For any fitness fanatics on this message board

BigRedBuster said:
OK...I'm 46 years old and as I have stated before, over the last year I have now lost 60 lbs. I am 6'2" and around 189 lbs. That's roughly 25%. I feel great.

However, I am a little lighter than I would like to be. I would like to be up more around 195-200. BUT, I only want to do that if I can gain muscle. I also still have this layer of fat around my mid section. I want abs.

So, I am on a mission now to get abs. I believe I should accomplish this through weight lifting and gaining muscle which would in tern burn more calories and I should lose that layer of fat around my mid section. I would have abs and look better because I would have a little more bulk.

Am I thinking right on this? I still want to do a fair share of cardio between running and biking this summer.

I already watch what I eat very closely. I concentrate on low fat, quality whole foods. For the most part, I stay away from processed foods like refined grains. I'm trying to work more protein into my diet to build muscle.
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25% body fat is too high a percentage if you want your abs to show. Not sure what the ideal percentage for you would be, or how accurate that 25% is (I suspect it's a little lower than that), but 15% might be a good target to shoot for, then go from there.

Hope the information in this video helps. This guy is usually pretty good at cutting through the jungle of bullsh#t broscience:


 
Dude,

Thanks for the info. Where did you get the 25% body fat? If it's from my post, I was saying I have lost 25% of my body weight.

But, it got me wondering so I had my scale measure my body fat this morning (I know it's not really that accurate) and it was at 22%.

I'll shoot for the 15%.

 
I've lost a little bit of control of my weight - I've always naturally been leaner and never really gained weight. I'm starting to gain weight - and I don't particularly know of what to do to lose weight. I've always lifted weights in a sporting atmosphere to get "bigger" but never to get smaller. Losing fat is my primary objective.

 
OregonHuskerMan said:
I've lost a little bit of control of my weight - I've always naturally been leaner and never really gained weight. I'm starting to gain weight - and I don't particularly know of what to do to lose weight. I've always lifted weights in a sporting atmosphere to get "bigger" but never to get smaller. Losing fat is my primary objective.
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Figure out about how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight, and eat about 300-500 less (not all that drastic of a change, really).

Also, put on some headphones and go for a brisk 1 hour walk every day. Add that to whatever you're doing now. You don't have to stop lifting weights or anything like that.

 
The Dude's got it. Over about a 9 month period I've dropped 30lbs of fat and toned up/added some muscle by basically dropping my caloric intake by 500 calories and lifting (should be better but I basically took a break over winter). I do cardio 2-3 times a week if I'm lucky and don't have a busy schedule. It's usually 2 or less though. I do eat a lot healthier but really I can still eat some junk every now and then and be fine. No matter what the commercials may say diet is the biggest part of losing weight. I tried a month or two of not checking my diet with no results and as soon as I kept tabs again I was back to dropping weight.

If you have a smart phone find an app that will let you track what you eat. I use one called calorie counter by fat secret. Sounds girly.. but it lets me track my intake and weight, gives me how much fat/protein/carbs/calories I've eaten, tells me what my ideal caloric intake should be, and even has recipes. It also stores most of the data so you can go back and review it. You can always use paper and pen if you want as well, that's how I started out.

If you want to get started just eat normally for a week or two so you get some good data to go off of, and then subtract 300-500 calories off what you averaged. It's really that simple to get going.

 
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Complete (?) Guide to Interval Training:

Complete-Guide-to-Interval-Training_0.png


I just wanted to post this huge pic :)

 
ZRod said:
Chaddyboxer said:
2 of the best fat-burning cardio methods...here it goes:

-low-intensity speed walking

-interval sprints

There ya go. = )
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Probably going to do these today.

Had a little incident yesterday After biking. Got done after a 30 minute ride and almost passed out. Got tunnel vision, felt nauseous, knees went weak, and my fingers were tingling for awhile. It just hit me real quick. I was fine when I got off then I went inside to get water and it all came on at once. I think a combination of the heat, riding hard into the wind to begin with, and being slightly under-hydrated kicked my butt. Haven't felt that crappy since I went to a lifting camp at the University in high school.
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Sounds like signs of low-blood sugar to me....

The heat and the excessive loss of water when sweating doesn't help either.

 
ZRod said:
Chaddyboxer said:
ADS said:
Chaddyboxer said:
2 of the best fat-burning cardio methods...here it goes:

-low-intensity speed walking

-interval sprints

There ya go. = )
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What's your advice on the best lower ab workout? I have a 4 pack, but can't seem to get the lower abs.
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Two of the best IMO:

-Overall development....get yourself a roller wheel and have some fun.....those will murder your abs

-For the lower: ball options will work or just do hanging knee raises to target the lower abs
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How bout lying leg raises? I did some of those last week and they felt pretty good.
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Those are great as well....it all depends on what you want to do....if you have more a typical anterior-pelvic tilt (like many athletes do because they are so quad-dominant) then I wouldn't suggest the lying leg-raises or suspended leg-raises. I would stick to the roller.

 
Simple Workout Plan today:

BW Suspension training with straps:

-BW Pull-ups 6-10 reps

-Explosive Squat Jumps x15

-BW Dips 6-10 reps

3 Rounds. All exercises are done with little to no rest in between until all 3 are completed in succession. Nothing is taken to failure, but 1 rep short of failure.

Interval sprints, approx. 80 yards x 2 to 3 depending on how I feel.

Takes about 30 minutes...DONE.

 
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Been really trying to cut out my caffeine consumption for a while to see how my energy levels respond via adequate hormone levels.

When I drink....I have been drinking Beam with water or some sort of whiskey. It's not too bad...I do miss my whiskey and diet cokes, but my energy levels are much better after 4 days off the caffeine.

I am pretty much following a paleo diet since I believe this is one of the most effective lifestyles for fat-loss and regaining energy. No grains (pastas, rice, cereals, breads, etc.). Very little to no nuts right now, I will add macadamia nuts and almonds in later. I typically stay away from dairy unless it's butter (preferably from a grass fed/hormone free animal) and sometimes a bit of cheese here and there. A little bit of brighter fruits. Colorful veggies and lots o meat, chicken, fish, etc (fatty meats/chicken/beef as well!). It's going pretty well so far. I have done this diet before, but with caffeine. I honestly feel better than before I believe now that I have taken out the caffeine.

Typical day of eating:

2 to 3 hours after I wake up I consume 3 to 4 chicken thighs with the skin on them. I also have some blueberries with this meal. (this meal is usually post-workout. I typically don't eat anything at all before I train and I workout on an empty stomach).

Later on in the day when I feel hungry, I'll consume some grass-fed ribeye with steam carrots and broccoli. I'll add some butter to my veggies to help enhance the taste as well.

And that's it.

 
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