look frankly amazing when he weight trains hard. Mens Health beach body-esque. However, he is not that physically imposing due to his stature and is useless at anything functional.

I on the other hand am 6'4, with a huge bone structure and very broad clavicle bones (shoulder width). I've been training pretty much my entire adult life and will never be as lean as my buddy is naturally; my body just doesn't want to do it without effort I am not willing to put in and performance sacrifices I am not willing to make. I am however much more athletically gifted than he is and am monstrously strong; as a result I am much more imposing physically and more useful in a functional or sporting sense.

When it comes to game (which is ultimately what this is about, right?); my buddy wins the beach contest and tinder abs shot hands down, I win when we have our clothes on.

I think it's important to figure out your body type and train smart as a result with clear goals in mind whilst being realistic as to the purpose of your training.

I would much rather have the mass and power to fear no man on the rugby pitch 8 months of the year than spend my life preparing for the 3 weeks I spend on the beach each year.

Horses for courses, like everything else in life.

[Cheetah]

How do you get started? There are many threads but I am at beginner's level on this. I basically want to get a better body to increase my SMV with the least work possible and without eating any tablets but changing my diet would be fine.

[Saweeep]

How do you get started?

Well, you need to give us some more info.

Height, weight, bf levels, current activity levels, body type, bone structure, current diet.

and then...

What is your goal? Do you have any numbers in mind? Time frame? Commitment levels? Any physical activities you particularly enjoy?

There is no one size fits all answer.

[Cheetah]

(01-30-2015 06:09 AM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

How do you get started?

Well, you need to give us some more info.

Height, weight, bf levels, current activity levels, body type, bone structure, current diet.

and then...

What is your goal? Do you have any numbers in mind? Time frame? Commitment levels? Any physical activities you particularly enjoy?

There is no one size fits all answer.

Average height, normal weight but in the upper scale of normal BMI. Pretty average body type I suppose. My physical strength is reasonably good considering that I don't lift any weights at all. Eat lot of fruits and vegetables but as I don't like to cook everyday my diet could be better.

My goal is as mentioned to increase my SMV, getting 'ripped' I suppose. To look good on the beach and also get a bigger frame. If my body fat would decrease an added benefit would probably be that the bone structure of the face would be more prominent.

I enjoy racket sports but it's always harder to exercise that when you need to find someone and schedule to play against.

Time frame? Getting results as soon as possible. When it comes to lifting weights maybe doing that twice a week and then play sports once a week as a goal?

[Saweeep]

(01-30-2015 12:01 PM)Cheetah Wrote:  

(01-30-2015 06:09 AM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

How do you get started?

Well, you need to give us some more info.

Height, weight, bf levels, current activity levels, body type, bone structure, current diet.

and then...

What is your goal? Do you have any numbers in mind? Time frame? Commitment levels? Any physical activities you particularly enjoy?

There is no one size fits all answer.

Average height, normal weight but in the upper scale of normal BMI. Pretty average body type I suppose. My physical strength is reasonably good considering that I don't lift any weights at all. Eat lot of fruits and vegetables but as I don't like to cook everyday my diet could be better.

My goal is as mentioned to increase my SMV, getting 'ripped' I suppose. To look good on the beach and also get a bigger frame. If my body fat would decrease an added benefit would probably be that the bone structure of the face would be more prominent.

I enjoy racket sports but it's always harder to exercise that when you need to find someone and schedule to play against.

Time frame? Getting results as soon as possible. When it comes to lifting weights maybe doing that twice a week and then play sports once a week as a goal?

Firstly, I think it would help if you had more specific, measurable goals; often it can be hard to notice bodily changes yourself; long after they become noticeable to others.

So, firstly get a tape measure and measure your vital stats; neck, wrist, bicep, waist, chest, thigh, clavicle & should width.

Then weigh yourself and if possible acquire a body fat reading. if you don't have access to this or anyone who knows how to use callipers, use an online calculator with the above measurements to get an estimate.

With these you can track your changes on a weekly basis.

A realistic weight loss goal is 2lb per week. Let's go with that for the sake of this post.

Then you need to sort out your diet and begin calorie counting; with your stats from above again, use an online calculator to get a rough idea of your maintenance calories i.e. how many you need right now to neither gain nor lose weight.

-500 from that number and use myfitnesspal (my favourite) to track your calories and macros (protein, carbs, fat etc).

A lb of fat is approx 3500cal so over a week you should be losing a lb from calorie deficit.

Try your best to eat as cleanly as you possibly can. There are a million threads on here about healthy, clean eating. Do your best on this front as no amount of exercise will make up for a bad or even slightly bad diet. It's an old cliche, but it's old for a reason: Weight loss takes place in the kitchen not the gym.

Start lifting weights three times per week. I would recommend following an all over body workout given that you don't lift weights right now. (if you need a sample workout feel free to ask).

Combine this with 3-4 sessions of cardio (30-45 mins) and you will easily hit your lb fat loss per week from exercise.

Your first goal has to be to slim down, you can worry about getting hench afterwards. This method will still see you gain muscle as a newb to weight training whilst losing body fat.

Losing weight is really not as complicated as is often made out.

[Cheetah]

Quote:

I would recommend following an all over body workout given that you don't lift weights right now. (if you need a sample workout feel free to ask).

That would be great.

[Menace]

I have recently become very conscious of how bad my posture is. Because I work at a desk job I have significant anterior pelvic drift. So my lower back/spine has fairly large curvature in it. This pushes my rib cage out and my abdominal organs out as well. I am actually much closer to my aesthetic goal of having some abdominal definition and a flat stomach than I thought. However, my poor posture hides this to a great extent. I will need to do some exercises regularly, and possibly add some yoga in as well to try and reduce the effects of years of sitting all day.

[ThrustMaster]

Before I started weight training I had horrible posture. No longer an issue. I think most posture issues are related to not having the right amount of stabilization and muscle mass.

[The Reactionary Tree]

(02-17-2015 11:43 AM)ThrustMaster Wrote:  

Before I started weight training I had horrible posture. No longer an issue. I think most posture issues are related to not having the right amount of stabilization and muscle mass.

what particular lifts do you believed helped in correcting your posture?

[ThrustMaster]

(02-17-2015 07:31 PM)The Reactionary Tree Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 11:43 AM)ThrustMaster Wrote:  

Before I started weight training I had horrible posture. No longer an issue. I think most posture issues are related to not having the right amount of stabilization and muscle mass.

what particular lifts do you believed helped in correcting your posture?

I did 5x5 SS for a couple of years and now I do a 6/1 split. All free weight barbell. I think it was a question of building a bigger back and shoulders and packing on mass. Dead, squats, bench (close annd wide grip), rows, pull-ups . I can post my split if you'd like.

[The Reactionary Tree]

(02-17-2015 09:10 PM)ThrustMaster Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 07:31 PM)The Reactionary Tree Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 11:43 AM)ThrustMaster Wrote:  

Before I started weight training I had horrible posture. No longer an issue. I think most posture issues are related to not having the right amount of stabilization and muscle mass.

what particular lifts do you believed helped in correcting your posture?

I did 5x5 SS for a couple of years and now I do a 6/1 split. All free weight barbell. I think it was a question of building a bigger back and shoulders and packing on mass. Dead, squats, bench (close annd wide grip), rows, pull-ups . I can post my split if you'd like.

Sure let's see your split. I too am doing a SS type workout as well and would love to compare. I dont think I ever really had bad posture but I watch tons of Elliott Hulse videos and he is always going on about thoracic extension so I feel I always need to work on that.

[ThrustMaster]

Monday
Preacher curls: 5x10 add drop set 15-20
Standing dumbbell Hammer curls: 4x8 drop set 15-20
Standing reverse curls w/ curl bar: 4x10 drop set 15-20

Tuesday:
Wide grip pull ups: 4x10
Close grip bench press: 6x8 drop set 15-20
Headbangers/Skull Crushers w/ curls bar lying on back 5x10 plus

Wednesday:
Deadlift: 5x6
4x25 ab wheel

Thursday:
Flat bench: 5x6 immed to drop set 15-20
Incline bench: 5x6 immed to drop set 15-20
Dips: 5x6 followed immed by one set till failure w/ bodyweight only

Friday:
8x12-20 Back Squats
6x20 Calf raises

Saturday:
Barbell shoulder press 5x8 + drop set
Barbell upright row 5x10
Superset:
Rear db raises 4x12
Side db raises 4x12

Yep I'm in my late 40's

[Seamus]

I've been asked this question a few times by my skinny friends, so I've given this a bit of thought. My initial response was to say it would take years. This is true, but I think it's missing the point.

The social benefits of having a good body have two basic components: There's the added sexual attraction from women / respect from men based purely on your physique, which is external. And then there's the boosted self-confidence and all that entails, which comes from within. But while it's true that it takes years to maximize that first component, the second one you'll start experiencing almost immediately.

The great thing about starting to get in shape for the first time is that every step of the way you're looking better than you ever have before in your life. And since confidence in your physique is more about how you feel rather than how objectively big you are - and since every week you're stronger than you've ever been - you feel pretty damn good pretty damn fast. This is why you always see photos of objectively skinny dudes flexing in the mirror after a workout. We know they're not big, but it doesn't matter. They feel big, and that makes them confident.

All of this is a long way of saying that you shouldn't stress too much over how long it takes to get a "good" body. Once you hit the gym for a month and make it a habit you'll already be reaping lots of the benefits.

[Downtown]

Be both guys. Bulk in winter, be kinda fat (12-15%) and then cut down to summer size (8%), rinse and repeat. Just make sure you spend a lot time outside and half naked in the summer to make it worth it!

as for me, it took years to get the body I wanted (6'4, 225, 8-9% bf). There were ups and downs and times where I built muscle and others where I got fat. Through injuries and life changes and whatever else, staying the course over several years is what it took me to get where I wanted.

Sure at first you'll get lots of "you look greats!" when you go from 35% bf to 25% bf. people remember that. then you need another leg down. And maybe you move that year and you don't work out as much. So next year you start again and get down to 15% bf. Oh time to bulk up? More muscle comes on, you get a little fatter but you're bigger.

And then summer comes again and you cut more and the people you met last year at the gym are even saying, wow you look great. The people who knew you at 35% would walk by you on the street now.

Finally, or at least how it was for me, I got big and strong as I wanted to be and had the last final push from 12% down to 8% for the summer. Now everyone says you look good, not just good "for you". This last part took drugs for me at age 38.

Now I keep training, eat up and around first of march, time to cut back down again.

Training is a life long thing.

[Menace]

I'd say that I have now more or lest lost my belly. Most of the belly I have now is due to posture issues. I have a little bit of fat layer to go, so maybe another month or two of caloric deficit. Amazing thing is that I have not lost weight. I fluctuate at 153-156 basically, which I am very happy about. I think I look better than I ever have, so it is never too late to start proper diet and exercise. Vast majority of my pants are very loose.

[RexImperator]

Been lifting about 18 months and I still look pretty bad to be honest. Looking better, though. I've lost 15 lbs. since October and plan to lose another 20 by this summer. Then I'll be back to my starting weight.