Some quick work out/gym questions

[JohnnyA]

I started this morning on yet another healthy lifestyle kick. I'm 6'1, 263lbs this time. I'm on a good diet again, I just have some basic questions about how to make the best use of my time at the gym.

A.) Eat before I go to the gym or after I come home?

B.) Lifting weights will make me heavier because muscle weighs more, but it will increase my metabolism and force my body to burn more energy and that in turn will burn off fat. Is this true?

C.) When I'm working the weight machine that tagets my glutes should I use a smaller weight and do a lot, or use a heavy weight and do a solid 3 sets of 10. The goal is to get a tone defined ass that girls will get wet over.

D.) I want to burn the fat away from my gut. I know that the only way to lose the gut fat is by aerobics and a good diet. Will working on the machines that target ab muscles help burn gut fat or do they only define and strengthen the muscles and only help make the abs look good if said fat is gone.

and finally

E.) Would these all have the same effect, or is one better then the other.
30min aerobic/20 weight/20-30 aerobic
40-60 aerobic all at once/20 weight
20 weight/ then said aerobic

Thanks a lot if you can throw me any advice.


ps. What do people find attractive in a male's body? What's the male equal to having a nice pair of breasts? What makes a good looking male ass? I've always wanted a great ass, just not sure what a great ass is.

 

[vxrider]

Where to begin? Losing fat is 90% dependent on diet and only 10% dependent on exercise.What type of exercise is most important.Choose weight training and to hell with aerobics.Train in a high intensity fashion,i.e. set your strength training equipment up before you begin the workout,and then go thru it with as little rest between exercises as you can tolerate.You`ll adapt to the intensity as time goes by.Believe me,you`ll get a cardio workout without wasting time on boring cardio equipment.As you gain muscular bodyweight,your metabolism will shoot thru the roof.Also drink a lot of cold water throughout the day.A LOT.And make sure it`s cold.Since there is no such thing as cold excreted urine,your body will burn calories just by heating up the water before it`s expelled into the toilet.
Sample workout: Yesterday I did the following:

Deadlift
-rest 60 secs-
Leg press
-rest 30 secs-
Chin ups
-rest 30 secs-
Overhead press
-no rest-
Dips
-no rest-
Close grip bench press
-rest 30 secs-
Chin ups

Done.Total workout time was 13 min 46 secs.(Yes,I do keep track of everything).

 

[SusanneS]

What do people find attractive in a male's body? What's the male equal to having a nice pair of breasts?

Broad shoulders, muscular arms.

What makes a good looking male ass? I've always wanted a great ass, just not sure what a great ass is.

Firmness is where it's at!

Here's an example for you

http://www.sexhibition.fi/images/galleriat/blade/blade03.jpg

 

[Eilan]

I'm sure EJFan, the local diet and exercise guru, will be along shortly, but I don't see him here at the moment. There's another member, houseman, who pretty knowledgable about this stuff, but I haven't seen him at all lately.

Other than taking time off for injuries, high-risk pregnancies, and childbirth recovery, I've been lifting weights for 12 years. I'm currently getting ready to restart my training after a few weeks off due to a knee injury.

Eat before I go to the gym or after I come home?

I'd recommend doing both, but it depends on your goals. On the days that I run, I fuel differently than on the days that I lift weights or do weights and cardio at the same time.

Some people do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Others don't. There seems to be a bit of a debate about what's better. I have to eat something before I do cardio.

Lifting weights will make me heavier because muscle weighs more, but it will increase my metabolism and force my body to burn more energy and that in turn will burn off fat. Is this true?

It's incorrect to say that muscle "weighs" more than fat--a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. However, a pound of muscle is "denser" than a pound of fat. Increasing your lean body mass will increase your metabolism.

When I'm working the weight machine that tagets my glutes should I use a smaller weight and do a lot, or use a heavy weight and do a solid 3 sets of 10. The goal is to get a tone defined ass that girls will get wet over.

I want to burn the fat away from my gut. I know that the only way to lose the gut fat is by aerobics and a good diet. Will working on the machines that target ab muscles help burn gut fat or do they only define and strengthen the muscles and only help make the abs look good if said fat is gone.

I'd recommend staying away from machines (including ab machines) and using free weights or bodyweight exercises whenever possible.

That said, higher weights and lower reps and good for strength-building, while lower weights and high reps are good for endurance.

If your diet sucks, all the crunches and ab machines in the world won't give you the look you're after. We all have six-packs; some of them, however, are hidden under layers of fat.

Would these all have the same effect, or is one better then the other.
30min aerobic/20 weight/20-30 aerobic
40-60 aerobic all at once/20 weight
20 weight/ then said aerobic

Is there any particular reason why you've put a 20-minute time limit on weights?

When I do weights and cardio in the same session, I do cardio first, particularly on Leg Day.

ps. What do people find attractive in a male's body? What's the male equal to having a nice pair of breasts? What makes a good looking male ass? I've always wanted a great ass, just not sure what a great ass is.

I think you should have healthy eating and exercise habits because it's good for you, not because it'll attract the ladies.

If you're interested, here's a thread with lots of good info in it.

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=338308

 

[SubNebGuy]

great replies.

in summary:

NEVER workout on an empty stomach in a fasted state. you'll burn more muscle than fat.
stick to free weights, not machines.
heavy weight, lower reps. light weight and tons of reps doesn't build muscle, or strength, and weight training doesn't burn fat effectively to begin with.
diet is crucial. if you're eating too much, you won't lose fat.

 

[EJFan]

A.) Eat before I go to the gym or after I come home?

both... at least some carbs before (and maybe during) your workout.

high GI carbs and fast-digesting protein when you finish (a whey shake for example)

B.) Lifting weights will make me heavier because muscle weighs more, but it will increase my metabolism and force my body to burn more energy and that in turn will burn off fat. Is this true?

increased muscle mass will burn more calories because the muscle needs more calories to maintain... though your metabolism won't necessarily speed up. weightlifting is anaerobic.... aerobic exercise (like jogging, biking, etc.) will momentarily boost your metabolism... anaerobic exercise will cause your body to use more fuel AFTER the exercise is done.

in order to add muscle mass, you have to have a caloric SURPLUS (bulking). while in this phase you'll add fat no matter how hard you try not to... you then must "cut" (eat at a caloric deficit while maintaining your regimen) to decrease body fat and maintain lean mass.

C.) When I'm working the weight machine that tagets my glutes should I use a smaller weight and do a lot, or use a heavy weight and do a solid 3 sets of 10. The goal is to get a tone defined ass that girls will get wet over.

don't use machines. if you want a nicer ass, do squats (you should do them anyway). the reps to weight ratio is almost immaterial. IMO, the best way to build mass (and i think this is generally accepted) is to use the MOST amount of weight you can, while keeping perfect form, for about 2 or 3 sets of around 6 reps... in other words, you really want to be pushing yourself hard so that you're tearing up the muscle fibers. when they rebuild, they rebuild larger and stronger and that's how you gain mass... plus eating enough and the keeping your macros in line is as important as the workout itself.

D.) I want to burn the fat away from my gut. I know that the only way to lose the gut fat is by aerobics and a good diet. Will working on the machines that target ab muscles help burn gut fat or do they only define and strengthen the muscles and only help make the abs look good if said fat is gone.

no... you can't target fat loss. your body will reduce fat in the opposite order it added it. it'll leave your feet and hands first, then lower arms/legs, upper arms/legs, then gut last.

definition will come when the fat is reduced. some peoeple like to cut first (caloric surplus with intense cardio) then go to weightlifting and a bulking diet to add mass. others like to lift before losing the fat... different people respond to different things.

and finally

E.) Would these all have the same effect, or is one better then the other.
30min aerobic/20 weight/20-30 aerobic
40-60 aerobic all at once/20 weight
20 weight/ then said aerobic

Thanks a lot if you can throw me any advice.

i'd recommend doing about 50-75 minutes of weight lifting three times a week, with each session targeting a different muscle group. it takes the muscles almost a week to repair so you don't want to re-use a group that's recovering. i wouldn't do more than 75 minutes (in fact, i stay close to 45-60) because then you're not gaining anything... you're actually hurting your progress.

for fat loss, the BEST thing to do is some cardio AFTER the lifting. your glycogen levels are already lowered and your body will burn fat for fuel at this point. cardio on alternate days is fine too but after lifting is optimal.

in summary, fat loss can only happen when you're at a caloric deficit. increased muscle mass can only happen with a caloric surplus. they're contradictory of course... that's why you have to cycle that cutting/bulking regimen. know your weight and body fat percentage. when the percentage is too high for your liking, begin cutting and continue until the percentage is down to where you want it to be, then bulk again. when cutting, the reps and amount of weight you're lifting may decline but try to keep it at or near where it was when you started. the cutting and bulking caloric intake should be roughly 500 kcals less/more than your maintenance level per day. that will lead to about a pound lost/gained per week which is pretty optimal.

 

[Bottomlover]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is that to get the most benefit, you have to push the muscles to failure. If you finish the last rep, you didn't do enough.

 

[vxrider]

Push to failure.Yes.That`s what high intensity training is all about.5-8 sets of submaximal work pales in comparison to one all-out set to momentary muscular failure.I`ve trained this way since 1982,and it`s kept me young looking and physically strong.Plus,it`s time efficient.

 

[Rueben80]

If you want to lose that weight it is all about cardio. There are a ton of guys who can power lift but are still fat while there is no such thing as a fat guy who runs 10 miles or bikes 25 miles a day.

 

[e-monster]

If you want to lose that weight it is all about cardio. There are a ton of guys who can power lift but are still fat while there is no such thing as a fat guy who runs 10 miles or bikes 25 miles a day.

Agreed 100%. Weight lifting made me stronger and bigger but I never lost fat despite assurances to the contrary. I couldn't trim my waist size until I got into cardio. Biking, running, swimming, striding, etc. I didn't start seeing noticeable reduction in my waist size until I was well into training for a marathon. I found I had to sustain an elevated heart and breathing rate for at least 30-40 mins each day. Nothing else worked for me.

 

[Hooper_X]

A. If you're lifting weights you'll want to eat some carbs at least 45 minutes before you work out. If you're going aerobic exercise, you'd be better off waiting to eat until after your workout, thereby forcing your body to burn fat.

B. At 6' 1" and 263lb. you could easily loose weight and put on muscle at the same time, assuming that you aren't a bodybuilder who is 263 with very low body fat.

C. That depends. If you have what Hank Hill (King of the Hill) calls Diminish Gluteal Syndrome, then you should lift heavy in order to round out your butt.

D. There is no such thing as spot-reducing. You can tone muscles in a specific area, but the fat comes off according to a genetically predetermined pattern.

My best suggestion would be to start swimming regularly. There are few fat-burning exercises better than swimming laps. Swimming involves all of the major muscle groups of the body. And, at your weight, swimming is the least likely to result in impact injuries.

 

[footlongish]

It doesn't matter, a calorie is a calorie, whether you are burning it or eating it. There is no such thing as getting your body to burn fat by starving it. What the body burns depends on the exercise, not how hungry you are, unless you are truly starved.

Glucogen is stored in muscle tissue, so the body will burn that before it goes for fat and you don't want to burn muscle. Don't work out hungry.

I recommend a mixture of cardio and weight lifting. Cardio burns calories, but only while you do it. It builds cardiovascular endurance. Strength training builds muscle, which burns calories all the time. A couple pounds of actual muscle will burn a tremendous number of calories in a year.

I never work out when hungry. When lifting weights, if I am going hard, I often feel nauseous, so I eat light before and eat something sweet just before. I don't eat a lot during a cardio workout, but I eat during the work out to keep replenished. I have to eat a lot of protien after hard cardio workouts or I'm starving right away and through the night. Cheese, peanuts, fish, etc. gets the job done.

The easiest way to lose weight is to start eating right and to build muscle, but also throw in some cardio.

Eating right = low glycemic index diet. The South Beach diet is a good reference. I highly recommend it. BTW: I couldn't do the 2 week cleansing diet. Not enough cals and carbos. I just started doing the regular diet and it works great. Not really a diet in the calorie restriction sense, just a good clean way to eat. I eat less on the SB diet because I am less hungry. Blood sugar way more stable too. Throw away the soft drinks !

Build muscle = weights 3x a week. I do 20-30 minutes. It does a lot.

Cardio = a few sessions a week, depending on the activity.

Now, a bit of experience. Don't go gung ho into this with a pledge for a miraculous change. You will only burn yourself out and get disillusioned. You have to control the temptation to measure yourself. I highly recommend reading the "Courage to Start". The author went from not being able to run the length of his driveway to running marathons.

People will tell you that you need an hour of weights. Truthfully, 20-30 minutes done right and frequently will do an awful lot. Give yourself a lot of leeway. Start with ridiculously light weights to begin with to avoid soreness.

You are a big guy. No offense. I'm 6'+, a bit over 200 pounds and people think I am big. I vary my cardio routine. In winter I cross country ski or snowshoe. Great workouts. In summer I mountain bike, run, hike, bike or roller blade. Vary the sessions. I couldn't run every day. I'd get tired of it. Although I do have a treadmill and I can watch TV and run 3x a week. I do it all winter.

Cycling is a great activity because it keeps the stress off the knees and ankles and you stay cool. I like to ride 50 miles once a week on a road bike. I'm totally wiped after doing it, depending how fast I go. I usually do it in under 3 hours. That is my endurance work out for the week.

I roller blade 20Km once a week too. Takes an hour. The bike and blade is 4 hours of really good cardio right there. Throw in an hour of running or some swimming and you've got a great routine going.

For me exercise has to be lifestyle. I couldn't go to the gym to work out. I have a weight set and treadmill at home. The treadmill only gets used in the winter when the basement is cool. But it is well worth it just for that. Treadmilling in a hot house is terrible. Room needs to be less than 60F for a good run on one, because you have no wind. Use a humidifier in the treadmill room if the air is dry or you will get a sore throat. Or at least I do.

Back to the lifestyle thing. Exercise and eating right has to be something you do week in and week out. Don't start it gung ho and then drop it. Take your time, be patient with it, increase pace/distance/frequency slowly and make sure you are always enjoying it. I enjoy all my workouts, except the weights if I push too hard.

Its incredible what committing to a regular, enjoyable fitness routine will do for the body. People admire me physically. I am not a god or anything, I'm just really in shape for my age.

The payoff ? Great sex. Honestly. If I don't work out for a week, I don't want to have sex because I feel awful. If wifey wants it fast and hard, I'll be puffing. Start riding 3 hours a week on the bike and no puffing and wifey (or ex gf) is amazed at the strength and endurance ! Its a confidence thing.

Women like muscles. Women don't like flab. They don't necessarily want body builders, but they don't like tummy slap, if you know what I mean.

Work out with people. It makes a big difference. Expect that (other) people will quit. Work out with them when you can, but be prepared to go it alone. Schedule workouts and make them a priority.

Buy good equipment. I've got good skis, snowboard, bikes, hiking gear, weight machine, treadmill, etc. Yes, it adds up money wise. But the stuff never wears out. Buy quality. For a treadmill, I highly recommend Vision. Don't fall for gimmicks.

I hope this helps get you started. There are lots and lots of fads and gimmicks in the fitness arena. I've been riding bikes for 20 years, running about 12, on and off, weights and treadmill for 3. The key is to stick with it, at whatever intensity you can muster. I never say "I'm going to run 5Km in 24 minutes today." I always make myself start the run and once I am in it, I go at a pace that is comfortable. Running slow today won't harm me. If I stop running entirely next week, that is bad. What usually happens is I get going and something kicks in that propells me to go hard. Not always, but usually. And then I do. But don't force it, goal wise. I always start a workout and if I don't feel up to it, I quit. I don't quit often, but I do once in a while. But I always start. The rest usually takes care of itself.

PM me if you want to discuss things further.

 

[footlongish]

One more thing. A heart rate monitor is an excellent investment. I use one on the treadmill. Its sometimes quite hard to gauge how hard you are working out. Heart rate monitors tell the truth.

The Courage to Start book is excellent because it deals with the number one reason why people quit working out. Expectations. I always target the duration and let everything else take care of itself.

 

[JohnnyA]

Wow, thanks everyone. The advice I've read here this morning looks priceless. I'm taking it all to heart and I can't wait to get to the gym. The biggest thing I want to do is to not waste my time at the gym. It takes dedication to get yourself there every single day and I hate to think of my hard work as going to waste.

I think as a final question. The weight lifting, defining body it's an art and a science. I will keep studying what you all have said and put it to good use.

If I go to the gym and do 30 minutes of cardio a day for 1 week at the end of the week will I weigh less? Taking into account that I'm eating right.


Should I weigh myself everyday? once a week? 3 days? I want to know if it's working, but I don't want to get discouraged.


Thanks again

 

[vxrider]

Just do a google search for books by Ellington Darden.These books will help to destroy the bullshit surrounding the myth of having to do "aerobics." It`s all about building and maintaining metabolically active muscle tissue.

 

[footlongish]

Don't constantly weigh yourself. Don't look for immediate results. You will be disappointed. Just change your lifestyle for the better and over the long term the changes will appear.

The Darden books are kind of hokey.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=br_ss_h...eywords=Ellington+Darden&Go.x=7&Go.y=10&Go=Go

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/06...4649/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-8929826-2970512?ie=UTF8

Yes, muscle burns calories. It burns more when you are moving them too. Thus cardio and other exercise in general is a good thing.

Do strength training. Do some cardio. Eat right. Stay motivated. Do it every week. The rest will take care of itself.

 

[EJFan]

one thing that i've recommended to EVERYONE i know and have posted about here on a number of occasions...

for a fantastic overview of general health and the way the body works & responds to different things, get a copy of "you: the owner's manual" by drs. mehmet oz and michael roizen. it's in basic language that any idiot can understand, has no agenda and gives a lot of fantastic information including general workout guidelines.

this book won't help you with bodybuilding, per se, but it WILL give you a lot of information about all the body's systems and what you can do to hurt or help them.

 

[TBKahuna123]

Just about everythign here is great information and I agree with all of it, with a couple other caveats.

Weightlifting

Reps: The basics are that if you want muscle tone, you lift lighter wieghts for more reps. If you want to increase mass, you want heavier weights in shorter reps. You want tone, so go lower weights for longer reps, say 15 instead of 10.

Machiens vs. Free Weights: Free weights are definitely better. Not only are you linearly pushign the weight, but you are forced to use corrrect form, which works all aspects of the target muscle group. That said, it is very easy to do free weight exercises wrong, which can make the exercise ineffective and even dangerous. My suggestion would be to START with machines, because you don't have to think about it so much. Once you get comfortable with your weight limits and you get into the habit of working out in general, then move on to free weights. If you can, get a trainer to help you with formt he first couple times, that was you know you are doing the exercises right.

Abs: Crunches will NOT help you burn weight around the middle, but they will help you get rid of a spare tire. A lot of guys' gut problems (me included) are due to lack of ab muscle tone as well as excess fat. Plus, this is the core fo your whole body, so strengthening those muscles will help everything else.

Weight Loss: Cardio is the only way, man. I honestly believe that it doesn't matter what kind of cardio you do, so long as you do something for at least 20 minutes which gets your heart rate up. Bike, Treadmill, elliptical, it does't matter. Find the one which best fits your body and go with it.

Eating & Working out: I for one can not work out on an empty stomach. I usually eat about half a Zone bar before I work out. It gives me enough of a glycemic boost to get my metabolism going without putting too many calories into my system.

Diet: I'm not familiar with the SB diet, to be truthful, but I have seen a couple nutritionists. They both said the same thing, you don't need a gimick diet. If you eat unprocessed foods like fresh vegetables and whole grains, your body will use them more efficiently. Also, eating six times a day is crucial as it keeps your metabolism going at a consistent rate, thus you burn fat all day long.

There is one crucial thing that you have to do though, if you are going to succeed: DON'T GIVE UP!!!! I am notorious for starting a workout program and giving up when I get busy. You have to make it a priority and stick with it if you are going to succeed. You will have your peaks and valleys, your weight will drop fast, then plateau, it will be frustrating, but you can't give up.

Good luck!

 

[Cockyfox]

((scribble scribble))

I'm glad I checked this thread.

 

[Momasboy17404]

Well, alot was said here and alot of good imput and all have validity.

My advise is to find and activity you like. You said you are starting "yet another healthy lifestyle kick". This gives me the impression you may have started several things that you failed to stick to.

Lifting weights is like prison camp for me. I power lift because I am a college wrestler though I hate it. To loose weight and build stamina nothing beats running. If running is not your bag get yourself in aerobics class to augment the lifting.

No need to spend hours in a gym. Unless you are a crazed gym rat you will not keep your focus. Target your major muscle groups and 20-30 minutes of lifting will do the trick.

What you eat is the key. Fast food is poison. Get rid of the taters and breads. Red meat is poison. Eat fish and chicken. Get rid of the salt shaker. Drink shit loads of cold water. Stay away from soda.

Dude if you wanna loose that spare tire diet and aerobics is the key.

Do not let those clowns at your gym con you into those suppliment drinks. Waste of cash for what you are looking for anyway.

Just my two cents

 

[Lurnk]

...What do people find attractive in a male's body? What's the male equal to having a nice pair of breasts? What makes a good looking male ass?...

Yes, broad, firm shoulders are delicious along with a flat belly--I'm not much into six-packs, though.

A great ass? Yeah, that guy up there in the pic's a good example, if a little too muscled and lean.



Lurnk.

 

[SubNebGuy]

If you want to lose that weight it is all about cardio. There are a ton of guys who can power lift but are still fat while there is no such thing as a fat guy who runs 10 miles or bikes 25 miles a day.

bullshit.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/alwyn8.htm - explains why cardio is NOT the key to fat loss...that cardio trains your body to get MORE energy out of LESS fat, so fat burns SLOWER.

the people who go to my gym and do nothing but ass loads of cardio have the worse body compositions...too much fat, and/or not enough lean muscle mass.

do cardio for your heart. lift weights to build muscle and therefore burn more calories naturally. eat correctly to use fat for energy.

 

[Rueben80]

bullshit.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/alwyn8.htm - explains why cardio is NOT the key to fat loss...that cardio trains your body to get MORE energy out of LESS fat, so fat burns SLOWER.

the people who go to my gym and do nothing but ass loads of cardio have the worse body compositions...too much fat, and/or not enough lean muscle mass.

do cardio for your heart. lift weights to build muscle and therefore burn more calories naturally. eat correctly to use fat for energy.

Yeah, you are absolutely correct because there are a ton of fat people running marathons, doing triathlons, duathlons, cross country, and bike racing.

Furthermore, in Europe they don't have close to the same obesity rates. Take a guess as to what their number one sport is and what it involves doing for a couple hours. Get a clue before quoting some pseudoscience from a body building skewed website. No, correction. Quote it all you want just for the sake of hilarity.



"The biggest problem with aerobic training is that you get better at it. In weight training, as you get better, you add more weight or more reps and there is literally no finish line. "

YES, he is correct. Aerobic training is terrible because you get better at it.

 

[JohnnyA]

Thank you all so much. I've been going everyday and I will keep going everyday.

I just need to mush all this advice into something that makes sense for my body. Igf anyone wants to help me out I wouldn't mind getting someones email address or ### and help each other out.

 

[SubNebGuy]

"The biggest problem with aerobic training is that you get better at it. In weight training, as you get better, you add more weight or more reps and there is literally no finish line. "

YES, he is correct. Aerobic training is terrible because you get better at it.

Did you digest the article, or just skim it?

If your car became more efficient the more you drove it, pretty soon you'd get 1,000miles to a gallon of gas.
How would that be good for fat loss? being able to run 100 miles on 1 pound of fat, instead of 10 miles on a pound of fat like when you got started running?

You're missing the point. Cardio is great for your heart, and that's why you do aerobic exercise.
If you really wanna lose fat, you lift heavy weights, and fix your daily food intake to create a slight deficit under your daily maintenance intake.