Maintaining a Physique

[Quiksilver]

Hey guys

I've been doing alot of thinking lately(i know, i think too much), I was just realizing that achieving a certain physique is kind of in vain if you can't maintain that physique.

On that note, how much effort would go into maintaining a physique like this:

(I know that each person is different with metabolism and such, so on average)

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/6501/welcomebgmd5.gif

It's the physique I'm aiming at, but if it's too high maintenance, I won't try to hold it. This isn't saying I'm going to aim lower than my potential, but at some point I want to stop spending hundreds of dollars a month on protein shakes, glutamine and creatien, spending 40+ hours a month in the gym, and start trying to maintain what I'd have.

I also know muscle goes by a "use it or lose it" standard, so once I achieve the desired look/fitness level, can I get by with hitting the gym 2 times a week, with some cardio as well?

edit: In my estimation, I'm still an honest 6 months away from that physique if I stay disciplined.

 

[BxPrince24]

I totally agree. I'm a bit chubby right now, but no matter how many times I lose weight, I always end up looking around how I look now. I'm not the type of person to stay dedicated to a workout routine unless I have someone forcing/pushing me, like a personal trainer.

So I said to myself yesterday, lets say that I do manage to lose 20-30lbs and get down to around 190 or so, the minute i stop working out and such, i'm going to eventually end up back at square one.

I don't even know why i'm over 200lbs, i eat about 2-3 times a day, and the only big meal is dinner. Sometimes I'll work out, most of the time I wont. I've recently started playing Dance Dance Revolution on a daily basis for at least an hour a day, mainly because i'm enjoying the game, not really with the intention for weight loss. I'm also taking Cyalis, one pill a day.

When I first started taking Cyalis, I was 225, and within that week, I dropped to 220, the following week, went back up to 225. So now I'm just like whatever man. I don't have the money to buy whey, creatine, or none of that stuff. So I'm just stickin with what I got. Lipo would be an easy solution but I'm not desperate to change my physique.

 

[typical]

Thats cause you two simply suck, sorry but thats how it goes, let me ask you 1 question ok, How bad do you want a body like that pic ??? you want it bad enough then your going to bust your balls to get that body and once you've got it your gonna work harder to maintain it.

Remember this only works if your doign it for yourself and not because having a stud body gets girls. Yes it does but most guys that have awesome bodies are actually some sort of athlete and need that phisique due to their sporting requirements.

I went the whole body bulding way and it didnt work for me I took up muay thay as a hobby and now it works I have the phisique I want because my sport requires me to have it.

 

[BxPrince24]

Thats cause you two simply suck, sorry but thats how it goes, let me ask you 1 question ok, How bad do you want a body like that pic ??? you want it bad enough then your going to bust your balls to get that body and once you've got it your gonna work harder to maintain it.

Remember this only works if your doign it for yourself and not because having a stud body gets girls. Yes it does but most guys that have awesome bodies are actually some sort of athlete and need that phisique due to their sporting requirements.

I went the whole body bulding way and it didnt work for me I took up muay thay as a hobby and now it works I have the phisique I want because my sport requires me to have it.

That's my point, I'm fine with my physique. Yeah it would be nice to have a body like that but I'm not the type to go all out working for it. Especially since after I work out I get very lightheaded and nauseated.

When I was doing MMA, I had had steady weight loss and everything was going great. But I had to drop the classes since I couldn't pay for them. I plan on going back once i get a good job though.

 

[blinkwatt]

It's the physique I'm aiming at, but if it's too high maintenance, I won't try to hold it.

That isn't some rookies physique,that will require a diet and consistent gym routine.

This isn't saying I'm going to aim lower than my potential, but at some point I want to stop spending hundreds of dollars a month on protein shakes, glutamine and creatien, spending 40+ hours a month in the gym, and start trying to maintain what I'd have.

If you learn to eat you shouldn't have to supplement. 40+ hours a month?? You shouldn't be in the gym for longer then an hour on any given day except leg day. Legs require a pounding normally 16-20 sets to really get a push out of them. If you are in the gym for over an hour on bi,tri,ab or for cardio your overtraining.

I also know muscle goes by a "use it or lose it" standard, so once I achieve the desired look/fitness level, can I get by with hitting the gym 2 times a week, with some cardio as well?

I know that during the summer time,all my buddies that are built like monsters skip 1 or 2 days a month max ONLY during the summer cause that's what they push so darn hard for! But that chances of them skipping a day are very rare,they just lift in the AM and take care of business in the PM.

In my estimation, I'm still an honest 6 months away from that physique if I stay disciplined.

It's more then just the physique,it's the tan and the light eating so the stomach doesn't get full(keeps your abs flat).

Good Luck!

 

[Warboss Alex]

Okay, let's have a dose of reality here Quiksilver. The guy in the photo is a professional model with the genetics for it and digitally enhanced. He doesn't look that good on a day-to-day basis; models tend to do all sorts of things for a photoshoot like precontest bbers (depleting water etc).

If your joint structure does not allow for that kind of look (wide shoulders, narrow hips/waist - mine doesn't by the way) you'll never achieve it, simple as. You have to choose a goal which is realistic for you. You can look like a million bucks but that look will be defined by your genetics, joints and so on.

As far as maintainance is concerned, the simple truth is that it's entirely dependent on you and how long you've been training, how you've been training (heavy vs volume) and so on. Maintaining that low bodyfat with any degree of musculature is not easy and involves high calories (to maintain muscle) and high output (to keep the bodyfat down and metabolism high). That said, the guy in the picture doesn't have a whole lot of muscle, but enough that he'd have to train to keep it.

Simply put: the bodytype you had when you didn't train in most cases, is the bodytype your body wants to be, and anything different will require some effort to maintain. That's the way it is! You'll have to give your body a reason (or force it to) stay that shape. I will however say that keeping muscle is easier than growing it (training-wise). The difficulty would be the consistent high calorie intake plus the output.

 

[Throttle]

I totally agree. I'm a bit chubby right now, but no matter how many times I lose weight, I always end up looking around how I look now. I'm not the type of person to stay dedicated to a workout routine unless I have someone forcing/pushing me, like a personal trainer.

So I said to myself yesterday, lets say that I do manage to lose 20-30lbs and get down to around 190 or so, the minute i stop working out and such, i'm going to eventually end up back at square one.

You need to wholly change your thinking on this if you want change.

You don't need to lose 'weight' -- you need to lose bodyfat.

Eating fewer meals a day cannot reduce bodyfat.

Willpower cannot make a significant dent if you're eating the wrong foods.

Your experience has convinced you that you will always return to your set point, which gives you an excuse for being lazy and not changing. There is a lot of advice on these forums for losing bodyfat, and there's little if any supplementation involved. Do some searches if you want to change.

 

[Quiksilver]

Oh yes, I understand.

I realize that I will never look like the dude in that picture because I am different, he is him and i am me, simple.

That was just an example of a physique that most guys would be satisfied with, as would I. I was just wondering how much maintainance would go into a physique like that.

Like, if it takes 2 hours a day 5 days a week in the gym plus nitpicky eating just to maintain a physique, then to me that isn't worth it unless I'm competing.

 

[LoneSilver]

The part about maintaining what you gain is simple you have to like and love what you are doing from the foundation up and everything else will come into play regardless of concerns for the future.

It's like a leap of faith or a leap of positive mental enforcement... just do it... and stop sweating the small stuff and once your body comes along your mind and spirit will find ways to maintain what you've worked so hard to gain and that in itself will be the reenforcement you'll need to maintain what you have gained.

You need to study this some more or find that activity that will keep you motivated.

Hope this helps just my two sense worth.

LoneSilver

 

[Warboss Alex]

Basically, pay your dues now when you're young and it's easier to maintain your physique when you're older. But what happens is a lotta young guys don't have the dedication to do so (their choice, more power to them) and end up struggling to look good in their 30's and 40's when it's kinda too late. You have to, to an extent, think long term. You've got a lot of good info on this board from guys like Throttle, Espi, EFFORT, manuva, Salvatore, and you have the natural hormones to make the best gains of your life in your late teens, and throughout your 20's and early 30's. The longer you stay out of shape the longer it'll take you get IN shape..

Everyone of you young guys has to sit down and think this through. Looking like models is a damned hard task, getting big and strong is a damn hard task and you have to give up lots of the stuff young guys take for granted (late nights, drinking, drugs etc - not that I think anyone should do these but everyone seems to). That's why there's so few people walking around huge and ripped, it's not easy.

Like I said, whatever choice you make, stick to it and I'll admire you for taking the decision. Taking decisions is all about growing up and being a man. Take one, and honour it, but don't try do more than you can handle, and don't think you can have everything.. because you really rarely can.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Bottom line - people who think or ask "how long will it take" (not just you Quiksilver, EVERY young guy asks those questions, I did too) have the wrong attitude. They're trying to put a timeframe on it somehow and it just don't work like that.

When someone asks "how long will it take me to drop 5% bodyfat" or "gain 20lbs", the answer which nobody wants but which is the truth, is "as long as it takes". for some of you this may mean months or even years of consistent work. you have to be prepared to work for this.

This is actually why I don't like bulk/cut cycles. Mentally, you're going through periods of weight gain and weight loss, where it'd be a lot easier for you guys (especially those who aren't as dedicated as the rest) to just adopt a lifestyle which allows you to keep bodyfat down and make slower gains so you can look good most of the time. You don't 'feel' like you're being forced to throw down your 500g protein a day or that you have to abstain from junk food because you're trying to diet. You can eat junk food every damn day and still look good, BUT it's gonna involve holding a lot of muscle and cardio/other methods to keep your metabolism up so the excesses are burned off and you don't look like Capn Fatass within a few months of the Taco Bell diet.

And the other thing - is it easy to stay in above-average shape? No, but it's easier than getting there. You guys should worry about getting there before even thinking about maintaining what you still don't have

 

[Quiksilver]

word. advice taken, I'll have to do some thinking about the long-term though. I set deadlines and goals, when I suppose I should be thinking day to day choices.

Diet is most important, IMO. That's the hard part. No one seems to understand what a pain in the a$$ it is to eat healthy, 5-6 times day. My life revolves around my diet.

I totally understand. It's always in the back of my mind. I've thought about getting a little watch that vibrates at 3hr intervals, just to take my mind off of it.

--------------

About my resolve. I know that whatever physique i develop in the future, I won't stop working out. I'm coming to grips with the idea that there is no final stop on this track, and that it's more of a project, where improvements can always be made and there is no Complete stage. It's just a hard concept to grapple with an accept. However, being healthy and making healthy choices are a part of me now, I don't think I could NOT be conscious of my choices anymore. That being said, I'm still up for enjoying myself(weekends, drinking, whatever), afterall, what does it mean to be in amazing shape when you have to sacrafice many things you love to get there? As alex keeps saying, there's a happy medium between being a health nut, and a slob.

 

[BxPrince24]

You need to wholly change your thinking on this if you want change.

You don't need to lose 'weight' -- you need to lose bodyfat.

Eating fewer meals a day cannot reduce bodyfat.

Willpower cannot make a significant dent if you're eating the wrong foods.

Your experience has convinced you that you will always return to your set point, which gives you an excuse for being lazy and not changing. There is a lot of advice on these forums for losing bodyfat, and there's little if any supplementation involved. Do some searches if you want to change.

Here's what my daily meals consist of.

Breakfast: one or 2 fried eggs with plantain and a fried hotdog in the form of a sandwich, if not this then a bowl of corn flakes.

Lunch: Probably around 3-5pm. A few snacks (2 bananas, yogurt, or whatever I can find). Sometimes I eat just eat dinner at this point.

Dinner: If I ate it earlier then I'd snack on something around this point. Dinner's usually either rice and peas or white rice with oxtail, chicken, or curry goat. Sometimes it's chicken soup, or boiled dumplings, bananas, and saltfish.

Now I'm not working so I pretty much have to eat what's there, I can't go out and buy specific things to eat at certain times.

My body size is thick but it's not that bad, like I can see indications of my ab muscles and all that. And I have tried doing routines, gettin up early and jogging, etc... but eventually I just stop and continue doing what I'm doing. DDR is my main source of cardio right now.

 

[Warboss Alex]

well, the diet needs a complete overhaul as does your cardio outlook but if you're not prepared/able to go and train with weights and eat properly I guess there's no point..

 

[shaunuk]

My body size is thick but it's not that bad, like I can see indications of my ab muscles and all that. And I have tried doing routines, gettin up early and jogging, etc... but eventually I just stop and continue doing what I'm doing. DDR is my main source of cardio right now.

Hmm, why do you end up giving up, btw?

-shaun

 

[BxPrince24]

Hmm, why do you end up giving up, btw?

-shaun

Laziness I guess. Like I'd work out for a week straight and then fall off. My last work out schedule i had made for myself was this:

-An at least 30 minute jog/sprint at 6AM Monday through Friday.

-Another at least 30 minute cardio session in my house doing cardio that I did while I was doing MMA training Mon. through Friday at around 7pm or about an hour after dinner.

-Mondays: I'd do Arm workouts. Break on Tuesday.

-Wednesday: I'd do Abs. Break on Thursday.

-Friday: I'd do Legs. Break until Monday.

Now the jogging/sprinting would be the first thing to go, I go to sleep late already so After a few days, i'd skip the jogging and in exchange for longer sleep and I'd just end up not jogging at all.

Next would be the workouts that I do during the evening, more often than not my friends would come over to my house and we'd all chill, play games and whatever, and they'd end up leaving around 9pm or so. And I'd prefer to hang out with my friends and have a good time than working out so that starts to get spotty.

By the time they leave, all I have time to do is shower and then get on the computer to do the things I didn't get to do earlier.

I guess everything gets in the way and I just eventually let it go.

 

[Kerpal]

Maximize what mother nature has given you, and no matter what, you'll be happy.

+1

This is my philosophy. I don't really have set "goals". My main goal, which never changes, is just to do the best I can each time I set foot in the gym (and in all other aspects of life).

 

[Throttle]

It is possible to lose bodyfat with little or no cardio, but it requires a commitment to lifting hard with heavy weights 2 or 3 times a week, and a total overhaul to not just your diet but how you approach food. And you'll see faster results if you can do a half hour of cardio 3-5x per week.

 

[Warboss Alex]

To lose fat without doing cardio you'll have to cut calories, which you should know isn't a particularly good thing if you're interested in keeping any muscle on you.

 

[Quiksilver]

What do you mean by how you approach food?


I'm relatively strict with my diet, not as far as timing and counting calories, but as far as What I put into my mouth... The only thing I really cheat on is having one of those noodle packets late at night. That plus sometimes a shared pizza and coke on the weekend.

Here is my usual diet on weekdays:
Breakfast:
1) 4 eggs (i keep the yolk, not sure if thats good idea)
2) cup of oatmeal
3) shake(2s) in water(they're all in water)
4) green tea
5) Supplements + green tea extract pills

Snack:
1) Can of tuna
2) cup of oatmeal
3) green tea

Lunch:
1) Can of salmon/serving of chicken
2) Oatmeal
3) green tea

Pre-workout:
1) shake(2s) + creatine
2) 1/2 cup of oatmeal
3) green tea

WORKOUT

Post-workout/Dinner:
1) Serving of chicken breast
2) large bowl of vegetables(usually an entire pepper + handful of snow peas)
3) shake(2s) + glutamine
4) green tea

Night:
1) noodles (im unsure of this one, I dont eat dairy so I dont kno what to eat here)
2) green tea

------------

I've been meaning to run the numbers just to see how much I'm actually eating, but haven't gotten around to it since there isn't really any bad food up there.

How does that look?

Just a personal note..I'm not losing fat as fast as I'd like on this diet, for afew reasons:
1) busting my ass in the gym, numbers have all been going up
2) cardio is 3-mile run/walk after weights, 5 days a week
3) I'm still 18, I figure losing fat and gaining muscle should be easy for me.

My perception might just be off, but I dunno.