been adding in more and more stretching and mobility work to my routines recently trying to improve my squat a little.

I agree, Herbalife isn't that great at all it's also pretty much a con imo.

Eat right and train hard.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day (if you can fit it all in) not 3 big meals. Cut down on the carbs as this is what your using for energy, so if you have no carbs resources left your body will start using it's 'fat stores' for energy.

High protein - low carbs and med fats daily should be your intake.

As for the gym I go 5 times a week maybe 6 if I can fit it around work. I'm currently 'cutting' so I'm keeping my reps around the 10-12 mark for 3 to 4 sets per exercise and depending what body part I'm training usually about 6 exercises.
3 sets - 6 exercises for chest. But more exercises when training legs.

As for cardio I try to aim for 30 minutes max after hitting the free weights. 30 minutes after weight training is plenty, but on non weight days I do cardio for roughly an hour.
I aim to burn 300 calories just from doing my cardio and can hit this during my 30 minute cardio workout by walking on a treadmill on a 6-8% incline at about 6kph. Running is good for you but not for burning fat. But imo arguably the best cardio machine to burn fat is the step master.

Just makes sure to warm up on a treadmill (for instance) for 5-10 minutes and stretch also with a couple of warm up sets.
I get all this done within an hour and half at gym, so not long at all.

fasted walking is apparently brilliant for fat loss.

I prefer prowler/sled work but not everywhere has that equipment

Watched Bigger Stronger Faster last night. Certainly opened my eyes to the hypocrisy and corruption of a lot of people. My favourite bit was the lads mother crying at him even trying steroids when she probably weighed as much as the combined average three quarter line.

Small regular meals has proven to be a load of balls and has no advantage over 3 large meals.

I am going to let you all into a little secret here, of how you can have a body like mine. Please dont share this info as its top secret.

here we go, are you ready?

Eat less calories and exercise.

I love how people try and get all technical with exercise when in reality,all you have to do is watch your calories and exercise regulary and unless you have an underlying medical condition, you WILL lose weight or depending on the exercise, you may not lose weight but you will lose bodyfat. Most fat people will tell you they have an underlying medical conditions. Ignore them, its bull. They just eat too many calories and dont exercise.

You dont even need a gym to exercise, just buy a fitness high intenisty DVD like rushfit or insanity and you will shed more weight and look better than you would spending time in the company of the gym freaks who like to bore you with stories of "2 gramms of protein per lb of bodyweight etc etc etc" and who scream obscenities when bench pressing. *shudders*

Regards

King James

That's keytosis for you. Bounce back will happen due to the fact that your muscles go from being empty of energy stores to being full again.

Not done it myself but that's what Keytosis is. It forces the body to use up all it's energy stores (Stored in it's muscles) then when it's empty it has to go looking elsewhere which is when it starts breaking down fat stores and using that instead.

It gives you bad breath and stinking urine due to the keytone's it cannot use being expelled. Nasty head aches and feeling like crap are also a side effect for a few days.

Being diabetic in keytosis is a killer though.

If you are diabetic yes.

Use music when exercising, makes a big difference!

Also get out more, exercise doesn't mean you need to stay in a gym.

I'm glad i found this thread because IT IS TIME!

I used to be a really fit guy. Played footy as a kid, loads of basketball as a teenager, rugby league at uni. Then worked as a Personal Fitness Trainer for a few years and was a spinning instructor too. I then changed jobs and i mostly work behind a desk (have done for about five years now) but in that time my food intake has been as big as it was when i was fit and needed the calories and i just lost all love for training.

I'm over 6'4" in height and i was always heavy even when fit (18stone+). Although I've not weighed myself for a while (have no scales) i wouldn't be surprised if i weigh around 22stone+ now!

So the time is nigh! It's time to lose some fat and reduce the size of my belly, and thighs.

In the last two years or so i've stopped fitting into the usual XL t's and jumpers i had and i've been wearing cheap XXL+ clothes that i've bought with the thought in mind "i'll just buy these to wear for now until i lose some weight" but i've just not got round to/can't be bothered doing it. So i not only feel oversized, i look like a scruffbag n'all. I suppose it's just getting me down now!

So i'm starting the Paleo/Caveman diet plan from tomorrow. Basically a no carb diet plan. Which i will stick to over the Summer whilst doing a fairly gradual (going to start easy because i have done next to nothing for about five years!) training schedule. I'm thinking simple sessions, one cardio machine for 45mins+ keeping my HR to around 60% of my max. then pushing it up to 70% as i feel i'm getting fitter. Also with high rep/low weight resistance training.

Into the Autumn i plan to introduce carbs back to my diet but in the form of wholegrains. So still no white bread/pasta/rice at all. With that i'm going to start on a "hypertrophy" resistance regime with more intense interval cardio sessions too.

Into the Winter, as i will be eating more, i plan to do some strength resistance training and more short sharp bursts with cardio training.

Then into the New Year i want to do "Insanity" and follow the training and diet plan from that.

I hope i can stick to it. It's not like i don't know what i'm doing, i worked in the fitness industry for 4 years. I'm just worried that my sedentary lifestyle over recent years has made me lose confidence and motivation.

I might buy some scales on the way home this afternoon and post my weights on here over the months ahead as a bit of tracking and motivation to keep going.

You're post suggests you don't though Buckley :confused:

Why take the significantly unhealthy option of no carbs, rather than just hitting healthy macros for protein, fat and carbs, and taking your calorie intake 500 below your TDEE. In fact, you didn't mention calorie counting at all. :confused:
Why high rep/low weight training, rather than a programme that would build strength and muscle, therefore increasing your BMR :confused:

WTF would anyone who knows exercise would do "insanity" :confused: and why wait seven months to start what you seem to think is the better programme. Just get on a basic progressive proven programme. Get stronger, and fitter, and leaner. As a newb, you'll see that period of being able to gain muscle whilst being on a calorific deficit last well into next January anyway.

Good luck with your goals, anyway.

LDNMuscle have a really good beginners guide and it's currently free to download. I'm using there cutting guide at the minute and it's brutal

Sorry. No carbs is misleading. You get all carbs from fruit and veg while eating paleo.

Buckley ignore Richie. Insanity is a great way of shredding fat. Hes trying to bore you with technical terms. Just eat less and do insanity and you will see results. Then you can just laugh at Richie for knowing nothing.

Regards

King James

Shouldn't this thread involve a discussion about various types of Lycra?

A few people I know have done insanity with no prior exercise habits, I'd go straight into it if you just want to lose weight.

has anyone here trained Smolov?

Words like "progressive" and "deficit" are considered technical?

Enjoy learning from Insanity

The point Richie is making which is 100% correct is that a slow weight loss with a decent diet / excercise routine will make you lose weight and more likely to maintain it.

Insanity is good but it is unlikely to be something you will keep up with after your 72 days or whatever it is.

Insanity is just the excercise equivalent of a fad diet. Starts off really well and then it will fall by the wayside.

It might be great for 22 year olds who want to lose some weight have no stressful jobs, kids or other commitments but is useless for those who are middle aged with dodgy knees and a stressful daily life.

......and of course it will work, but in an untrained individual, anything will work.......for a while.

Just eat cals 20% below your TDEE and lift heavy stuff to maintain/increase muscle mass. Or watch DVDs you saw on an infomercial

Quote ="the cal train"has anyone here trained Smolov?'" It's a bit extreme! I think you can squat more often than people think though, and recover faster than upper body work enables. My squat strength has really progressed since I added a third day a week of "practice" squats: just 60kg (my 1RM would be >160kg) for sets of 10, sitting right down into them lower than a normal squat. My other days involve working at 10-12 and 4-8 rep ranges by the way. If you're interested in something that involves that kind of volume, have a read of this rugbystrengthcoach.com/front-squat/

Quote ="the cal train"has anyone here trained Smolov?'" It's a bit extreme! I think you can squat more often than people think though, and recover faster than upper body work enables. My squat strength has really progressed since I added a third day a week of "practice" squats: just 60kg (my 1RM would be >160kg) for sets of 10, sitting right down into them lower than a normal squat. My other days involve working at 10-12 and 4-8 rep ranges by the way. If you're interested in something that involves that kind of volume, have a read of this rugbystrengthcoach.com/front-squat/

Thanks so much for the contributions guys / girls, enjoying reading them.


On a personal note, have only lost another 2-3 pounds, but am enjoying exercise now more than I have in ages. Variation has definitely been the key to that. I did wonder if I was making a costly mistake by doing yoga and tai chi at home to a DVD rather than under the supervision of an instructor (ie risk of injury) but so far so good.



Have now used up (+ ditched) all health supplements now. Going totally with my blender and nutrition.

Glad I bought the kettlebell. Thankfully it wasn't a five-minute wonder and is not now gathering dust, pretty enjoyable to do, and arms definitely feel a bit more toned for a start.

Quote ="Richie"It's a bit extreme! I think you can squat more often than people think though, and recover faster than upper body work enables. My squat strength has really progressed since I added a third day a week of "practice" squats: just 60kg (my 1RM would be >160kg) for sets of 10, sitting right down into them lower than a normal squat. My other days involve working at 10-12 and 4-8 rep ranges by the way. If you're interested in something that involves that kind of volume, have a read of this rugbystrengthcoach.com/front-squat/'" decent article that, decided to just dive into smolov and liking it so far. I agree about squatting more often, even when I'm super sore, after a bit of rower and some stretches/foam roller I'm usually good to go

Quote ="Richie"It's a bit extreme! I think you can squat more often than people think though, and recover faster than upper body work enables. My squat strength has really progressed since I added a third day a week of "practice" squats: just 60kg (my 1RM would be >160kg) for sets of 10, sitting right down into them lower than a normal squat. My other days involve working at 10-12 and 4-8 rep ranges by the way. If you're interested in something that involves that kind of volume, have a read of this rugbystrengthcoach.com/front-squat/'" decent article that, decided to just dive into smolov and liking it so far. I agree about squatting more often, even when I'm super sore, after a bit of rower and some stretches/foam roller I'm usually good to go

Smolov update, 25kg PR from the base cycle alone. Probably more like 20 but I made sure to start with a realistic 1RM input that I could get to full depth with every time. Strength in my hips/glutes has skyrocketed.

Back to the diet theme.

I'm now investigating the [url=http://www.gaps.me/GAPS diet[/url.

I've started to ferment a load of cabbage and other vegetables and am aiming to start once they are in a state of readiness.

Has anyone else tried this?

Smolov has worked well for loads of people by all accounts and loads of top level powerlifters use high volume to great effect. I would imagine you have to be careful how much deadlifting you do alongside this or you may burn out or get injured. Paused squats and beltless squatting is working well for me at the mo. If i can get stronger without a belt and doing paused reps when i put a belt on i will see a bump in numbers on the top end. That is the plan at the moment anyway. Again though this is down to the individual. I can squat twice a week but have to be careful with the volume or my hips start to grumble. And as another poster put kettlebells are brilliant. Snatches, Clean and jerks, various swings, push presses, squats and thrusters are all fantastic exercises and kettlebells are relatively cheap to buy and take up little space. A great way to do some resistance training whilst working the heart too. A 12kg, 16kg and 20kg bell set is a great investment.