cs2thecox Member

Yep. I get to a point where if I lose about 1kg then I go from slim and athletic to scrawny, particularly across my chest when too many ribs are suddenly visible! I've worked hard on muscle mass for the last year, but am now working hard to find maintenance to avoid the scrawny thing again. I'm currently 60kg, 5' 5.5" and…

I go with calipers (7 site skin fold) because my trainer does it for free during a session. I'm not entirely convinced on the resulting %, but it gives a useful metric for comparison. You can also see area-specific fat loss as the various skin fold measurements change over time. I find that helpful, as it's let me see that…

I go to an independent gym in central London called City Athletic Pros - loads of free weights - some seriously inspirational staff (it's run by Shaun Stafford and he's around a lot - do a google image search!) - fabulous trainers with tons of qualifications - membership capped to 400 so you get to know the regulars…

Definitely take them back, if only for advice! Also, are you lacing them properly, to "lock" your foot in place? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIK1zgozm6w It can make a lot of difference to how your foot moves (or doesn't) inside the shoe.

Massive yes to SportPursuit! Also TK Maxx if you can be bothered to trawl the rails, and Sports Direct, both for discounted big brands. I'm not much of a fan of Karrimor or USA Pro etc. I have one to from MyProtein which is ok, but I'm not 100% convinced. I do love Lululemon leggings though, and they last forever so the…

5 months after 3rd baby? WOW! Impressed. But here's a totally upfront and straightforward question. Why does your goal have to be a WEIGHT? I know that they're easy to measure and monitor, but you've already started to understand the difference that lifting can make. Maybe you target a waist measurement, thigh measurement…

Agreed on trainer to sort out form. Smith machines force the bar to move in an absolutely straight line (although this may be a little slanted depending on the machine), which is not the route that the bar would take if you were free squatting. By their nature, Smith machines are therefore a bit unnatural. I was advised…

Either book in for a session with a trainer who can set you a personalized plan, or try something like StrongLifts. That's a 5x5 methodology, but it's a good introduction to the main compound lifts. The online resources are decent, and the app makes tracking progress easy. I love lifting. Makes me feel invincible!

I did StrongLifts for almost a year and really liked it! The app was easy to follow, and I paid for the upgrade so I got the "plate math" thing and the warm up sets which was really useful. I eventually stopped because I plateaued totally on deadlifts and overhead press, and wasn't sure my squat form was particularly good.…

My BCAAs show protein both on the label and their MFP entry... I think you just add it up. Random Xtend BCAAs for sale online say... 3500mg of Leucine = 3.5g 1000mg of Citrulline Malate = 1g 2500mg of L-Glutamine = 2.5g So 7g total, right?

From what I recall, there are potential issues with very high levels of consumption of artificial sweeteners like aspartame. But that's 2 litres plus of Diet Coke consumption EVERY DAY before things get concerning. Or something like that. (No, I don't have the links to the studies. But I think the…

Kale. Cauliflower. Both just vile. in any way, shape or form. Cottage cheese. Porridge. It's a texture thing...

ISTJ, if I answer in a work context. I did it as part of a training course at work, and it was actually really helpful in understanding my communication preferences, and how I might need to adapt to communicate most effectively with people of other types. I honestly think it's a brilliant tool in a professional context. I…

Agreed on switching pills. There are loads out there, with slightly different combinations of hormones, which people can react very differently too.

I think it's simply to do with blood volume. Maybe the combined height/weight matrix is more accurate at measuring blood volume than just weight in isolation. (The UK cut off is 45kg I think, but independent of height. Over 18s only too AFAIK.)

This is what I'm having to ponder right now. I *thought* my goal was abs, but I'm starting to wonder if the rest of me will look too scrawny when my BF's low enough to see them. I've done stupid skinny before (racing weight as a cox'n for rowing) and it's not a good look on me. I need a goal, but trying to work out what…

Protein (135g), then carbs (210g) and fats (70g) equally. Helps keep me fuller for longer, doesn't give me stinky breath (I did full keto for a while - ugh!), and supports my quest for low enough body fat to see my abs!

I've been bitching at my trainer about my lack of abs, despite having a strong core and a bit under 17% body fat (girl - going to be higher than guys). I've been properly careful with food for about 10 months now, lifting 3 times a week, and switching to some more oblique versions of exercises for the last 3 months, and…

The hardest thing for me was leaving what I thought I knew about performance nutrition at the door, and trying it! It's working super well for me too, but it can be difficult to let go of the more deep rooted idea that lower calories are better. It's basically relinquishing control of your body to someone else, who says…

Info I got from my trainer was that they're only worth it if you train fasted in the mornings. Otherwise, if you're getting your protein, there'll already be enough in your system from meals and snacks to not worry about it. They did help with my DOMS when I just started lifting (and was probably doing too much), but I…

Healthy fats and protein do need to be in there too. Preach. Fats in particular are important for a lot of things in the body, and protein is needed to repair things, grow hair etc. So although a high carb diet at low enough calories probably "works" for losing weight, it may indeed be healthier to focus on the balance…

One of my best friends and I are the opposite sides of this argument. We're both about 5' 5" and 60-62kg or so, so very comparable in size with the OP. My friend - Has had eating issues for years and years. Will often eat nothing all day then eat a ton of chocolate and drink wine in the evening. Struggles to eat healthily…

Carbs are ace. I feel LOADS better with sensible amounts of carbs (210g on a training day) in my diet than without, even at the same overall calories. It's partly personal preference, but driven largely by your body. I've tried a more keto approach in the past, but just don't get on so well with it. My training days have…

They're ok but expensive, at least to get in the UK. Also, do NOT cook with the BBQ sauce. Bad things happen! (The pancake syrup is AMAZING though. Heaven knows how they make it zero calorie, zero everything, but it's *kitten* lovely!)

I think my diary's public... I try and balance across meals, but just got so excited that I had 880 calories left for dinner that I had a Bounty bar and now only have like 600. Ooops. I'm a bit hit and miss, but use a lot of protein snacks to get that in.

You may need two different pairs for running and crossfit! Running needs some cushioning and support (unless you're a barefoot nut). Crossfit needs minimal cushioning to ensure stability while lifting weights - lifting heavy while wearing squidgy running shoes is a bad idea! I lift in New Balance Minimus 20v5, but love…

As others have said, as long as you're in calorie deficit, you'll lose. But then it's about how those foods make you feel, or how long they make you feel full for. It's quite easy to make 3 decent size meals and two snacks out of, say, 1600 calories if you're using lots of veggies and lean proteins. Sensible carbs and some…

I do well on about one third of calories from carbs, one third from fat and one third from protein. To work out the grammes: - divide your calorie goal by 3, and call this x - divide x by 9 to get your fat grammes - divide x by 4 to get your carb grammes - divide x by 4 to get your protein grammes - pay for MFP premium to…

I only lift 3 days a week - more has proven to be counterproductive for me in terms of fatigue and soreness etc. Because my gym is near work, I'm a Monday, Wednesday, Friday person. At one point I was on 5 days a week of HIIT and weights, which I managed for 3 months or so, but I needed so much sleep that I had zero social…

I'm fan of MyProtein Impact Whey. There are sample boxes with loads of flavours to test them out, but in general I'm a fan of the "natural" ones. I have natural vanilla and natural chocolate at the moment. I struggle to meet my protein goal through normal food due to the sheer volume required (I target 135g a day, set by…