Workout/Nutrition Help Thread

haven't read thru all the posts here so please excuse my ignorant question....

this italian guy at my fitness gym started some crazy diet 3 weeks ago where he eats only 6hrs a day and starves the other 18. he claims that this diet got him all cut up in 3 weeks with a 6-pack. is he just making shiit up?

 

Lord, that price...

It is nearly 100% protein though, which is impressive. I just bought 10lbs of Syntha-6 for $54, so I'm good for a while, though I'll be on the look out for a cheap small container to try the Dymatize. Do you mix with water?

 

Yeah I just mix it with water and it still tastes good.

 

I'd think it is possible depending on his starting point. I've seen some pretty dramatic changes, though mostly from my college days.

Mind you, any extreme diet is hard to stick by, and isn't necessarily that healthy.

 

Like Juicy said, it all depends on his starting point but what your friend is doing is called Intermittent Fasting (IF). It's popular so you can read up on it. There are a few different methods and they can be successful. I tried the one day a week of 24hr fasting method. I was already in the middle of a workout regime and had lost 5-10 pounds, so it's hard to tell exactly how much I can attribute to IF but i did notice that the few weeks i did the fasting the weight seemed to drop faster. I do think it's a good way to help give you a little extra help. But yeah, it's not a miracle routine that will magically give you abs.

 

Intermittent fasting has a lot of benefits. No clue on if he'll get a six pack from it, but it is medically proven to work.

 

if he is making **** up depends on a lot of things..
3 weeks x 2 lb fat loss (a healthy amount i think) = 6lbs. if he was 6lbs away from a six pack (requires a body fat % of 8-12%) then sure..

he is not "starving" himself. he is getting his necessary calories in with a 6 hour window. starving would require you to forgo needed calories a lot more than 18 hours.

Intermittent fasting works if you understand math. It's not a weight loss diet. It's a way of eating for health benefits. You can lose weight on it by being mindful of the calories you consume a day while practicing it.

 

Love ISO100, switched to it from ON. My favorite flavor is strawberry and orange. Tastes delicious with water.

 

It's called intermittent fasting if you would like to look into it. Most people agree that it's a helpful tool to lose weight as it supposedly makes your stored fat more accessible to be burned as energy. A lot of people even do the one meal a day thing which is more extreme, basically 1 hour of eating and 23 hours of fasting.

 

So I just got done with my first successful bulk, went from 165 to 176 on a 3400 cal per day diet. Now that I’m cutting (down to 2200 or so calories a day) my body isn’t handling it well.

Feeling low on energy, tired. I get through my workouts fine but when I get home I take a shake (600 cals) then dinner but I still feel like I hit a damn wall. Is this normal and does the body get used to it? My first time cutting after a true bulk so new to this.

 

Why doesn't this mess with one's metabolism?

 

Do any of you run a lot, like 4 - 5 times a week consistently over several months (6+)? What would you say the biggest benefits have been for you?

Aside from some weight loss and muscle toning in the legs, I would say the biggest difference is in my gut and digestive system. It seems to be humming to me at a premium level. I've read that consistent exercise promotes good gut bacteria growth. My system has been great. I'm quite regular.

Also, my cardio conditioning levels feel quite good...which I would assume is a given at this point after several months. I read something that...after several months of consistent running...it pushes you to another level where it just gets easier and puts you in position to succeed even more at faster paces for longer. I don't feel like I'm there yet. But, I believe a lot of the running fight is pure mental. It's not can your body do it but can you mentally overcome what it takes to run longer distances over longer periods of times. In that sense, the mental aspect kind of wears on me after a while. Therefore, I usually won't run longer than 5 miles. It feels like my wall at the moment.

I've been running almost daily since February (usually 2, 3, or 4 mile sessions). I've never kept up consistent running like that past 2 or 3 months. But, the body feels great. And, I've been doing regular weight lifting for 3 months. The body feels like a machine and, overall, I feel a lot better than if I were just being lazy. My Dad has dementia and it's scary. I want to get my blood flowing and muscles regularly exercised as I age. My belief system is at a point where I feel it is absolutely necessary now and is no longer optional. I'm scared.

 

I'm not big into running (or jogging at least), but I have been doing moderate to heavy exercise just about every day for many years now.

I can safely say it makes EVERY aspect of life better. Glad to hear that you have kept up a nice routine for longer than ever. Do you plan to change it up at all? For me changing up the routine once in a while (every few months or so) is crucial not only for the benefits, but also for intrinsic motivation.

 

Any progress since your post?

Wish I could give a definitive answer but I don't have very much experiece in that arena. That said, cutting your calories (food energy) by roughly 50% seems like it could certainly have the effects you are describing. I think your body will adjust in due time.

My only advice is to make sure you are getting a plentiful supply of micronutrients from veggies etc to keep your brain happy and body systems functioning optimally.

 

On the weight lifting, I change up the weights a lot right now. I'm experimenting. I'm doing the same upper body lifting exercises but I'm doing both heavy weight-low rep sets and, next session, I'll go lower weight higher rep sets. So, I'm varying weight but not the exercise routine at the moment. I feel like the results are good and haven't stagnated. The change in weight keeps me interested at the moment. I'll change number of sets up as well per session. I'll probably change it up at some point. I use a Bowflex for my weight lifting. I've done a lot of off and on weight lifting over the years. Consistency is the key to anything imo. I've had a shift in my thinking in this regard that I hope will sustain me. I've also been pushing myself way harder finishing sets than I ever have...to where I can do no more. But, I'll rest with the weight still on...and do another five reps (or until failure) at a very high exertion level. The pain is quite something toward the ends of those sets. Ouch.

As far as running, I run on a treadmill currently. I watch TV to keep it entertaining. I change up pace some to keep it interesting with occasional incline activity. I don't know that it will ever be something I would ever consider as fun versus necessary, though. I do sweat a lot and am soaked on the longer runs. That's always fun.

 

Could not agree more (part I bolded). I always tell people start small and sloooooooooowly build. The key is a routine. Can't tell you how many people I see get all gung-ho off endorphins and dopamine, push too hard, completely burn out and quit.

Sounds like you have a good system going. I am a huge proponent of the low weight, high reps. The 'must get huge' mentality prevalent in gyms is not sustainable for 99% of people. My focus is on functional strength and endurance, with a heavy dose of flexibilty (AKA real world applications). I think watching TV on treadmill is a good idea. I used to run the same route every day and man does that get boring. Gotta do what it takes to make exercise something you look forward to instead of dread. Get to vs got to. Also, having a steady training partner, if possible, really takes it the next level IMO. The accountability adds a LOT of motivation. And just having someone to push you when you are feeling low energy.

 

It's supposed to boost your metabolism. Fasting for an extended period will decrease your metabolism, but only after 2 or 3 days. You're not fasting that long with IF and your metabolism will supposedly increase in a semi-fasted state.

Lot of info here: https://leangains.com/

 

Question for all the clutchfans bros:

In your opinion, what is the single 'best' exercise?

Broad question, I know. Just wanna get some new perspectives.

 

I'm trying to maintain 2300 cals. I'm on a rest week this week and have been feeling hungry in the mid-afternoons. My routine was high intensity which I didn't mind but I don't want to overexert myself after having reduced my calories by that much. Just taking it easy now and listening to my body.

Will get back to the gym next week after letting my muscles recover for a bit and see how I do. I really just want to see a six pack. It's covered under a layer of belly fat I've accumulated during the bulk.