Natural Energy Sources to Workout ?

[Roni_88]

I am someone that works full time and goes to school, I try to workout as often as possible but sometimes I lack the energy in order to have a good workout, any suggestions on natural sources of energy to workout ?. I am trying not to rely much on coffee since it does sometimes bring me some digestive problems and also trying to avoid those sugary and artificial energy drinks.

 

[Tictac]

Workouts themselves will produce the energy you seek.

You don't need substances, you need will.

 

[mrgoodstuff]

Hot sauce, maybe one teaspoon before workout will kick in your blood circulation and adrenaline somewhat also it's said to raise metabolism.

 

[marmel75]

Lol...you lack the energy?

I work 40 hours+ a week, take online computer science classes, am lead developer for an open source project which takes up 3-4 hours a night of my time or more, do it's like a second full time job, and have a wife and two kids.

I never miss a workout. Ever. And trust me, my workouts are a hell of a lot more intense than yours. I'm 41 years old putting young dudes to shame.

Stop making excuses and get your ass to the gym. Step your game up.

 

[Roni_88]

The reason your energy is low is because you're eating crap. Switch to a high protein, low carbohydrate, and moderate fat diet and watch your energy levels explode. Eat only lean chicken, turkey, and fish. Once in a while, have some lean beef. When you do take carbs, eat only complex carbs such as vegetables, sweet potatoes, or whole grain pasta/whole grain bread. Eat these only in very minute moderation, as little as possible. Eat a bit before your workout, and a bit right after.

yeah, even though I know better, sometimes I fall into the trap of the easy way out ( eating crap). I will watch better my food intake. Thanks.

 

[Roni_88]

Lol...you lack the energy?

I work 40 hours+ a week, take online computer science classes, am lead developer for an open source project which takes up 3-4 hours a night of my time or more, do it's like a second full time job, and have a wife and two kids.

I never miss a workout. Ever. And trust me, my workouts are a hell of a lot more intense than yours. I'm 41 years old putting young dudes to shame.

Stop making excuses and get your ass to the gym. Step your game up.

Cant refute to that. Still in time to start a transformation for summer, I am not at a novice level but like you said, I will step up my game. Thanks

 

[marmel75]

The reason your energy is low is because you're eating crap. Switch to a high protein, low carbohydrate, and moderate fat diet and watch your energy levels explode. Eat only lean chicken, turkey, and fish. Once in a while, have some lean beef. When you do take carbs, eat only complex carbs such as vegetables, sweet potatoes, or whole grain pasta/whole grain bread. Eat these only in very minute moderation, as little as possible. Eat a bit before your workout, and a bit right after.

Don't switch to a low carb diet unless you want to be weaker and smaller. Carb cycling will do the same thing without depleting your body of needed glycogen. This anti carb nonsense is just setting people up for long term failure and future weight gain because you WILL eventually have to start eating carbs again and when you do it will likely be in an uncontrollable binge fashion as the body basically forces you to give it what it wants.

 

[mrgoodstuff]

Cant refute to that. Still in time to start a transformation for summer, I am not at a novice level but like you said, I will step up my game. Thanks

You have to, body game is almost 50% + of the DJ's battle.

 

[marmel75]

For a 180 pound guy I'd suggest about 150 to 180 grams of protein, and low carbs on non training days (30 to 50 grams) and moderate carbs on training days (80 to 150).

This is carb cycling. Low carb/ketogenic is eating 30-50g of carbs on a daily basis...

My trainer has me eating 450 g of carbs on training days and 175 g on non-training days.

 

[Roni_88]

That's because you're

(a) lifting immensely heavy weights,
(b) are following a heavy powerlifting routine that eats up thousands of calories per day,
(c) have been lifting very heavy weights for much of your life,
(d) the huge amount of food you're eating is generally "clean" and
(e) are on gear.

Most guys aren't like this, and they don't follow a plan as nearly as intense. Most guys, like the OP, just want to gain a bit of muscle while looking ripped - or at least as close to ripped as they can get. And they are not going to do this by eating 450 grams of carbohydrates a day, guaranteed.

Regardless, we're both in agreement about carb cycling. For weightlifting and getting ripped, it's the way to go. What we seem to disagree on is how many carbs the OP needs: I think he will never get fit eating your diet. I think OP should be eating A LOT less carbs, especially on non training days where they should be kept to a very bare minimum. Those suckers have a way of sneaking into your food no matter how hard you try to avoid them.

Makes sense. Will keep you guys posted on my transformation and perhaps give my two cents on what I learn along the way.

 

[EyeBRollin]

If you don't have the energy, you are either eating poorly or workout too much.

Natural, steroid free lifters should not lift more than three times per week. When the weights get heavy, it is safe to go down to two (do cardio and stretching on the other day). Fitness gurus are on steroids; don't follow any of their advice.

Eat clean 90% of the time, eat enough whole nutritious foods, get enough sleep, and let your body rest. No more than the three times per week for exercise.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Dude, don't listen to any of the bro-science. It's all bull****. It will drive you crazy with counting everything.

Eat 3 full meals per day and incorporate a few healthy snacks as hunger permits. Don't eat processed food. Stick to lean meats, fish, raw nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and water. Alcohol is ok in moderation. Make sure you have veggies and protein with each meal and you should be fine. There is no set number of calories and protein you need to shoot for.

The trick to health is to listen to your body above all; it knows best. Eat when your hungry. As your energy demands increase, your hunger frequency will increase with it. Just eat the suggested foods when hungry and you will grow.

 

[marmel75]

That's because you're

(a) lifting immensely heavy weights,
(b) are following a heavy powerlifting routine that eats up thousands of calories per day,
(c) have been lifting very heavy weights for much of your life,
(d) the huge amount of food you're eating is generally "clean" and
(e) are on gear.

Most guys aren't like this, and they don't follow a plan as nearly as intense and usually whatever plan they do follow it's generally without the assistance of drugs. Most guys, like the OP, just want to gain a bit of muscle while looking ripped - or at least as close to ripped as they can get. And they are not going to do this by eating 450 grams of carbohydrates a day, guaranteed.

Regardless, we're both in agreement about carb cycling. For weightlifting and getting ripped, it's the way to go. What we seem to disagree on is how many carbs the OP needs: I think he will never get fit eating your diet. I think OP should be eating A LOT less carbs, especially on non training days where they should be kept to a very bare minimum. Those suckers have a way of sneaking into your food no matter how hard you try to avoid them.

Oh you are right, I would never suggest the OP follow that guideline, I was just bringing it up as an example of what I'm doing.

The problem most guys have in the gym is they lack intensity. Intensity is the key to results. You don't need to be on anything for that, you just have to have a mindset that you are going to push yourself to finish your workout a few minutes quicker than you did last time. If you can do it while lifting heavier weights even better. The key comes down to how much weight you are able to lift in what time frame. The more weight you are able to mover per minute, the better shape you Will end up in. At first, it means lifting lighter weights at a quicker pace. However your body will rapidly adapt so that you are able to handle more weight at the same or even quicker pace.

The biggest mistake I see is that people think they can make up for intensity by spending more time at the gym, but you will never get the same result by doing that, only a much poorer one due to the poor hormonal environment you've set up in your body by doing this.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Are you retarded?

Are you an expert?

You clearly know nothing about how to get fit, burn fat, and add muscle.

I know more about this topic than most people could ever dream of knowing.

Of course OP needs to check his calories and protein intake.

Which can be done by doing exactly what I suggested - eating better food, eating only when hungry, and listening to his body. But if excel spreadsheets are your thing, be my guest.

The whole reason OP has gotten to the point where he is now is because he hasn't kept track of his protein and caloric intake. OP, you don't have to obsess over everything but you do have to be more mindful about how much protein, carbs, and fats you consume. Eating whatever you want and not paying attention to what macronutrients you're taking in pretty much led to the reason why you started this thread in the first place.

No, that is not correct.

Weight loss is not about macros, it's based on one simple formula:

Calories consumed - calories burned = net weight gain / loss

Protein doesn't have much to do with it. The average American diet by default has over twice the amount of suggested daily protein. The 1 gram per 1 lb of body-weight "science" is exactly the bro-science I'm talking about.

(Hint: it's about selling you more protein shakes)

From your source:

Both groups went on low calorie diets, but one had higher levels of protein than the other.

The higher-protein group had muscle gains of an average 2.5 pounds, despite consuming insufficient energy.

Meanwhile, the lower protein group didn’t add muscle.

However, the low protein group also did not lose muscle – which can be expected if people cut calories and don’t work out.

Dr Phillips said: ‘Exercise, particularly lifting weights, provides a signal for muscle to be retained even when you’re in a big calorie deficit.’

But surprisingly, the high protein group also lost more muscle group, the scientist added.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...gain-muscle-warn-gruelling.html#ixzz46fJ42QZy
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook[

Here's a good hard scientific study which basically states everything I told you to do to get ripped as fast as you can:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...-way-lose-fat-gain-muscle-warn-gruelling.html

It's not hard evidence. The data means "this is one way you can lose weight." To have an affirmative, it would need to prove that other methodologies also do not work. A-B-A testing.

"A low calorie, low carbohydrate, high protein diet and working out six days a week is key"

No. A lower calorie consumption than expenditure is key.

Don't listen to idiots who throw around the "broscience" word without actually citing any scientific studies themselves.

Don't listen to idiots who take the fitness industry seriously. Everyone there is juiced up and / or receiving massive financial kickbacks from the multi-billion dollar supplement industry.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Do not work out six days per week. It is a waste of time and does not give your body better results. It's actually overtraining and detrimental.

Work out three times per week, increasing the intensity or duration by about 5% per week. Over time, this causes long term growth and higher levels of health and fitness.

Training is just like sexual attraction; your body needs time away from it to develop. Rest is the most important part of fitness. There is no growth without rest.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Ah yes, your superior intellect on this subject comes out perfectly clear with this supremely ignorant statement of yours:

Are you totally mentally incompetent? So you're telling a guy who needs to lose fat that "there is no set number of calories" he needs to shoot for? And now you're telling us that you know more about this topic than most people could ever dream of knowing?

Correct. If Fat Don Juan burns 1,800 calories per day, the only thing required for him to lose weight is to consume less than 1,800 calories per day over time.

He HAS been listening to his body.. that's the reason why he's carrying excessive fat right now and needs to lose weight! Nobody said he needs a spreadsheet he just needs to be more mindful of what he puts in his mouth. I gave him numbers because your suggestion "just eat better" is utterly retarded and is so simple minded it's like getting exercise advice from a ten year old girl.

It really is that simple. You're the one trying to turn it into some exclusive science. Burn more calories than you consume. If Fat Don Juan wants to lose weight, that's all he has to do. Hell, even fasting works.

Yes it is correct, and I posted a scientific study published by one of the most prominent research centers on exercise science in the entire world to prove it. Losing fat may be about just calories in versus calories out, but building muscle AND losing fat is both about calories AND macronutrients. When you're building muscle, a 2,000 calorie carbohydrate-only diet will NOT have the same effect as a 2,000 calorie diet of mostly protein with some carbs and fat! This is why macros are so important.

Yea, that's the broscience I'm talking about.

Are you seriously this stupid that you don't even understand the importance of macros when building muscle? Am I just debating with a ten year old kid who clearly knows absolutely nothing about diet and exercise??

I'm either really stupid or just that much smarter than all of you bros in the realm of health and fitness.

WOW I can't believe how utterly ridiculous your statements can get! I am literally sitting here in total disbelief at your utter lack of knowledge on this topic.

I can regurgitate all the bro-science. My argument was not that the "science" is a lack of knowledge, it's that the "science" in the fitness industry is bull****.

OP is trying to build muscle and burn fat, and you're telling him "protein doesn't have much to do with it"??? LMAO! Oh my god you cannot be serious. You have GOT TO BE TROLLING THIS THREAD no human being can seriously be this dumb!

I don't have to, your own source did that for me.

The average American diet also consists of many times the daily allowance for fats and carbs, with an incredibly immense excess of calories and very little exercise which leads to the fat epidemic that all modern developed countries are facing today.

I said nothing about fats and carbs. My comment was specifically regarding protein. There is no need for a conscious effort to include protein in your diet to build muscle unless you are a vegetarian. You will get more than enough protein in the standard Western diet, because our meat consumption is already way too high.

As for protein requirements, here is an interview with exercise scientist Dr. Peter Lemon which confirms everything I said about the amounts of protein OP should aim for:

http://www.seriousaboutfitness.com/...tary-protein-an-interview-with-dr-peter-lemon

And I quote:

"Strength athletes require 1.7-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day (or 0.77-0.82 grams of protein per pound of body mass per day)"

From your own source:

When pushed to extremes, why does the body need more protein? It is still unclear, but Dr. Lemon says it may be as simple as providing the energy and raw materials needed to build and maintain. He goes on to say:

"Maybe the individuals who consume this much are expending vast amounts of energy on training and require vast amounts of protein to maintain the muscle mass.

He doesn't sound too sure, does he?

So much for your "science." We do things a little differently in the physical sciences. Namely, testing our hypothesis among different variables, then re-testing for confirmation (as I said before).

Which is exactly what I told OP. All of my advice to him has been based on solid scientific evidence which is used by the world's top athletes as well as recreational lifters in order to gain muscle and get ripped.

I'm still waiting for a scintilla of science from you.. anything at all.

News flash kid:

The world's top athletes and fitness models are on steroids.

Why are you quoting a statement that the study authors did not make?? That is not what they said at all!!

What the scientists concluded was that high protein and low calorie (low carb/low fat) and lots of exercise was not just "one way" to lose fat and gain muscle as you erroneously quoted, it was in fact THE BEST WAY to gain muscle and lose fat.

Brush up on your reading comprehension, go learn a little bit about basic exercise science, then come back here and show us what you have learned.

There is nothing here for you to teach me. Like I said, I know more about being ripped than 99.9% of men will ever dream of knowing.

(Hint: you have to be ripped to know)

OP, you don't have to train six days a week to get results. But what the research shows is that if you want quick maximal gains, this is the best protocol to follow: high protein, low calorie, and LOTS of exercise.

Quick gains are irrelevant.

You came here for advice, and I gave you the best and most precise advice you're going to get. It is up to you to decide who's you want to take:

Quick fix or long-term health? My approach let's each individual reach the apex of their genetic potential, without drugs or bro-science. Eat clean, train 3 times per week, and increase the intensity or duration ~5% per week.

a guy (me) who tells you to increase protein, decrease calories, and lift a lot of weights.. or a guy (eyebrollin) who tells you to "just eat better and don't mind whether your diet is mostly carbs or protein."

The advice pretty much speaks for itself.

Strawman fallacy
Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.

 

[EyeBRollin]

But OP isn't trying to just lose weight, he's trying to build muscle and burn fat! READ THE TITLE OF THE THREAD.

Then he should be heeding my advice.

But
That's what you call broscience, citing scientific studies conducted by leading researchers in the area of exercise science? That's the exact opposite of broscience.

Why are you dodging the fallacies in those studies? Hmmm?

You have an understanding of diet and exercise that is equivalent to that of a ten year old girl.

I'm sure you lift like a ten year old girl.

You are quite literally the dumbest person who has posted in the health and fitness thread in a very very long time. OP is trying to build muscle and you tell him not to worry about protein intake. This is quite literally the single stupidest piece of advice I have ever hear one human being relay to another.

*pounds feet*

Stupid stupid stupid!

Grrrrrr

My own source stated that a high protein and low calorie diet combined with lots of weight lifting is the best way to build muscle and burn fat.

How about you read the text that is quoted.

What do steroids have to do with anything?? The studies I posted all used recreational lifters NOT athletes or fitness models, and certainly not anyone on steroids.

The human body can not handle 6 days per week of vigorous exercise without performance enhancements.

But yeah maybe you're right and all the scientists and researchers out there are lying

Where did I say they are lying?

OP said he needs to get in shape by summer. How are quick gains irrelevant??

Getting quick gains is the whole point of this thread LMAO

No, the point of every thread is to be honest with the OP.

If he wants to transform his body for good, he needs to take measured steps of consistency. Consistency over time equals results. There is no quick, (drug-free) fix to a physique transformation.

 

[Roni_88]

Ah yes, your advice that someone trying to build muscle shouldn't care about how much protein they are taking in.

GOOD ADVICE



Because there weren't any fallacies to address. All you did was quote the study's author stating that the best way to gain muscle and burn fat is to lift a lot of weights and eat a low calorie but high protein diet.. which is exactly the advice that I gave the OP.



Of course it can, and as shown by the scientific studies I cited it is actually beneficial. Of course, there is a variety of opinions of what "vigorous exercise" constitutes.



Right here did you forget already:





You complain about people giving out broscience advice when they quoted scientific studies.. and all you do is give the OP your own personal opinion on what he should do. You are the one here giving out broscience but you're just too uninformed about this topic to even realize it.

With all respect to all opinions, I applied lowering carbs with healthier choices ( not eliminating), dumped all the fast food, amped up my protein intake to almost 1g per bodyweight and been hitting the weightroom with heavy weights, mostly compound exercises for now 5 days in a row and I have lost almost 4 pounds so far without losing muscle, I know its a long journey but I believe I am in the right path for now. I will let you guys know about my progress. i appreciate all the feedback.

What do you guys recommend in terms of vitamin supplementation, I am taking a multi and fish oil, any other important vitamin that I should include ?, I know its a very general question, I kind of slack on veggies sometimes, most solid and liquid food sources are healthy though and I am meeting my macros.

 

[mrgoodstuff]

With all respect to all opinions, I applied lowering carbs with healthier choices ( not eliminating), dumped all the fast food, amped up my protein intake to almost 1g per bodyweight and been hitting the weightroom with heavy weights, mostly compound exercises for now 5 days in a row and I have lost almost 4 pounds so far without losing muscle, I know its a long journey but I believe I am in the right path for now. I will let you guys know about my progress. i appreciate all the feedback.

What do you guys recommend in terms of vitamin supplementation, I am taking a multi and fish oil, any other important vitamin that I should include ?, I know its a very general question, I kind of slack on veggies sometimes, most solid and liquid food sources are healthy though and I am meeting my macros.

Get your veggies, organic and locally grown no pesticides if you can. You will get more and better vitamin supplementation this way. Don't be lazy!

 

[EyeBRollin]

Ah yes, your advice that someone trying to build muscle shouldn't care about how much protein they are taking in.

GOOD ADVICE

Proof is in the pudding, pal.

Because there weren't any fallacies to address. All you did was quote the study's author stating that the best way to gain muscle and burn fat is to lift a lot of weights and eat a low calorie but high protein diet.. which is exactly the advice that I gave the OP.

Nope, that's not what I quoted, try reading again.

Of course it can, and as shown by the scientific studies I cited it is actually beneficial. Of course, there is a variety of opinions of what "vigorous exercise" constitutes.

No, it's not. Professional athletes need PEDs and world class trainers just to keep functional with that amount of exercise volume. Good luck with that as a natural.

You complain about people giving out broscience advice when they quoted scientific studies.. and all you do is give the OP your own personal opinion on what he should do. You are the one here giving out broscience but you're just too uninformed about this topic to even realize it.

Your own science was quoted as not even being concrete, and you failed to provide A-B-A verification.

Uninformed? Ha. Ha. You'll never reach my level of fitness.

With all respect to all opinions, I applied lowering carbs with healthier choices ( not eliminating), dumped all the fast food, amped up my protein intake to almost 1g per bodyweight and been hitting the weightroom with heavy weights, mostly compound exercises for now 5 days in a row and I have lost almost 4 pounds so far without losing muscle, I know its a long journey but I believe I am in the right path for now. I will let you guys know about my progress. i appreciate all the feedback.

You don't need to do 5 days per week on heavy compound lifts. The core lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, power cleans, overhead press, barbell rows, weighted pull-ups) only need to be done 1-2 times per week each (no more than 3 sessions per week in total), with alternating muscle groups. I recommend looking up Starting Strength by Mark Rippletoe or Stronglifts 5X5 (which is based on Starting Strength). Those programs are the most effective use of time for a natural lifter looking to gain muscle and shed pounds.

What do you guys recommend in terms of vitamin supplementation, I am taking a multi and fish oil, any other important vitamin that I should include ?, I know its a very general question, I kind of slack on veggies sometimes, most solid and liquid food sources are healthy though and I am meeting my macros.

None.

Don't waste your money. Get your vitamins from foods.

Learn to love vegetables. It's not easy but it takes patience and experimentation. Your vitamins and minerals should come from whole, nutritious food with a plentiful variety of fruites and veggies.