The Official Gym Thread: Bodybuilding - Cardio - Weight Loss

[Chuck]

Starting this thread as I remember we had one on our old forum years ago. I can't remember if we had one created here (if so I'll combine them). 

 

Anyhow, who's in the gym? How often do you go? Do you have any goals? Are you trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass or both?

 

I started going back to the gym and eating better on November 1st, 2014. I've never been healthier. I'm doing a combination of cardio, while gaining muscle mass, trying to loss bad body weight (fat) while getting stronger. It has been 13 years since I was last in the gym, outside of a few times I tried to hit it and lost interest within a month. 

 

I started at 249 lbs and out of shape and now I'm at 215 lbs, while I've grown in almost every area muscle wise. 

 

In addition to weight lifting (at Golds Gym) I do 100-200 situps a day and run on the treadmill for 25-45 minutes 3-4 times a week depending on how much time I have left after working out with weights. 

 

What's your routine. How you doing? Hope to create some accountability and inspiration to those who have been procrastinating working out and getting healthier. 

[nando714]

I go 5 days a week.

Always start off with 30min of cardio. I switch from the dread mill, eliptical, or stairs daily , then lift weights. On my off days from weights I'll do an hour of cardio

I've lost 20lb since January. From 240 to 220. I see less fat and more muscle. I just take protein and a multivitamin no other supplements. I watch what I eat. Cut back on the soda And no more snacking. My gf cut out lots of meats, carbs, and sugars. She's doing really well.

[Jason]

I go about 4 times a week. I do 30-45 minutes on eliptical or stair climber and then do some weight training. Nothing really hard though. I am trying to lose about 40 lbs and have lost 10 in the last 8 weeks. I've cut out soda 100% from my diet and limited my wheat consumption. My LDL/HDL ratio was not the best and my A1C was at 5.7. I decided that I should take of these issues before they become a problem. Going to the gym has helped me feel a lot better and stronger.

[Hollyw00d]

Do you even lift brah

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I go to the gym 4-5 days a week and run on Sunday.  Between the busy season at work, birthdays and family gatherings my gym trips have been shorter (mostly cardio) and I haven't made it out to run every weekend the last few months.  Despite that I've lost 5 lbs in the last few months but I'm guessing a chunk of that is muscle.  I plan to start lifting more but I've been doing most of the same exercises for so long and need to find something else to get into that's more of a full body workout.  

[Brandon]

Here's the old one, Chuck: http://www.angelswin-forum.com/forums/topic/878-the-exerciseweight-loss-thread/?hl=workout

 

 

I'm in week three of whatever it is that I'm doing. Having big into the previous threads and that I used to be huge into working out, supps, etc. I know what to do but am not on any particular program. I just started slow to build up my levels and last week started heavier with the weights but also weening towards just specific days (back and bi, chest and trip, etc.). I spent a bit of time on bodybuilding.com and basically created a program that works major muscle groups and then also one to add in minor or individual muscle groups so that I workout all parts of the chest or traps when I do back. So I started doing majors and in circuit format just to build up tolerance/ cardio (mainly tolerance with the pre-workout) and moved to specific days. I'm still focused on doing them cardio/H.I.I.T style, but overdo it and with the pre-workout have to slow it down....which is fine because I am trying to nail form and really isolate what I'm working on. But I call it "whatever I'm doing" because I mix H.I.I.T when I get the pump but also allow myself the extra rest days on whatever muscle groups need it since I'm isolating. My main thing is just to leave feeling like I worked whatever I did to failure or am honest with myself and am exhausted. I'm trying a different approach this time around where I don't follow a specific program or guaranteed days because I get burnt out or guilty/bummed if i miss a day and it snowballs. Just doing everything at my pace, slowing down when I need to, and committing to building up to doing a formal and solid daily program.

 

I'm moving towards the formal days, but have had a couple celebrations and birthdays to where I've had maybe 5 bad days with food or drinks in the 3 full weeks.

 

Diet is 85% of it so it all starts in the kitchen for me. I have incorporated some paleo foods or prepping techniques , I drink a ton of water, and for the most part just eat protein and veggies but include a heavy carb if I'm not getting enough and getting sick. My supps are the same, but I haven't really jumped back into them yet because I grabbed a fat burner but also still take the pre-workout. 

 

My gym routine always starts with three shaker bottles. Small one with pre-workout and BCAA's to take before the gym, large one with just BCAA's to drink while working out, and another small one for protein and glutamine post workout. The gym is simple, I just warm up with 10 minutes walking on the treadmill at like a 7 incline......just to get the blood rushing and using that time to let the pre kick in if I get to the gym earlier than the pre starting to kick in. One thing I'm going to incorporate to day is doing a warm up set with everything.....I have been just going to a machine/cables/dumbells and getting right into it, but really want to destroy whatever I'm working for the day and making sure form is on point.

 

As for goals, I know what I need to do and how to get there. I feel better eating great and not drinking to where I really feel bad and like shit if I do, physically and emotionally which is good for me to stay on track. So weight checks and what not I'm not doing (I think I've been on a 5-6 year party anyway so I know how bad it's got), my clothes fit better and I am throwing on old stuff I haven't worn in a while so I know it's working.

 

My schedule is drastically changing Monday, but something I've done is based my life around hitting the gym which is what I used to do when I was successful instead of trying to fit the gym around social events and what not.....telling myself I'll go later doesn't work, but telling friends I'll meet up after I go to the gym does. I might ditch the pre, which by the way, stay away from the Cellucor C4 as it's garbage, and just take the fat burner with the normal schedule of a multi, flax/fish oil combo, and someone gave me some of that Garcnia which is probably bullshit but I'll throw it in for poops and giggles. 

 

Probably too long and personal of a post, but maybe someone can take something from it to add or maybe piques some interest for discourse or they look it up to include it in their program. I know I want to move to a more formal plan with what I'm doing and maybe someone can jump in or help out there.

[sneaky_flute]

I cycle about 30 miles before breakfast. Not trying to build mass, though. 

[Hollyw00d]

[mp170.6]

Chuck, you forgot to add Steroids to the thread title

[Brandon]

We need Lifetime to come back and play PhD guy again when the subject of supplements comes up.

[mp170.6]

We need Lifetime to come back and play PhD guy again when the subject of supplements comes up.

 

They really helped him slim down to 150.  Oh, wait...

[Blarg]

Chuck starts a thread stating he's in the best shape of his life and no one notices?

[Hollyw00d]

.300 30 100 from chuck this year

[Stradling]

.300 30 100 from chuck this year

And his softball team will lose in the first round, again.

[Stradling]

Since Super Bowl weekend I've lost 20lbs. I lost 12 of those lbs in April. I would like to lose another 30lbs by this time next year. I did cardio 25 days this past month and lift weights 2 times a week. I have been eating better than I ever have, limiting my fried foods and carbs and most days staying around 1700 calories. My only vice is I went back to drinking diet coke after going three years without one.

[Jason]

Since Super Bowl weekend I've lost 20lbs. I lost 12 of those lbs in April. I would like to lose another 30lbs by this time next year. I did cardio 25 days this past month and lift weights 2 times a week. I have been eating better than I ever have, limiting my fried foods and carbs and most days staying around 1700 calories. My only vice is I went back to drinking diet coke after going three years without one.

1700 calories is excellent. I'm not sure what my calorie intake is but it is significantly less. I haven't had any fast food in 3 months plus I'm eating half the portion size from what I usually eat. Based on that I'm sure im around 2,000 calories. It's been a real pain in the butt but feleing better is motivation enough for me.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Since Super Bowl weekend I've lost 20lbs. I lost 12 of those lbs in April. I would like to lose another 30lbs by this time next year. I did cardio 25 days this past month and lift weights 2 times a week. I have been eating better than I ever have, limiting my fried foods and carbs and most days staying around 1700 calories. My only vice is I went back to drinking diet coke after going three years without one.

Great work. Watch out for diet drinks. They are believed to be worse than reg soda at causing belly fat.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

I try to hit gym at least 4 times a week.

Lift every day and cardio is 20-45 minutes depending on what I'm doing.

I also do a 3-set 5-minute plank routine. 15 mins total.

Yesterday, with the heat, I did a lap swim session at one of my pools. It's less stressful on knees.

I decided a week ago to eliminate most sugar (non fruit) out of diet. Also cutting back on carbs. Shooting for 1800 intake of calories with at least 1000 burned at gym.

Corepower yoga with wife is a killer. I just drip in there and a lot of the dudes there are ripped.

I sometimes use the Lose It app. Anyone else have a good app?

Also waiting for Wicked's response here. He has good lifting plans.

Edited May 1, 2015 by SOTO

[Spirit]

Chuck starts a thread stating he's in the best shape of his life and no one notices?

 

No kidding!  Where was this thread at the beginning of Spring Training?

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

No kidding!  Where was this thread at the beginning of Spring Training?

 

Thread should have been titled "Hey that was the fattest you've ever seen me at ST, now I'm calling it a comeback so next year I can wow you bros."

[Brandon]

I forgot to add some things or tools I do that may help others:

 

I use a macro calculator just to get a baseline or idea of what I should be doing. I can't sit there and count calories or grams, but am cognizant of what I consume based on my calculations: http://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting-calculator

 

Something that works well if you want to count macros or use the calculator is the MyFitnessPal app. There is a barcode scanner where you can scan the packaging of everything you consume and track your macros.

 

Speaking of apps, I mentioned this before and still use it, Spartacus apps. They are customizable H.I.I.T style workouts that are quick and kick your ass. Everything is bodyweight or dumbbell based so you can do them at home or just off to the side in the gym. You can do a 30 minute Spartacus workout and see results very quickly. I'll never forget using a heart rate monitor and seeing myself just under 1000 calories burned after one of the workouts.

 

Those lifting, if you want to kick it up a notch add drop sets to your program. It's something I now do naturally to make sure I hit failure. Do your sets like you normally do, but on the last set keep going until you can't anymore. Something small that makes a big difference over the long run.

[mrwicked]

i workout a lot, and lift heavy.

 

but my secret is that i skip-it 500-600 times a week.

 

skippin' and a screamin' and bop shoo bop!!

 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

I see this has been relegated to page three.

Everyone putting on the poundage this spring?

[Ochocinco!]

I've posted this somewhere before but why not again. I've been a twig my entire life but last summer I was finally fed up and retired from the Track and field lifestyle and focused on just lifting. I've put on 10pounds these past 5-6 months and even that was hard enough because I have such a fast metabolism.

I workout 6 days a week with cardio 1-2 times a week. I try to eat 5-6 meals a day to properly bulk but unfortunately with school, work and coaching a youth track club it's damn near impossible so I usually only get 4 meals in a day.

Hoping to be at 170-175 by the end of summer

[mrwicked]

Badass!

What are you doing for lifts? Definitely need to eat eat eat (preferably cleanly, but mostly focus on just getting enough calories) if you want to bulk.
I have some awesome programs if you need any guidance.

Or just use the Skip-It like I mentioned above. Great way to build the lats.

Edited May 14, 2015 by mrwicked