omnisis Member

This is a false dichotomy. There is no "better" routine. In general the lower rep range targets strength and the higher rep ranges target muscular endurance and size although beyond a certain number of reps (12-15 for large muscles based on my experience) the condtions for size increases (hypertrophy) are no longer ideal.…

Personally I like to have some kind of nut butter and a little unsweeteened cocoa powder (or chocolate protein powder) with my oats...it's to die for. Oh and I will sometimes add a banana or walnuts as well. I eat oats at least 5 times a week, it's probably one of my favorite foods.

The good news is that for most ppl the level at which you crave sugar is somewhat tied to your current intake of sugar. In other words, if you drastically lower or cut out sugar altogether once you get thru the "annoying period" (for me this is 2 weeks) your body will adjust and you won't crave them as much. You'll still…

Simple Algorithm: 1) Stick to a generally consistent amount of calories for one week (perhaps using this site to estimate TDEE). 2) At end of week measure your weight, waist circumference and hip circumference (or bf% if you know how) 3) Perform this the following week as well 4) If your numbers are going up, lower your…

There's pyschological hunger and legitimate hunger. It can be very hard to tell the difference between the two sometimes. Generally I only ever get hungry at night and for this reason I try to have a light protein heavy snack about an hour before bed. Also if you aren't trying to lose you can just eat more and monitor your…

Not to pychoanalyze you, but why do you suppose you lost motivation in the past? Were you too ambitious when you finally deciding to "fix your lifestyle" and couldn't maintain it? Did you go on a diet that was driving you insane? Do you hate working out? Actually getting to the root of these concerns may help you not just…

Bicep is mostly an aesthetic muscle -- very small compared to legs, back, chest, etc. If you want "big arms" you'd actually be better off doing tricep work since generally it's bigger than the biceps. That being said, I love the look of a large biceps peak and I don't have good biceps genetics and have never really been…

Look at the general consensus on the "men what bodytype do you prefer?" thread then put your picture next to it. You are not "too fat" -- in fact you look like the ecto-skinny woman on the far left in that photo. If you want to look "toned" or "ripped" understand that you reach a point of diminishing returns whereby…

I'll be getting in some hardcore recovery reps...

6lbs in a week after several months at a plateau sounds off. Equipment Error? I drop weight in "chunks" as well but it's more like a plateau and them maybe 3 lbs a week or 1-2 over a couple days. 6lbs in a single week sounds weird unless your reference weight was a time when you were bloated or something.

2400-2700 depending on the day. Before I started it was probably about 2700 everyday (with no excercise).

Even if a stranger sells your cheeseburger to buy drugs you showed compassion and human kindness and that makes you an awesome person so feel good about that!

Unless you have pyschological issues with food 3500 calories is 3500 calories on the gain or lose side. But it's easy to start into a "downward spiral". I gained almost 15 lbs over the course of a month one time because I was constantly finding myself at a drive-in fast-food window around 8:30PM or later due to having to…

What did you do? Just calorie restriction? Excercise? Awesome progress btw!

Maybe it's just the haircolor, and I'm a guy so that kind of thing throws me for a loop, but you don't even look like the same person. Really awesome transformation!

Try melatonin. Dont excercise within 4 hour window of your bedtime and yeah, you are going to be more hypersensitive to stimulants now. May just take some time getting used to. For me it usually takes 2 weeks when I do something drastic to my schedule. Be reasonable with your calorie restriction. Anything more than 500…

Do your cardio in the morning before breakfast -- stick to 20 mins tops -- this will boost your metabolism and get you a jumpstart on the the day. Then find a 3-4 day program of some resistance training routine (bodyweight, weights, kettllebells) to do throughout the week. Structure your workout/rest days so that they line…

Weight training or resistance training is a MUST for people trying to lose weight IMO. You may have some limitations depending on how large you currently are: if you are obese or morbidly obese you may have to be careful about injury at first but there is no better way to shed pounds then by lifting with heavy compound…

Had to be in my car a lot today after work: not the best time for proper meal. Was extremely glad I packed some protein pancakes in my carry along. Even cold they were just the thing to cure the mid-afternoon munchies!

HINT: Abs are made in the kitchen... Seriously core excercises are great, but ultimately you need to be lean enough to show them off... For definition I like to do * russian twists * captain's chairs * windshield wipers but I know not to pretend that my abs are going to be popping out until I'm below 10% BF. Some people…

It really depends on individual metabolism when you are doing intense resistance training and are already lean (< 15% BF). I am on a weights + cardio program right now and I keep my diet regular and adjust if I am not losing. I gave up counting calories -- there are too many variables. I just try to get 5-6 healthy protein…

Depends a lot on intensity... I do AM cardio workouts on my stairs at home and I pretty much sprint up 2-4 flights then walk down, rinse and repeat for 20 mins...I keep the intensity at a level that lets me do 20 mins or more...I will say that adding weight or increasing tempo with a stairs workout is just an insane way to…

kettlebells, p90x, body weight circuits, boxing bags, sandbags, burpees, jump rope, using the stairs in your house for cardio, dancing, taebo, yoga... your options are only as limited as your imagination... do search for "home workouts" on youtube...

A "Body for Life" type program (http://bodyforlife.com/library/exercise/weight-training) is very "basic" and will build a base level of fitness. These workouts typically focus on major muscle groups, compound excercises and lower/upper body splits. If you've never worked out before it's a solid, tried-and-true way to put…

Yes. But it depends on a lot of individual factors like what you are used to and how quickly you add all that exercise into your life and how much sleep you get on a regular basis. Some people can only be motivated when they are really out of shape by going "all out" with their routines. The thing to keep in mind though is…

@djbasham Really depends on your current fitness level. If you are under 30%BF and have done weightlifting in the past then I think you could probably start off with a 35 lb bell. Even if you are a beast, 35lbs is a good weight to start out with to learn the moves. I routinely alternate b/w a 35lb and a 44lb bell right now…

broke a (very small) bone in the top of my foot about 5 weeks ago. still can't run! Luckily kettlebell workouts burn massive calories so I can still get cardio in without having to run or jump rope ;-) I also did an elliptical machine the other day and it wasn't so bad because i wasn't pounding my foot or torquing it, not…

Some common items from my daily at-work meals(I pack these in tupperware every week): Mini Turkey Meatloafs (made in muffin pans) Spinach + Strawberry salad with walnuts and feta cheese Turkey chili with kidney beans (SNACK)Apple + string cheese (this seems to satisfy my afternoon snack needs) (SNACK)Non-Fat Greek Yogurt +…

Re: Eating healthy to eliminate cravings. One thing I'd say is that I did this all very slowly. I focused on eliminating or substituting one bad food habit at a time (or group of them) and adjusting the way that I shop for food, prepare food and eat that food accordingly. In this manner it was all sort of a natural…

So at my job there is a community "snack bar" that comes fully stocked from cosco. Each item is really cheap and laid out across a bunch of filing cabinets that I walk by every single day (multiple times a day) on the way around the office. It has been the downfall of many a good intentioned dieter. I have survived by…