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I think he's talking about a lot of the auxiliary work (like curls, cable-work, machines, dumbbell work, etc.). Most good starter programs stick with the tried-and-true lifts like squat, bench, deadlift, rows, overhead press. They're all barbell exercises, and they are the "core" of most solid full-body workouts, which are…

Deloading. It's a strategy that Mehdi advocates for StrongLifts 5x5. You take a week and back off 10%, and re-start the progression. It can work. But so can moving to a more intermediate lifting program, like Madcow or DUP, On heavy lifts (squat and dead) when you're doing 70% or more of your 1RM. At least, that's what…

I find it incredibly difficult to maintain any kind of deficit for a long period of time. So I listen to my body and take "breaks". Sometimes they are brought about by vacations and such. Other times it's just clear that after so many days or weeks of solid deficit, extra calories are needed. If nothing else, helps with…

This. It is possible. Muscle Protein Synthesis is slowed down during a calorie deficit, but it's not halted. You can still elevate MPS levels by lifting heavy. If you follow a full-body, compound-lift program 3x per week, then you can keep your MPS elevated and you can build muscle, albeit much slower than someone who is…

You're way over-analyzing this. In the long run, measuring the difference between walking or running to the bus stop is just not worth it. You'll burn more calories doing the math in your head than the difference between those two exercises. If you don't want to track exercise, then either (a) adjust MPF to more than…

I've read Brett Contreras say that "for every four workouts you do, you'll have one great one, one bad one, and two average ones." Anecdotally speaking, I've observed this phenomena. Don't worry about it. Just give your best effort every time, and take what nature gives you.

I go the socks route. My gym owner doesn't mind.

Is there even a definition for "eating clean" that is consistent among users of the phrase? At any rate, re: walking: great exercise, IMO. I try to walk 10,000 steps per day. Makes a huge difference. In the end, weight loss is a simple mathematical formula: calories out - calories in = deficit. Whatever you can do, through…

Open. And fairly boring. I tend to eat a lot of the same foods. But at least I don't "food prep" for the week...

Well... I hate running. I tried it for two years. Worked my way up so I could run 5 miles. My times were always slow, but I ran - never walked any part of it. I experienced a LOT of pain in my lower legs, and my doctor advised me to get some inserts (I pronate my feet). The inserts helped a ton. However, after two years, I…

Don't be intimidated. Everyone is there working on themselves. No one is there to judge you. Ask for help. If you don't know how to use a piece of equipment, ask a staff member, or even someone nearby who you can see knows how to use it. Most gym members are helpful people. Get familiar with the equipment. You want to make…

Thanks for posting this! I had no idea such a tool existed. Figured I was an intermediate lifter after 2 years. Yep. @kensky For programs: I suggest DUP. It's what I moved to after StrongLifts 5x5, and I love it. I usually get a PR every 1-2 weeks on at least one of my lifts.

I'd second StrongLifts 5x5. Great starter program. You will get stronger. Side Note: "Toning" is a myth. You bring out muscle definition simply by losing fat. That's all there is to it. That "toned" look is just a low body fat percentage. Nothing more. As for workouts: If you do a lot of research, you're going to…

Rowing is a good exercise. I know guys who do it in the gym after their lifting workout. It's been said that doing cardio after lifting is a good idea, because after you lift, you've exhausted your glycogen stores, so the cardio helps in burning fat; with your glycogen stores gone, your body needs to pull energy from…

Yep, if you want to run, you're going to need the cards. Understand that a low-carb diet is not the reason people lose weight. They lose weight because not eating so many carbs puts them into a calorie deficit. Once you realize that scientific fact, you can come to the understanding that you can eat a wide variety of foods…

I pay about $40 per month, I believe. When I was paying monthly, it was more like $60, but I was finally able to afford a 6-month membership, and that brings the cost down. My gym does do "crossfit" style classes, and those are expensive. I also have zero interest in crossfit, so no big deal there. As for what we get: full…

Dude that it awesome. I'd love to have those numbers next year. Way to go man!

I also lift 3x per week. Compound lifts followed by some selective isolation work. Total workout time each day: 60-90 minutes. I basically follow a DUP-style training program. Only I don't save the isolation work for Saturdays, but instead do it after my main workout (three compound lifts) each day. For the most part, when…

Is a home gym absolutely necessary? I mean, if it is, it is. But gyms are awesome. I used to have one of these in my basement. If you'd rather spend your money on a home gym, this kind of thing does the trick. Mine was a different brand and came with a bench and lat pulldown (I want to say it was a Nautilis, but I could be…

Same. I'd love to be able to get 20k per day. But sitting all day, just not going to happen. And yes, I agree - would take about 3 hours of walking every day. Best of luck to those of you participating! Maybe we need a 10K per day thread. I'd like to accomplish that for one month.

Same. Food, and events such as this, should be enjoyed.

First step to failing at fat loss is.... having unrealistic expectations. Listen, even if you did everything perfectly, realistically you could only lose about 6 lbs. in three weeks (and that would be a very, very aggressive plan), which probably (maybe) would get you half a pant-size, but probably not. If you really want…

No scientific evidence, and even anecdotal evidence is not consistent among all people. For instance, after a hard workout, the only thing I crave is sugar. Like, immediately I want an Oreo Blizzard. Protein has a role (an important one) and definitely affects satiety, but I don't think there's anything beyond that.

I agree with this. I just spent the last 8 months patiently reworking my bench press so I can engage my lats on heavy weights. At first, I found it fairly easy to engage my lats on light weights, but as the weight got heavier, I'd revert to my old form and press too much with arms and shoulders. It hasn't been until these…

I think some folks would disagree with you.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS. If you're new to lifting, you want to ease yourself into it the first week or two. Practice good form, get used to lighter weight, and the progressively load (increase the weight) over a course of days/weeks. This will prevent DOMS and allow you to be consistent with your workouts.

I have the Zip for $50. It's simple, and does exactly what I want it to do: tracks my steps, converts (roughly) to miles walked and calories, and synchronizes with MFP. It's a bi-directional synch, so MFP gets updated with my steps from the FitBit, and my FitBit dashboard (web site) gets updated with my calories consumed…

You should be close to me, I would think, with those numbers. Each one of those numbers is something I do in my ladders for those lifts. My 1RP maxes are: Bench: 240 Squat: 340 Deadlift: 445 Chasing the 1100 club now...

It takes some time to adjust, but you can adjust to diet cola. And once you do, there's no turning back. After a few weeks, the regular stuff tastes like syrup.

I'm going to be in the minority here, but what I've found works best pre-workout? A stupid Cliff Bar. I've tried a few caffeine drinks, 5-hour energy, etc., and yet what works amazingly well for me is a simple protein/carb bar about 10-15 minutes before I lift. I've been experimenting with this the past few weeks and so…