Weight Loss and Fitness 2016

[pratty]

Can somebody create a weights program for me, please? When I get down to mid 16st, I want to balance weights with cardio a little more. I don't do weights a lot because other people are there and I get self-conscious (which is something I'm working on). Sometimes I'm okay but sometimes I'm not but I want a good, stable program to use with bodyweight and free weights or weight machines. If anyone could do it, I'd be grateful.

 

Programmes like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts are good for beginers. But I don't know what your form on the exercises is like, or what resources you have to do the exercises and learn correct form. For now what I'm going to suggest is a take on Pavel's minimalist Power To The People routine, which consists of a deadlift and an overhead press.

 

I saw a vid of you trap-bar deadlifting, so I would start you doing that as that is probably easier to learn than correct barbell squatting and deadlifting, and the trap-bar deadlift is said to be a mix of the two anyway. It will hit your legs and back in one and should be fairly safe.

 

If you're confident with your barbell overhead press form do that, if not use dumbbells with a neutral grip (your palms facing each other).

 

For sets and reps I would go with a fairly low volume approach to leave you time and energy for cardio. For the trap-bar deadlift I'd do a warm up set of 5 at around 50-60% of your "work set" weight (NOT your 1 rep max, the weight you intend to do on your last set). Then a set of 3 at about 75%, a set of 2 or 3 at about 85%. The percentages are only rough, they don't have to be exact. You should be able to do this fairly quickly with fairly short rests, then take a good 3-5 minute rest, before doing a final set of 5 at your "work set" weight.

 

Your reps on a deadlift should start from a dead stop each time, feel free to briefly pause and reset your form if necessary between reps.

 

This rep scheme is to warm up, practice form and to save your energy for the final set that really matters. You should be able to complete the first 3 sets no problem and fairly quickly, only the work set should be challenging. If you don't get the full 5 reps on the work set, just try again next workout until you do, once you do increase the weight by 2.5kg. If you can't get the full 5 reps after a few workouts decrease the weight and build back up.

 

For the overhead press you should be able to do more volume at a higher weight, maybe do a couple of sets of 5-8 with 50-75% of your work set weight to warm up, then do 2 or 3 works sets of 8-10 reps with your work set weight with a 2-3 minute rest inbetween. You may want to use slightly higher reps if you use dumbbells so as not to have to hoist heavy DBs before each set.

 

Using 8-10 as an example, you can choose to increase the weight after your sets of 8 reps, or after you reach 10 reps. I'd leave that to you, increasing reps might be a way to get more progression without having to always increase the weight every workout, but I wouldn't go above 5 reps on a set of deadlifts.

 

This shouldn't take very long, leaving plenty of time for cardio. If you do have time maybe do a posture exercise if you think you could use it, this is something that usually targets the upper back, something like face bulls or some other kind of cable or dumbbell row. This can done with lower weight and higher reps like 10-20, but you must progress for it to make a difference.

Also if you want the look of someone who lifts you could add some bicep curls, if you have time. These would be entirely optional, if you don't the time or energy don't worry about it, the press and deadlift are what matter most.

 

Doing the deadlift first should allow you to do the most taxing exercises while you're fresh, then give your legs a rest before your cardio.

 

So your workout could look like this:

 

Trap-bar Deadlift:

 

Warm up set: 50% 1 x 5

Warm up set: 75% 1 x 3

Warm up set: 85% 1 x 2/3

Work set: 1 x 5

 

Barbell/Dumbbell Overheard Press:

 

Warm up set 50%: 1 x 5-8

Warm up set 75%: 1 x 5-8

Work set set: 2/3 x 5-8 (if using a barbell), or 8-10 (if using dumbbells)

 

Face-pulls/One Arm DB Row (optional)

2 x 10-20

 

DB Curls (optional)

2 x 8-12

 

Cardio

 

You could do this 2 or 3 times a week, depending how often you go to the gym. Lets say you go 3 times a week, Monday, Tuesday and Friday, you could do this on Mondays and Fridays, and have a cardio focus day on Wednesday.

 

If you want to do bodyweight stuff at home you could do bodyweight squats, and push ups if you can't get to the gym to lift, maybe other yoga type exercises too.

 

You could make bodyweight squats your cardio on lifting days if you want more leg specific work, e.g. 1 or 2 sets of bodyweight squats to failure. Building up to 100+ rep sets of bodyweight squats might be all the cardio you need.

 

Sorry for the length of the post, if you just want it bottom-lined:

 

Trap-bar Deadlifts: 3 x 5

Overhead Press: 3 x 5-10

Bodyweight Squat: 1 x as many as possible

Cardio

Curl as necessary

[bob]

You make it sound like asian and male are mutually exclusive.

Sorry, that was a typo. I meant to say I thought he was a Sian?

[Beast]

Programmes like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts are good for beginers. But I don't know what your form on the exercises is like, or what resources you have to do the exercises and learn correct form. For now what I'm going to suggest is a take on Pavel's minimalist Power To The People routine, which consists of a deadlift and an overhead press.

 

I saw a vid of you trap-bar deadlifting, so I would start you doing that as that is probably easier to learn than correct barbell squatting and deadlifting, and the trap-bar deadlift is said to be a mix of the two anyway. It will hit your legs and back in one and should be fairly safe.

 

If you're confident with your barbell overhead press form do that, if not use dumbbells with a neutral grip (your palms facing each other).

 

For sets and reps I would go with a fairly low volume approach to leave you time and energy for cardio. For the trap-bar deadlift I'd do a warm up set of 5 at around 50-60% of your "work set" weight (NOT your 1 rep max, the weight you intend to do on your last set). Then a set of 3 at about 75%, a set of 2 or 3 at about 85%. The percentages are only rough, they don't have to be exact. You should be able to do this fairly quickly with fairly short rests, then take a good 3-5 minute rest, before doing a final set of 5 at your "work set" weight.

 

Your reps on a deadlift should start from a dead stop each time, feel free to briefly pause and reset your form if necessary between reps.

 

This rep scheme is to warm up, practice form and to save your energy for the final set that really matters. You should be able to complete the first 3 sets no problem and fairly quickly, only the work set should be challenging. If you don't get the full 5 reps on the work set, just try again next workout until you do, once you do increase the weight by 2.5kg. If you can't get the full 5 reps after a few workouts decrease the weight and build back up.

 

For the overhead press you should be able to do more volume at a higher weight, maybe do a couple of sets of 5-8 with 50-75% of your work set weight to warm up, then do 2 or 3 works sets of 8-10 reps with your work set weight with a 2-3 minute rest inbetween. You may want to use slightly higher reps if you use dumbbells so as not to have to hoist heavy DBs before each set.

 

Using 8-10 as an example, you can choose to increase the weight after your sets of 8 reps, or after you reach 10 reps. I'd leave that to you, increasing reps might be a way to get more progression without having to always increase the weight every workout, but I wouldn't go above 5 reps on a set of deadlifts.

 

This shouldn't take very long, leaving plenty of time for cardio. If you do have time maybe do a posture exercise if you think you could use it, this is something that usually targets the upper back, something like face bulls or some other kind of cable or dumbbell row. This can done with lower weight and higher reps like 10-20, but you must progress for it to make a difference.

Also if you want the look of someone who lifts you could add some bicep curls, if you have time. These would be entirely optional, if you don't the time or energy don't worry about it, the press and deadlift are what matter most.

 

Doing the deadlift first should allow you to do the most taxing exercises while you're fresh, then give your legs a rest before your cardio.

 

So your workout could look like this:

 

Trap-bar Deadlift:

 

Warm up set: 50% 1 x 5

Warm up set: 75% 1 x 3

Warm up set: 85% 1 x 2/3

Work set: 1 x 5

 

Barbell/Dumbbell Overheard Press:

 

Warm up set 50%: 1 x 5-8

Warm up set 75%: 1 x 5-8

Work set set: 2/3 x 5-8 (if using a barbell), or 8-10 (if using dumbbells)

 

Face-pulls/One Arm DB Row (optional)

2 x 10-20

 

DB Curls (optional)

2 x 8-12

 

Cardio

 

You could do this 2 or 3 times a week, depending how often you go to the gym. Lets say you go 3 times a week, Monday, Tuesday and Friday, you could do this on Mondays and Fridays, and have a cardio focus day on Wednesday.

 

If you want to do bodyweight stuff at home you could do bodyweight squats, and push ups if you can't get to the gym to lift, maybe other yoga type exercises too.

 

You could make bodyweight squats your cardio on lifting days if you want more leg specific work, e.g. 1 or 2 sets of bodyweight squats to failure. Building up to 100+ rep sets of bodyweight squats might be all the cardio you need.

 

Sorry for the length of the post, if you just want it bottom-lined:

 

Trap-bar Deadlifts: 3 x 5

Overhead Press: 3 x 5-10

Bodyweight Squat: 1 x as many as possible

Cardio

Curl as necessary

 

Okay, thanks for the advice. Trapbar is the hexbar, right? And when you say 'overhead press', is that standing up or lying on a bench? What's a face-pull? Also, when you say my 'work set weight', do you mean my minimum? Sorry, it's great stuff but I get confused, haha.

 

Also, I'm at the gym 6 times a week except for Saturdays where I just do a light jog or play Just Dance on the Wii. My cardio consists of a gym class, 5k run and a 5k row in the gym, I walk a mile for 30 minutes on my break and then I have a 20 minute jog after work and I've recently started doing (and failing hardcore at) yoga before bed.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[pratty]

Okay, thanks for the advice. Trapbar is the hexbar, right? And when you say 'overhead press', is that standing up or lying on a bench? What's a face-pull? Also, when you say my 'work set weight', do you mean my minimum? Sorry, it's great stuff but I get confused, haha.

 

Also, I'm at the gym 6 times a week except for Saturdays where I just do a light jog or play Just Dance on the Wii. My cardio consists of a gym class, 5k run and a 5k row in the gym, I walk a mile for 30 minutes on my break and then I have a 20 minute jog after work and I've recently started doing (and failing hardcore at) yoga before bed.

 

 

Yes the trap-bar and hex-bar are the same thing, the bar you stand inside of as opposed to infront of.

 

The overhead press, also refered to as a shoulder press or just the press, is where you press the weight over your your heads with a vertical body, for maximum benefit (specifically engaging the core) it should be done standing.

 

If you do it with a barbell the lift starts with the bar in the rack.

 

If you use dumbbells you need to "hang clean" the dumbbells into position.

 

A face pull is a cable row pulled to the face, using the rope attachment as seen in this picture. It's recommended for people with poor upper body posture (rounded upper back and shoulders, forward head posture etc) and people with shoulder pain. You may not need it, the deadlift is a good posture correcting exercise anyway, I only mention it incase you feel you could use extra posture work, the deadlift and yoga may be sufficient though. If you do it you don't need to go heavy on it, maybe do a couple sets of 10-20 reps. If you're still unsure about them don't worry about doing them, they're just an accessory exercise, the deadlift and overhead press are the bread and butter, if you just do them you'll probably be fine, I myself have just done deadlifts and dumbbell presses so far this year and seen an inprovement in muscle tone all over my body.

 

Just to be clear, a "set" is set of consecutive reps. If you see 3 x 10 in a workout routine it usually means 3 sets of 10 reps. A "work set" is basically just the destinction between a warm up set and the actual challenging sets of the workout, the latter are referred to as "work sets". The rough warm up percentages I suggested for the deadlift warm up are percentages based on the weight of the final 5 rep work set.

 

Because the deadlift is such a taxing 'full body' exercise, the more frequently you deadlift the fewer work sets you should do, because a taxing deadlift session takes a lot of recovering from. You'll notice in the routine I suggested, during the warm up as the weight increases the reps have gone down from 5 to 3 to 2. This is so you don't spend too much energy before the more difficult final heavy "work set" of 5. I also suggested a good 3 to 5 minute rest before that final set, this warm up and rest should also spare your grip which you will need for that last set.

 

Speaking of grip, on a deadlift you hold the bar in your fingers, not your palms, this is because gravity will pull the bar down into your fingers anyway so it makes sense to hold the bar there from the start.

 

As you are gyming it 6 days a week I suggest lifting 2 or 3 times. On your lifting days you may need to reduce the amount of cardio you're doing as you'll only have so much energy and time. If you lift 3 times a week keep at least one day between lifting days (eg Mon, Wed, Fri), if you lift twice a week you may as well put two days between them (eg Mon, Thurs). You could start 3 time a week and see how it goes, if you find once the deadlift gets heavy it's two taxing to recover from you could drop it back to 2 times a week.

 

The minimalist Deadlift and Overhead Press routine I'm suggesting is just more of a basic intro to lifting, that you can do without having to worry about spotters or getting stuck under a weight. But you can make good novice gains on it, so while cardio is still your focus you may as well continue the routine for a good while, trying to increase the weight every workout or at least as often as you can.

 

But at some point you may want to do more lifting and incorporate barbell back squats and the bench press, maybe bent over rows too, and do a more complete routine like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts.

 

Therefore I would suggest starting to learn those exercises now with an empty (straight) barbell, this could be your general warm up every time you go to the gym. Just do 2 or 3 sets of 10-12 reps on each exercise with an empty bar, to learn and practice correct form.

 

Bent Over Row

 

If you wanted to learn the conventional deadlift with a straight bar you would need to use some weight (a 20kg plate on each end), this is because the plates set the correct height and an empty bar is too light to enforce correct deadlift form. Trap/Hex Deadlift form and conventional deadlift form is slightly different, it doesn't carry over directly so the specific conventional deadlift form needs to be learned to do the conventional deadlift. And don't do too many reps even just practicing deadlifts with a light weight, if fatigue causes your form to suffer it doesn't take a lot of weight to tweak your lower back.

 

 

Jumping ahead, once you feel confident with your form on these exercises you could start a well known established routine, or just introduce them to what you're already doing.

 

A full body routine should ideally consist of an upper body pushing exercise, an upperbody pulling exercise, and a legs exercise. Usually you start with the heaviest execise, typically squats or deadlifts. If you're doing free weights then abs/core tends to take take of themselves; barbell squats, standing pressing and deadlifts are all the core work you need. Also a deadlift can count as a legs and/or an upper body pull because it works the legs and back.

 

So a minimal routine could look like this (alternating A and B each workout):

 

Workout A:

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

Bench Press

 

Workout B

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

Overhead Press

 

Then maybe at some point you'd add Squats when you're happy with your form:

 

Workout A:

Back Squats

Bench Press

Face Pull

 

Workout B:

Back Squats

Overhead Press

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

 

Or if Squatting and Deadlifting in the same work out if too much, split them up, for example:

 

Workout A:

Back Squat

Bench Press

Bent Over Row or Face pull

 

Workout B:

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

Overhead Press

Pull Up/Chin up (or if you're not able to yet, Lat Pull Down and/or Curl)

 

See how in each routine the legs, push and pull bases are covered and everything is fairly balanced, and I give the legs a rest between squatting and deadlifting in the same workout, you may be able to come up with your own routine if you bear that in mind.

 

Hope that helps.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I felt really leggy playing football yesterday. I lifted on Thursday, like I usually do, but for some reason I felt really tired and couldn't get into it. Probably as the result of a long week at work.

[Raining_again]

still losing weight, about 10kg down now

 

I have a feeling that intermittent fasting is REALLY good for my overall health. My arthritis is a lot lot lot lot lot better lately. Now yes, that could be down to me losing weight, but i've been a LOT lighter than this weight and suffered arthritis worse than even the bad patch recently. There seems to be some evidence, though nothing iron clad, that suggests people w/ inflammatory conditions can see great improvement in their symptoms by doing I.F. Every time I have I've had a reduction in most of the symptoms of the various conditions I have.

 

I'm hopefully going to be able to find some money to purchase a small rig setup for my 2nd bedroom, so I can get started on lifting again. Yessss.

[Pestneb]

Actually, spot reduction (losing weight or fat in one specific part of the body) doesn't exist. Generally wherever you put the weight on last it will come off first. If you want to get rid of fat around your waist it's the same as anywhere else. Eat a calorie deficit. Abs are made in the kitchen, as they say.

 

Not 100% accurate. the appearance of excess fat can be reduced by toning the underlaying muscle (or even more so the overlaying muscle.. depending where the fat is...)

 

Calorie deficit isn't the whole solution either... if your lifestyle is too sedentary then you have to be crazy strict on your diet.

 

lots of people I know complain how they work hard all day with physical jobs but still gain weight. takes a while for the body to switch from principally burning sugars in blood to getting fat out the larder.... so people burn off the sugar in their blood.. have a break so the body gives up on the idea of burning fat.. then they go for another spurt. Basically they get their blood sugar down to rock bottom meaning they have an unworldly food craving (which their body actually needs).

 

being active for an hour, or two hours lets you burn calories without creating huuuge food cravings.

 

That's my theory anyway... personally it works for me, if I sit around doing nothing all day I end up feeling super hungry (with no calorie burn really) whereas if I've been out and about all day doing constant activity with fewer peaks and troughs, my appetite is tiny and I tend to lose excess fat easily.

 

Maybe I'm unusual though...

[Raining_again]

I really don't know where you got that from, no offence, but it's rubbish.

 

The only scientifically proven way to lose weight is to eat less than you need. You can't spot reduce fat, you can't "tone" muscles, they get bigger or smaller. Active people that aren't losing weight are no different than inactive people not losing weight, they're just overestimating what their body needs.

 

Cravings are just mental, and keeping busy will keep cravings at bay.

[Beast]

Yes the trap-bar and hex-bar are the same thing, the bar you stand inside of as opposed to infront of.

 

The overhead press, also refered to as a shoulder press or just the press, is where you press the weight over your your heads with a vertical body, for maximum benefit (specifically engaging the core) it should be done standing.

 

If you do it with a barbell the lift starts with the bar in the rack.

 

If you use dumbbells you need to "hang clean" the dumbbells into position.

 

A face pull is a cable row pulled to the face, using the rope attachment as seen in this picture. It's recommended for people with poor upper body posture (rounded upper back and shoulders, forward head posture etc) and people with shoulder pain. You may not need it, the deadlift is a good posture correcting exercise anyway, I only mention it incase you feel you could use extra posture work, the deadlift and yoga may be sufficient though. If you do it you don't need to go heavy on it, maybe do a couple sets of 10-20 reps. If you're still unsure about them don't worry about doing them, they're just an accessory exercise, the deadlift and overhead press are the bread and butter, if you just do them you'll probably be fine, I myself have just done deadlifts and dumbbell presses so far this year and seen an inprovement in muscle tone all over my body.

 

Just to be clear, a "set" is set of consecutive reps. If you see 3 x 10 in a workout routine it usually means 3 sets of 10 reps. A "work set" is basically just the destinction between a warm up set and the actual challenging sets of the workout, the latter are referred to as "work sets". The rough warm up percentages I suggested for the deadlift warm up are percentages based on the weight of the final 5 rep work set.

 

Because the deadlift is such a taxing 'full body' exercise, the more frequently you deadlift the fewer work sets you should do, because a taxing deadlift session takes a lot of recovering from. You'll notice in the routine I suggested, during the warm up as the weight increases the reps have gone down from 5 to 3 to 2. This is so you don't spend too much energy before the more difficult final heavy "work set" of 5. I also suggested a good 3 to 5 minute rest before that final set, this warm up and rest should also spare your grip which you will need for that last set.

 

Speaking of grip, on a deadlift you hold the bar in your fingers, not your palms, this is because gravity will pull the bar down into your fingers anyway so it makes sense to hold the bar there from the start.

 

As you are gyming it 6 days a week I suggest lifting 2 or 3 times. On your lifting days you may need to reduce the amount of cardio you're doing as you'll only have so much energy and time. If you lift 3 times a week keep at least one day between lifting days (eg Mon, Wed, Fri), if you lift twice a week you may as well put two days between them (eg Mon, Thurs). You could start 3 time a week and see how it goes, if you find once the deadlift gets heavy it's two taxing to recover from you could drop it back to 2 times a week.

 

The minimalist Deadlift and Overhead Press routine I'm suggesting is just more of a basic intro to lifting, that you can do without having to worry about spotters or getting stuck under a weight. But you can make good novice gains on it, so while cardio is still your focus you may as well continue the routine for a good while, trying to increase the weight every workout or at least as often as you can.

 

But at some point you may want to do more lifting and incorporate barbell back squats and the bench press, maybe bent over rows too, and do a more complete routine like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts.

 

Therefore I would suggest starting to learn those exercises now with an empty (straight) barbell, this could be your general warm up every time you go to the gym. Just do 2 or 3 sets of 10-12 reps on each exercise with an empty bar, to learn and practice correct form.

 

Bent Over Row

 

If you wanted to learn the conventional deadlift with a straight bar you would need to use some weight (a 20kg plate on each end), this is because the plates set the correct height and an empty bar is too light to enforce correct deadlift form. Trap/Hex Deadlift form and conventional deadlift form is slightly different, it doesn't carry over directly so the specific conventional deadlift form needs to be learned to do the conventional deadlift. And don't do too many reps even just practicing deadlifts with a light weight, if fatigue causes your form to suffer it doesn't take a lot of weight to tweak your lower back.

 

 

Jumping ahead, once you feel confident with your form on these exercises you could start a well known established routine, or just introduce them to what you're already doing.

 

A full body routine should ideally consist of an upper body pushing exercise, an upperbody pulling exercise, and a legs exercise. Usually you start with the heaviest execise, typically squats or deadlifts. If you're doing free weights then abs/core tends to take take of themselves; barbell squats, standing pressing and deadlifts are all the core work you need. Also a deadlift can count as a legs and/or an upper body pull because it works the legs and back.

 

So a minimal routine could look like this (alternating A and B each workout):

 

Workout A:

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

Bench Press

 

Workout B

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

Overhead Press

 

Then maybe at some point you'd add Squats when you're happy with your form:

 

Workout A:

Back Squats

Bench Press

Face Pull

 

Workout B:

Back Squats

Overhead Press

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

 

Or if Squatting and Deadlifting in the same work out if too much, split them up, for example:

 

Workout A:

Back Squat

Bench Press

Bent Over Row or Face pull

 

Workout B:

Deadlift (hex or straight bar)

Overhead Press

Pull Up/Chin up (or if you're not able to yet, Lat Pull Down and/or Curl)

 

See how in each routine the legs, push and pull bases are covered and everything is fairly balanced, and I give the legs a rest between squatting and deadlifting in the same workout, you may be able to come up with your own routine if you bear that in mind.

 

Hope that helps.

I understand. This is such an awesome post. Thank you so much. I can't wait to try it out!

 

Weigh-in day today and I've lost 4lb! I'm now 17st exactly. I haven't been this light for years. The feels and the emotions, guys! I'm sooooo happy! Bro hugs for all!

[Daft]

Let's casually stalk him on instag....OH MAN, YOU'RE HENCH SON!

 

I thought this forum was full of nerdy, skinny men

 

It's 90% good lighting and a post-gym pump.

[drahkon]

Have been looking for some recipes to have alternatives to bread, cookies and crisps.

 

Found something called "Oopsie Bread". Here is the result of my first try:

 

 

"Bread" is probably the wrong term. It is often referred to as Oopsie Roll, which fits better as it takes away the expectancy of bread. Ingredients: 3 eggs, 100g cream cheese (I used low-fat quark) and salt.

They taste like egg, have a weird texture similar to omelette but with ham they do work as an alternative to bread. Approx. 100 kcal per 100g so a lot less than the slices of bread I eat (approx. 220 kcal per 100g).

 

Next up: Banana oatmeal cookies:

 

 

Ingredients: Banana and oatmeal. Mash the banana, mix in oatmeal and put in oven.

They don't crunch like you'd expect from cookies and they taste a bit bland, but that was to be expected. Added a thin chocolate icing. Made them much better

Might add some honey into the mix. Maybe they'll get crunchier. However, that would add a lot of calories. Even without honey the cookies have a whooping 450 kcal per 100g. Less than what you get when make "regular" cookies, though.

 

I also tried to make courgette crisps. But they burnt in the oven very quickly I guess the slices were too thin.

 

 

I also ordered some more Shirataki Noodles. They are amazing. 7 kcal per 100g. I regularly eat them with vegetables and poultry. : peace:

 

Will continue to go for a calorie deficit of 300 kcal per day.

[MindFreak]

Next up: Banana oatmeal cookies:

 

 

Ingredients: Banana and oatmeal. Mash the banana, mix in oatmeal and put in oven.

They don't crunch like you'd expect from cookies and they taste a bit bland, but that was to be expected. Added a thin chocolate icing. Made them much better

 

I make these quite often but I add an egg to the mix and then put in a bit more oatmeal. Fry it on a frying pan for a nice result - like pancake but healthier. I also add some vanilla powder to give it some cake-like flavour for weekend snacks. Sometimes I make it for breakfast together with a small glass of yoghurt with müsli.

[drahkon]

I make these quite often but I add an egg to the mix and then put in a bit more oatmeal. Fry it on a frying pan for a nice result

 

Thanks for the advice Will try this out tomorrow. : peace:

[MindFreak]

Cheers! Also, if you have a lot of bananas that need to be used soon (>=4), try mashing all of them, add n-2 eggs (say, 5 bananas, 3 eggs), some oatmeals, some cut dades (small chunks), vanilla powder and a bit of chocolate pieces. Then bake it in the oven for 30-40-ish minutes, voilá, banana cake that's not too unhealthy!

 

On a fitness note, I have now gone up to 80-85 kg backsquat for 5x5 (80-80-82.5-82.5-85), 37.5-40 kg overhead press 5x5 (40-40-40-37.5-37.5) and 110 kg deadlift 3x5. Pretty satisfied with that progress since early-mid-April (started at 70-75 kg squat).

[Beast]

 

First time that I cried because I was so happy. The t-shirt finally fits!!!!

[Daft]

I went to the gym twice today. First I went before work with a dude training toward a bodybuilding show. He was doing German Volume Training. It was exhausting and while I do use GVT for legs, there's no fucking way I'll be doing it for anything else. He couldn't do an L-sit to save his life and his chin-ups were all swing but for a bodybuilder he's doing pretty well.

 

Then I went during lunch and did arms. My shoulder is still a bit iffy but it's getting better. And actually my legs are still knackered from yesterday.

 

I feel completely drained now. But also pretty good. If I didn't have to wake up so early, I'd do it more often.

[Pestneb]

I really don't know where you got that from, no offence, but it's rubbish.

 

The only scientifically proven way to lose weight is to eat less than you need. You can't spot reduce fat, you can't "tone" muscles, they get bigger or smaller. Active people that aren't losing weight are no different than inactive people not losing weight, they're just overestimating what their body needs.

 

Cravings are just mental, and keeping busy will keep cravings at bay.

 

Cheers.

 

Sure, you won't lose fat without having higher calorific output than input.

And to inverse what you said and remain just as true:

The only scientifically proven way to lose fat is to exercise more than you need.

 

Personally I don't give a damn about my weight, I'd be happy being 20kg heavier than I am, it's the fat I have an issue with.

 

As for what toning muscles means:

 

In physiology, medicine, and anatomy, muscle tone (residual muscle tension or tonus) is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles, or the muscle's resistance to passive stretch during resting state. It helps to maintain posture and declines during REM sleep.

 

When you exercise sufficiently the muscles are strengthened which makes the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles feasible.

 

Take the abs.. when I stopped focusing on them I found, after a year or so, I had a gut forming. I started working on building my ab strength back up, and now my gut is held in. Is it gone? sure it's not, but the effect is that the physical appearance is healthier, I look trimmer.. many people have commented on it and the scales are proudly telling me that I have put on a kg.

 

 

I will certainly agree that it is stupid to rely on exercise though... I know it's a lot more feasible for me to eat 5000 calories in 24 hours than for me to burn 5000 calories.

 

looking into it, it appears my body defined my exercise as intense... maybe I have a lower thresh hold

 

anyway, apparently

Exercise may lower levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite in the short term, while raising levels of peptide YY, a hormone that suppresses appetite,

 

That apparently only lasts an hour.... but apparently frequent exercise

"appears to help restore sensitivity to brain neurons that control satiety"

 

So it may be simply that I am able to incorporate that exercise regularly enough to help me feel full up when I should...

 

Anyway, thanks for calling me out on my misunderstanding of how my body works raining.... and helping me learn about a couple of friendly hormones!

[drahkon]

@Animal, can I just say that what you have achieved is amazing and impressive?

 

You look great : peace:

[bob]

 

First time that I cried because I was so happy. The t-shirt finally fits!!!!

Don't kid yourself. That t-shirt doesn't fit.

 

It's way too big now.

[Charlie]

The only scientifically proven way to lose fat is to exercise more than you need.

 

I think your wording here is slightly out. You can lose weight by doing no exercise as long as calories in is less than calories out.

[Pestneb]

I think your wording here is slightly out. You can lose weight by doing no exercise as long as calories in is less than calories out.

 

Kinda hard to put those calories in without "exercising" though. If you want to nit pick. But sure it is badly worded. My point is that it is a two sided thing, and dieting without exercising is the tough way to do it - as is exercising without being careful with your diet.

Comes down to what you want at the end of the day though, for some people exercise only is the answer, some people dieting alone is the answer. Most of us want a result that sits between those two extremes though.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Pestneb

[Blade]

Surely you can't outtrain a bad diet.

 

You can lose weight by not exercising. Just consume less calories than you burn.

[Charlie]

Kinda hard to put those calories in without "exercising" though.

 

If you lay on a bed all day, did not move at all, your body would still burn a lot of calories. The number changes from person to person depending on a lot of different factors but it is a significant amount.

[Pestneb]

Surely you can't outtrain a bad diet.

 

You can lose weight by not exercising. Just consume less calories than you burn.

 

As I said, it is more feasible to consume 5000 calories than it is to burn them off through exercise and generally being alive.

But you can also lose weight without "dieting".

I guess weight loss is more focused on diet, and fitness is more focussed on exercise.. and generally I would prefer weighing a tonne but being healthy and fit, than weighing the "correct" amount and struggling to run up 3 or 4 flights of stairs... so personally I place a lot more emphasis on burning calories off than restricting them going in.

[Blade]

Lost a further 2lbs!