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The get fit, stay fit thread


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Read a few times that the body can use excess fat stores to provide the energy excess that extra calories would provide if they were available.  The whole things very vague and person specific but I think when people quote the laws of thermodynamics regarding fat loss/lean muscle gain they forget that the human body isn't a machine.

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55 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I also think, but can't offer a hugely informed opinion, that dropping carbs and getting the majority of your calories from protein might hinder your ability to work out to sufficient intensity.  You just can't fuel heavy workouts without eating carbs.

 

 

Absolutely spot on.  I can only base it on my experiences playing semi-professional rugby but any S & C coach or nutritionist I've worked with has always said that carbs are still essential for providing energy to your body.  By all means you can reduce them, provided you use protein and good fats to supplement that calorie loss, but you cannot cut them out all together otherwise you'll feel shattered.  

Another thing to remember is something like constant cardio (e.g. jogging, cycling etc.) won't really help loose fat whilst maintain muscle. For that, you want to look at HIIT training that is a mixture of some cardio exercises, free weight exercises and body weight exercises.  

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12 hours ago, Detournement said:

I'm sceptical about whether you can actually lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously to any great degree. One requires a calorie deficit and the other a surplus. 

As you say losing fat is easily identified. Muscles changes are more likely to be due to less fat, less fluid getting retained if you are eating clean and existing muscle getting pumped rather than growing new tissue. 

There are a very limited set of circumstances in which both can happen - predominantly someone who has never lifted weights before. Once a person is past that stage it's pretty much impossible to do at the same time.

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26 minutes ago, super_carson said:

Absolutely spot on.  I can only base it on my experiences playing semi-professional rugby but any S & C coach or nutritionist I've worked with has always said that carbs are still essential for providing energy to your body.  By all means you can reduce them, provided you use protein and good fats to supplement that calorie loss, but you cannot cut them out all together otherwise you'll feel shattered.  

Another thing to remember is something like constant cardio (e.g. jogging, cycling etc.) won't really help loose fat whilst maintain muscle. For that, you want to look at HIIT training that is a mixture of some cardio exercises, free weight exercises and body weight exercises.  

I'd been eating low carb/high protein/high fat for a long time now (doing 1 high carb/low fat day a week supposedly to protect hormone levels) and train before  work in the mornings.  Always had some higher GI carbs after training and that's usually usually all my carbs for the day so keto levels basically if done regularly enough.  Recently took the advice of a lady I know and have overnight oats before training in the mornings instead of training fasted and it's made a huge difference in performance.  Now also eating higher carbs the 2 days a week I do training that's closer to strength than cardio.

Edited by Boostin' Kev
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I've never been able to fathom how folk train on an empty stomach, I've tried doing a heavy weights session even with an inadequate breakfast and I have nothing like the power I do if I've had a proper one. Maybe you get used to it.
I train first thing in the morning and have to do it on an empty stomach. Occasionally I'll have a banana or something but if I'm doing a heavy leg session or deadlifts then I won't eat anything as it seems to just sit in my stomach and can make me feel quite sick.
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On 21/11/2020 at 10:23, djchapsticks said:

Been hitting the gym pretty hard the last 13 weeks. Until yesterday of course.

I've lost about 2 stone in weight in 12 weeks and must have stuck about a stone, stone and a half of muscle on.

There is no problem losing weight and gaining muscle for most people. Especially if you had 2 stone to lose. You also build muscle surprisingly quickly when you either begin resistance training seriously for the first time (called newbie gains) or coming back to it (sometimes called muscle memory, but another physiological effect also has that name). In your first few months of serious training you can make surprising gains in strength and muscle size.

Where the idea that you cannot grow muscle and lose fat comes from is people who are already regularly resistance training or are reasonably lean (if new). Body building websites and articles will emphasise that you cannot do both, but these are aimed at people who have been in the gym 5 years and are looking to cut down to 12% body fat or lower. Or are generally pretty close to their genetic potential when they start cutting. I think this advise gets passed on without the context. 

 

Edited by dorlomin
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3 hours ago, Ron Aldo said:
5 hours ago, MixuFruit said:
I've never been able to fathom how folk train on an empty stomach, I've tried doing a heavy weights session even with an inadequate breakfast and I have nothing like the power I do if I've had a proper one. Maybe you get used to it.

I train first thing in the morning and have to do it on an empty stomach. Occasionally I'll have a banana or something but if I'm doing a heavy leg session or deadlifts then I won't eat anything as it seems to just sit in my stomach and can make me feel quite sick.

Don't like training on a heavy stomach myself. I have 40g oats/80ml almond milk soaked overnight with a combination of cacao nibs, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, chia seeds and seasoning 60-90 mins before training now, made a big difference. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

After not lifting for a few weeks, I've just done 3x5 @ 100kg squat (with warmup), 3x5 @ 60kg front squat, 3x10 @ 70kg squat and 3x10 @ 25kg press.

I am not looking forward to my legs tomorrow morning.

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On 24/11/2020 at 11:37, MixuFruit said:

I've never been able to fathom how folk train on an empty stomach, I've tried doing a heavy weights session even with an inadequate breakfast and I have nothing like the power I do if I've had a proper one. Maybe you get used to it.

From my own experience, you definitely do. I usually tend to find I have another 5-10% in the tank when I do eat.

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Couple of weeks and people will be making those new years resolutions. Can you lose weight and gain muscle? Bit of a long and technical video but the short answer is most people should be able . Best ignore the bro science that you cant. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4K0s792wAU

My own quick timestamps. 

00:50 who can undergo recomposition
04:20 how to undergo recomposition
05:20 which goals should you aim for. 
05:50 calorie goals. 
06:20 Macronutrients. 
07:45 The golden secret of training. 
08:50 supplements. 

 

broscience.png.292ad2cf5eb6abdcbb4e3f248d4d6f0f.png

 

Probably the best tip for getting fitter for anyone starting or as most will be, restarting, your efforts is to aim small. Aim to do one thing every day at roughly the same time or same part of your day; for example when you wake up or get home from work. Just commit to one thing a day and do it for about 21 days or 3 weeks. Say for example 5 push ups when you wake up. Or alternate one day a couple of push ups the next day some half squats, down to a chair level then back up. Now people will tell you you need to take x amount of rest on a muscle group to gain optimal results and all that, but what is ten times more important, doing something regularly and its the easiest way to fall out of doing things. Putting off todays exersize session because you dont have 50 minutes for the workout video and before you know it you never have the 50 minutes.

Start small but ruthlessly consistent. 

Its far easier to have a small habit that is easy to do and get into that habit every day than to aim for some grand plan twice a week or even worse aim to do an hour in gym every day. 

Once you have your one habit you can then start expanding it and hanging other habits of off it. So when you have done your pushups you add some crunches then a few easyish burpees. And once the habit is dialled in, hen all the more advanced training tips and programs can start becoming relevant. 48 hours rest on muscle groups, how many sets\ time between sets\time under tension and all that. Build the first habit and make it stick. 

This is a technique called "Atomic Habits", Id 100% say its also great if you want to start meditating or studying or even get back into reading. Just start small but be ruthless with the consistency. Set an alarm clock, you read at 9 every night for 5 minutes. Thats all. So even if you have a busy day and lots of excuses you get that 1 5 minute session and make the habit stick. 

Also if you are thinking about getting back into being fit, especially in the new year: start now. Get those first 3 weeks of doing shitty push ups that look and feel awkward, those body weight squats where it feels like your going to fall back on your arse, get them over in the weeks before Hogmanay, get the habit building started and hit the new year ahead of the pack, feeling like this is more than a fad. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Needing a goal/challenge. Not a good year for it I know, but in the last couple of years signing up to stuff to push myself mentally and physically has helped me. I currently lack this drive although im not struggling for motivation or enjoyment to go to the gym, I need some direction in my training. Its all a bit bitty just now. Moving from one thing to another as my fancy changes. Given the restrictions in place its likely to be something solo. Thinking about trying to get into the 500 club (200 squat, 200 dead lift, 100 bench) Imagiine that would probably take me the best part of a year to get to. Is anyone pursuing any physical challenges atm?

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Needing a goal/challenge. Not a good year for it I know, but in the last couple of years signing up to stuff to push myself mentally and physically has helped me. I currently lack this drive although im not struggling for motivation or enjoyment to go to the gym, I need some direction in my training. Its all a bit bitty just now. Moving from one thing to another as my fancy changes. Given the restrictions in place its likely to be something solo. Thinking about trying to get into the 500 club (200 squat, 200 dead lift, 100 bench) Imagiine that would probably take me the best part of a year to get to. Is anyone pursuing any physical challenges atm?
I like to try different programs from time to time. I downloaded Thor Bjornsson's "power program" the other day and will definitely give it a go at some point. Only issue is it's a 12 week program and I would be very doubtful of getting a run of 12 weeks in the gym without them being shut again.
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7 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

Needing a goal/challenge. Not a good year for it I know, but in the last couple of years signing up to stuff to push myself mentally and physically has helped me. I currently lack this drive although im not struggling for motivation or enjoyment to go to the gym, I need some direction in my training. Its all a bit bitty just now. Moving from one thing to another as my fancy changes. Given the restrictions in place its likely to be something solo. Thinking about trying to get into the 500 club (200 squat, 200 dead lift, 100 bench) Imagiine that would probably take me the best part of a year to get to. Is anyone pursuing any physical challenges atm?

This has been my struggle this year. I've now hit two stone since March through to extreme lack of motivation.

I'm hoping beyond hope the Edinburgh Half goes ahead in May.

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I like to try different programs from time to time. I downloaded Thor Bjornsson's "power program" the other day and will definitely give it a go at some point. Only issue is it's a 12 week program and I would be very doubtful of getting a run of 12 weeks in the gym without them being shut again.
Yeah, as far as the 500 target goes, that would be the biggest potential issue. Really need consistent training to meet that target.

I could pick something that is unaffected by gym closures like running but doing a 10k was last years (admittedly not huge) challenge, and I dont really like running.

There just needs to be a goal to reach, so I can use that to push through and tell myself iv got it about me to do it.

Like I say it's not lack of motivation to get to the gym, it's just looking for a focus and something that I could call an achievement
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From the reading I've done, it is possible to drop fat and maintain muscle mass but it's an incredibly difficult balance to strike.  You'll need to be in a calorie deficit so your body burns fat, but be consuming enough protein to maintain your muscle mass.  I've read that around 2g of protein for every 1kg of body weight should maintain muscle mass, if you drop the carbs back (but not totally, your body still needs some) to the point that the majority of your calories come from protein then that may help.  I don't know how much this translates into developing muscle, as I'd have thought that requires a calorie surplus  which would only actually add weight.   
 
As ICTChris has said, it usually works out that people "bulk" (high calories, hypertrophy gym work) for a period then dramatically reduce their calorie intake while still consuming enough protein and doing enough reps to maintain a significant amount of the gained muscle.


I managed to do it when j followed a 8 week plan from an online guy. I got pretty ripped doing it but also a lot stronger. It was fucking hell though and not sustainable
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I hadn’t been in a gym since Uni until December, but then started going again and was really enjoying it. Gave you something to work on and fill time with nothing else to do at the moment. 

I’m very reluctant to talk about mental health etc as overall I’m absolutely fine, but having the gym to go to was definitely helping with overall mood and happiness during a shite time. Gutted they’ll be shut again for January and probably further.

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