Sample diet/workout plan (Diary of a Gym Rat)

AlinaRose17

Hey everyone- I have been on the fitness bandwagon for sometime now, having gone from no activity whatsoever at beginning of 2009, being 219lbs and 24% bf to my current 6 days a week in the gym, 180lbs, and just under 12% bf and wanted to share what has been working for me. I am a 30 year old male.

First- As intimidating as the name sounds, Bodybuilding.com has been a huge help and inspiration to me. They not only have a lot of reputable supplements (I go through a lot of whey protein and such), but also great training programs, motivation, and networking with people all over the world. I also use MFP and a Fitbit flex daily and track as much information as possible.

My workouts work like this- I do a "Legs, Push, Pull" routine, with an example being-

Day 1- Legs and Lower Back (emphasis on Quads and Lower Back)
Day 2- Chest, Shoulders, Triceps (emphasis on Chest and Triceps)
Day 3- Back, Biceps, Forearms if time allows (emphasis on Back)
Day 4- Rest Day, can include light steady state cardio on treadmill or elliptical for 30-45 minutes
Day 5-- Legs and Lower Back (emphasis on Calves, Hamstrings, Glutes, etc)
Day 6- Chest, Shoulders, Triceps (emphasis on Shoulders)
Day 7- Back, Biceps, Forearms if time allows (emphasis on Biceps)
*Repeat*

*Notes*
I alternate exercises so that I get a wide variety, for example- the first workout for chest would include barbell bench press, and the next would include dumbbell bench press. This allows you to keep your muscles from getting used to the same exercises and to be exposed to a variety of stimulation.

I also do a bit of an ab circuit almost every day I am in the gym. If time allows, I like to do a superset of exercises that hit upper, lower, and obliques- one exercise (for a total of 3) for maybe 20reps each. If you do compound exercises like deadlifting and squats, you really don't need to directly target your abs as much as you are engaging your core for much of the time if using proper form.

I also follow the following for almost every exercise (more so for compound exercises (multiple muscles worked like bench press) instead of isolation exercises (i.e. one muscle worked like curls)-

1st set- Light weight for 15-20 reps for warm up
2nd set- Slightly heavier weight for 12-15 reps
3rd set- Overload, this should be a heavy weight that you can only do 6-8 reps of
4th set- As you just lifted heavy, you can trick your mind/muscle connection into lifting relatively weight but it will feel lighter than if you had simply burned yourself out by adding weight each time. I do a rest-pause set close to failure, followed by a 15 second pause, and another run close to failure.
*Lifting is all about strategy!!!*

For the diet portion-

I am a big advocate for an IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) type diet plan, eating healthy foods as often as possible, avoid sodas/candy/processed foods.
I try to get around 2250 calories a day with 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 25% fat, though I typically end up eating under 20% fat.

A typical day for me might go like this:

Breakfast-
-Multivitamin/Fish Oil/CLA and a thermogenic -if I happen to be taking one at the time. I take a product called Shred Jym by Jim Stoppani
-4-5 egg whites with diced mushrooms/green onions mixed in (I mix these together and simply microwave at my office for about 3 minutes in Tupperware with the lid loosely on top)
-Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt

Late Morning-
-1 to 1.5 scoops of Dymatize ISO-100 Whey Protein (can be substituted into breakfast if desired)
-12-24 raw almonds
-1oz Oberto Original Jerky (1/3 of small package, I tend to find that this has less sodium and fat than many other kinds of jerky)

Lunch-
-1/2 cup quick cooking oats
-Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt
-1 serving of fruit like an apple
or
-4oz chicken breast and 1 cup steamed broccoli
or
-turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with one slice cheese and mustard

Late Afternoon (before workout)
-1 scoop of Whey Protein
-Banana
*A fast digesting carb is good before a workout*
or
-Qwest Protein Bar

Pre-workout
*Workout*
Aminos during workout, Creatine and another scoop of whey protein after workout

Dinner (after workout)
Typically whatever my wife and I decide to make within reason. =P
Common meals include chicken/tilapia/steak with baked or sweet potato/green veggie/rice, but we also do pasta, tacos, and other things that many people might have with nutritional content in mind when it comes to ingredients.

Evening Meal (optional)
I might have a low-fat icecream or some cottage cheese, but try to limit food intake in the evenings.

I apologize for such a long-winded writeup but I hope that I was able to share something that might help someone out there.