Huddle Workout Warriors

[Darth Biscuit]

Eating that amount of protein is tough... And expensive, but it can be done. I probably need more than I get.

I managed to make it to the gym but I live twice as close as Joscott does. There was a surprising number of people there.

[*FreeFua*]

NSFW but definitely covers a lot of gym bros

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[the butch]

Just finished up day 3 in the gym and strict dieting for the last couple days. I feel so much better already but am dealing with headaches and am having to constantly fight off my appetite. Can't wait to start seeing the progress and the gains made.

I'm loading up on protein, ingesting some carbs (most prior to my workout for energy), and mostly eating healthy fats. Hoping I can drop 20 pounds within a few months while gaining strength and putting on some lean muscle mass. It's tricky to lose weight yet gain strength and muscle mass but because I haven't been lifting for a couple years I think I should be able to make it happen.

Any suggestions? Right now I weigh about 190 and am taking in roughly 200gs protein a day...did quite a bit of reading on this and it recommends eating your weight in grams or slightly more to put on mass and avoid losing weight while slimming down.

We are kind of in the same boat. Sure I want to bulk up my chest, shoulders, arms, and quads, but my primary concern right now is beer gut. I have trimmed a lot off my waist over about a month. I guess I'm forsaking muscle mass at this point for slimming down. I still take about 30g of protein daily, but my diet consists of eggs, fish, and oatmeal. And I really have fought my appetite, which hasn't been that hard to do. I value losing my gut faster than building muscle mass faster. Figure I would accelerate the former and start bulking after I'm wear I want to be midsection wise. Consciously limiting my fat grams and sodium intake has helped a lot. Though, I think I can start consuming more fat at this point.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

We are kind of in the same boat. Sure I want to bulk up my chest, shoulders, arms, and quads, but my primary concern right now is beer gut. I have trimmed a lot off my waist over about a month. I guess I'm forsaking muscle mass at this point for slimming down. I still take about 30g of protein daily, but my diet consists of eggs, fish, and oatmeal. And I really have fought my appetite, which hasn't been that hard to do. I value losing my gut faster than building muscle mass faster. Figure I would accelerate the former and start bulking after I'm wear I want to be midsection wise. Consciously limiting my fat grams and sodium intake has helped a lot. Though, I think I can start consuming more fat at this point.

 

At least for me the lower belly fat is the last thing to go. I want to get around 10% body fat which is when all abs are clearly defined for most people. I think the lowest I have ever been is 12-13% and that was a couple years ago before I even dieted really. I'm hoping similar lifting/workout routines + the strict dieting will get me around 10% a year from now. After I am lean I plan on clean bulking for 6 months and then cutting down again with the added muscle mass. 

 

For some reason I'll work out 4-5 days a week for a year and then take literally an entire year off and then need 6+ months just to get back to where I was. I'll be consistent for long periods of time and then out of nowhere just lose motivation or get content with where I am and start cheating myself. 

[the butch]

At least for me the lower belly fat is the last thing to go. I want to get around 10% body fat which is when all abs are clearly defined for most people. I think the lowest I have ever been is 12-13% and that was a couple years ago before I even dieted really. I'm hoping similar lifting/workout routines + the strict dieting will get me around 10% a year from now. After I am lean I plan on clean bulking for 6 months and then cutting down again with the added muscle mass.

For some reason I'll work out 4-5 days a week for a year and then take literally an entire year off and then need 6+ months just to get back to where I was. I'll be consistent for long periods of time and then out of nowhere just lose motivation or get content with where I am and start cheating myself.

I know what you mean as far as starting and stopping. I'm fairly certain I've flipped that mental switch now, though. As for abs, my lower belly fat is def the part that is lingering. Slowly but surely it's melting away. I do A LOT of core and cardio work, though. More than anything, my mentality about my diet has changed. I can attribute about 50-60% of my success to that alone.

[Jase]

added deadlifts back to leg day tonight after an extended time off.

 

 

felt good man

[the butch]

added deadlifts back to leg day tonight after an extended time off.

felt good man

I have cut deadlifts out for about 3-4 weeks now. Screwed my lower back up and am just now feeling strong and comfortable enough to get back at'em.

[Chimera]

We are kind of in the same boat. Sure I want to bulk up my chest, shoulders, arms, and quads, but my primary concern right now is beer gut. I have trimmed a lot off my waist over about a month. I guess I'm forsaking muscle mass at this point for slimming down. I still take about 30g of protein daily, but my diet consists of eggs, fish, and oatmeal. And I really have fought my appetite, which hasn't been that hard to do. I value losing my gut faster than building muscle mass faster. Figure I would accelerate the former and start bulking after I'm wear I want to be midsection wise. Consciously limiting my fat grams and sodium intake has helped a lot. Though, I think I can start consuming more fat at this point.

if you've already started losing from the gut, you've already passed the hardest part. the easy part now is maintaining so you can continue losing.

Lower belly fat is always the last to go and the first place to gain it back.

You don't necessarily have to limit fat intake... just certain types. there is a difference between dietary fat and body fat. here's a link to some basic information http://www.mayoclinic.org/fat/art-20045550

I did insanity back in 2012 and your goals seem to align with its intended results. have you thought about using that program? If so, there are knockoffs available on amazon or ebay that do the same workout in a different order (for the sake of spending $200 vs. $40)

[the butch]

if you've already started losing from the gut, you've already passed the hardest part. the easy part now is maintaining so you can continue losing.

Lower belly fat is always the last to go and the first place to gain it back.

You don't necessarily have to limit fat intake... just certain types. there is a difference between dietary fat and body fat. here's a link to some basic information http://www.mayoclinic.org/fat/art-20045550

I did insanity back in 2012 and your goals seem to align with its intended results. have you thought about using that program? If so, there are knockoffs available on amazon or ebay that do the same workout in a different order (for the sake of spending $200 vs. $40)

 

Yeah, in my research, lower belly fat, i.e., below the belly button/lower abs, tends to be the most difficult.  I do a poo load of belt kicks and lower ab crunch-type cardio moves so I can work the muscles [crunch] while working the fat [cardio] in that area.  As for Insanity, that's where I picked up the belt kicks, high knees, switch kick moves.  I work them in to my daily routine, mixing and matching.  I also keep everything mixed up:  HIIT with sustained/static cardio.  I like variety and to keep my body guessing what is coming next.

 

Thanks for the link.

 

Anyway, breakfast for today:

 

• Scrambled eggs [one egg, two egg whites] w/ mushrooms, onions, S&P, thyme, and basil
• 1/2 Mango
• 1/2 Apple

 

BTW, for those that love mango [like myself; I eat about one everyday], then you need to invest in one of these:

 

 

For about $15, you can get an OXO mango slicer and make life SO much easier.  I'm not big on one-trick ponies as far as kitchen utensils go, but this one I make an exception for.

 

Keep up the work, fellas.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

Man oh man am I sore. This is my first week back going hard after a couple years off and my body isn't liking me very much but I feel great other than the soreness. I suppose the sore muscles means I am doing something right in the gym. 

 

Can't wait to see where I'll be after a few months and then 6 months from now. 

[Chimera]

3 mile run and light round robin of light weights (kettlebell stuff: swings, deadlifts, Bulgarian squats, ring push-ups)

Wife made a nopal smoothie. Supposed to have good results for your lower GI tract.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

Can anyone share their healthy dinner recipes? I'm getting extremely tired and bored with grilled chicken and vegetables already. Only so many days in a row I can eat chicken breasts twice a day. I'm looking for recipes that are high in protein, have some healthy fats involved, and decently low in carbs.

These are the days that I wish I had a personal chef to cook me the healthiest and best tasting foods all day long.

[Chimera]

not sure if they all meat your nutritional guidelines, but some lean meats are

grilled turkey burgers

grilled lox/salmon

broiled top sirloin

center cut pork loin (someone told me this is great with crushed raspberries; haven't tried it yet)

or substitute some leafy vegetables (asparagus is great) a few days a week

[the butch]

Maybe mix in some fish? Do something different for breakfast instead of eggs, and then do eggs for dinner (I made a frittata tonight with a tomato relish).

Look up some casserole dishes. I use round bottom cut in one I do. Throw in some onions, too. I also use a lot of broccoli. No real recipe, just ingredients that I feel will work with my diet.

Chicken breast once a day isn't that bad. Mix up your preparation, like artichoke-stuffed chicken breasts with some al dente wheat pasta. Some simple Dijon mustard and honey can make a simple honey mustard that you can fine tune to your tastes.

Putting some thought and energy into your sides and how you prepare your main ingredient can go a long way in satisfying your appetite; it has for me, anyway. Tasty food and the satisfaction of knowing its something you did.

I'll post a recipe or two tomorrow.

Cheers.