somedude81 Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 Today was the first time I stepped into a gym in at least three months. I just signed up with a new gym and I got a one time free meeting with a trainer and together we worked out areas that I need to improve. I'm currently at 164.5 lbs @ 22% body fat, which is about 36 lbs of fat. She told me that I should try to get myself down to 18% BF. Of course I just can't drop 36 lbs because I'd be way too skinny. My numbers are most likely off, but weight loss is not a goal. The overall goal we set was for me to hit 170 and be at 18% BF. Which would essentially be 10 lbs more of lean body mass than I have now. Since it was just a very brief, free overview, we didn't go into nutrition though she did point out that it was very important, and that I really shouldn't bother with cardio outside of a warm up, as it will be counterproductive. Basically I'm not sure what I have to do to achieve that goal. Looking at my excel sheet, I need to gain 6 pounds from what I have now (164 to 170) and lose 6 pounds of fat (36 to 30) which makes my BF % = 18. Any advice on how I can start? 3
GoreSP Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I have absolutely no advice for you but I just wanted to wish you luck. 2
BlametheIrish Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 My fitness pal is an awesome site/app with a forum full of knowledgeable people who really want to.see others succeed too. Not to.mention the app itself is great for tracking what you eat, calorie intake, exercises etc. Look it up
Author somedude81 Posted January 31, 2014 Author Posted January 31, 2014 My fitness pal is an awesome site/app with a forum full of knowledgeable people who really want to.see others succeed too. Not to.mention the app itself is great for tracking what you eat, calorie intake, exercises etc. Look it up LOL I think I actually have that app on my phone. I completely forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me
TylerDurdenn Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 IMO Bulk or cut. Put on the pounds and then cut down to your desired bf % / weight or cut immediately. Worrying about each end of the scale at the same time is pointless (again) IMO. I am bulking now, I have put on 14 pounds. By March I will be cutting and hope to to get my bf to around 11-12. Good luck.
BlametheIrish Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 LOL I think I actually have that app on my phone. I completely forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me Lol, like I said you should check out the forum. Lots of knowledgeable people as far as loosing weight and gaining muscle mass is concerned.
jba10582 Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 I also think of it in terms of bulk/cut depending on current goal...probably will be cutting until the end march to get down to about 185. if muscle loss kept <10% of loss, i'll be around 11-13% bf...thinking about also getting some joint supplements with all the running and impact that has on a 31 yr old body working out like I'm 19 again.
Author somedude81 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Posted February 1, 2014 IMO Bulk or cut. Put on the pounds and then cut down to your desired bf % / weight or cut immediately. Worrying about each end of the scale at the same time is pointless (again) IMO. I am bulking now, I have put on 14 pounds. By March I will be cutting and hope to to get my bf to around 11-12. Good luck. That seems to make the most amount of sense. Frankly I don't want to risk putting anymore fat on me. I really want to get rid of my gut and lose some fat on my face. I'd think it would be preferable for me to become smaller than fatter. BTW, I'm only 5'6 so I want to avoid looking small. That's my problem.
GoreSP Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 I just thought of something. I just took up crossfit and, well, some of the guys in the course look like they would be very pleasing on the eyes without their shirts on. Just saying.
TylerDurdenn Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 SD how do you measure body fat? How to measure your body fat percentage | Nerd Fitness
Grumpybutfun Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Today was the first time I stepped into a gym in at least three months. I just signed up with a new gym and I got a one time free meeting with a trainer and together we worked out areas that I need to improve. I'm currently at 164.5 lbs @ 22% body fat, which is about 36 lbs of fat. She told me that I should try to get myself down to 18% BF. Of course I just can't drop 36 lbs because I'd be way too skinny. My numbers are most likely off, but weight loss is not a goal. The overall goal we set was for me to hit 170 and be at 18% BF. Which would essentially be 10 lbs more of lean body mass than I have now. Since it was just a very brief, free overview, we didn't go into nutrition though she did point out that it was very important, and that I really shouldn't bother with cardio outside of a warm up, as it will be counterproductive. Basically I'm not sure what I have to do to achieve that goal. Looking at my excel sheet, I need to gain 6 pounds from what I have now (164 to 170) and lose 6 pounds of fat (36 to 30) which makes my BF % = 18. Any advice on how I can start? First of all, I cannot tell you how proud I am of you. I sincerely hoped that you wouldn't let your young life pass you by due to your ex. This is great news. Secondly, remember that you have to train day by day so make small goals instead of really large ones. I make two lists of goals. Immediate and long term. When doing anything with your body, make sure you get plenty of sleep,water and a well balanced diet. Okay, so as some know I am training for the Ironman Triathlon for next month so this is how I ate in order to get my body fat to 8%. I do not suggest this for you as this is for serious training but my tips might help you here and there with cutting out some calories and adding some protein and nutrients. Delete processed foods from your kitchen. Everything should come frozen or fresh, never with any preservatives. For dinner I usually do some variation of ......Brown rice is your friend, you can get the microwave version and eat it with broccoli, frozen shrimp thawed sautéed and cooked in olive oil with garlic and carrots and black beans. This meal works with fish, snap peas, soy sauce, chicken, bok choy, and arugula. I am southern so I also like to add okra and red, green or jalapeño peppers. Get some spices....thyme, basil and parsley crushed and dried for extra flavor. These last a long time so get a small bottle. I have steak and potatoes every weekend and dessert on Saturdays. I have pizza on Sundays or wings and chili on game days. Week days I am very strict. Weekends I give myself a couple of allowances except when I am training. See where you are on the first day. Ask yourself if you feel satisfied and what you miss. Oh, and don't forget to eat breakfast. Breakfast could be steel cut oats with milk and berries...any kind you want but I eat blueberries every day. You can get them frozen if fresh is too expensive. Just thaw them in sink with room temp water. Thin bagel with peanut butter, try to find the natural kind from Peter Pan is good and doesn't have the preservatives of the regular. Go low sodium on anything you can. Bananas and Go Lean cereal with milk. Egg whites cooked with pepper and laid on top of whole wheat toast with a dab of Apple butter is good too. I eat all of this in one morning but I am in training . You should pick a couple and then eat fruit throughout the day until lunch. Chicken breast with salad, lots of veggies and make your own salad dressing so you know exactly what is in it. My wife makes olive oil with balsamic vinegarette with crushed thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and parsley. It is awesome. One day I have chicken, one day fish, one day shrimp, one day chickpeas....just trade it up everyday so you won't feel bored. If fresh veggies are expensive try frozen. We use those and they flash freeze them so they don't lose too much of their nutrients. I snack all day with unsalted almonds, cashews, walnuts and raisins. My wife mixes them in garlic powder which is much better than it sounds. I drink water and only water except on weekends I get a few beers on game days and an occasional sweet tea or Dr.Pepper. It is all about moderation and staying strict during the week. I eat bags of baby carrots, snap peas, cucumbers, cuties, and apples everyday. Whenever I feel peckish I have them nearby, take them to work and have them in my mini fridge. I hope this gives you a good idea of some choices for losing fat. Always listen to your body. I don't do anything that hurts me or makes me feel famished. Numbers aren't the gauge of health, but how you feel. Good luck, I am rooting for you,man, Grumps 2
Author somedude81 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Posted February 1, 2014 I just thought of something. I just took up crossfit and, well, some of the guys in the course look like they would be very pleasing on the eyes without their shirts on. Just saying. Crossfit seems to be pretty intense. Do you work out every muscle group when you do it. SD how do you measure body fat? At home I have a scale that also tells me my body fat, which says I'm at 24%. At the gym I used the handheld scanner and that said 22%. Even if neither method is completely accurate, it matches up with me knowing that I've got too much fat.
Eternal Sunshine Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Lol SD my at home scale says anything between 20-30%. I have no idea really. I'm going to ask at the gym to measure it.
GoreSP Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Crossfit seems to be pretty intense. Do you work out every muscle group when you do it. At home I have a scale that also tells me my body fat, which says I'm at 24%. At the gym I used the handheld scanner and that said 22%. Even if neither method is completely accurate, it matches up with me knowing that I've got too much fat. No. Each workout is different. At every class, the trainer gives us a WOD (workout of the day) which can be a mix of musculation, plyometrics etc. We can go every day and have a different type of workout everyday (I don't like the idea of strength training everyday so I don't but some do.) It is pretty intense, but really fun - and rewarding. Just last week I was able to clean up to 95 pounds while at my first crossfit class in december I was at 45 pounds.
xxoo Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 I can't do an entire Insanity DVD, but I take rests, catch my breath, wait for my heart rate to drop, and get back at it until it's over. Even if I have to take a break every 30 seconds. The point is to keep at it, and it gets easier with time. I don' think I'll EVER be able to do the whole thing. Even the people in the taping session take breaks! I like Insanity because it's fun, high energy, and requires zero equipment.
Andy_K Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 If you're a complete beginner you don't need to do a bulk/cut cycle, it will be perfectly feasible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time 2
Author somedude81 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Posted February 1, 2014 First of all, I cannot tell you how proud I am of you. I sincerely hoped that you wouldn't let your young life pass you by due to your ex. This is great news. Secondly, remember that you have to train day by day so make small goals instead of really large ones. I make two lists of goals. Immediate and long term. When doing anything with your body, make sure you get plenty of sleep,water and a well balanced diet. Okay, so as some know I am training for the Ironman Triathlon for next month so this is how I ate in order to get my body fat to 8%. I do not suggest this for you as this is for serious training but my tips might help you here and there with cutting out some calories and adding some protein and nutrients. Delete processed foods from your kitchen. Everything should come frozen or fresh, never with any preservatives. For dinner I usually do some variation of ......Brown rice is your friend, you can get the microwave version and eat it with broccoli, frozen shrimp thawed sautéed and cooked in olive oil with garlic and carrots and black beans. This meal works with fish, snap peas, soy sauce, chicken, bok choy, and arugula. I am southern so I also like to add okra and red, green or jalapeño peppers. Get some spices....thyme, basil and parsley crushed and dried for extra flavor. These last a long time so get a small bottle. I have steak and potatoes every weekend and dessert on Saturdays. I have pizza on Sundays or wings and chili on game days. Week days I am very strict. Weekends I give myself a couple of allowances except when I am training. See where you are on the first day. Ask yourself if you feel satisfied and what you miss. Oh, and don't forget to eat breakfast. Breakfast could be steel cut oats with milk and berries...any kind you want but I eat blueberries every day. You can get them frozen if fresh is too expensive. Just thaw them in sink with room temp water. Thin bagel with peanut butter, try to find the natural kind from Peter Pan is good and doesn't have the preservatives of the regular. Go low sodium on anything you can. Bananas and Go Lean cereal with milk. Egg whites cooked with pepper and laid on top of whole wheat toast with a dab of Apple butter is good too. I eat all of this in one morning but I am in training . You should pick a couple and then eat fruit throughout the day until lunch. Chicken breast with salad, lots of veggies and make your own salad dressing so you know exactly what is in it. My wife makes olive oil with balsamic vinegarette with crushed thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and parsley. It is awesome. One day I have chicken, one day fish, one day shrimp, one day chickpeas....just trade it up everyday so you won't feel bored. If fresh veggies are expensive try frozen. We use those and they flash freeze them so they don't lose too much of their nutrients. I snack all day with unsalted almonds, cashews, walnuts and raisins. My wife mixes them in garlic powder which is much better than it sounds. I drink water and only water except on weekends I get a few beers on game days and an occasional sweet tea or Dr.Pepper. It is all about moderation and staying strict during the week. I eat bags of baby carrots, snap peas, cucumbers, cuties, and apples everyday. Whenever I feel peckish I have them nearby, take them to work and have them in my mini fridge. I hope this gives you a good idea of some choices for losing fat. Always listen to your body. I don't do anything that hurts me or makes me feel famished. Numbers aren't the gauge of health, but how you feel. Good luck, I am rooting for you,man, Grumps Thanks for the ideas Grumpybutfun. I'm definitely not training for the Ironman or have goals as deep as yours but I can still use some things. Mainly I know I need to eat better and more natural. Since you did bring up my ex there is something I want to point out. In the two months since she dumped me, I've lost about 10 lbs simply due to a lack of appetite for various reasons. I haven't been working out at all. What I can do is start swapping out the bad food I eat with good stuff, and hopefully that will give me more energy.
Author somedude81 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Posted February 1, 2014 If you're a complete beginner you don't need to do a bulk/cut cycle, it will be perfectly feasible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time Is it really possible? If so that would be great. If not, I think I want to to start cutting without losing the muscle I have. If that's the best way to lower my body fat.
Eau Claire Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 If you are 5 ' 6 then a much better weight would be about 145...not 170. 145 at that height is more of a toned boxer's physique. A note..be Leary of anyone who claims to be able to measure, except in a very general way the fat and muscle ratio in your body. Anyways, congrats on taking this step. Keep us up to date with your progress.
thefooloftheyear Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Is it really possible? If so that would be great. If not, I think I want to to start cutting without losing the muscle I have. If that's the best way to lower my body fat. All of the newfangled crap is pointless...especially for a novice.,... When it comes to making real progress nothing beats the basics...Barbell/dumbell movements..Bench press..Squats, rows, curls,,,etc. I made a TON of progress when I was a kid with nothing more than a bunch of the old cement filled plastic weights that you buy from Sears and a cheap bench.. Also..Its nearly impossible to put good size on without taking on some fat..Its part of the process..Also...A healthy 5'6" man with even a little bit of muscle is going to weigh more than 145..Unless you are shredded.. Good luck TFY 1
thefooloftheyear Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Thanks for the ideas Grumpybutfun. I'm definitely not training for the Ironman or have goals as deep as yours but I can still use some things. Mainly I know I need to eat better and more natural. Since you did bring up my ex there is something I want to point out. In the two months since she dumped me, I've lost about 10 lbs simply due to a lack of appetite for various reasons. I haven't been working out at all. What I can do is start swapping out the bad food I eat with good stuff, and hopefully that will give me more energy. Eat "feel good" food for now..For me that would be pasta, pizza, and other salty junk food...Dont concern yourself with boring and healthy foods, because quite frankly, unless you are a wiz at preparing foods, some of the more healthy stuff gets pretty boring...Just train your ass off while you eat what you want..Believe me, the junk food will make you stronger as its calorie dense. You can tighten it up later once you have processed the loss of your ex.. Just a thought... TFY 1
Author somedude81 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) If you are 5 ' 6 then a much better weight would be about 145...not 170. 145 at that height is more of a toned boxer's physique. A note..be Leary of anyone who claims to be able to measure, except in a very general way the fat and muscle ratio in your body. Anyways, congrats on taking this step. Keep us up to date with your progress. I'm not going for the boxer physique. I want to look like I'm strong while wearing clothes and have less fat. Overall I probably could meet my goal by dropping pounds. My goal is to basically lose body fat and do it without looking like a shrimp. Hmm, I found an interesting site. http://www.bodyfatpics.com/men/all/150-lbs So it would be possible to drop to around 150 and still look pretty good. Most of those guys have bigger arms than I do. Edited February 1, 2014 by somedude81
Eau Claire Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 I'm not going for the boxer physique. I want to look like I'm strong while wearing clothes and have less fat. Overall I probably could meet my goal by dropping pounds. My goal is to basically lose body fat and do it without looking like a shrimp. Hmm, I found an interesting site. Body Fat Percentage Pictures of men closest to 150 lbs So it would be possible to drop to around 150 and still look pretty good. Most of those guys have bigger arms than I do. 150 is ok. At 170 and you were in for a visit...we'd have you as overweight. Ideal would be 140 to 145. Don't get lulled into the muscle argument...those guys are often still overweight regardless of some claim that it is 'all muscle'. Even if they have muscle, any fat over top makes them look pudgy. You want to be able to see your abs and feel your ribs. 1
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