Diet Fitness Questions and Answers

Judging by these photos of me (I'm 13 years old; 5'6"), am I at an average weight or a bit on the heavy side?

Here are the photos of me NOW:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16415690@N0...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16415690@N0...

Here's the backstory: about 7 or 8 months ago, I asked a similar question to this one; some people said I was average weight, so I decided that there would be no harm in overeating for a while. Well, since then I've gained quite a bit of weight; here's a picture of me back then:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16415690@N0...

So, I guess my question is am I still at a good weight like I was back then or am I a bit too heavy now? Also, does it look like I have gained too much weight over these past months? Please be honest...

Answers: Your a little overweight but if that is your look/style it's your choice. If your happy what does it matter.

Didn't you post this question a few days ago?
Anyway, I think you should lose some weight.

You are over weight and it is pretty gross.

I have been receiving a lot of e-mail lately about diet. In the past, I was never concerned about what I ate. I just went to the gym, trained hard, and that was the extent of my routine. Not until recently did I realize the power diet has over the way your body looks and performs. I believe that diet is at least 75% of the fitness equation. In this article, I'm going to describe in detail what I have learned about diet during my 12-week transition period.
When to Eat and How Often
This might sound strange, but you have to eat more often to lose fat and gain muscle. During my transition period, I never ate less than 6 meals a day.
• Try to eat every 2 to 3 hours.
• Do not eat complex carbohydrates after 6:00 p.m. or four to five hours before going to bed.
• Try to eat one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass on lifting days and .8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass on non-lifting days.
• Never eat more than 70 grams of protein in one meal.
Carbohydrates
When I think of carbohydrates, I think of energy. Carbohydrates supply our bodies with the energy it needs to make it through a workout. Without an adequate supply of carbohydrates, the body goes into carbohydrate deprivation. This is called a state of ketosis (meaning our body is using protein as energy). This is not a good state to be in for long because it will rob the body of muscle tissue in an effort to create energy. On the other hand, if too many carbohydrates are consumed, they convert into stored fat. The idea is to consume just enough carbohydrates to make it through our workouts with sufficient energy. I have broken down carbohydrates into these three categories:
• Simple carbs: These are sugars, or quick energy. They are absorbed very quickly into the body. Ex. Anything with sugar, also fruit
• Complex carbs: This is where you get long-term energy for the day. These are long chained carbohydrates that brake down slower, giving us energy over a prolonged period of time. Ex. Oatmeal, potatoes, pasta, rice, breads
• Fibrous carbs: These are things like vegetables. I think of them as roughage in order to stay regular. Make sure you include them in you later meals when you can't eat complex carbs. They are also a good source of vitamins. Ex. Leafy vegetables like lettuce.
Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of our muscles. Without a sufficient amount of protein in our diet, our muscles will not have the raw materials that they need to build up, or even hang on to what is already there.
Net protein utilization: Not all protein is created equal. Different foods are absorbed more than others. For example, egg white protein is absorbed at 88%. That means we get about 9 eggs to our muscles. On the other hand, chicken breast are absorbed at 68%, meaning we get about 7 breasts to our muscles. It is imported to eat a wide verity of protein foods though; no one protein source has all the amino acids we need.
• Whey protein (100%): the best source of whey protein is from protein supplements. It is also absorbed very fast by the body, so it is best to take this when your body needs amino acids quickly: like right after a workout or when you first get up in the morning.
• Egg whites (88%)
• Fish (78%)
• Chicken breast (78%)
• Soy protein: My one bit of advice would be to try and stay away from soy protein. It is not absorbed very well by the body.
Fats
We normally think of fats as being bad. The fact is certain fats are essential to building muscle and carrying out various functions of the body. There are 2 fat types we need to be concerned about:
• Saturated fats: these are the bad fats. Avoid these fats as much as possible. You will find these types of fats mostly in meats
• Unsaturated fats: these are the good fats. They are a good energy source and help us build muscle. You can find from plant oils. Peanuts are also a good source.
Water
Do not under estimate the importance of water! If you are looking to get lean, water will be your best friend. Drink as much as you can and as often as you can. Also, it is very important to drink lots of water when you're eating large amounts of protein to clean urea from the system.
Vitamins & minerals
As resistance training athletes, we have a greater need for vitamins & minerals. When we workout and bring blood to our muscles it is important that our blood is full of those essential vitamins & minerals if we want to grow.
Supplements
Supplements are just that, meaning they are used to supplement your diet, not replace it. Don't ever think of it that way.
Hierarchy of supplements:
I developed this hierarchy of supplements based on what I thought were the most important and also by price.
• 1. Proper diet: Without proper diet you are just wasting money on supplements. Start here! Do not think that supplements are going to do it for you alone.
• 2. Multi-vitamin & mineral: It is very important to have all your vitamins & minerals when resistance training. Most of us are lacking in some areas, make it a priority to make this your first supplement.
• 3. Protein powder: It is usually very hard to get all the protein you need from real foods. Powders make it much easier. Also, these powders are absorbed fast by the body making them ideal after workouts or before and after sleep.
• 4. Creatine: This is great for harder workouts. It also makes you muscles hang on to water, giving them a better environment to grow.
• 5. L-glutamine: This is an important amino acid in muscle recovery
• 6. Branch chained amino acid: These are great before and after workouts along with L-glutamine because it gives your muscles all the amino acids it needs to repair and grow.
• 7. ZMA: This helps you release more growth hormone while you sleep, increasing your size and strength.
• 8. Thermogenic: These really help in the fat loss process. They also help you hang on to more muscle while dieting due to the fact you can eat more.
• 9. Meal replacement: Although very expensive, meal replacements make it much more convenient to get some of your meals in. Also, you can get in more meals than if you were to eat only real foods.
"The golden hour"
Remember "The golden hour" because it will make things so much easier for you. "The golden hour" is a window of opportunity we have to get everything we have depleted in our body back in a short amount of time. Think of your muscles as a gas tank: When you workout, you use gas for energy or in this case glucose. After a workout, our muscles are in a unique state. They are able to fill back up very quickly leaving you full for the next workout. If you wait to long, your muscles don't fill back up as easily and the carbs you eat are more likely to be stored as fat. Doing this will also let you take advantage of insulin's muscle building effects from the simple carbs you have ingested. You want to ingest 50-75 grams of simple carbs right after a workout. Also, this is when you want to take your protein shake because it will absorb quickly and supply your muscles with the amino acids that they need.
Insulin
This is a very complicated subject, but all we need to know is that insulin can help us build muscle or can make us fat depending on the timing. Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar levels. We can achieve a high blood sugar level by ingesting simple carbs. Like "the golden hour" we have a window of opportunity to take advantage of the muscle building effects of the insulin without getting fat. We have about 4 or 5 hours after we workout to take advantage of insulin. If we take in too many simple carbs out of this window, we are very likely to store fat.
Cheat day
The theory behind the cheat days is you take one day every 2 weeks to eat anything you want and actually get leaner. It might sound crazy, but it worked for me. When you eat low carbs for a time for body begins to think it is not getting all the food it needs (because your not storing any fat) and begins to slow down your metabolism. When you bombard your body with food on that one day, it tricks your body into thinking it has all it needs and speeds your metabolism back up. I can tell you from experience, every day after a cheat day I felt leaner and looked better.
Ketosis
This is when your body uses protein for energy. This happens when we have too few carbs in the body or when we over train. I went into the state of ketosis for only the last week of my 12-week transition for a couple of reasons: (1) I wanted all of my muscles to shrink down so when I carbed back up, my skin would be tighter. (2) When you go into ketosis it seems to bring the water out from under the skin. Don't go into this state to loose fat. Without carbs your body can not burn fat effectively. You will loose weight rather quickly, but only because you don't have as much glycogen in the muscle. Also, you are simply loosing water. Remember that proteins are the building blocks for muscle and that means they are fair game for energy when in the state of ketosis. I would not recommend going into this state unless you are trying to get into a super ripped state for a short amount of time, like for a bodybuilding contest.

You are overweight. If you don't learn to do something about that you are going to grow up to be a fat man all right.
Please take care of yourself....for your own sake.

Honestly... you are fat. Damn dude... and you're only 13?

I know you've got a brain so realize that a lot of folks on here will say that you aren't (because they don't want to hurt your feelings). Seriously though you need to get this issue under control before too much more time passes.

Watch what you eat, drink nothing but water, and run 1 to 3 miles daily.

Your weight is going to make your life harder than it has to be in the next couple of years... work on it and exercise. I'd think that for your height/weight you are bordering on being obese already...

Good luck.

If you look honestly in the mirror, you must be able to understand that you are overweight...probably dangerously overweight. You must take some serious steps to get your weight and your eating style under control, or you run a very high risk of being morbidly (deadly) fat the rest of your life.

Ask your parents to help you, and if they don't have time, then ask your school gym teacher about how you can start to learn to live a more healthy life. Limit yourself to 1-2 hours per day in front of the computer - max!! Taking long, fast walks, riding your bike every day for several miles, or playing basket ball is 1000 times better than spending too much time sitting around watching TV or playing with the computer, and it will make a big impact on your weight and your health as you grow into adulthood.

Take good care of yourself, otherwise you will suffer from fat-related illnesses the rest of your life.

Since I started to work out I was looking for a good weight loss product. I was on a diet but I felt that I needed a little "help" so I decided to try this great product and I had fantastic results. You can check their website at
http://www.healthy-and-thin.us , they give you a free trial and you only pay $6.95 shipping and handling.

You look fine don't worry eat a twinkie.

How to get Buffer or cutter?

Hi all, I am 20 years old. I am lifting weights every other day. However, I do not ever drink protein shakes or eat those protein bars. Can I still get rip by just lifting those weights alone without the proteins? Because I know the proteins will help the muscles heal itself, but if I don't take them, can it naturally heal itself and end up at the same results if I had eaten/drank the proteins? Thanks for your help guys.

My workout schedule is every other day consisting of:
-15 reps of benching 85 ( 3 times)
-I put a bar with 40 lbs behind my neck and push up all the way 10 reps ( 3 times) -- ( is this even good for me? will I get back problems?)
-A lot of work with dumbbells, I cannot describe the activities i do here. ( also, anyone know any good activities with dumbbells?)
-10 very narrow pushups, my hands are like couple of inches apart ( 3 times)

Yea, so thank you for your input, I have just started lifting. Take care all.

Answers: u want 2 b buffer or cutter if u want 2 b buffer or have more mass then u would want start lifting heavier weight with fewer reps but im guessing u want 2 b cutter or ripped and the best way 2 get ripped it 2 change ur diet 2 cutting out sugars and whit flours and lots of cardio and lift weights with high reps like ur doing

Ever hear of cardio? yeah, that helps a bunch. If you really want to get cut and on a safe program, follow LL Cool J's Platinum Workout. Puts you on a fat burning diet, gets you stronger and more cut.

Trust me, i've done this since the end of May this year. I started out at 21% body fat, 5'4" 141 lbs. Now my stature is: 13% body fat, 5'5" and 126. Im 19 y/o by the way. So if you really want to get cut, make the effort to develope a good fat burning diet, add cardio, and make sure to work every muscle group.

Just working upper-body isn't that great. The legs are the biggest muscles so if you work those, you lose the most fat.

Hi,

I've tried so many different diets in the last 10 years that I can say now, they don't work!
A few months ago, I came across a great product for weight loss and like many others I was skeptical about it. But I really wanted to lose weight and I tried it. The results were excellent and I lost 20 pounds in 2 months. I felt fantastic and I dropped another 5 pounds safely. That's why I recommend you check this product at
http://www.free-thin-diet.us where they have a free trial and you only pay $6.95 shipping and handling.
Good luck!

What is better for your biceps, doing pullups or bicep curls?

Answers: Do the biceps curls which isolate the muscles you want to work, pull ups work your triceps, chest, shoulders, back and not much of your biceps.

Here is a great shedule for your body:

Day 1 - Chest, Biceps

Exercise
Reps.

Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Incline Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Pull Overs 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Cross Cable 3 x 8 - 10

Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Preacher Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Bicep Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Day 2 - Back & Triceps

Exercise
Reps.

T-Bar Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Lat Pull Downs Close Grip 3 x 8 - 10

Bent Over Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Seated Cable Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep One Arm Extensions 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep Bench Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Day 3 - Shoulders & Abs

Exercise
Reps.

Military Dumbbells Presses 3 x 8 - 10

Close Grip Upright Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Front Deltoid Raises 3 x 8 - 10

Bent Over Lateral Raises 3 x 8 - 10

Seated Leg Tucks 3 x 25

Bent Knee Leg Raises 3 x 25

Day 4 - Chest, Biceps

Exercise
Reps.

Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Incline Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Pull Overs 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Cross Cable 3 x 8 - 10

Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Preacher Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Bicep Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Day 5 - Back & Triceps

Exercise
Reps.

T-Bar Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Lat Pull Downs Close Grip 3 x 8 - 10

Bent Over Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Seated Cable Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep One Arm Extensions 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep Bench Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Day 6 - Legs & Calves

Exercise
Reps.

Hack Squats 3 x 8 - 10

Leg Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Leg Extension 3 x 8 - 10

Lunges 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Calf Machine 3 x 20

Leg Press Machine 3 x 20

Seated Calf Raises 3 x 20

Day 7 - REST

Here are some tips:

Keep A Training Journal
Detail and record your workout routines and poundages. Each week refer to them and select a few lifts on which to increase the weight. A log will provide a good indication of your training progress and of which exercises are working for you.

This allows you to eliminate lifts that are not producing results.

Eat Several Small Meals A Day
Eating this way insures you are providing your body with adequate nutritional support. Frequent small meals provide a consistent supply of nutrients for the most efficient muscle growth. Many diets provide inadequate, below maintenance levels of calories and nutrition. This results in catabolism of muscle tissue.

Eat Protein
Try to eat at least 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body weight daily. This is critical for people engaging in high-intensity resistance exercise because they need increased amounts of protein to support muscle growth. This goal can be easily met by supplementing the diet with amino acids or protein. Eat right, and treat your body with respect. Proper exercise will not counteract bad eating habits and poor eating patterns.

Avoid Distractions
Have conversations before and after workouts if you like, but once the workout begins, become self-centered, serious and selfish with time.

Vary Your Program
You must become your own exercise scientist. After a period of time, muscles become conditioned to the same routine and exercises--in other words they become immune to the workout. Gains become null. This can be overcome by periodically varying the order, exercises, and muscle groups. Keeping new angles and new exercises incorporated into your routine causes "muscle confusion" which forces muscles to break down more easily.

Increase Your Weight
Only by increasing the weight as often as possible will you provide muscles with the stimulus to protect themselves from future assaults by building up more muscle mass. This is the single most important fact for increasing muscle size and strength.

Train Hard, Not Long
Cut back on the amount of lifting you do and raise your intensity level. High-intensity muscular contractions are an absolute requirement for stimulating rapid, large-scale increases in muscular size and strength. Muscles respond to stimulus. Completing an arbitrarily chosen set of reps will not make muscle grow. You must take the last rep to failure--this is the most productive lift. Keep workouts relatively short. Overtraining in the quest for size can halt progress. Overtraining is a common and often fatal mistake made by novice and intermediate bodybuilders. Heavy lifting should not exceed much more than 30 minutes.

Train For A Complete Physique
It is great to develop exceptional muscle mass and tone, but it is a sorry state of affairs when there is so much body fat on your frame that the muscles you have worked for so hard don't even show. Add some aerobic training to your routine. Twenty minutes of aerobics daily is usually plenty. Calculate your aerobic heart rate by taking 220 minus your age and multiplying that by 70%.

Focus On The Muscle Group You Are Working
By concentrating on a specific muscle, you will automatically isolate it more. Do not rely heavily on machines. Free weights are more efficient for muscle growth.

Breath Corectly
Proper breathing is very important. Breathing supplies oxygen to the muscle cells, which is necessary for muscle contraction, and helps deliver energy and build the muscle. Exhale when you lift the weight. Inhale when you lower it.

Concentrate On The Negative
Most of the damage, and thus gains, in muscularity is caused during the negative (eccentric) portion of the lift. It is more important for growth to control the weight when lowering it than when pressing it upwards (concentric/positive). Concentrate on the negative portion of the lift. That is, lower the weight more slowly than you press it up.

Maintain Constant Resitance
A lift should be preformed with constant tension. Pressure should remain constant on the muscle group you are training throughout the exercise. May times this can be avoided by not locking out the joint in a effort to rest momentarily.

Full Range Of Motion
People make serious mistakes by not completing a full range of motion in their lifts. They either miss the top or bottom range.

Focus On Form, Not Weight
While you should always train as heavily as possible and increase the weight as often as you can, you must also perform the exercises using good form. Heaving a lot of weight can make you feel macho, but improper form will keep you from developing the best physique.

Achieve Peak Contraction
This is a training principle that turns the average "rep" into a growth-producing blitz. Rather than merely moving the weight up and down, you should actively squeeze it hard for a second at the peak of contraction.

Rest Is Critical
Allow at least 72 hours of rest before training the same muscle group. Some people may need more recovery time. Very few can get by with less.

Bicep Curls, because pull ups work mostly on your chest

Is good bacteria really good for the body?

I heard that bacteria doesn't survive in the stomach so there is no point eating yogurt and taking supplements

Answers: Yogurt cultures are probiotic which means they can survive in stomach acids. As for supplements.. you mean vitamin supplements? Well if your body is able to absorb a vitamin through food, why do you think it wouldn't be able to absorb it through a vitamin pill?

If bacteria died in your stomach then there would be no risk of food born illnesses like salmonella, botulism, e coli, etc. But obviously that's not the case.

Yes, you need the so called good bacteria in your digestive tract to help you properly digest your food. After taking antibiotics, it's a good idea to eat yogurt or take acidophilus to help restore these bacteria to normal levels.

This is not entirely correct. Your body has a defense system that targets unwanted pathogens and attacks the bad while leaving the good alone. In fact your stomach and intestine rely on bacteria to break down and digest your food. Your body is it's own defense and if you want an example of bacteria past your stomach-- gas is the byproduct of this bacteria at work. That’s why harder to digest food, ex. broccoli, gives you gas.

P.S. Always ask your doctor before taking any vitamins or changing your diet!

Yes there is good bacteria. Yogurt that has live cultures is very beneficial to the digestive tract and bowels. When the good bacteria is killed off like at the end of anti-biotics many people will get a yeast infection or pick up something they come in contract with. Eating yogurt with live cultures helps restore the balance of good bacteria, but its pointless to eat it while take anti-biotics as they kill everything off. I take supplements and can tell the difference if i stop taking them, within a few days. If you take medications you should discuss supplements with your Dr as they can interfere with some medications.

FIJI Water, is it really that great?...?

I had purchased two eight packs of 1.5 liter bottles because I am exercising to billy blanks boot camp dvd and losing fast.

The water seems to be making my skin glow! My face, is very clear, and I have always drank all types of water in the past, such as poland springs, aquafina, deer park, and natural tap water when exercising.

I have been getting lot's of compliments lately from males and females about my skin and this healthy glow, I am not doing anything out of the ordinary. Just started drinking this Fiji water and good things started happening.

Has anyone else experienced this water. Something magical is in it (lol) because it is doing wonders for my body and complexion, not to mention my hair...this liquid stuff is awesome!

Care to comment?

Answers: I LOVE Fiji water lol its awesome. Its expensive though. Are you sure its not the exercise thats giving you that glow? I want to try that now. I'm gonna go buy a ton of it and see if it does that for me. Water does do great things for the body so I wouldnt be suprised and its suppose to be natural and not messed with so maybe thats it?

I think the exercise is giving you the healthy glow, not the fiji water.
Fiji water is just H20, just the same as what you get out of your tap, except you pay through the nose and ruin the environment with wasteful plastic bottles.
Water is water, people who pay for it are suckers.

The only thing magical is Fiji water is making the money for grocery disappear. Lol. I been drinking Fiji water for the last 3 years. I really don't see a difference in my appearance. If you feel and believe that it's working for you keep it up. Otherwise Voss water is very good, taste wise. I have tried others and they have a funny taste, where tap water tastes better then some of these bottled water.

Also it could be that you're exercising and that can make you feel healthier and look healthier.

It's just water.

It's the exercise, but you don't want to admit it's NOT the expensive water giving you that glow..

How do i start fight training from scratch? Please HELP?

Ok here's the situation...I'm 16 and I am VERY interested in beginning fight training. I've researched it a decent amount and am fairly certain I could use A LOT more input. I have nothing as of now except a strong drive to get serious about this. I'm getting a job soon, so I don't have very much money as of now but not only do i need to know what to get/make but i also need some type of diet/workout plan with the little resources I have. Thank you all and the help is greatly appreciated. If you can't fit the information needed on DietFitnessFAQ.com then please email me at grannypincher8@yahoo.com (i know the address is stupid)

Answers: Shop around to find a club that fits your price range and spend a month there.
As for diet whole foods, fruits, veggies, meat. What to stay away from is more important caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar, street drugs, processed convenience food.

My field is in fashion, as a result many people ask me how they can slim down. My answer is always the same: good diet and exercise. But I found this great product which I think helps a lot in the process. I recommend you check this website
http://www.weigh-less-feel-great.us , they have a free trial and you only pay $6.95 shipping and handling. Good luck!

Close and far grip push-ups?

Which one (either close or far) will work more on my chest muscle? And which type of push ups will work more on my triceps or other arm muscles?

Answers: Here is a great shedule for your body:

Day 1 - Chest, Biceps

Exercise
Reps.

Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Incline Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Pull Overs 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Cross Cable 3 x 8 - 10

Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Preacher Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Bicep Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Day 2 - Back & Triceps

Exercise
Reps.

T-Bar Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Lat Pull Downs Close Grip 3 x 8 - 10

Bent Over Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Seated Cable Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep One Arm Extensions 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep Bench Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Day 3 - Shoulders & Abs

Exercise
Reps.

Military Dumbbells Presses 3 x 8 - 10

Close Grip Upright Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Front Deltoid Raises 3 x 8 - 10

Bent Over Lateral Raises 3 x 8 - 10

Seated Leg Tucks 3 x 25

Bent Knee Leg Raises 3 x 25

Day 4 - Chest, Biceps

Exercise
Reps.

Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Incline Bench Press 3 x 8 - 10

Pull Overs 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Cross Cable 3 x 8 - 10

Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Preacher Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Bicep Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Day 5 - Back & Triceps

Exercise
Reps.

T-Bar Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Lat Pull Downs Close Grip 3 x 8 - 10

Bent Over Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Seated Cable Rows 3 x 8 - 10

Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep One Arm Extensions 3 x 8 - 10

Tricep Bench Dips 3 x 8 - 10

Day 6 - Legs & Calves

Exercise
Reps.

Hack Squats 3 x 8 - 10

Leg Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Leg Extension 3 x 8 - 10

Lunges 3 x 8 - 10

Standing Calf Machine 3 x 20

Leg Press Machine 3 x 20

Seated Calf Raises 3 x 20

Day 7 - REST

Here are some tips:

Keep A Training Journal
Detail and record your workout routines and poundages. Each week refer to them and select a few lifts on which to increase the weight. A log will provide a good indication of your training progress and of which exercises are working for you.

This allows you to eliminate lifts that are not producing results.

Eat Several Small Meals A Day
Eating this way insures you are providing your body with adequate nutritional support. Frequent small meals provide a consistent supply of nutrients for the most efficient muscle growth. Many diets provide inadequate, below maintenance levels of calories and nutrition. This results in catabolism of muscle tissue.

Eat Protein
Try to eat at least 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body weight daily. This is critical for people engaging in high-intensity resistance exercise because they need increased amounts of protein to support muscle growth. This goal can be easily met by supplementing the diet with amino acids or protein. Eat right, and treat your body with respect. Proper exercise will not counteract bad eating habits and poor eating patterns.

Avoid Distractions
Have conversations before and after workouts if you like, but once the workout begins, become self-centered, serious and selfish with time.

Vary Your Program
You must become your own exercise scientist. After a period of time, muscles become conditioned to the same routine and exercises--in other words they become immune to the workout. Gains become null. This can be overcome by periodically varying the order, exercises, and muscle groups. Keeping new angles and new exercises incorporated into your routine causes "muscle confusion" which forces muscles to break down more easily.

Increase Your Weight
Only by increasing the weight as often as possible will you provide muscles with the stimulus to protect themselves from future assaults by building up more muscle mass. This is the single most important fact for increasing muscle size and strength.

Train Hard, Not Long
Cut back on the amount of lifting you do and raise your intensity level. High-intensity muscular contractions are an absolute requirement for stimulating rapid, large-scale increases in muscular size and strength. Muscles respond to stimulus. Completing an arbitrarily chosen set of reps will not make muscle grow. You must take the last rep to failure--this is the most productive lift. Keep workouts relatively short. Overtraining in the quest for size can halt progress. Overtraining is a common and often fatal mistake made by novice and intermediate bodybuilders. Heavy lifting should not exceed much more than 30 minutes.

Train For A Complete Physique
It is great to develop exceptional muscle mass and tone, but it is a sorry state of affairs when there is so much body fat on your frame that the muscles you have worked for so hard don't even show. Add some aerobic training to your routine. Twenty minutes of aerobics daily is usually plenty. Calculate your aerobic heart rate by taking 220 minus your age and multiplying that by 70%.

Focus On The Muscle Group You Are Working
By concentrating on a specific muscle, you will automatically isolate it more. Do not rely heavily on machines. Free weights are more efficient for muscle growth.

Breath Corectly
Proper breathing is very important. Breathing supplies oxygen to the muscle cells, which is necessary for muscle contraction, and helps deliver energy and build the muscle. Exhale when you lift the weight. Inhale when you lower it.

Concentrate On The Negative
Most of the damage, and thus gains, in muscularity is caused during the negative (eccentric) portion of the lift. It is more important for growth to control the weight when lowering it than when pressing it upwards (concentric/positive). Concentrate on the negative portion of the lift. That is, lower the weight more slowly than you press it up.

Maintain Constant Resitance
A lift should be preformed with constant tension. Pressure should remain constant on the muscle group you are training throughout the exercise. May times this can be avoided by not locking out the joint in a effort to rest momentarily.

Full Range Of Motion
People make serious mistakes by not completing a full range of motion in their lifts. They either miss the top or bottom range.

Focus On Form, Not Weight
While you should always train as heavily as possible and increase the weight as often as you can, you must also perform the exercises using good form. Heaving a lot of weight can make you feel macho, but improper form will keep you from developing the best physique.

Achieve Peak Contraction
This is a training principle that turns the average "rep" into a growth-producing blitz. Rather than merely moving the weight up and down, you should actively squeeze it hard for a second at the peak of contraction.

Rest Is Critical
Allow at least 72 hours of rest before training the same muscle group. Some people may need more recovery time. Very few can get by with less.

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When Is less more?

Answers: Less clutter in the house = more room....

you eat less, you lose more weight
(just don't do it unhealthily)

When more is less!

horse riding when u knock a fence you get 4 faults¬¬!!

.................i give up , when?

hm...

the more you study , the more you know
the more you know , the more you forget
the more you forget , the less you know
the less you study , the less you know
the less you know , the less you forget
the less you forget , the more you know

How can I lose some pounds on my thighs and stomach?

+ plz no starving and keep in mind that im 12, 13 years old and weigh 100 pounds- is that normal? or healthy?

Answers: I have been receiving a lot of e-mail lately about diet. In the past, I was never concerned about what I ate. I just went to the gym, trained hard, and that was the extent of my routine. Not until recently did I realize the power diet has over the way your body looks and performs. I believe that diet is at least 75% of the fitness equation. In this article, I'm going to describe in detail what I have learned about diet during my 12-week transition period.
When to Eat and How Often
This might sound strange, but you have to eat more often to lose fat and gain muscle. During my transition period, I never ate less than 6 meals a day.
• Try to eat every 2 to 3 hours.
• Do not eat complex carbohydrates after 6:00 p.m. or four to five hours before going to bed.
• Try to eat one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass on lifting days and .8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass on non-lifting days.
• Never eat more than 70 grams of protein in one meal.
Carbohydrates
When I think of carbohydrates, I think of energy. Carbohydrates supply our bodies with the energy it needs to make it through a workout. Without an adequate supply of carbohydrates, the body goes into carbohydrate deprivation. This is called a state of ketosis (meaning our body is using protein as energy). This is not a good state to be in for long because it will rob the body of muscle tissue in an effort to create energy. On the other hand, if too many carbohydrates are consumed, they convert into stored fat. The idea is to consume just enough carbohydrates to make it through our workouts with sufficient energy. I have broken down carbohydrates into these three categories:
• Simple carbs: These are sugars, or quick energy. They are absorbed very quickly into the body. Ex. Anything with sugar, also fruit
• Complex carbs: This is where you get long-term energy for the day. These are long chained carbohydrates that brake down slower, giving us energy over a prolonged period of time. Ex. Oatmeal, potatoes, pasta, rice, breads
• Fibrous carbs: These are things like vegetables. I think of them as roughage in order to stay regular. Make sure you include them in you later meals when you can't eat complex carbs. They are also a good source of vitamins. Ex. Leafy vegetables like lettuce.
Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of our muscles. Without a sufficient amount of protein in our diet, our muscles will not have the raw materials that they need to build up, or even hang on to what is already there.
Net protein utilization: Not all protein is created equal. Different foods are absorbed more than others. For example, egg white protein is absorbed at 88%. That means we get about 9 eggs to our muscles. On the other hand, chicken breast are absorbed at 68%, meaning we get about 7 breasts to our muscles. It is imported to eat a wide verity of protein foods though; no one protein source has all the amino acids we need.
• Whey protein (100%): the best source of whey protein is from protein supplements. It is also absorbed very fast by the body, so it is best to take this when your body needs amino acids quickly: like right after a workout or when you first get up in the morning.
• Egg whites (88%)
• Fish (78%)
• Chicken breast (78%)
• Soy protein: My one bit of advice would be to try and stay away from soy protein. It is not absorbed very well by the body.
Fats
We normally think of fats as being bad. The fact is certain fats are essential to building muscle and carrying out various functions of the body. There are 2 fat types we need to be concerned about:
• Saturated fats: these are the bad fats. Avoid these fats as much as possible. You will find these types of fats mostly in meats
• Unsaturated fats: these are the good fats. They are a good energy source and help us build muscle. You can find from plant oils. Peanuts are also a good source.
Water
Do not under estimate the importance of water! If you are looking to get lean, water will be your best friend. Drink as much as you can and as often as you can. Also, it is very important to drink lots of water when you're eating large amounts of protein to clean urea from the system.
Vitamins & minerals
As resistance training athletes, we have a greater need for vitamins & minerals. When we workout and bring blood to our muscles it is important that our blood is full of those essential vitamins & minerals if we want to grow.
Supplements
Supplements are just that, meaning they are used to supplement your diet, not replace it. Don't ever think of it that way.
Hierarchy of supplements:
I developed this hierarchy of supplements based on what I thought were the most important and also by price.
• 1. Proper diet: Without proper diet you are just wasting money on supplements. Start here! Do not think that supplements are going to do it for you alone.
• 2. Multi-vitamin & mineral: It is very important to have all your vitamins & minerals when resistance training. Most of us are lacking in some areas, make it a priority to make this your first supplement.
• 3. Protein powder: It is usually very hard to get all the protein you need from real foods. Powders make it much easier. Also, these powders are absorbed fast by the body making them ideal after workouts or before and after sleep.
• 4. Creatine: This is great for harder workouts. It also makes you muscles hang on to water, giving them a better environment to grow.
• 5. L-glutamine: This is an important amino acid in muscle recovery
• 6. Branch chained amino acid: These are great before and after workouts along with L-glutamine because it gives your muscles all the amino acids it needs to repair and grow.
• 7. ZMA: This helps you release more growth hormone while you sleep, increasing your size and strength.
• 8. Thermogenic: These really help in the fat loss process. They also help you hang on to more muscle while dieting due to the fact you can eat more.
• 9. Meal replacement: Although very expensive, meal replacements make it much more convenient to get some of your meals in. Also, you can get in more meals than if you were to eat only real foods.
"The golden hour"
Remember "The golden hour" because it will make things so much easier for you. "The golden hour" is a window of opportunity we have to get everything we have depleted in our body back in a short amount of time. Think of your muscles as a gas tank: When you workout, you use gas for energy or in this case glucose. After a workout, our muscles are in a unique state. They are able to fill back up very quickly leaving you full for the next workout. If you wait to long, your muscles don't fill back up as easily and the carbs you eat are more likely to be stored as fat. Doing this will also let you take advantage of insulin's muscle building effects from the simple carbs you have ingested. You want to ingest 50-75 grams of simple carbs right after a workout. Also, this is when you want to take your protein shake because it will absorb quickly and supply your muscles with the amino acids that they need.
Insulin
This is a very complicated subject, but all we need to know is that insulin can help us build muscle or can make us fat depending on the timing. Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar levels. We can achieve a high blood sugar level by ingesting simple carbs. Like "the golden hour" we have a window of opportunity to take advantage of the muscle building effects of the insulin without getting fat. We have about 4 or 5 hours after we workout to take advantage of insulin. If we take in too many simple carbs out of this window, we are very likely to store fat.
Cheat day
The theory behind the cheat days is you take one day every 2 weeks to eat anything you want and actually get leaner. It might sound crazy, but it worked for me. When you eat low carbs for a time for body begins to think it is not getting all the food it needs (because your not storing any fat) and begins to slow down your metabolism. When you bombard your body with food on that one day, it tricks your body into thinking it has all it needs and speeds your metabolism back up. I can tell you from experience, every day after a cheat day I felt leaner and looked better.
Ketosis
This is when your body uses protein for energy. This happens when we have too few carbs in the body or when we over train. I went into the state of ketosis for only the last week of my 12-week transition for a couple of reasons: (1) I wanted all of my muscles to shrink down so when I carbed back up, my skin would be tighter. (2) When you go into ketosis it seems to bring the water out from under the skin. Don't go into this state to loose fat. Without carbs your body can not burn fat effectively. You will loose weight rather quickly, but only because you don't have as much glycogen in the muscle. Also, you are simply loosing water. Remember that proteins are the building blocks for muscle and that means they are fair game for energy when in the state of ketosis. I would not recommend going into this state unless you are trying to get into a super ripped state for a short amount of time, like for a bodybuilding contest.

you are a normal weight so you shouldn't want to lose weight if anything you should just get some muscle..so do cruches everyday you will get a result as long as you don't drink pop....and as far as you thighs go you can always just run....i helped me..

Would it be wise to use the Smith machine for squats and dead lifts? If not,why?

Answers: For squats its good, but not for the dead lifts.

it will not give you the full range of motion.

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Are you on a diet?

Answers: Spy Spy Lets see if anyone is on a diet.......Do you spy someone on a diet? NO? YES? OK.......HEHEHEhehehe......

P.S Message on sources..........

Need to drop 8pounds.?

NEED HELP BIG TIME!

So, football season is ending soon which means power lifting will start pretty soon...

Coach wants me to drop 8ish pounds.
im at 98p right now,
and well, thats right at the next weight division.
He wants me to be around 90 pounds when football is over.

Now keep in mind,
Im 4'8
Im a female,

I really need to somehow get to 90pounds without lowering on my bench,squat, etc....
So in other words, i want to be able to still lift the same and stuff,
i just want to be 8pounds lighter.

How??!?
btw,
i have about 2 and a half weeks to do this.
I know i cant do 8pds in 2 weeks,
but i still want to be able to do as much as i can, its ok if it takes 3 4 weeks, i just need to be around 90p soon!!

I willing to do pretty much anything.

__________________
Female
height- 4'8
weight- 98

[squat]-165
[Dead Lift]-177
[Bench]-95

Answers: work out a lot!!!

Losing weight is a simple equation: if you burn more calories than you eat, the weight will come off. Start off by estimating how many calories you burn each day using the daily calorie needs calculator http://straighthealth.com/pages/tools/ca... This will give you an idea of how many calories to eat. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. To lose 1 pound per week you need to create a calorie deficit (burn more than you eat) of 500 calories per day. To lose 2 pounds a week, you have to double the deficit to 1000 calories per day. You can achieve this by eating less, exercising more or a combination of both.

Beginners Guide to Dieting - http://straighthealth.com/pages/guides/b...

Run a lot
eat healthy have fruit 4 a snack
dont drink pop or energy drinks
don't eat junk food
sry thts all i can think of

I think that would make you look like twiggy.
Go on low fat diet and eat healthy and you will lose the pounds fairly quickly.
Think coach needs new glasses, you are not over weight.

Eat only fruits and vegetables
for 3 meals everday for one week.
And drink lots of water!
I lost 5 pounds in one week doing this^_^

I cage fight and box and I do this all the time I can drop it in a week. This is what I do I drop my carb intake a whole lot and I mean alot. Diet is key! add..add...add protien! If you get hungry ..protien..u need a snack protien.... And keep lifting and some joging...protien and lots of water. you will lose this!
when it comes to the dead line and you are a few pounds over slow your water intake a lil. Thats how I do it in a week but I recomend that you try only 4 pounds a week.

Hi, I am impressed that you work out, for one thing - BUT! sure, you can lose 8lbs in 2 wks - simply do low carb, hi protein - however, do not follow a regimen like Atkins - simply buy or check out from the library a carb counter; then: pick out foods you like that will keep you eating no more than 40 carbs per day. make sure to include servings of vegetables, fish, chicken, even steak - stay away from ANYTHING WHITE - no breads, period - no sugar, no starch. you should lose at least a pound per day. good luck!! - oh, almost 4got, DON'T 4get your vitamins - preferably high potency ones with lots of B...

i will not say diet only
walk
exercise
less sedentry life
engage in the public work and activity
know new boy friend

Well, if you drink soda then stop since that makes you gain weight and retain water. There is no really safe way to loose 8 lbs in 2 weeks. Especially since you are an ok weight right now. Seems like the only real way for you to loose weight is to become anorexic but that would cause your body to consume your muscle. The way I have seen people loose weight is mostly by running.

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