How did you find "IT"?

[RaWBLooD]

Originally posted by Warboss Alex
Chicken and brown rice?

Didn't notice this at first, but while eating 'clean' has its virtues, remember you guys should be in this for the long term, factor in junk food, ice cream, all the kinds of food you like to eat. Don't eat **** everyday but don't feel deprived either.

A lot of people fail in this sport because they can't stick to what they think is 'the' diet, that is dry tuna, chicken breast, brown rice, oats, etc.. these foods have their virtues for sure, but there's no need to feel deprived.

I remember, when I first got into all of this, I was thinking I'd never eat chocolate or junk again but eventually I found I could factor them in easily without hurting my gains or leanness (having nearly driven myself crazy in the process, turning down dates and nights out with my friends because they might have a drink, politely refusing homebaked cake made by my mother/grandmother for me..).

For example, I have jam (simple sugars, eeeek!) on my oatmeal, regularly (say daily) eat whole eggs and plenty of red meat, I don't skimp on stuff like ketchup or chilli sauce or mustard (but don't drown my food in it either), I'll go through a packet of wagon wheels once in a while, hell yesterday I ate a whole tub of ice cream (we were having a bbq and had a few tubs, it was gonna melt in the sun, the poor thing..). But I (and you) can do all of this and NOT hurt your physique as long as you're intelligent about it, do your cardio when necessary, don't boatload the carbs in the evening, don't mix food categories if you're sensitive to that sort of thing..

I've got the outline of my abs and maintain that level of bodyfat, that's where I'm comfortable with myself.

If you're dieting for a show or really want to get ripped then yes, you'll have to do the tuna and rice diet unless you're really gifted (read: hurricane-like metabolism, in which case it doesn't really matter what you eat!), but otherwise none of you guys should feel like you're abstaining or are deprived just because you wanna look good..

There is a balance in all of this, bottom line. Remember the long run: this body is yours for life, and unless you can survive on chicken breast and oatmeal (actually a nice combination) forever then pay me no heed and do so .. otherwise fellas, find that balance, not just for your physical wellbeing but your mental health too.

in short what u are saying is that even tho eating junk food will prove less results, if u cant control yourself and crave these foods then eat them, its not like you are competing

 

[Warboss Alex]

in short what u are saying is that even tho eating junk food will prove less results

Good god, where'd you learn english? It's not your first language is it?

And I never said they'd reduce your gains. I meant that unless you're looking to get super ripped or competing, don't feel you have to go without whatever you consider life's little luxuries.

 

[Visceral]

We've talked about diet, but what about working out?

What got you through those first couple of months when you were ridiculously out of shape, weren't seeing any results, and exercise made you feel like crap?

 

[RaWBLooD]

Originally posted by Warboss Alex
Good god, where'd you learn english? It's not your first language is it?

notice the comma and the rest of my post

And I never said they'd reduce your gains. I meant that unless you're looking to get super ripped or competing, don't feel you have to go without whatever you consider life's little luxuries.

Mhmm and if these "luxuries" make it hard to get "super-ripped" then it means it reduces your results. (<-results as in gains/loss at any given time)

 

[RaWBLooD]

Originally posted by Visceral
We've talked about diet, but what about working out?

What got you through those first couple of months when you were ridiculously out of shape, weren't seeing any results, and exercise made you feel like crap?

Were most people ridiclously out of shape? dont young boys play sports?
Exercise cant make u feel like crap, only better. I'd think not looking like crap would be motivation enough.

 

[Phantasmal]

I hate to say it, but as of right now, the motivation for me is anger. I'm 6'4", and I was under 160 pounds in High School. Yeah, imagine that. The "it" that drives me is the anger and resolve I gather from all the **** I used to take, even from friends.

 

[RaWBLooD]

Originally posted by Phantasmal
I hate to say it, but as of right now, the motivation for me is anger. I'm 6'4", and I was under 160 pounds in High School. Yeah, imagine that. The "it" that drives me is the anger and resolve I gather from all the **** I used to take, even from friends.

Thats short lived if you realize most of it was jokes, especially from friends. What you need to do is imagine how u gonna be big as Gunter Schlierkamp naturally i know, i know, BUT ITS GREAT MOTIVATION

http://www.gunters.net/Gallery/TrainS.jpg

 

[Visceral]

Originally posted by RaWBLooD
Were most people ridiclously out of shape? dont young boys play sports?
Exercise cant make u feel like crap, only better. I'd think not looking like crap would be motivation enough.

Except for some genetic supermen, I'm sure most people are out of shape: manual labor is shamed, fat and sugar are king and queen of food, and sports are so competitive that they scare most people away.

Some boys still do, but I imagine most don't; I certainly didn't. And sports don't do as much for your body as you might think; why else would serious athletes lift weights as part of their sports training?

It's true that when you've been exercising for a long time, your body will produce endorphins to counteract the sensations of pain, but that doesn't happen your first time, or even for several months afterwards.

Looking like crap is normal ... and easy and painless on top of that; for the average person, that's serious motivation to look like crap.

But that's just my opinion ... all I really know is that your average person doesn't have what it takes to commit to serious exercise and diet, especially not what's required to build muscle. I think a solution to this problem deeper than "Just do it, you fvcking pvssy!" would do everyone on this site some good.

 

[madgame]

You know, that thing inside you that gets you up in the morning when working out is the furthest thing from what your body wants. That thing inside you that helps you turn down eating junk every time you pass a McDonalds, so you can go home and heat up your chicken and brown rice. The part of you that squeezes out every last rep when your body just wants to fail beneath the weight.

I like that post. I think I've done some sort of strength training almost all my life (though in the beginning it was only push ups and sit ups and they werent really of much use hehe)...started weight lifting seriously at 16/17 now I'm 22 and I just started my FINAL "mass gaining cycle" (which will take another year at the most..but probably wont be shorter) and after that (no longer than a year) I'm gonna STOP trying to put on mass and be very comfortable with the body I have even if it's not "completely perfect" (but well Im already very very comfortable with my results). I feel like it's time to stop doing spending so much time on this (like 2 hours 4 times a week...), considering I could only make very slow progress now. I also kinda feel a little bad about the fact, that had I know what I know now in the beginning it wouldnt have taken 6-7 years to get the body I want but rather like 4 years. But then again I'm very satisfied, that I didnt quit after not seeing results after the first 3 months of working out like 90% of my buddies.

However I think the thing that has kept me going all the time is ambition..perfectionism...whatever you wanna call it, but then again I feel like that there's only a very very thin line between that and just being OBSESSED with reaching your goals which is rather a negative thing to me, because I should rather put my energy into something else like college and getting a degree or just having more fun and so on..but I'm glad I understand that now ;-)

Oh and another thing: I feel the same way about weight lifting that Michael Jordan felt about basketball. He said basketball's been a teacher of life to him. And..that might sound ab it silly but thats what working out has been to me. When I was younger I used to be the type of guy who would quit way too soon if something didnt go the way I wanted it to because I thought it would never work out that way (I think a lot of ppl r like that though). But now after being the average looking type of guy who wasnt really recognized by most girls, I have a great body that most girls are really into, that I get compliments for all the time and have girls checking me out quite often (sorry if that sounds a bit ****y). In the beginning I hardly thought this would be possible, though I was hoping for it, but because I sticked to it for 6 years now and I've actually accomplished what I wanted so bad, that really helped me understand that you have to work for LONG TERM goals not for SHORT TERM ones. This has really helped me so much..also in other aspects of life and I'm sure it'll help me through out the rest of my entire life.

Oh and..of course Im not gonna quit working out, but I'll only work out as much as I have to do to keep my muscle, plus I wont have to care too much about eating enough protein and wont have to do too many cutting cycles etc...