Fitness Thread

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

 

Sorry, masters.

 

What did I say wrong?

 

?

[Snake Plissken]

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

 

Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass:

 

1250 calories, 250g of carbs per serving

 

No calories or carbs, though.

 

MyProtein Hard Gainer Extreme:

 

445 calories, 50g of carbs per serving.

 

No calories or carbs though.

 

I don't understand how they have no carbs or calories in them?

[Snake Plissken]

[Creepy Lurker]

Just to answer the original question, there's no special benefit to protein shakes beyond them contributing to an adequate protein intake. If you struggle to consume enough protein then by all means take shakes, but don't feel like you have to or expect any special benefit from doing so. Don't bother with mass gainer shakes as they're total overpriced crap and you'd get as much nutritional benefit from mixing whey protein with table sugar. Alternatively you could consume the same amount of calories' worth of something that actually tastes good.

 

Creatine's a useful supplement, but I don't think people should jump into taking it until they've got some experience of lifting and have their diet sorted out. 5g a day is also a perfectly adequate intake.

[Sten Guns]

How vital / important is a bit sugar post workout?

 

Watched a YouTube video with a body builder saying he has a few jelly babies afterwords.

 

 

[BigC]

I believe the Man Utd squad also have jelly babies at half time to keep their energy levels up.

 

Guess it's just a quick way to get calories in and not a problem unless you are overweight.

[Creepy Lurker]

How vital / important is a bit sugar post workout?

 

Watched a YouTube video with a body builder saying he has a few jelly babies afterwords.

 

It's completely irrelevant. The idea is that high GI carbs will speed up recovery and refuelling but in practice it won't make the blindest bit of difference unless you're doing multiple endurance style events in the same day. It's not like it's going to do any harm, but it won't give any special benefit either.

[Ray Gin]

How vital / important is a bit sugar post workout?

 

Watched a YouTube video with a body builder saying he has a few jelly babies afterwords.

 

Waste of time. Needs to be Haribo.

[Sten Guns]

 

 

It's completely irrelevant. The idea is that high GI carbs will speed up recovery and refuelling but in practice it won't make the blindest bit of difference unless you're doing multiple endurance style events in the same day. It's not like it's going to do any harm, but it won't give any special benefit either.

 

Cheers.

[bigman1]

Just about to start my personal pre season for football but I have been struggling with a foot knock and would like to give it a bit of time to recover,anyone able to recommend a cardio circuit for someone in good shape that is very challenging?

[ellsbells]

 

 

It's completely irrelevant. The idea is that high GI carbs will speed up recovery and refuelling but in practice it won't make the blindest bit of difference unless you're doing multiple endurance style events in the same day. It's not like it's going to do any harm, but it won't give any special benefit either.

 

Not something i'd worry about either. Some believe that they MUST get some form of high GI/fast acting carb in with their post workout shake or very shortly after however the actual evidence is highly inconclusive. Yes - as CL says - had you just run a marathon then some sugars would do you some good however the hype surrounded post-weights sugar is unfounded.

 

I've watched a seminar or two with a coach of several professional bodybuilders (inc. Kai Greene) who actually advises AGAINST having carbs directly after resistance training.

 

Seems to be one of these things that is based on hear-say. I certainly won't be stressing about missing out on extra gains because I don't have fast acting carbs directly after my workout.

[BigC]

Just about to start my personal pre season for football but I have been struggling with a foot knock and would like to give it a bit of time to recover,anyone able to recommend a cardio circuit for someone in good shape that is very challenging?

 

Have you tried meta fit?

[Guest GhostHunter]

Not something i'd worry about either. Some believe that they MUST get some form of high GI/fast acting carb in with their post workout shake or very shortly after however the actual evidence is highly inconclusive. Yes - as CL says - had you just run a marathon then some sugars would do you some good however the hype surrounded post-weights sugar is unfounded.

 

I've watched a seminar or two with a coach of several professional bodybuilders (inc. Kai Greene) who actually advises AGAINST having carbs directly after resistance training.

 

Seems to be one of these things that is based on hear-say. I certainly won't be stressing about missing out on extra gains because I don't have fast acting carbs directly after my workout.

 

I freely admit to having a protein shake after workout - but ONLY because I go to the gym at 4am and can't face actual food until mid morning.

 

The way I see it - it's better to be putting some form of carbs and protein into my body at 5am than nothing at all especially after hitting dem weightz hard.

[Creepy Lurker]

I freely admit to having a protein shake after workout - but ONLY because I go to the gym at 4am and can't face actual food until mid morning.

 

The way I see it - it's better to be putting some form of carbs and protein into my body at 5am than nothing at all especially after hitting dem weightz hard.

 

It's not like there's anything wrong with having a shake after working out either; it's just not an absolute necessity to slam it down within a 30 to 45 minute window as the supplement companies would like you to believe. The 'anabolic window' is actually more like 24 hours than 45 minutes, although a recent piece of research did seem to indicate that it's beneficial to have protein and carbs within 6 hours of working out (for optimal results pre and post workout meals are recommended, with roughly a 3-6 hour window between the two depending on the composition of the meal and length and intensity of training session. Adequate and optimal aren't the same thing, though). But then when you think about it who the **** works out then doesn't eat for six hours anyway?

 

Edit: this is the study if anyone's interested. It was done by Alan Aragon and Brad Schoenfeld:

 

http://www.jissn.com...0-2783-10-5.pdf

Edited June 24, 2013 by Creepy Lurker

[Guest GhostHunter]

Thanks for the link CL..

[mcdougg]

Session of back, rear delts, lats & arms tonight...

 

Potential for a Nandos with the boys afterwards. Is that enough protein?

Edited June 24, 2013 by mcdougg

[ellsbells]

 

 

I freely admit to having a protein shake after workout - but ONLY because I go to the gym at 4am and can't face actual food until mid morning.

 

The way I see it - it's better to be putting some form of carbs and protein into my body at 5am than nothing at all especially after hitting dem weightz hard.

 

Agree completely. I have a shake within 10 minutes of finishing my workout but purely out of habit than anything else. That said, if i forget it one day then all is not lost!

 

If i was training at the same hour as you do I'd definately want something in my system soon after to fuel my day - how long are your days i.e what time do you wake/get to bed? I'm often up for work at 5am and i thougth THAT was early!

 

Off topic - just saw big Christian Nade in the gym.

[Guest GhostHunter]

Agree completely. I have a shake within 10 minutes of finishing my workout but purely out of habit than anything else. That said, if i forget it one day then all is not lost!

 

If i was training at the same hour as you do I'd definately want something in my system soon after to fuel my day - how long are your days i.e what time do you wake/get to bed? I'm often up for work at 5am and i thougth THAT was early!

 

Off topic - just saw big Christian Nade in the gym.

 

Up at 0230, in gym for 0400 for an hour, then work from 0500 till 2pm. Bed at around eight/half eight...

 

I realise that schedule wouldn't work for most, but it fits my weekly life...though I am absolutely shagged by Friday night

[Sten Guns]

 

Edited June 24, 2013 by Sten Guns

[Sten Guns]

[Sten Guns]

[Guest GhostHunter]

"Muscle Claws"

 

Cheers Sten - they made me laugh.

[Creepy Lurker]

My favourite video of his is 'lifting your drinks'.

[Creepy Lurker]

If anyone's interested, the Youtube channel @Team3DMJ (my favourite Youtube fitness channel) has just started a new series on nutrition which seems like it's going to be pretty decent. Two videos in so far.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Great vids, Creepy.

 

I was surprised at how small a calorie surplus was recommended for lean bulking but when I thought back to my all-out bulk at the tail-end of last year, it makes sense. I didn't think I'd put on that much fat when I was bulking; I took a couple of picture in March and then again last week so I could have a better idea of my progress and the results were quite startling.

 

I thought the fat I'd gained was only slight but seeing the difference between how I was then and how I am now showed that I was actually getting pretty bloody fat (by my standards). Looking back, it stands to reason that I can't gain the better part of 10kg over 3/4 months without taking on a fair bit of fat. But when I was bulking, I was just getting too focused on the numbers on the scales. I've lost quite a lot of the weight I packed on, I'm still up about 5kg since October 2012. I'd probably have been the same weight now if I'd just gone for a small, steady gain in the first place.

 

There's an inescapable truth about hypertrophy once you're past the noob gains stage: this shit takes time.

[Creepy Lurker]

Yeah, once you're out of noob gains it's only really possible to gain around 2lbs of muscle per month naturally. Anything extra's likely to be a combination of fat and water. Another thing I like about the videos is how the pyramid structure is used to demonstrate the order of importance in working things out in a diet; you get so many guys asking questions about when they should have their shake, if they should have their shake, how many shakes they should have etc etc...imo there might be some relevance to these questions but if you don't have at least some idea of calories/macros it's like trying to build a house with cement and no bricks.

[Sten Guns]

Was going to post pretty much exactly what Snake said.

 

Sounds exactly like my situation.

 

The big problem for a lot of guys is nobody likes gaining slow...... Can become frustrating.

[BigC]

The problem for me is the calorie counting and weighing of all the food. I simply don't have time/discipline for all that.

 

I'm trying to just replace "bad food" with good food.

 

Generally speaking I've always been bad for eating too much chocolate, chips, beer and crisps.

 

I've cut out chocolate completely (replaced with more fruit), I drink less beer due to having a steady gf, less cash and because you tend to calm down in your thirties and I'm trying to replace chips with smaller portions of roast potatoes or sweet potatoes and roast veg to make up the difference (although I still have low fat oven chips 2-3 times per week, and chippy chips once or twice per month (usually only after drinking).

 

I'm really struggling to find foods to swap for crisps that are filling... I already eat nuts most days but that's still not enough...

 

On the gym side of things I'm making big improvements to my cardio fitness and as I've gradually started adding a bit of weight to my lifts I'm noticing a bit if muscle gain and some fat loss... The fat loss is really starting to slow down though which is annoying me.

 

It's just such hard going trying to stay off the bad foods!

[The Brow]

We should rename this 'the Fatness Thread' following the startling revelations that three of the top posters are Kate Upton levels of 'curvaceous'.

 

 

Few boys at my gym have the same problem, the 'over-bulkers'.......Massive arms and shoulders teamed with guts with pigeon legs. Pure dead sexy.

[The People's Chimp]

 

Went to the gym last night and could barely muster up any energy, was making my lifts but just felt crap. Realised I'd been pretty restrictive with carb and calorie intake so cut it short and had a huge bowl of rice with my stir fry instead of the usual noodle crunch salad (one small nest of noodles with red cabbage, carrot, chilli, radish, lettuce, spring onion) I have. Felt good.

[moogsy]

Any of the nutritional experts able to offer any advice on lamb's liver as a source of protein? The little I could find online seems to give it around the same amount of protein per serving as chicken with less fat. It's also about a quarter of the price.

 

I ask as you never seem to see it mentioned in diet guides etc. as a protein source, not sure if that's just because it's not very popular though. Not to everyone's taste obviously but personally I love it.

[Snake Plissken]

I wouldn't get too caught up in avoiding fat, Moogsy.

 

As long as it's not a trans fat and you don't go overboard, there's not really anything wrong with fat. Anyway, are you sure about the fat content compared to chicken? Lamb's generally very fatty and from what I could gather (checked a couple of sources online), it has considerably more fat than chicken. It also has less protein than chicken so I'm not sure where you got your information.

 

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-lamb-liver-i17201

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-chicken-breast-meat-only-i5063

 

Good points: it does appear to be very high in vitamin A, C and Iron. But it's also very inflammatory so be sure to counter that with some vegetables, olive oil and other anti-inflammatory foods. If you enjoy it and balance it accordingly, I say go for it.

[moogsy]

I wouldn't get too caught up in avoiding fat, Moogsy.

 

As long as it's not a trans fat and you don't go overboard, there's not really anything wrong with fat. Anyway, are you sure about the fat content compared to chicken? Lamb's generally very fatty and from what I could gather (checked a couple of sources online), it has considerably more fat than chicken. It also has less protein than chicken so I'm not sure where you got your information.

 

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-lamb-liver-i17201

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-chicken-breast-meat-only-i5063

 

Good points: it does appear to be very high in vitamin A, C and Iron. But it's also very inflammatory so be sure to counter that with some vegetables, olive oil and other anti-inflammatory foods. If you enjoy it and balance it accordingly, I say go for it.

 

Cheers for the info mate.

 

**** knows where I came up with the protein being around the same as chicken, was half asleep when I was looking into it last night

 

I fry it in olive oil and would always be having it as part of a meal with 2 vegetables so no worries on that front. Still a decent amount of protein and with the added vitamin/iron content it will be a nice change from the usual chicken or turkey breast

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Managed my first 5k without any pain in my knee or back for about 5 years

 

**** the weights, time to get a body like Mo Farah.

 

[BigC]

I managed to get the top score in my gym for a 500m sprint challenge on the rower.

 

1.32.4

 

After 2 decent gym sessions I burnt out in the pool last night after 30 lengths and I'm off work with what seems to be a bit of a virus today.

 

Annoying!

[Creepy Lurker]

I wouldn't get too caught up in avoiding fat, Moogsy.

 

As long as it's not a trans fat and you don't go overboard, there's not really anything wrong with fat. Anyway, are you sure about the fat content compared to chicken? Lamb's generally very fatty and from what I could gather (checked a couple of sources online), it has considerably more fat than chicken. It also has less protein than chicken so I'm not sure where you got your information.

 

http://caloriecount....mb-liver-i17201

http://caloriecount....meat-only-i5063

 

Good points: it does appear to be very high in vitamin A, C and Iron. But it's also very inflammatory so be sure to counter that with some vegetables, olive oil and other anti-inflammatory foods. If you enjoy it and balance it accordingly, I say go for it.

 

That source gives the calories and macros for pan-fried lamb's liver, so it'll be higher in fat due to oil being included. Fitday gives it as below:

 

http://www.fitday.com/fitness/BrowseNutrition.html?_a_Date=1372464000.&_s_Amount=100.&_s_UnitKey=s-fd-fugram&_s_FoodPath=All_Foods%2FPoultry%2FLamb_liver_cooked.html

 

Still higher than chicken breast but it's comparatively low fat, not that fat content's an issue in itself anyway (as Snake pointed out).

 

Organ meat in general's considered to be highly nutritious, more so than the muscle meat we typically consume in fact. If you enjoy it then it's a good addition to your diet. I've actually never tried liver.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Creepy Lurker

[Konrad von Carstein]

Chicken liver with onion and garlic...nom!

[PaulHartley10]

I'm in the process of changing my diet and I'm looking for something to help boost the immune system and feel better in general.

 

Anyone had experience with green tea extract or fish oils etc?

[Lancashire_Lou]

Next challenge is The Color Run in Manc. More fun than fitness tbh!

 

[Snake Plissken]

I'm wanting to cut before I go on holiday. I've put on a fair bit of mass over the last few months, however, would rather be a more cut shape for holidays.

 

I was planning to run a 500 calorie deficit. The booze is out as other obvious don't.

 

I'm still training and have built in more cardio and whilst still lifting almost circuits in terms with little little rest between exercises in circuit.

 

Any advice and how long should cut for?

 

Entirely dependent on how much you've got to cut.

 

You should be looking to drop 0.5%-1% of your mass in a week, in an 80kg person that's 0.4 - 0.8 kg, how long you do that will depend on how much you have to cut and how lean you're looking to get. A daily 500 kcal deficit would see you drop you a kilogram in about nine days.

 

If you're talking about having six pack abs, you'll want your body fat to be below ten percent. Basically, you just need to work out your metabolic rate and adjust your calorific intake accordingly. Everything I've written can be expanded upon in both of the videos Creepy posted further up the page.

 

It should be noted that individual circumstances vary wildly and there'll probably be some trial and error in the early stages.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Anyone have problems with consistency?

 

Having a mare the now. So unpredictable. Can go to the gym one day and everything is easy, then the next even moderate weights feel like a challenge to lift.

 

I think part of the problem is I often go to the gym at wildly different times. Sometimes go 4 in the afternoon, other times 11 at night etc. Also my iPhone is messed so no music. Find it so hard to focus on what I'm doing without something in my ears occupying me.

Edited July 4, 2013 by McGlynn Style Advisor

[Konrad von Carstein]

Finally managed 2000M on the rowing machine non stop - poor time (compared to you youngsters) of 9 mins dead but I'm happy enough, now I need to do it consistantly and then start improving the time.

[ellsbells]

Anyone have problems with consistency?

 

Having a mare the now. So unpredictable. Can go to the gym one day and everything is easy, then the next even moderate weights feel like a challenge to lift.

 

I think part of the problem is I often go to the gym at wildly different times. Sometimes go 4 in the afternoon, other times 11 at night etc. Also my iPhone is messed so no music. Find it so hard to focus on what I'm doing without something in my ears occupying me.

 

Sometimes i find consistency difficult in those circumstances too, often determined by working shifts etc. The human body has it's own body clock which encompasses an optimal time for everything from weight lifting performance to memory tests; it's a fascinating subject that I focussed largely on for my dissertation.

 

In terms of your workouts this means that there are times more suited to either cardio, resistance etc and doing them at different times may result in reduced performance and/or lack of motivation. This is obviously influenced by several factors such as sleep amount and times, food intake, what your job entails etc. and is also individualised (people can literally be better suited to morning or evening activity).

 

It's also shown (in some studies and not exclusive to everybody) that music of your choice while training has an impact on your overall output. Personally i cannot train properly at the intensity i want without my tunes, and it's a habit i can't shift.

 

I'd say if you can't get your own music for whatever reason then try reducing the rest between sets which in turn reduces overall workout time = less time in the gym = less prone to distractions.

 

I have no idea what your work/diet etc is like mate but maintaining a consistency in your diet wherever possible always seems to benefit me massively. Training times may differ but if you can keep the same type of pre/post workout nutrition alongside a semi-decent diet the rest of the day, you'll hopefully find this helps with getting a decent workout.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Sometimes i find consistency difficult in those circumstances too, often determined by working shifts etc. The human body has it's own body clock which encompasses an optimal time for everything from weight lifting performance to memory tests; it's a fascinating subject that I focussed largely on for my dissertation.

 

In terms of your workouts this means that there are times more suited to either cardio, resistance etc and doing them at different times may result in reduced performance and/or lack of motivation. This is obviously influenced by several factors such as sleep amount and times, food intake, what your job entails etc. and is also individualised (people can literally be better suited to morning or evening activity).

 

It's also shown (in some studies and not exclusive to everybody) that music of your choice while training has an impact on your overall output. Personally i cannot train properly at the intensity i want without my tunes, and it's a habit i can't shift.

 

I'd say if you can't get your own music for whatever reason then try reducing the rest between sets which in turn reduces overall workout time = less time in the gym = less prone to distractions.

 

I have no idea what your work/diet etc is like mate but maintaining a consistency in your diet wherever possible always seems to benefit me massively. Training times may differ but if you can keep the same type of pre/post workout nutrition alongside a semi-decent diet the rest of the day, you'll hopefully find this helps with getting a decent workout.

 

Good post mate.

 

I'm actually really happy with my diet at the moment, and I am able to maintain that consistently. Motivation isn't an issue either. Can't remember the last time I didn't exercise due to lack of motivation.

 

The way things are at the moment means I'm just trying to get my 3 weight lifting sessions in each week, regardless of the day. So sometimes I'll do it over tues/wed/thurs, other times it'll be mon/wed/sunday night etc. Will need to try and find a way to get into a consistent routine, but I'll take your advice here and first and foremost try and sort out the music situation.

 

Bruce Willis - good effort bud. Managing to do it without stopping is an achievement in itself such is the physical demands of rowing! You'll probably find you'll drastically cut your time if you stick at it.

Edited July 4, 2013 by McGlynn Style Advisor

[Ribble]

I'm in the process of changing my diet and I'm looking for something to help boost the immune system and feel better in general.

 

Anyone had experience with green tea extract or fish oils etc?

 

I started taking Omega 3, 6 & 9 capsules and added a multi-vit powder to my shakes about a month ago and I have to say I feel a lot better for it!

[Stuart McNeill]

Can I ask you guys about your diet. And what times do you eat at?

 

 

I try eat breakfast every morning but when I'm working but I don't always feel up to it.

 

I have my tea around 6-7 but when I'm off I sometimes don't eat til 1-2.

 

Basically I'm just wondering does this affect anything when trying to better yourself?

[Konrad von Carstein]

Good post mate.

 

I'm actually really happy with my diet at the moment, and I am able to maintain that consistently. Motivation isn't an issue either. Can't remember the last time I didn't exercise due to lack of motivation.

 

The way things are at the moment means I'm just trying to get my 3 weight lifting sessions in each week, regardless of the day. So sometimes I'll do it over tues/wed/thurs, other times it'll be mon/wed/sunday night etc. Will need to try and find a way to get into a consistent routine, but I'll take your advice here and first and foremost try and sort out the music situation.

 

Bruce Willis - good effort bud. Managing to do it without stopping is an achievement in itself such is the physical demands of rowing! You'll probably find you'll drastically cut your time if you stick at it.

 

Cheers MSA

[BigC]

Finally managed 2000M on the rowing machine non stop - poor time (compared to you youngsters) of 9 mins dead but I'm happy enough, now I need to do it consistantly and then start improving the time.

 

This might not help you feel better if you're lanky...

 

But height makes a massive difference in rowing. I have a big advantage being well over 6ft so if you are average height, and older, 9min is a very respectable time for your first full 2km.

 

Your time will drop quite a lot in the next few weeks if you stick at it.

[Konrad von Carstein]

5' 11" , 48 yo

I'll be sticking at it, once I get 2000M as a standard and hopefully down to 8 min or thereabouts, I'll be reaching for 4000M. (Bear in mind I'm on the treadmill prior to the rower).