(10-01-2011 02:46 AM)Mark Wrote:  Yeah, the second part was aimed at Brian.

I've seen the "must eat every 3-4 hours" thing debunked. I've also seen the "can't eat before bed" thing debunked as well.

There are more and more people coming out and saying you can do both (cut fat and gain muscle) at the same time. A lot of it is hype and nonsense meant to make a quick buck. The only instances I've seen it back up by scientific research is when it's done by carb cycling or intermittent fasting. Both of which require very strict dieting and nutrition.

I'm just very skeptical when it comes to the fitness niche. It's full of even more garbage than the dating niche and honestly many nutritionists and scientists still disagree on what's fact and what's fiction. So you really have to pick your way around it.

I would still tell a skinny newbie with little gym experience to bulk first. Newbies will lose fat while bulking anyway. Bulking also takes the least amount of discipline and gives the quickest noticeable results on a skinny guy to keep him motivated. If a guy can't bench press half of his own body weight, and is 18% BF, then going through all of the extra effort and stress to do both at once doesn't make much sense to me.

But like I said, I'm no expert.

Yeah. I just posted it to give a different perspective as well, so people can form they own opinion.

Personally I now eat around 2600 kcal. haha when you're 5 foot 9 muscle comes easy .

But I've also had period where I ate 2000 kcal and I still gained muscle, but I had to do a carb refeed every once in a while.

Yeah, thanks for posting. I guess I was grouchy when I watched it.

I did a Lyle McDonald carb cycle thing this spring where I gained a little muscle and lost fat at the same time. It was utter hell. Most miserable workouts and strictest diet I've ever been on. I gave up after three weeks.

I will say, bulking with the leangains.com intermittent fasting right now is fucking awesome. I feel like I've barely put on any fat at all, and I'm gaining muscle and getting much stronger. Very easy to follow as well.

Yeah diet is really tough, that's why I really aim Longer term with this. Also if you're really strict, don't be ashamed to plan a cheat meal every once in a while.

Note: PLAN!!! not when you want it and it says meal, not day.

one of the biggest advantages of working out is that it increases your libido enormously. Especiallly squats

Heh, my diet was pretty strict, and it was working...

And then I ate lasagna last night.


The real problem is that since I'm off campus and I don't have a car, I literally have to bike/walk several miles a day, which along with my gym routine makes me so active that I have mad hunger cravings. Should I just listen to my body and try to eat healthy when I get such cravings, or is it a sign of a more systemic problem?

(10-01-2011 10:21 AM)Matt T Wrote:  Heh, my diet was pretty strict, and it was working...

And then I ate lasagna last night.


The real problem is that since I'm off campus and I don't have a car, I literally have to bike/walk several miles a day, which along with my gym routine makes me so active that I have mad hunger cravings. Should I just listen to my body and try to eat healthy when I get such cravings, or is it a sign of a more systemic problem?

Often time, when you have sugar craving, it's basically means your brain needs fuel.

Despite what mark sisson likes to bullshit, your body CANNOT synthesize enough sugar to sustain your brain. Your brain actually use quite a bit of calories...around 25 percent. At certain point, you need carb "refeed" mainly to feed your brain. So yes, small doses of sugar is good for your brain but mainly try to eat healthy imo.

Sugar is unhealthy. You mean complex carbohydrates, right? You can eat oatmeal with milk and berries, noodles, potatoes, rice, bread and corn to feed your body with carbohydrates. These provide energy longer than sugar and are healthier than sugar.

(09-30-2011 12:37 AM)Mark Wrote:  You pretty much got it. For bulking, three times a week, and never work out for more than 45-60 minutes at a time. That should do it. If you're skinny and trying to get big, focus on the big compound exercises: squats, deadlifts, bench and military presses, chin ups and rows. Stuff like bicep curls and calf raises aren't going to do anything.

Lift heavy. Lift to failure.

Eat like a goddamn animal, good healthy whole foods 4-6 times a day: lots of lean beef and chicken, eggs, tuna, veggies, sweet potatoes, brown rice, wheat bread, etc. Try to eat most of your carbs either in the morning or immediately after a work out. Eat 500-1000 calories over your maintenance level (can be calculated online, google around).

Do that for 3 months and guarantee you'll add some serious muscle.

Also, I highly, highly, highly recommend creating a diet log. I always knew a lot about nutrition, but I would slip up and fuck up with my diet all the time for years. I was a keyboard jockey basically. I had no discipline. Finally about a year ago I started keeping track of everything I ate on an excel spreadsheet and it's seriously changed everything. It's made me accountable and congizent of everything I put into my body. For the first time in my life I'm starting to get a really nice body this year, and I can totally attribute it to tracking my calories. I've lifted and exercised hard for years. But it wasn't until this last year that my diet got really tight.

Nice post!
The bolded is nonsense though.

(10-01-2011 07:18 PM)Brian Wrote:  

(10-01-2011 10:21 AM)Matt T Wrote:  Heh, my diet was pretty strict, and it was working...

And then I ate lasagna last night.


The real problem is that since I'm off campus and I don't have a car, I literally have to bike/walk several miles a day, which along with my gym routine makes me so active that I have mad hunger cravings. Should I just listen to my body and try to eat healthy when I get such cravings, or is it a sign of a more systemic problem?

Often time, when you have sugar craving, it's basically means your brain needs fuel.

Despite what mark sisson likes to bullshit, your body CANNOT synthesize enough sugar to sustain your brain. Your brain actually use quite a bit of calories...around 25 percent. At certain point, you need carb "refeed" mainly to feed your brain. So yes, small doses of sugar is good for your brain but mainly try to eat healthy imo.

Gluconeogenesis (from Amino Acids).
Some people adapt to low carb very well. Some don't. Depends mainly on BF and genetics. (Former) Fatties tend to fare better on lower carbs. But as it depends on your reactions.

(10-01-2011 10:51 PM)Happy Wrote:  

(10-01-2011 07:18 PM)Brian Wrote:  

(10-01-2011 10:21 AM)Matt T Wrote:  Heh, my diet was pretty strict, and it was working...

And then I ate lasagna last night.


The real problem is that since I'm off campus and I don't have a car, I literally have to bike/walk several miles a day, which along with my gym routine makes me so active that I have mad hunger cravings. Should I just listen to my body and try to eat healthy when I get such cravings, or is it a sign of a more systemic problem?

Often time, when you have sugar craving, it's basically means your brain needs fuel.

Despite what mark sisson likes to bullshit, your body CANNOT synthesize enough sugar to sustain your brain. Your brain actually use quite a bit of calories...around 25 percent. At certain point, you need carb "refeed" mainly to feed your brain. So yes, small doses of sugar is good for your brain but mainly try to eat healthy imo.

Gluconeogenesis (from Amino Acids).
Some people adapt to low carb very well. Some don't. Depends mainly on BF and genetics. (Former) Fatties tend to fare better on lower carbs. But as it depends on your reactions.

I dont see how anyone can adapt to low carbs. By low carbs i mean less than 30 grams per day. Everyone on a ketosis diet feel like complete shit. That is because their brain is screaming out SUGAR!! That's not to say you should consume hundreds of grams of carbs in one meal and spike your insulin, but small doses of good complex carb is needed imo.

everything is bullshit if you don't place it into context:

the training to failure is used for people who train with high intensity meaning low reps (5-7) and a minimum number of sets (6-7 for big muscle groups) and (2-3 for short muscle groups).

There is always going to be a trade-off between the number of sets and reps and the intensity of the excercise.

I also try to keep my workouts limited, 1u20 max. This mostly happens when I've taken more rest between sets.