Why do people assume it takes long to build a decent body?

[ShadyDave]

Very true. And even less time than that still helps. Not having time isn't the reason, it's being lazy and choosing to spend the time on other things. (Usually not very important)

 

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[Deleted50669]

Yup, OP is spot on. I lost 30 with consistent diet, yoga, and core strengthening.

The diet is by far the hardest part, because old habits die hard. Just as being a slowlaner is a bad habit, poor diet is a bad habit, and creating permanent change takes patience and consistency. But I will say, it's more than worth it; less money on food, more attractive / confident, less sweaty in the summer, etc.

Some people aren't even that fat, they just have anterior pelvic tilt from sitting with a weak core / glutes. Fix apt, and you'd be surprised how much leaner you look all of a sudden.

 

[LittleWolfie]

This is quite interesting. I thought it was especially noteworthy how eating adjustments could change the microbes in mere days.

Count me out for the fecal transplant,uh, movement.

also called transpoofusion

This is the idea behind the activia yogurt, it's used to hold and store bacteria and a delivery method (That's based on the same bacteria sources,but on the Nobel prize winning work looking at longer living healthier digestive people)

If resarch on bacteria present at weight loss, weight gain and obese people pans out, maybe 3 yogurts a day will be the obesity cure.

 

[biophase]

You're right, I have to change what I can instead of worrying about changing everything at once.

That attitude goes towards everything else in life.

I want a Ferrari, but I don't want to give up my PS4 time to work on my business. It's all about how bad you want it.

For those stretching, don't forget the hip flexors and psoas. Those are my problem muscles.

 

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[unaided]

also called transpoofusion

This is the idea behind the activia yogurt, it's used to hold and store bacteria and a delivery method (That's based on the same bacteria sources,but on the Nobel prize winning work looking at longer living healthier digestive people)

If research on bacteria present at weight loss, weight gain and obese people pans out, maybe 3 yogurts a day will be the obesity cure.

Hate to burst the bubble here, but the cultures may be live in the yogurt, but 90% if not all are killed in the stomach acid of the gut (with the exception of Bacillus coagulans used in some Kombuchas and saurkraut). The other benefits from fermented foods is usually from the metabolic byproducts of fermentation - the organic acids, B-vitamins, etc that they produce. The benefits we experience are more from these effects than a true "recolonization" effect.

The exception for Bacillus species is because they're spore-forming. The hard spore is virtually indestructible by heat/cold, high/low pH etc. So generally oral probiotics are best to focus on spore probiotics or at least ensure high-quality brand/dose, like 10 billion CFU per strain/day (not just per capsule) when it comes to Lactobacilli/Bifidobacteria strains.

The research with yogurts and probiotics is often an effect of "dead" probiotics that are not truly recolonizing the gut. It is from the transient immune stimulation they provide as they make their way through the GI tract. That's why much of the clinical work with probiotics showing benefit tend to be for acute diarrhea and other short-term conditions - it reflects this transient nature of immune modulation/stimulation - NOT a true recolonization effect.

PREbiotic fibers are better when taken orally through diverse vegetables (or supplements) as they feed a diverse range of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the gut, as well as other bacteria types in the gut that are not stable enough to put in a capsule and supplement.

There are companies that go through special means of a special capsule or formulation process to protect the probiotics from being killed in the gut but just posting for educational purposes here. The first probiotics in the market were actually Spore probiotics and they were used for things like diarrhea, C diff and so forth still to this day. To feed the others (lactobacilli/Bifidobacterium), have a DIVERSE diet of vegetables, tubers, spices etc - not just the same 10 vegetables at every grocery store.

 

[unaided]

That attitude goes towards everything else in life.

I want a Ferrari, but I don't want to give up my PS4 time to work on my business. It's all about how bad you want it.

For those stretching, don't forget the hip flexors and psoas. Those are my problem muscles.

Great ideas from Kelly Starrett for mobility work.... MobilityWod.com and the free youtube channel: Kelly Starrett

 

[LittleWolfie]

Hate to burst the bubble here,

Not a bubble, I'm sure your more aware of the difficulties problem and controversies than I am. That was kinda their idea, eating a yoghurt is more appealing than a fecal transplant.


However I can imagine that some smart clinicians might overcome those problems in the future or perhaps they will find a better method of delivery


After all in the future is pretty can be, medical science gas come a long way in the last 100 years.

 

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[unaided]

Not a bubble, I'm sure your more aware of the difficulties problem and controversies than I am. That was kinda their idea, eating a yoghurt is more appealing than a fecal transplant.


However I can imagine that some smart clinicians might overcome those problems in the future or perhaps they will find a better method of delivery


After all in the future is pretty can be, medical science gas come a long way in the last 100 years.

Master Supplements Inc has a few patents on their delivery. They have a substance in the capsules that congeals and forms a shell around the contents in low pH and then thins again in the different pH of intestines, kinda like a trojan horse.

 

[HackVenture]

Ok great, I think I can find my answer from experts on this thread.

I've always been fairly fit since young, I'm 34 years old now, so that middle section is coming out.

I'm not fat by any means and am still fairly active but not active enough for sure.

My question is this.

What's the "minimum effective dose" sort of answer to getting six pack abs?

I have been looking for an answer for so long because everyone is telling me "it's all in your diet".

I'm Asian and I love eating lol and I've never dreamed of being a muscle man, it's just a secret dream I have to get back my six packs and having a fit and lean body again.

Can someone suggest a meal plan that doesn't consist of salads salads salads all day long and some effective exercises/exercise plans? Or even a link would do.

I'll have a gym right where I'm staying in a couple months' time and I can hit the gym no probs but diet.. Man, I can abstain, but I need to know my sacrifice is contributing towards my goals

 

[MTEE1985]

What's the "minimum effective dose" sort of answer to getting six pack abs?

Speaking from my personal experience and success and from people I know if I had 30 minutes a day and wanted simplicity I would do a 15-20 minute ab program (personally like Ab Ripper X from P90X program) 2 days a week and jump rope every day for 10-15 minutes. My “diet” focus is drinking a minimum of a gallon of water a day.

Another way I look at food is: what effect does this have on my body? Positive, Neutral or Negative? I call it my “PNN diet”. If I eat 70% positive (fruits, vegetables, water, lean protein, nuts etc) 20% neutral (yogurt, dairy, eggs, coffee, protein bars) then I can allow myself 10% of negative (pizza, bread, bacon, cookies) without a real negative effect on my body.

 

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[Ciano_94]

Naval: "The oldest problems have the oldest answers"

Lose weight: Caloric deficit
Gain weight: Caloric surplus
Both: train your body and eat whole foods
Both: create systems that create habits to do those things w/out the reliance on willpower.

There it is - 95% of it..and that will be $97 please

I like that.

Building Muscle is not that complicated or difficult, all the resources are out there to find a decent workout split and develop a simple understanding of nutrition.

Download an app like MyFitnessPal and get a cheap food scale on Amazon, then calculate your maintenance calories on the Free Dieting Calorie Calculator.
Track your food for 2 weeks and you will discover so much about your food choices.

Other than that, a simple Legs/Push/Pull split 3/4 hours total a week that you track, with some basic progressive overload (steadily adding weight over time) is all it takes.

There's some great free info out there on actual workouts from YouTubers like Joe Delaney, Christian Guzman or Rob Lipsett.

 

[GainsGainsGains]

Ok great, I think I can find my answer from experts on this thread.

I've always been fairly fit since young, I'm 34 years old now, so that middle section is coming out.

I'm not fat by any means and am still fairly active but not active enough for sure.

My question is this.

What's the "minimum effective dose" sort of answer to getting six pack abs?

I have been looking for an answer for so long because everyone is telling me "it's all in your diet".

I'm Asian and I love eating lol and I've never dreamed of being a muscle man, it's just a secret dream I have to get back my six packs and having a fit and lean body again.

Can someone suggest a meal plan that doesn't consist of salads salads salads all day long and some effective exercises/exercise plans? Or even a link would do.

I'll have a gym right where I'm staying in a couple months' time and I can hit the gym no probs but diet.. Man, I can abstain, but I need to know my sacrifice is contributing towards my goals

Do you know why people have been telling you it's all in your diet? Because it is, haha.

You already have a 6pack, just like everyone else does. Your bodyfat percentage is too high, so it doesn't show. So what you do is the following:

1.) Figure out your caloric maintenance. There are a number of online calculators out there to give you a first hint (you enter height, weight, sex), but obviously the true individual maintenance level can vary, so you will probably have to experiment with different caloric intakes for a few weeks and see at which point you start losing weight. Then you adjust your caloric intake to get to a low bodyfat percentage level.

2.) As for ab exercises, the most effective ab exercises aren't isolation exercises. Deadlifts, squats, and other core exercises will get you way further than sit ups.

Actually, if you only were to build abs, you could probably get away with just doing 3 sets (x8) of squats and 3 sets (x8) of deadlifts twice a week (assuming you don't half a$$).

I would not recommend this though if you are a beginner. Learn proper form first.

 

[GoGetter24]

What were your results. Also before & after pics, even if of a single limb.

 

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[GainsGainsGains]

What were your results. Also before & after pics, even if of a single limb.

130lbs to 185lbs, current bodyfat percentage is around 9%. Height: 5 ft 11.

This took me roughly 5 years, mostly because I didn't put in much effort and didn't eat enough in the beginning. As soon as diet changed, results came. I didn't workout more than before.

I'm not going to post any pictures though - if you think this thread is an elaborate lie, go ahead.

 

[garyfritz]

Building Muscle is not that complicated or difficult,

No, **IF** your body type is well suited to building muscle.

I've always been healthy. Eat pretty well. Weight has been stable for over 40 years. But I've never been able to form any decent amount of muscle. I've always been scrawny, even when I grew up on a farm, ate like a horse, and worked my a$$ off. My dad was the same way -- he was strong as an ox but he was always pretty skinny.

Now I'm 61 and I'm less likely to build muscle now than I was when I was younger. My 21-yr-old son has moved back in with me and he started doing a "bodyweight" workout at home. (He was using a workout app developed by a workout-fanatic group on Reddit. Great guide / tool and it's free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bodyweight.fitness.free)

He's 6'7" and he weighed about 170 lbs -- he's reed-slim. Within 2-3 months of doing this 1 - 1.5 hr workout 2x/week, his shoulders broadened out impressively, his upper-arm definition was great, his pecs were fairly amazing. I was really impressed that he got such dramatic results in such a short time. I told him to go shirtless whenever he could because the young ladies would be all over him.

He talked me into joining him. I can't keep up with him -- he had a 2 month head start and he's 1/3 my age -- but I kicked a$$ pretty well on it. After the same amount of time (and I'd say pushing almost as hard as he did) you really can't see any changes in my physique. I'm stronger and I can do more than I could when I started, but my body just doesn't want to build muscle mass.

This may be because I'm an old fart he has a lot more testosterone than I do. But I *never* built any muscles. Some body types want to hang onto fat, some body types want to be scrawny, some build muscle easily, some don't. Mine seems to be the "scrawny, no muscle" type. But at least it's not the "obese" type.

 

[GainsGainsGains]

No, **IF** your body type is well suited to building muscle.

I've always been healthy. Eat pretty well. Weight has been stable for over 40 years. But I've never been able to form any decent amount of muscle. I've always been scrawny, even when I grew up on a farm, ate like a horse, and worked my a$$ off. My dad was the same way -- he was strong as an ox but he was always pretty skinny.

Now I'm 61 and I'm less likely to build muscle now than I was when I was younger. My 21-yr-old son has moved back in with me and he started doing a "bodyweight" workout at home. (He was using a workout app developed by a workout-fanatic group on Reddit. Great guide / tool and it's free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bodyweight.fitness.free)

He's 6'7" and he weighed about 170 lbs -- he's reed-slim. Within 2-3 months of doing this 1 - 1.5 hr workout 2x/week, his shoulders broadened out impressively, his upper-arm definition was great, his pecs were fairly amazing. I was really impressed that he got such dramatic results in such a short time. I told him to go shirtless whenever he could because the young ladies would be all over him.

He talked me into joining him. I can't keep up with him -- he had a 2 month head start and he's 1/3 my age -- but I kicked a$$ pretty well on it. After the same amount of time (and I'd say pushing almost as hard as he did) you really can't see any changes in my physique. I'm stronger and I can do more than I could when I started, but my body just doesn't want to build muscle mass.

This may be because I'm an old fart he has a lot more testosterone than I do. But I *never* built any muscles. Some body types want to hang onto fat, some body types want to be scrawny, some build muscle easily, some don't. Mine seems to be the "scrawny, no muscle" type. But at least it's not the "obese" type.

Mine is the "scrawny" type too. We actually have it easier to build a good body and get to eat whatever we want, haha.

As for your lack of muscle gains, what do you mean by "working your a$$ off"? Gym, farmwork, something else...?

At your age, it's obviously more difficult to gain muscle and you have less potential - but I'd stay at it for the health benefits

 

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[garyfritz]

Yeah I do love eating whatever I want and not worrying about my weight!! I just took a 2-week vacation in Italy focused around amazing fine food and wine. I ate and drank almost more than I could stand (and trust me I can stand a LOT), and I came back with 3 extra lbs. Which was gone in a week or two.

The "working" part was when I was a teenager working on my dad's farm. Since then I haven't done jack, other than occasional biking, hiking, skiing, yardwork, that kind of thing. Then I started working out with my son and we were doing about a 90 min session 2x/week. (Which is what got him those amazing results in just 2 months.) Several things (including Italy) interrupted that regimen 2 months ago but I'm starting to get back into it.

 

[msufan]

Speaking from my personal experience and success and from people I know if I had 30 minutes a day and wanted simplicity I would do a 15-20 minute ab program (personally like Ab Ripper X from P90X program) 2 days a week and jump rope every day for 10-15 minutes. My “diet” focus is drinking a minimum of a gallon of water a day.

Another way I look at food is: what effect does this have on my body? Positive, Neutral or Negative? I call it my “PNN diet”. If I eat 70% positive (fruits, vegetables, water, lean protein, nuts etc) 20% neutral (yogurt, dairy, eggs, coffee, protein bars) then I can allow myself 10% of negative (pizza, bread, bacon, cookies) without a real negative effect on my body.

Interesting that you use those numbers. Here's a post that exactly agrees with that exact same 70%/20%/10% breakdown. (Warning: long)

 

[GoGetter24]

This took me roughly 5 years, mostly because I didn't put in much effort and didn't eat enough in the beginning. As soon as diet changed, results came. I didn't workout more than before.

What techniques did you use to increase the eating? I remember seeing a program about hardgainers once and they said the primary issue was physically getting the food into their stomach (gag reflex when full etc).

 

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[Real Deal Denver]

also called transpoofusion

This is the idea behind the activia yogurt, it's used to hold and store bacteria and a delivery method (That's based on the same bacteria sources,but on the Nobel prize winning work looking at longer living healthier digestive people)

If resarch on bacteria present at weight loss, weight gain and obese people pans out, maybe 3 yogurts a day will be the obesity cure.

Nope. I am on a very strict Keto diet, and it is working wonders.

I was going to stock up on yogurt, as I love the kind that has fruit. These things are LOADED with carbs and sugar. You might as well eat something you really like, like chocolate or cheesecake. Those aren't far off the mark.

Granola bars and power bars and also loaded up with sugar and carbs. Even the whey protein powder is loaded with carbs. You have to read labels to find this out, as you would not think the good ones are bad. You will be shocked to see how bad things really are.

My wife has even taken to making our own salad dressing, and it is far better than what I was paying top dollar for before. The trick is cayenne pepper - it gives it a kick in the background that really spices it up. She also uses garlic and mustard occasionally to add some zip. I don't know her recipe, but it is really really good.

I love chili - uh, uh - but the beans are loaded with carbs too. I ate a lot of it, thinking I was going to continue losing weight - but I gained weight! I cut the chili out and my weight loss continued as before. That really bummed me out because I could live on chili.

Even the unsweetened plain yogurt is not real good for you, and it tastes like crap and it's expensive. Low fat cottage cheese is much better for you, and tastes a lot better too, and about half the price. We use it in smoothies.

Make a few adjustments here and there, and the results in weight loss will multiply. I've lost 30 pounds so far, love the food I eat, and am never hungry. It's not hard to do at all, with a little planning. Hundreds of recipes on the internet. This doesn't have to be difficult at all.

 

[GainsGainsGains]

What techniques did you use to increase the eating? I remember seeing a program about hardgainers once and they said the primary issue was physically getting the food into their stomach (gag reflex when full etc).

Easiest and cheapest way to do it when starting out is homemade weight gaining shakes.

Here's a sample: 200g oats + 500ml milk (can substitute this with coconut milk or something else if you're lactose intolerant) + 40g frozen fruits

That's more than 1000 kcal. Even if you eat like you normally do, just adding this shake may be enough to gain. When I was at 4500 kcal per day, I drank 2 of those shakes. The other 2500 kcal came from regular meals.

 

[Gepi]

I have worked out online with multiple trainers, one of the best I always come back to is Fitness Blender (FREE!)
(I do not have any connections to them, just genuine admiration for their great programs. From quick 5 minute workouts to fully length 1:30 hrs and eating recommendation, they have it all)
If you just have to get up from your chair and get going the entry barrier is very low compared to hitting the gym.
Also I have bought a set of dumbbells. Highly recommended.

 

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[HackVenture]

Do you know why people have been telling you it's all in your diet? Because it is, haha.

Haha yes I get it! Just not sure what I should eat instead.

Tips?

As for exercise, cool I can easily incorporate daily squats. Any other exercises for building core muscles that doesn't require going to the gym?

I know I sound so un-committed lol but just wanted to come up with a plan I'm confident of following.

I'm not like dying or anything, just wanted to build a better body and not inconvenience myself too much

Thanks for the advice so far!

 

[Colton]

Ok great, I think I can find my answer from experts on this thread.

I've always been fairly fit since young, I'm 34 years old now, so that middle section is coming out.

I'm not fat by any means and am still fairly active but not active enough for sure.

My question is this.

What's the "minimum effective dose" sort of answer to getting six pack abs?

I have been looking for an answer for so long because everyone is telling me "it's all in your diet".

I'm Asian and I love eating lol and I've never dreamed of being a muscle man, it's just a secret dream I have to get back my six packs and having a fit and lean body again.

Can someone suggest a meal plan that doesn't consist of salads salads salads all day long and some effective exercises/exercise plans? Or even a link would do.

I'll have a gym right where I'm staying in a couple months' time and I can hit the gym no probs but diet.. Man, I can abstain, but I need to know my sacrifice is contributing towards my goals

The "minimum effective dose" for having a six pack (and an all around fit/muscular body) is to be at least decently strong at the core movements (overhead press, bench press, pull ups, rows, deadlifts, squats, etc) while being lean. (I'd say you want to be below 10% body fat to have a six pack and look your best, but you can still look really impressive if you're no more than 15%)

You need to be tracking your strength on these important lifts because otherwise when you diet and lose weight, you'll end up losing muscle and fat. If you keep the weight on the bar, then you keep your muscle and nearly all the weight lost will come from fat.

As for diet, you certainly can eat foods that taste good and still lose weight. It comes down to knowing your individual calorie requirements and eating just below that. Here's a sample meal plan that I used to cut below 10% body fat before. It's 2100 calories, which may not be exactly the right number for you, but it can be easily adjusted. I can personally lose fat eating 2400 calories per day but some people need to eat like 1500 calories per day, it just depends on the individual. If you are a shorter guy with less muscle, generally your calorie requirements are lower. I also have a meal plan that's 1500 which I can send you if you want. Remember that this is just an example and there are endless possible plans that you could follow to lose weight.

This meal plan follows the principle of intermittent fasting. I recommend waiting around 3 hours before breaking the morning fast with a piece of fruit. Then wait another hour to consume meal #1.

The meals shown here are satiating (they taste good and make you feel full) and they are also low in calories. This is crucial for a weight loss plan.

To successfully get lean, you must also have some knowledge of your individual metabolism. The meal plan shown here includes 2100 calories, which will be too low for some people. For example, if you can still lose weight eating 2400 calories per day, then you should add 300 calories to this meal plan. The goal is to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week.

If you aren’t losing weight on this meal plan, first make sure that you aren’t consuming any other calories which you aren’t counting (Many people make this mistake). Don’t forget to count liquid calories. If you really are following this plan to a “T” and aren’t getting the results, you simply need to reduce the calories further. I recommend lowering carb intake before changing protein and fat intake.

FAST BREAK – 100 calories of fruit (example: 1 apple or 1 banana)

MEAL 1 (at least 45-60 min later) – protein + fat, light meal. 500 calories.
Scrambled eggs
3 eggs= 240 calories, 18 grams protein, 15 grams fat
1 cup egg whites= 125 calories, 26 grams protein, 0 grams fat
Onion pieces= 20 calories
5 slices Canadian bacon= 100 calories, 16 grams protein, 2 grams fat
Meal total: 485 calories, 60 grams protein, 17 grams fat

MEAL 2 (post workout) – big carb meal. 800 calories.
Potato wedges and veggies
4 cups thin sliced (russet) potatoes (about 3 medium) = 500 calories, 13 grams protein, 1 gram fat
Toss with 2 tbsp. olive oil (some will be lost) = 200 calories, 0 grams protein, 22 grams fat
Season with Sea salt (or Himalayan pink). Bake until slightly crisp. Use a spray bottle to add white vinegar. Yum.
Notes: other oils (i.e. vegetable, macadamia, canola etc.) may be used. Other seasoning may be used.
1.5 cups Steamed broccoli & carrots = 100 calories, 5 grams protein, 0 grams fat
Meal total: 800 calories, 18 grams protein, 23 grams fat

MEAL 3 – remaining protein. 600 calories.
Salmon and veggies
7 oz salmon= 340 calories, 37 grams protein, 20 grams fat
1.5 scoops protein = 160 calories, 33 grams protein, 3 grams fat
1.5 cups steamed vegetables = 100 calories, 5 grams protein, 0 grams fat
One piece of fruit = 100 calories, 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat
Meal total: 700 calories, 75 grams protein, 23 grams fat

BASE MEAL PLAN TOTAL: 2100 calories, 153 grams protein, 63 grams fat, 230 grams carbs
Remember: This meal plan is a good starting point and will work great for most people, but if you need help designing a more customized plan, just ask. (For example, we can work together to find alternatives if you are allergic to any of the foods listed above)

 

[GainsGainsGains]

Haha yes I get it! Just not sure what I should eat instead.

Tips?

As for exercise, cool I can easily incorporate daily squats. Any other exercises for building core muscles that doesn't require going to the gym?

I know I sound so un-committed lol but just wanted to come up with a plan I'm confident of following.

I'm not like dying or anything, just wanted to build a better body and not inconvenience myself too much

Thanks for the advice so far!

Daily squats (or any exercise except stamina or coordination) are not a good idea. Twice a week, 3 sets, 8 reps. If you do those properly and with heavy enough weight, you're good. You need rest days for the muscles to recover. And what do you mean exercises that don't require gym? Are you planning on doing squats and deadlifts with just bodyweight or do you have equipment at home?

The most effective core exercises are obviously deadlifts and squats (WITH weight). You can also do planks and leg raises, no equipment needed. They aren't as effective, though.

I honestly would recommend you search for a good PPL routine and start there. Might aswell work your entire body. You'll be surprised how few exercises you have to do.

As for what specific food you can or can not eat, it's ultimately up to your caloric maintenance level what you can get away with. The above post is a very good start though. I'll throw in a warning: Don't starve yourself by eating next to nothing, you'll gain that weight back. Stay roughly 300kcal below your maintenance level.

You pretty much have all the advice you need now - as you see, you don't have to spend much time in the gym at all. Diet is the hardest and most important part.

 

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[HackVenture]

Daily squats (or any exercise except stamina or coordination) are not a good idea. Twice a week, 3 sets, 8 reps. If you do those properly and with heavy enough weight, you're good. You need rest days for the muscles to recover. And what do you mean exercises that don't require gym? Are you planning on doing squats and deadlifts with just bodyweight or do you have equipment at home?

The most effective core exercises are obviously deadlifts and squats (WITH weight). You can also do planks and leg raises, no equipment needed. They aren't as effective, though.

I honestly would recommend you search for a good PPL routine and start there. Might aswell work your entire body. You'll be surprised how few exercises you have to do.

As for what specific food you can or can not eat, it's ultimately up to your caloric maintenance level what you can get away with. The above post is a very good start though. I'll throw in a warning: Don't starve yourself by eating next to nothing, you'll gain that weight back. Stay roughly 300kcal below your maintenance level.

You pretty much have all the advice you need now - as you see, you don't have to spend much time in the gym at all. Diet is the hardest and most important part.

Haha I was under the impression the squats are to be done without weights lol.

No worries I will never starve myself I love food too much.

Off to google "PPL routine" and "caloric maintenance level".

 

[biophase]

Haha I was under the impression the squats are to be done without weights lol.

No worries I will never starve myself I love food too much.

Off to google "PPL routine" and "caloric maintenance level".

Dude, sorry with that attitude so pack abs are going to be almost inpossible. Just like with anything that people strive to gain, it takes hard work. Else nobody would covet it.

 

[biophase]

No, **IF** your body type is well suited to building muscle.

I've always been healthy. Eat pretty well. Weight has been stable for over 40 years. But I've never been able to form any decent amount of muscle. I've always been scrawny, even when I grew up on a farm, ate like a horse, and worked my a$$ off. My dad was the same way -- he was strong as an ox but he was always pretty skinny.

Now I'm 61 and I'm less likely to build muscle now than I was when I was younger. My 21-yr-old son has moved back in with me and he started doing a "bodyweight" workout at home. (He was using a workout app developed by a workout-fanatic group on Reddit. Great guide / tool and it's free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bodyweight.fitness.free)

He's 6'7" and he weighed about 170 lbs -- he's reed-slim. Within 2-3 months of doing this 1 - 1.5 hr workout 2x/week, his shoulders broadened out impressively, his upper-arm definition was great, his pecs were fairly amazing. I was really impressed that he got such dramatic results in such a short time. I told him to go shirtless whenever he could because the young ladies would be all over him.

He talked me into joining him. I can't keep up with him -- he had a 2 month head start and he's 1/3 my age -- but I kicked a$$ pretty well on it. After the same amount of time (and I'd say pushing almost as hard as he did) you really can't see any changes in my physique. I'm stronger and I can do more than I could when I started, but my body just doesn't want to build muscle mass.

This may be because I'm an old fart he has a lot more testosterone than I do. But I *never* built any muscles. Some body types want to hang onto fat, some body types want to be scrawny, some build muscle easily, some don't. Mine seems to be the "scrawny, no muscle" type. But at least it's not the "obese" type.

Gary, that used to be my thought. I was 5’10” 135 in college. At 36 I was 145lb. I can eat whatever I want. I’m a hard gainer.

But i realized that i wasn’t eating enough. At 43 year old, 6 meals a day for two months and I was at 175lb from 160. So yeah you can put on weight. If you eat a lot you’ll gain muscle and fat. The question is what is a lot of food? I couldn’t maintain it though and am back to 165 at 46yo. But now i know I can gain if I really really try.

I don’t think you should be doing 90 minute workouts at your age. Think about it, if you are tiring your muscles like your son, why aren’t they growing? It’s probably because they are missing the fuel to grow. Your limiting resource is food, not muscle stress.

 

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[HackVenture]

Dude, sorry with that attitude so pack abs are going to be almost inpossible. Just like with anything that people strive to gain, it takes hard work. Else nobody would covet it.

You're right mate. It's certainly not at the top of my priority list at the moment, need to shift it up there if i want it bad enough

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[HackVenture]

The "minimum effective dose" for having a six pack (and an all around fit/muscular body) is to be at least decently strong at the core movements (overhead press, bench press, pull ups, rows, deadlifts, squats, etc) while being lean. (I'd say you want to be below 10% body fat to have a six pack and look your best, but you can still look really impressive if you're no more than 15%)

You need to be tracking your strength on these important lifts because otherwise when you diet and lose weight, you'll end up losing muscle and fat. If you keep the weight on the bar, then you keep your muscle and nearly all the weight lost will come from fat.

As for diet, you certainly can eat foods that taste good and still lose weight. It comes down to knowing your individual calorie requirements and eating just below that. Here's a sample meal plan that I used to cut below 10% body fat before. It's 2100 calories, which may not be exactly the right number for you, but it can be easily adjusted. I can personally lose fat eating 2400 calories per day but some people need to eat like 1500 calories per day, it just depends on the individual. If you are a shorter guy with less muscle, generally your calorie requirements are lower. I also have a meal plan that's 1500 which I can send you if you want. Remember that this is just an example and there are endless possible plans that you could follow to lose weight.

This meal plan follows the principle of intermittent fasting. I recommend waiting around 3 hours before breaking the morning fast with a piece of fruit. Then wait another hour to consume meal #1.

The meals shown here are satiating (they taste good and make you feel full) and they are also low in calories. This is crucial for a weight loss plan.

To successfully get lean, you must also have some knowledge of your individual metabolism. The meal plan shown here includes 2100 calories, which will be too low for some people. For example, if you can still lose weight eating 2400 calories per day, then you should add 300 calories to this meal plan. The goal is to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week.

If you aren’t losing weight on this meal plan, first make sure that you aren’t consuming any other calories which you aren’t counting (Many people make this mistake). Don’t forget to count liquid calories. If you really are following this plan to a “T” and aren’t getting the results, you simply need to reduce the calories further. I recommend lowering carb intake before changing protein and fat intake.

FAST BREAK – 100 calories of fruit (example: 1 apple or 1 banana)

MEAL 1 (at least 45-60 min later) – protein + fat, light meal. 500 calories.
Scrambled eggs
3 eggs= 240 calories, 18 grams protein, 15 grams fat
1 cup egg whites= 125 calories, 26 grams protein, 0 grams fat
Onion pieces= 20 calories
5 slices Canadian bacon= 100 calories, 16 grams protein, 2 grams fat
Meal total: 485 calories, 60 grams protein, 17 grams fat

MEAL 2 (post workout) – big carb meal. 800 calories.
Potato wedges and veggies
4 cups thin sliced (russet) potatoes (about 3 medium) = 500 calories, 13 grams protein, 1 gram fat
Toss with 2 tbsp. olive oil (some will be lost) = 200 calories, 0 grams protein, 22 grams fat
Season with Sea salt (or Himalayan pink). Bake until slightly crisp. Use a spray bottle to add white vinegar. Yum.
Notes: other oils (i.e. vegetable, macadamia, canola etc.) may be used. Other seasoning may be used.
1.5 cups Steamed broccoli & carrots = 100 calories, 5 grams protein, 0 grams fat
Meal total: 800 calories, 18 grams protein, 23 grams fat

MEAL 3 – remaining protein. 600 calories.
Salmon and veggies
7 oz salmon= 340 calories, 37 grams protein, 20 grams fat
1.5 scoops protein = 160 calories, 33 grams protein, 3 grams fat
1.5 cups steamed vegetables = 100 calories, 5 grams protein, 0 grams fat
One piece of fruit = 100 calories, 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat
Meal total: 700 calories, 75 grams protein, 23 grams fat

BASE MEAL PLAN TOTAL: 2100 calories, 153 grams protein, 63 grams fat, 230 grams carbs
Remember: This meal plan is a good starting point and will work great for most people, but if you need help designing a more customized plan, just ask. (For example, we can work together to find alternatives if you are allergic to any of the foods listed above)

Wow thanks for the share, the meal plan looks amazing!

Food looks yummy too, I can do this

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