Introduction to exercise. (IMPORTANT READ THIS BEFORE ANY QUESTIONS BELOW)

[I Meleed I]

Introduction to exercise

Exercise determines HOW you gain or lose weight, and your body composition generally. You can diet down to, say, 120 pounds. But do you want to be 120 pounds of sleek, sexy muscle, or 120 pounds of gross, flabby loser? Exercise largely dictates the outcome.

Exercise burns calories, which makes it easier to lose weight in conjunction with diet.

Exercise promotes strength, endurance, and resistance to injury and illness, all of which are pretty great in and of themselves.

So exercise makes it easier to lose weight, and plays a big role in the composition of your body. There are two main kinds of exercise, cardiovascular (aka cardio, aerobic, etc.) and weight lifting (aka weights, lifting, resistance training, etc.)

Cardio: Any type of exercise that sustains an elevated heart rate consistently for a long period of time, such as running, cycling, or elliptical machine

Weight lifting: Pretty self explanatory, you push around heavy weights.

Cardio vs. weights

For most people, meeting their fitness goals requires that they do some of both, not one or the other.

I'm going to start with the case for weight lifting, because it seems to have the most misconceptions associated with it.

Are you trying to lose weight? Lift weights. Lifting burns tons of calories, and lifting weights while dieting will cause you to retain more muscle and lose more fat than just diet and/or cardio. Because the name of the game when it comes to not looking awful is FAT LOSS, not weight loss. Do you want to be that guy who loses lots of weight and still looks flabby and useless? Of course not.

Are you just trying to "tone up"? Lift weights. "Toning" is kind of a nonsense term, because you don't actually "tone" anything. You can only lose fat and gain muscle, and lifting weights helps you do both, by burning calories and promoting muscle growth. Like I said before, you get huge by eating huge, not lifting weights; lifting just determines how much of your weight is muscle vs. fat.

Are you a woman? Lift weights, because I already explained why lifting won't turn you into a man, and all the other benefits still apply to you. And if you are a 1 in 1,000,000 woman who can pack on muscle mass like a man, just stop working out as hard and it will go away.

Lifting weights also makes you stronger, less injury prone and promotes stronger bones and looking better naked. It speeds up your metabolism a bit and makes you healthier in general.

But what about cardio? For one thing, it burns lots of calories. But cardio is also good for everyone because it improves your overall endurance and ability to exert yourself over an extended period. It promotes cardiovascular health and contributes to increased bone density. Basically, your ability to perform pretty much any kind of physical activity is helped by being in good cardiovascular health, and it makes it less likely that you will eventually die from your heart exploding.

My suggestion is to alternate weights and cardio, for instance doing 3 days of weights, 2 days of cardio, and taking the other 2 days off.

Doing both on the same day tends to cause one or the other to suffer from reduced effort, and generally burns people out.

Lifting weights - general guidance for following any program

Track your progress in writing! I can't emphasize this enough. Write down how much you lifted & how many times you lifted it every session. You won't have any sense of concrete progress if you don't, and you'll lose track of your lifts and screw things up. Every week, focus on beating your numbers from last week. If you cannot do this, it's time to analyze your diet and your sleep habits, because something is wrong.

Don't be afraid of barbells or dumbbells. The key to safely using them is to focus on good technique (form), and to increase the weight you are using gradually. Only do the exercise for as long as you can do the exercise properly and control the weight. If you can't control the weight, reduce the weight until you can.

Do a good warm-up. A few minutes of light cardio is a good general warm-up. Then before you do each exercise, do 8-12 reps with very light weight. Many weight lifting workouts have a built-in warm-up, where you start with a light weight and then increase the weight gradually with each set.

It is not important what weight you start with, but where you end up. Be conservative at first, but from then on constantly try to add weight or increase the number of repetitions for every exercise from workout to workout. If you do this, you'll be working very hard soon enough. 2.5% more weight per week is a realistic goal, and at first you may gain more like 5%/week. That sounds small, but it adds up to a huge strength improvement in a year.

You have to push yourself to get results, but don't be stupid. Soreness and stiffness are normal; genuine pain is not. If you hurt yourself, give yourself plenty of time to 100% recover from an injury before you start again, or you'll just re-injure yourself.

Most barbell exercises can be substituted with their dumbbell equivalent, or vice versa, and achieve the same training effect. As a beginner, you may find it easier or more comfortable to work with dumbbells, and this is fine. The only exceptions are squats and deadlifts, because it can be difficult to get enough weight on dumbbells without making it very awkward.

You need days off from lifting. Do not try to lift on off-days in a lifting program in an effort to make faster progress; you'll over-train and start doing worse, not better.

Lifting weights: example programs

The following are good, proven programs to follow for weight lifting. The key thing to keep in mind is that you don't need a perfect program for you, because one doesn't exist anyway. You just need to follow a program that is fundamentally sound and work hard at it. Some of the programs are more bodybuilder-oriented or athlete-oriented, but in truth they all do the same basic things and work on the same basic principles. For a normal person working hard at them, they'll produce the results a normal person would want: more strength, more muscle and less fat.

Starting Strength:

http://newbie-fitness.blogspot.com/2006/12/rippetoes-starting-strength.html

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki

I like this program a lot, though I would recommend beginners do dumbbell rows instead of Pendlay Rows or Power Cleans (because they are easier to do correctly), and stick to the military press instead of the optional hang cleans (for the same reason).

Bill Starr Linear 5x5:

http://madcow.hostzi.com/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm

This is a very good, basic workout from a renowned strength coach.

Big Boy Basics:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459533

This program is a bit more complex than the other two and incorporates more workouts per week, but is definitely worth a look.

~~~~Credit: Originally by sean10mm, modified and updated by Liam Rosen - (acquired from /fit/)

[I Meleed I]

Introduction to diet

Diet is probably the most important single factor in your health, body composition and overall appearance.

Food determines how big you are. If you consume more calories than you expend, you will get bigger. If you consume fewer calories than you expend, you will get smaller. If you meet your maintenance needs, you will stay the same. Regardless of your metabolism, body composition, genetics, or whatever, your body must obey the laws of physics and biological imperatives. Now, your calorie needs can change over time. But in the end, it really is calories in and calories out. Everything else is just fiddling around the edges of this basic fact.

You can't get big if you don't eat big. That goes for muscle, fat, whatever. You can lift huge weights 10,000 times a day, and if you don't eat more calories than you expend, you won't gain a milligram of mass. Conversely, if you burn 10,000 calories a day and eat 11,000 calories a day you will gain weight. Exercise and food selection plays a big role in what that extra weight becomes (fat or muscle), but the weight comes from food.

With that out of the way, what should you eat?

General dietary advice

Before going into the nitty-gritty of calorie counting and so forth, you can improve your health a great deal by changing the staples of your diet and your patterns of eating. This sounds like a big deal, but is actually pretty simple and relatively painless. I'm not going to tell you to eat tree bark and fungus, for instance. That kind of extremist dieting is for morons.

First, the obvious stuff: fast food and soda. Cut it out.

Fast food is almost always extremely unhealthy, high in saturated fat and trans fat, very calorie-dense, and should thus be avoided by everyone. The occasional burger is harmless in the grand scheme of things, but if fast food is a staple of your diet, cut it out.

Soda is the other thing that should be massively reduced by almost everyone. Soda is extremely calorie-dense, has no nutritional value, and for various reasons, you shouldn't be dumping massive amounts of simple sugars into your system. There is debate over if diet soda is neutral or still bad for you; my suggestion is to limit it, too. Drink water instead, with the occasional coffee or tea for variety. After a few months of this, your soda cravings will slowly dissipate.

For those with a sweet tooth, all kinds of sweets are calorie monsters. But the worst of the worst may be ice cream, especially premium ice creams - a pint might give you a few days worth of saturated fat and half the calories you should be taking in. You don't need to never eat something sweet again - that's ludicrous. Just eat it rarely and in smaller amounts.

Finally, be aware that many "frappuchino" coffee beverages are made almost entirely of dairy fat and syrup, and can have absurd amounts of calories. Brewed tea and coffee are almost calorie-free, and a packet of sugar only adds about 20 calories, but some of these blended "coffee" things have on the order of 400 calories.

Many people make the first steps towards weight loss just by cutting out soda and dropping the Big Mac content of their diet. Aside from being made of unhealthy ingredients, fast food and soda are so awful because they make it easy to ingest immense calories without being especially aware that you're doing it. I'm not telling you that you need to abandon everything you like forever. You just can't have obviously unhealthy foods be a main component of your diet. Having a reasonably-sized portion of something "unhealthy" that you really like 1-2 times a week is not a problem if the rest of your diet is in order. But for too many people, unhealthy foods are their diet.

Macronutrients and more

Macronutrients are just things like carbohydrates, fats and proteins. All are necessary, and none are evil per se. To summarize:

Carbohydrates ("carbs"). Despite what you may have heard, these are not evil. They are a necessary source of energy for your body. The problem is that people over-consume certain sources of carbohydrates, most notably simple sugars from soda and candy, and starches from white bread. If you have to cut down on one macronutrient, cut down on carbohydrates. People in Western cultures consume far too many carbohydrates on average.

Proteins. These are necessary for your body to maintain its muscles, repair damage to them, and generally hold itself together. Most people get enough protein, though an intense exercise program may call for eating more for optimal results. If you cannot manage to take enough protein into your diet, protein powder may be the key. TrueProtein sells among the cheapest and also highest quality protein powders (you can also use the code LMR104 when checking out for an extra 5-10% off). Optimum Nutrition is another well-recommended powder.

Fats. Fats are not evil, either. Eating dietary fat does not mean that body fat will instantly appear on your gut or ass; your body doesn't work that way. Fats perform a variety of necessary functions. The problem is that people over-consume saturated fats and trans fats, which raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol, and under-consume healthy fats like monounsaturated fats (found in high concentrations in olive oil and canola oil) and Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, flax seed oil and other sources). Fats also have more calories ounce-for-ounce than carbohydrates and proteins, making very high fat foods astoundingly calorie-dense.

There is some disagreement over what the ideal ratio of carbohydrate to fats to protein in a person's diet should be. In fact, one recent study is now showing that this ratio matters much less than previously thought. For most people, something in the neighborhood of 40% carbohydrate calories/30% protein calories/30% fat calories would be about the right ballpark, with approximately 1/3 of your fat calories coming from each type of fat (saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated). The general population skews towards lower protein, and more carbohydrates and fat, and more importantly tend to get their carbs and proteins from unhealthy sources.

Alcohol. Technically a macronutrient, though most people don't think of it that way. Alcohol itself has calories, and some alcoholic drinks are very calorie-dense due to their sugar content. If there's anything like a useless source of calories, alcohol is it. Alcohol consumption has been consistently shown to result in sustained, significant decreases in testosterone and growth hormone levels. In addition, it also directly inhibits how the body processes proteins. If you're trying to build muscle, it is best to cut down on alcohol consumption.

Cholesterol: I'm including this here as a subset of fats, though technically it isn't a macronutrient. Cholesterol in food does not directly translate in into high blood cholesterol for most people. For those with high cholesterol, specifically high LDL ("bad") cholesterol, focus on cutting saturated and trans fats, which contribute to cholesterol production in the liver.

Dietary fiber: This is a subset of carbohydrates, though people don't usually think of fiber that way. Dietary fiber has many health benefits, and almost everyone should eat more of it.

Water: Drink more water. Water regulates virtually every bodily process in some way. Drinking more water is a simple, virtually cost-free thing you can do to improve your overall health. Also, if you drink water, you aren't drinking calories, and will feel fuller. Finally, drinking plenty of water is essential to getting the most out of your workouts in a safe manner. The recommended amount differs from person to person (If you've heard anything about 8 glasses a day, it's bunk), but there's no danger in drinking more.

Specific kinds of things you should eat

Note that the list below does not account for condiments and toppings; it just lists good food items. For instance, turkey breast is very good for you. Turkey breast covered in heavy cream sauce or deep fried in lard is not. Use your brain here.

Your dietary staples should include:

     Lean animal protein sources, including but not limited to:

- Most turkey and chicken in general, especially if it is skinless. Turkey and chicken breasts especially.

- Ground turkey, chicken, beef or pork.

- Virtually all forms of fish, even the fattier fishes are very good for you. Tuna, while also good, should be eaten sparingly if you're concerned about mercury consumption.

- More exotic-type meats, if you can find them: buffalo, ostrich, lamb, elk, venison, alligator, etc.

- Whole eggs. The unhealthiness of whole eggs is a myth; contrary to past assumptions, they have no impact on heart disease at all. -The main reason for this is that cholesterol in food does not impact the actual cholesterol level in your blood; almost all your cholesterol is made in you liver, based mainly on your saturated fat and trans fat consumption.

      Whole grains, including but not limited to:

- Whole wheat bread, bagels, rolls, etc.

- Whole wheat pasta

- Brown rice

- Oatmeal

- Whole grain breakfast cereals and muesli

- Virtually all fruits and vegetables, including beans and dry-roasted nuts.

Healthy fats like olive oil (for sauces, dressings & low-temperature cooking) and canola oil (for high-temperature cooking), and Omega-3 rich fish oil.

Low fat dairy products like skim milk, low fat/nonfat yogurt and reduced fat cheeses. Just be aware that some "reduced fat" cheeses are still relatively high in saturated fat.

How often should I eat?

It doesn't matter. Although many will claim that you can speed up your metabolism by eating more meals a day, a review of pertinent studies reveals that this is not true. Common sense dictates that three meals a day should be fine. At the other end of the scale, if you are trying to force yourself to eat more so you can gain weight (e.g. for bodybuilding), you will probably need to eat more big meals per day just to get enough calories into your body.

Starvation is bad, OK? You'll just get fat again, dammit! Also, sick. And look like crap.

Weight loss is largely a matter of reducing calories and increasing activity. So if 500 fewer calories a day than you need to maintain is good, 2000 less is better, right? Not really. Because below a certain threshold, your body thinks you are one of those starving refugees on TV, and does a bunch of things that hurt your long-term weight loss.

Read that again: starving is a bad way to lose weight.

~~~~Credit: Originally by sean10mm, modified and updated by Liam Rosen - (acquired from /fit/)

[I Meleed I]

Supplements

Supplements

Most supplements are useless. Especially most that do not consist of a single ingredient are. What oftentimes does make sense is supplementing your diet with things that you lack. Notable things you might think about (I usually buy off the shelf, others swear by higher quality things):

Fish oil. If you don’t eat much oily fish (salmon, mackerel …), you are most likely deficient in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA; ignore ALA). Get some fish oil. This will make you smarter, less sick, helps with fat loss and you will recover better.

Vitamin D.We usually get this from sunlight. If you are not tanned, chances are you’re deficient in this. Most people are. Get your blood levels measured, or take your chances and just get some. Vitamin D is involved in pretty much everything. If you’re deficient in it, supplementing it helps your bones, prevents cancers and … everything. There is, again, some granny scare about vitamin D being poison, but it's actually quite hard to poison yourself on vitamin D.

Protein powder. If you don’t easily get enough from food, get some cheap whey or casein or milk protein (other proteins usually taste bad or are of low quality). These are quite convenient, and almost as nutrient rich as regular food. You don’t need them, despite for what supplement sellers tell you, whole food sources of protein are equivalent or better compared to whey or BCAAs/Amino Acids; but some convenient powder ain’t bad either.

Magnesium, folate, fiber, vitamin C: most people are not getting as many of these as they should. Depending on how your diet is, consider supplementing these while you adjust your diet.

Conveniently, all of these are pretty cheap. Especially Vitamin D.

The exceptions to the "supplements suck" rule are few:

Creatine will help a bit with strength. It's also fairly safe.

Ephedrine, and especially the ephedrine + caffeine combo, helps with losing fat.

Almost everything else that is not illegal sucks. Illegal drugs, like steroids for muscle gains and fat loss, and clenbuterol and DNP, are of unquestionable effectivity, allowing their consuments to gain mass and strength way quicker than the natural trainee, even without training themselves at all, but many feel scared by their illegality and the abuse potential - done wrong, these WILL hurt you.

[Sopuli]

Not bad, gives a good outsight to people who aren't into exercising just like me, been only running but haven't really tried on gym. Might start looking for a good beginner program on what to do in gym to get some strength.

[I Meleed I]

Not bad, gives a good outsight to people who aren't into exercising just like me, been only running but haven't really tried on gym. Might start looking for a good beginner program on what to do in gym to get some strength.

The "Starting Strength" program is good for beginners, it will help you out alot.  :)

[Mike (0BR)]

[Smush]

Real nice guide for the kids who want to lose weight/eat healthy/and pick up some weights.

[FearMy Def]

im trying to put on muscle o.O

[Steroids]

dont do ur benching shit

rugby is better than all that crap

well ur doing it wrong u idiot

[Swag]

/fit/

[I Meleed I]

~~~~Credit: Originally by sean10mm, modified and updated by Liam Rosen - (acquired from /fit/)

/fit/

[Swag]

~~~~Credit: Originally by sean10mm, modified and updated by Liam Rosen - (acquired from /fit/)

/fit/

I know  :p

[|Roberto]

Good stuff, also note when you first start lifting you hit a pretty big increase in lifts after a month or so

[Dave (Cha0s)]

Time to get massive.

[Zany]

problem:

i eat more i shit more = no desired weight gain

[I Meleed I]

problem:

i eat more i shit more = no desired weight gain

When your body is in a comfort zone, it will try very hard to maintain it. The way out of that is quite simply to eat big! You eat more than you burn off and you will gain pounds, its that simple. Eat more meats and complex carbs like potatoes and whole meal pasta and you wont be shitting everything you eat out instantly.

[Steroids]

problem:

i eat more i shit more = no desired weight gain

stupidest thing i ever heard  :rolleyes:

[Zany]

lol you say that but...

i eat till im full, if i eat more, i just shit multiple times a day.

i eat loads of meat, potatoes, rice, and whole meal pasta, and I am growing, but its very slowly, i would like to gain weight much faster.

[Walli]

head down to burger king, xl cheese burger, ur good to go.

[Zany]

if i do that walli, i loose weight.

[Tom (Rendition)]

problem:

i eat more i shit more = no desired weight gain

Complex Carbohydrates and Protein.  Especially before and after a workout.

I feel your pain though, my metabolism is ridiculous, I find it so hard to gain weight/mass.

Shitty burgers are simple carbohydrates and not very high in protein.  Quite alot of fat and salt which won't stick if your metabolism is fast.

[Ben]

Zany just stop moaning deal with it ur just scrawny nab f0 lyfe.

[Steroids]

zany you not thought about going on a weight gainer?

seems like an obvious choice in your case mate.

[Zany]

whats a weight gainer

[I Meleed I]

whats a weight gainer

http://www.foe-rs.com/forums/index.php?board=39.0

You might be better off staying there!