Some fitness questions for those who know better than I

[Rubato]

It's about time to leave for class, so I'll make this short.

1. I've made a lot of gains lately in my workout routine and have gone down from being a chubby 206 pound retard in January to a nearly ripped 161 pound better guy. My scale at home says I waver between 6-7% body fat, but I'm skeptical of its accuracy. My problem is that I said I'm "nearly" ripped. I have great definition in my arms and chest that people notice, but I've got this small ridge of fat I can't seem to get rid of along my abdomen, on the inside edges of my thighs, and my butt. I can feel my sick pack coming in behind this layer of fat (I would guess it's less than an inch), but I can't seem to eliminate the fat. I don't want to lose much more weight because I already look pretty skinny (I'm 6 foot 1) and don't want to be a skinny guy... but I want abs. So is the issue that I actually do need to loose a little more weight or I just need to make my abdominal muscles bigger?

2. From those who actually know, what's the deal with supplements? I'm a medical student, but I haven't studied any sports medicine... it's all been disease process and such. My endocrinology teacher recommended I take 50mg DHEA every day and when I lift, 2 grams of L-Arginine in addition to 52 grams of protein with a full amino acid compliment. The protein I use has about 2 grams of L-Arginine in it and the rest of the AA's, as well as glutamate and taurine. My question is about the DHEA. I am concerned about it being aromatized to an estrogen rather since I am a 24 year old male with what I assume to be a healthy compliment of testosterone.

I also take 5 grams of creatine ethyl ester every day with some sort of natural fruit juice. A guy I know who's pretty big recommended creatine ethyl ester to me over monohydrate (what I started on), but I've read that it's easy for the ethyl ester to equilibrate in vivo in to creatinine, which is not going to help with energy or anabolism and will be harder on my kidneys.

3. Given that I am only 24 years old, are there going to be any non anabolic steroid ways to increase my testosterone levels? I've seen test boosters advertised online, but there isn't any information (or very much information) on the chemistry of what their ingredients do on pub med or other reputable websites. I'm concerned that I would be spending money on an expensive placebo or something that would just indirectly increase my circulating levels of estrogens.

Are there any reliable safe and legal products out there (prohormone, hormonal or chemical) that will either

-Boost LH levels
-Increase T levels
-Increase unbound T levels
-Increase GH levels
-Increase GnRH (Not so concerned with FSH though, just LH)

all while not aromatizing preexisting T? And I'm also not looking to totally block estrogrens either. With my medical background, I don't think that's a good idea. I'd like to increase T and GH without affecting my natural circulating levels of estrogens (which probably isn't possible

4. My diet is the one area in all of this that may be lacking. I THINK I eat a very good diet. And I actually honestly feel like I do. But I don't write down what I eat or stick to some rigid percentage plan (like a certain percentage of fat, protein, and carbs each day).


My goals are get to about 180/190 and look muscularly defined. Given all of this, what suggestions do you have?

 

[EFFORT]

Hey Rubato congrats with the progress you've made so far!

For some more clarity fill this out


Current Diet

Total Protein-
Total Carbs-
Total Fat-

Meal 1-
Meal 2-
Meal 3-
Meal 4-
Meal 5-
Meal 6-

(doesn't have to be six just fill out what your eating exactly for as many meals as you eat in a day)

Entire Lifting Routine

Exercise/Sets/Reps/ Most recent weight used

 

[Rubato]

Current Diet

I don't know the protein, carbs, and fat percentages. Like I said, one of the weaknesses I have here may be that my diet is not rigidly consistent. I can tell you what I'll generally eat though.

Meal 1 - 1/4 of steal cut oats or 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (both organic), usually with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and a medium sized diced apple incorporated or a pear. Some sort of oatmeal and some sort of fruit.

Meal 2- 1 wheat bread turkey sandwich with about 1/2 inch turkey in it and a slice of provolone cheese. Another piece of fruit, maybe a baggy of strawberries, an apple, pear, ect. And a baggy of nuts, usually peanuts of almonds (I know this isn't very specific).

If I don't eat the sandwich, I'll grill a chicken breast instead.

Meal 3 - Whatever my mom makes for dinner. It's usually some serving of meat (chicken, pork, beef or turkey), a vegetable (beans or peas usually) and a potato. There's also usually some sort of bread, usually something she makes from scratch.

Throughout the day I'll also carry around fruit and almonds/peanuts with me to snack on.

This isn't a good habit, but sometimes (like last night) particularly when I'm in the midst of exams, I'll finish the day off (probably the worst part of the day to do this) with some cookie dough ice cream or potato chips. Aside from that, I don't hardly eat any candy, processed food, or crap like that.


Entire Lifting Routine

I lift 3 days per week, usually Tues, Thurs, and Sat.

Day 1 - Chest and triceps

Lately all of my exercises have been 3 sets of 8 reps.

This month I've been doing barbell bench (this week I did the bar bench though because I couldn't make it out to my school's gym and don't have 80+ lb barbells), incline bench, decline bench, and skulls.

Bench - 185, 190, and 195
Incline Bench - 155, 155, 160
Decline Bench - 155, 160, 160
Skulls - 50, plus the weight of the bar (I have no idea what the curved bar weighs)

Also, when I do skulls, after my 8th rep I do 10 fast reps with the bar in the same position like I'm benching. I can really feel it in my triceps and chest.

Day 2 - Back and Biceps

Same as before, 3 sets of 8. I've been doing military press, wide grip pullups, preacher curls, and barbell curls. I'm thinking about dropping the barbell curls in favor of a deadlift.

Military Press - 125, 130, 135
Wide Grip Pull Ups - 8 reps, 8 reps, failure (usually 8-10 reps)
Preacher curl - 40, 40, 42.5 (again, I don't know what the curved bar weighs)
Barbell Curl - 35, 35, 40 per arm

Day 3 - Legs and Core

I've been doing back squats, alternating leg extensions with leg flexes, decline situps, and leg lifts

Back Squat - 225, 230, 235 (This did not feel like a good weight... I should have started with 230-235 last week)
Leg extensions - This is a machine exercise, I start out with 150 and increase 5 pounds each set
Let flexes - Same deal as above.
Decline Situps - 3 sets of 8 with 25lbs behind my head, last set to failure (usually 8)
Leg lifts - 8, 10, failure (usually 12-14)

 

[Colossus]

Im a PA student so we have similar backgrounds. I have an ex. phys. undergrad and I've been lifting/powerlifting for over 10 years. I'll tell you what I know...

It's about time to leave for class, so I'll make this short.

2. From those who actually know, what's the deal with supplements? I'm a medical student, but I haven't studied any sports medicine... it's all been disease process and such. My endocrinology teacher recommended I take 50mg DHEA every day and when I lift, 2 grams of L-Arginine in addition to 52 grams of protein with a full amino acid compliment. The protein I use has about 2 grams of L-Arginine in it and the rest of the AA's, as well as glutamate and taurine. My question is about the DHEA. I am concerned about it being aromatized to an estrogen rather since I am a 24 year old male with what I assume to be a healthy compliment of testosterone.

I dont htink you will see any measurable benefit from DHEA. It will, eventually, aromoatize to estrogen, but as you may know it is a prohormone to androstenedione and testosterone, respectively. Taking DHEA alone will likely not lead to this, and it will likely not lead to anything worth it's retail price.

Here is a good RCT on DHEA supplementation in adult men: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/p...=1999&issue=12000&article=00014&type=abstract

Basically no significant differences were found over placebo with regards to lean body mass, strength, or testosterone levels in healthy adult men over a 12-wk period.

I also take 5 grams of creatine ethyl ester every day with some sort of natural fruit juice. A guy I know who's pretty big recommended creatine ethyl ester to me over monohydrate (what I started on), but I've read that it's easy for the ethyl ester to equilibrate in vivo in to creatinine, which is not going to help with energy or anabolism and will be harder on my kidneys.

I dont know about the physiological differences between the creatine iterations. I know creatine is the most researched athletic supplement there is and it does improve performance while you are on. But other than some rather modest strength gains and some muscle volume (~5 lbs), you wont see much. Use whatever type you like.

The only supplement you should really be purchasing is a multivitamin (debatable), and a good quality protein/AA supplement. The thing almost all new lifters forget is that they need to make sure there is a surplus of all the raw building materials they need in their DIET. They try to bridge with supplements and it's not optimal.

3. Given that I am only 24 years old, are there going to be any non anabolic steroid ways to increase my testosterone levels? I've seen test boosters advertised online, but there isn't any information (or very much information) on the chemistry of what their ingredients do on pub med or other reputable websites. I'm concerned that I would be spending money on an expensive placebo or something that would just indirectly increase my circulating levels of estrogens.

Are there any reliable safe and legal products out there (prohormone, hormonal or chemical) that will either

-Boost LH levels
-Increase T levels
-Increase unbound T levels
-Increase GH levels
-Increase GnRH (Not so concerned with FSH though, just LH)

all while not aromatizing preexisting T? And I'm also not looking to totally block estrogrens either. With my medical background, I don't think that's a good idea. I'd like to increase T and GH without affecting my natural circulating levels of estrogens (which probably isn't possible

My goals are get to about 180/190 and look muscularly defined. Given all of this, what suggestions do you have?

The short answer to your first bolded question is not really. Take my experiential advice and dont waste your money on legal "test boosters". They offer negligible benefit if any. At 24 your testosterone should be fine. If you are going to try and manipulate your hormones, do it right or not at all. By that I mean exogenous anabolics. The risks are usually overstated and the side effects reversible, but they arent as safe as a lot of meatheads think they are either. You are a smart enough guy you can make a more informed choice than 99% of other users.

HCG will mimic LH and increase testosterone considerably. There is an aromatization potential there so you would want an AI on board. PM if you want to discuss these things. Not really forum-friendly.

As to your second question, You can totally do this through hard lifting and a sound diet. It will take a couple of years though. Keep in mind you cannot simultaneously get ripped and big without drugs. Get your size first, then cut away at your bodyfat. I do think you can bulk up to 180-190 without putting on too much fat, just dont be too protective of your six pack, or you'll never put on any appreciable muscle mass.

I would look into the 5x5 program, or something similarly basic and heavy. Assistance exercises like skull crushers and preacher curls are fine, but ONCE per week only. The meat of your training volume should be in the bench, squat, deadlift, and overhead press (standing, not seated). PM if you want specific programming info.

As far as diet, get with EFFORT or Espi or FuglyDude. They are more into it than me, lol.

Good luck. Remember, it's persistence that builds a body.

 

[Fuglydude]

K dude, your diet is grossly inadequate for your fitness goals of putting on size and staying reasonably lean. I don't have that much time to go into it in depth at the moment but I'll have a more detailed look at it tomorrow AM.

Just know that your diet is gonna need a lot of work.

 

[Rubato]

The only thing I'm concerned about diet wise is putting on bad weight. I am finally, after years, in a position to where I can say I feel good about how I look. I understand you can't gain muscle mass without feeding it, but I do not want to get fat again. Is there a way around this?

 

[EFFORT]

The only thing I'm concerned about diet wise is putting on bad weight. I am finally, after years, in a position to where I can say I feel good about how I look. I understand you can't gain muscle mass without feeding it, but I do not want to get fat again. Is there a way around this?

No you don't have to become fat, but you can't stay at 8-10% the whole time either. My general rule is to not start a lean bulk until at 10% and don't let bf get over 15%. Like fuguly pointed out your diet is very inadequate for your goals. You've been putting in good work but your missing out on gains. So my advice is to just get in the habit of following a solid base diet for the next 12 weeks. You'll cash in on a lot of the muscle gains you missed with your old diet and the extra muscle will help you lean out more. This is just a starting point diet but you'll get a lot out of it over a 3month time period.

Meal 1- 50g Whey Isolate+5oz Oats
Meal 2- 7oz Beef+5oz Brown Rice
Meal 3- 7oz Lean Chicken Breast/Fish+5oz Brown Rice
Meal 4- 7oz Lean Chicken Breast/Fish +1oz Almonds +1cup Broccoli
Meal 5- 7 Whole Eggs, 5 Fish Oil Pills, Serving of Sugar Free Metamucil

Get a $20 digital food scale from walmart to weigh out your foods (very important)

Also take a calcium supplement and a multi vitamin.

 

[Rubato]

No you don't have to become fat, but you can't stay at 8-10% the whole time either. My general rule is to not start a lean bulk until at 10% and don't let bf get over 15%. Like fuguly pointed out your diet is very inadequate for your goals. You've been putting in good work but your missing out on gains. So my advice is to just get in the habit of following a solid base diet for the next 12 weeks. You'll cash in on a lot of the muscle gains you missed with your old diet and the extra muscle will help you lean out more. This is just a starting point diet but you'll get a lot out of it over a 3month time period.

Meal 1- 50g Whey Isolate+5oz Oats
Meal 2- 7oz Beef+5oz Brown Rice
Meal 3- 7oz Lean Chicken Breast/Fish+5oz Brown Rice
Meal 4- 7oz Lean Chicken Breast/Fish +1oz Almonds +1cup Broccoli
Meal 5- 7 Whole Eggs, 5 Fish Oil Pills, Serving of Sugar Free Metamucil

Get a $20 digital food scale from walmart to weigh out your foods (very important)

Also take a calcium supplement and a multi vitamin.

I take a good multivitamin as is. I also take fish oil. About the fish oil though.... 5 fish oil pills? The stuff I take has 1400mg Omega 3's, 647 EPA and 253 DHA. You'd take 5 of those?

I am presuming you cook the brown rice and oats.

Do you cook the Broccoli and can you substitute another vegetable (or nut for the almond)?

And how often do you space the meals out.

I have a digital scale, so that won't be an issue.

 

[Fuglydude]

EFFORT gave you a great diet advice. I'm sure you're familiar with the 1st law of thermodynamics... stuff can't be created nor destroyed... with your current diet you're expecting your body to conjure up muscle mass even though you're not giving it adequate substrate. This is simply not compadible with your goals.

As Colossus said focus on gaining mass first before you cut. Having a good amount of muscle mass will ensure that your metabolic rate is high and you'll have a much easier time cutting. At 6'1" - 161 w/o visible abs you're pretty phucking skinny, and need to put on serious size. Aim for 210-220 and then cut down to where you wanna be. I'd seriously take a couple of years and pack on the size because depending on what you're doing for your residency, you're gonna have a tough time eating enough to gain mass during those years.

You'll gain a bit of fat during your bulking, but this can be curtailed by eating clean and avoiding high glycemic index foods, except around WO times.

Here's some changes I'd make to EFFORTs' diet:

- Take in your fish oil tabs 1-2 w/ each meal.
- Add 1 oz almonds to your last meal.
- Take a multi and a time-release high potency b-complex vitamin in the AM Prior to class. I work in critical care, and I find a good shot of B vitamins really helps me to focus and gives me a lot of energy.

To answer your questions:

- EFAs are macro-nutrients... yes 5 x ~900 mg (EPA/DHA) = 4.5 g/day... more if you want. I'd suggest splitting it up into 2 servings.

- Weigh your oats/rice prior to cooking, as they absorb a lot of water and greatly increase in mass. 5 oz of oats is A LOT, and you'll be hardpressed to finish it at the start.

- I'd cook the brocolli w/ Macademia nut oil. Just a light stir fry. Almonds are recommended as they are high in omega 3's... My wife has cashews instead, our trainers are pretty chill about stuff like that. I'd personally recommend almonds or walnuts.

- 3 to no more than 4 hours between meals. Less is okay. I know you're probably in class from 0800 - 1700, so have breakfast before going to class, and lunch in the alotted time. Think about doing a mass gainer shake in class... it can easily get you more than 700-800 calories and 50+ g of protein and can kinda be substituted as a meal. Its not ideal, but it works when you just can't sit down and eat a steak. Eat another meal immediately after you get home and then around 2000-2100 for your last meal. Don't forget to take a whey shake w/ some simple sugars post WO. My trainer has me doing a whey shake w/ waxy maize both pre and post WO.

You're obviously a smart guy, but one thing I'll tell you right now is DO NOT overthink this shiit... I've been lifting for close to 13 years, have made tens of thousands of dollars off of my build/looks, have been a high performance athlete, and am now a competitive bodybuilder. I'll tell you that diet is BY FAR the most important thing, bar NONE! Eat big, ei: 1.5 lbs of meat/day, lift big (focus on squats, deads, bench, shoulder press, chin ups and dips), and sleep/rest big.

We're here if you need any help. Good luck.

-

 

[NorwegianDJ]

I just wanna say that you guys give extremely sound advice here on the health & fitness forum!

 

[Rubato]

I REALLY appreciate the advice guys! You all obviously know your stuff!

I've got a few more questions (not trying to overthink!) I talked to my dad (he's an internal medicine specialist physician... and realizing he's not an expert in nutrition, some of these questions come from his advice).

1st, this plan will have me taking in a huge increase in minerals, and I don't want to develop kidney stones. My genetics prof warned me that even 50g protein with 5g creatine can set you up for stones... And I really don't want that. What risk am I taking of developing kidney stones?

2nd, what impact is this going to have on my cholesterol? I have bad genetics when it comes to heart disease and my total cholesterol is awesome, something like 98, my HDL is 39, 1 point too low. I don't want to start anything that's going to make me a candidate for heart disease.

3rd, is aerobic exercise cool on off days?

4th, I've never seen a time release high potency B-vitamin complex before. Where do you get these (walmart, or the bodybuilding.com store)? Do you have a brand recommendation? Also, do you have a certain fish oil recommendation? I gave you the stats on the EPA/DHA ratio in what I take. I know there is a lot of difference in opinion over what a good EPA to DHA ratio is, so if you have something particular that you recommend, let me know. Also, is there a particular fish source that is better than another (krill, salmon, ect.)

5th, this doesn't seem like what the academic world would consider to be a "well balanced diet". There is no fruit included, 1 vegetable, and no bread. All of the carbs come from the oats, rice, and vegetable. And it's VERY protein (and potentially fat) heavy. Is there anyway to incorporate some fruit in this, extra vegetables, or play around with what vegetables you're eating (1 cup of beans instead of 1 cup of broccoli)?

6th, I've read about a phenomenon called an anabolic window.... can you guys shed some light on what that is?

7th, do you have to eat the 7 eggs with the yolks? Those yolks are pure fat and cholesterol and the whites are virtually all protein. My dad suggests to his patients that they eat 4 or less eggs per WEEK or as many egg whites as they want.

And is there anything I should be doing pre/post workout? Normally I don't do anything pre-workout and have been thinking that's a bad idea. If I don't deliver any energy source to my body, it's going to start catabolizing things I probably don't want it to. Post workout, I've always taken my protein shake and BCAA's... and that's something else I didn't see mentioned anywhere in here, an amino acid supplementation.

I think that's enough questions for now... thanks!

 

[Rubato]

BTW, I switched out the preacher curl for my day 2 lifting routine with the deadlift. I have never done this before.... I did 3x of 8 at 135, 155 and 155

 

[Fuglydude]

Answers in BOLD.

I REALLY appreciate the advice guys! You all obviously know your stuff!

I've got a few more questions (not trying to overthink!) I talked to my dad (he's an internal medicine specialist physician... and realizing he's not an expert in nutrition, some of these questions come from his advice).

1st, this plan will have me taking in a huge increase in minerals, and I don't want to develop kidney stones. My genetics prof warned me that even 50g protein with 5g creatine can set you up for stones... And I really don't want that. What risk am I taking of developing kidney stones?

I've been eating > 200 g of protein for years. I've never had any issues. Simply drink at least 3-4 L of water a day if you wanna decrease your risk of this. I've been friends w/ a lot of meat heads during my life, football players, wrestlers, sprinters, power/olympic lifters, strippers, etc. I can think of ONE instance where a dude had kidney stones.


2nd, what impact is this going to have on my cholesterol? I have bad genetics when it comes to heart disease and my total cholesterol is awesome, something like 98, my HDL is 39, 1 point too low. I don't want to start anything that's going to make me a candidate for heart disease.

Taking in good fats such as fish oil, and other omega 3's can help give you a good blood lipid profile. Also, get your CRP checked. CVD today is viewed as almost a inflammatory disease of the endothelium propagated by oxidative stress-induced damage to the endothelium. If you're worried about being at risk for CAD/CVD simply monitor your BP, lipid profile, CRP/homocysteine levels, etc. Remember its' the HDL:LDL ratio that's a crucial thing to consider. Always remember that muscle is like metabolic armour, and having more muscle mass will make it much easier for your burn through crap fats that you may consume.

3rd, is aerobic exercise cool on off days?

Since you have a lot of weight to gain, I'd suggest interval cardio. Better yet, pick up a rec league sport that you can do 1-2x/week and have a lot of sex. I'm not a fan of low intensity cardio for non-enhanced trainees who are trying to pack on the beef.

4th, I've never seen a time release high potency B-vitamin complex before. Where do you get these (walmart, or the bodybuilding.com store)? Do you have a brand recommendation? Also, do you have a certain fish oil recommendation? I gave you the stats on the EPA/DHA ratio in what I take. I know there is a lot of difference in opinion over what a good EPA to DHA ratio is, so if you have something particular that you recommend, let me know. Also, is there a particular fish source that is better than another (krill, salmon, ect.)


I take a fish oil I buy a Costco because its cheap and highly concentrated...again don't overthink this shiit. Lots of good fats from lots of good sources, and you'll be fine. Other good sources of fats include macademia nut oil, almonds, walnuts, fish, flax seed, etc. I'm personally not sure if GNC makes the time release B-complex formula anymore... but it was called "stress B w/ C", but I"m sure you can find comparable products. Just do a search online. They say smaller fishes are better source as there is less biomagnification of mercury and crap like that that you'd see at higher trophic levels.

5th, this doesn't seem like what the academic world would consider to be a "well balanced diet". There is no fruit included, 1 vegetable, and no bread. All of the carbs come from the oats, rice, and vegetable. And it's VERY protein (and potentially fat) heavy. Is there anyway to incorporate some fruit in this, extra vegetables, or play around with what vegetables you're eating (1 cup of beans instead of 1 cup of broccoli)?

Veges are free. You can have as many as you want. Be warned that due to the high amount of fiber in veges you'll feel full and not be able to take in other food. As far as I'm concerned human beings weren't meant to eat bread or drink milk... Our ancestors lived as hunter-gatherers for 600-700 thousand years prior to the discovery of agriculture. Do you think they had bread or milk? Much of our modern diet is completely FUCCKED, this is why there are so many fat phucks in the US, and even in Canada.

Fruit is a little bit more iffy because many fruits have a higher GI value and will make it harder for you to stay lean... still, I totally indulge in fruit, and would recommend you eat em as well! Just be aware that they'll make it slightly harder to stay lean.

6th, I've read about a phenomenon called an anabolic window.... can you guys shed some light on what that is?

I think this means the time you have after your work outs to jam in your whey isolate and simple sugars. There's increased insulin sensitivity following resistance training sessions, and insulin is extremely anabolic... hence anabolic window. I'm chemically enhanced, therefore, I'm not as concerned about using the "anabolic window" for my gains.

7th, do you have to eat the 7 eggs with the yolks? Those yolks are pure fat and cholesterol and the whites are virtually all protein. My dad suggests to his patients that they eat 4 or less eggs per WEEK or as many egg whites as they want.

Don't view fat as bad. Out of the 6 major classes of nutrients carbs are the only thing we can live with out (we can make carbs via gluconeogenesis). Fat is absolutely essential for life as we know it. You have 100 trillion human cells in your body, and each of them have billions of lipid molecules that make up the various membrane structures. Your dad's patients probably have shiity blood lipid profiles from having years of crap lifestyle. They probably have DM2/metabolic syndrome, HTN, CAD/CVD, etc. Most of them have largely been sedentary for years. If you're active, there's nothing wrong w/ eating the yolks. If you're worried just monitor your blood lipid profile, CRP, etc and keep your BP in check.

And is there anything I should be doing pre/post workout? Normally I don't do anything pre-workout and have been thinking that's a bad idea. If I don't deliver any energy source to my body, it's going to start catabolizing things I probably don't want it to. Post workout, I've always taken my protein shake and BCAA's... and that's something else I didn't see mentioned anywhere in here, an amino acid supplementation.

I'm a huge proponent of pre-WO nutrition. I suggest the following pre-WO:
- multivitamin
- 10cc/kg bodyweight of water
- 50 g waxy maize
- 40 g whey isolate
- 2-3 g of beta-alanine
- Pre-WO supplement of your choice. I use SuperPump by Gaspari nutrition.
* Ideally you should time these out so that you're not super fully by the time you get into the gym. Remember that stuff like pre-WO stuff, etc doesn't mean shiit unless the basics of your diet are down and you're executing your planned diet 90% of the time. If you wanna succeed spend most of your energy on acheiving the diet and staying consistent.

I think that's enough questions for now... thanks!

 

[Rubato]

I switched up my day 3 routine today and made all exercises (squats, lunges, decline situps, and leg lifts) 3x5 with heavier weights. Even though I lifted significantly more weight than I have before, I don't feel like this was nearly as effective as the 3x8 I was going before.

This is what happened:

Squats - 255, 265, 275
Decline Situps - 30, 35, 35
Lunges - 45lbs in each hand (the most I have at home), 8 deep steps per foot.
Leg lifts - 10, 12, 24 (failure)

I really don't feel like this routine did me in like my 3x8 did... like, it didn't even feel like it was half the workout my previous routine was... but I also don't feel like I could have lifted anymore than what I did. So is there something else I should add in to the mix here, or is it not a problem that I don't feel totally destroyed?

I also started the diet today that EFFORT suggested. There is no way in the world I'm going to be able to eat that much right off the bat. I cut first meal in half and was BARELY able to finish it. I think that's something I'll have to work up to.

EDIT: I was not able to finish meal 2, even given that I was eating half of what was suggested. I will continue to plow through though. Is this something my body is going to progressively adapt to? I feel more full right now than I did after thanksgiving!

 

[EFFORT]

Follow this routine for the next 3months ....

http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8050


and follow this diet for the next month, it'll be easier to be successful with. After a month you'll probably be able to replace a shake with a whole food protein source.

Meal 1- 50g Whey Isolate+3oz Oats
Meal 2- 50g Whey Isolate+5oz Brown Rice
Meal 3- 7oz Beef+5oz Brown Rice, Serving of Sugar Free Metamucil
Meal 4- 7oz Lean Chicken Breast/Fish +1oz Almonds +1cup Broccoli
Meal 5- 50g Whey Isolate, 5 Fish Oil Pills, 1.5oz almonds

 

[Rubato]

Follow this routine for the next 3months ....

http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8050

Thank you!

When that guy says "Rep cadence is explosive on the positive, controlled on the negative, no need to count cadence." What does that mean? The only time I've ever heard the word cadence is in the context of music.

And "DELAOD BY DOING 1/2 THE SETS, OR 85% OF THE WEIGHT EVERY 4-8 WEEKS (4-5 WEEKS WORKS BEST FOR MOST PEOPLE.".... what does that mean?

He also says "Rotate the lifts to something else every 4-8 weeks or whenever a lift stalls."

Does that mean do this routine for 4-8 weeks or whenever you plateau and then find another one to do for a while?

 

[Fuglydude]

Answers in BOLD. Don't worry too much about the diet, just slowly work into it. EFFORT gave you some fantastic material with the second sample diet. Stick to it, and you'll grow like a weed!

Thank you!

When that guy says "Rep cadence is explosive on the positive, controlled on the negative, no need to count cadence." What does that mean? The only time I've ever heard the word cadence is in the context of music.

He's talking about rep timing... Basically telling you to lift explosively, but then control the weight as you lower it. Not sure what the physiological basis of this is, but apparently its supposed to net the best gains.

And "DELAOD BY DOING 1/2 THE SETS, OR 85% OF THE WEIGHT EVERY 4-8 WEEKS (4-5 WEEKS WORKS BEST FOR MOST PEOPLE.".... what does that mean?

He means you gotta chill out and lift less every so often. It helps neural recovery and helps gains long term. Going heavy duty all the time for unenhanced people can quickly lead to overtraining. This is especially true for someone like yourself who's very busy w/ academics and also in the process of getting his diet in order.

He also says "Rotate the lifts to something else every 4-8 weeks or whenever a lift stalls."

Does that mean do this routine for 4-8 weeks or whenever you plateau and then find another one to do for a while?

Essentially this means to keep changing shiit around so your body doesn't get used to certain movements. Our bodies are rather good at adapting to different stressors, and one of the ways you can keep gaining is to constantly change things up and expose your body to new stimulus. This doesn't necessarily mean chose entirely different exercises, but even finer nuances in lifting form can make a huge difference.